Abstract: A lower leg protector includes a body having a base and a recessed region. The recessed region is arranged in the body opposite the base and is configured to receive a lower leg of a patient.

Abstract: The personal transportation rail system includes an automated, elevated single lane throughway comprising multi-gauge rail track arranged in various combinations. A computerized control system regulates spacing of vehicles while maintaining uniform speed. The rail switching is accomplished by variable gauge rail wheels on the vehicle, which selectively engage or avoid engaging with various wider rail-gauge tracks. On-ramps extend from a guideway station and are taken by the vehicle temporarily engaging with a descending wide-gauge section of track that ends side by side in parallel with the narrow-gauge track. Off-ramps lead into the guideway station as the vehicle engages with the wide-gauge section of throughway track initially in parallel with the narrow-gauge track, the wide-gauge track ascending to remove the vehicle from the main rail line. Bypassing the guideway station involves continuing engagement of the variable gauge wheels with the narrow-gauge track.

Abstract: A heel float therapeutic footwear for people that spend a large amount of time in bed. The heel float therapeutic footwear includes a lower leg support portion, a foot support portion, and a wing support structure. The foot support portion extends from the lower leg support portion and includes a foot support platform. The wing support structure is permanently attached to the foot support platform. The wing support structure is adjustably fastenable to a side of the lower leg support portion to adjustably support a position and an angle of the foot support platform with respect to the lower leg support portion. A method of making a heel float therapeutic footwear is also disclosed.

Abstract: An ultra low power, long range, robust radar system, for applications such as ionospheric sounding. The HF transmit signal and the received (reflected) signal are both unswitched and high frequency and share a path to a common loop antenna. The transmit signal originates at a local oscillator (LO), and is sufficiently low power to not saturate the receive signal path. A balun divides the local oscillator signal between the transmit path forward to the antenna and a mixer path, and also divides the received signal between the mixer path and the LO path. A mixer converts the mixed LO and received signal to baseband.

Abstract: An ultra low power, long range, robust radar system, for applications such as ionospheric sounding. The HF transmit signal and the received (reflected) signal are both unswitched and high frequency and share a path to a common loop antenna. The transmit signal originates at a local oscillator (LO), and is sufficiently low power to not saturate the receive signal path. A balun divides the local oscillator signal between the transmit path forward to the antenna and a mixer path, and also divides the received signal between the mixer path and the LO path. A mixer converts the mixed LO and received signal to baseband.

Abstract: The public highway system includes automated, elevated single lane throughways having wide and narrow gauge rail track arranged in various combinations. A control system regulates spacing of bimodal vehicles while maintaining a uniform speed for all vehicles on the system. The bimodal vehicles perform as conventional automobiles on conventional roadways and as fully automated safe high speed vehicles on elevated single lane, single speed, high-density electric rail guideways using static vertical switching accomplished by operation of variable gauge rail wheels on the vehicle to engage with or disengage from a wide gauge track portion wider than the bimodal vehicles. Vehicles enter/leave the mainline on the narrower gauge track. The wider gauge is for passing over off-ramps or in switching systems. A single lane can handle 15,800 veh/hr including mixed use such as mail, freight, mass transit in captive driverless vehicles with exclusive off-ramps to federal, commercial, industrial and public terminals.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a rotor, a stator, and a plurality of magnets forming bearing poles coupled to a selected one of the stator or the rotor. The apparatus further includes a plurality of shorted coils coupled to the other of the stator and the rotor. The plurality of bearing poles and shorted coils co-operate to form an electrodynamic bearing during rotation of the rotor. The electrodynamic bearing supports the rotor either axially or radially during operation. Hydrodynamic bearing surfaces are provided for generating a hydrodynamic bearing between the rotor and stator. The plurality of magnets may comprise a plurality of distinct magnetic elements or a single element comprising a plurality of distinct magnetic domains. The plurality of distinct magnetic elements or domains may be arranged to form a Halbach array.

