Abstract: A suspension for connecting a slider to an actuator arm of a disc drive includes a cushion extending vertically from the suspension. The cushion limits vertical excursions and dampens motion of the suspension during a shock event to better maintain the slider in contact with a disc surface in the disc drive. The cushion can be formed as an external feature attached to the suspension, such as a foam or plastic cushion, or as an integral feature of the suspension. A disc drive assembly having a plurality of discs includes a first suspension and a first cushion extending vertically downward toward a second suspension. The second suspension may include a second cushion extending vertically upward toward the first suspension.

Abstract: A head suspension assembly for mounting and supporting a head in a disc drive which includes a preloaded gimbal assembly. The preloaded gimbal assembly acts, during certain applied mechanical shock events, to prevent separation of the head and the disc which can lead to damaging contact between the head and the disc. Various design and manufacturing considerations necessary to implementation of the invention are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of construction which produces an air tight structure which is capable of being insulated to high R values. The method comprises the following steps: erecting an inner wall having a footer, a top plate, and spaced upright studs, along an inner edge portion of the supporting structure; covering the exterior side portion of the inner wall with a vapor barrier so that electrical wiring and plumbing may be run within the interior wall without penetrating the vapor barrier; erecting an outer wall having a footer, a top plate, and spaced upright studs along an outer edge portion of the supporting structure parallel to and spaced from the inner wall, said outer wall used to carry an exterior building wall covering after insulation which is positioned between the walls and between the studs of the outer wall; and, erecting a supported structure on top of the top side portion of the walls.

Abstract: A microactuation system is disclosed for selectively altering a position of a transducing head carried by a slider in a disc drive system with respect to a track of a rotatable disk having a plurality of concentric tracks. The disc drive system includes a load beam having a base for attachment to an actuator arm and a head suspension for supporting the slider over the rotatable disc. A microactuation system includes a piezoelectric element attached between the base and the head suspension of the load beam and beams or hinges connecting the head suspension to the base. The piezoelectric element is deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto. The beams are sufficiently compliant to permit movement of the head suspension with respect to the base upon deformation of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: A gimbal-level piezoelectric microactuator including monomorphs for the fine positioning of a head-arm assembly of a disk drive. The microactuator is manufactured from a generally flat metal sheet structure having a central beam and two tabs extending from opposite sides of the beam. At least one layer of piezoelectric material is bonded onto each of the two tabs. Each of the two tabs is bent, with the piezoelectric layers bonded thereto, to a position substantially normal to the central beam. The structure is then joined to the distal end of a suspension member of the head-arm assembly. A recording head is connected to the central beam of a gimbal or flexure element and the microactuator is also attached to the flexure element. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric materials, deflection of the microactuator occurs, thereby positioning the recording head.

Abstract: A microactuator is disclosed for selectively altering a position of a transducing head carried by a slider in a disc drive system with respect to a track of a rotatable disc having a plurality of concentric tracks. The disc drive system includes a head mounting block for attachment to an actuator arm and a head suspension supporting the slider over the rotatable disc. The microactuator includes a piezoelectric element attached between the head mounting block and the head suspension and beams connecting the head mounting block and the head suspension. The piezoelectric element is deformable in response to a voltage applied thereto. The beams are flexible to permit movement of the head suspension with respect to the head mounting block upon deformation of the piezoelectric elements, and have heights extending out of the general plane of the head mounting block and the head suspension.

Abstract: A technique for creating, training, and using a telecommunication network-based automatic voice-dialing system is provided through the automatic determination, by a network element, of likely called parties for a given customer. This determination is made based on records of network usage by the customer. Names of the likely called parties are determined through the use of, e.g., a conventional reverse telephone directory database.

