Abstract: An apparatus for counting parts in a tape and reel packaging system in which a plurality of parts are packaged on linear tape wound onto a reel. The apparatus includes a measuring device, and a meter body. The meter body includes electronic means for calculating and displaying a quantity of parts in the tape and reel packaging system. The calculation is based on inputs supplied by a user employing the measuring device. In an embodiment, the apparatus is portable and configured to be hand-held.

Abstract: A portable handheld consistometer that includes a probe having a shaft and a probe tip attached to a first end of the shaft. In an embodiment, the probe tip has a cross-sectional area greater than that of the shaft, the probe configured to be inserted into a material to measure the consistency thereof. In an embodiment, a force sensor is attached to a second end of the shaft opposite the first end. The force sensor is coupled to processing circuitry, and is configured to measure the force with which the probe tip penetrates the material. In an embodiment, a distance sensor is coupled to the processing circuitry. The distance sensor is configured to measure the distance that the probe tip penetrates into the material. Further; the handheld consistometer includes a display screen coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to display the results of consistency measurements.

Abstract: A soil moisture probe includes a capacitance-type probe and a detection circuit. The probe includes two spaced electrodes on the same side of a printed circuit board (PCB). The electrodes are placed on an inner layer of a multi-layer PCB and the detection circuit may be placed on an outer layer. The PCB also includes a ground plane. The detection circuit generates a sawtooth or triangular wave which is converted to a DC voltage representative of the moisture content of a soil sample into which the probe is inserted. The unique circuit uses the capacitance of the probe as part of a low-pass filter that distorts an oscillator-generated square wave into a saw-tooth or triangular wave. A resistance component of the low-pass filter is adjustable, allowing tuning of the probe and the circuit as needed.

Abstract: A flow rate meter that includes a container of known and fixed volume. Electrodes, or sensors, are placed inside the container at several different heights. An electronic circuit uses the electrodes, or sensors, to measure the time it takes this container of known and fixed volume to fill a certain distance with water or water-based solution. The electronic circuit calculates the flow rate in engineering units from this elapsed time by knowing the volume of the container between the fixed electrodes.

Abstract: A multiple sump fuel sampler with catch can that includes an upper fuel sampling and testing reservoir with integral lower catch can reservoir arranged such that a self-closing valve is placed between the upper sampling reservoir and the lower catch can. This self-closing valve can be easily opened and closed by a user to allow fuel in the upper sampling reservoir to drain down into the lower catch can reservoir. Embodiments of the invention include a means of spill-free dumping of fuel accumulated in the lower catch can reservoir via an integral no-drip pour spout.

Abstract: A liquid dispensing comb and brush includes a handle portion and a head portion. The handle portion includes a container and a compressible chamber. The container may be formed from or consists of a collapsible substrate such as a bag and/or bladder, and is operative to store a liquid. The compressible chamber is operative to receive the liquid from the collapsible substrate for delivery to a plurality of nozzles. The head portion includes the plurality of teeth aligned in a row, a plurality of nozzles located, for example, between the teeth and a common delivery channel. The common delivery channel may be operably coupled to the compressible chamber and the plurality of nozzles.

Abstract: A device for measuring one or more different properties of soil or a soil-related substance is provided. The device includes a probe that is inserted into the soil or soil-related substance. The probe includes a tip. The tip is electrically insulative and defines apertures. Electrodes are fitted into the apertures. The tip and electrodes are machined together to have a desired shape that is suitable for insertion into a sample. A printed circuit board (“PCB”) is located inside the probe. The electrodes are soldered directly to the PCB in one embodiment. A temperature sensing element is also located in the tip, near the electrodes, and is connected electrically to the PCB.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a club for impacting an object. The club may have a club head having a club face. At least one microprocessor in communication with a plurality of infrared sources is also provided. There are also a plurality of infrared sensors, and indicators configurable in a configuration indicating proper club face alignment and a configuration indicating club face misalignment. The infrared sources are periodically pulsed by a microprocessor between an activated and deactivated state. The sensors are configured on the club head to receive infrared from the infrared sources and to generate a signal in response to the infrared received. The microprocessor is programmed to receive signals from the sensors when the infrared sources are activated. The microprocessor is programmed to activate the indicators in an aligned or misaligned configuration.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a club for impacting an object. The club may have a club head having a club face. At least one microprocessor in communication with a plurality of infrared sources is also provided. There are also a plurality of infrared sensors, and indicators configurable in a configuration indicating proper club face alignment and a configuration indicating club face misalignment. The infrared sources are periodically pulsed by a microprocessor between an activated and deactivated state. The sensors are configured on the club head to receive infrared from the infrared sources and to generate a signal in response to the infrared received. The microprocessor is programmed to receive signals from the sensors when the infrared sources are activated. The microprocessor is programmed to activate the indicators in an aligned or misaligned configuration.

Abstract: A method for operating a communication network bridge is disclosed. The bridge receives a message frame from a first network connected thereto and reads the source and destination addresses of the received frame. The bridge determines if the addresses are contained in a source address table maintained thereby and if both addresses are present, discards the frame. The bridge transmits the frame to a second network connected thereto if the source address is not in the table or if the source address but not the destination address is in the table.

