Patents by Inventor David W. Fairbanks
David W. Fairbanks has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 5113111Abstract: A tensioned shadow mask/frame assembly includes horizontal top and bottom members and vertical side members. One of the horizontal members is permanently affixed to the side members and the other horizontal member is slideably supported on the side members. The horizontal members are biased apart to put tension on a shadow mask which is stretched across and permanently affixed thereto. The cross sectional configuration of the horizontal members is an acute angle having a long side and a short side joined at a rounded apex to maximize the stiffness of the members.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 1991Date of Patent: May 12, 1992Assignee: RCA Thomson Licensing CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 5045010Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method of assemblying a rectangular tensioned shadow mask wherein the two long sides are welded to two curved frame members paralleling the major axis. The improvement comprises forming two subassemblies of said frame, each subassembly including one of the curved members and two partial straight members, each partial straight member being attached at 90 degrees to an end of the curved member. Next, the two subassemblies are positioned in approximately their final positions with the partial straight members on each side of the frame overlapping each other but forming an angle less than 180 degrees on the side of the frame of the intended mask attachment. The long sides of the mask are next welded to the curved members. Now, the subassemblies are rotated until the partial straight members are aligned, to apply tension to the two curved members to place at least a central portion of the shadow mask under a predetermined tension.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1990Date of Patent: September 3, 1991Assignee: RCA Licensing CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 5041756Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in a color picture tube having a tensioned shadow mask and support frame assembly. The mask is rectangular, having two long sides paralleling a central major axis thereof and two short sides paralleling a central minor axis thereof. The mask has a cylindrical contour, with the mask being curved along the major axis and straight along the minor axis. The improvement comprises the frame including two curved members paralleling the major axis and each other and two straight members paralleling the minor axis and each other. The curvature of the curved members matches the curvature of the cylindrical contour of the mask. The two long sides of the mask are welded between the two curved members. Each of the straight members includes two overlapped parts that are welded together where overlapped. Each of the parts is attached to the end of one of the curved members.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1990Date of Patent: August 20, 1991Assignee: RCA Licensing CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 5033802Abstract: An enclosure for a television receiver is composed of a base member, a cover member and a bezel member which are joined into a stiff triangular enclosure which supports the receiver tube and protects the tube from implosion because of impacts.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1989Date of Patent: July 23, 1991Assignee: RCA Licensing CoporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4609187Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly and accurately positioning and holding a very small elongated body, such as a stylus holder during manufacturing is disclosed. A pair of magnets or magnetized regions are utilized to position the stylus holder both rotationally and axially. A pusher mechanism, in conjunction with a pair of locating blocks very precisely aligns the stylus holder, causing it to engage the seat of an anvil for support during the manufacturing operation. A retaining mechanism retains the stylus holder within the apparatus until completion.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1984Date of Patent: September 2, 1986Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4597646Abstract: An apparatus for consistently and automatically positioning the point of a stylus within the field of view and at the focal point of a high power microscope while the stylus remains in the stylus cartridge. All positioning is effected through physical contact between the stylus and the apparatus without contact of the fragile stylus point occurring.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 1983Date of Patent: July 1, 1986Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4557040Abstract: An apparatus for accurately aligning an information-containing-disc stylus and assembling the stylus to a stylus holder. The apparatus transfers the stylus from a magazine holding a plurality of such styli into a rotary collet which is then rotated by an operator until a laser beam of light is reflected off a known surface of the stylus and impinges on a fixed target. The apparatus then causes the point of the stylus to pierce the stylus holder to a specific depth whereby the stylus is held firmly by the stylus holder.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 1984Date of Patent: December 10, 1985Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4513410Abstract: A pickup stylus is secured to a plastic stylus holder at one end thereof by inserting it into the holder in a direction that bears a desired, non-perpendicular angle in respect of the longitudinal axis of the stylus holder. The one end of the stylus holder is provided with a surface which is disposed at right angles to the direction of stylus insertion into the holder in order to reduce the possibility of stylus misalignment and mislocation. The stylus holder has a cutout which is shaped and dimensioned such that the resonance frequency of the stylus holder is located near the upper end of the audible frequency range. The stylus holder, which has these and other features, is not only simple and inexpensive, but also has the desired performance characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1983Date of Patent: April 23, 1985Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4498779Abstract: A system is provided for determining the widths and spacings of substantially parallel opaque stripes on a substrate, wherein the stripes are separated by openings. The system comprises a light source for illuminating the substrate and photodetecting means positioned to receive light from the illuminated substrate. Means are included for scanning the photodetecting means transverse to the stripes and for sweeping the photodetecting means in a direction substantially parallel to the stripes. The system further includes means for converting the output of the photodetecting means into a quantized signal, means for dividing the quantized signal into separate signals representing stripe widths and opening widths between stripes, and means for converting the stripe width and opening width signals into a signal representing center-to-center spacing between openings.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1979Date of Patent: February 12, 1985Assignee: RCA CorporationInventors: Peter D. Southgate, David W. Fairbanks, Richard B. Davis, John P. Beltz
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Patent number: 4406381Abstract: An apparatus for individually dispensing a plurality of styli, juxtaposed in a row lying along a first path within a guide slot having a dispensing section thereof terminating at a reference surface of a housing, has an arm shaped to slide within the guide slot whereby the lead stylus in the row is held against the reference surface. The apparatus comprises a curved spring plate and piston disposed adjacent the guide slot for moving the reference surface along the first path toward the arm in a manner whereby the arm, along with the row of styli, is pushed backward a predetermined distance along the first path to a holdback position, and a second piston disposed adjacent the housing for holding the arm stationary at the holdback position while a dispensing member removes the lead stylus from the row of styli.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1981Date of Patent: September 27, 1983Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4341437Abstract: A technique for positioning the tip of a stylus mounted on an arm attached to a cartridge for viewing through a microscope comprises a platform having a transparent plate attached thereto. The platform is adapted to support the cartridge so that the tip of the stylus contacts a surface of a transparent plate disposed between the tip and an objective of the microscope, the plate being prepositioned so that the surface lies in the focal plane of the microscope objective. The tip of the stylus is moved in a direction along the surface of the plate so that the stylus tip is centered within the field of view of the microscope objective. In order to guide the tip, the surface of the plate may have two raised ledges thereon, intersecting at a vertex centered within the field of view of the microscope objective.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1980Date of Patent: July 27, 1982Assignee: RCA CorporationInventors: John A. van Raalte, David W. Fairbanks
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Patent number: 4126121Abstract: A plurality of thermoplastic sheets of film are heat sealed to form complementary first and second heat transfer chambers for a pressurized fluid that is supplied to one of the chambers and which flows to the other of the chambers through an opening in the film intermediate the chambers. The film exposed to sunlight is transparent permitting solar energy to impinge upon a film disposed within the chambers for heating the chambers. Fluid ducts are connected to the apparatus for supplying the fluid under pressure to one of the chambers and for receiving the heated fluid from the other of the chambers.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1977Date of Patent: November 21, 1978Assignee: RCA CorporationInventor: David W. Fairbanks