Abstract: An induction heater (1) includes a substantially cylindrical jacket adapted to be placed around an article which is to be induction heated, an induction coil (5) arranged within the jacket, and protuberances (4) projecting inwardly from the internal surface of the jacket to keep the article spaced apart from the surface so as to avoid abrasion of the surface by the article. The protuberances (4) may be axially extending ribs, and may incorporate a device, such as an embedded layer, to provide a change in the visible color thereof when worn down. A multipart construction is given for the heater, in which the coil (5) is wound onto an inner former (2) and outer shells (6) are located over the coil.

Abstract: The invention relates to control apparatus for heat actuated devices of the type having a heating resistor and a spring biased motor member movable in response to heat generated by the resistor. A source of rectified AC voltage for the heating resistor is regulated by a controlled rectifier in series with the resistor. There is a comparator circuit for comparing a desired setting with the actual position of the motor member and generating a continuously variable control signal of a value corresponding to the departure value. An ignition circuit for pulsing the controlled rectifier has inputs including the control signal, a half wave AC voltage and a time dependent decreasing signal. The ignition circuit has an input threshold below which pulses are generated and above which pulses are not generated.

Abstract: A heating arrangement in a fixing station of a printing device has its operation monitored by an arrangement in which a measuring element is disposed in series with the heating element and a switch element. The measuring element is traversed by the heating current and emits a corresponding voltage which is supplied to an amplifier circuit which produces pulse-shaped clock signals as long as the heating current flows through the measuring element and the heating element. The clock signals are supplied to a reset input of a flip-flop whose dynamic input is connected to an oscillator operating at a frequency lower than that of the alternating current so that as long as clock pulses occur, the flip-flop is constantly reset. Therefore, the flip-flop can only be set over a longer interval when no heating current is flowing.

Abstract: Principal faces of semiconductor devices (19) are bonded by means of a bond layer (17) on one face (lower face) of a heat-resistive flexible synthetic resin film (8, 16), for example, polyimide film, the other face (upper face) of the heat-resistive flexible synthetic resin film (8, 16) has bonded wiring conductor films (22) of a specified wiring pattern, and specified parts of electrode metal layers (20) or specified regions (66, 67) on the principal face of the semiconductor devices (19) and specified parts of the wiring conductor films (22) on the resin film (8, 16) are connected by conductor films (22) formed extending between them through through-holes with sloped wall (18, 18a, 32) formed on the resin film (8, 16). Also, a thin reinforcing frame (24) of a metal film, formed on said one (lower) face of the resin film (8, 16) with a specified pattern, may be connected to the wiring conductor films (22) through other through-holes (181) with sloped wall.

Abstract: Control signals are transmitted through a.c. mains supply lines to control operation of electrical equipment powered from the supply lines. A near short-circuit condition is introduced across the a.c. mains supply lines, for example, by firing a thyristor connected in series with a fuse across the supply lines, for the final portion of positive half cycles of the mains supply voltage, thus holding the voltage to a near zero value for this length of time. A receiver coupled to the mains supply lines includes a zero crossing detector circuit which responds to the near zero voltage conditions across the supply lines to perform a particular control operation on an associated appliance connected to the receiver. Different control operations may be effected by defining the control signals over a group of half cycles of the a.c.

Abstract: A wire or band electrode type electric discharge machine for machining hard metals by an electric spark generated between the metal workpiece and a wire electrode which is fed longitudinally to provide a fresh supply thereof while a prescribed relative motion is established between the workpiece and the wire electrode. The invention provides a clamping mechanism on the wire supply side of the workpiece for clamping the wire electrode if it breaks during operation, and a wire electrode feed mechanism for automatically guiding the broken end of the wire through the opening that has been machined in the workpiece. A wire electrode pull-up mechanism is provided on the other side of the workpiece for gripping and pulling up the wire electrode. If the electrode wire breaks during a machining operation, the clamping mechanism immediately clamps the wire electrode and prevents it from falling under its own weight.

