Abstract: A fiberglass or other material skin is applied to a composite airfoil structure in a mold assembly having a partially compliant caul plate component which defines the shape of the lower surface of the airfoil. The caul plate component includes a first portion which is essentially rigid and which covers the leading edge of the airfoil. The rigid portion of the caul plate component provides improved conformation of the airfoil skin to the leading edge of the airfoil. The caul plate component also includes a compliant portion which covers and defines the shape of the trailing edge of the lower surface of the airfoil. The stiffness of the caul plate component also has a variable stiffness zone which interconnects the rigid and compliant portions thereof.

Abstract: A connecting assembly interconnects one fiber optic cable harness to another fiber optic cable harness, or to an electronic unit containing an optical transmitter or receiver. The backshell includes a coupling ring that prevents loosening of the connection without first relaxing tension on the individual fiber optic cables in the cable harness. The inability to rotate the connector end coupling ring before relaxing tension on the fiber optic cables prevents damage to the individual fiber optic cables from occurring when the backshell is rotated with respect to the connector.

Abstract: A disposable blood pressure cuff is made from a composite of a non-stretchable paper component and an elastic thermoplastic material component. The paper component provides the necessary outer circumferential strength for the cuff so that it will not stretch outwardly when it is inflated. The thermoplastic layer provides an inwardly expandable surface for contacting a limb of the patient which the cuff encircles. A tape tab is included to releasably attach the cuff to the patient's limb. The tab is provided with a visible indicium which indicates the proper degree of overlap of the ends of the cuff when the latter is affixed to the patient's limb. The cuff may be used by only one patient, and may be discarded when the patient is finished with it. The cuff is provided with a one-piece slip luer fitting which includes a flange disposed within the chamber, and an annular tube projecting through an outer component of the cuff.

Abstract: Metal corrosion which occurs under conditions of use is mitigated and controlled by a sacrificial anode device which can be easily attached to, and detached from the corrosion-prone object. In ambient applications, the anode and cathode components of the device may be distinct metallic elements which may be alloys, or layers of alloys, and which are configured so as to optimize the interface surface area between the anode and cathode, while being sufficiently compact to be placed essentially in any corrosion-prone location. In extremely wet applications, such as underwater, or in water circulating or storage systems, the anode may be an effectively configured block of metal, and the cathode will be the water constituent of the environment in question. The optimized anode/cathode interface area provides increased operating life for the device, reduces material waste, and strengthens the structure of the device.

Abstract: Useful information about a subject's level of systemic inflammation is obtained by quantitatively measuring the amount of fibrinogen and the hematocrit and or hemoglobin in the subject's whole blood. The fibrinogen measurement, when combined with an hematocrit or hemoglobin measurement, provides a systemic Inflammation Index value for the donor. The method is not affected by blood variables which are not related to the presence of inflammation, which blood variables are known to invalidate an erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is the most frequently used blood test for detecting systemic inflammation in humans.

Abstract: A simplified solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell power plant utilizes porous conductive separator plates having central passages which are filled with circulating coolant water. The coolant water passes through a heat exchanger which rejects heat generated in the power plant. Water appearing on the cathode side of each cell membrane is pumped into the water circulation passages through the porous oxidant reactant flow field plates by a positive .DELTA.P created between the cathode reactant flow field of each cell and the coolant water circulation passages between each cell. In order to create the desired .DELTA.P, at least one of the reactant gas streams will be referenced to the coolant water loop so as to create a coolant loop pressure which is less than the referenced reactant gas stream pressure. Excess water is removed from the coolant water stream. The system can operate at ambient or at elevated pressures.

Abstract: A lightweight braided metallic shielding is applied to wiring harnesses to protect against lightning strikes and electromagnetic interference (EMI). The braided shielding has an open braid construction which may be as much as 40% lighter in weight and which provides better electromagnetic shielding than conventional braided shielding. The decrease in weight is achieved by utilizing a braid carrier application angle, as measured from the axis of the wire harness, which is as small as about eighteen degrees, so as to produce a braided shield that has as few as four picks per inch. The ensuing braided shield is very flexible and results in a degree of wire harness coverage which may be as low as about 60%, but which exhibits low electrical resistance which contributes significantly to lightning protection and EMI shielding.

