Abstract: An improved gas piston system for the automatic loading of a rifle, especially a rifle of the M-16/AR-15 type. The system employs a barrel nut, or an adaptor to a barrel nut, that has been modified to secure one end of a gas piston system. The other end of the gas piston system, namely the piston rod, engages, either directly or indirectly, the key on a bolt carrier group. This configuration positions the gas piston system at a point starting near the barrel nut and extending to the bolt carrier group of the rifle, while a gas tube extends from the gas block to the gas piston system a point near the barrel nut.

Abstract: An improved gas piston system for the automatic loading of a rifle, especially a rifle of the M-16/AR-15 type. The system employs a barrel nut, or an adaptor to a barrel nut, that has been modified to secure one end of a gas piston system. The other end of the gas piston system, namely the piston rod, engages, either directly or indirectly, the key on a bolt carrier group. This configuration positions the gas piston system at a point starting near the barrel nut and extending to the bolt carrier group of the rifle, while a gas tube extends from the gas block to the gas piston system a point near the barrel nut.

Abstract: An improved gas piston system for the automatic loading of a rifle, especially a rifle of the M-16/AR-15 type. The system employs a nut, or an adaptor to a barrel nut, that has been modified to secure one end of a gas piston system. The other end of the gas piston system, namely the piston rod, engages, either directly or indirectly, the key on a bolt carrier group. This configuration positions the gas piston system at a point starting near the barrel nut and extending to the bolt carrier group of the rifle, while a gas tube extends from the gas block to the gas piston system a point near the barrel nut.

Abstract: A targeting apparatus configured for attachment to a hand-held blast nozzle is presented that has a housing with a through hole to accept the nozzle, where the housing has a front face surface containing at least three optical devices that can be adjusted to a focal point of convergence of variable distance along a centerline of the nozzle outlet. The targeting apparatus can also include an array of lamps positioned around the front face surface to project task lighting on a workpiece to be blasted.

Abstract: A surface area of a structure is fabricated with a textured surface that reduces the surface wear rate or erosion caused by a high speed flow of fluid containing abrasive particles over the surface area. More particularly, a leading edge surface such as a rotor leading edge surface, an aircraft airfoil leading edge surface, a propeller leading edge surface, etc. is fabricated with a textured surface comprised of a plurality of grooves that alter or break up a high speed flow of fluid containing abrasive particles over the textured surface. The grooves are contacted by the high speed flow of fluid containing the abrasive particles and alter or break up the flow of fluid and abrasive particles and thereby reduce surface wear rate or erosion of the structure leading edge.

Abstract: A surface area of a structure is fabricated with a textured surface that reduces the surface wear rate or erosion caused by a high speed flow of fluid containing abrasive particles over the surface area. More particularly, a leading edge surface such as a rotor leading edge surface, an aircraft airfoil leading edge surface, a propeller leading edge surface, etc. is fabricated with a textured surface comprised of a plurality of grooves that alter or break up a high speed flow of fluid containing abrasive particles over the textured surface. The grooves are contacted by the high speed flow of fluid containing the abrasive particles and alter or break up the flow of fluid and abrasive particles and thereby reduce surface wear rate or erosion of the structure leading edge.

Abstract: A targeting apparatus configured for attachment to a hand-held blast nozzle is presented that has a housing with a through hole to accept the nozzle, where the housing has a front face surface containing at least three optical devices that can be adjusted to a focal point of convergence of variable distance along a centerline of the nozzle outlet. The targeting apparatus can also include an array of lamps positioned around the front face surface to project task lighting on a workpiece to be blasted.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus is disclosed and which includes a cutter knife which is reciprocally moveable along a path of travel, a track member mounted adjacent to the cutter knife, and which mechanically cooperates with the cutter knife so as to define, at least in part, a first non-cutting position, and the second, cutting position for the cutter knife, and a magnet mounted on the track member and which releasably magnetically restrains the cutter knife when the cutter knife is in either of the first non-cutting position, or the second, cutting position.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus is disclosed and which includes a cutter knife which is reciprocally moveable along a path of travel, a track member mounted adjacent to the cutter knife, and which mechanically cooperates with the cutter knife so as to define, at least in part, a first non-cutting position, and the second, cutting position for the cutter knife, and a magnet mounted on the track member and which releasably magnetically restrains the cutter knife when the cutter knife is in either of the first non-cutting position, or the second, cutting position.

Abstract: A method for configuring an ultrasound system for an examination comprises displaying a plurality of examination categories for selection by a user, receiving a user-selected examination category, identifying any probes connected to the ultrasound system, determining which of the connected probes are suitable for the user-selected examination category, for each suitable connected probe, displaying an indication identifying the suitable connected probe for selection by the user, receiving a user-selected probe identification, and, activating a selected probe indicated by the user-selected probe identification for data acquisition.

Abstract: An adhesive composition that can be used in particleboards and other composites is formed from an aqueous mixture of soy protein, zinc sulfate heptahydrate, calcium oxide, sodium benzoate, pine oil, wax emulsion and non-sulfonated kraft lignin. In a second embodiment the composition further includes an acid.

