Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the emission of pollutants resulting from static test firings of rocket and jet engines. The apparatus comprises a test stand for capturing the exhaust gas from an engine undergoing a static test. The test stand includes a duct system for guiding the exhaust gas from a duct inlet to a duct outlet through stages that reduce the exhaust gas pollutants. Liquid oxygen (“LOX”) is introduced into the duct system to interact with the engine exhaust gas stream. By introducing LOX, the pollutant CO is converted to non-pollutant carbon dioxide (“CO2”) as the exhaust stream moves through the duct system.

Abstract: A bioreactor and cell culturing method using the bioreactor have been developed to enhance cell production and growth and decrease the shear forces on the cells and multicellular aggregates. The bioreactor contains a dome-shaped culture vessel having walls defining an interior volume, an apex, a bottom circular edge, and a axis of symmetry perpendicular to the bottom circular edge; and a gas-permeable membrane fluidtightly integrated with the bottom circular edge of the culture vessel. The bioreactor may further contain a rotating base fluidtightly integrated with the gas-permeable membrane, wherein the rotating base is fixed to rotate about the axis of symmetry of the dome-shaped culture vessel set on a substantially horizontal axis.

Abstract: A bearing assembly (22, FIG. 4 ) is provided for connecting an actuator (14A) to a shake table (12) on which a test object is mounted, which minimizes the mass to be moved by the actuator. The bearing assembly is of the type that includes upper and lower spherical bearings (30, 32) that each has inner and outer spherical members (36, 38 and 40, 42), an outside transmit member (54) which couples the outer members, and a shaft (70) which couples the inner members. The inner members are formed of a more rigid material such as steel, than the outer members which are formed of aluminum, for more closely equalized deflection of the engaged members at high loads. The shaft has an upper end (72) which is fastened to and projects above the inner member of the upper spherical bearing, and that lies in a recess (90) formed in the underside of the shake table.

Abstract: A system is provided for reducing the emissions of hydrochloric acid (HCl) from solid fuel rockets, especially during ground disposal. An aqueous solution (40, FIG. 2 ) of an alkali metal hydroxide is injected as a mist (50) into the rocket chamber (32) as the rocket fuel (30) is burned. The reaction of the alkali metal with hydrogen chloride (HCl) produces a salt and thereby minimizes the presence of hydrochloric acid in the rocket exhaust. An injected neutralizing material which reduces hydrochloric acid, but which produces less thrust than an equal weight of rocket fuel, can be injected into an operating rocket which carries a payload high above the earth, with the injected material being injected only while the rocket is at a lower altitude when hydrochloric acid is most undesirable. The injected material can be produced by a small auxiliary rocket device (82, FIG.

Abstract: An electrical socket assembly is provided with contactors (50,51, FIG. 3) lying in a pin-receiving hole, which provides a high withdrawal force for the pin (31). Each contactor is of the type that includes a pair of circular bands and a plurality of inwardly-bowed beams extending between the bands to resiliently contact the pin. The assembly includes two of such contactors lying in tandem in the socket hole, to more uniformly guide the pin along the hole, and provide low contact resistance and a high resistance to withdrawal for a pin of given diameter. The socket includes two internal grooves (82,84) that each hold one contactor, and an intermediate wall (80) between the grooves that prevents the contactors from riding up on one another to jam the pin in the hole.

Abstract: A socket assembly is provided at the end of a heavy electrical cable which includes sockets designed to be pushed into connection with pins on an aircraft, to pass current between them, which provides low resistance to avoid heating while also providing a high withdrawal force to prevent the weight of the cable end from pulling it out of connection with the aircraft pins. The sockets include pin-receiving holes, with grooves in the hole walls for holding multi-beam contactors. Each contactor includes a pair of spaced circular bands and a plurality of beams extending between the bands and bowed radially inwardly to resiliently contact the pin. A socket includes two of such contactors, whose beams engage the plug at two locations spaced along the hole to more uniformly guide the pin along the hole and provide low contact resistance and a high resistance to withdrawal. The contactors are initially plastically deformed when the pin is first inserted, to assure that a high withdrawal force is achieved.

