Abstract: A microwave combiner/divider circuit instrumented in stripline medium and therefore planar in form. Circuit traces are produced by etching of a standard microwave printed circuit board having a conductive ground plane or base plate and a layer of low-loss insulation over which a copper layer is provided. A common signal port feeds a division point through a capacitive stub and a two-stage, ring-type impedance matching circuit. The multiple circuit traces emanating from the division point are arranged so that N individual branch ports are connected thereto. The stripline circuitry between the division point and the branch ports provide compensation for phase reversal. Resistors for branch port isolation connected within the stripline circuitry such that for equal loads or equal power sources connected to the branch ports (divider or combiner applications, respectively) zero currents flow in these resistors and they are therefore not required to provide a large power dissipating capability.

Abstract: A TEM mode balun in a single-level microwave circuit in a transmission line medium selected from among the stripline, microstrip, airstrip, etc. media. The device employs coupled-strip all-pass filter elements to provide a pair of balanced input/output lines in 180.degree. phase relationship and an unbalanced line port.

Abstract: A flexible printed circuit is secured with adhesive to a glass or plastics substrate. Electrical connection between the tracks of the printed circuit and co-operating tracks on the substrate is made by way of conductive fibers with which the adhesive is loaded in such a proportion that no bridging electrical contact is established between laterally adjacent tracks.

Abstract: A releasable locking mechanism is provided for a rectangular connector in which matching grooves are formed in the outer and inner surfaces respectively of the elongated sides of the shells of the plug and receptacle halves of the connector. Elongated wires are positioned in each of the plug shell grooves. Actuating devices are located at opposite ends of the plug shell which act against inwardly extending legs on the ends of the wires for shifting the wires outwardly to become partially lodged in the grooves in the receptacle shell thereby positively locking the connector members together. The actuating devices may be retracted to allow unmating of the connector halves.

Abstract: An ultrasonic flowmeter arrangement has a pair of electroacoustic transmit/receive transducers located in opposite walls of a pipe, the transducers being longitudinally displaced and facing one another, thus forming a bidirectional transmission path oblique to the direction of fluid flow in the pipe. Each transducer is driven by a voltage controlled oscillator operating sometimes at nominally the same frequency. In one case the oscillator outputs are divided down separately to provide two different transmission frequencies. Filters apply to phase comparison means corresponding transmitted and received frequencies. The outputs of the phase comparison means provide feedback control signals for the oscillators. The oscillator outputs are fed to a mixing means to derive a difference frequency signal as a measure of the rate of fluid flow in the pipe.

Abstract: A clamp is disclosed for a fiber optic cable having metal strength members. The strength members are fed through axial slots in the forward end of an inner sleeve of the clamp and are wound helically around the inner sleeve. Thereafter an outer sleeve is crimped around the helically wound portions of the strength members and the inner sleeve to tightly secure the strength members to the sleeve.

Abstract: An optical waveguide interferometer arrangement includes a single-mode optical waveguide device which diverges into two waveguide branches of identical optical length which converge into another single waveguide. The optical properties of the two branches are variable by electrical fields applied via adjacent electrodes, which are energized with a composite waveform comprising (for example) a symmetrical ramp superimposed on a square wave of the same period. The two component waveforms are in phase but of different amplitudes such that the output light is intensity modulated at a frequency which is some multiple of that of the input waveforms. Adjustment of the square wave amplitude provides the means to phase shift the optical output signal.

Abstract: A high pressure withstanding electrical connector or penetrator is disclosed in which a header containing glass sealed conductors is removably mounted on the high pressure side of the connector shell. An integral web extends across the shell which provides mechanical support for the header.

Abstract: The disclosure is drawn to a statc pressure unit having a circular dividing fitting with two silicon strain gauges glass bonded thereto. The strain gauges are located to place one strain gauge in tension and one in compression when the fitting is pressurized. One of two embodiments may be employed. In either case, one strain gauge is positioned in tension symmetrically across the center of the fitting. The other strain gauge is placed so that it is in compression.

Abstract: A holding arrangement for the supply roll 6 of a tape-shaped recording medium is firmly arranged on the stationary part 1 of the cover of a printer. The holding brackets 2 are provided with bearings 22 which are open in the upward direction. Into these bearings there is inserted a tubular roll carrier 5 on which the supply roll 6 is supported in a freely rotatable manner. The holding brackets 2 are provided with rotatable latch bodies 3 by which the bearings 22 which are open towards above, can be closed. The latch bodies 3 are rigidly in connection with one another via a paper-deflecting yoke 4. In the turned up state of the yoke 4, the bearings 22 which are opened towards above, are unlatched. In order to enable the use of supply rolls of different widths A and B, one of the supporting brackets 2 is provided with a detachable spacing plate 7.

