Abstract: Hand-held devices that can be used to quickly install flashover protection covers around energized electrical conductors and equipment are provided. Each device includes a guide assembly that defines a pair of spaced-apart, converging passageways that are configured to slidably receive the elongated edge portions of a flexible panel therethrough. The converging passageways force together the opposite edge portions of a flexible panel being advanced through the guide assembly.

Abstract: Hollow cylindrical dynamo-electric machine stator cores may be made by superimposing at least two strips of core material to produce a composite strip. One or more of the strips may be run through a pressure roller structure prior to super-positioning of the strips. The composite strip is coiled helically to produce the hollow cylindrical stator core. By pressure rolling at least one strip, the internal diameter of the stator core can be adjusted to reduce irregularities. By superimposing strips prior to coiling, thinner strips can be used without requiring the stator forming machine to operate longer or faster to produce stator cores of a given size. The pressure rolling aspects of the invention are also applicable to coiling apparatus that uses only a single strip. Stator cores may also be made by coaxially assembling and joining two coils with a hollow annular lamination disposed between the two axially spaced coils.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing metal ferrules used as connector elements for optical fibers is characterized such that, by growth-guidance of an internal-diameter formation member whose external diameter is the same as the internal diameter of the metal ferrule to be manufactured, while a tube-shaped electroformed layer having an internal hole is being grown on the cathode side of an electroforming cistern, the electroformed layer is continuously lifted from the electroforming cistern at a specified speed. In the process of lifting the cylindrical electroformed layer while growing it, the cylindrical electroformed layer that has grown to a prescribed external diameter is cut to prescribed dimensions outside the electroforming cistern.

Abstract: A method of making a temporary medical electrical lead for pacing or defibrillating a heart of a patient.

Abstract: Method of manufacture a wide bore, high field superconducting magnet. The superconducting magnet has a plurality of superconducting coils impregnated with epoxy and nested within each other. An innermost one of the nested coils has a bore therethrough that defines a bore width of the magnet. The bore width is greater than approximately 100 millimeters. The nested coils are electrically connected in series and cooled to an operating temperature less than approximately 4 degrees K. The magnet also has external reinforcements on the coils that are applied prior to impregnating the coils with epoxy. An active protection circuit protects the coils in response to a quench in the magnet. The protection circuit includes heater elements positioned in thermal contact with the coils prior to impregnating the coils with epoxy. The magnet further has lead supports for supporting the lead wires with epoxy that extend from the coils.

Abstract: A process of forming a flexible circuit board for ink jetting is provided. The process includes the steps of: providing an insulation tape; forming conductive traces on the insulation tape; and forming a photo-polymer layer filling between the conductive traces, wherein parts of the conductive traces are exposed to form a plurality of contacts. The material of the insulation tape can be polyimide, Teflon, polyamide, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyester, polyamide polyethylene-terephthalate copolymer, or any combination of the above materials. The material of the photo-polymer layer can be solder mask or polyimide.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed towards a catalytic converter installed in the motor vehicles. More specifically to a method of measuring the pressure on the substrate as the catalytic converter is subject to the spin forming process. A pressure-measuring device such as a sensor is contact with the substrate. In order to transfer data from the rotating catalytic converter to a stationary object, a slip ring device is connected to the pressure-measuring sensor.

Abstract: Conductive materials that have low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) and that are used for power and ground planes are disclosed. Fibrous materials (such as carbon, graphite, glass, quartz, polyethylene, and liquid crystal polymer fibers) with low CTEs are metallized to provide a resultant conductive material with a low CTE. Such fibers may be metallized in their individual state and then formed into a fabric, or these materials may be formed into a fabric and then metallized or a combination of both metallizations may be used. In addition, a graphite or carbon sheet may be metallized on one or both sides to provide a material that has a low CTE and high conductivity. These metallized, low CTE power and ground planes may be laminated with other planes/cores into a composite, or laminated into a core which is then laminated with other planes/cores into a composite. The resultant composite may be used for printed circuit boards (PCBs) or PCBs used as laminate chip carriers.

Abstract: A method for increasing the impedance of a via for providing a conductive path through a printed circuit board is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of forming a conductive pad on the printed circuit board, forming a non-threaded opening extending through the conductive pad and through the printed circuit board to form an annular conductive pad surrounding the non-threaded opening, forming a conductive metal barrel lining the inner wall of the non-threaded opening connected to the annular conductive pad, and cutting material from the metal barrel to leave at least one conductive strip extending axially along the inner wall of the opening without cutting material from the annular conductive pad so that the at least one conductive strip is connected to an undivided annular conductive pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a composite array structure that comprises a plurality of elements of an electrically conductive composite material interconnected by at least one region of an electrically insulating material. The method comprises forming regions of the electrically insulating material around regions of the electrically conductive material such that at least a surface of the regions of the electrically insulating material is below a surface of the regions of the electrically conductive material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to mount a uniform force hydrostatic bolster plate to a substrate. One embodiment of the invention involves a method to assemble a uniform force hydrostatic bolster plate on a substrate.

