Abstract: In an apparatus for performing work operations on a surface of one or more lenses, a frame and a mounting bracket adapted to releasably support at least one lens blank are provided. At least three pairs of articulated supports are also included with a first end of each of the supports being bendably coupled at a first end to a mounting bracket adjacent to the other articulated support in the pair. The articulated supports are each coupled at a second end to a point on the frame with the supports in each of the pairs diverging away from each other between the mounting block and the frame. A drive is associated with each of the articulated supports and moves each support, and thereby the mounting, individually between a raised and a lowered position in response to commands issued from a controller having data corresponding to a particular lens prescription stored therein.

Abstract: A lens or lap blank surfacing machine, for use in making eyeglass lenses, and related surfacing method and rotary cutting tool, is one wherein the rotary cutting tool is moved point by point over the entire extent of a face of the blank to form a new face surface on the blank with the movements of the tool and blank relative to one another being controlled in three coordinate directions by a computer controller to give the formed surface a shape related to a given eyeglass prescription or similar specification. The rotary cutting tool has a number of peripheral zones surrounding its rotation axis with at least one of the zones having a fine cutting characteristic and with at least one other of the zones having a coarse cutting characteristic.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying a finishing block to a lens. An imaging screen for imaging an alignment pattern representing characteristics of the lens and reference data on the lens is provided. The lens is positioned in the apparatus with the pattern and the data aligned. With the lens in this position, the apparatus automatically attaches the finishing block to the lens in registration with the reference data.

Abstract: An apparatus for blocking an ophthalmic lens blank for working the lens includes an alignment station for supporting and aligning the lens blank relative to a target image and a transport means for moving the lens from the alignment station to a blocking station while maintaining lens orientation. The blocking station includes a support for a lens block, support for the lens, and a mechanism for injecting heated liquid bonding material between lens and block which solidifies on cooling to join the lens and block.

Abstract: A circuit and related method are provided for maintaining a desired spacing between an ink-jet printing means and a receiving surface along a line scanned by the printing means. An ultrasonic transducer transmits signals at timed intervals to the receiving surface from the printing means. A reflected signal from the receiving surface is sensed by the transducer during a receiving time window after the signal is transmitted. A reference position signal representative of the head to surface spacing at a printing location is compared to the desired head to surface spacing to produce a position error signal. A servomotor responds to the position error signal to move the printing means toward and away from the receiving surface to maintain the desired spacing.

Abstract: An electronic music system includes a voltage controlled tone generator, or synthesizer, and an input device, in the form of a guitar or other fretted stringed instrument and associated electronic circuitry, for sequentially providing voltage signals, selected from a set of discretely different voltage levels each analogously related to a musical tone, for driving the tone generator. Each string-fret pair of the stringed instrument is assigned a given musical tone, preferably in accordance with normal tuning of the instrument, and means are provided for producing a corresponding voltage when a string-fret pair is closed by pressing the string against the fret. When two or more string-fret pairs are simultaneously closed, the output voltage corresponding to the highest frequency musical tone associated with the closed string-fret pairs is produced.