Abstract: A fingerpad force sensor system is disclosed which is useful for detecting process variations during manufacturing processes in which a plurality of force sensors are applied to the gripper of a robot in order to monitor shear forces applied to the workpiece held by the robot during, for example, sheet-metal bending manufacturing processes. Each sensor is encapsulated in rubber pads which are secured to the gripper of the robot such that they monitor the status of the workpiece during all phases of automated bending: material acquisition, material handling, machine loading and unloading.

Abstract: A fingerpad force sensor system is disclosed which is useful for detecting process variations during manufacturing processes in which a plurality of force sensors are applied to the gripper of a robot in order to monitor shear forces applied to the workpiece held by the robot during, for example, sheet-metal bending manufacturing processes. Each sensor is encapsulated in rubber pads which are secured to the gripper of the robot such that they monitor the status of the workpiece during all phases of automated bending: material acquisition, material handling, machine loading and unloading.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and methods for measuring the diameter variation of an elongated cylindrically shaped object. In particular, the instant invention relates to measuring the diameter variation of a moving strand comprised of multiple textile filaments. Using lasers and charged coupled devices (hereinafter referred to as "CCD's") for sensing the diffraction and interference patterns produced when electromagnetic radiation emitted from at least one laser is partially obscured by the edges of the strand.Several methods for extracting the information contained in the diffraction pattern may be employed. One method is based upon a comparison between the measured diffraction pattern and a theoretical pattern produced by a knife edge as calculated using the Kirchhoff-Fresnel integral. Others rely upon comparing the measured diffraction pattern with patterns previously produced by cylindrical objects of known diameter and stored in a computer library.

Abstract: Apparatus for analyzing components in a mixture by the steps of introducing the mixture into the ion source of a mass spectrometer, ionizing some of the individual molecules representative of the mixture, using the mass spectrometer to select a beam of ions of a single ion mass which may be characteristic of a target compound in the mixture, passing the resultant single-mass beam of ions through a gas-filled collision chamber, and then, using a second mass spectrometer, determining the mass spectrum of the collision fragment ions to confirm the identity of the target compound, and by measuring the intensity of all or part of the mass spectrum, determine its concentration or amount in the original sample mixture. The same apparatus is suitable for fundamental measurements of the collision processes, which in addition to fragmentation include ion molecule reactions, charge changing collisions, and others, in addition to analytical applications.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the detection of electronegative chemical species in gas flows, such as exist from gas chromatographs, by sampling the detector volume via an aperture connecting to a lower pressure region containing apparatus to collect and measure the negative ion current. Because of the free diffusion of electrons in the region of the aperture, as opposed to ambipolar diffusion in a conventional electron capture detector volume, the electrons are largely removed from the negatively charged components in the gas stream there. Similarly, positive ion current may be measured, thus extending the analytical capability of the invention to classes of chemical species normally not yielding a response in electron capture detectors.

Abstract: Electric fields for electrostatic optics for focusing or otherwise controlling beams of ions, electrons and charged particles in general produced by surface current distributions which flow on appropriately shaped and located resistive elements from electrical power sources of appropriate voltage connected to two or more points or regions of the resistive surfaces; the resulting electric fields in the proximity of the current carrying surfaces are parallel to these surfaces. Useful electric field configurations may be produced which are inconvenient or impossible to produce by the prior art using surface charge distributions. New and improved analyzers of "concentric hemisphere" and "parallel plate" types are specifically utilized for ion kinetic energy selection prior to measurement of the mass-to-charge ratio of secondary ions produced by primary ion bombardment of surfaces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for mass spectrometry employing tandem chemical ionization (CI) and electron impact (EI) ionization chambers with independent ionizing electron sources, both CI and EI ions being produced simultaneously. Through electronic shuttering either the CI or EI ions may be transmitted to the mass spectrometer while the ions of the other type are dispersed and rejected. The shuttering being accomplished very rapidly relative to the mass scan rate, which is in turn fast with respect to temporal variations in sample material composition. The two interwoven ion sequences are demultiplexed and smoothed into independent and effective simultaneous CI and EI mass spectrum channels.