Abstract: A tool and method are provided for manually cutting twine wrapped around a bale. The tool includes a stem having a handle attached to one end and a hook at the other end. The hook opens reversely toward the handle. The hook includes an outer edge sharpened for cutting through ice and twine. The hook also includes an inner dull surface facing toward the handle for selectively engaging the twine upon placing the hook between the bale material and twine. The dull surface permits a user to pull the twine away from the bale without severing the twine. This allows the user to easily grasp the twine in his hand, and then cut the twine using the outer edge of the hook.

Abstract: Testing probes in a testing apparatus are supported in a unitary structure to provide rigidity of the supports for the probes in testing. The spring probes have a contact head at the distal end from the probe tip with a set of antirotation tabs which lock in a cooperating antirotation slot in the probe guide. The contact head has a cone-shaped pilot at its tip which is engaged with a gold-plated contact spring. The inner diameter is integrally in contact with the pilot by mechanical engagement or bonding by soldering or laser welding or the like.

Abstract: A multiple site probe for simultaneous probing of multiple chip site clusters of pads. The multiple site probe assembly includes a mounting plate having a plurality of groups of adjustably mounted probes thereon. A plurality of cams cooperate with cam followers associated with individual groups of probes, each of the cam and cam followers having a displacement which is dependent upon its distance from a predetermined and fixed reference relative to the mounting plate. An actuator is connected to the cams so as to effect simultaneous actuation of the cams and to allow for differential displacement of each group of the groups of probes so as to compensate for accumulated tolerances and/or shrinkage of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of aligning a plurality of probes to a plurality of contacts, the contacts being arragned in a pattern on a substrate. The method includes the steps of powering one of a selected pattern of probes or a like pattern of selected contacts such that upon the selected patterns being in coincidence, the plurality of probes will be in contact with predetermined contacts on the substrate. This is accomplished by providing a circuit path through all of the other probes or contacts which are not powered and then bringing the plurality of probes into contact at random with the contacts of the substrate and then moving one of the substrate and probes until the selected patterns coincide as by indication of a completed circuit path between selected patterns.

Abstract: An hermetic sealed microwave diode package having high thermal conductivity and very low parasitic impedances. The diode chip is mounted upon a diamond member embedded in a copper base member so that the diamond mounting surface and the copper base member surface are coplanar. A fused silica insulator ring produced by selective grit blasting surrounds the chip and is mounted likewise entirely on the diamond surface. The silica insulator has a height comparable to the thickness of the semiconductor chip and the enclosure is completed by a metal covering member which includes a contact to the top surface of the diode chip. The package thereby has extremely short conductive paths and low capacitance by virtue of the very small silica insulator ring.