Abstract: A thin-film, high pressure fuel cell comprising at least one oxygen electrode and at least one hydrogen electrode separated by thin-film hydrophilic membranes wetted with a solution of electrolyte, each electrode comprising a hydrophobic porous membrane coated with a thin film of noble metal catalyst and having conducting elements associated therewith, said arrangement of electrodes, membranes and conducting elements being subjected to a gas pressure of 500 to 20,000 psi.

Abstract: An improved selection panel having a plurality of touch-actuated capacitive switches thereon. Each capacitive switch in the panel includes a transparent glass substrate having transparent conductive coatings on opposite sides thereof to form a capacitor. A display support is positioned behind and adjacent to the plurality of capacitive switches, and provides a separate display card support for each capacitive switch. A removable display card is positioned in each separate support in a manner such that each of the display cards may be changed periodically.

Abstract: A syrup distribution system for fountain service wherein a sheet metal rack supports a plurality of bag/box syrup containers, each of which includes an outer corrugated cardboard box and an inner flexible film pouch or bag containing the syrup. The sheet metal rack includes a lower shelf for storing a plurality of extra syrup containers, while the middle and upper shelves are equipped with a manifold for connection to the syrup containers thereon. Each bag/box container is connected to the manifold via a connecting tube having a probe which punctures a seal in the container, and a check valve is utilized to control the flow of syrup from each container into the manifold. A bleeder valve is connected at one end of each shelf manifold to assist in purging air from the system, and syrup flows from the manifolds to a syrup distribution pump which supplies it to the fountain service head.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with an actuator controlled thread take-up lever. A microprocessor is programmed to provide signals for controlling the actuator to provide a system wherein the interaction of the needle, the needle thread take-up and needle thread tension are optimally controlled. A thread metering mechanism, also under microprocessor control, is included in the system.

Abstract: A scanning system for supermarket check-out counters or the like, in which a package bearing the universal product code symbol is passed over a scanning window where the code symbol is scanned by a laser-generated and galvanometer-deflected light beam. The complex saw toothed laser scanning pattern, produced by a programmable read-only memory controlled galvanometer system, intercepts the coded symbol, regardless of its orientation, at high symbol speeds and permits higher than normal instantaneous laser power while conforming to safety standards prescribed by the Federal Bureau of Radiological Health. The beam reflected from the coded symbol is collected via a low-cost fiber optic bundle in a photomultiplier, and the video signal is processed in simple circuitry into a square wave signal suitable for subsequent digital computing equipment.