Abstract: A miniature electronic pressure gauge is described comprising a case (10) having an aperture leading to a transducer (1) connected to an amplifier (3), the transducer (1) and amplifier (3) being powered from a power source (2) in the form of a storage battery such as a Nicod battery. A pressure signal from the amplifier (3) is fed to a linearization circuit (4) and to an analogue/digital converter (6) clocked with pulses from clock generator (5). The output of converter (6) is fed to a decoder/driver (7) for a seven segment L.C.D. (8). In a preferred construction the pressure gauge is releasably retained in a fluid-tight engagement in a bore in the wall of a pressure chamber of a paint spray gun.

Abstract: A pressure sensor including a semiconductor strain gauge and resistors for compensating temperature, a zero point or the like and made of the same material as that of said semiconductor strain gauge are formed on a metal diaphragm thereof. The resistors for the compensating circuit and the strain gauge are simultaneously formed by patterning a polycrystalline silicone thin film or the like laminated on the diaphragm. As a result, the number of the elements and the manufacturing processes such as a soldering process are reduced for the purpose of improving manufacturing yield. In order to widen the zero point compensating range, a plurality of zero-point compensating resistors, if formed, are disposed on a circumference relative to the center of the diaphragm so as to reduced the scattering in the level of the resistance of each of the resistors.

Abstract: The change in capacitance of a sensor is linearly proportional to ice thickness provided that the ice thickness is significantly less than the distance between the conductive electrodes. By employing sensors with different electrodes, the sensitivity to ice may be traded off against the ability to measure greater ice thickness. A sensor with small spacing between electrodes will exhibit a large change in capacitance when covered by a thin layer of ice, however, the capacitance change will be linear only for very thin layers of ice. A sensor with greater spacing between electrodes is less sensitive to ice accretion but has a correspondingly greater ice thickness measurement range. Accordingly, sensor (55) is relatively sensitive and is employed to determine whether or not ice or water is present.

Abstract: A portable basketball rim rebound testing device 10 is illustrated as a preferred embodiment for testing the rebound characteristics of a basketball rim 12 and its accompanying support system to determine the rebound characteristics of the system. The apparatus 10 includes a depending frame 28 having a "C" shaped hook 36 for releasably rigidly connecting the frame to the basketball rim 12. A free weight 60 is mounted on a guide rod 52 permitting the free weight to be dropped and impacting against face plate 56 and ceramic washer 58 to generate a sharp force impulse for deflecting the basketball rim downwardly and then permitting the rim to vibrate. A transducer 24 is mounted on the depending frame 28 to sense either the acceleration or the force being applied to the basketball rim 12 for a period of approximately 50 milliseconds to obtain sufficient information to calculate the rebound characteristics.

Abstract: A pressure sensor having a ceramic substrate formed from a first unsintered ceramic material, and a diaphragm capable of deformation under pressure, and formed of a second unsintered ceramic material having a factor of shrinkage upon sintering smaller than that of the first material. The diaphragm is fixed to the periphery of a surface of the ceramic substrate to form an integral assembly having a hollow space formed therebetween upon sintering due to the difference in the factor of shrinkage of the first and second materials.

Abstract: A device for monitoring pressure variations for mercury manometers including; a manometer tube with a column of mercury; at least two taps in the tube with one tap in the mercury column and the other above the column; a power supply interconnected between the taps; a resistance element extending between the taps in the mercury; and means for sensing the output voltage across the taps representative of the variations in the shunting effect on the resistance element of the mercury column as it rises and falls with pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for the recognition of a rising slope is provided in particular for commercial vehicles, such as trucks or busses. The device comprises at least one sensor (1) for the axle load of the rear axle and/or of the front axle, as well as a device (4) for measuring the vehicle acceleration relative to the road. The signals of the sensor (1) and of the device (4) are fed into an electronics (2). The electronics (2) recognizes from these fed-in data, whether the vehicle is disposed on an uphill grade or on a downhill grade or on level ground. The thus generated signal can be further employed in various electronic systems, for example, in an automatic drawbar force control system.

Abstract: A pressure transducer circuit is provided which includes a bridge arrangement of piezoresistors which are connected to a diaphragm that is sensitive to a pressure which is monitored. The output of the sensor bridge is provided to a preamplifier which is, in turn, associated with an attenuation network and compensation circuitry. The transducer incorporates a plurality of temperature sensitive resistors within the compensation circuit and these temperature sensitive resistors are produced at the same time and during the same manufacturing step as the piezoresistors of the bridge arrangement. In addition, they are produced using the same dopant and are implanted or diffused in the same semiconductor layer as the piezoresistors. The pressure transducer circuit incorporates a plurality of trimmable resistors which are adjusted during a calibration stage to compensate for temperature variations and nonlinearity of the numerous components in the circuit.

Abstract: A monolithic pressure and/or temperature transducer comprises at least two sensitive semiconductor layers of III-V material sensitive to pressure and to temperature and supported by a common substrate of III-V material, which two layers comprise: a first layer doped with donor type impurities at a first concentration and having a first resistivity as a function of pressure and of temperature; and a second layer doped with donor type impurities at a second concentration different from the first concentration and having a second resistivity as a function of pressure and of temperature, which second resistivity depends on temperature in a different manner than the first resistivity.

Abstract: A fiber-optic strain gauge manometer and a method thereof are for measuring pressure of a fluid, to be respectively connected to a light source and a measurement apparatus. The manometer comprises: a cylindrical hollow body, acting as a pressure transducer, having an inlet by which the fluid can get inside, free ends such that longitudinal and circumferential strains are generated in the hollow body by the pressure of the fluid, thereby producing a dilatation of the hollow body, and a highly birefringent optical fiber having a sensing portion bonded to the outer surface of the hollow body along a longitudinal path such that its birefringence changes when the sensing portion is subjected to the dilatation of the hollow body. A polarized light beam is generated by the light source and transmitted in a form of two polarization eigenstates each parallel to one of two parallel principal birefringence axes of the birefringent optical fiber.

