Abstract: An alignment block for aligning a multicore fiber has a body with a front face and a rear face, and includes a capillary extending between a front opening at the first face and a rear opening at the rear face. The capillary has an inner circumference that includes an alignment surface corresponding to the multicore fiber alignment surface. The front opening is shaped to fit closely around the multicore fiber so as to prevent non-longitudinal movement of the multicore fiber relative to the alignment block body. The rear opening is shaped to fit around the multicore fiber so as to allow a selected amount of non-longitudinal movement of the multicore fiber relative to the alignment block body. The capillary provides tapered transition between the rear opening and the front opening. Movement of the multicore fiber along the capillary causes the multicore fiber alignment surface to be urged against the capillary alignment surface so as to align the multicore fiber cores relative to the alignment block body.

Abstract: An alignment block for aligning a multicore fiber has a body with a front face and a rear face, and includes a capillary extending between a front opening at the first face and a rear opening at the rear face. The capillary has an inner circumference that includes an alignment surface corresponding to the multicore fiber alignment surface. The front opening is shaped to fit closely around the multicore fiber so as to prevent non-longitudinal movement of the multicore fiber relative to the alignment block body. The rear opening is shaped to fit around the multicore fiber so as to allow a selected amount of non-longitudinal movement of the multicore fiber relative to the alignment block body. The capillary provides tapered transition between the rear opening and the front opening. Movement of the multicore fiber along the capillary causes the multicore fiber alignment surface to be urged against the capillary alignment surface so as to align the multicore fiber cores relative to the alignment block body.

Abstract: An optical fiber is permanently routed easily, quickly, and unobtrusively at a customer premises using an inventive hand tool, without staples or other fasteners. The fiber has an adhesive outer coating that is activated as the fiber is applied by the tool on an exposed surface such as a wall, ceiling, molding, groove, or corner at the premises. When the activated coating hardens, the fiber is bonded to the surface on which it was applied, and the hardened coating also provides physical protection for the fiber. In the disclosed embodiment, the coated fiber is supplied on a spool that mounts on the tool, and the coating is activated by guiding the fiber as it unwinds from the spool through a chamber containing an activating substance. The fiber with the activated coating is then guided to an applicator wheel on the tool which applies the fiber to the surface.

Abstract: An optical fiber or cable storage module includes a back wall and a number of resilient mounting fingers extending from the back wall, and a fiber supply spool having an axial bore formed to receive the mounting fingers and to engage the fingers when the spool is urged toward the back wall so that the spool is restrained from axial movement. The spool includes a hub, and a first winding section for containing a length of fiber sufficient to route between a service terminal outside a user premises and a location near a user terminal inside the premises. The mounting fingers have corresponding catches at the ends of the fingers, and the inner circumference of the bore in the supply spool has an annular groove formed to seat the catches for restraining the spool from axial movement.

Abstract: Methods for routing an optical fiber over a desired span on a structural surface at a given premises are provided. When the optical fiber is unwound from a container, the optical fiber attaches to the structural surface by an adhesive material. The adhesive material can be applied along the desired span before, during, or after the optical fiber is routed over the desired span.

Abstract: Methods for routing an optical fiber over a desired span on a structural surface at a given premises are provided. When the optical fiber is unwound from a container, the optical fiber attaches to the structural surface by an adhesive material. The adhesive material can be applied along the desired span before, during, or after the optical fiber is routed over the desired span.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for routing an optical fiber over a desired span on a structural surface at a given premises are provided. When the optical fiber is unwound from a spool, the optical fiber attaches to the structural surface by an adhesive material. The adhesive material can be applied along the desired span, or portion thereof, before, during, or after the optical fiber is routed over the desired span.

Abstract: An optical fiber or cable storage module includes a back wall and a number of resilient mounting fingers extending from the back wall, and a fiber supply spool having an axial bore formed to receive the mounting fingers and to engage the fingers when the spool is urged toward the back wall so that the spool is restrained from axial movement. The spool includes a hub, and a first winding section for containing a length of fiber sufficient to route between a service terminal outside a user premises and a location near a user terminal inside the premises. The mounting fingers have corresponding catches at the ends of the fingers, and the inner circumference of the bore in the supply spool has an annular groove formed to seat the catches for restraining the spool from axial movement.

Abstract: An optical fiber is permanently routed easily, quickly, and unobtrusively at a customer premises using an inventive hand tool, without staples or other fasteners. The fiber has an adhesive outer coating that is activated as the fiber is applied by the tool on an exposed surface such as a wall, ceiling, molding, groove, or corner at the premises. When the activated coating hardens, the fiber is bonded to the surface on which it was applied, and the hardened coating also provides physical protection for the fiber. In the disclosed embodiment, the coated fiber is supplied on a spool that mounts on the tool, and the coating is activated by guiding the fiber as it unwinds from the spool through a chamber containing an activating substance. The fiber with the activated coating is then guided to an applicator wheel on the tool which applies the fiber to the surface.

