Abstract: A storage container comprising an outer shell and an insertable drawer member configured and dimensioned for receiving and storing information-bearing discs and accompanying printed matter. The insertable drawer member includes features to store the discs by contacting non-information bearing surfaces thereof as well as means for selectively retrieving the printed matter together with the disc from the outer shell. The container of the invention additionally comprises a tamper seal formed integral therewith which fractures the first time the drawer member is withdrawn from the shell for determining whether the storage container has ever been opened to access its contents after it was sealed at the factory.

Abstract: A cooking device including a lower cooking plate which is positioned at an angle to the horizontal plane of the device has grilling members supported in heat conducting relation and an upper cooking plate movable to a closed position forming a cooking chamber which substantially restrains the escape of vapors and permits the cooking and removal of small pieces or ground foodstuffs. In one embodiment, the device includes a collecting member positioned beneath a downwardly extending portion of the lower cooking plate, which can have an opening and through which liquids emitted from the foodstuffs during cooking can be removed, and into which the foodstuffs after cooking can be collected for removal from the device.

Abstract: There is presented an apparatus and method of locating a reflective anomaly in an optical fiber. An optical generator is positioned at one end of a light path extending to and from a reflective anomaly in an optical fiber, and periodic pulses of light are injected into the fiber. A bend coupler containing directional optical detectors is clamped to the optical fiber in mid-span, between the optical generator and a reflective anomaly, and light energy is tapped. The coupler is capable of detecting and discriminating light travelling in both longitudinal directions. After signal conditioning and digitization, the light pulses are submitted to a logical network to initiate a timer that measures a time interval between the event of an interrogating light pulse, and its reflection, the result being memorized in a buffer. A microprocessor controls the system, and computes distance between the attached bend coupler and the reflective anomaly as a function of the memorized time interval.

Abstract: A drive circuit for use in UPS and like devices, designed to derive high-level switching signals from low-level logic signals. The drive circuit has an input circuit which drives the primary of an air-core transformer, the input drive circuit having an oscillator with a resonant circuit producing a carrier at a carrier frequency, the resonant circuit including the primary of the transformer and a coupling circuit for coupling the logic signals to the oscillator so as to modulate the carrier signal. The use of the resonant circuit enables generation of sufficient magnetization current for the low-cost transformer while reducing the current drive required of the input drive circuit, thereby enabling a reduced cost gate drive circuit.

Abstract: A storage container comprising an outer shell and an insertable drawer member configured and dimensioned for receiving and storing information-bearing discs and accompanying printed matter. The insertable drawer member includes features to store the discs by contacting non-information bearing surfaces thereof as well as means for selectively retrieving the printed matter together with the disc from the outer shell. The container of the invention additionally comprises a tamper seal formed integral therewith which fractures the first time the drawer member is withdrawn from the shell for determining whether the storage container has ever been opened to access its contents after it was sealed at the factory.

Abstract: A system and method for testing an automotive electronic microcontroller includes a multi-chip module comprised of a microcontroller chip and at least one memory chip. This multi-chip module is packaged in the same connection configuration a production single chip microcontroller urgently designed for the controller. The multi-chip module, thus, replaces the single chip module on the controller board itself and provides extra memory. A PC work station may be connected to the controller board via a reserved 8-pin interface. Once development and/or testing is complete, the multi-chip module is then replaced with the single chip module.

Abstract: A UPS device adapted for parallel connection to a load along with one or more other UPS devices, having circuitry for sharing of the load, including load harmonics. A feedback network has an error signal circuit which generates an error signal representative of the difference between the actual current provided by the device and the designated share of current it should provide. The error signal is transformed by a value representative of the effective output impedance of the UPS inverter, whereby the inverter is controlled to share the fundamental of the load current as well as the harmonics.

Abstract: A cooking device including a upper unit having an upper grilling plate hingeably attached to a lower unit having a lower grill plate. The upper unit movable relative to the lower unit from an open position to a closed position to form an enclosed cooking chamber to cook foodstuffs. The lower grill plate includes a well to contain liquid and a heating unit for heating the well to vaporize the liquid during cooking and supply vapor to the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A passive distribution net connects a host digital terminal to a number of optical network units which service respective subscribers. Transmit and receive feeder fibers branch out to the optical network units with optical power splitters. An out-of-band laser light is blended with the communications wavelength on the transmit feeder at the host digital terminal and is stripped at the receive feeder using wave division multiplexers. Similar wave division multiplexers at the optical network units are coupled by an optical shunt to carry the out-of-band light around each optical network unit. This arrangement monitors network integrity and can discern fiber failure from optical network unit failure.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the tension of each lead of a multiple lead printing press setup includes a transducer roller interposed in the lead setup to detect the gain (increased tension) in the paper web as it exits from the print cylinder unit. An electronically controlled variable ratio gear assembly is interposed between the drag roller and the drag roller driver shaft. A variable gain tension controller receives the gain signal from the transducer roller and a tachometer signal from the main press drive shaft, as well as a gain setpoint signal. The variable ratio gear assembly includes an harmonic gear assembly and a control motor connected to the harmonic wave generator. The output controller signal of the variable gain tension controller is fed to the control motor to selectively vary the rotational velocity of the wave generator, thereby varying rotational speed of the drag roller and regulating the tension of the paper web.

