Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor element having bottleneck shaped ends. The sensor element has a highly stable, single domain central region, which eliminates Barkhausen noise.

Abstract: A distribution frame for an optical fibre transmission system comprises a cabinet incorporating at each side at least one side panel supporting a surplus length of cable, a pair of inner panels spaced from the side panels and organizer trays, arranged to accommodate surplus lengths of fibres from the cables, supported between the inner panels, the latter panels also supporting couplers for enabling the cable fibers to be connected to further fibres, the ends of which are accommodated in the spaces between the inner and side panels.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for automatically preparing large mailings in which one or more documents are nested within the fold of a letter sheet prior to insertion into an outer envelope. One or more unfolded letter sheets are transported to a folding operation involving a clamp assembly and a roller folding assembly which is movable into engagement with the clamp assembly. After folding and prior to stuffing into an envelope, one or more inserts can be inserted within the folded letter sheet.

Abstract: A branched polysiloxane styrene butadiene polymer of the following formula ##STR1## wherein m is a number of from about 2 to about 10; z is the number 3,4 or 5; n is a number of from about 10 to about 1,000; k, l and o are weight fraction numbers with k being from about 0.35 to about 0.95, l being from 0.1 to about 0.2, and o is from about 0.05 to about 0.5; R is an aromatic substituent, alkyl-CR"C(O)O, and alkylene-CR"C(O)O, wherein R" is hydrogen or an alkyl substituent, and R' is an alkyl substituent or a trialkylsilylether substituent.

Abstract: A bi-planar pontoon paravane is towed by a marine vessel and controls the depth and position of a towed seismic source array. The bi-planar pontoon paravane is made up of a buoyant bridge with right and left wings attached to the long sides of the bridge, the wings projecting into the water and, in concert, providing a side force. The paravane is towed by a tow line connected to an adjustable bridle which in turn is connected to the paravane. Remote adjustment of the bridle is provided by an hydraulic valve on the vessel controlling an hydraulic motor and gear arrangement on the paravane to adjust the bridle. Adjustment of the bridle adjusts the angle of attack of the paravane. The paravane provides a housing formed below the bridge and between the two wings for housing the seismic source array. A boom on the vessel is attached to the seismic source array, through the bridge, when the assembly is to be placed in or removed from the water.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting article engagement errors and for calibrating engagement error detection apparatus associated with a plurality of gripper arms (16) of an insertion machine (10). Gripper arms (16) at each of a plurality of insert stations S comprise a first jaw member (24) and a second jaw member (26) which selectively engage articles therebetween. Field-generating means (420) is mounted on one jaw member while a Hall Effect sensor (400) is connected on the other jaw member. The sensed flux density of the generated field is a function of the relative displacement of the first and second jaw members (24,26). A signal generated by the sensor (400) operated in a slide-by mode is related to the separation of the first jaw member (24) and second jaw member (26). If the sensor-generated signal is within predetermined limits of a stored reference signal a proper number of articles are engaged between the first and second jaw members (24,26).

Abstract: An electromechanical automated document encoding apparatus is releasably constructed of modular components for accepting and transporting batch documents from either the left or the right. The apparatus is further capable of printing on a first side of a document or an opposite facing second side. A print module includes two parallel document receiving tracks, and a rotatable print head which moves responsive to movement of a table mounting the two document receiving tracks. The print head has two positions, and is capable of printing either on the front or rear of the document. Neither reversing print modes nor feeding batches of documents of different or varying thicknesses require realigning or repositioning of the printing head. Document sensors are an integral part of an adaptive control system optimizing apparatus productivity.

Abstract: A gripper arm includes jaw members (24,26) between which articles are engaged and from which engaged articles are released in precise placement upon a transport means. Jaw (26) is actuated by solenoid actuating means (28) acting through linkage means (30) to perform the engagement and release operations. The activation of the solenoid actuating means (28) is controlled to be dependent upon the operating speed of a machine in conjunction with which the gripper arm is used. The solenoid actuating means (28) is assisted by biasing means (122) which is preloaded to facilitate the application of a desired holding force on articles engaged between the jaw members (24,26). The jaw member (24) has a piece (162) of high coefficient of friction material embedded in a surface oriented to contact articles engaged between the jaws (24, 26).

Abstract: A device for feeding envelopes from a hopper to an envelope reading station upon demand. A pair of drive rollers are mounted on a first drive shaft by means of a one-way clutch which allows the rollers to rotate only in a feeding direction. Mounted below the drive rollers are a pair of driven rollers which have a brake applying a force to them counter to the feeding direction. The braking force minimizes the possibility of feeding two documents at the same time. A second substantially identical set of rollers are mounted downstream of the first set of rollers. Upon demand envelopes are fed through the feeder and retained in the nip of the second set of rollers with a portion of the envelope extending into an envelope reading area. An operator reads address indicia from the envelope and keys it into envelope processing apparatus.

Abstract: An interface permits bi-directional data signal transfer between the microcomputer of the receiver and an addressable controller-decoder designed for use in conjunction therewith. The data transfer permits expansion of the receiver functions and future adaptability to a variety of satellite services. The interface transfers messages from the microcomputer representing keystrokes received from the receiver keyboard and the status of the various receiver components and receives commands from the decoder for regulating the operation of the receiver components and for the transfer of specific information. The data transfer is achieved through a serial communication protocol which facilitates the interaction between units.

