Abstract: This invention relates to a silver/metal oxide material for electrical contacts containing no Cd which essentially consists of Ag and 5 to 30% by weight of at least one of oxides of Sb, Sn, Zn, In, Cu, Mn, Bi and Pb, and further, if necessary, 0.05 to 2% by weight of at least one of oxides of Mg, Al, Fe, Ni, Co, Si, Ga, Ge, Te, Ca and Li, the total amount of said metal oxides being 5 to 32% by weight, wherein fine particles of said metal oxides are substantially uniformly distributed in a matrix whose main component is Ag in a sintered state, and wherein there are no grain boundaries formed by agglomerations or agglomerated layers of said metal oxides.

Abstract: A novel optically anisotropic pitch is provided which is produced by thermal modification of a polymer having a structure of an alkylbenzene and a condensed aromatic compound with two to four fused rings bonded to each other via a methylene group.In preferred embodiments, the optical anisotropy is 80% or more. As the alkylbenzene there may be used xylene, trimethylbenzene or tetramethylbenzene. As the condensed aromatic compound with two to four fused rings, there may be used naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, or naphthacene. The polymer starting material may be obtained by the reaction of a xylene formalin resin, mesitylene formalin resin or alkylbenzene and a condensed aromatic compound with two to four fused rings in the presence of a protonic acid as a catalyst.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically anisotropic pitch for use in the production of high performance carbon fibers, wherein a compound represented by the formula (1) as a raw starting material is mixed with one of heavy oils and subjected to thermal modification: ##STR1## wherein m is an integer of 2 or more; R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 each represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group; and R.sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. The pitch has a softening point which can be set at discretion and excellent molecular orientation.

Abstract: Objects to be inspected are transferred successively in one direction on a conveyor and irradiated by a light source and photosensed by a single optical image sensor only, such as a video camera. The optical image sensor is so arranged that it simultaneously photosenses a plurality of the successively transferred inspected objects, and the conveyor is so constructed that during the period in which the objects pass through the visual field of the optical image sensor, the objects are rotated so that their entire round inspected surfaces are all respectively photosensed by the optical image sensor.

Abstract: A bottle mouth defect inspection apparatus having a ring-shaped light source for irradiating a ring-shaped bottle mouth portion to be inspected, a photo-electric conversion sensor for converting a reflected light from the bottle mouth portion into an electrical signal and an electronic processor for processing the electrical signal to thereby inspect the existence or not of defects on the bottle mouth portion, wherein the diameter of the ring-shaped light source is selected larger than the outer diameter of the bottle mouth portion, the optical axis of the photo-electric conversion sensor, the center axis of the ring-shaped light source and the center axis of the bottle mouth portion are coincided to each other, positions of the photo-electric conversion sensor, the ring-shaped light source and the bottle mouth portion along the axis are selected such that only the ring-shaped reflected lights from the outer and inner edge portions of the bottle mouth portion are incident on the photo-electric conversion sens

Abstract: There is provided a lipophobicating solution for electrophotographic plates for offset printing which comprises (a) phytic acid, (b) two or more dicarboxylic acids selected from those represented by the formula HOOC--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOH (where n is 1 to 6) and phthalic acid, (c) water, and (d) a pH adjustor. This lipophobicating solution does not cause scumming and its effect lasts for a long period of time.

Abstract: A lighting device for apparatus detecting flaws in objects having a photoelectric sensor aligned with the object and a processor responsive to the sensor for determining the light received by the sensor. The lighting device includes a ring-shaped lamp and an opaque shield having predetermined light paths controlling the direction of the light from the lamp in a selected direction, so that the light irradiates the object to be inspected in a manner whereby the light is reflected from the object to the sensor only when the object is flawed.

Abstract: An object to be inspected is illuminated and its image is picked up by an optical image sensor which provides a video signal thereof. The optical image is divided into at least two portions which are mutually symmetrical to each other, and the specific video signals of corresponding parts of the mutually symmetrical portions are compared sequentially to thereby determine whether the object has a defect or not.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus for bottles made of transparent material in which a light source is located under a bottle made of transparent material and to be inspected for irradiating a bottom of the bottle, a photoelectric conversion sensor is installed above the mouth of the bottle for receiving such a light that enters the bottle from its bottom, passes through the inside of the sidewall of the bottle and then is emitted upwards from the mouth of the bottle and, an electric processor is provided for electrically processing the responsive electrical signal from the photoelectric conversion sensor to thereby inspect defects of the bottle.

