Abstract: A sewing machine, with independently driven main shaft and loop taker, stores a table containing preset speed correction values for negating rotational speed variations in the loop taker drive shaft caused by torque variations on the same; sets speed correction amounts based on speed correction values read from the speed correction value table; and outputs correction drive signals indicative of those speed correction values to the loop taker drive motor.

Abstract: A sewing machine including a needle bar to which a sewing needle conveying a sewing thread is secured, a main shaft to which the needle bar is connected, a loop catcher which cooperates with the sewing needle to catch a loop of the sewing thread conveyed by the needle, a catcher shaft to which the loop catcher is connected, a drive motor which drives at least one of the needle bar and the loop catcher by rotating a corresponding one of the main shaft and the catcher shaft, a first sensor which detects a first reference rotation position of at least one of the main shaft and the catcher shaft and generates a first detection signal indicating that the one shaft is taking the first reference rotation position, a second sensor which detects a second reference rotation position of the drive motor and generates a second detection signal indicating that the drive motor is taking the second reference rotation position, and an indicating device which indicates, based on the first detection signal, that the one of the

Abstract: A clamping device used in, for instance, a bonding machine, using a piezo-electric element for opening and closing a pair of clamping claws for holding, for instance, bonding wires in between. The clamping device includes a pressure adjustment screw which applies a preparatory pressure to the piezo-electric element via a contact plate, and the contact plate is connected, via flexible sections which are capable of expansion and contraction, to a screw attachment with which the pressure adjustment screw is screw-engaged.

Abstract: An electrode used in a wire bonding method and apparatus for applying an electric discharge to an end of a bonding wire so as to form a ball at the end of the bonding wire. The electrode is provided with an obliquely cut surface at one end so that the end of the electrode is in a semicircular shape, and an edge area of the semicircular end surface is positioned to face upward and used as an electric discharge part. The electrode can be covered by a ceramic material except for the semicircular end surface.

Abstract: A valve control unit includes a main hydraulic oil circuit and a pilot oil circuit. The main circuit includes a main pump, a main valve downstream from the main pump, and a hydraulic actuator downstream from the main valve. The pilot oil circuit circulates pressurized pilot oil to control the main valve and includes a pilot oil pump, an automatic control switching valve downstream from the pilot oil pump, a manual limit switching valve downstream from the pilot oil pump, a manual control switching valve downstream from the manual limit switching valve, and a pilot oil chamber downstream from the manual control switching valve. The pilot oil chamber is located near the main valve such that the flow of pressurized pilot oil moves the main valve.

Abstract: A pair of clamping arms of a wire clamper used in a wire bonding apparatus being opened and closed via the electric strain effect or magnetic strain effect of a piezoelectric element. With the use of a piezoelectric element that expands when energized to open the clamping arms so as to release the wire held by the clamping arms, the overall weight of the wire clamper can be small, a quick clamping action is secured and the clamping force which is easily adjustable can be steady at a set value.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus in fabricating, for example, semiconductor devices including a bonding arm that is vertically and horizontally movable and has a capillary through which a bonding wire is passed. The bonding arm is provided with a piezoelectric element which transmits a vibration to the capillary via its electric strain effect or magnetic strain effect so that the capillary performs wire bonding. With the use of the piezoelectric element that is provided near the capillary, vibrational energy loss can be minimal, and the frequency and amplitude of the vibration can be changed during each bonding operation.

Abstract: An interline transfer or frame interline transfer CCD solid image sensor is adapted to read out signal charges from light receiving sections of a matrix array by means of vertical charge transfer sections and horizontal charge transfer sections. A plurality of horizontal charge transfer sections are formed for lowering the horizontal transfer frequency. The voltage transition in the transfer gate across the horizontal charge transfer sections is caused to occur stepwise or temporally slowly to improve the transfer efficiency across the horizontal charge transfer sections. A smear drain region for sweeping out unnecessary charges is formed along the horizontal charge transfer sections. The transfer electrode of the horizontal charge transfer sections connected to the busline wiring is patterned to clear contact holes provided in the smear drain region to provide for positive overflow without increasing the chip area.

Abstract: A structure of a solid-state image sensing device applicable to an HDVS is disclosed in which at least one of the transmission paths for the drive pulses used for driving vertical registers and horizontal registers can achieve reduced propagation delays and signal distortions of the drive pulses. In the first preferred embodiment, a control gate for controlling the transfer of signal charges between the horizontal registers is constituted by a first polycrystalline silicon layer, a metal wiring layer is formed and is connected to the first polycrystalline silicon layer via contact regions and transfer electrodes provided for driving the horizontal registers are constituted by second and third semiconductor layers placed between the first polycrystalline silicon layer and the metal wiring layer without contacting the contact regions.

Abstract: With the CCD imager of the present invention, signal charges from the image area are transferred by plural juxtaposed read-out registers. The storage region of the read-out registers, through which electrical charges are transmitted, is narrower in width at the image area side and broader in width at the other read-out register side. By virtue of such arrangement of the storage area, there is formed a potential which becomes shallow at the side of the image area and becomes deep at the side of the other read-out registers. By such potential, signal charge transfer efficiency between the read-out registers is improved.

Abstract: A copolymer latex comprising heterogeneous polymer particles having a hard polymer domain and a soft polymer domain, characterized in that(a) the hard polymer domain is a polymer having a glass transition temperature of at least 60.degree. C.,(b) the soft polymer domain is a copolymer obtained by polymerizing in the presence of a latex of the hard polymer a monomeric composition composed of(i) 20 to 70% by weight of an aliphatic conjugated diene monomer,(ii) 20 to 60% by weight of a monovinylidene aromatic monomer,(iii) 0.5 to 10% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated acid,(iv) 0 to 10% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated amide, and(v) 0 to 30% by weight of a monomer copolymerizable with said monomers,(c) the proportion of the hard polymer domain is 55 to 90% by weight of the entire polymer particles, and(d) the proportion of the soft polymer domain is 45 to 10% by weight of the entire polymer particles.