Abstract: A magnetic read head has a first embodiment comprising an elongated magnetoresistive element having a central region and distant ends. The central region has equipotential strips disposed intermediate to its ends, and detection circuitry is electrically connected to these intermediate equipotential strips to sense the changing resistance of the central region in the presence of data magnetically recorded on a medium. In a second embodiment, the magnetoresistive element is folded into a picture frame shape and has its ends joined. The element is vertically arranged so that one of the legs of the element is positioned in proximity to a selected track of a recording medium. A pair of equipotential strips are disposed at opposite ends of the leg to define a sensing region therebetween. Detection circuitry is connected to these equipotential strips to detect the changing resistance of the sensing region in the presence of the magnetic fields of the medium.

Abstract: A device for feeding envelopes from a hopper to an envelope processing station. Driving and driven rollers feed the envelopes one at a time from the hopper. The rollers define a nip through which the envelopes are fed. A unique "U" shaped spring forces the driven roller to contact the driving roller causing the driven roller to oscillate when no envelopes are fed. The oscillation helps envelope feeding by pulling and separating the lead envelope from the stack.

Abstract: An electromechanical automated document encoding apparatus is releasably constructed of modular components for accepting and transporting batch documents from either the left or the right. The apparatus is further capable of printing on a first side of a document or an opposite facing second side. A print module includes two parallel document receiving tracks, and a rotatable print head which moves responsive to movement of a table mounting the two document receiving tracks. The print head has two positions, and is capable of printing either on the front or rear of the document. Neither reversing print modes nor feeding batches of documents of different or varying thicknesses require realigning or repositioning of the printing head. Document sensors are an integral part of an adaptive control system optimizing apparatus productivity.

Abstract: A magnetic read head has a first embodiment comprising an elongated magnetoresistive element having a central region and distant ends. The central region has equipotential strips disposed intermediate to its ends, and detection circuitry is electrically connected to these intermediate equipotential strips to sense the changing resistance of the central region in the presence of data magnetically recorded on a medium. In a second embodiment, the magnetoresistive element is folded into a picture frame shape and has its ends joined. The element is vertically arranged so that one of the legs of the element is positioned in proximity to a selected track of a recording medium. A pair of equipotential strips are disposed at opposite ends of the leg to define a sensing region therebetween. Detection circuitry is connected to these equipotential strips to detect the changing resistance of the sensing region in the presence of the magnetic fields of the medium.

Abstract: A system is described for holding the tension of a web substantially constant as the web is transported from a supply spool to a take-up spool. The rotation of each spool is controlled by a motor. A tension control circuit senses the currents in both motors and alters motor current so as to hold the sum of the motor currents at a substantially constant value. In this manner, the sum of the torques generated by the motors and their spools is held at a substantially constant value to thereby maintain web tension substantially constant as the radii of the spools change during web movement.

Abstract: A field-access bubble memory chip has a plurality of permalloy elements overlying an insulating layer. The permalloy elements are configured and positioned to define a plurality of paths for propagating magnetic bubbles under the influence of a Z bias magnetic field and a rotating XY magnetic drive field. A first portion of the paths are located in control function areas of the chip and a second portion of the paths are located in a storage area of the chip. The period of the permalloy elements in the control function areas is substantially greater then the period of the permalloy elements in the storage area. The thickness of the insulating layer immediately beneath the permalloy elements is less in the storage area than in the control function areas. This difference in thickness is sufficient so that the propagation margins for magnetic bubbles in the control function areas and in the storage area are substantially equal.

Abstract: A bubble memory chip includes a plurality of data loops, some of which may be defective, for storing magnetic bubbles representative of data therein. A serial-parallel input propagation path and a parallel-serial output propagation path are provided for propagating bubbles to and from the data loops. A plurality of spaced apart permalloy disk elements are provided, each adapted for having a single bubble circulated thereabout in the presence of an in-plane rotating magnetic drive field. A stream of bubbles representative of an error map indicating which of the data loops are defective is loaded onto and read from the disk elements to initialize the memory. A plurality of gates permit the bubbles of the error map to be transferred between an error map propagation path and the disk elements in parallel fashion upon pulsing of an adjacent control conductor. The potential for data scrambling in the error map is eliminated.

Abstract: In a bubble memory, propagation elements are configured so that shorts between adjacent elements as a result of fabrication inaccuracies do not destroy their poles and create barriers to bubble propagation. In designing the bubble memory, the gaps can thus approach the resolution limit of the photolithography, resulting in a higher storage density and a reduced operating drive field. In one embodiment permalloy chevrons which overlie a garnet film have opposing side edges defining a gap therebetween which increases in width moving in a direction away from the poles.

Abstract: In a field-access magnetic bubble memory X and Y coils encircle the chip for providing the rotating XY magnetic drive field when conventional drive signals are applied thereto. At least one of the coils is non-uniformly wound to provide a first predetermined magnitude of the drive field in first predetermined chip areas and a second lesser predetermined magnitude of the drive field in a second chip area. In the embodiment disclosed the chip has a dual-block replicate architecture with gates and bubble detectors requiring a relatively high drive field located in peripheral edge areas at the bottom and top of the chip. A plurality of data storage loops requiring a relatively low drive field are located in the medial portion of the chip. The outer layer of the Y coil is non-uniformly wound to provide a gap in registration with the medial area of the chip.

Abstract: The invention is directed to continuous (gapless) propagation structures for use with magnetic bubble domain devices. The gapless structures are arranged so that magnetic bubbles will propagate therealong without a significant change in size or diameter of the bubble. In addition, the structures are configured so that the bubbles will propagate in a preferred direction without ambiguity.