Abstract: An automatic rate range switching and control system adapts the full range of an analog output signal of a gyroscopic rate sensor to a range consistent with the precision conversion thereof into a digitally compatible signal. In a digital strapped down inertial reference system, for example, a plurality of strapped down, force-rebalanced rate sensors is used to sense aircraft body rates, wherein each gyro pick off signal is fed back to the gyro torquer in a manner to maintain the pick off signal essentially null, the torquer current signal thus being proportional to the sensed aricraft rate. The full range of the gyro's rate sensing capability may extend from zero to several hundred degrees per second. However, with the present invention, the switching and conversion of the analog rate signal into a digitally compatible signal is necessary only over a limited range.

Abstract: An improved electrode structure is provided for electro-optical modulators applicable in multiple mode fiber light propagation systems. The electrodes form effective light guiding elements and, when appropriately excited, efficiently refract light away from the output port of the modulator. The improvement affords increased modulation depth, a lower driving power requirement, and an increased operating band width.

Abstract: A combine having a single rotor extending longitudinally for axial feed and discharge having a concave directly beneath the rotor and a separation grate along one side of the rotor adjacent the peripheral path thereof for discharge into a space at one side of the threshing compartment which is formed by laterally offsetting the axis of the rotor from the central axis of the compartment, and a deflector directs the material from said space substantially centrally onto a grain receiving member below the concave and extending between opposite sides of the threshing compartment to prevent overloading of one side of said compartment as in conventional single axial rotor type combines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pull-type harvesting machines such as mower-conditioners and comprises a main frame fitted with ground-engaging wheels, a header adjustably mounted on and forwardly of the main frame and comprising drum type mower units, lifting means operable to move the main frame relative to the ground and the header relative to the main frame and an arched drawbar pivotally attached to the main frame and pivotable over the header from a machine operative position to a machine transport position and vice versa.

Abstract: The disclosed SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) comprises two superposed superconductive layers with an insulating layer therebetween. A plurality of holes through the insulating layer filled with non-superconductive material form weak-links between the superconductive layers by the superconductive proximity effect. One or more control lines superposed with respect to the superconductive layers provide magnetic flux through the area between the weak-links to control the zero voltage supercurrent flowing through the weak-links from one of the superconductive layers to the other thereby providing the switching function for Josephson superconductive circuits. The non-superconductive material forming the weak-links in the holes provides, inter alia, favorable impedance characteristics for the device.

Abstract: The disclosure teaches how binary information may be stabilized in magnetic bubble lattice devices. In bubble lattice devices, information storage is determined by the state of the domain wall structure of the bubble. Fabrication means are disclosed for stabilizing two different types of bubbles found in such films.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining a history of instructions which have been most recently executed by a digital computer. A push-down stack is utilized for storing the contents of the program address counter, or the operand portion of the instruction register, of the computer upon the execution of every instruction and then pushing down the push-down stack whenever the last instruction executed by the digital computer was a branch type instruction. Provision may also be made for addressing the push-down stack so that the contents thereof may be reviewed in the order opposite from which it was loaded. This apparatus allows a user or diagnostic program to have access to the address of the most recently executed branch type instructions. In this way, a history of the most recently executed instructions can be maintained to aid hardware and software diagnostics.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the rate of occurrence and duration of digital events through the technique of multiple sampling at times random to the occurrence of the digital events. The digital events to be sampled are represented as the presence or absence of binary ones or zeroes that can be sensed in a subject conductor at a given point in time. Since the probability of sensing a binary state of true or false at any particular but randomly determined time is a function of the duty cycle, sensing the binary state of or sampling a given digital event a given number of times produces a correspondingly statistically significant measure of the duty cycle of the digital event. The greater the number of samples, the greater the confidence in the measure of the duty cycle. The number of samples necessary to evoke a given confidence level is determined through the use of basic statistics. The point in time at which sampling occurs must be random to permit statistical validity.

Abstract: In a crop harvesting and threshing machine of the type utilizing axial flow threshing and separation there is provided about the upper portions of the rotor casing axial flow inhibiting members rearwardly of axial flow facilitating members. The inhibiting members are arranged in a reverse pattern to the facilitating members so that crop material transported axially about the threshing and separating rotors is decelerated and deflected into a discharge opening without passing further rearwardly, thus preventing the enwrapping of crop material about the rotatable shafts of the rotor.

Abstract: A process for forming subminiature bores through very thin layers of insulative material disposed between spaced electrical conductors permits the joining of the conductors by a further conductor of microscopic cross section whose dimensions are readily controlled. The method provides reliable reproduction of weak link conductors for employment in applications such as Josephson superconductive devices.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding a binary digital data signal is disclosed. An input signal that is to be encoded for transmission is shifted through a serial shift register with the bits in the stages of the shift register at each of the successive shift periods being used to define a binary coded addressable location in an associated memory. The memory has stored in each of its addressable locations a further binary code that when addressed by the shift register produces, as an output, a binary True or Complement signal which through a True/Complement generator couples the True or the Complement of the input signal to the transmission medium. The receiving end of the transmission medium has a similar arrangement of shift register, memory and True/Complement generator that decodes the received encoded transmitted signal.