Abstract: A biological sample such as feces, sputum, cervical tissue, pleural fluids, exudates, cytologic specimens, or the like, is tested for the presence or absence of: ova; parasites; microorganisms; inflammatory, neoplastic tissue cells; or other target materials which are indicative of infestation, disease or infection. The sample is mixed with a buffer fluid and placed in a transparent tube which contains a volume-constricting cylindrical insert for gravimetric separation of components of the sample. The mixture is centrifuged, and the annular space between the insert and tube bore is examined under magnification for the presence of the target materials.

Abstract: A linear accelerator has at least one longitudinal stator section that defines a linear path of movement and that comprises several stator coils as well as a rotor with several rotor coils that can be accelerated along the path of movement. The stator is designed as a tubular body from the inner wall of which project coil carriers with coil conductors that are mutually offset by 90 degrees. The cavities thus formed are engaged by the rotor coils that comprise each an electrically non-conductive carrier on the sides on which are arranged meandering coil conductors. The design and arrangement of the rotor coils and stator coils allow a circular magnetic field to be generated, with the result that the rotor is axially accelerated. The rotor is supplied with current by conductor rails by a cable entrained with the rotor an/or by charge accumulation in the coils before acceleration begins.

Abstract: A patient's blood sample is incubated with an antigen and tested for lymphocyte response, ie. an activation of lymphocytes and/or a conversion of lymphocytes to lymphoblasts, which indicates prior exposure of the patient to the antigen. A positive response indicates the presence of prior exposure to prior diseases or clinical conditions such as parasitic diseases, tuberculosis, salmonellosis, gonorrhea, fungal infections, rickettsial infections, Lyme disease or allergens. Whole blood from the patient is incubated with the antigen of the disease or condition for which the patient is being tested. After a suitable time, a fluorescent dye or colorant is added which has an affinity for a discriminant characteristic of the activated lymphocytes or lymphoblasts, such as: intracellular calcium; surface activation antigens such as transferrin receptor; HLA-Dr; Leu-23; and the like.

Abstract: The rotor blades of a helicopter are balanced both in the chordal direction and in the spanwise direction in a static balancing assembly. The assembly includes a support surface on which there are four weighing scales. The scales are positioned in close proximity with the four corners of the rotor blade. The scales provide four cooperating pairs of blade spanwise and chordwise balancing reference data. The scales are operably connected to a microprocessor which is preprogrammed with desired balance data for the blades being tested. Deviations from the desired balance data detected by the scales and the microprocessor are corrected by selectively adding or subtracting weight on the blades at appropriate locations of the surfaces thereof.

Abstract: A shielded connector assembly for interconnecting individual conductors in an electrical wire harness is provided with a ground ring which eliminates unshielded conductor wire segments after the individual conductor shielding has been stripped. A filter ring assembly is included in the connector assembly for filtering high frequency signals to eliminate cross talk between high and low frequency signal conductors in the same wire harness. Transmission leakage is also eliminated at the juncture between the individual conductors and a circuit board included in the assembly.

Abstract: A patient's health is diagnosed by centrifuging blood samples in a transparent tube, which tube contains one or more groups of particles such as lyposomes or plastic beads of different densities for each group. Each group of density-defined particles carries antigens or antibodies which are specific to a complement antigen or antibody which may be in the blood sample being tested, and which are indicative of the patient's health. A label-tagged antibody which is specific to all bound antibody/antigen couples is added to the blood sample so as to form labelled antibody+antigen-antibody complexes (AAAC) in the blood sample. Upon centrifugation, the complexed particles will settle out in different areas in the tube according to the respective density of the particles, and the degree of label emission of the particle layers can enable qualitative or quantitative analyses of the blood sample to be made.

