Abstract: A fluid control system (10) for a vehicle power steering mechanism having a manually driven steering member and a fluid driven driving member (16) operatively connected to steering means of the vehicle by which steerage of the vehicle is achieved, the control system (10) including a first valve (12) for metering pressurised fluid flow to the fluid operated driving member (16) in response to the force required to move the steering means when operating the manually driven steering member, the first valve (12) including at least two independent metering valve means (170, 171) each of which are simultaneously operated by the steering member to meter fluid flow to and/or from the fluid operated driving member (16) at a predefined rate, at least one of the metering valve means (170, 171) communicating independently to a drain via a second valve (14), the second valve (14) being arranged to selectively connect and disconnect said at least one of said valve means (170, 171) to the drain in response to vehicle speed.

Abstract: A double-lock friction fastener system useful as a restraint for hospital patients includes separate flexible first and second straps affixed to one another at a juncture and extending adjacent one another in the same general direction so that cooperating friction fasteners on free end portions of the straps can be frictionally secured to form a loop of infinitely adjustable size for attachment to an extremity of a patient to be restrained. A locking strap affixed to one strap is folded over the outer face of the other strap, and cooperating friction fasteners on the inside face of the locking strap and on the outer face of the other strap are frictionally secured so the folded-over locking strap covers the free end of the other strap and forms a double-lock friction fastener which resists pulling apart of the friction fasteners which form the loop.

Abstract: A ball and socket joint comprising a ball housing threaded into the socket using a screw-thread of one hand and an annular locking member threaded into the socket and into engagement with the ball housing using a screw-thread of the opposite hand, the annular locking member having an inwardly directed portion at least a part of which is deformed axially into at least one recess in the ball housing to prevent relative rotation between the locking member and the ball housing.

Abstract: An input scheme suitable for low-level input signals, e.g., from an IR detector array, wherein the input signals are transferred over respective channels to parallel inputs of a charge transfer device shift register, under control of IGFET switching transistor circuits in each channel. Corresponding IGFETS in the channels are operated by common gate voltages. Introduction of noise due to variation of the gate threshold voltages between IGFETS in the transfer circuits is obviated by using the same IGFET in each channel to reset the potential at the input node of that channel as well as to transfer the input signals over that channel to the shift register.

Abstract: The specification discloses a three level electrode configuration for a charge coupled device having a channel for movement of charge packets therethrough. The configuration includes three spaced apart phase buses disposed parallel along one side of the channel. Sets of phase electrodes extend from each of the phase buses across the channel. Adjacent ones of the phase electrodes from different phase buses are formed on different levels and have laterally offset and overlapping edges. Insulation layers are disposed between the phase electrodes on different levels.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for controlling the total charge collected on a charge-coupled imager to, in effect, provide an electronic shuttering action for the charge-coupled imager. The charge-coupled imager works in standard fashion and is normally biased into depletion whereby minority carriers, generated by the light impinging on the imager, are collected in predetermined charge collecting areas or wells, the charges in each well then bring read out in a serial fashion. In order to prevent collection of an excess number of charges, which is equivalent to overexposure in a photographic sense, the majority carriers which are necessarily generated simultaneously with the minority carriers, are collected and integrated so that when a predetermined amount of charge is measured, a shuttering action can take place. When the basic imager is formed from p-type silicon, the majority carrier charges are collected by providing an ohmic contact to the p-type substrate. Two modes ofoperation are disclosed.