Abstract: A refrigerant powered actuated ball valve for use in the fluid circuit of a refrigeration or air conditioning system which can be remotely controlled by a low amperage control signal is disclosed. The actuated ball valve harnesses the pressurized refrigerant from the fluid circuit in which it is installed as the primary power medium to actuate the valve. The valve includes actuation means with a manifold having an inlet port which is in constant fluid communication with a high-pressure side of the fluid circuit. Pressurized refrigerant supplied to the manifold is branched to a series of fluid channels running through the manifold. Exhaust port operators are mounted in conjunction with the manifold to connect the actuation means to the low-pressure side of the fluid circuit and to direct the flow of pressurized refrigerant to either an exhaust port or the manifold.

Abstract: A method for forming al buried contact begins by forming an exposed contact area (22) of a substrate (10) having a surface (11). An undoped or lightly doped layer of polysilicon (32) is formed in contact with the contact area (22). A contiguous masking layer (36) is formed over one or more of the contact areas (22) to cover a contact portion of the layer (32) while exposing other portions of the layer (32). The other portions of the layer (32) are doped with dopant atoms (44). A heat cycle is used to laterally drive the dopant atoms (44) through the layer (32) and downward through a substrate surface (11) to form buried contact substrate-diffused regions (54). The resulting regions (54) have improved voltage punch-through resistance to laterally adjacent electrical diffusion regions since the masking layer (36) creates a longer thermal diffusion path for the dopant atoms which eventually reside in the regions (54).

Abstract: An ATA-compatible drive interface with error correction and detection capabilities is disclosed. Being fully ATA backward compatible, this interface functions with the same physical cable and connectors as current ATA systems, employs bus drivers that are the same as or backward compatible with those provided by earlier versions of the ATA standard and uses signals with cable signal transitions no faster than those presently seen by current ATA devices. The error detection feature indicates when a data block is erroneously transferred between the device and host; the error correction feature identifies the words transmitted in error and corrects those words on the receiving side of the interface. So that ATA backward compatibility is maintained, the data integrity checking feature does not require additional words in a data transfer, and the data correction feature does not require new data transfer protocols or additional data transfer overhead.

Abstract: A magnetic disc storage system includes a rotating magnetic disc and a read/write transducer positioned proximate a recording surface of the magnetic disc for reading and writing information on the recording surface. Data stored on the recording surface is altered based upon the address of the data. During readback, a pseudorandom number generator receives a desired address as a seed input and provides a pseudorandom number output. An XOR gate provides an XOR output in response to the pseudorandom number output and the readback signal from the read/write transducer. An error detection circuit provides a decoded data output and an error flag output in response to the XOR output. An error during readback indicated by the error flag output is indicative of an incorrect address of the readback signal in comparison to the desired address. During a write operation, data is provided to an error detector encoder circuit which provides an encoded data output to an XOR gate.

Abstract: A small, lightweight, portable, handheld data processing system stores and retrieves golf information and operates as a golf scorekeeper using a voice recognition system. The system includes a memory device, data input and output devices, a data transfer device, and a data processor. The golf scorekeeping system is capable of inputting, outputting, and storing data using a combination of manual, visual, and audio elements. The golf scorekeeping system utilizes a voice-to-digital converter, a computer, and a voice synthesis device to allow data to be input, output, and stored using voice recognition commands. The golf scorekeeping system is also capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from other devices such as printers or personal computers.

Abstract: An optically bistable device comprises a Fabry-Perot etalon containing intracavity liquid crystal material. Etalon mirros of deposited silver are overlaid on indium tin oxide electrodes. The electrodes provide electrical biasing means for the material, which exhibits both optical nonlinearity and electro-optic tunability of refractive index. The etalon has an interference fringe maximum at a wavelength .lambda..sub.m1. the fringe is tunable to .lambda..sub.m2 by applying a bias voltage across the mirrors. A light beam illuminates the etalon, the beam having a wavelength .lambda..sub.s where .lambda..sub.m2 is between .lambda..sub.s and .lambda..sub.m1. The beam intensity is sufficient to induce bistable etalon switching for a fringe at .lambda..sub.m2 but not for a fringe at .lambda..sub.m1. Tuning the etalon fringe electro-optically from .lambda..sub.m1 to .lambda..sub.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a linearizer circuit capable of substantially replicating a non-linear waveform on a piece-wise linear basis by providing a pair of circuits, one capable of reducing the slope of an output circuit curve when a predetermined output level has been reached and the other capable of increasing the slope of an output circuit curve when a different predetermined output level has been reached. Such circuits are cascaded in required order and with predetermined slope parameters to replicate a non-linear curve on a piece-wise linear basis.

Abstract: An endodontic instrument is described which includes a handle from which extends an endo blade. The handle includes an elongated sleeve member formed of resilient material which surrounds a core member secured within the sleeve member. The core member has a longitudinal body portion radially spaced from the inner walls of the sleeve to define therebetween a flexure space for accommodating the deformation of the sleeve member upon gripping of the handle during use of the instrument. Preferably, the sleeve member is provided with gripping ribs thereon.

Abstract: A thin-walled tubular container and a mold for making it is disclosed. The container defines a head portion with access means to the contents of the container, and a tail portion defining a sealed line in the tail portion, joining sides of the container into a sealed end with a flat plastic piece being formed integral with the sealed line and extending away therefrom. In accordance with this invention, a pair of spaced rod members are formed as an integral part of the flat, plastic piece, the rod members extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the container. The flat plastic piece also defines a portion thereof between the rod members which is thinner than any remainder of the plastic piece spaced from the rod members. Accordingly, the rod members and intermediate portion therebetween provide an improved and stronger tail seal. A novel method for making such containers is also shown.