Systems and methods for operating with oscillators configured to produce an oscillating signal having an arbitrary frequency are described. The frequency of the oscillating signal may be shifted to remove its arbitrary nature by application of multiple tuning signals or values to the oscillator. Alternatively, the arbitrary frequency may be accommodated by adjusting operation one or more components of a circuit receiving the oscillating signal.

A method for phase modulation of a carrier signal from a transmitter to a contactless transponder in which data is coded as consecutive symbols, each corresponding to a predefined number of carrier cycles, and in which a symbol time is at least two cycles of the carrier signal includes, at the transmitter, spreading a phase jump of a symbol in relation to a preceding symbol over a first part of the symbol time. The establishment of the phase jump is completed in the first part of the symbol time. The periods of the cycles are constant during a second part of the symbol time.

A PWM signal generating circuit, printer, and PWM signal generating method are described. The PWM signal generating circuit includes: a single counter configured to count values expressed in N bits; and at least one arithmetic device configured to generate a PWM signal, each of the at least one arithmetic device including a pulse width data storage unit for storing N-bit pulse width data representing a pulse width of the PWM signal to be generated, and an adder for calculating a carry value from a most significant bit obtained when adding the count value and the pulse width data. A signal having a level corresponding to the carry value is output at every change in the count value so that the PWM signal having the pulse width of the pulse width data is generated.

An arc chute assembly includes a housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a pair of side walls coupled to the first wall. The walls configured to form an arc area. The housing further having a divider wall coupled to the first wall between the side walls. The divider wall configured to form a first sub-arc area, a second sub-arc area, and an arc plate area. The first sub-arc area and the second sub-arc area are configured to be in flow communication with the arc plate area. The arc chute assembly further comprises a support coupled to the first wall and the side walls, and an arc plate coupled to the support. The arc plate having a body extending between the side walls and over the divider wall.

A method of manufacturing a power contactor from an existing contactor having a magnetic amplifier that comprises a blowout coil and a ferromagnetic core, and an arc chute for extinguishing an arc generated by opening the existing contactor under a current load is disclosed. The method includes removing a bolt assembly from the existing contactor and at least one side plate from the existing contactor. The method also includes removing the ferromagnetic core from the existing contactor.

A circuit protection device is provided for use with a circuit that includes at least one pair of conductors. The protection device is configured to generate an arc. The protection device includes at least a pair of electrode assemblies electrically coupled to the at least one pair of conductors and a conductor base to support the pair of electrode assemblies. The protection device includes a cover coupled to the conductor base and defining at least one isolation chamber, wherein the electrode assemblies are disposed within the isolation chamber. The protection device includes a containment shield moveably coupled to the cover. The containment shield defines a containment chamber configured to contain charged particles produced by the arc. The containment shield is operative to move relative to the cover in response to a change in pressure produced by the arc within the containment chamber. An isolation assembly is coupled to at least one of the cover and the containment shield and configured to prevent the cover from contacting the containment shield.

Equipment protection systems, arc containment devices, and methods of assembling arc containment devices are disclosed. In one example, an electrical isolation structure includes a conductor base, a cover coupled to the conductor base and defining an isolation chamber, a containment shield disposed on the conductor base within the isolation chamber, and a biasing assembly positioned between the cover and the containment shield. The containment shield defines a containment chamber configured to enclose the plurality of electrode assemblies. The containment shield is configured to at least partially contain the arc products within the containment chamber. The biasing assembly is configured to permit the containment shield to move away from the conductor base to thereby define a gap between the conductor base and the containment shield to enable at least some of the arc gases to vent from the containment chamber.

Circuit breakers include an arc chamber and an arc chute comprising a plurality of arc plates in the arc chamber. The circuit breakers also include a line conductor assembly with at least one arc runner attached to a line conductor in the arc chamber. The arc runner can extend below but adjacent to a bottom arc plate to thereby guide a respective arc into the arc chute.

A product is mounted on a support pad and suspended on the pad by wrapping a stretch wrapping film around the combination of the pad and product. The borders of the pad extend beyond the borders of the product so the package containing the product can be stood on edge, but the edge of the product is spaced away from the surface on which the package is stood. The borders of the pad also include notches on the top and bottom of the pad that receive the stretch wrapping film away from the borders of the pad and closer to the product. Thus the product, secured to the pad, is suspended away from that surface. Multiple packages can be packed into a shipping container and the loaded container can be lifted and transported by a lift truck with lifting forks received in passageways formed in the container by notches in the bottom edges of the support pads. The pads and containers are made of die-cut corrugated fiberboard material although other material could be used.