Abstract: A crucible used in a powder pack plating process has an aperture below the upper surface of the powder pack to allow a density driven flow of the plating gas generated by the powder pack to move through the powder pack.

Abstract: An UPS apparatus with a back-up battery and successively coupled rectifier, inverter and output filter circuits, having an improved battery charging circuit. The charging circuit has a transformer with its primary winding being part of the output filter, and its secondary winding driving a second rectifier circuit which produces the charging current. The charging circuit contains an impedance preferably connected between the transformer secondary winding and the second rectifier circuit, for capturing only a high frequency portion of the signal from the inverter stage, thereby enabling the utilization of smaller charger circuit elements.

Abstract: A voltage source having a current feedback control loop for enhanced source impedance control of the output of the voltage source. Current feedback is used for a voltage-source amplifier wherein the source impedance is increased/decreased and/or reshaped by the voltage source amplifier's closed-loop gain and the additional current feedback. In particular, the enhanced source impedance control is accomplished through feedback of the output current of the voltage source to an analog error amplifier at an input to the voltage control loop. The output impedance Z.sub.desired is then adjusted in accordance with the equation Z.sub.desired =Z.sub.inv1 {1+G(s) H(s)}, where G(s) is the voltage source amplifier's closed-loop transfer function, H(s) is the transfer function of the output current feedback circuit and Z.sub.inv1 is the original source impedance of the voltage controlled voltage amplifier.

Abstract: The catalytic combination of a phosphite ester and a phenol sulfide is disclosed. The catalyst combination accelerates and mediates the esterification reaction of rosin with a polyhydric alcohol, resulting in esterified rosins having numerous advantageous characteristics and particular utility as tackifiers in hot melt adhesives.

Abstract: A diode laser device and method of use for achieving transcutaneous laser photocoagulation of the retina is described. A diode laser is used since it is much more efficient than the ion or dye lasers presently used for laser photocoagulation, and therefore will not require forced air of water cooling and can be made for compact. In addition, the diode laser can be used with standard 110 v wall sockets, and does not require the high power, three phase sockets required for the ion lasers. The end result is that compared to the ion laser device, the diode laser device can be brought directly into the operating room, which makes it ideal for transcutaneous delivery.A characteristic of diode lasers is that the emitted light diverges rapidly. In addition, the diode laser beam is emitted from a rectangular edge of a diode, and the light emitted along the longer sides of the rectangular edge will diverge more rapidly than that light emitted along the shorter sides of the rectangular edge.

Abstract: Polyhydric alcohol rosin esters which had been modified with an aromatic dibasic acid such that the softening point of the acid-modified polyhydric alcohol rosin ester is higher than that of a comparable unmodified polyhydric alcohol rosin ester are used as tackifiers in hot melt adhesive compositions. The hot melt adhesives compositions which utilize the acid-modified rosin ester tackifiers contain at least one of an ethylenic copolymer and a styrenic block copolymer, at least one of a wax and an oil, and the acid-modified polyhydric alcohol rosin ester tackifier. The hot melt adhesive compositions may be used as, for example, hot melt carton and package sealing adhesives, sealants, bookbinding adhesives, assembly adhesives, and are useful for the assembly of disposable articles using multiline construction techniques wherein at least one polyethylene or polypropylene substrate is bonded to at least one tissue, non-woven, polyethylene or polypropylene substrate.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing protected power to a computer. A computer monitors the terminal voltage and/or current of a battery supplying power to the computer and uses this information or data to determine when, in the event of failure of the AC utility normally supplying power to the computer, to initiate a pre-programmed automatic shutdown of the computer. The determination is based upon the estimated remaining charge of the battery and the total time required to close all active programs in an orderly fashion; thus allowing the computer to be restarted in a well-defined state.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for treating polymerized rosin to decrease its tendency to oxidize comprising heating the polymerized rosin to an elevated temperature in the presence of an effective amount of one or more disproportionating agents. This invention also relates to the novel products of such disproportionation treatments.