Abstract: A pump includes an impeller, a stator, and a plurality of magnets forming bearing poles coupled to a selected one of the stator or the impeller. The pump further includes a plurality of shorted coils coupled to the other of the stator and the impeller. The plurality of bearing poles and shorted coils co-operate to form an electrodynamic bearing during rotation of the impeller. The electrodynamic bearing supports the impeller either axially or radially during operation of the pump. Hydrodynamic bearing surfaces are provided for generating a hydrodynamic bearing between the impeller and stator. The plurality of magnets may comprise a plurality of distinct magnetic elements or a single element comprising a plurality of distinct magnetic domains. The plurality of distinct magnetic elements or domains may be arranged to form a Halbach array.

Abstract: A pump includes an impeller, a stator, and a plurality of magnets forming bearing poles coupled to a selected one of the stator or the impeller. The pump further includes a plurality of shorted coils coupled to the other of the stator and the impeller. The plurality of bearing poles and shorted coils co-operate to form an electrodynamic bearing during rotation of the impeller. The electrodynamic bearing supports the impeller either axially or radially during operation of the pump. Hydrodynamic bearing surfaces are provided for generating a hydrodynamic bearing between the impeller and stator. The plurality of magnets may comprise a plurality of distinct magnetic elements or a single element comprising a plurality of distinct magnetic domains. The plurality of distinct magnetic elements or domains may be arranged to form a Halbach array.

Abstract: A pump includes an impeller, a stator, and a plurality of permanent magnets forming bearing poles coupled to a selected one of the stator or the impeller. The pump further includes a plurality of shorted coils coupled to the other of the stator and the impeller. The plurality of bearing poles and shorted coils co-operate to form an electrodynamic bearing during rotation of the impeller. The electrodynamic bearing supports the impeller either axially or radially during operation of the pump. Currents induced into each coil by a single bearing pole or by a plurality of bearing poles substantially simultaneously produce an electrodynamically generated magnetic field that repels the inducing bearing pole(s) when the impeller is rotating.

Abstract: A pump includes an impeller, a stator, and a plurality of permanent magnets forming bearing poles coupled to a selected one of the stator or the impeller. The pump further includes a plurality of shorted coils coupled to the other of the stator and the impeller. The plurality of bearing poles and shorted coils co-operate to form an electrodynamic bearing during rotation of the impeller. The electrodynamic bearing supports the impeller either axially or radially during operation of the pump. Currents induced into each coil by a single bearing pole or by a plurality of bearing poles substantially simultaneously produce an electrodynamically generated magnetic field that repels the inducing bearing pole(s) when the impeller is rotating.

Abstract: A resistivity sensor system for use with sealed, gas-insulated electrical apparatus. The system includes a resistivity sensor for placement within a housing of the electrical apparatus. The sensor itself includes an electrically insulating substrate, a pair of spaced-apart electrodes located on the substrate, and a polymer film in the space between the electrodes. The electrical resistivity across the polymer film changing significantly with the occurrence of a fault within the vicinity of the sensor, as the fault causes a reaction at the polymer film. To detect the location of the fault, a voltage is applied across the electrodes, and the current flowing through the electrodes is measured.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a halogen leak detector is disclosed in which the cathode portion is provided with a hollow metal tube through which air or other cooling fluid is passed. This hollow metal tube may also serve as the cathode electrical connection and for mechanical support. Since halogen leak detector systems are typically provided with air pumps for the passage of ambient air through the detector, it is a simple matter to also pass a stream of ambient air through the hollow metal tube in the cathode in order to maintain the cathode at a lower and more controlled temperature, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the detector and prolonging its useful life.

Abstract: Smoke is detected by a surface ionization effect on a heated wire filament disposed opposite a negative ion collector electrode. Current flow between the wire and the electrode increases in the presence of smoke. The increase is probably attributable to surface ionization of smoke particles on the heated wire.

Abstract: A halogen detector is disclosed herein in which the active alkali metal compound is independently heated thereby permitting the sensor to discriminate between halogen compounds of different thermal stabilities. Certain lesser stable halogen compounds such as Freon 22 and chloroform can be distinguished from more stable halogen compounds such as Freon 12 when such halogen compounds are present in air.