Excellon Industries, Inc.

Logicon Incorporated

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

William E Roberts

Tor H Petterson

Alfred M Nelson

Milo Cripps

Roy H Olson

A fabrication of a shim for insertion within a gap extending in two orthogonal directions between two structural members in the building of a mechanical structure is accomplished by measuring the gap to provide a map of gap width. Variations in gap width appear in the map so as to enable machining of the shim with corresponding variations in thickness so as to fit accurately in the gap. Measurement of the gap width is attained by use of two acousto-electric transducer assemblies, each of which is constructed as an array of electrode discs produced by photolithography upon a flexible, electrically-insulating film of piezoelectric material which serves as a substrate for support of electrodes on a front surface thereof and a ground plane structure on a back surface thereof. The two transducer assemblies are secured adhesively to corresponding surfaces of structural members defining the gap, and an acoustically-transmissive gel is disposed between the two transducer assemblies. Electrical ranging circuitry is connected to the electrodes of the transducer assemblies to provide a transmitting array for generating sonic signals and a receiving array for receiving the acoustic signals produced by the corresponding transmitting electrodes disposed across the gap from the receiving electrodes. The time of flight of acoustic signals across the gap serves as a measure of the gap width for preparation of a map of the gap width to serve as a basis for construction of the shim.

Gap measurement for shim manufacture

A pick-and-place machine having magnetic elements which hold down the chips at the pick stations, thus preventing shingling, and also hold such chips at the pick stations adjacent a stop element. The magnetic elements create magnetic forces in two directions relative to chip elements having magnetizable terminal portions. The magnetic elements are provided in combination with feed apparatus that is adapted to stop, when the associated groove is full of chips, rather than causing the machine to jam.

Pick-station and feed apparatus in pick-and-place machine

This invention provides a feed arrangement for chips in a pick-and-place machine in which a vertical magazine feeds chips into a groove in a vibrating table, with the chips being advanced toward a pick station by a gravity actuated lever which will be stopped in the event the groove is full of chips rather than causing the machine to jam or cause damage.

Feed arrangement for pick-and-place machine

A display terminal is provided which holds a roll of film, and can project the image of any film frame onto a console screen. The need for a platen to precisely locate a frame on the optical imaging plane, is avoided by keeping the film in tension. The tension is maintained while the film is stationary, by utilizing a pair of reel-driving motors that each provide a torque that varies with the diameter of the film roll on the corresponding reel. The film region being projected, can be held in a slight curve to more reliably hold all areas of the projected film region near a predetermined film plane. A film identification track and clock track can extend along one edge of the film to identify every frame and accurately center the frame at the imaging, or projection, station. The film can be rapidly moved to bring a desired frame to approximately the imaging station, with slight overshoot, and the film then can be inched back to center the frame.

Growing community of inventors

Rolling Hills Estates, CA, United States of America

William E Roberts