Abstract: A connector is described, of the type which is attached to the outer end of a cable and used at an airport to supply power to aircraft on the ground, which facilitates installation and repair of the connector in the field. The connector includes a rubber housing 20 with contact-passing holes 24-29 at the front end and an opening 34 at the rear. The connector also includes a plastic tray 36 which holds the contacts 51-56 and the end portion of the cable where the wires 71-76 of the cable connect to the contacts. After connections are made at the tray, the tray is slid forwardly through the rear end of the housing deep into the housing, with the front of the contacts aligned with the holes at the front of the housing, and a grommet 86 is emplaced to seal the rear of the housing.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for retrieving an elongated flexible cable-type member such as a thick electrical cable used at airports to supply power to airliners, which stores the cable in a bin in a manner that avoids repeated twisting of the cable and the consequent possibility of jamming. A horizontally-extending roller lies behind a front opening in the bin to support the cable. The roller is able to freely shift from side to side, to encourage the cable to store in repeated figure-8 loops that have no net twist.

Abstract: A system includes a single snubber and a rigid strut, to support two spaced locations on equipment to a structural support, in a manner that allows each location of the equipment to slowly move independently of the other, as to accommodate changing equipment temperature, while resisting rapid movement of either, as can occur in an earthquake. A linking element is pivotally mounted on the support, and one end of the snubber and one end of the strut are pivotally mounted at spaced locations on the linking element. The opposite ends of the snubber and strut are pivotally mounted at spaced locations on the equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use at an airport for drawing in and paying out an electric cable, which reliably grips the cable even when it is covered with a slippery anti-freeze fluid used at airports. The apparatus includes a motor-driven traction wheel against which the cable is pressed, with the periphery of the wheel being concave and having a radius of curvature about the same as the cable so the cable can closely nest in it. The wheel has closely spaced treads that press through fluid on the cable to grip it, and has a circumferentially extending groove through which fluid can drain. The cable is pressed against the wheel by rollers that have concave peripheries to also closely surround the cable.

Abstract: A cable assembly is described, for safely connecting an electrical power source such as an electrical outlet at an airport, to a power consuming device such as an aircraft. The assembly includes an electrical cable (18) with a connector (16) at one end for engaging the receptacle on an aircraft to supply power thereto, and a relay (30) at the inner end of the cable which can connect and disconnect a power source to the cable. "On" and "off" power switches (32, 34) are located near the outer end of the cable. The "on" switch enables a workman to operate the remote relay to turn on the power immediately after he has connected the outer end of the cable to the power consuming device. This encourages the workman to apply a voltage to the cable only after the connection is made, to avoid sparks that might ignite flammable fumes.

Abstract: An electrical box is provided at the outer end of an electrical power cable of the type that supplies power to aircraft parked at an airport, which enables rapid replacement of damaged switches in a compact and watertight arrangement. The electrical box includes a main connector assembly which has a plurality of conductor socket terminals connected to conductors in the cable, and a switch assembly which includes a plurality of switches. The switch assembly fits into a recess in the main housing, and includes projecting pins connected to the switches and which are received in corresponding conductor socket terminals on the main housing. Not only can switches be easily replaced, but the arrangement avoids the need for a bulky connection box where wires of switches are connected to free lengths of the conductors. The switch assembly includes a circular projection from which the pins project, the circular projection including a sealing ring which seals to a corresponding circular recess in the main housing.

Abstract: A cable assembly is described, for safely connecting an electrical power source such as an electrical outlet at an airport, to a power consuming device such as an aircraft. The assembly includes an electrical cable (18) with a connector (16) at one end for engaging the receptacle on an aircraft to supply power thereto, and a relay (30) at the inner end of the cable which can connect and disconnect a power source to the cable. "On" and "off" power switches (32, 34) are located near the outer end of the cable. The "on" switch enables a workman to operate the remote relay to turn on the power immediately after he has connected the outer end of the cable to the power consuming device. This encourages the workman to apply a voltage to the cable only after the connection is made, to avoid sparks that might ignite flammable fumes.

