Abstract: A drain valve assembly for positively sealing an aircraft waste system drain line to prevent waste fluid leakage and the formation of so-called "blue ice" due to such leakage during high altitude flight. The valve assembly has an inlet for connection to the drain line, an outlet for connection to a waste drain hose of an airport waste disposal facility, and an outer valve cover and inner ball valve between the inlet and outlet which provide truly redundant seals for the drain port in flight, can be opened with relative ease when frozen, are relatively immune to improper sealing due to obstruction by waste, enable removal of a frozen waste blockage in the waste flow path without a sudden large waste dump, and permit inspection and easy replacement, if necessary, of the valve seals.

Abstract: An inclinometer which is compatible for use with night vision equipment on aircraft and other vehicles. The inclinometer includes a white zirconia sphere movable within a damping liquid of a liquid capsule.

Abstract: The invention describes a liquid crystal display having an enlarged viewing area by moving the liquid crystal glass from the chassis portion of the assembly to the bezel portion of the assembly. In one preferred embodiment the viewing area of a horizontal situation indicator on an aircraft instrument panel may be increased by fifty percent or more.

Abstract: A method is provided in which a relatively cold lamp filament may be turned on for a brief period of time, then turned off, then turned on again, then off again, and this process repeated for successively longer periods of on time, until eventually the filament power is left on continuously. This "pulse starting" may be controlled by a programmable microcontroller in association with a power supply to the lamp filament. The result is a longer lasting lamp filament.

Abstract: Described is a backlighting module that may be used in an electronic liquid crystal display device. The backlighting includes one or more lamps within a cavity of the module. The lamps are capable of a wide range of luminance including low-level luminance achieved by a unique burst modulation scheme for driving the lamps.

Abstract: A drain valve assembly for positively sealing an aircraft waste system drain line to prevent waste fluid leakage and the formation of so-called "blue ice" due to such leakage during high altitude flight. The valve assembly has an inlet for connection to the drain line, an outlet for connection to a waste drain hose of an airport waste disposal facility, and an outer valve cover and inner ball valve between the inlet and outlet which provide truly redundant seals for the drain port in flight, can be opened with relative ease when frozen, are relatively immune to improper sealing due to obstruction by waste, enable removal of a frozen waste blockage in the waste flow path without a sudden large waste dump, and permit inspection and easy replacement, if necessary, of the valve seals.

Abstract: A drain valve assembly for positively sealing an aircraft waste system drain line to prevent waste fluid leakage and the formation of so-called "blue ice" due to such leakage during high altitude flight. The valve assembly has an inlet for connection to the drain line, an outlet for connection to a waste drain hose of an airport waste disposal facility, and an outer valve cover and inner ball valve between the inlet and outlet which provide truly redundant seals for the drain port in flight, can be opened with relative ease when frozen, are relatively immune to improper sealing due to obstruction by waste, enable removal of a frozen waste blockage in the waste flow path without a sudden large waste dump, and permit inspection and easy replacement, if necessary, of the valve seals.

Abstract: A device adheres between the sole of a bicyclist's foot and a conventional bicycle pedal to effect substantially instantaneous adherence and release therebetween without use of manual manipulation, special shoes, tools, special bicycle parts or the like. A first mating portion is removably attached to a conventional bicycle pedal utilizing fabric type adherence panels of hooks and loops of the type presently commercially available under the trademark VELCRO. A second mating portion is similarly removably attached to the sole of a conventional bicyclist's shoe. Mating panels on the top of the bicycle pedal on bottom or sole of the bicyclist's foot or shoe then create the adherence. The adherence panels are used both for attachment of the first and second mating portions to the pedal and shoe respectively, and also for creating the adherence between the bicyclist's foot and bicycle pedal.