Abstract: A knotmeter impeller eliminator system is provided which includes a circuit that simulates the pulsed output of an impeller-type transducer system by generating pulses having a pulse repetition rate corresponding to speed, with the speed being derived from a navigation unit such as a LORAN, GPS, SAT/NAV or OMEGA unit which provides as an output thereof a standardized NMEA 0183 coded signal corresponding to calculated speed. In one embodiment, a switching system is provided which switches the knotmeter input between either the impeller output or the simulated output to provide a speed indication regardless of whether or not the impeller is jammed by seaweed, eel grass, or other debris.

Abstract: A capacitive pressure sensor includes a set of facing electrodes arranged with a cavity disposed therebetween and having insulation layers respectively formed on the surfaces thereof. The contact area between the facing electrodes varies directly with the applied pressure, and variation in the contact area causes variation in the capacitance which is detected as a pressure measurement. Since the capacitance variation is proportional to the applied pressure, a pressure signal which is substantially linear can be obtained. Therefore, the capacitive pressure sensor of this invention can measure pressure with high precision.

Abstract: A pressure transducer (50) of the type utilizing a diaphragm (8) with strain sensitive elements (14) formed in the diaphragm surface where the strain sensitive elements (14) are connected to an electronics assembly (4) to produce an electrical output in response to deflection of the diaphragm (8). A diaphragm assembly (26) is bonded to an intermediate support member (28) which is in turn bonded to a main support member (32) which is joined to a support collar (42) and hermetically sealed thereto with a sealing glass (40) where each element (2, 28, 32, 42) has a substantially matched coefficient of thermal expansion so as to reduce any induced thermal stresses and resultant measurement errors where the sealing glass (40) and the support collar (42) have a greater coefficient to produce a compressive type seal at high temperature.

Abstract: Angular momentum and banking indicator and acceleration-deceleration and grade indicator for use on trucks, cranes, airplanes, and boats as a multipurpose sensor. A cylinder with a damping fluid includes four symmetrically spaced coils centered radially about a centrally located powered coil in a base of the cylinder and a pendulum suspended from a top of the cylinder which swings over the coils. Coils connected to a signal processing system which provides an angular momentum and banking signal and an acceleration and deceleration or grade indicator signal.

Abstract: A torque sensor shaft for a non-contacting torque sensor including magnetically anisotropic portions formed on the surface of the shaft. Absolute value of angle of inclination of the anisotropic directions of the magnetically anisotropic portions is set lower than 40 degree so as to permit reduction of stress components in the anisotropic directions from their level in the case where the absolute value of the angle is 45 degree. By such angle setting it is possible to prevent possible decrease in sensor sensitivity and, in addition, to obtain good improvement in the point of magnetic saturation due to torque applied, thereby to obtain an improved dynamic range.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for measuring the pressure of an oxygen-containing gas on an aerodynamic surface, by oxygen-quenching of luminescence of molecular sensors is disclosed. Objects are coated with luminescent films containing a first sensor and at least one of two additional sensors, each of the sensors having luminescences that have different dependencies on temperature and oxygen pressure. Methods and compositions are also provided for improving pressure measurements (qualitative or quantitive) on surfaces coated with a film having one or more types of sensor.

Abstract: A transducer having a plurality of sensing elements disposed in a single diaphragm wherein each of the sensing elements is spaced from every other of the sensing elements a predetermined distance so as to control interference among the sensing elements. Each of the sensing elements preferably comprises a plurality of piezoresistors each of which are coupled in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. This transducer achieves sensitive, accurate, high spatial resolution measurements of non-uniform pressures.

Abstract: An isolator for use in pressure transmitters for isolating the process fluid being sensed from a sensor, comprises an isolating diaphragm that is thin, and made of a suitable corrosion resistant metal, such as tantalum, and which must be anchored to an isolator housing made of a substantially different metal such as stainless steel. Tantalum is very resistant to corrosion, and is a high melting point metal, which is substantially higher than the material comprising the sensor housing so direct welding is virtually impossible. The present invention relates to securing a support ring of the same metal as the diaphragm surrounding the cavity formed for the isolator fluid, preforming a thin metal diaphragm made of the selected material, and then welding the diaphragm and a ring overlying the diaphragm directly to the support ring.

Abstract: A diaphragm type fluid pressure gauge comprises a case formed of an injection molded thermoplastic. The bottom wall of the case selectively defines a rear axial fluid connection or a radial fluid connection to a fluid chamber defined within the case. The fluid chamber is closed by a diaphragm which is clamped against an annular radial surface in the case by a thermoplastic ring which is melt-welded to the case. The other face of the ring provides a mounting for a movement mechanism for driving a pointer in response to axial displacement of the diaphragm.

Abstract: A device for measuring physical values, each as pressure changes, includes a sensor transponder section and an interrogator receiver section for transmitting interrogation signals including a power supply from the interrogator receiver section to the sensor transponder section and for transmitting measured signal values in the opposite direction. The sections can be coupled to each other by inductive coils so that electrical connections are avoided. Thus, the pressure in a rotating automobile tire can be measured, for example. The sensor transponder section includes a computer circuit the input of which receives a reference frequency signal and a measured frequency signal. A reference oscillating signal has a frequency determining element that is not influenced by the pressure to be measured, but only by extraneous, e.g. environmental influences. A measuring oscillating circuit has a frequency determining element that is responsive to the changes in the physical value to be measured.