Abstract: There is provided a two part hardenable composition comprising a powder first part and a liquid second part. The parts are operable to form a glass ionomer cement which hardens to a solid mass upon mixing of the parts together. The composition comprises an inorganic glass and/or salt in the powder first part, an aqueous carrier in the liquid second part and an acid-functional polymer in the powder first part and/or the liquid second part. The composition also comprises an at least partially water-miscible additive in the first and/or second parts. The additive is operable to extend the working time of the glass ionomer cement upon mixing of the first and or second parts. The composition is operable to form a glass ionomer cement which, once hardened to a solid mass, has a plane strain fracture toughness of at least 0.7 MPa·m1/2 as measured at 24 hours from mixing. Also provided is a method of producing a glass ionomer cement.

Abstract: An offset bushing for a structural member may include a tubular body having a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface. The cylindrical inner surface may have an inner diameter defining an inner axis. The cylindrical outer surface may have an outer diameter defining an outer axis. The inner axis may be spaced apart from the outer axis to define a linear offset. The offset bushing may include a bushing indexing feature configured to align with a member indexing feature of a member when the offset bushing is installed in a member bore. Alignment of the bushing indexing feature with the member indexing feature may cause the linear offset to be oriented substantially parallel to a loading axis of a load on the member.

Abstract: An offset bushing for a structural member may include a tubular body having a cylindrical inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface. The cylindrical inner surface may have an inner diameter defining an inner axis. The cylindrical outer surface may have an outer diameter defining an outer axis. The inner axis may be spaced apart from the outer axis to define a linear offset. The offset bushing may include a bushing indexing feature configured to align with a member indexing feature of a member when the offset bushing is installed in a member bore. Alignment of the bushing indexing feature with the member indexing feature may cause the linear offset to be oriented substantially parallel to a loading axis of a load on the member.

Abstract: A camera with a built-in electronic flash has a spring-driven high energy lever that is pivoted for initiating shutter opening and for translating a switch closing member to close a normally open shutter-flash synchronization switch. When the switch reopens, it translates the switch closing member in reverse. Then, during film winding a metering cam is rotated to pivot the high energy lever in reverse. The switch closing member is adapted to be pivoted temporarily of the way of the high energy lever to allow the high energy lever to be returned past the switch closing member to an original or home position.

Abstract: A dual film image capture, electronic image capture camera is capable of electronic information editing after each substantially simultaneous film and electronic exposure, and it magnetically records the information adjacent each one of the exposed film frames after completed exposure of the entire film length.

Abstract: A camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, includes a memory that stores a count indicative of the film frames remaining to be exposed (including a count of “0” to indicate that the final frame was exposed), a magnetic head that magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each film frame, and a motor that is actuated following exposure of each film frame to advance the filmstrip forward one frame increment to permit the magnetic head to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame and that is actuated after the magnetic information is written on the filmstrip adjacent the final exposed frame to rewind the exposed film length rearward.

Abstract: A camera for exposing latent images on successive frames of a filmstrip having magnetic recording capacity, includes a memory that stores a count indicative of the film frames remaining to be exposed (including a count of “0” to indicate that the final frame was exposed), a magnetic head that magnetically records user-selected information on the filmstrip adjacent each film frame, and a motor that is actuated following exposure of each film frame to advance the filmstrip to permit the magnetic head to record the information on the filmstrip adjacent each exposed frame. A plurality of information selection switches can be manually used to select the information the magnetic head will magnetically record on the filmstrip adjacent the most-recently exposed one of the film frames including the final exposed frame.

Abstract: A still camera includes a frame defining a planar film path and resiliently supporting a magnetic head module urged into engagement with an edge of an associated film on which magnetically recorded information is to be applied. The module includes a head carriage restrained against longitudinal motion and carrying a pressure pad in opposed relation to a recording head mounted on a spring beam of the carriage so as to urge the head against a film backed by the pressure pad. The head module may be formed as a preassembled subassembly. A leaf spring supported by a tab held in the camera frame urges the module against the film edge.

Abstract: An electric heating device is provided by the use of an electrical conductor or resistance element which is formed in the shape of a cable harness and encased in a polymer cement block. The conductor can be metal, alloy, or carbon fibre and the cement block, which has good electrical insulating and good heat conducting properties, is composed of approximately 75%-95% by weight of inorganic or mineral filler and 5%-25% of a polymer or plastics material. The electrical element is wound in harness form so that the required wattage is dissipated within the block without the requirement of any type of thermostatic control. Further by the selection of pigments and various combinations of mineral or inorganic material, heating devices can be produced having any desired size, shape or decorative texture.

Abstract: A self temperature limiting electrical conducting composite comprising a dispersion of an electrical conducting aggregate and an electrical insulating aggregate in a polymer. The electrical conducting aggregate is preferably a natural or synthetic graphite. The electrical insulating aggregate is preferably silica (SiO.sub.2) or calcite. The polymer is preferably an acrylate.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a recess for receiving an integrated circuit card containing integrated circuit elements and a contact pattern. The connector includes flexible electrodes pretensioned to project into the recess and connect with the contact pattern of an inserted card. A card-engaging lever is supported for entry into the recess from a side of the housing opposed to the flexible electrodes. By biasing the lever toward the electrodes, the integrated circuit card is captured therebetween and tensioned from opposing sides thereof to effect electrical connection. By further providing the card with a spring-loaded shutter and a locking slot opposite to the contact pattern, the lever engages the locking slot and the card is secured in the recess against the resilient bias of the spring-loaded shutter.

Abstract: An integrated circuit card including one or more integrated circuit elements interacts with a lever extending into a card-receiving receptacle in electronic apparatus for verifying correct insertion and opening a sliding shutter in the card. The integrated circuit elements are enclosed in a case having an opening for exposing a contact pattern that connects the integrated circuit elements to the electronic apparatus. The shutter is biased toward a closed position in which a forward surface covers the contact area. An inclined chamfer on a forward section of the case interacts with the lever to limit insertion to only one orientation of the case. By providing a tab on the rear of the shutter that extends from the case on the same side as the chamfer, the lever initially verifies correct insertion and subsequently engages the tab to drive the shutter to an open position exposing the contact pattern to the electronic apparatus.

Abstract: An electronic still camera employs digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a removable static random access memory card. An image sensor is exposed to image light and the resultant analog image information is converted to digital image signals. A control processor controls the exposure section and the A/D converter, delivering digital signals to a multi-image buffer at a rate commensurate with normal operation of the camera. A digital processor operates on the stored digital signals, transforming blocks of the digital signals and encoding the signals into a compressed stream of processed image signals, which are downloaded to the memory card. The digital processor operates at a throughput rate different than the input rate for better image capture and optimum utilization of the camera.

Abstract: In a head-to-disk stabilizing unit of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a flat air bearing surface surrounds an elongate opening to a negative pressure cavity. A record and/or playback head is arranged in the cavity with its transducer means (e.g., a magnetic gap) disposed at the opening in substantially coplanar relation with the air bearing surface. If a flexible magnetic disk is rotated at a relatively high speed to move successive portions of the disk over the air bearing surface, the surface will stabilize each portion of the rotated disk by damping out any flutter before a negative pressure formed in the cavity pulls the disk portion substantially into contact with the transducer means, thereby ensuring a constant and intimate transducer-to-disk magnetic coupling.