Abstract: Temperature controlled electrical power supply apparatus for heating carpet-joining tape of the type having a conducting foil adapted to be heated by electric current to melt adhesive thereon includes first control circuitry for receiving A-C power supply voltage and a first adjustable resistor to provide an adjustable high current output. A switch is parallelly connected with the first normally open contacts of a first relay and actuated by the closure of a switch with second normally open contacts of that relay closed to enable the high current output. Second control circuitry includes a thermistor adapted to be connected in thermal contact with the foil such that the high current output is interrupted when the temperature of the foil reaches a preset temperature so as to maintain the foil temperature substantially constant. An SCR includes a gate circuit connected to the thermistor for controlling a second relay to interrupt the high current output.

Abstract: A microwave oven cooking apparatus including a magnetic card reader from which control data may be read to control cooking operations. Data may first be input by the operator from a keyboard control panel. This data is stored in a first memory. Upon completion of the cooking operation, if successful, the operator depresses a control transferring the data stored in the first memory to a second memory from which it is read onto and stored on a magnetic card. The magnetic card can be then reinserted into the card reader for later input of the same cooking operational data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for the wear of an electrode tool during machining by EDM of an electrode workpiece by the electrode tool. During penetration of the electrode tool into the electrode workpiece, relative displacement of the electrodes is stopped as soon as it reaches a predetermined reference position corresponding for example to a machining depth limit data entered in a control buffer memory. The reference position data is corrected as a function of the actual wear of the electrode tool which is measured by comparing the positions taken by the electrode tool when one of its active surfaces reaches the same reference position before and after a machining pass. The correction of the reference position data may be obtained either by successive approximations, or by a single calculation step effected after the first machining pass.

Abstract: An electronic controlled heat cooking apparatus employs a microprocessor for the purpose of controlling a heating operation. The microprocessor is responsive to a timer time period set by a timer apparatus to control oscillation of a microwave. The timer apparatus comprises a conductive path pattern, an operation knob, and a brush provided in a ganged fashion with the operation knob to be in sliding contact with the conductive path pattern. Timer time period information is stored responsive to a code signal determined by the conductive path pattern as a function of the stop position of the brush. Renewal of the timer time period of the information as stored is made in the case where the brush is displaced by more than a predetermined amount on the conductive path pattern. Furthermore, in the case where displacement occurs within a predetermined time period after the previous displacement, the timer time period information is renewed.

Abstract: A planar plasma etcher (10) wherein a plurality of projections (36, 136, 236) extend from one electrode (18), with each projection aligned with a wafer (22) placed on the second electrode (20) to provide uniform etching across the surface of each wafer. The surface of the projection facing the wafer can take several forms depending on etching conditions, including convex, concave or frusto-conical.

Abstract: A method of longitudinally seam-welding steel pipes comprises the steps of providing a conductive net-like enclosure tube around a cable for supplying a direct electric current from the power source to the welding head; and conducting a direct electric current through the enclosure tube and through the steel pipe in a direction opposite to that in which the direct current runs through the cable. Apparatus for longitudinally seam-welding steel pipes comprises an electrical cable coupled to a welding head, a net tube surrounding the cable, and a device for supplying a direct electric current to the cable in a first direction and to the net enclosure tube and steel pipe in the opposite direction. The direct currents flowing in the enclosure tube and in the steel pipe is adjustably controlled to minimize the magnitude of a magnetic field created around the net enclosure tube and producing a welded steel pipe seam.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a plasma generating apparatus including at least one multi-bushed torch unit. The ratio of inside gas flow rate-to-outside gas flow rate in the channels of the torch unit are experimentally determined so as to assure the alignment of the electric arc in the torch unit, and the plasma generating apparatus is operated with the gases flowing at the so-determined flow rates.

Abstract: Typically, a bottom of a cup-shaped electrode opposes to that of a similar electrode through a predetermined gap and in a mixture of helium and hydrogen. A step-up transformer connected across an AC source through a resistor applies a voltage in excess of a discharge breakdown voltage for the gap across the electrodes to cause a pilot glow discharge between them before the source voltage reaches a glow hold minimum voltage for the electrodes. A rectified voltage resulting from a transformer connected across the resistor turns a bidirectional triode thyristor on to apply the source voltage across the electrodes through the conducting thyristor. This smoothly transits the pilot glow discharge to a glow discharge between the electrodes. The latter discharge heats a liquid forcedly flowing along inner surfaces of the electrodes. Also an auxiliary electrode can be operatively coupled to the electrodes to cause similarly a pilot glow discharge between it and either one of the electrodes.

