Abstract: Improved bedding anchoring means comprising a generally rectangular or pentagonal sheet of rigid or semi-rigid material formed with an opening for receiving a portion of a sheet corner therethrough and having locking means for preventing inadvertent removal of the sheet corner from the anchoring device.

Abstract: A prefabricated stairway formed of a plurality of preformed steps composed of wear-resistant plastic or composite material which can be injection molded in units of one or more steps to permit inexpensive mass production and which are simple and inexpensive to install and can be formed of colored material to provide a highly aesthetic appearance.

Abstract: An improved artificial leg comprising a socket fitted to mate comfortably to an amputee's stump and having a vise-like attaching member mounted thereon, a stem portion having an attaching portion adapted for releasable mating with the attaching member of the socket and having a foot member comprising a semi-spherical ring secured to the lower end of the stem, a generally semi-spherical base member rotatably secured to the ring, a resilient sole covering the bottom of the base member and a boot formed of resilient material secured to the stem and serving to mormally urge the base member to a predetermined position with respect to the stem.

Abstract: Improved means for automatically controlling an evaporative cooler having a pump and blower, said control system comprising a solid state electronic temperature sensing circuit capable of sensing temperature differences of considerably less than 0.1 degree Fahrenheit, a timer for activating the cooler pump a predetermined period prior to and following activation of the blower, logic means for controlling activation and cycling of said blower, and humidity sensing means for developing an electrical signal indicative of excessive atmospheric humidity for turning off said cooler and controlling an associated air conditioner.

Abstract: Improved means for storing and retrieving articles including latching means for releasably retaining said articles, said latching means comprising a base member, a resilient lever portion projecting forwardly from said base member and formed with a latching projection extending upwardly adjacent the forward end of said lever portion to releasably retain an article on said latching means when said lever portion is in its normal raised position, and resilient means located adjacent the rear end of said base member and operable to eject an article from said base member when said lever portion is depressed, together with lock means movable into and out of a position to prevent depression of said lever to prevent unauthorized removal of articles from said latching means.

Abstract: A propellant injector for a liquid rocket engine has an injection cylinder and moving piston in the cylinder. The cylinder on one side of the piston opens into the combustion chamber of the engine. The other side of the piston has a coaxial tubular portion projecting therefrom. A pair of valve members have concentric sleeves slidably mounted respectively on the inside and outside surfaces of the tubular portion of the piston. The outer ends of the concentric sleeves and tubular portion extend through an end wall of the injection cylinder. The valves open and close passages extending through the piston by relative axial movement of the sleeves and the piston. Pneumatic actuator means, connected to the outer ends of the sleeves and tubular portion, moves the sleeves axially relative to the piston to open the valves and move the piston toward the end wall of the injection cylinder to force propellant through the passages into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A diesel engine having a fuel vaporizing chamber in which liquid fuel is vaporized prior to injection into the precombustion chamber.

Abstract: A high reflectivity mirror produces a substantially 90.degree. phase shift between p and s plane polarization components of the reflected light by applying a plurality of super-imposed transparent layers on the reflective surface of a substrate. Adjacent layers are made of materials of substantially different indices of refraction. The thickness of substantially all of the layers is less than a quarter wavelength at the center frequency of the incident light and the thickness of the layers differ from each other in a predetermined manner to control and produce exactly 90.degree. phase shift between the s and p polarization components while providing maximum reflectivity over a wide frequency band.

Abstract: There is described apparatus for combining a plurality of pulsed laser beams into a single beam by a rotating mirror assembly. A rotor supports a plurality of individual mirrors arranged in a plurality of axially spaced planes, one plane for each beam. The mirrors in successive planes are angularly and radially spaced relative to mirrors in the other planes. Incident beams are pulsed successively in synchronism with rotation of the mirrors. Each beam in succession is reflected by a mirror in successive planes along a common axis to form a single reflected beam.

