Abstract: A refill unit for a windshield wiper blade having a resilient wiping element and a backing member with sidewardly extending flanges. A wiper blade superstructure has at least two articulated yokes or holders with claws on one of the yokes or holders engaging the flanges on said backing member. Abutments are struck from the walls of the body portion of the backing member for forming stops which engage the opposite ends of the wiping elements to prevent the wiping element from separating from the backing member. The abutments may be struck from the back of the backing member or from the sides of the backing member with the faces on the abutments facing toward the center of the blade.

Abstract: A windshield wiper arm assembly is provided and has a mounting head connected to an oscillatably driven pivot shaft. The assembly has an outer arm section pivotally connected to the head, the outer arm section being adapted to support a wiper blade. A link is pivotally supported at one end to the mounting head. A tension spring is connected at one end to the arm section. A lever is pivotally supported on the outer arm section and defines a pivot which is connected to the other end of both the link and the spring. The lever is H-shaped with a pair of spaced legs and an interconnecting support, one end of the legs being pivotally supported to the outer arm section and the other end having a pin which defines the pivot.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a robot and using the results of this calibration to compensate for inaccuracies of the robot and also to diagnose robot deterioration. The method includes moving the robot to a set of nominal positions, commanded by the robot controller or measured by position encoders built into the robot, and determining the associated actual positions by measuring the robot position with an independent accurate measuring means or by aligning the robot end effector with an accurate calibration mask. The calibration results are stored and subsequently used to compensate for robot inaccuracy so that the robot moves to the actual desired positions.

Abstract: A modular soilless garden system can be started as a small garden and built gradually into a larger, automatic garden system irrigated by a pump. Two formed plastic tanks, a larger sump tank and a smaller grow tank, are provided with barbed nipples at their base for connecting the tanks with flexible plastic hose and barbed insert T-fittings to assemble them in any number of different sized systems. In one embodiment, the sump tank is designed to contain multiple grow tanks and a water supply for irrigating them. This is fed to the grow tanks by a pump located outside the sump tank. Using the hoses and T-fittings, multiple sump tanks and grow tanks can be connected and added on to the pump so a larger system can be gradually built. In a second embodiment, the smaller grow tank can be used individually with one hose and any one gallon container as a manual garden by watering from the top of the tank and draining through the bottom of the tank through the hose into that container.

Abstract: A servo-control valve for a linear hydraulic motor wherein the control valve piston is isolated from the side loading of a cam and roller by employing a cam follower plunger, as a separate detached element coaxial with the piston. The valve piston and the cam follower plunger are maintained in intimate contact due to the constant back pressure applied by the hydraulic system. The plunger is encased in a cylindrical array of balls which are preloaded between the plunger and the piston chamber walls such that the plunger experiences essentially only rolling friction, but no sliding friction, as the plunger moves. This form of preloading of the balls eliminates the backlash associated with clearance around the plunger.

Abstract: A computer-controlled-manipulator gripper with a set of three-degree-of-freedom force sensors on each finger having strain gauges and 90.degree. shift in orientation of the sensors includes an asymmetric, offset relationship of the location and orientation of analogous sensors on the two fingers in order to obtain different measurements from the two fingers.

Abstract: A mechanical manipulator which includes fingers under the control of a computer, antenna sensing means mounted on such fingers and extended and retracted from the fingers under the control of the computer, means for detecting the contact or proximity of the extended antenna sensing means with a workpiece, means responsive to the antenna sensing means for retracting the sensing means from interference with the workpiece and for adjusting the control of the fingers. The fingers are adapted for X, Y and Z linear motions and provides pitch, yaw and roll angular motion. The retractable antenna sensing means resembles a whisker which extends from the finger and makes contact with or approaches the workpiece. The antenna sensing means may include a retractable pneumatic back pressure sensor via the back pressure of a fluid in the supply, created when the fluid impinges on the workpiece. The retractable antenna whisker bends more readily than the rigid finger.

Abstract: A quasi-liquid vise is provided for clamping irregularly shaped workpieces which comprises an open-topped vessel into which a workpiece may be inserted, a particulate fluidizable material located within and, substantially filling said vessel, pressure means connected to said vessel for introducing a gas or fluid therein to fluidize said particulate material, and means for applying a vacuum to said vessel and the particulate material to substantially solidify said particulate material when it is desired to clamp a workpiece therein. The solidifying effect of said vacuum applied to said particulate material may be enhanced by utilizing alternate layers of different sized particulate material wherein smaller particles fill voids and enhance the vacuum effect and hence the rigidity of the particulate material when it is desired to solidify same.