Abstract: A flow control valve comprises a valve body with a central flow passage containing a poppet releasably engagable with an annular valve seat, the poppet comprising a poppet head engageable with the valve seat and a central bore filled with an expansion member formed of silicone rubber or other substance having a coefficient of thermal expansion different from the material of the valve body and the poppet bore being closed by a stop member fixed in position relative to the valve seat, whereby the expansion or contraction of the expansion member causes the poppet head to move toward or away from the valve seat, increasing or decreasing flow through the valve. A spring adjustably pre-compresses the expansion member and balances the force created by the expansion of the expansion member, the axial position of the stop member being adjustable.

Abstract: A method providing updates of feature package application processes, including changing data storage structures, in a controlled manner without losing call data. A service package application field update (SPAFU) process and a replacement feature process are started on the adjunct processor system. The SPAFU process is designed to interact with both the existing and new feature processes, and, is in communication with both. For changed data structures, a mapping is created in the SPAFU process that maps the old data to the new data. For each subscriber to the feature process, the SPAFU process waits until a subscriber is not actively using the feature, and temporarily blocks calls to that feature for the selected subscriber by refusing requests for use of that feature from the subscriber, reads the database structure associated with the subscriber, applies the mapping, and populates the database structure associated with that subscriber in the new feature process.

Abstract: A system for employing a computer to control a device to provide a plurality of services for a plurality of entities. Each entity corresponds to exactly one of the services and each service has its own copy of the code which defines the service. The system associates a process which executes the service with each service. The code for a service defines a finite state machine which is continually executed by the service's process. While in a given state, the finite state machine may traverse a decision graph which is directly accessible to the process. Actions to be taken on traversal of a node of the decision graph may be defined in the finite state machine. The service's process communicates with other processes and with itself by means of interprocess messages. Each state of the finite state machine contains event handlers for responding to messages received by the service's process.

Abstract: The construction described is a resistive sheet type of duct liner or duct silencer; i.e., a liner or silencer in which acoustical flow resistance is concentrated in a thin face sheet separating the flow passage and acoustical cavity rather than in an acoustically absorptive packing material filling the acoustical cavity. The invention disclosed is means for applying inexpensive perforated facings, similar to those in a conventional packed silencer, to provide resistive sheets which are effective in terms of noise dissipation and in terms of self-noise (noise generated by flow through the flow passages).

Abstract: Large mill reels of paper are protectively wrapped for shipment by a method which first caps the reel end-faces with a header disk having a diameter greater than the reel diameter. The flange of excess disk material is pleated and pressed into a band of adhesive applied about the reel circumference near the respective end-face. Subsequently, a second band of adhesive is applied to the two pleated and pressed flanges around the reel circumference and a circumferential surface wrap of width substantially equal to the axial length of the subject reel is applied thereabout.

Abstract: A synchronizing system separates the synchronizing components from a composite video signal into signal components representing horizontal sync and color burst. The leading edge of the horizontal sync component is used to develop a timing signal which is compared with the positive and negative averaged burst signal from a band pass filter tuned to the burst frequency. Comparators drive respective flip-flops arranged to provide both negative and positive burst signal outputs at a selected burst signal crossover near the end of the original burst signal.A gate circuit coupled to the flip-flop output terminals develops a line start signal which contains the leading edge of the incoming signal sync information corrected to a selected color burst. The synchronizing circuit also provides a substitute signal in the absence of the color burst component to maintain system synchronization.

Abstract: In order to reduce the signal loss in a telephone line switching and conferencing system there is interposed between each line and the switching matrix a monobus port circuit arranged to convert a transmitted telephone signal into an equivalent current source. The currents from several monobus circuits are added in a bus resistor before distribution back to the individual monobus circuit as a voltage where the original signal is subtracted from the bus signal. The resultant signal is transmitted to the telephone receiver. When the switching matrix crosspoint resistance is negligible, the component of the bus voltage measured at the current source output which results from current generated from each line is equal and opposite in magnitude to the voltage generated in the line. In any given line these voltages cancel each other, thereby eliminating the feedback signal.