Abstract: A cover installation apparatus installs continuous lengths of flashover protection covers around energized electrical power lines. The apparatus includes a cover assembly housing that takes a flat, extruded length of material and forms the material into a closed circular shape surrounding a power line. The cover assembly housing includes opposite first and second ends, with an inlet port in the first end and an outlet port in the second end. An interior passageway extends along a longitudinal direction from the inlet port to the outlet port and is configured to receive the power line therethrough. The interior passageway also provides a path for the flexible panel to follow from an uninstalled configuration to an installed configuration surrounding the power line.

Abstract: A PC Card is provided which can be inserted in the PCMCIA slot of a host system either right side up or inverted. The card includes a front portion conforming to the PCMCIA Type II thickness standard and a rear portion conforming to the PCMCIA Type III thickness standard. The card is so configured that two cards can be stacked in complementary fashion and inserted in a host system Type III slot, one card thus being connected to one of the 68-pin slot connectors and the other card being connected to the other 68-pin slot connector. Circuitry is provided for use in an invertible PC Card for electronically detecting the presence, type and orientation of the card, for managing power supply voltages and for directing, or, if the card is inverted, for redirecting the signals appearing at the various pins of the card connector as necessary.

Abstract: A cover installation apparatus installs continuous lengths of flashover protection covers around energized electrical power lines. The apparatus includes a cover assembly housing that takes a flat, extruded length of material and forms the material into a closed circular shape surrounding a power line. The cover assembly housing includes opposite first and second ends, with an inlet port in the first end and an outlet port in the second end. An interior passageway extends along a longitudinal direction from the inlet port to the outlet port and is configured to receive the power line therethrough. The interior passageway also provides a path for the flexible panel to follow from an uninstalled configuration to an installed configuration surrounding the power line.

Abstract: An improved opto-isolator circuit is disclosed. A fixed bias current is induced through a photoemitter of the opto-isolator. A fixed DC voltage is fixed across the sensor of the opto-isolator, whereby any unknown scaling factor in the opto-isolator is substantially eliminated. In a low frequency embodiment, a passive bridge is used while in a high frequency embodiment, an active bridge circuit is used.

Abstract: A generally-planar polymeric protective shield (2) for mounting on a high voltage porcelain insulator (16) has circumferential and radial intersecting grooves (8,10) in its upper surface. The intersections are deepened to provide point projections (12) from the lower surface thereby to space the major portion of the shield (2) from the insulator (16). The convoluted upper surface of the shield (2) enhances the physical protection of the porcelain of the insulator (16).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inexpensive, portable, and accurate method and apparatus for calculating the weight of a vehicle while it is in motion. The apparatus to which the present invention relates is in the field of Weigh-In-Motion devices.In the present invention, an optical fiber is embedded into a matrix such as a rubber pad and a multiplicity of microbending fixtures are distributed along the path of the optic fiber. Then as the wheels of a vehicle pass over the pad the force of the wheels cause the microbending fixtures over which they pass to pinch together and attenuate the light which is transmitted through the optic fiber. The light transmitted through the optic fiber from a light source at one end of the optic fiber is received by a light receiver at the other end of the optic fiber. Then by measuring the amount of light input and the net amount of light output, and calibrating the device, the weight of each axle and the weight of the vehicle above that axle can be measured.