A housing shell for electrical measuring, controlling and communication devices, in particular the lower housing part of a cellphone, has very great flexural and torsional rigidity in spite of an extremely small wall thickness if it is formed as a part created by a forming operation from the planar blank of a thermoplastically impregnated long-fibered multi-layered mat. Fine-membered functional elements of likewise thermoplastic material are then molded onto the housing shell in an injection mold.

A packet (1) of cigarettes having: an inner package (2) defined by a group (30) of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet (29) of wrapping material having at least one tear line (32) defining a tear-off top portion (31); an inner container (4) housing the inner package (2) and having an extraction opening (10) for access to the tear-off top portion (31); an outer container (5) housing the inner container (4) in sliding manner, to allow the inner container (4) to slide, with respect to the outer container (5), between a closed position, in which the inner container (4) is inserted inside the outer container (5), and an open position, in which the inner container (4) is extracted partly from the outer container (5); and a tear-off lid (45) connected to the inner container (4) by at least one tear line (48), and covering at least part of the extraction opening (10).

A catheter assembly including an elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end has at least one drainage opening. A hydrophilic coating is provided on at least a portion of the elongate end of the catheter. A fluid containing member is provided and is either arranged on the elongate member or within a separate area of the container. The fluid containing member contains sufficient hydrating fluid to hydrate the coating of the catheter. A container contains the elongate member and the fluid containing member and incorporates at least one foil layer to prevent evaporation of the hydrating fluid. A method of using the catheter includes inserting a catheter into a user's body and draining fluid from the user's body.

A pharmacy bottle system includes a bottle and a ring. The bottle is formed as a single piece of molded plastic material and includes a body and a neck. The body defines an interior cavity. The interior cavity extends from a first end to a second end of the interior cavity. The body includes a spine portion covering the first end of the interior cavity. The spine portion defines a spine width measured from a front to a back of spine portion. The neck extends from the second end of the interior cavity and has an opening therethrough providing access to the interior cavity. The ring is secured about the neck of the bottle. The ring defines a ring width measured between a front and a back of the ring. The ring width is larger than the spine width. The neck extends above a top surface of the ring.

A method of treating a cancer of the central nervous system in a subject in need thereof is provided. The method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent which reduces blood glutamate levels and enhances brain to blood glutamate efflux to thereby treat the cancer of the central nervous system in the subject.

A method for sanitary beverage can packaging incorporates a plastic sanitation sheet between the tops of the beverage cans and a plastic can retainer. The sanitation sheet covers the tops of the cans, protecting them from dust and overhead spills. Some embodiments use a watertight or airtight seal of the sanitation sheet around the can rim. Some embodiments include visible indicators of seal breakage or direct contamination, using moisture or oxygen detection. Some indicators create a hole in the sanitation sheet. Other indicators provide visible warning text or symbols. The sheet and indicators provide both actual contaminant protection and visible indication of contamination. Embodiments include the plastic sanitation sheet, integration with beverage cans, and a method for use in providing assured sanitary cans to consumers.

Containers and components thereof for use in the medical industry and methods to manufacture the same are described. An example tab for use with a medical container includes opposing sheets sealed to define an open ended chamber into which a port is to be at least partially positioned. The port is to enable access to the medical container. The tab includes a tear seal defined by each of the opposing sheets and a first guide positioned on a first side of each of the tear seals. The tab includes a second guide positioned on a second side of each of the tear seals, wherein the first and second guides are to enable a tear to propagate substantially between the guides and adjacent the tear seals.

The booklet comprises a number of sheets between a cover, and each sheet has a front side and a rear side. At least one data page is provided that is joined to the cover in a fixed manner. The data page comprises a flexible layer and this flexible layer projects with an area out of a data carrier. On this area, the data page is joined to the cover and to the remaining sheets. The flexible layer is flatly joined to at least one other layer, for example, by welding or bonding and is thus inseparably bound without a mechanical joining part.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to reusable notecard. In one embodiment, the reusable notecard is comprised of a trifold panel having a left panel, a center panel and a right panel and a reclosable closing mechanism, connected to the trifold panel, to releasably secure the left panel to the right panel when folded over one another. In one embodiment, the adjustable left panel is comprised of a plurality of left panel fold lines and the right panel is comprised of a plurality of right panel fold lines, the plurality of left panel fold lines and the plurality of right panel fold lines for adapting to dimensions of contents inside the notecard. In one embodiment, the trifold panel is made of a material allowing for non-permanent markings.