Abstract: The gas stream which emanates from landfills is treated to produce a purified gas which is essentially a hydrocarbon such as methane which can be used as the fuel source in a fuel cell power plant, or can be used in other power plants which use natural gas as a fuel. The landfill gas passes through a system which removes essentially all of the hydrogen sulfide; water; organic sulfur and halogen compounds; and solid contaminants from the gas stream. The resultant purified gas stream can be cleanly flared; used to power an energy plant; or put to other useful purposes.

Abstract: The clutch is adapted forum& in starting-and restarting aircraft turbine engines with a pneumatically operated starter turbine. The clutch assembly has one clutch member which is driven by the starter turbine and another clutch member which is connected to and drives the turbine engine. The starter turbine clutch member is translationally moveable toward and away from the turbine engine clutch member. Centrifugally operated flyweights are used to induce the translational movement of the clutch member. Proengagement flyweights are operable when the starter turbine is rotating to urge the starter turbine clutch member toward the turbine engine clutch member; and disengagement flyweights are operable when the turbine engine is rotating to urge the starter turbine clutch member away from the turbine engine clutch member.

Abstract: The mirror assembly uses a non-reflective conductive coating as a heating element for preventing fog formation on a mirror exposed to a humid environment such as is found in a bathroom. As compared to conductive reflective mirror coatings, the non-reflective conductive coatings used in this invention have a relatively high resistance, which allows high reflectivity mirrors to be made fog-free. The conductive coatings may be split into separate conductive elements with one or more scribe lines in order to control the length of the conductive path from inlet bus to outlet bus. The buses may be made from an ultra thin foil tape, which can be adhered to the conductive coatings, and which is solderable for securement of power lines thereto. Such a bus tape possesses both in plane and through plane conductive characteristics and can easily be cut to any length desired for the mirror sizes being produced.

Abstract: A biologic sample such as feces, sputum, cervical tissue, pleural fluids, exudates, cytologic specimens, or the like, is tested for the presence or absence of: ova; parasites; microorganisms; inflammatory, neoplastic tissue cells; or other target materials which are indicative of infestation, disease or infection. The sample is mixed with a buffer fluid and placed in a transparent tube which contains a volume-constricting cylindrical insert for gravimetric separation of components of the sample. The mixture is centrifuged, and the annular space between the insert and tube bore is examined under magnification for the presence of the target materials.

Abstract: The label printer uses a continuous strip of label paper on which customized size labels are printed. The printer is operated by a microprocessor into which label criteria, such as size, print content, type, and the like are inputted. Specimen tubes having machine readable labels on them are scanned by a scanner connected to the microprocessor so as to identify the respective sizes of the specimen tubes, and type of label desired. The printer has a label paper strip perforator which is controlled by the microprocessor so as to produce properly sized labels for affixation to the specimen tubes. The printed labels can be used for different lab labeling requirements such as slides or other tubes for aliquots of the original specimen sample.

Abstract: Structural parts are produced from fiber composite preforms which are placed into a mold conforming to the shape of the desired part. A resin is then injected into the mold so as to fill the mold and encapsulate the fiber preform. The mold is evacuated prior to the injection step, and is rotated about a vertical axis during the injection step. The resin is maintained under pressure during the injection step, and the resin is hardened in the mold whereby net molded parts are formed.

Abstract: Constituent layers are harvested from a centrifuged multi-constituent material in an evacuated glass or clear plastic tube which contains a float. When possibly contaminated materials, such as blood, are being tested, the use of an evacuated tube allows the measurements to be made without the technician being exposed to the blood. The tubes are large enough to hold approximately one ml of blood, and are filled with an inert gas at low pressure. The floats are formed with a through bore into which cell bands to be harvested will settle during centrifugation. The cell bands are stabilized by a layer of a flowable material which settles onto the plasma layer during centrifugation and forms a pellicle thereon. The cell layers to be harvested are aspirated from the float bore by way of a hypodermic needle or cannula inserted into the tube and float bore.