Abstract: A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

Abstract: A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a closure apparatus for clamping a transmission cable, such as an optical fiber transmission cable, and one or more tether cables. The closure apparatus includes a first member and a second member, each with a first partially cylindrical segment that fits around at least a portion of the transmission cable and at least one second partially cylindrical segment that fits around at least a portion of a corresponding tether cable. The first and second members are configured in such a manner that, when the first and second members are operably joined together, they form a closure around the transmission cable and the at least one tether cable in such a way that the transmission cable and the at least one tether cable are substantially parallel and co-planar with one another.

Abstract: A label product in web form has alternating, oppositely indented creases in the liner of the product to produce a fan-folded stack having alternating, reversely folded plies. Each crease is substantially, if not entirely, perforation-free to maximize the strength of the liner at the fold lines. The product is preferably produced on a narrow web press in a creasing station that includes a stack of rolls wherein a first die roll is on the bottom of the stack, a second die roll is on the top of the stack, and a pair of base rolls are located in the middle of the stack between the die rolls. A blade on each die roll cooperates with a cushion on the corresponding base roll to produce a crease during every other rotation of the die roll, each of the base rolls having a smaller circumference than its corresponding die roll.

Abstract: A label product in web form has alternating, oppositely indented creases in the liner of the product to produce a fan-folded stack having alternating, reversely folded plies. Each crease is substantially, if not entirely, perforation-free to maximize the strength of the liner at the fold lines. The product is preferably produced on a narrow web press in a creasing station that includes a stack of rolls wherein a first die roll is on the bottom of the stack, a second die roll is on the top of the stack, and a pair of base rolls are located in the middle of the stack between the die rolls. A blade on each die roll cooperates with a cushion on the corresponding base roll to produce a crease during every other rotation of the die roll, each of the base rolls having a smaller circumference than its corresponding die roll.

Abstract: A sorting system may include a sorting apparatus coupled to a programmable control system which is configured to actuate the sorting apparatus so that it assembles similar products for packaging in an arbitrary, user imposed order or selection bias. In preferred implementations, a user may activate a biasing protocol pursuant to which items bearing certain images appear with a disproportionate frequency on the top of a stack of items such that the selected images are the most common images viewable through a transparent product packaging. In certain implementations, empirical sales data is used to determine weighting factors used in the biasing protocol. In still other implementations, a more specific ordering protocol is imposed by a user such that some or all of the sequence of items in a stack or collection is arbitrarily imposed.

Abstract: A video display apparatus includes a cathode ray tube having an ultor terminal for developing an ultor voltage at the ultor terminal to produce a beam current. The ultor voltage has voltage fluctuations in a presence of changes in the beam. A resistive voltage divider is coupled to a source of a first high voltage and to a focus terminal of the cathode ray tube for producing at the focus terminal a second high voltage including voltage fluctuations. The voltage fluctuations are indicative of the voltage fluctuations of the ultor voltage to provide for focus voltage tracking. An amplifier responsive to a periodic correction signal is capacitively coupled via a capacitor having a value of 33 picofarad to the focus terminal. A dynamic focus voltage that varies, in accordance with a variation of a beam landing location, is produced at the focus terminals.

Abstract: A dynamic focus amplifier for generating a dynamic focus voltage for a focus electrode for a cathode ray tube at a capacitive load includes a source of a periodic signal at a horizontal deflection frequency. A pull-down transistor is responsive to the periodic signal and coupled to the capacitive load for producing, in accordance with the periodic signal, a first portion of the dynamic focus voltage that decreases, during a first portion of a period of the periodic signal. A storage capacitor is coupled to the capacitive load for replenishing a charge stored in the storage capacitor from a charge stored in the capacitive load to develop a control voltage in the storage capacitor. A pull-up transistor is responsive to the control voltage and coupled to a source of a high voltage and to the capacitive load for producing from the high voltage a current that is coupled to the capacitive load.

Abstract: Progressive rounding error and convergence error encountered due to multiple use of a center correction adjustment of an image of a video projection display is reduced by calculating a 3×3 matrix for a moved color signal where the non center matrix values represent the difference between the initially measured sensor values stored at initial alignment, and stored most recently measured sensor values. The matrix center value is the sum of the averaged values calculated from the edge center errors, the stored sum of previous moves and the current move. Rerun of the sensor finding routine resets the stored move sum to zero.

Abstract: A parabola generator for providing dynamic correction includes a capacitor source of a parabolic input signal at a frequency related to a horizontal deflection frequency coupled to a first terminal of the capacitor. A diode switch is coupled to a voltage at a reference level and to a second terminal of the capacitor for periodically clamping a peak level of a signal developed at the second terminal. A transistor switch is responsive to a periodic switch control signal and coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor for periodically clamping a signal applied from the second terminal, during retrace, for removing a parasitic parabolic voltage portion to generate a dynamic correction signal. The dynamic correction signal is coupled to the cathode ray tube to vary a field in a beam path of an electron beam of the cathode ray tube for providing dynamic correction.

Abstract: In a projection television receiver, a common switch mode power supply energizes the convergence circuits, and other load circuits of the projection television receiver. In normal operation, a switch couples a supply voltage produces in the common switch mode power supply to the convergence circuits. When, as a result of a fault, a supply current in the convergence circuits is excessive, the common switch mode power supply is decoupled from the convergence circuits and other load circuits remain energized and operative.