Abstract: A light bar has several modular light source heads which may contain different types of light sources as well as different technologies mounted in cages by shock absorbing grommets. The cages are mounted on a bottom member so that the heads can be arranged along opposite sides and the ends of the bottom members. The heads are captured, and assembled with the bottom member, by a top member which also captures translucent or transparent members or lenses along the sides of the light bar and, transparent or translucent end caps which may also provide lenses for the light source heads at the ends of the bar. The end caps are removably connected to the top and bottom members at the ends of the bar by screws extending through the end caps. The light source modules have the same wiring connected thereto by connectors from a connector board to connectors along the back ends of the light source heads.

Abstract: A light bar has several modular light source heads which may contain different types of light sources as well as different technologies mounted in cages by shock absorbing grommets. The cages are mounted on a bottom member so that the heads can be arranged along opposite sides and the ends of the bottom members. The heads are captured, and assembled with the bottom member, by a top member which also captures translucent or transparent members or lenses along the sides of the light bar and, transparent or translucent end caps which may also provide lenses for the light source heads at the ends of the bar. The end caps are removably connected to the top and bottom members at the ends of the bar by screws extending through the end caps. The light source modules have the same wiring connected thereto by connectors from a connector board to connectors along the back ends of the light source heads.

Abstract: A micro-machined mirror optical crossbar switch directs the light beams of input signal channels to selected output channels by manipulating the focal lengths of adaptive optical elements to ensure that the light beam of any given incoming channel is always focused at the position of the reflective device that is selected to switch that beam. This allows the reflective device to be smaller and switch faster and allows the number of output channels per input channel to be increased.

Abstract: A micro-machined mirror optical crossbar switch directs the light beams of input signal channels to selected output channels by manipulating the focal lengths of adaptive optical elements to ensure that the light beam of any given incoming channel is always focused at the position of the reflective device that is selected to switch that beam. This allows the reflective device to be smaller and switch faster and allows the number of output channels per input channel to be increased.

Abstract: A plurality of fiber optic cables are bundled into a two dimensional output array which “writes” multiple data tracks onto a recording surface during a single pass of the array. The geometry of the array provides that the data tracks may be spaced at fine intervals when written onto the recording surface without requiring that the fibers of the output array have a correspondingly fine separation. The reduction in the pitch of the written tracks is achieved by staggering multiple rows of equally spaced optical fibers. To build a two dimensional array having relatively equal spacing of fibers, a spacing fixture is used, or, alternatively, the diameter and shape of the fiber cladding itself can be used.

Abstract: A resilient mount for rotating warning light systems includes a mounting base having a plurality of mounting feet, each of which includes a special grommet mounted within an aperture formed therein. The grommets are selectively shaped so as to absorb and dissipate substantially all shock loads which would ordinarily be delivered to the rotating warning light system, and particularly, to the fragile bulb itself. The resiliently mount further prevents noise from being transmitted from the rotating light back into the vehicle to which the mounting base is connected.

Abstract: When exposing thermally imageable materials using a multi-channel exposure head, an overlap of at least one channel is used to avoid a visible border at the point where one group of channels, written at the same time, meets a second group of channels. The overlapped area is written twice with identical data.

Abstract: A telecommunications system having 1:n group facility protection is disclosed. Two cross-connects are provided, each organized in a distributed fashion, and which have a group of member ports bidirectionally coupled to one another in corresponding fashion via a plurality of paths, such as of the DS-3 data frame type. Each of the cross-connects also include a bidirectional protection port, coupled to the protection port of the other cross-connect by way of a protection path, also preferably of the DS-3 type; the protection port for each cross-connect is assigned to the member port group, and is implemented to be managed by the same distributed interface processing unit as the protected member port group. The cross-connects monitor their member input ports for received facility errors, such as signal failures or excessive failure rates, and request a third-stage bridge from its mate cross-connect in the event of such error.

Abstract: A digital communications system with fast facility protection is disclosed. The system includes at least one digital cross-connect which is in bidirectional communication with east and west routes of the network via east and west transmit ports and east and west receive ports. The cross-connect broadcasts a facility over both the east and west routes, and receives the return facility over one of the routes. The cross-connect monitors the error status of the received facility for hard error conditions and excessive error rates, by way of a distributed processor in communication with the port. In the event of an error, the cross-connect blind switches the facility to the inactive port by way of a receive-end switch, according to a first embodiment. According to another embodiment, a head-end switch is performed, thus allowing for improved flexibility for port assignment in the cross-connect.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an attachment, method, and apparatus for producing calligraphic lettering. The attachment, method, and apparatus involve supporting a calligraphic lettering implement such that the lettering implement does not rotate relative to a workpiece to be lettered as the lettering implement is moved over the workpiece to form a desired letter, character, or symbol thereon. There is also disclosed an engraving tool which has a chisel-pointed, carbide steel tip.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an attachment, method, and apparatus for producing calligraphic lettering. The attachment, method, and apparatus involve supporting a calligraphic lettering implement such that the lettering implement does not rotate relative to a workpiece to be lettered as the lettering implement is moved over the workpiece to form a desired letter, character, or symbol thereon. There is also disclosed an engraving tool which has a chisel-pointed, carbide steel tip.