Abstract: A security system for a vehicle having an engine compartment covered by a hood, and an ignition switch for operating the engine, includes a common housing for protecting a hood lock and an ignition lock switch. An electric circuit is provided for shorting an ignition coil during periods of non-use of the vehicle to prevent theft of the vehicle, the circuit being disarmed by the lock switch for a sufficient interval of time to permit use of the ignition switch for starting the engine. A lock-up feature within the circuit maintains the circuit in the disarmed state during operation of the vehicle, and automatically rearms the circuit upon retrieval of the ignition key.

Abstract: A fully automatic penetration hardness tester which includes a penetrator and clamp driven by respective serially-connected pneumatic cylinders for engaging test specimens. Pressure regulators are coupled to the respective cylinders for first applying clamping pressure against the test specimen and then applying a plurality of loads in a predetermined sequence to the clamped specimen through the penetrator, with the total clamping and penetrator pressure against the test specimen remaining constant through the test cycle. A control circuit monitors penetrator position and automatically initiates application of the next load in the test sequence when motion of the penetrator following application of the preceding load has settled such that a predetermined number of sequential position readings fall within a preselected position range. Specimen hardness is determined as a linear function of penetration depth under the various loads.

Abstract: An anticatching device for automatic doors or windows, especially of vehicles. The motion of the door or window is divided into several segments and the time required to pass through a segment is compared with a given time interval. These given time intervals are obtained by storing the time intervals measured during each preceding motion of the door between the same positions. Once the time intervals have been compared, a control signal that stops or reverses the motion of the door is released only when the measured value is greater by a predetermined tolerance than the stored value. To determine the position and direction of motion of the door, the successive position signals are assigned values that are compared and this comparison produces a signal that indicates whether the door is opening or closing.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine the fuel supply system of which has a circulation line for the purpose of cooling the fuel pump. At the times when fuel consumption is measured, this circulation line is short-circuited downstream of a flow measuring device disposed in the supply line, so that then only the quantity of fuel delivered to the engine flows through the supply line from the tank, thus flowing through the flow measuring device as well. Because of the heating up of the fuel, the shortened fuel circuit is effected only at such time as a measurement procedure is desired. In the exemplary embodiment, a 3/2-way valve is used for switching over the fuel return line.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is described herein which simulates and applies soil shear stress conditions to test pipe segments and thereby induces the mechanical soil stress effects upon adherent pipeline anti-corrosion protective coatings. A test pipe segment having an adherent anti-corrosion protective coating is emplaced centrally in a test apparatus housing chamber, having both a concentrically-located soil reservoir in contiguous contact with said test pipe segment, and a gas pressure reservoir surrounding said soil reservoir. Desired movements of said test pipe segment are controlled and regulated by a universal testing machine. Gas pressures in the gas pressure reservoir exerts pressure on the soil reservoir, thereby simulating soil stress forces on the centrally disposed pipe segment with its adherent anti-corrosion coating.

Abstract: A method for preventing damage to a temperature-dependent resistor disposed in a flow cross-section caused by overheating as a result of the ignition of a combustible, gaseous mixture during a burnoff process and an air flow rate measuring device for performing the method are proposed. The air flow rate measuring device includes a temperature-dependent resistor disposed in a bypass line. Deposits on the surface of the temperature-dependent resistor are removed in a burnoff process, preferably following the opening of the ignition switch. The danger then exists that if the device is used in a motor vehicle, combustible fuel-air mixture located in the vicinity of the temperature-dependent resistor may ignite, and the temperature-dependent resistor would thereby be destroyed because of overheating. For this reason, a slide member is pushed into the flow cross-section during the burnoff process, so that only a small combustible volume is available in the vicinity of the temperature-dependent resistor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for determining various diagnostic conditions of an internal combustion engine from an analysis of the resonances of a reflected microwave signal radiated into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. Various parameters of each microwave resonance are calculated including: (1) the location of the resonance with respect to the crank angle of a crankshaft of the engine; (2) the peak-to-peak amplitude of the resonance; (3) the slope of the resonance; (4) the quality factor or "Q" of the resonance; and (5) the symmetry of parameters 1 through 4 with respect to turnaround points of the piston in the cylinder of the engine. The calculated parameters are thereafter correlated with reference parameters to determine the particular diagnostic condition.

Abstract: Method and system for characterizing a vertical modified in situ oil shale retort prior to ignition of the retort. The retort is formed by mining a void at the bottom of a proposed retort in an oil shale deposit. The deposit is then sequentially blasted into the void to form a plurality of layers of rubble. A plurality of units each including a tracer gas cannister are installed at the upper level of each rubble layer prior to blasting to form the next layer. Each of the units includes a receiver that is responsive to a coded electromagnetic (EM) signal to release gas from the associated cannister into the rubble. Coded EM signals are transmitted to the receivers to selectively release gas from the cannisters. The released gas flows through the retort to an outlet line connected to the floor of the retort. The time of arrival of the gas at a detector unit in the outlet line relative to the time of release of gas from the cannisters is monitored.