Abstract: A cutting head for rotary trimmers in which two relatively short fixed lengths of flexible cutting line are inserted into opposed channels in the head and are secured in place by a pair of spring biased toothed cams. Each of the cams is pivotally mounted on a post within the housing adjacent one of the channels and defines a curvilinear camming surface having a plurality of uniformly spaced teeth thereon that project into the channels at increasing angles of inclination from the outermost tooth to the innermost tooth for engaging the line. A pair of torsion springs bias the cams to pivot on their mounting teeth such that the backsides of the teeth are continually urged toward the openings to the channels thereby allowing line to be inserted inwardly into the head past the toothed cams but retained by the cams against any outwardly directed forces acting on the line. The cams are symmetrically balanced about their axes of rotation so as to be unaffected by centrifugal force acting thereon during use.

Abstract: A portable master controller for a locomotive remote control system. The portable master controller has a user interface for receiving commands to control the movement of the locomotive. The user interface is responsive to operator commands to generate control signals. A processing unit receives the control signals from the user interface to generate digital command signals directing the movement of the locomotive. A transmission unit receives the digital command signals and generates a RF transmission conveying the digital command signals to the slave controller. A solid-state tilt sensor in communication with the processing unit communicates inclination information to the processing unit about the portable master controller. The processing unit receives and processes the inclination information.

Abstract: A process for forming flexible cutting line for use in rotary vegetation trimmers of the type having two or more monofilament lines mounted on a common spool. The line produced by the process of the present invention defines two monofilament strands joined together in a side-by-side relationship by a severable bond. Each strand defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced and outwardly projecting vegetation cutting edges thereon, two of the edges on one of the strands being in parallel contact with two of the edges on the other strand so as to define a pair of parallel readily severable welds bonding the strands together in a side-by-side disposition.

Abstract: A new register test system and method is provided for testing a register. The register under test has a number of bit storage locations, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of categories, including, for example, a read/write category, a read-only category, a write-only category, an always-"1" category and an always-"0" category. In accordance with the method, in each of a plurality of iterations, a data word is generated, stored it in the register under test, and thereafter retrieved from the register. For each iteration, an expected pattern is generated for comparison to the retrieved contents, using the original data, the retrieved contents and a plurality of mask patterns each associated with one of the categories. The expected pattern is compared to the pattern of the contents retrieved from the register and whether the register is deemed to be operating properly can be determined by whether the expected pattern corresponds to the retrieved pattern.

Abstract: A process for forming flexible cutting line for use in rotary vegetation trimmers of the type having two or more monofilament lines mounted on a common spool. The line produced by the process of the present invention defines two monofilament strands joined together in a side-by-side relationship by a severable bond. Each strand defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced and outwardly projecting vegetation cutting edges thereon, two of the edges on one of the strands being in parallel contact with two of the edges on the other strand so as to define a pair of parallel readily severable welds bonding the strands together in a side-by-side disposition.

Abstract: A process for forming flexible cutting line for use in rotary vegetation trimmers of the type having two or more monofilament lines mounted on a common spool. The line produced by the process of the present invention defines two monofilament strands joined together in a side by side relationship by a severable bond. The process includes the steps of extruding one or more pairs of molten monofilament strands in proximate disposition, directing the strands together in a cooling quench bath, pulling the strands in an adjacent abutting disposition through the quench bath to initiate the crystallization and bonding together of the two strands, concurrently stretching and heating the bonded strands to effect parallel alignment of the molecular chain in the strands, heating the strands in a relaxed disposition, wetting the strands and spooling the wetted strands for storage and transportation.

Abstract: An assembly and process for continuously forming flexible cutting line for use in rotary vegetation trimmers of the type having two or more monofilament lines mounted on a common spool. The line produced by the present invention defines two monofilament strands joined together in a side by side relationship by a severable bond. The process includes the step of extruding one or more pairs of molten filament strands in proximate disposition through an extrusion die, directing the strands together about a collecting guide adjustably mounted in a cooling quench bath to initiate the forming of a severable weld between the adjacent strands. The elevation of the collecting guide within the quench tank is adjustable to vary the strength of the formed weld. The joined strands are then pulled in a parallel array through the quench bath and about a plurality of guide members therein to effect the crystallization and bonding together of the pairs of strands.

Abstract: A new register test system and method is provided for testing a register. The register under test has a number of bit storage locations, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of categories, including, for example, a read/write category, a read-only category, a write-only category, an always-"1" category and an always-"0" category. In accordance with the method, in each of a plurality of iterations, a data word is generated, stored it in the register under test, and thereafter retrieved from the register. For each iteration, an expected pattern is generated for comparison to the retrieved contents, using the original data, the retrieved contents and a plurality of mask patterns each associated with one of the categories. The expected pattern is compared to the pattern of the contents retrieved from the register and whether the register is deemed to be operating properly can be determined by whether the expected pattern corresponds to the retrieved pattern.