Abstract: Process of radial stabilization and homogenization of a plasma stream and a liquid stabilized plasma burner for the realization of such process. The arc is stabilized by its passage through several orifice plates, stabilized by a whirl or eddy of cooling liquid, then passes through a nozzle and is bent toward the peripheral surface of a rotatable anode lying out of the main outlet plasma stream issuing from the nozzle. The liquid stabilized burner has a rod cathode placed in the arc chamber, the cathode being progressively fed into the arc chamber to from an arc therewithin.

Abstract: Inductive heating apparatus includes serially connected first and second transistors which are alternately caused to conduct by a control circuit. A resonant circuit including an induction heating coil and a capacitor is connected in parallel with the second transistor. When the first transistor conducts a first current flows to charge the capacitor and when the second transistor conducts a second current flows in the resonant circuit to discharge the capacitor. The control circuit produces a turn-off signal to the conducting transistor before the current through the conducting current falls to zero and also produces a turn on signal to the nonconducting transistor when the current through the conducting transistor reaches zero.

Abstract: A rapid-response water heating and delivery system for quickly and accurately heating water to a selected set point temperature within a predetermined temperature range, and for maintaining the selected set point temperature of the water for a wide range of volumetric flow rates and for a wide range of initial water temperatures. The heating and delivery system includes a water vessel containing electrical heating elements for heating the water flowing through the vessel and a control unit automatically operable to control the supply of electrical energy to the electrical heating elements, taking into account the actual temperature of the water being discharged from the vessel, the selected set point temperature called for, and the rate at which the actual temperature of the water being discharged from the vessel changes with respect to the selected set point temperature so that the temperature of the water flowing through the vessel quickly approaches the selected set point temperature.

Abstract: A thermal device for controlling the temperature of glow plugs in a diesel engine in which current is applied to the glow plugs from the battery through a relay, the relay in turn being actuated by a thermally controlled switch controlled by a heater. The heater applies heat to the thermal-sensitive switch. The relay also controls current through the heater so that the heater cycles in unison with the glow plugs. The thermally-operated switch includes a bimetallic element which is heated by the heater. The bimetallic element is mounted in the engine block so as to be subject to the same ambient temperature conditions as the glow plugs. A thermal timer responsive to the same ambient temperature conditions includes a resistance heater element energized from the alternator. The thermal timer switch de-energizes the relay when heated to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatic semi-batch sheet treatment of wafers such as high-purity silicon semiconductor wafers by plasma reaction is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a wafer carrying mechanism, a reaction chamber with an opening at the bottom, a wafer table disposed beneath the opening and provided with a sub-table for mounting the wafer, and control devices for driving the above elements in linkage motion. The wafer carrying mechanism is substantially composed of a conveyor for carrying a wafer to be treated, a pair of open-close type wafer carrying wire conveyors which are spaced in parallel at a certain distance and open and close in linkage motion so that the wafer table may pass vertically therethrough to be fixed vacuum-tightly to the reaction chamber, a mechanism for opening and closing the wire conveyors and a treated wafer carrying conveyor. The subtable is vertically movable and capable of passing the wire conveyors when closed.

Abstract: A turret punch machine tool equipped with controlled automatic x-y axis workpiece movement mechanisms for moving the workpiece over a stationary work table section adjacent a punching station is provided with a separate laser beam generator and with a tool frame carried vertically retractable and extendable laser cutting head in optical communication with the beam generator. The beam generator is capable of producing both laser pulses of varying duration and spacing or a continuous beam. The cutting head is provided with two gas inputs one for use with the continuous beam, a second for use with the pulse beam, and controls are provided to automatically provide varying combinations of use of the punch and laser.