A binding structure for binding a bundle of sheets and that includes a base and a pair of opposed position legs that are integrally formed with and extend from respective sides of the base. The pair of legs and base together defines a retention area in which the bundle of sheets is held. The pair of legs is constructed and arranged with a resilient bias toward each other, but separable to enable the bundle of sheets to be held therebetween under a biasing force. The legs each have at least one inwardly directed rib arranged for contact with opposed sides of the bundle of sheets, and a thermal adhesive layer is disposed on the base and upon which the bundle of sheets rests, to be later formed in a thermal binding machine.

A communications device may include a near-field communication (NFC) circuit device, and a radio frequency (RF) signal blocking member adhesively coupled with the NFC device. The RF signal blocking member may be configured to block RF signal communication by the NFC device while coupled therewith. The RF signal blocking member may comprise an electrical conductor. In accordance with an example, the RF signal blocking member may comprise a frangible layer. In another example, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer may be included for adhesively securing the RF signal blocking member with the NFC device.

A tactile orientation indicator is positioned along the periphery of a bill, and a tactile denomination indicator is positioned elsewhere along the periphery of the bill. The user of the bill may then use their tactile senses to feel along the edges of the bill to orient the bill to a pre-determined orientation based on the location of the orientation indicator. The user then feels along the periphery of the bill to locate the denomination indicator. Using a predetermined system associating the location of the denomination indicator with a particular bill denomination, the user may then identify the denomination of the bill even if blind or otherwise visually impaired.

A binding structure for binding a bundle of sheets and that includes a base and a pair of opposed position legs that are integrally formed with and extend from respective sides of the base. The pair of legs and base together defines a retention area in which the bundle of sheets is held. The pair of legs is constructed and arranged with a resilient bias toward each other, but separable to enable the bundle of sheets to be held therebetween under a biasing force. The legs each have at least one inwardly directed rib arranged for contact with opposed sides of the bundle of sheets, and a thermal adhesive layer is disposed on the base and upon which the bundle of sheets rests, to be later formed in a thermal binding machine.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for applying shipping labels over both folded or non-folded packing slips, or the like, at a single print-and-apply station, either through use of a label configured for application to a substrate and also in a superposed registered manner to another label of identical construction previously attached to the substrate, or by using a shipping label having a non-aggressive adhesive applied to a removable center section of the shipping label for attachment of the packing list, or the like, to the shipping label prior to application of the shipping label to the substrate.

A method for producing a continuous web of printed material for use in creating mailpieces. The continuous web has a width and a length, the length comprised of a series of attached sheets. The series of attached sheets are comprising envelope sheets and rectangular content pages. The content pages are rectangular in shape and may be oriented relative to the envelope sheets in a number of different configurations. In some configurations, two sets of content pages and/or envelope sheets can be printed across the width of the web. Sheets for forming business return envelopes may be printed in series with the content pages and envelope sheets. BREs may include individualized return addresses. A control code may be printed on one or more of the sheets for a given mailpiece, providing information for controlling assembly of the mailpiece. Two sets of sheets may be printed across the width of the web by printing content pages onto the continuous web such that two end-to-end content pages are printed across the width of the web. Positioning of mail content pages and envelope sheets for a given mailpiece may be optimized based on respective processing times determined for the system.

Method for binding a bundle of loose leaves or the like in a cover. The method includes the step of providing an end leaf that includes a fixing strip on a side edge, with the fixing strip partly fixed to the end leaf and provided with a strip of glue on a part of the fixing strip which is not fixed to the end leaf. On the side of the fixing strip turned away from the end leaf, said strip of glue being provided with a removable foil. Another step is binding a free edge of the bundle of loose leaves together with the end leaf. Further steps include removing the foil, and providing the bound edge of the bundle of leaves and the end leaf in the back of the cover and fixing thereof in the cover only by the strip of glue.

