Abstract: Apparatus and method for use in recording and reading edit data pertaining to reproduction of information signals and/or portions thereof recorded on a record carrier. Edit data includes skip information (identifying information signals and/or portion thereof for which reproduction is undesired) and/or restore information (denoting invalid skip information). The edit data enables determination as to which information signals and/or portions thereof should be inhibited during reproduction.

Abstract: A spherical lens (5) is fixed to the front end of a tubular housing (1) and an end part of a lightconducting fibre (9) is fixed with its first end face (11) in the focal plane of the lens. The line through the center (13) of the lens (5) and the middle of the first end face (11) is the optical axis (17). The housing (1) with the lens (5) is placed against a seat (25), which is formed as a cavity with a rotationally symmetrical surface, on whose axis of rotation (27) a light detector (31) is mounted. The detector is designed to determine deviations between the direction of a light beam coming from the lens and the direction of the axis of rotation. Near the second end face (45) of the fibre (9) light is injected into the fibre, and the rear end of the housing is displaced in two directions (x, y) perpendicular to the optical axis, until the light beam emerging from the lens ( 5) coincides with the axis of rotation (27). The lens (5) with the seating (25) thereby functions as a ball hinge.

Abstract: A detachable connector for coupling a pair of optical fibers includes two connector elements detachably connected to a connector holder. Each connector element includes a cylindrical housing, a spherical lens, a disc-shaped fiber holder, means for adjusting the axial displacement of the fiber holder in the housing, and means for adjusting the displacement of the holder perpendicular to the axis. The spherical lens is mounted in a conical bore in the housing, adjacent the fiber holder.