Abstract: A laser flashlight employs an emitter disposed within a housing for emitting a coherent light beam having a gaussian spatial profile along an optical axis toward the exit face of the housing. An optical system disposed within the housing intermediate the emitter and the exit face of the housing includes a laser element pumped by the emitter, a frequency/wavelength converter, and a resonator, to form the coherent light into a laser beam. A beam expander receives the laser beam, disperses the laser beam, and transmits the dispersed laser beam from the light emitting end of the housing into the ambient environment. The dispersion of the laser beam is such that the laser beam is safe for the human eye.

Abstract: A heat insulating paper cup having an improved seal. The cup can include a body member having an inside surface and an outside surface, and a bottom panel member having a upper surface and a bottom surface. The body member is coated (or in some instances partially coated) on its outside surface with a foamed low density polyethylene, and on its inside surface with an unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The bottom panel member is coated on its upper surface with a foamed or an unfoamed low density polyethylene or foamed or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The body member and bottom panel member are oriented and joined to form a heat seal at an interface between a portion of the unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the inside surface of the body member and a portion of unfoamed low density polyethylene or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the upper surface of the bottom panel member.

Abstract: A heat insulating paper cup having an improved seal. The cup can include a body member having an inside surface and outside surface, and a bottom panel member having a upper surface and a bottom surface. The body member is coated (or in some instances partially coated) on its outside surface with a foamed low density polyethylene, and on its inside surface with an unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The bottom panel member is coated on its upper surface with or an unfoamed low density polyethylene or foamed or unfoamed modified low polyethylene. The body member and bottom panel are oriented and joined to form a heat seal at an interface between a portion of the unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the inside surface of the body member and a portion of unfoamed low density polyethylene or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the upper surface of the bottom panel member.

Abstract: A heat insulating paper cup having an improved seal. The cup can include a body member having an inside surface and an outside surface, and a bottom panel member having a upper surface and a bottom surface. The body member is coated (or in some instances partially coated) on its outside surface with a foamed low density polyethylene, and on its inside surface with an unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The bottom panel member is coated on its upper surface with a foamed or an unfoamed low density polyethylene or foamed or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The body member and bottom panel member are oriented and joined to form a heat seal at an interface between a portion of the unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the inside surface of the body member and a portion of unfoamed low density polyethylene or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the upper surface of the bottom panel member.

Abstract: A reciprocating rotary action actuator consisting of a rotor and stator that can be added to a bi-directional rotary motor or galvanometer scanner, where the stator has a ring magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces that concentrate the flux of the ring magnet into a concentric set of narrow, uniformly spaced, axially oriented, magnetic flux fields intersecting the rotor's field of travel. The rotor has small permanent magnets embedded in the periphery of a nonconductive, nonmagnetic rotor core. The rotor magnets have the same number and spacing as the stator's magnetic flux fields. The magnet poles are oriented opposite the flux fields of the stator pole pieces, so that upon rotation, the rotor magnets encounter the stator flux fields at each end of rotor travel, creating an opposing force that reverses the angular direction of the rotor with minimal requirement for actuator current and generation of thermal losses.

Abstract: The invention is an improved nursing bottle, providing a new valve within its bottom structure. A flexible disk is disposed within the bottom end cap of the nursing bottle, clamped at its periphery to the periphery of the base when the bottle is assembled. The disk has a ring of slits near its periphery which are closed when pressure inside the bottle equals ambient pressure. The slits are further sealed by contact with the base. Holes, which are sealed closed by contact with the disk, are provided in the base within a central portion which does not contact the slits in the disk. When pressure within the bottle drops, the disk bows upwardly in its center, opening the valve and allowing air to enter the bottle. When pressure within the bottle increases, the valve again closes.

Abstract: A laser flashlight employs a laser emitter disposed within a housing for emitting a coherent light along an optical axis toward the light emitting end of the housing. A power supply selectively applies electricity from a battery pack disposed within the housing to the laser emitter. An optical system disposed within the housing intermediate the laser emitter and the light emitting end of the housing includes a laser element pumped by the laser emitter, a frequency/wavelength converter, and a resonator, to form the coherent light into a laser beam. A beam expander receives the laser beam, disperses the laser beam, and transmits the dispersed laser beam from the light emitting end of the housing into the ambient environment. The dispersion of the laser beam is such that the laser beam is safe for the human eye at the light emitting end of the housing.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit includes a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: A heat insulating paper cup having an improved seal. The cup can include a body member having an inside surface and an outside surface, and a bottom panel member having a upper surface and a bottom surface. The body member is coated (or in some instances partially coated) on its outside surface with a foamed low density polyethylene, and on its inside surface with an unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The bottom panel member is coated on its upper surface with a foamed or an unfoamed low density polyethylene or foamed or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The body member and bottom panel member are oriented and joined to form a heat seal at an interface between a portion of the unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the inside surface of the body member and a portion of unfoamed low density polyethylene or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the upper surface of the bottom panel member.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a limited-rotation motor that is characterized by axial stability of a rotor that includes a permanent-magnet armature and further characterized by a relatively small inherent axial force on the rotor. The rotor is supported by a pair of ball-bearing units and axial stability is provided by preloading the bearing unit at the end of the rotor with a relatively stiff spring and preloading the bearing at the second end with a relatively weak spring, whereby thermal expansion and contraction of the rotor are accommodated almost entirely by a movement of the second end of the rotor.