Binding equipment and false cover forming equipment for hardcover books are disclosed. The false cover forming equipment carries out false covers, by positioning a pair of endpapers in correspondence of lateral binding flaps of a respective backstrip, arranging folds of the endpapers at a pre-assembling distance associated with the thickness of the text block and gluing margins of past-down sheets of the endpapers with binding edges of the backstrip. The binding equipment is feedable, at a cover input “IC”, with the false covers for carrying out book blocks by gluing the backstrips of the false covers with the binding edges of corresponding text blocks and refolding the pairs of endpapers on the respective text blocks. An electronic processing unit is settable for the control of the false cover forming equipment and the binding equipment as a function of the dimensions of the hardcover book to be bound.

A publication including a plurality of pairs of pages, with the pair of pages comprised of a removable page and non-removable page. The removable page has a perforated edge, an adhesive edge opposite the perforated edge and a printable surface. The non-removable page has a printable surface. The pairs of pages are arranged such that alternate pages are removable and can be removed without harming the publication or the non-removable pages. The removable pages can be arranged to form an image larger than the publication itself and removable attached to a surface through the adhesive edge.

A booklet stacker to stack multiple booklets each bound with a ring member includes a stack tray on which multiple booklets are stacked, a shifter disposed upstream from the stack tray in a booklet conveyance direction in which a booklet is conveyed, the shifter to adjust a position of the booklet in a width direction perpendicular to the booklet conveyance direction by shifting the booklet a distance shorter than a ring pitch of the ring member in the width direction, and a booklet conveyer disposed upstream from the stack tray in the booklet conveyance direction, to convey the booklet positioned by the shifter to the stack tray.

The present invention relates to a multilayer information page (1) for a security document, which includes an information part (3) manufactured from a material allowing at least some identification information of the information page to be entered thereto by utilizing laser engraving, the identification information provided on the information page (1) being readable from an upper surface thereof, and a flexible and bending resistant connecting part (2) for connecting the information page (1) to the security document, the connecting part (2) comprising a fastening end (8) by means of which the connecting part (2) is fastened to the information part (3). In order to ensure that detachment of the information part and the connecting part from one another leaves visible marks, the fastening end (3) of the connecting part (2) is arranged to overlap with a lower surface of the information part (3). Furthermore, the information page (1) includes a transparent surface layer (7) which covers at least the fastening end (8) and at least a part of the lower surface of the information part (3) and through which at least the fastening end (8) is visible.

A method and circuit arrangement for controlling the motor current in an electric motor, in particular a stepper motor, by a chopper method is provided. In the method/circuit arrangement, the motor is operated with a coil current that follows a target coil current substantially more accurately at least at the zero crossing of the coil current. The method/circuit arrangement provides a good symmetry of the sinusoidal wave shape of the coil current with respect to the zero crossing of the coil current. The method is achieved in particular by the active control of the coil current both in the direction of a predefined target coil current and opposite the direction of the predefined target coil current with respect to upper or lower desired current values and a lowering or increasing of the upper or lower desired current values.

A system for pre-charging a current minor includes a controller configured to provide a first current and an additional current to a current minor to rapidly charge a capacitance associated with the current minor based on a reference voltage or control signals. A power amplifier module includes at least one current minor and a controller. A capacitor is coupled to the current minor. The controller provides a bias current in an amount proportional to an input to a voltage-to-current converter. The controller receives a control signal that directs the controller to apply one of a pre-charge voltage and a nominal voltage to the voltage-to-current converter.

A TIA circuit and method are provided that merge the automatic gain control function with the bandwidth adjustment function to allow the TIA circuit to operate over a wide dynamic range at multiple data rates. The TIA circuit has an effective resistance that is adjustable for adjusting the gain and the bandwidth of the TIA circuit. The mechanism of the TIA circuit that is used to adjust the effective resistance, and hence the gain and bandwidth of the TIA circuit, is temperature independent, and as such, the performance of the TIA circuit is not affected by temperature variations.