Abstract: A Josephson tunnel junction device having niobium superconductive electrodes with an amorphous hydrogenated semiconductor tunnelling barrier therebetween comprised of silicon or germanium or an alloy thereof supports an unusually high critical current density. Barrier dopants provide a further increase in the critical current density. The barrier is deposited by rf-sputtering in an atmosphere containing hydrogen.

Abstract: An improved optical multiplexer or demultiplexer device has a plurality of electrodes disposed on opposing surfaces of an electro-optically active plate that are resonantly excited at fundamental and harmonic frequencies for varying the effective index of refraction of the plate between the electrodes, thus coupling light successively between a first optical guide and selected ones of a plurality of optical guides.

Abstract: A crop harvesting machine has a crop harvesting header, a mobile frame and improved header stabilizing system. The frame is adapted to move across a field in a forward direction and includes upper frame structure extending transversely to the forward direction and a lower wheel frame assembly. The assembly includes a transverse cylindrical member being rotatably mounted to and supporting the upper frame structure. Lift means is provided, being actuatable for moving the lower assembly, and thereby rotating the cylindrical member thereof, relative to the upper frame structure to effectuate raising of the upper frame structure and the cylindrical member relative to the field. A header suspension and lift means includes upper means pivotally interconnecting an upper portion of the header with the upper frame structure and lower elongated means pivotally interconnecting a lower portion of the header with the cylindrical member of the wheel frame assembly.

Abstract: A crop harvesting machine has a crop harvesting header, a mobile frame and improved header stabilizing system. The frame is adapted to move across a field in a forward direction and includes upper frame structure extending transversely to the forward direction and a lower wheel frame assembly. The assembly includes a transverse cylindrical member being rotatably mounted to and supporting the upper frame structure. Lift means is provided, being actuatable for moving the lower assembly, and thereby rotating the cylindrical member thereof, relative to the upper frame structure to effectuate raising of the upper frame structure and the cylindrical member relative to the field. A header suspension and lift means includes upper means pivotally interconnecting an upper portion of the header with the upper frame structure and lower elongated means pivotally interconnecting a lower portion of the header with the cylindrical member of the wheel frame assembly.

Abstract: In a crop feed grinding and mixing apparatus having a mixing means mounted to a mobile frame, a grinding means fixed to the frame, material transfer means extending at least between the grinding means and the mixing means, material infeed means in material flow communication with the grinding means and drive means including a rotatable shaft operably connected to the mixing, grinding, material infeed and material transfer means, there is provided a speed responsive overload protective device mounted to the rotatable shaft so that when the drive means is slowed in operation below a predetermined speed by excessive crop feed accumulation in the grinding means the protective device automatically disengages the material infeed means from the drive means.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating elevation and azimuth reference signals for use in demodulating a tracking error signal to provide elevation and azimuth error components for use in adjusting the position of a tracking conical scan radar antenna, includes a template ring having a notched periphery and being attached to a rotatable nutator of the antenna such that its peripheral notches are in a predetermined angular phase relationship with a reference position on a feed horn attached on the nutator, during rotation of the feed horn with the nutator. The apparatus further includes an optical transducer and electronic circuitry coupled thereto for producing the reference signals from a signal generated by the transducer in response to rotation of the ring with the nutator. As the ring rotates with the nutator, its notched periphery makes or breaks a photon path between light beam generating and sensing elements of the transducer.

Abstract: A mower-conditioner for agricultural use employing one or more rotatably mounted drum type cutter units, each of which supports at least one cutter blade for cutting standing crop by impact under conditions where the drums are rotated about generally upright axes. A frame assembly is provided on which a crop conditioner is mounted for receiving severed crop material as it is being conveyed rearwardly by the cutter units.

Abstract: In a crop roll forming machine there is provided bale forming means having endless flexible movable means fastened to opposing sides of the frame of the machine, the movable means being interconnected by a plurality of transverse connecting means having interwoven thereamong endless, flexible strengthening means. The interwoven strengthening means serve to reinforce the transverse connecting means as the bale forming means progressively forms a larger crop roll.

Abstract: A fast acting clutching and de-clutching mechanism in combination with a safety apparatus for a forage wagon is disclosed. Two interconnected alternative input drive shafts, one of the unloading from the front of the wagon and the other for the unloading to the rear thereof, are connected to the operable components of the wagon via a two-jaw clutch. Manually operated trip mechanisms adjacent the main openings in the wagon box are used to rapidly disengage the clutch jaws whenever sufficient contact is made therewith. A manual reset device is employed to engage the clutch jaws and reactivate the trip mechanisms.