Abstract: A differential pressure unit to induce tension and compression in respective strain gages to produce a change in the output of a Wheatstone bridge. The differential pressure or some function thereof is then indicated. Error due to temperature is avoided by maintaining the bridge current constant. The bridge voltage is elevated as a function of temperature to make the bridge current or bridge output independent of temperature.

Abstract: In a printer having a sheet feeder associated therewith, means are provided for feeding only the top sheet in a stack of sheets to the printer platen. A feed roller is positioned in contact with the top sheet and is energized a plurality of times prior to the paper clearing two corner separators associated with the sheet feeder, the acceleration and stopping of the feed roller having a tendency to jerk the first sheet of paper out of the stack while leaving the subsequent sheets in the stack. Although several methods can be utilized to energize the feed roller, control signals for energizing the feed roller are preferably generated by the printer microprocessor.

Abstract: A vacuum switch which is air operated and which has low contact capacitance, low inductance and low DC resistance. The switch has two fixed contacts and a moveable contact, the moveable contact being insulated from the moveable end structure to minimize coupling capacity between the two fixed contacts. A portion of the fixed contact support structure is cut away to minimize capacitance between the support structure and between the support structure and a ceramic body which is part of the switch vacuum envelope, the ceramic body insulating the contacts and the metal portions of the envelope.

Abstract: A quick detachable coupling for use on electrical connectors or the like in which the plug has a latching tab formed on a resilient arm. The tab engages a latching shoulder formed in a recess in the receptacle of the coupling when the plug and receptacle are mated. A live hinge member on the housing of the receptacle is actuated to push the latching tab on the resilient arm out from the latching shoulder into a release slot which allows the plug to be slidably disengaged from the receptacle.

Abstract: An elongate body extends as a bar across a fluid flow passage and has a vortex shedding tapered head portion pointing upstream and a tail portion downstream of the head. The head has an axial length equal to or less than half the head width. The tail has a width less than head width throughout its length. A sensor is arranged downstream of the head. For example, the sensor may be in the tail portion of the body such as to sense the vortices produced alternately on the side surfaces. The frequency output of the sensor is proportional to the relative speed between the elongate body and the fluid. The arrangement can be used as a fluid flowmeter or a ship's log.

Abstract: A nozzle for an aerial refueling boom is disclosed in which the locking latches on the nozzle housing are operated by a solenoid which allows the latches to be moved to an unlocked position by the operator in the aerial refueling tanker. The nozzle embodies an inlet fitting at its forward end which is adapted to be fixed to the boom. A nondestructive detent arrangement releasably couples the nozzle housing to the inlet fitting so that if the housing is deflected at an excessive angle, it will break away from the fitting and thus the boom without damaging the boom.

Abstract: A submersible pumping system is disclosed for pumping cryogenic liquid from a reservoir in which a pump and motor unit is lowered to the bottom of a fluid transmitting casing in the reservoir. An isolation chamber is provided in the casing above the roof of the reservoir into which the pump and motor unit is raised for removal. A special sealing arrrangement is provided which maintains the casing and reservoir isolated from the atmosphere when lifting the pump and motor unit, yet allows a flexible suspension cable to be utilized.

Abstract: In a Doppler VOR, the phase of the carrier wave of the carrier signal must lie symmetrically between the phases of the carrier waves of the sideband signals. To monitor these phase relationships, the carrier signal received by the sideband antennas (1) is applied to two mixers (14, 15) which are also fed with fractional signals of the upper and lower sidebands, respectively. The mixer output signals are applied to a phase comparator (16) whose output signal has a predetermined value corresponding to the prescribed phase relationships. The output signal of the phase comparator (16) is compared with a reference value in a monitoring facility (19).

Abstract: An end-play adjusting device including a molded thermoplastic sleeve-like member about the shaft of an electric motor armature, or the like. The sleeve is applied in a maximum axial length and subsequently compressed to reduce its axial length to whatever provides the desired end-play to the bearings or other support structure.

Abstract: A phased array radar system, such as may be used in a low-angle tracking radar or direction finding equipment, includes a multi-channel digital filter to remove unwanted multipath signals. The R.F. signals from the array are first converted to zero I.F. and digitized. After n-channel Doppler filtering (13) the digital signals are subjected to filtering (14) either to effect band-pass spatial filtering, thereby attenuating generally all signals arriving outside preset angular limits, or notch filtering which heavily attenuates signals arriving from one particular angle. In one embodiment spatial filtering is followed by notch filtering. The filtered signals are then beam-formed (15) before being applied to further digital processing, such as beam peak tracking (16).