A light emitting apparatus including: a plurality of light emitting elements; a drive circuit including a transistor and a capacitor having one end connected to a gate of the transistor; and a signal supply circuit for receiving a digital gradation signal and outputting an analog voltage signal to the drive circuit, including a computation circuit configured to correct the input digital gradation signal to generate a corrected digital gradation signal, in which the drive circuit is configured to conduct an auto-zero operation which reduce the gate-source voltage of the transistor to a threshold voltage by flowing the drain current to the capacitor, and the computation circuit is configured to generate the corrected digital gradation signal by multiplying a correction coefficient to the input digital gradation signal subtracted by a particular signal common to the plurality of light emitting elements.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a circuit that includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and an adder. The first circuit is configured to generate a first signal by outputting and holding, at a first timing, a first stream in response to an input stream of data. The second circuit is configured to generate a second signal by outputting and holding, at a second timing, a second stream in response to the input stream of data. The adder is configured to add the first signal with the second signal to generate an up-sampled stream for the input stream of data and reduce a frequency component in the up-sampled stream generated by the up-sampling.

A method of operating a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) for supplying power to a load circuit, which draws a supply current that varies with an input signal to the load circuit is disclosed. The method comprises monitoring the input signal and controlling the amount of accumulated energy transferred for consumption by the load circuit, in use, in accordance with the input signal.

A power amplifier module includes a power amplifier including a GaAs bipolar transistor having a collector, a base abutting the collector, and an emitter, the collector having a doping concentration of at least about 3×1016 cm−3 at a junction with the base, the collector also having at least a first grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base; and an RF transmission line driven by the power amplifier, the RF transmission line including a conductive layer and finish plating on the conductive layer, the finish plating including a gold layer, a palladium layer proximate the gold layer, and a diffusion barrier layer proximate the palladium layer, the diffusion barrier layer including nickel and having a thickness that is less than about the skin depth of nickel at 0.9 GHz. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.

Systems and methods are provided for generating an amplitude modulation signal to a switchmode power amplifier. A DC to DC switch is configured to receive a DC input voltage and to provide a DC output voltage. A low dropout regulator is configured to provide the amplitude modulation signal according to a modulation control signal received by the low dropout regulator. A control circuit is configured to establish a nominal operating power level for the power amplifier via the amplitude modulation signal and to maintain a minimum voltage difference between the DC output voltage and the low dropout regulator output. A modulator control circuit is configured to provide the modulation control signal to the low dropout regulator. The modulator control circuit provides the transition from a high amplitude to a low amplitude and a transition from the low amplitude to the high amplitude at configurable first and second slopes, respectively.

An automatic antenna impedance matching method for a radiofrequency transmission circuit. An impedance matching network is inserted between an amplifier and an antenna. The output current and voltage of the amplifier and their phase difference are measured by a variable measurement impedance, and the complex load impedance of the amplifier is deduced from this; the impedance of the antenna is calculated as a function of this complex impedance and as a function of the known current values of the impedances of the matching network. Starting from the value found for the impedance of the antenna, new values of the matching network are calculated that allow the load to be matched to the nominal impedance of the amplifier. The measurement impedance has a value controllable by the calculation processor according to the application and notably as a function of the operating frequency and of the nominal impedance of the amplifier.

A transceiver includes: a power amplifying circuit arranged to generate differential output signals during a transmitting mode of the transceiver; a balance-unbalance circuit arranged to convert the differential output signals into a single-ended output signal; a switchable matching circuit arranged to receive the single-ended output signal on a signal port of the transceiver during the transmitting mode, and to convert a single-ended receiving signal on the signal port into a single-ended input signal during a receiving mode of the transceiver; and a low-noise amplifying circuit arranged to convert the single-ended input signal into a low-noise input signal during the receiving mode. The power amplifying circuit, the Balun, the switchable matching circuit, and the low-noise amplifying circuit are configured as a single chip.

Systems and methods are provided for amplifying multiple input signals to generate multiple output signals. An example system includes a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel. The first channel is configured to receive one or more first input signals, process information associated with the one or more first input signals and a first ramp signal, and generate one or more first output signals. The second channel is configured to receive one or more second input signals, process information associated with the one or more second input signals and a second ramp signal, and generate one or more second output signals. The first ramp signal corresponds to a first phase. The second ramp signal corresponds to a second phase. The first phase and the second phase are different.

