Abstract: An improved dual-stage pump system is provided for the accurate pumping and filtering of viscous fluids. Two hydraulically activated pumps are provided in series with a filter and reservoir disposed in-line between the two pumps. The reservoir acts as a source bottle for the second pump and allows the first pump to pump the viscous fluid through the filter at a rate independent of the dispensing rate of the second pump. By operating the first pump at a rate independent of the second pump, back pressure at the filter is avoided. Each hydraulically activated diaphragm pump is equipped with an improved diaphragm that is pre-formed to the geometries of the process fluid cavity thereby eliminating any inaccuracies in the operation of the pumps due to expansion of retraction of the diaphragm during pump operation.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant check valve having plastic components in the fluid path is provided. The check valve broadly comprises an inlet housing, an outlet housing, a valve poppet, and a spring. The inlet housing has an inlet passageway and the outlet housing has an outlet passageway. The inlet housing and outlet housing are connected to define an internal chamber of the check valve. An inner portion of the inlet housing has a transverse wall which includes a valve seat surface and a central hole which defines a flow passageway between the inlet passageway and the internal chamber. The valve poppet is disposed within the internal chamber and has a disk-shaped body and a stem extending perpendicularly outward from a centerpoint of the body. The stem of the valve poppet is positioned in a central bore in a planar end surface of the spring. The planar end surface of the spring also includes fluid flow passages disposed about the central bore.

Abstract: A container and a method of using the container for storing sheets of material, such as photosensitive materials, enables individual sheets to be transported from the container to an imaging unit by a feed mechanism of the imaging unit. The container fits within the imaging unit to provide a light-tight environment for the photosensitive material. The container includes a clamping component to allow for the removal of a light-tight bag which encloses the photosensitive materials.

Abstract: An improved dual-stage pump system is provided for the accurate pumping and filtering of viscous fluids. Two hydraulically activated pumps are provided in series with a filter and reservoir disposed in-line between the two pumps. The reservoir acts as a source bottle for the second pump and allows the first pump to pump the viscous fluid through the filter at a rate independent of the dispensing rate of the second pump. By operating the first pump at a rate independent of the second pump, back pressure at the filter is avoided. Each hydraulically activated diaphragm pump is equipped with an improved diaphragm that is pre-formed to the geometries of the process fluid cavity thereby eliminating any inaccuracies in the operation of the pumps due to expansion of retraction of the diaphragm during pump operation.

Abstract: A sheet feeder may include a feed roller for compelling a sheet from a stack of sheets into a sheet path and a pair of separation rollers rotating in the same direction for urging sheets along the sheet path. The separation rollers may be selectively and separately disengaged from their motive source in coordination with operation of a motor for the feed roller to provide multiple checks for sheet multifeeds. At each check, extra sheets are returned to the stack of sheets. The separation rollers may each include plural annular spaced-apart sheet contact surfaces that are interleaved with the contact surfaces of the other roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeder may include a feed roller for compelling a sheet from a stack of sheets into a sheet path and a pair of separation rollers rotating in the same direction for urging sheets along the sheet path. The separation rollers may be selectively and separately disengaged from their motive source in coordination with operation of a motor for the feed roller to provide multiple checks for sheet multifeeds. At each check, extra sheets are returned to the stack of sheets.

Abstract: An automatic antenna tuner which conjugately matches the impedance of an electrically small antenna to the impedance of a transmit amplifier output stage by using a pi-type impedance matching network with adjustable capacitive circuit components which are preferably implemented using a low cost escapement mechanism. During an initial set up tuning procedure, a resistive Wheatstone bridge detector is disposed between the output of the power amplifier and the input to the pi network, to feedback a measure a degree of match of the pi network to a controller. The capacitive elements in the legs of the pi network are then electromechanically adjusted under the operator of the controller until an optimum setting is found. These initial impedance values are determined for each frequency in an operating range and then stored in a non-volatile memory.

Abstract: A container and a method of using the container for storing sheets of material, such as photosensitive materials, enables individual sheets to be transported from the container to an imaging unit by a feed mechanism of the imaging unit. The container fits within the imaging unit to provide a light-tight environment for the photosensitive material. The container includes a clamping component to allow for the removal of a light-tight bag which encloses the photosensitive materials.

Abstract: A variable capacitor and method of varying capacitance in which two pressurally engaged plates having electrically conductive patterns on facing surfaces are separated by a low friction polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon.TM.) dielectric disk so that the plates may be rotated relative to one another to vary capacitance. Each of the facing surfaces of the plates include two spaced semicircular patterns, one that is electrically connected to the capacitor and one that is not, for maintaining the separation of the plates from the disk. The dielectric disk may be ten to twenty times thicker than the semicircular patterns.

Abstract: A liquid pumping and filtering system for use in dispensing materials such as photoresist used to make semiconductors. A positive displacement diaphragm pump is used to draw source liquid from a source bottle. A pump valve is activated to direct fluid from the pump to a main dispensing line which includes a filter. A suckback line bridges the dispense line. The suckback line and the dispense line are each connected to a final dispense line, and the flow of liquid is controlled by a filter valve, which alternative causes fluid to flow through the suckback line or the dispense line, depending upon the mode of operation of the system. The use of an independent suckback line allows the quick withdrawal of fluid away from the dispense nozzle in the final dispense line. As a result, liquid in the dispensing line on opposite sides of the filter is generally maintained at constant pressure.