Abstract: A method is described for testing equipment to determine whether it will continue to function when in the presence of a sodium fire, which is of much less cost than prior testing methods. The method includes spraying sodium monoxide on the equipment while it lies within an enclosure. The sodium monoxide is a fine powder, and the moisture within the chamber is maintained at a high level which is much above 20%. The moisture turns the sodium monoxide to sodium hydroxide, or lye, which is the most damaging component of a sodium fire.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for oscillating a shake table or other member at high accelerations but over short distances. The mechanism includes a group of pad devices supporting the shake table on a base, with each pad device including upper and lower curved pads respectively received in sockets of the table and base and with the pads able to slide on one another. However, the centers of curvature of the two pads are spaced from one another, so that when a driver rotates the lower pad in its socket, causing the upper pad to rotate in its corresponding socket and slide on the lower pad, the upper pad is displaced vertically by a slight amount. Thus, an actuating device that applies a moderate force to the lower pad to rotate it, therefor applies a much greater vertical force to the table, to accelerate it at a high level. The pad devices also can support a large static loading on the table as where it lies in a centrifuge.

Abstract: A data interface for a railcar truck assembly, to transmit the outputs of transducers located on the rotating axle to circuits on the stationary frame of the truck. The data transmission system includes a group of several light emitting elements located on the axle and angularly spaced thereabout, and with all elements driven simultaneously at a high frequency to produce modulated light representing data. A light sensitive cell on the frame receives the light, to generate a signal which passes through a high-pass filter and is demodulated or demultiplexed to provide an output representing the transducer signals on the rotating axle. The photocell is spaced far enough from the axle, that it is outside the circle of interrupted illumination, so that the photocell is always within the half power beam of at least one of the light emitters on the axle.

Abstract: A simple torque tube device which can be used in a shake table system to prevent rotation of the table about a predetermined axis without restricting the table in other degrees of freedom. A torque tube device which can prevent table rotation about a horizontal axis, includes a horizontal tube lying below the table, and a pair of largely vertical links having lower link ends pivotally connected to arms which lie at opposite ends of the tube and upper link ends pivotally connected to the table.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for releasably locking a wheel to a rotatable hollow shaft having a terminal end includes expandable segments located axially outwardly of the shaft terminal end, and an expanding rod extending through the shaft and segments. Axial movement of the rod relative to the shaft and segments selectively expands the segments outwardly into releasable locking engagement with a sleeve positioned over the segments.

Abstract: A relatively simple gear-forming process is disclosed, which enables the production of a set of gears that is especially useful for a particular type of gear pump, and which also produces a set of gears which operates with a high degree of rolling contact. The gears are produced by first forming an initial cutter gear having teeth with cylindrical tips supported by narrow supports, and using this initial cutter on a gear shaper to cut a first gear having bullet-shaped teeth. The first gear can then be used as the cutter on a gear shaper to cut other gears with bullet-shaped teeth or to cut gears with pole-shaped teeth. In a gear pump wherein fluid is forced through an axial passage opening into the space between teeth of the sun gear, the sun gear is formed with pole-shaped teeth while the planetary gear is formed with bullet-shaped teeth.

Abstract: A cut-off machine includes a housing having a top surface with an elongated slot therethrough. A rotatable cutting disc is mounted within the housing for raising and lowering movement through the slot to cut workpieces supported on the top surface. Elevating means is selectively operable for moving the cutting disc in raising and lowering directions. Clamp means on the top surface clamps workpieces thereagainst for cutting by the disc. A cover moves between open and closed positions for selectively covering the clamp means and the top surface in outwardly-spaced relationship thereto. Slot blocking means beneath the top surface moves between blocking and unblocking positions for selectively blocking movement of the disc upwardly through the slot. Selective operation of control means for the elevating means is also dependent upon safety control means operated by all of the cover, clamp means and slot blocking means.