Abstract: A corner frame having a base for engaging the back of the foamboard and a top for engaging the front of the foamboard separated by sidewalls on the base which are of a width to permit positioning the corner of the foamboard within the corner frame thus covering and protecting the corners of the foamboard. The corner frame is an assembly of two pieces--a top and a base. The top and base, being separate, are connected to one another to form a corner frame by either a slide lock feature or a snap lock feature. The corner frame may be connected to the foamboard by spikes, other gripping means or a two sided adhesive. The corner frame also may receive a cord or wire so that the corner frames may be used to hang the foamboard like a picture and/or used to straighten warped foamboards or to prevent warping of foamboards.

Abstract: A low weight, achromatic, athermal, long wave infrared objective lens with one element having a positive optical power and the other element having a negative optical power but with a higher thermo-optic coefficient than the thermo-optic coefficient of the first element. A diffractive color correcting optical surface is generated on one surface of one of the elements and aspheric surfaces may be included for further performance gains.

Abstract: A Vander Lugt optical correlator adapted to be mounted on a printed circuit board or other mounting means usable with or in a personal computer utilizing a monochromatic coherent polarized light source, a folded optical path with optics that perform light beam collimation and Fourier transformations, SLMs for scene and filter inputs and a CCD detector array at the correlation plane. The module may be of any selected configuration, such as, a parallelopiped, or a disc, either of which may be hollow, of solid opaque material for light paths formed therein, of a transparent media without passages, or of multiple sections for packaging shape, light path length compensation, component mounting etc. The circuit board may contain electronics required to operate all of the correlators electronic components.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sputtering coatings on substrates in very high vacuum conditions is shown where the high vacuum is made possible by a supply of inert gas localized at the sputtering source and confined by velocity and by physical constraints in the area of the source and is depleted as the inert gas flows into a larger vacuum chamber. Additional methods to improve testing of substrates being coated and to enhance the sputtering process by use of ion gun directed reactant toward the substrates are disclosed. The method and apparatus are especially effective in allowing large spacing between source and substrates in the sputtering process. The large spacing provides good coating uniformity on large substrates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing optical films on substrates having extremely high packing densities of the same quality as those films produced by ion beam sputtering including a vacuum chamber with a conventional magnetron sputtering system and unusually high speed vacuum pump means. The low pressure of inert gas created by said high speed vacuum pump means being in the range of 5.times.10.sup.-5 Torr to 1.5.times.10.sup.-4 Torr and the magnetron sputtering system being at least 16" from said substrates. A gas manifold around the magnetron and target material confines the inert working gas in the vicinity of the magnetron and as the gas diffuses and expands into the chamber the high speed vacuum pump means removes the expanded gas from the chamber at a high speed. An ion gun directs ionized reactant gas toward the substrates which has the effect of improving film stoichometry as well as reducing reactant gas at the magnetron.

Abstract: A torque transfer apparatus and method wherein a device such as a pipe tong is provided with hard metallic inserts (steel) on the tong jaws with thin facing material (bonding key material) which is interposed between the surface of the pipe and the insert. This soft bonding key material, aluminum or bronze sheeting, or coatings of soft alloy, under pressure by the clamping force of the tong jaws flows into the imperfections in the pipe and the imperfections in the insert thereby creating a bond. The bond fails when the applied torque overcomes the shear strength of the key material, shearing off small protrusions from the surface of the key material. This leaves the pipe surface undamaged.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing variations in thicknesses of an optical part comprising an interferometer having a monochromatic light source (laser) which focuses a probe beam into the optical part being tested and detects a standing fringe pattern (Newton Fringes) arising through the interaction of two wavefronts produced by the reflection off the front and back surfaces of the optical part. These fringes may be circular or parallel depending upon the optical power of the probe beam. By observing the expansion and contractions of the interference rings, variations in the thickness of the part can be determined. By counting the number of interference peaks produced at the center of the fringe pattern, during relative movement between the optical part and the beam, a direct measurement of the optical part's thickness variations can be made. The direction of the thickness change is monitored by observing the slope of the intensity variation at the first ring of the interference pattern.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the transmission capability of a substrate and any damage which may affect said transmission capability comprising directing a focused infrared illumination beam through the substrate and observing the reflected or scattered light to detecting any scratch, fracture, blemish or the like in the substrate surface, or within the substrate itself, by detecting any change in the energy level of the sensed beam or change in reflected scattered light. The illumination beam provides a spot on the substrate surface and, by mapping an entire substrate of said spots adjacent one another and comparing the energy or light level of adjacent spots, any internal or external damage can be determined. A portable battery operable tester with an illumination beam and associated optics and a transmitted beam and associated optics enables such detection of transmission loss.

Abstract: Fire protection for the tensioner cylinders of a marine riser tensioner system in oil and gas offshore drilling and production rigs where the tensioner cylinders are coated with intumescent epoxy and their respective cylinder rods are enclosed within outer fire protection cylinders which comprise an inner metal lining and an outer jacket. The outer jacket comprises an inner multi-layer thick blanket of ceramic fibrous materials and barrier films contained within inner and outer layers of woven ceramic fibers for reinforcement and abrasion resistance. The outer fire protection cylinders telescope over the tensioner cylinders as the cylinder rods extend and retract in response to vertical movement of the rigs. The intumescent epoxy on the tensioner cylinders are covered with a bearing sleeve to provide a smooth surface for the telescoping fire protecting cylinders and fire retardant mechanisms are located at the tops and bottoms of the telescoping cylinders to prevent intrusion of heat and flame.

