Abstract: A tool to replace motorcycle brake pads is used for back seating disc brake pistons into their bores to make room for replacement of old brake pads with new brake pads. The tool comprises a pair of curved elongated substantially flat members wedged at one end that mount onto either side of wheel assembly discs. Once mounted and secured upon the discs, the wheel assembly is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, causing the wedged ends to slide in between the disc brake pistons and the wheel assembly disc. This forcing the seating of disc brake pistons into their bores when the plateaued section of the tool is forced between the seating disc brake pistons and the wheel assembly disc, thus making room for the installation of new brake pads.
Abstract: A sound imaging system, which by processing left and right stereo channel audio signals of a conventional two channel stereo system, distributes signals to a speaker array of a number of speakers determined by a listening area. Listeners located in different places within the listening area, can have an audible perception of an equivalent distribution to that of the conventional two channel stereo system. Additionally they will have an audible central perception of the centered program material equivalent to that obtained from the conventional two channel stereo system when the listeners are located in a median plane of the conventional two channel stereo system speakers.
Abstract: A test apparatus and method of its use for evaluating various performance aspects of a test specimen is disclosed. A chamber within a housing contains a cold mass tank with a contact surface in contact with a first surface of a test specimen. The first surface of the test specimen is spaced from the second surface of the test specimen by a thickness. The second surface of the test specimen is maintained at a desired warm temperature. The first surface is maintained at a constant temperature by a liquid disposed within the cold mass tank. A boil-off flow rate of the gas is monitored and provided to a processor along with the temperature of the first and second surfaces of the test specimen. The processor calculates thermal insulation values of the test specimen including comparative values for heat flux and apparent thermal conductivity (k-value). The test specimen may be placed in any vacuum pressure level ranging from about 0.01 millitorr to 1,000,000 millitorr with different residual gases as desired.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 11, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 30, 2004
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Inventors:
James E. Fesmire, Stanislaw D. Augustynowicz
Abstract: Flame arrestor to cover aircraft engines made up of one ventilation wire grid (6), one upper metallic plate (9) where wire grid sits (6) on the edges of a circular hole (10) and a wall (25) which is located next to a chamfer (26) placed at the edge of a central hole (5) existing in the platform (3). On the lower side of the thin composite wall (25) there is a flange cylinder formed by a disc (15) a cylindrical ring (14) coinciding in height with the chamfer (26), creating an interior cavity (27) where gases are conducted and accumulated. All these elements are joined together by some bolts (22) that go through them and finish with a lower metallic plate (12) and an octagonal shaped part (19) separated by a specific distance established by the appropriate elements like bushing or spacer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 23, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 2, 2004
Assignee:
Gamesa Desarrollos Aeronauticos SA.
Inventors:
Joseba Aramburu, Ernesto Saenz, A. Rosa Torres, Ivan Villalva
Abstract: A device for switching between two inlet ports in a skimmer submerged in a body of water so that the latter can be cleaned (filtered) from two different areas. A conventional skimmer has first housing with a filter basket mounted therein and a second housing mounted within the first housing below a cover assembly centrally mounted within the first housing. A vertically movable piston assembly movable within the second housing and with an upright elongated tubular shaft that slides through a shaft opening in the cover activates a valve when the piston approaches its uppermost position closing one of the two inlet ports in the cover. The speed at which the piston assembly moves upwardly to close the first inlet is regulated with a restricting valve at the upper end of the tubular shaft. The result being to change the active inlet ports allowing the cleaning of the body of water from two inlet locations.