Abstract: An improved dual-stage pump system is provided for the accurate pumping and filtering of viscous fluids. Two hydraulically activated pumps are provided in series with a filter and reservoir disposed in-line between the two pumps. The reservoir acts as a source bottle for the second pump and allows the first pump to pump the viscous fluid through the filter at a rate independent of the dispensing rate of the second pump. By operating the first pump at a rate independent of the second pump, back pressure at the filter is avoided. Each hydraulically activated diaphragm pump is equipped with an improved diaphragm that is pre-formed to the geometries of the process fluid cavity thereby eliminating any inaccuracies in the operation of the pumps due to expansion of retraction of the diaphragm during pump operation.

Abstract: A system-wide data stream compatibility is provided for a FAX server in an image archiving system, by the concealment of FAX cover sheet and distribution list object handling information, which is uniquely required by the FAX server, in an otherwise unneeded document descriptor field located outside of the data stream boundary, in the distribution service or session header. In addition, the FAX server provides for the storage of multiple cover sheets and addressee distribution lists which are editable. The FAX server can manage multiple transmissions of FAX messages with customized cover sheets, to multiple addressees in the distribution lists.

Abstract: A precision liquid dispenser embodying the present invention includes a displacement diaphragm pump and a hydraulic system for selectively deforming the diaphragm. The diaphragm pump includes a pump body, a pump cavity, a pump diaphragm, and an input/output port. A solenoid operated valve assembly selectively connects the port to a source of liquid to be dispensed. The hydraulic system for selectively deforming the diaphragm includes a body with a cavity, a piston, a sealing ring, and hydraulic fluid in the space between the piston and diaphragm. The position of the piston is controlled by a stepping motor, a mechanical threaded coupling, which converts rotary motion of the motor output shaft to linear motion of the piston. The volume of fluid dispensed is determined by the number of pulses applied to the stepping motor. The output flow rate as a function of time is controlled by the rate of pulses applied to motor as determined by the control logic.

Abstract: A hardware packaging assembly for a galvanometer optical beam scanning apparatus includes an optical component-containing portion having a light source aperture through which the output beam from the ILD that carries the to be recorded data passes. This aperture is disposed in a wall defining a boundary of the interior of the housing. Light from the ILD is reflected off a fixed mirror disposed adjacent to an opposite wall and is directed to a galvanometer scanning mirror. As the mirror is rotated about a longitudinal axis, it scans the ILD output beam across an output (image correction) lens mounted in the housing. A second opening disposed in the rear wall of the housing interior receives a start-of-scan photodetector element, which is positioned to detect light that is back-reflected off the inner face of the lens at a prescribed angle of sweep of the beam by the galvanometer mirror.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexed fiber-optic communication system employs a pair of terminal stations, at opposite ends of the fiber-optic link, with the base configuration of each terminal station being the same. In each station a selective coupling arrangement is provided between the source or transmitter devices as well as the receiver devices and the single optical fiber over which the transmission are to take place so as to effectively make the terminals interchangeable. For achieving this purpose, each terminal station is comprised of a transmitter or source arrangement that is capable of generating a plurality of wavelengths. Similarly, each terminal station includes a receiver or detector which is capable of detecting the plurality of wavelengths that are selectively available for transmission or generated by the transmitter or source.

Abstract: A high resolution scanning system, employing non-linearly driven galvanometer deflection optics, compensates for both the non-linear rate of travel of the information pixel beam and for pixel position offset introduced by an optical subsystem (a flat field lens) that equalize pixel size and quality across the recording medium. The system employs a single high speed reference clock the output pulses of which are counted and used to address a compensation data-containing PROM (programmable read only memory). The contents of successive addresses of the PROM contain pixel location codes identifying the position on the recording medium where a pixel of interest is to be recorded. These codes are derived in accordance with the periodic non-linear rate of travel of the scanning optics across the recording medium and the measured parameters of a flat field lens disposed in the path of the scanning beam.

Abstract: Methods of treating fresh animal hides and skins with compositions containing butyl carbitol and other compounds have been found to preserve the hides and skins.

Abstract: A fluid bearing platen for a film gate structure contains a pair of cavities to which pressurized fluid, such as air, to be applied against the opposing surfaces of a photographic film, is supplied. Between each respective cavity and one side of the film there is disposed a thermodynamically non-throttling material, such as porous stainless steel, through which the pressurized fluid from the cavities passes, to be directed against the opposite sides of the film. The non-throttling material effectively creates an adiabatic transfer from the cavities to the film's opposing surfaces, thereby eliminating temperature loss and avoiding the wrinkling or warpage of the film.

Abstract: A system synchronously controls the advance of a recording medium or may be employed in a facsimile recording apparatus in which a modulated optical information beam is caused to scan or be swept across the recording medium as the medium is advanced in a stepwise manner. For this purpose, digital control circuitry including a programmable read only memory responds to a galvanometer synchronization signal, indicative of the beginning of a scan line, and selectively generates stepping motor advance signals in accordance with a look-up table stored in the memory as the beam scans the recording medium. By this action, the location in each successively recorded line at which the recording medium is stepwise-advanced is aligned in the direction of movement of the recording medium with a corresponding advance location for every other line irrespective of the rate of advance of the medium. As a result, banding, which would otherwise contribute to degradation in the recorded image copy, is effectively eliminated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is described for the separation of data from adjacent characters of standard type fonts, some of which character pairs may kern or touch. Characters which do not kern or touch are separated by white column detection. Characters which do kern are first detected by a kerning test, which consists of locating white bits which separate the characters while meeting pre-established standards of contiguity. Touching characters are detected by failure to pass the white column test, followed by failure to pass the kerning test. Characters which touch are separated by a statistical analysis, which involves determination of which of several probable vertical data columns has the least number of character bits. Following separation, the characters are compared with pre-established character patterns.