Abstract: The sun's energy is used in combination of movable and fixed diffuser plates, windows and apertures which are positioned in a series of test sequences (modes) for reflectance monitoring and calibration without the use of man-made sources. There are three embodiments, or implementations, of the invention--one embodiment uses two diffusers--a working diffuser and a secondary diffuser--the second embodiment uses three diffusers, a working diffuser, a secondary diffuser and a reference diffuser--and the third embodiment uses two diffusers--a working diffuser and a secondary diffuser, the latter also functioning as a cover for the working diffuser. The movable diffusers are mounted on rotatable cones and, in all embodiments, the sun is blocked from reaching the diffusers when not in use.

Abstract: A fire protection system comprising a plurality of insulation protective jackets placed around the top joint of a riser string above and below the tensioner ring and its protective cover and over the threads or annular protrusions used to facilitate the connection of the tensioner ring to the top joint. Each protective jacket comprises an outer section of multiple layers of cloth, the outer layer being of an abrasive resistant, weather resistant material, and at least one of these layers being a woven ceramic fiber that helps to eliminate flame impingement, one or more layers of reinforcement (as many as required) and an inner section composed of a thick interior multi-layered composite layer of ceramic fibrous material and barrier films and an inner abrasion resistant liner to minimize heat transfer and gas passage to the protective part.

Abstract: A precision bridge measurement circuit connected to a current source providing a linear output voltage versus resistance change of a variable resistance (resistance temperature transducer) including a voltage follower in one branch of the bridge so that the zero setting of the transducer resistance does not depend upon the current source or upon an excitation voltage. The zero setting depends only on the precision and stability of the three resistances. By connecting the output of an instrumentation amplifier to a feedback resistor and then to the output of the voltage follower, minor nonlinearities in the resistance-vs-temperature output of a resistance-temperature transducer, such as a platinum temperature sensor, may be corrected. Sensors which have nonlinearity opposite in polarity to platinum, such as nickel-iron sensors, may be linearized by inserting an inverting amplifier into the feedback loop.

Abstract: A passive fire protection system for the protection of articulating joints and flexible connections against flame and heat in a severe total environment type fire such as a hydrocarbon fire which includes multi-layered flexible protective covers on articulating joints and flexible connections. These multi-layered flexible covers comprise an outer section of one or more layers of cloths, the outer section being of an abrasion resistant, weatherproof outer layer, with a woven ceramic fiber to resist flame impingement, and reinforcement mesh and stitching as required. The inner section is a thick interior multi-layered composite blanket of ceramic fibrous materials, barrier films, and an inner layer of abrasion resistant cloth to minimize heat transfer to the articulating joint or flexible connection. The thickness of the interior layer is determined by the mass being protected and the height of the allowable temperature for a particular fire rating.

Abstract: A pump assembly which overcomes a shaft and cover cracking problem comprising a means for heating the seal purge water flowing along the shaft before it exits into an annulus (mixing region) thus reducing the temperature difference between the cooler seal purge water and the hotter product water prior to the mixing of the two waters.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a circular ruling engine having a supporting means oscillatable in a controlled manner with a substrate section on said supporting means and means for lifting and lowering a ruling means to rule said substrate section to generate a grating pattern from a number of grating patterns to produce an off-axis grating section. Also disclosed is a method for forming off-axis grating sections.

Abstract: An improved mechanical seal assembly for separating high pressure fluid from lower pressure fluid including a vented Quad-ring in a non-rotatable seal ring for providing lower sliding friction and improved, more consistent pressure deflection of the non-rotating seal face, an improved means for positioning a pressure breakdown means located in the high pressure fluid for controlling the pressure differential between the high pressure fluid and the low pressure fluid by a predetermined amount and means for improving the circulation of clean fluid around the outer periphery of the seal assembly under conditions where the fluid being pumped is contaminated.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for addressing a ferroelectric liquid crystal array where pixels are formed at the intersections of columns and rows of electrodes wherein one embodiment of a column write pulse sequence comprises four pulses- one a threshold pulse, two sub-threshold pulses and one zero pulse- all of equal width and within one unit at a time. In another embodiment a column write pulse sequence comprises five pulses- one a threshold pulse, three sub-threshold pulses and one zero pulse, with the threshold and zero pulses having equal widths and the three sub-threshold pulses having equal widths which is twice the width of the threshold pulses. In both embodiments, the same sequence of write pulses are used as row pulses but delayed or advanced to create electric fields of different directions to write a +1 or a -1 pixel depending upon whether or not the row pulse sequence is advanced or delayed.

Abstract: A beam positioning system having two articulated arms with a pentaprism, or equivalent 90 degree prism, and a rotator prism, such as a Pechan prism, appropriately located in the path of a beam from a light source in combination with right angle prisms to maintain the final leg of the beam in orientation with the original orientation of the beam from the light source.

Abstract: A thermally stable magnetic deflection assembly for use in an electron or particle beam machine with several separately potted magnetic coils spaced apart and arranged in a particular vertical position on a central pipe. Non metallic, low coefficient of thermal expansion, highly thermally conductive materials are used throughout and means are provided for maintaining the entire assembly at a desired temperature. Also disclosed is a method of making a thermally stable magnetic deflection assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a biassing scheme for a beam position location apparatus (50) which comprises electron detector diodes (52) in an electron beam lithography machine (10) such that the detector diodes (52) deposit fewer secondary electrons (62) on a substrate (16) being processed by the electron beam (22) and thus reduce or eliminate any charge buildup on said substrate which deflect the electron beam (22) causing pattern distortion.