Abstract: A multistage, vaneless centrifugal pump having an input stage, an output stage, and a plurality of intermediate stages with each of said intermediate stages comprising a divider plate serving to separate successive stages, and a center plate having a recess formed in the rear surface of said center plate serving as a vaneless radial diffuser and having a recess formed in the front surface of said center plate serving to receive fluid from a preceding stage and to guide said fluid in a helically converging path to be delivered to the input of an impeller.

Abstract: An improved diesel engine wherein fuel is preheated and vaporized within the precombustion chamber during a substantial portion of the engine cycle in which the precombustion chamber is isolated from the cylinder by an isolation valve. Compressed air from the engine cylinder is admitted to the precombustion chamber near the end of the compression stroke by the timed opening of the isolation valve. The precombustion chamber is shaped to enhance mixing of the compressed air with the preheated and vaporized fuel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermal storage having a movable manifold which discharges thermal transfer fluid to trickle through a particulate solid thermal storage medium to be collected for distribution or recirculation in a manner such as to establish a vertical thermocline within said thermal storage medium, said thermocline being movable horizontally with said manifold.

Abstract: A liquid rocket propulsion system utilizing vehicle spin forces and/or propellant tank pressure to charge a specific amount of propellant through a differential area piston to create high chamber pressure.

Abstract: A solid propellant hydrogen generator for chemical laser systems and the like comprising an oxidizer, a fuel, and a binder formulated to provide a stoichiometry which will maximize the hydrogen exhaust components while minimizing exhaust outputs of CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O and yielding flame temperatures above 1200.degree. K.

Abstract: A geodesic, oblate spheroidally-shaped tank is disclosed containing a reversible diaphragm disposed within the tank. Liquid propellant is stored in the diaphragm housed within the tank, the propellant being expelled through an exit orifice of the tank by applying pressurant through an inlet orifice of the tank between the inner wall of the tank and the exterior wall of the diaphragm. The oblate spheroidal shape of the diaphragm/tank combination controls the collapse mode of the diaphragm for uniform expulsion of fluid contained therein.

Abstract: A compact is surrounded by a compatible, nonsinterable powder within a container with a layer of sinterable powder disposed on top of the nonsinterable powder and placed in a sintering oven. During sintering, the sinterable powder forms a cover that retards decomposition of the compact and serves to enhance densification of the compact.

Abstract: Heat is stored by melting a mixture of salts contained in compartments between an inner and an outer tube and radial copper fins which taper in radial outward direction. The molten salts solidify upon passage of relatively cold water through the inner tube, but formation of salt deposits on the fins is deferred so that liquid salt interfaces directly with the fins for an extended period of time during heat extraction.

Abstract: A round of ammunition is formed by molding multiple layers of propellant about the sides and rear of a projectile providing an inner layer of conventional propellant enclosed within an outer layer composed of a mixture of a polynitroaromatic material, such as diaminotrinitrobenzene (DATB), as the primary oxidizer, and a phosphorus-containing hydroxy-terminated polyether binder.

Abstract: A laser beam is split into two components which remain coherent, are differently frequency-shifted, orthogonally polarized and recombined. The recombined beam is expanded and directed into polarization type beam splitter directing one component into a reference branch, the other one into a test branch. Both branches return the component beams which are combined and polarization filtered so that they may interfere on account of local optical path differences. Brightness oscillations are photoelectrically detected in individual points of a plane intercepting the interference beam and referenced as to phase against a reference oscillation derived from a particular point in that plane. The phase differences are electronically acquired point-by-point for generation of a contour map or its equivalent of the optical path differences as between a test object in the test branch and a reference object in the reference branch.

Abstract: This application discloses a modular pump unit that can be stacked in line with any number of similar units, limited only by the total capacity of the drive shaft. The single modular units are without shaft bearings, they are attached to each other with an axial adjustment self-centering coupling. The shaft bearing units are separate and mounted to a pump unit on each end of the modular bank.