Abstract: An electro/mechanical feedback system and method for displaying the positional and sizing information relative to the hole size formed by closed stripping blades of a wire stripping machine. The feedback system includes a pair of rotary optical encoders that are tied to the respective blade tool holders via adjusting screws. The adjusting screws provide infinite adjustment resolution. Turning the adjusting screws opens or closes the blades. The encoders convert the adjusting screw rotational information into blade translatory information, which is displayed. The displayed information represents positional information of each of the blades as well as the actual diameter of the cutting hole formed by the closed blades at a true zero position. The adjusting screw includes a torque head that limits adjusting screw torque to a predetermined amount. The present invention includes a positive stop used as a home position for each blade.

Abstract: An X-ray apparatus has motors for moving its components in different directions. Sensors are provided to detect a collision between a motor driven component and an object, such as a patient being examined. In response to a collision being detected, a normal motor power supply is disconnected from the motor and another power supply is connected to the motor to move the component in the reverse direction. A safeguard is incorporated to insure that both power supplies cannot be coupled to the motor at the same time. For components which can strike a patient when moving in either of two directions, different collision sensors are provided for each direction. For this configuration, a mechanism also is provided to inhibit the connection of the other power supply when collisions are simultaneously detected each direction of component movement.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for obtaining and displaying SEM X-ray line scans and maps for data collection and presentation in energy dispersive X-ray analysis of materials, having ratemeter circuitry providing a voltage output proportional to the intensity of detected pulses in an energy window and an absolute digital representation of the intensity count rate both corrected for dead time, input multiplexing and multiple output buffering of the ratemeter to accomodate multiple channel signals, a feedback loop from said ratemeter to provide display image enhancement, inhibit circuitry to eliminate background signals, signal averging circuitry to permit storage of multiple line scan of multiple single channel analyser outputs in a multi-channel analyser for later processing and display circuitry for displaying stored line scans.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic variable scaling of spectral data utilizing the full available display area. Circuitry is provided to accept an initial upper scale limit. As a displayed data peak exceeds the initial preset limit, the maximum full scale limit is recomputed and the scale adjusted to accommodate the new data peaks on the full display area, each recomputation using as an upper scale limit a value slightly higher than the greatest peak value encountered. The method and apparatus may be utilized to vary dynamically each axis of a data display.