Abstract: A bus accessing method and apparatus for the practice thereof, in a communication network, for transmitting information packets without the need for long communication periods following each transmission, is disclosed. The network comprises transmit and receive buses, a plurality of BIUs coupled between the buses, and a head-end for directing packets leaving the transmit bus onto the receive bus. Each packet has a preamble with a gap long enough to enable receiving BIUs to reset for receipt of a new packet. Each BIU in an active state with a packet to transmit measures a first time period so long as it detects no signals on the receive bus. The BIU transitions to a wait state upon completing the first time period measurement and initiates a second time period measurement. Upon completing the second time period measurement, the BIU transitions to a transmit state and initiates transmission of its packet, reverting to the active state upon completing transmission.

Abstract: A combination integrate and dump filter comprises an amplifier for performing both the integrate and level detecting functions. Selective circuit configuration (SCC) apparatus is provided and responsive to a first state of a baud signal for providing reactive feedback to the amplifier such that voltage is stored by the SCC apparatus, which stored voltage represents the time integral of the input signal. The SCC apparatus is further responsive to a second state of the baud signal for terminating the reactive feedback and for coupling the stored voltage to the amplifier input such that the stored voltage is amplified and, therefore, the amplifier output represents the cumulative polarity of the input signal over the integration interval.

Abstract: Apparatus for bridging between two local area networks is disclosed. The apparatus has two bridge sides each including means for receiving or transmitting a message frame, controller means for directing an incoming message frame into a memory means shared between the bridge sides or directing a frame out of the memory means for transmission, address reading means for reading an address portion of the incoming frame and processor means for determining frame transmissibility from the address portion as provided by the address reading means. The apparatus is configured such that the processor means determines incoming frame transmissibility substantially concurrent with the controller means directing the incoming frame into the memory means.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a local oscillator signal which is in phase and frequency synchronism with a carrier signal wherein the frequency of the carrier is a constant multiple of the frequency of a reference waveform. A phase detector detects the phase of the local oscillator relative to the carrier and provides a signal to a microprocessor indicative of this phase. The microprocessor provides the local oscillator and responds to a reference waveform threshold detector to determine the number of local oscillator pulses provided during one cycle of the reference and to maintain this number to equal the constant multiple. The microprocessor further responds to the phase detector to adjust the phase of the local oscillator and thereby maintain phase synchronism with the carrier.

Abstract: A receiver for recovering digital data from a phase-shift modulated carrier in a data communications system employs a matched filter within the servo loop controlling the local oscillator frequency to increase the signal to noise ratio of the receiver. Thus signals having an amplitude less than the amplitude of harmonics of the carrier can be detected. In the preferred embodiment, the matched filter comprises an integrate and dump filter which integrates at the received data baud rate.

Abstract: A receiver for recovering digital data from a phase-shift modulated carrier in a data communications system, wherein the length of the message preamble is insufficient to permit synchronous detection, divides the received signal into two channels. The channels having the larger and smaller signals are selected as the data and the servo channel, respectively. The output of the servo channel is utilized to control the local oscillator frequency in order to provide for synchronous detection during at least a part of the message data.

Abstract: A meter terminal unit, for acquiring information and transmitting the acquired information to a central reading and control unit over utility power transmission lines, includes a transmitter portion for synthesizing and modulating carrier waveforms, the frequencies of which are selectable by command data contained in frequency rotation and address fields of a command received from the central reading and control unit. The meter terminal unit receives and decodes the command and adds, in modulo form, the contents of the frequency rotation field to the contents of a portion of the address field to obtain a resultant sum which uniquely identifies the selected waveform. This sum is used to access a portion of a read only memory (ROM) having the selected waveform stored therein in digital data form. The selected waveform is reconstructed by outputting the digital data from the ROM to a digital to analog converter.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit, having an oscillator controlled by a voltage related to the phase difference between a reference signal and a loop signal, is stabilized by a crystal oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator signal is frequency-subtracted from the crystal oscillator signal frequency to provide an input signal to a frequency-arithmetic synthesizer which provides a loop signal to the phase detector for comparison with the coming reference signal. Use of a frequency-adder circuit between the voltage controlled oscillator and the frequency-subtractor, and receiving an addition frequency derived from the frequency-arithmetic synthesizing circuit, is utilized to decrease the loop gain and provide enhanced characteristics.

Abstract: Apparatus for synchronizing the bit clock in a digital receiver to be in phase with bits of a received data stream, utilizes a frequency source locked to a system-wide frequency and frequency-arithmetic means for providing first and second local frequencies respectively slightly greater and slightly less than a multiple of the system-wide frequency. Countdown circuitry provides a multiplicity of local clock phases at the local clock frequency for phase comparison with the clock frequency derived from the received data stream and for subsequent digital phase adjustment to cause the local baud clock to track the received data stream bit transition frequency.

Abstract: The modulated carrier in a frequency-multiplexed digital communications system is synthesized with each band of the modulated carrier derived from data stored in a read-only-memory. The carrier envelope shape is selected to reduce the sidebands of the digitally modulated carrier and thus reduce interchannel interference. The read-only-memory digital output is applied to a digital-to-analog converter for synthesis of an analog voltage, representing the modulated sinusoidal carrier, having reduced higher frequency content, without the necessity for use of a costly, narrow-bandpass filter.