Other

General Instrument Corporation

Tocom Corporation

Tocum, Incorporated

John G Campbell

Carl F Schoeneberger

Allan B Bundens

Richard M Fogle

John R Lemburg

Brian E Belcher

A fastener which includes an inner collar having an axial bore and a retractable projection projecting into the axial bore when the fastener is in a locked position and retractable out of the axial bore when the fastener is in a retracted position. The inner collar further has a tapered indentation in the outside surface. The fastener further includes an outer collar having an axial bore, the outer collar placed uniaxially and slidably over the inner collar and having a movable protuberance extending into the axial bore of the outer collar. The movable protuberance is shorter axially than the tapered indentation in the inner collar and is positioned in the tapered indentation. The fastener is in a locked position when the outer collar is in its resting position relative to the inner collar in which the movable protuberance is resting in the deepest portion of the tapered indentation. The fastener is in a retracted position when the outer collar is moved axially out of the resting position. The fastener further includes means for urging the movable protuberance into the axial bore of the outer collar. Also disclosed is a fastener-rod assembly which includes the above-described fastener and a rod onto which the fastener fastens.

Fastener and fastener-rod assembly

Disclosed is a bidet attachment for mounting on a standard toilet. A nozzle is mounted on the underside of the toilet seat. Water is supplied to the nozzle through a conduit from a water supply pipe. The conduit is connected to the pipe with a T-tap having two halves. The two halves are bolted together and a hole is drilled through the pipe using a special tool. The conduit is secured to the T-tap with a crimping collar that slides over a tapered extension on the T-tap. Water flow rate is controlled by a cam valve. The cam valve can be opened and closed with a control handle to place a selected amount of squeeze on the conduit to allow a selected amount of water to flow through the conduit.

Bidet attachment

An addressable cable television control-system controls television program and data signal transmission from a central station to a plurality of user stations. The data signals include both control and text signals in video line format which are inserted on the vertical interval of the television signals, thereby freeing all channels for transmission of both television and data signals. Moreover, full-channel teletext data in video line format may be transmitted on dedicated text channels with the modification of only head end processors. An intelligent converter at each remote user location uses the data signals to control access to the system on the basis of channel, tier of service, special event and program subject matter. The converter uses a graphics display generator to generate display signals for the presentation of the text data on the television receiver and for the generation of predetermined messages for the viewer concerning access, emergencies and other functions. The converter processes vertical interval text data and selected full-channel text data, both transmitted in video line format. The keyboard of the subscriber provides a number of different functional inputs for the subscriber to interface with the system. The converter also includes apparatus for interfacing with two-way interactive data acquisiton and control systems.

Addressable cable television control system with video format data

A data communications system provides for the transmission of television signals from a central station to a plurality of remote user stations and the transmission of security data from the user stations back to the central station. The downstream television signals and upstream security data are processed through a plurality of remote hub stations, each servicing several of the remote user terminal stations. The remote hub stations convert downstream television control data and programming signals for reception by the users serviced by that station. The remote hub station also receive security monitoring data transmitted from each user station and generate additional security data for the central station. In one embodiment, the remote hub processing station includes a plurality of converters, each transmitting downstream on a separate dedicated communication link to a remote user station. Each dedicated link also transmits security data upstream from the remote user station to the remote hub processing station. A logic unit at the remote hub station controls the operation of the converters and processes the upstream security data for transmission to the central station. In said embodiment, each user station includes a data separator unit connected to the dedicated communication link from the remote hub processing station for directing downstream television signals to the user's television receiver and directing upstream security data to the logic of the remote hub processing station. The security data is generated at each user station by a plurality of security monitoring devices each providing an alarm status signal to an arming control panel which generates the security data to be transmitted upstream. Another embodiment eliminates the converters at the remote hub processing station in favor of a plurality of splitters transmitting the television signals to the users. Transmission of the signals from the remote hub station to the user stations is carried out by using conventional RF, baseband or optic modulation techniques and may include conventional crosspoint switching techniques.

Remote hub television and security systems

A two-way cable communications system includes a master station having a transmitter for transmitting television program and interrogation signals to a plurality of remote units or transceivers through a cable network and a receiver for receiving reply signals from individual ones of the remote units. Each remote unit includes a receiver for receiving the program and interrogation information from the master station, a transmitter for transmitting reply signals back to the master station and television converter and receiver means for reproducing the television programs. A remote control means coupled to the remote unit through a mmulticonductor cable includes a channel selector and encoder means for encoding the channel selector information and a switch means to enable the channel selector to be utilized to provide viewer response information. The output of the encoder means is clocked into a storage register having its output coupled to a converter which operates a television tuner when the switch means is in a first condition. The output of the storage register is also coupled to a data readout circuit which is enabled by an interrogation signal to apply the data to the remote transmitter. The encoder output is also applied to a gating circuit which is enabled when the switch means is in a second condition to couple the output to the data readout circuit. Thus both program rating and viewer response information may be obtained from the remote channel selector control.

Growing community of inventors

Irving, TX, United States of America

John G Campbell