Abstract: A synthetic antifreeze peptide and a synthetic gene coding for the antifreeze peptide have been produced. The antifreeze peptide has a greater number of repeating amino acid sequences than is present in the native antifreeze peptides from winter flounder upon which the synthetic antifreeze peptide was modeled. Each repeating amino acid sequence has two polar amino acid residues which are spaced a controlled distance apart so that the antifreeze peptide may inhibit ice formation. The synthetic gene has been expressed in E. coli. A synthetic insert fragment has been prepared which can be readily inserted into the synthetic gene to alter the number of repeating units and/or amino acid composition in the antifreeze peptide produced.

Abstract: A synthetic antifreeze peptide and a synthetic gene coding for the antifreeze peptide have been produced. The antifreeze peptide has a greater number of repeating amino acid sequences than is present in the native antifreeze peptides from winter flounder upon which the synthetic antifreeze peptide was modeled. Each repeating amino acid sequence has two polar amino acid residues which are spaced a controlled distance apart so that the antifreeze peptide may inhibit ice formation. The synthetic gene has been expressed in E. coli. A synthetic insert fragment has been prepared which can be readily inserted into the synthetic gene to alter the number of repeating units and/or amino acid composition in the antifreeze peptide produced.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device test handler which is adaptable to receive various customer tray configurations and automatically test the ICs within. The test handler comprises a customer tray magazine input area, a load section, a soak chamber, a test section, an unsoak chamber and an unload area. Two magazines containing customer trays with IC devices are input to the handler. An elevator mechanism raises the customer trays within one magazine at a time to a position which can be accessed by the loader of the test handler. A catcher device moves the trays to a buffer platform where the trays can be accessed by a transfer arm. The transfer arms moves the customer trays to one of two load stages. A pick and place apparatus removes the IC devices from each customer tray on the load stages and transfers them to a precisor for alignment and then to a test tray.

Abstract: A separation and transfer apparatus for use in an electronic test system for testing electronic devices such as IC's, and the like. The apparatus has a housing for holding in a horizontal position, a magazine containing such electronic devices, an air blower for blowing compressed air at the electronic devices at an angle through a slit of the magazine so that the electronic devices are separated from one another and urged in a desired direction, a piston pin for insertion into a space developed between the last electronic device in the magazine and one end of the magazine, an advancing apparatus for changing the horizontal position of the air blower and the piston pin and for expelling the electronic devices from the magazine, and a controller for controlling the timing of the air blowing, the movement of the advancing apparatus, and the operation of the piston pin.

Abstract: A station for testing electrical devices under elevated and depressed temperature conditions, said devices being transported through and tested in the station while held in coordinated planar sets. The planarly arranged sets of devices are sequentially placed upon a platen movable along three mutually orthogonal axes. A test head has a plurality of electrical device contactors in planar arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the devices sets. At least one axis along which the platen moves is orthogonal to a general plane of the contactors for establishing parallel contact between the devices and the contactors. During testing each of the leads of the devices resting upon the platen are electrically contacted by a contactor. The leads of the full set of electrical devices can be contacted simultaneously, or the leads can be contacted in subsets depending upon the capacity of the test head.

Abstract: The system responds to signals from a weight computer to depress selected keys on the postage metering machine keyboard. A solenoid is associated with each key. The solenoids are mounted on a carriage for movement toward and away from the keyboard. Spring bias and weight forces the carriage toward the keyboard. Energized solenoids hold an engagement tip extended so that when the carriage is released toward the keyboard, the carriage force will depress the selected key. The engagement tip on unenergized solenoids contact the key but the solenoid shaft moves upward into the solenoid without depressing the key.