Abstract: A condom includes a condom tubular side wall having a first side wall end and a second side wall end, the tubular side wall being rolled outwardly and over itself from the second side wall end toward the first side wall end to form a side wall roll; a condom end wall sealingly joined to the tubular side wall at the first side wall end; and at least one strip of flexible material having a gripping tab end segment with a touch distinctive tactile surface on one side thereof, the at least one strip being wound within the side wall roll so that the gripping tab end segment and touch distinctive tactile surface of the at least one strip protrudes from the side wall roll. A method of assembling the condom includes the step of winding the at least one strip together with the tubular side wall outwardly and over the tubular side wall toward the side wall second end to form a side wall roll, so that the gripping tab end segment protrudes from the side wall roll.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for nondestructive evaluation of butt welds. The present invention in its broadest form includes an apparatus and method for detecting flaws in butt welds in steel sheets using horizontal shear ultrasonic waves generated on the surface thereof. Observation of reflected waves having amplitude greater than a chosen value signals the presence of significant flaw. To achieve this objective, the present apparatus detects only reflected horizontal shear waves; other modes are electronically removed using bandpass filters, since they occur at different frequencies. The invention may therefore be used in the presence of surface structures such as clamps and the like, and in the presence of surface nonuniformities in the vicinity of the weld, thereby permitting on-line flaw detection steel mill environment without interfering with the line output.

Abstract: The system for field measurement of texture, stress and related material properties such as formability parameters using ultrasonic velocity measurements through crystalline plate or sheet. Electromagnetic acoustic transducers are utilized to generate, transmit, and receive ultrasonic bursts through the plate at different angular orientations with respect to the plane of the plate. Two of the transducers are driven in series when generating the ultrasonic bursts. Time measurements between transmission and reception of the bursts are precisely derived and converted into velocities. Information regarding stress, texture, and other related material properties such as formability parameters can be derived from these velocity measurements. The system is adjustable to be used for both ferrous and nonferrous crystalline plate. Alteration of the types of ultrasonic waves utilized, and the methods of generating the waves allows different properties such as texture and stress to be derived.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electromagnetic acoustic transducer for use with electrically conductive objects. The transducer includes an electromagnet for establishing a static magnetic field directed into the object in a first region and directed out of the object in a second region. A meander coil for inducing eddy currents in the object when an alternating current is applied to the coil includes a first serpentine printed circuit on a first side of a printed circuit board and a second serpentine printed circuit on a second side of the board. The source and the coil are so oriented that the vector product of the field and the eddy currents produces an instantaneous force field in the object which is periodically alternately oriented.

Abstract: An electromagnetic transducer for exciting selected modes of ultrasonic vibration in a tubular body. The transducer includes a plurality of rows of permanent magnets of alternating polarity with a coil provided about the magnets whereby a current is conducted through the magnetic fields. The rows of magnets are provided in carriers which are yieldably biased towards the inner surface of a tubular body during inspection.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the thickness of an object, including the steps of generating a higher order mode ultrasonic wave at a first location on the object, varying the frequency of the generated wave, and measuring, at a second location on the object, the minimum frequency at which the generated wave will propagate in the object. Where the ultrasonic wave generated is a horizontally polarized shear wave, the thickness t may be calculated from the relationshipt=(n V.sub.s)/(2 f.sub.c),where:n is the wave mode number,V.sub.s is the shear wave velocity, andf.sub.c is the minimum propagation frequency.Alternatively, the steps may be repeated for the next consecutive frequency minimum and the thickness t calculated from the formulat=V.sub.s /(2 .DELTA.f.sub.c)where: .DELTA.f.sub.c is the difference between two consecutive frequency minima.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for evaluating the structural integrity of an object, including the steps of generating a lowest order horizontal shear wave in the object, detecting the wave after it has propagated through the object, time gating the detected signal to reject nonuseful portions, Fourier transforming the time response of the detected signal into a frequency dependent response, and predicting the structural integrity of the object from the characteristics of the frequency response.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electromagnetic acoustic transducer, including an electrical conductor adapted to carry an alternating current in a current plane, the current being conveyed by the conductor in uniformly spaced, parallel, and alternate directions at any instant, and a source of magnetic flux positioned to direct a static magnetic field parallel to the alternate directions, the transducer thereby being adapted to generate or detect a horizontally polarized shear wave in a ferromagnetic material. The transducer may be made unidirectional by adding a second electrical conductor adapted to carry a second alternating current 90.degree.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nondestructive test device for detecting a flaw proximate to a welded seam in a pipe, including an electromagnetic acoustic transmitting transducer for generating a horizontally polarized shear wave in the wall of the pipe, a high frequency generator operatively connected to the transmitting transducer for energizing the transducer, an electromagnetic acoustic receiving transducer for responding to a horizontally polarized shear wave within the wall, an amplifier operatively connected to the receiving transducer for boosting the response signal of the transducer, and an indicating instrument for receiving and displaying the amplified response signal. In the test method disclosed, a horizontally polarized shear wave is generated in the wall, the pipe is monitored to detect a reflected horizontally polarized shear wave, and a time-dependent representation of the amplitude of the reflected wave is displayed.