Abstract: A pitch having optical anisotropy for use in production of carbon fibers, wherein the pitch is prepared using a compound represented by the formula (I) as a raw starting material and subjecting the compound to thermal modification and then removing light fractions ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 each represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group or an ethyl group; R.sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; the total number of carbon atoms of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is from 2 to 4 and the total number of carbon atoms of R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8 and R.sub.9 is from 2 to 4; and m is at least 3. The pitch is substantially homogeneous in quality, has a low softening point and has excellent molecular orientation.

Abstract: The target screen of a television camera is divided into a matrix in horizontal and vertical directions to receive image data signals as divided in the matrix for subsequent processing. A memory circuit having the same number of memory elements as the divisions of the matrix, a circuit for scanning addresses of the memory elements of the memory circuit in synchronization with scanning in the television camera, a circuit for preliminarily memorizing signals, which are used to discriminate which of the image data signals are processed or not, on memory elements of the memory circuit with addresses corresponding to the image data signals respectively and a circuit for generating a control signal based on the memory data signal from the memory circuit to determine which image data signals is used or not in response to scanning of the target screen of the television camera is provided. A circuit for controlling supply of the image data signal from the television camera to the processing apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A standard memory take-in method for selecting a set of standard data for use with a pattern recognition system in which a plurality of samples of data representing a single known object to be recognized and stored as a set of standard data are stored, the plurality of samples being compared with data representing a subsequent sample to decide whether or not the subsequent sample belonging to the single known object should be stored.

Abstract: A surface flaw inspection apparatus for a convex body having a light source for irradiating a surface of an object to be inspected with a luminous flux, an image sensor for receiving the reflected light on the surface of the object and producing a corresponding electrical signal, an inspection section for receiving the electrical signal from the image sensor and inspecting whether or not there is a flaw on the surface of the object, and a projection screen located in the light path from the light source through the surface of the object to the image sensor on which an image of the irradiated area of the surface of the object by the luminous flux is formed, in which the image sensor picks up the image formed on the projection screen.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus having a television camera which picks up an object to be inspected and produces a video signal for inspecting defects on the object, wherein the apparatus comprises a detection section which outputs a signal responding to the positive changes of the video signal with respect to time and a further detection section which outputs a signal in response to the negative changes of the video signal with respect to time, so that a defect detection signal is only output when, after one of the detection sections generates an output, the other detection section generates an output within a given time period.

Abstract: Systems that judge the good or bad of moving objects to be inspected by processing image signals from a video camera which picks up the objects at an inspection circuit, are disclosed whereas each time the moving objects to be inspected arrive at the position to be inspected, a position detection signal is generated from a position detection system. This position detection signal drives the light source to irradiate light for a short time period onto the object to be inspected when it arrives at the inspection position and then such irradiated inspected object is picked up by the video camera as a static image.

Abstract: A rejection system for use with an inspection system, which inspects a number of products transferred at high speed on a conveyor at a predetermined inspection position and generates a product reject signal as well as a product inspection position arrival signal is disclosed, in which there are provided a plurality of product rejection mechanisms for rejecting unnecessary products from the conveyor at different position and a driving circuit for driving the plurality of product rejection mechanism. In this case, the driving circuit receives the product reject signal and product inspection position arrival signal from the inspection system and then produces driving signals to drive the plurality of product rejection mechanisms in time sharing manner whereby the plurality of product rejection mechanisms reject the unnecessary products from the conveyor at different positions.

Abstract: A pattern discrimination method is disclosed which judges that, when the difference between the data from an object or subject to be inspected and previously memorized data of a standard subject falls within a first predetermined value, the object belongs to the same kind of the standard subject. In this case, the difference between the data of the object and the previously memorized data of the standard subject is compared with a second predetermined threshold value smaller than the first predetermined value. When the difference is smaller than the second predetermined threshold value, the memorized data is revised in response to the new data from the object.

Abstract: A pattern recognition method is disclosed which makes a judgment that when the difference between an object to be inspected and a previously memorized reference object falls within a predetermined value, the object belongs to the same class as the reference object. During the inspection process, the predetermined value is changed in accordance with the results of past judgment.

Abstract: An object inspection system, upon detecting the presence of a flaw in a video signal from a television camera cyclically varies the video corresponding to the flaw so that an image displayed on a television monitor is correspondingly periodically brightened or flickered to identify the location of the defect to an operator and to alert the operator to the presence of such defect.

Abstract: A light diffusion device has a plurality of rough surfaces with different roughnesses which are placed at a light source side of an object to be inspected. The plurality of rough surfaces consecutively diffuse the light emitted from the light source. The diffused light then passes the inspection zone of the object to which a photosensing means is faced from the opposite side to the light source, into which the diffused light is introduced from the light diffusion device after passing the inspection zone of the object.