Abstract: Means and methods of producing catalytically coated microspheres of hydrocarbon fuel in a tower into which precharged free floating initially frozen globules of hydrocarbon fuel are drawn through a catalytic plasma field by an attracting electrostatic force disposed thereabove for catalytic coating and partial neutralization of the globule precharge until the coated globules descends in response to gravitational forces through the plasma field into a container disposed therebeneath.

Abstract: A catalyst/substrate delivery system providing a more efficient combustion of hydrocarbon fuels while reducing environmental pollutants emitting therefrom. A light hydrocarbon is misted into a cold environment to form frozen pellets which are then coated with plasma of an atomized catalyst such as platinum, palladium, lithium, zirconium organometals to form microspheres of from about 1 but less than 2000 microns in size.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an operator control panel includes an enclosure in which a liquid crystal display and a pair of lamps are disposed. A first reflective surface is located inside the enclosure, and a second reflective surface is located outside the enclosure. The lamps are positioned so that light rays from their filaments are projected rearwardly onto the first reflective surface and then forwardly onto the back of the liquid crystal display while other light rays from the lamp filaments are projected forwardly onto the second reflective surface and then downwardly onto the front of the control panel. In another embodiment of the operator control panel, the lamps are disposed outside the enclosure and the second reflective surface is omitted.

Abstract: A system and method for assembling and binding books and for printing an address or a personalized message in accordance with coded information. The system includes a main control with a data processor and a memory for coded address and message information. One of more bindery lines each has means for gathering and assembling sections to form a book and for imaging the book with a personalized image. A line control has a data processor connected with the bindery line to control selection and assembly of signatures and imaging in accordance with the control information. Operator terminals at the main and line controls have visual display with touch screen operation input. A communication network connects the main control with each of the line controls. Address and control information from a magnetic tape is transferred to disk memory at the main control. This information is later transmitted over the communication network to the line controls.

Abstract: A system and method for assembling and binding books and for printing an address or a personalized message in accordance with coded information. The system includes a main control with a data processor and a memory for coded address and message information. One or more bindery lines each has means for gathering and assembling sections to form a book and for imaging the book with a personalized image. A line control has a data processor connected with the bindery line to control selection and assembly of signatures and imaging in accordance with the control information. Operator terminals at the main and line controls have visual display with touch screen operation input. A communication network connects the main control with each of the line controls. Address and control information from a magnetic tape is transferred to disk memory at the main control. This information is later transmitted over the communication network to the line controls.

Abstract: An improved cellular mobile radio telephone system is described wherein the switching matrices used to provide communication paths between subscribers is also used to provide paths for carrying control information between a network control and the various transceivers, receivers and transmitters at cell sites. Additionally, statistical multiplexers are provided at the cell sites for multiplexing control signals for many transceivers, receivers and transmitters onto the transmission facilities connecting the cell site with the network control system. At the network control system, apparatus is provided to reformat and packetize control signals from many statistical multiplexers and present the reformatted, packetized information to a network control processor.

Abstract: A network provides communication between end units (1). Each end unit (1) received an entitlement to transmit in the form of a go-ahead. It is then able to transmit a frame of user data, which is broadcast by a central unit (7) to all other end units (1). When the end unit (1) transmitting the frame wishes to relinquish its entitlement to transmit it regenerats the go-ahead, which is passed by the central unit (7) to the next end unit (1) taking them in a predtermined cyclic sequence. The system allows frames to be acknowledged: the central unit (7) collects acknowledgements from end units (1) receiving the frame successfully, and when every expected station has acknowledged, returns an acknowledgement to the source end unit (1). Central units (1) may be combined to form larger systems.