Abstract: A signal conditioning amplifier receives an input signal from an input such as a transducer. The signal is amplified and processed through an analog to digital converter and sent to a processor. The processor estimates the input signal provided by the transducer to the amplifier via a multiplexer. The estimated input signal is provided as a calibration voltage to the amplifier immediately following the receipt of the amplified input signal. The calibration voltage is amplified by the amplifier and provided to the processor as an amplified calibration voltage. The amplified calibration voltage is compared to the amplified input signal, and if a significant error exists, the gain and/or offset of the amplifier may be adjusted as necessary.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 15, 2002
Date of Patent:
October 5, 2004
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Inventors:
Pedro J. Medelius, Carlos T. Mata, Anthony Eckhoff, Jose Perotti, Angel Lucena
Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is oxidized into nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by the high temperature decomposition of a hydrogen peroxide solution to produce the oxidative free radicals, hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl. The hydrogen peroxide solution is impinged upon a heated surface in a stream of nitric oxide where it decomposes to produce the oxidative free radicals. Because the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide solution occurs within the stream of the nitric oxide, rapid gas-phase oxidation of nitric oxide into nitrogen dioxide occurs.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 6, 2001
Date of Patent:
September 21, 2004
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Abstract: A device and procedure for checking the health of a pressure transducer in situ is provided. The procedure includes measuring a fixed change in pressure above ambient pressure and a fixed change in pressure below ambient pressure. This is done by first sealing an enclosed volume around the transducer with a valve. A piston inside the sealed volume is then driven forward, compressing the enclosed gas, thereby increasing the pressure. A fixed pressure below ambient pressure is obtained by opening the valve, driving the piston forward, sealing the valve, and then retracting the piston. The output of the pressure transducer is recorded for both the overpressuring and the underpressuring. By comparing this data with data taken during a preoperative calibration, the health of the transducer is determined from the linearity, the hysteresis, and the repeatability of its output. The further addition of a thermometer allows constant offset error in the transducer output to be determined.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 9, 2001
Date of Patent:
August 31, 2004
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Inventors:
Christopher D. Immer, Anthony Eckhoff, Pedro J. Medelius, Richard T. Deyoe, Stanley O. Starr
Abstract: A five-stroke internal combustion engine that improves fuel efficiency, power output, and decreases emissions. The five strokes are an intake stroke, a recycle stroke, a compression stroke, a power stroke, and the exhaust stroke. The five-stroke internal combustion engine provides for recycling some of the fuel-air mixture during the recycle stroke and provides a greater power stroke to compression stroke ratio. A condensed fuel-air separator for the fuel-air mixture and a recycle valve for that condensed fuel-air separator are part of the design. The instant invention may be utilized for gasoline, diesel and natural gas type engines.
Abstract: A trim assembly (20) having a longitudinally extending housing (21) that is mounted against a structure or wall (W) adjacent to a movable garage door (D). The housing includes a longitudinal bay (22) in a first longittudinally extending wall (27). A longitudinally extending sealing member (30) is removably mounted to the bay (22) at one longitudinally extending side (32) thereof and the distal longitudinal side (34) of the sealing member coacts with the garage door (D) to provide a sealing slidable engagement thereon. The sending member (30) is made out of resilient material such as rubber. A longitudinal slot (28) is provided on a second wall (23) of the housing (21) opposite the first wall. The first wall including cooperating through openings (26) aligned with the slot to permit fastening members (40) to go through.
Abstract: Process for transforming the residues left after tanning without chroming and the products thereby obtained, based on the process of homogenizing (2) the raw material (1), which consists of the leftovers of the tanning industry, such as remnants of skin with hair, trimmings, suede, etc. A mineral acid (3) is added to the mixture, as are semi-metals and metals (4) with a valency of 0, phenol and phenolate (15). The mixture is put in a pressure vessel (5) and is filtered (6) to separate the liquid portion (7) and the solid part (9), which can be neutralized (10) or treated with micro organisms (13).
This process is intended to be used in the leather and fur industry as well as in agriculture.
Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivering power from a D.C. voltage source to one or more D.C. loads rated at lower voltages. The invention provides for the repetitive application of the higher D.C. voltage to the loads for a predetermined time period sufficient for the load to operate yet not too long to ensure that the load will not be damaged. To implement the invention, a clock signal provides the time reference for separate slots allocated for the time periods associated with each of the loads. A user selectively enables or interrupts the repetitive connection to each of one of the loads. The rate of repetition of the connection of the high voltage source could vary from 60 to 200 Hertz, preferably without degrading the operation of typical loads.