Abstract: A surgical instrument comprises a body, shaft, and end effector. The shaft couples the end effector and body together. The end effector comprises an anvil and lower jaw configured to receive a surgical staple cartridge. The anvil is configured to pivot toward and away from the staple cartridge and lower jaw. The shaft assembly comprises a knife member configured to longitudinally translate to thereby substantially simultaneously cut clamped tissue and staple the severed tissue. The end effector may comprise lockout features configure to prevent longitudinal translation of the knife member. The end effector or staple cartridge may comprise lockout bypass features configured to prevent lockout of the knife member. These lockout bypass features may operate to permit longitudinal translation of the knife member once or multiple times. The end effector may comprise features configured to ensure proper alignment of the anvil relative to the staple cartridge.

Abstract: A ballast arrangement is disclosed for use in powering fluorescent and other gas discharge lamps. The ballast arrangement controls the arc voltage provide by an arc voltage oscillator independent of the filament voltage provided by a filament voltage oscillator. In this manner, safe maintenance condition during fault and interrupt condition are obtained. The full arc voltage is only applied to the lamp when the lamp filaments are warm or after a time period during which they are warmed. The filament pre-warming time reduces sputtering when an excitation or arc voltage in subsequently applied to induce lamp arcing.

Abstract: A train communication and control system is described having the cars of the train connected by a two-wire train line running continuously from car to car. Each car has a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit connected across the line. Any car may be selected to be a master unit. The selection of one car as a master unit disconnects the power sources of all other cars from the train line, leaving the master unit power source as the sole power source for the line. The master unit or any other car unit communicates with each other car by causing a high voltage ("mark" state or logic one) or a low voltage ("space" state or logic zero) to be on the train line. Each non-master car can receive a communication from a transmitting circuit, or can transmit to another car by applying a low impedance across the train line to change from a "mark" state to a "space" state. The power source consists of a voltage regulator with precision constant current limit.

Abstract: A ballast arrangement is disclosed for use in powering fluorescent and other gas discharge lamps. The ballast arrangement provides both full current and low current outputs for multiple sets of lamps so that dual lamps can be powered simultaneously, at the same or different output levels.

Abstract: A train communication and control system is described having the cars of the train connected by a two-wire train line running continuously from car to car. Any car may be selected to be a master unit. The selection of one car as a master unit disconnects the power sources of all other cars from the train line, leaving the master unit power source as the sole power source for the line. The master unit communicates with each other car by causing a high voltage ("mark" state or logic one) or a low voltage ("space" state or logic zero) to be on the train line. Each non-master car can receive a communication from the master unit, or can transmit to another car by applying a low impendance across the train line to change from a "mark" state to a "space" state. The power source consists of a voltage regulator with precision constant current limit.

Abstract: In a display where all characters are displayed in equal sized spaces, such as a bus or vehicle sign, for example, the problem of characters appearing to merge from a distance is remedied. The spacing between characters is automatically adjusted in accordance with both the characteristics of the particular character representations displayed and their sequence within the display.

Abstract: A memory transfer unit is provided which permits replacing messages stored in a message display system with a different set of messages stored in the memory transfer unit. A circuit is provided for supplying power from the message display system to the memory transfer unit and for inhibiting operation of the memory transfer unit unless the power supply to it has a proper operating voltage level. Pulses produced in the message display system are counted to determine the sequential locations of data in the memory transfer unit to be transferred to the message display unit for substitution for data stored in the message display unit.