Abstract: A galvanometer unit comprises a limited-rotation motor with a load element such as a mirror attached to a shaft extending from the motor. In a servo loop that controls the angular position of the mirror, a position-sensor attached to the shaft provides position feedback information. The sensor includes a rotor which is positioned at the null point of the fundamental torsional resonance mode of the rotating system, thereby essentially eliminating feedback components resulting from the resonance.

Abstract: A reciprocating rotary action actuator consisting of a rotor and stator that can be added to a bi-directional rotary motor or galvanometer scanner, where the stator has a ring magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces that concentrate the flux of the ring magnet into a concentric set of narrow, uniformly spaced, axially oriented, magnetic flux fields intersecting the rotor's field of travel. The rotor has small permanent magnets embedded in the periphery of a nonconductive, nonmagnetic rotor core. The rotor magnets have the same number and spacing as the stator's magnetic flux fields. The magnet poles are oriented opposite the flux fields of the stator pole pieces, so that upon rotation, the rotor magnets encounter the stator flux fields at each end of rotor travel, creating an opposing force that reverses the angular direction of the rotor with minimal requirement for actuator current and generation of thermal losses.

Abstract: A method for packaging a liquid filled container including the steps of providing a container, placing a capsule defining the cavity in the container, filling the container with a liquid, and allowing a gaseous exchange between the liquid and the cavity to provide a benefit to one of the capsule and the liquid. The invention also includes a method for providing retrievable payload in a liquid filled container that includes the steps of providing a capsule in a liquid filled container wherein the capsule has a cavity and is associated with the payload. The method further including the step of pressurizing the cavity.

Abstract: A heat insulating paper cup having an improved seal. The cup can include a body member having an inside surface and an outside surface, and a bottom panel member having a upper surface and a bottom surface. The body member is coated (or in some instances partially coated) on its outside surface with a foamed low density polyethylene, and on its inside surface with an unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The bottom panel member is coated on its upper surface with a foamed or an unfoamed low density polyethylene or foamed or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene. The body member and bottom panel member are oriented and joined to form a heat seal at an interface between a portion of the unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the inside surface of the body member and a portion of unfoamed low density polyethylene or unfoamed modified low density polyethylene coated on the upper surface of the bottom panel member.

Abstract: In a reciprocating rotor device such as a scanning galvanometer, a bearing assembly consisting of a Theological bearing coupler interposed between the rotor shaft and the bearing support structure or housing, where the Theological bearing coupler is relatively stiff during constant-velocity portions of rotor rotation, assuring adequate geometrical precision of the rotor within the rotor housing during the scanning phase. When loaded beyond a design load threshold by acceleration-induced moments causing lateral or asymmetrical force applied between the shaft and the bearing support structure during changes in rotor speed, becomes relatively compliant or resilient, absorbing a portion of the load at the expense of momentary axial misalignment of the rotor, then returning to original shape and realigning the rotor to it's correct precision axial position when the acceleration forces are abated.

Abstract: A system for qualifying and monitoring bearing performance and condition in a rotary servo system. A position error signal is analyzed for signal anomalies that can signify bearing damage. A DC offset ramp is applied to the position error signal to test whether the anomaly is angular position dependent. The anomaly is associated with the corresponding command signal value and range of values to calculate the angular position and range of the apparent bearing damage. The amplitude of the anomaly is measured and associated with a relative degree of bearing damage.

Abstract: A diode-pumped gas laser includes a source of optical diode-pumping light and a gas cell having a first optical window for receiving the diode-pumping light. The gas cell contains a laser gas including a lasing gas comprised of at least one absorbing and lasing atomic or molecular gas. The lasing gas has an optical absorption band which is at least partially overlapped by the bandwidth of the diode-pumping light. The gas laser also includes a gas laser resonator for providing an output laser beam which is emitted from the gas cell via a second optical window. The output laser beam has one or more laser wavelengths. The gas laser may also include diode optics for directing the diode-pumping light through the first optical window and a heat power regulation system for regulating the temperature of the source of optical diode-pumping light.

Abstract: Containers are conveyed through an oven on a conveyor to cause a foamable material on each container to foam and become a heat insulative layer. The containers are supported on respective holders of the conveyor, which prevent the containers from contacting one another. Preferably, the holders support the containers loosely, to enable the containers to wobble relative to the holders under the influence of oven air currents and conveyor vibration. The holders thus do not make contact with any given point on their respective containers for a time period that is sufficient to enable the holders to draw enough heat away from the container to adversely affect the foaming operation. The containers are conveyed in single file, along a serpentine path through the oven.