An apparatus for amplifying power is provided. The apparatus includes a supply modulator for generating a supply voltage based on an amplitude component of a transmission signal, and a power amplify module for amplifying power of the transmission signal using the supply voltage, wherein the power amplify module includes a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier, and when an output power of the transmission signal is greater than a reference power, the first power amplifier amplifies the power of the transmission signal using the supply voltage, and when the output power of the transmission signal is equal to or less than the reference power, the second power amplifier amplifies the power of the transmission signal using the supply voltage.

An automatic gain control device includes: a variable gain adjusting unit, for adjusting an input signal by a variable gain and outputting an adjustment result; an analog-digital converting unit, for performing analog-digital conversion on the adjustment result to obtain an analog-digital conversion result; and a gain determining unit, for determining a distribution status over a predetermined period of time of a maximum or a minimum of the analog-digital conversion result, comparing the distribution status with a first distribution condition, and if the distribution status meets the first distribution condition, then keeping the variable gain unchanged, otherwise changing the variable gain and determining newly a distribution status until the newly determined distribution status meets a second distribution condition which is at least as strict as the first distribution condition.

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide chamber components with enhanced thermal properties and methods of enhancing thermal properties of chamber components including bonding materials. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for fabricating a composite structure. The method includes applying a bonding material to a first component, and converting the bonding material applied to the first component to an enhanced bonding layer by heating the bonding material to outgas volatile species from the bonding material. The outgassed volatile species accumulates to at least 0.05% in mass of the bonding material. The method further includes contacting a second component and the enhanced bonding layer to join the first and second components.

An attachment apparatus for a reciprocating tool provides a tool holder having an angled bracket and a guide rod extending from the angled bracket. The guide rod can engage a travel slot on the reciprocating tool. An instrument such as a saw blade can be attached to the angled bracket or guide rod. The guide rod stabilizes the instrument during use. The travel slot can be defined integrally on the reciprocating tool or on an attachment to the tool. In some embodiments, a neck mount assembly is attached to the neck on the reciprocating tool. The neck mount assembly can include a frame and a guide plate. The guide plate can include a travel slot shaped for receiving the guide rod.

An adhesive layer that bonds the back surface of a plate capable of attracting a wafer and the front surface of a cooling plate together that includes a main adhesive portion, which is made of a hardened matter of a fluid adhesive, and an outer peripheral adhesive portion, gas-supply-hole adhesive portions, lift-pin-hole adhesive portions, and terminal-hole adhesive portions made of a double-faced tape. The tape portions bond the outer peripheral edge on the back surface of the plate and the outer peripheral edge on the front surface of the cooling plate together, and the outer peripheral edges of the holes on the back surface of the plate and the outer peripheral edges of these holes on the front surface of the cooling plate together.

A pin-and-collet assembly, a longwall shearer comprising a ranging arm attached to a lifting bracket with such assembly, a method for the secure fastening of one piece to another, such as securely fastening the ranging arm to the lifting bracket of a longwall shearer using such assembly as a bushing, and a method for longwall mining of ore, such as trona, using such longwall shearer. This assembly is easy to install, does not have to be tightened during longwall operation of an ore panel, and is also demountable when it is time to stop the longwall mining operation and time to remove/replace the ranging arm for maintenance and/or when the end of the ore panel is reached.

In a device for machining, in particular etching and/or developing, substrates, in particular wafers, in particular etching and/or developing, having a turntable, the turntable has a Venturi gap.

A method for assembling parts. A sealant is placed between a plurality of parts in a stack up to form a workpiece. The workpiece is clamped using a permanent magnet unit and an electromagnetic clamping device in an activated state such that a number of forces caused by a magnetic field clamps the workpiece between the electromagnetic clamping device and the permanent magnet unit. A number of holes are drilled in the workpiece. A number of fasteners are installed in the number of holes.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for positioning and pressing surgical needle blanks. The apparatus includes a needle blank transferring system which transfers needle blanks between a gripping position and a pressing position. A side press system presses a portion of the needle blank when the blank is in the pressing position, and a gripping member is provided to hold the needle blank at least during the transfer and press operations of the apparatus. The method according to the present invention includes inserting a needle blank into a needle blank gripping member at a gripping position, transferring the needle blank between the gripping position and a pressing position, and pressing a side portion of a body portion of the needle blank with pressing dies.

Surgical needles are produced from martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel and then vacuum heat treated and vacuum cooled to increase its tensile strength while retaining the polished surface of the needle. A needle made by this process is also disclosed.