Abstract: The locating function of a cellular mobile radio telephone system is implemented so that, when the locating radio detects a sustained change from a very low signal quality or amplitude (indicating background noise rather than an active call in an adjacent cell) to a higher quality or amplitude (indicating the start of a call in one of the adjacent cells), the radio will modify its filtering process so that previous sample values (which can be attributed, for example, to noise before the start of the call) will not be used in the averaging process. The result of this improvement is that values reported from the locating radio during the initial portion of the call (0 to 20 seconds) will not be reported artifically low. This allows the system to make decisions about handoff during this initial portion of the call. Additionally, rather than having the locating radio take equal samples from each of the possible voice channels, in accordance with the invention, there are two scanning tasks.

Abstract: In a ring network (1) messages sent from any one of a group of stations (3) to all the remainder include an acknowledgement field (ACK) holding a count preset to equal the number of expected destination stations. Each destination station that successfully receives the message acknowledges by decreasing the count by 1; acknowledgement is withheld if an error is detected in the message or the station cannot accept it. Acknowledgement is performed by a circuit (17) in a loop-through path (15) in an interface unit (4) connecting the station to the network (1). The originating station checks in a circuit (28) if the final value of the count on its return is zero. If so, the originating station is assured that each expected destination has made a positive acknowledgement of successful receipt.

Abstract: In a cellular mobile radio-telephone system, a hand-off procedure is implemented by use of idle voice channel transceiver at relay stations of cells contiguous the site of a mobile station. The receiving portion of each transceiver is provided with tuning circuitry permitting a detuning from a preassigned idle channel frequency to the present broadcast frequency assignment of the mobile station. A set of measurements of broadcast signal is made at the detuned idle channels to determine the cell of best signal. The mobile station is then handed off to the cell of best signal.

Abstract: In a telephone system, particularly a mobile radio-telephone system, incorporating statistical multiplexers and control concentrators for the arranging and formatting of digitized data, the data is formatted with operational codes designating specific meaning and any one of a plurality of levels of protection to be offered data transmitted via the telephone system. A back-up memory is connected to the statistical multiplexer to enable a retransmission of a batch of data in the event that the batch had been received with error. Full duplex communication is provided. A circular sequence number interleaved among batches of the data is utilized by an error detector at a receiving site to determine the presence of all portions of a batch of data. Transmission of specified operational codes and additional data as required in the reverse direction commands a retransmission and also provides for acknowledgement of receipt of a data batch with and without error.

Abstract: An improved cellular mobile radio telephone system is described wherein the switching matrices used to provide communication paths between subscribers is also used to provide paths for carrying control information between a network control and the various transceivers, receivers and transmitters at cell sites. Additionally, statistical multiplexers are provided at the cell sites for multiplexing control signals for many transceivers, receivers and transmitters onto the transmission facilities connecting the cell site with the network control system. At the network control system, apparatus is provided to reformat and packetize control signals from many statistical multiplexers and present the reformatted, packetized information to a network control processor.

Abstract: A cellular mobile radio-telephone system incorporates hand-off equipment for effecting a hand-off of communication links coupled to a mobile subscriber transceiver as the transceiver travels from one cell to an adjoining cell. The hand-off equipment includes a filter which smoothes voice channel signals received from the mobile transceivers so as to permit a more precise determination as to when a reduction in signal amplitude indicates the need for a hand-off. The operation of the filter includes long and short term averaging of a sequence of signal samples. Circuitry is also provided for predicting a time of signal fade-out based on differences in the amplitude of successive samples or groups of samples. Also disclosed is circuitry for commanding a change in transmitter gain in a transceiver as a function of signal fade-out.

Abstract: A closing mechanism for the trap door of a stone trap mounted in the floor of the feeder house on a combine harvester is disclosed wherein the trap door can be moved from a opened position to a closed position by the raising of the header. If the stone trap door has been opened for the ejection of non-crop material within the flow of crop material within the feeder house, a link interconnecting the trap door and the frame of the combine effects a pivotal movement of the trap door to its closed position upon actuation of the header lift cylinders to raise the feeder house and attached header above the ground. The link includes a spring to permit extension of the link should the feeder house be raised above a position necessary to affect the closing of the trap door.