Abstract: A permanent magnet field-type compact DC motor having a high output and a low cogging torque is made by fixing a pair of rare earth magnets mainly composed of rare earth-iron-based rapidly quenched and solidified flakes to a soft magnetic frame so as to extend along an inner peripheral surface thereof, and by unsaturation-magnetizing the rare earth magnets so that demagnetization curves at circumferentially opposite end portions of the rare earth magnets are made smaller than a demagnetization curve at a central portion of a magnetic pole of each of the rare earth magnets.

Abstract: A flat-panel display is fabricated according to a process in which a liquid-containing film (92, 116, 124, 132, 144, or 166) is formed over a substrate (80). In addition to suitable liquid, the liquid-containing film contains oxide or/and hydroxide. Liquid is removed from the liquid-containing film to convert it into a solid porous film (82 or 150) having (a) a porosity of at least 10% along an exposed face of the film, (b) an average resistivity of 108-1014 ohm-cm at 25° C., and (c) an average thickness of no more than 20 &mgr;m. A spacer (24) formed with at least a segment of the substrate and overlying solid porous film is positioned between opposing first and second plate structures (20 and 22) of the display. The second plate structure (22) emits light upon receiving electrons emitted by the first plate structure (20).

Abstract: An in-line programming (ILP) system and method for programming and testing programmable integrated circuit devices (PICs) and performing the assembly of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). Printed circuit boards enter and leave the ILP system on a conveyor system. PICs are loaded into the ILP system, and the ILP system automatically programs and tests the PICs and places them onto the PCBs as the PCBs arrive on the conveyor. The programming and testing operations are performed by the same piece of equipment that performs the PCBA assembly operation.

Abstract: The present invention provide a resistance welding method for solving the problem of breakage of the welded portion by corrosion of an iron-copper alloy layer having a poor corrosion resistance formed at the welding portion, when a first metallic member comprising an iron-based metal is joined to a second metallic member comprising a copper based metal, wherein the problem above is solved by forming a nickel film on at least one surface of the first metallic member comprising the iron-based metal and the second metallic member comprising the copper-based metal to be joined, and by applying resistance welding while the first metallic member is made to butt against the second metallic member, thereby forming the first alloy layer containing nickel, copper and iron at the side of the first metallic member, and the second alloy layer containing nickel and copper at the side of the second metallic member to allow the alloy layers to exhibit an excellent corrosion resistance.

Abstract: The possibility of shorting between a spin valve and its underlying magnetic shield layer can be largely eliminated by choosing the bottom spin valve structure. However, doing so causes the hard longitudinal bias that is standard for all such devices to degrade. The present invention overcomes this problem by inserting a thin NiCr, Ni, Fe, or Cr layer between the antiferromagnetic layer and the longitudinal bias layers. This provides a smoother surface for the bias layers to be deposited onto, thereby removing structural distortions to the longitudinal bias layer that would otherwise be present. A process for manufacturing the structure is also described.

Abstract: A method for forming film bulk acoustic resonator devices includes depositing a first portion of a first electrode, and a piezoelectric layer onto the substrate. The method includes removing a portion of the substrate under the piezoelectric layer and under the portion of the first electrode, and depositing a second portion of the first electrode onto the piezoelectric film layer and onto the first portion of the first electrode.

Abstract: A method for detecting misalignment of layers of a multi-layer circuit board. A plurality of layers of electrically insulating material are formed. At least one artwork feature is formed on a surface of at least one of the layers of electrically insulating material in the vicinity of at least one edge of the at least one layer of electrically insulating material. At least one reference point is formed on the at least one layer of electrically insulating material. The layers of electrically insulating material are joined together. The at least one artwork feature is exposed by removing a portion of the at least one layer of electrically insulating material. A location of the at least one artwork feature relative to the at least one reference point is visually determined, thereby detecting misalignment of the layers of electrically insulating material.

Abstract: A method of assembling a circuit board into a housing to form an assembly is disclosed. The method includes inserting a first end of the circuit board into a first slot of the housing, flexing the circuit board over a deflection/retention feature, inserting a second end of the circuit board into a second slot of the housing, and pressing the circuit board into place until the circuit board clears the deflection/retention feature and snaps into place. The circuit board thereafter returns to a substantially flat state. Moreover, inserting a first end of the circuit board into a first slot of the housing and inserting a second end of the circuit board into a second slot of the housing each include simplifying initial alignment of the circuit board into the slot by first contacting a lower surface of the slot that extends farther from a front of the housing than an upper surface of the slot.

Abstract: In a shield terminal joining structure for joining a shield terminal to a prescribed grounding position along a shielded cable that is formed by an inner core wire made of a conductor, an inner insulation covering that covers the inner core wire, a braid that is provided around the outside periphery of the inner insulation covering, an outer insulation covering that covers the braid, resistive welding is performed while crimping parts of the shield terminal to the outer covering of the shielded cable at the grounding position, so as to melt away part of the outer insulation covering, enabling a weld to be made between the crimping parts and the braid of the shielded cable.