International Business Machines Corporation

Herbert Gene Leonard

Richard Hunter Harris

Jeff David Thomas

Dennis Crompton

George Hufford, Iii

David Campbell Brower

Robert J Heider

James Gabriel Brewington

Douglas E Alexander

Fred David Parnell

Alvin R Reed

Gerald Carl Sienkiewicz

R Kenneth Cotten

Joseph Nelson Arnold, Jr

Donal J McQuade

James F Holland

An automated insertion/retrieval device for card reading device testing includes a housing assembly whose back face is coupled to a shaft of an air cylinder. Coupled to the side faces of the housing assembly are upper and lower gripper roller assemblies. As the test card is expelled from a card reading device, it is gripped by the gripper roller assemblies, activating a microswitch and supplying air to the air cylinder. The shaft retracts and moves the housing assembly away from the card reading device until the test card abuts a stationary card bumper, causing the test card to shift in position toward the card reading device, deactivating the microswitch and turning off the air supply to the air cylinder. An internal return spring of the air cylinder extends the shaft and returns the housing assembly to its original position, reinserting the test card into the card reading device

Credit card/smart card test device

A computer display includes a pivotally mounted upper housing having a display screen, a brake used to retard pivoting motion of this upper housing, and a release mechanism for releasing the brake so that the upper housing can be freely moved. The display screen is preferably a touchscreen, which is touched to indicate a selection made by the user, with the brake resisting a tilting movement of the screen as it is touched. In a first version, two brakes are used to retard motion in both directions, with a single release wheel being turned in one direction to allow rearward motion of the upper housing and in another direction to allow forward motion of the upper housing. In a second version, a single brake is released by stopping motion of a release mandrel to unwrap a clutch spring. In a third version, two brakes, operating near opposite edges of the upper housing to stop downward movement of the upper housing, provide a particularly stiff mechanism for mounting the upper housing, and are simultaneously released by turning a knob to pivot a shaft.

Brake mechanism for controlling the tilt of a computer display

An electronic feeler gauge and a method of using the same which provides an objective means of determining the width of a gap between two surfaces. The gauge comprises a measuring element which is insertable into the gap and an indicator coupled to the measuring element for automatically indicating when the gap has been set to a predetermined distance. The measuring element comprises two plates which act as an electrical switch in an electrical circuit. When the gap gauge is inserted into a gap of predetermined width, the plates press against each other and current from a power source lights up a light emitting diode. Conversely, when the plates are inserted into a gap that is too wide, the plates do not press against each. The circuit, therefore, is not complete, and the light emitting diode does not light up. Thus, this invention provides an objective, reliable means for confirming the width of a gap. The invention can be used for gaps of different widths by varying the thicknesses of the plates.

Electronic feeler gauge

A tilt adjustment mechanism having an upper housing, a lower housing and a shaft assembly is disclosed. The shaft assembly receives the gears which are pressed on either end of shaft. The shaft fits through locating slots in the lower housing. Each of the gears are activated by internal gears located on each side of the upper housing. The internal gears are integrally formed with the upper housing. The upper housing is hinged on the lower housing and can rotate 20 degrees. The shaft assembly mechanism provides a torsion bar function to insure that the upper housing moves evenly with respect to the lower housing. Even motion in the upwards and downwards directions of the housing is provided by even rotational torsional motion and opposite rotational torsional motion of the shaft assembly of the tilt adjustment mechanism. The shaft assembly mechanism decouples the frictional load in the two different rotational directions about its shaft. This permits the adjustment of the forces to optimal levels in both directions. A relatively high force is desired to move the upper housing in a downward direction. This prevents the operator's touches on a display tablet, mounted to the upper housing to cause the tilt adjustment mechanism to move in the downward direction. A relatively low force is required to move the tilt adjustment mechanism in the upwards direction.

Computer system with a tilt adjustment mechanism

Tilt adjustment mechanism

Shaft assembly for a tilt adjustment mechanism

A mechanical torque transmitting apparatus such as a one-way clutch which includes two distinct sets of flexural arms (primary and auxiliary) and a cylindrical engagement surface. The primary flexural arm is adapted to be in edgewise continuous engagement with the cylindrical surface. Preferably, the primary flexural arm has a long, straight, narrow cross-section area and applies a relatively low force against the cylindrical surface when said surface is rotating in a free-wheeling direction. In the non free-wheeling direction, the force against the cylindrical surface increases until the rotational forces overcome and buckle the primary flexural arm whereupon the auxiliary flexural arm is brought into contact with the cylindrical surface to resist further rotation.

Buckling one way clutch

A freely rotatable spool having an endless loop of printer ribbon wound around it is disclosed. The ribbon is withdrawn from the inner periphery of the coil and is simultaneously wound onto the outer periphery of the coil in a known manner. The freely rotatable spool is driven by the forces applied through pulling the ribbon off the inner periphery. Ribbon pulling is performed by an external set of feed rollers or similar mechanism. Difficulties encountered with the use of fabric ribbons in endless reel configurations are eliminated in the present invention by an improvement in the form of a polygonally shaped flange on the upper side of the freely rotatable spool on which the ribbon is wound. The flat sides on the polygonal flange have an optimum length which is defined in relationship to the width of the ribbon and the cosine of the angle at which the ribbon is withdrawn from the spool. An undercut dimension is provided on the spool so that the inner periphery of the ribbon is not in too great a contact with the hub or central core of the spool. A smooth ribbon flow from the vertical plane on the inner periphery of the coil to the horizontal plane as the ribbon is pulled from the center of the coil and out through the cassette is obtained.

Endless ribbon cartridge

Growing community of inventors

Louisburg, NC, United States of America

Herbert Gene Leonard