Abstract: Carboranylmethylene-substituted cyclophosphazenes which can be thermally polymerized into carboranylmethylene-substituted phosphazene polymers, useful as thermally stable coatings and, due to the characteristics of these polymers in acting as a ligand for transition metals, metallocarboranylmethylene phosphazene polymers which can act as immobilized catalyst systems, and are electrically conductive and superconductive.

Abstract: This electronic scanning pressure system includes a plurality of pressure transducers (60). A means (22) obtains an electrical signal indicative of a pressure measurement from each of the plurality of pressure transducers (60). A multiplexing means (12) is connected for selectively supplying inputs from the plurality of pressure transducers (60) to the signal obtaining means (22). A data bus (10) connects the plurality of pressure transducers (60) to the multiplexing means (12). A latch circuit (16) is connected to supply control inputs to the multiplexing means (12). An address bus (14) is connected to supply an address signal of a selected one of the plurality of pressure transducers (60) to the latch circuit (16). In operation, each of the pressure transducers (60) is successively scanned by the multiplexing means (12) in response to address signals supplied on the address bus (14) to the latch circuit (16).

Abstract: Perfluoroether triazine elastomers having improved properties and utility in seals, gaskets, sealing components and the like are prepared from oligomeric imidoylamidines that have, in turn, been prepared by the process of (a) reacting a perfluorodinitrile with liquid ammonia to yield a perfluorodiamidine, (b) isolating the perfluorodiamidine, (c) reacting the isolated diamidine with a perfluorodinitrile to yield a perfluoro(imidoylamidine) dinitrile, and then repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) to sequentially grow an oligomer of desired molecular size. The isolated amidine and nitrile intermediates are also disclosed.

Abstract: Flame-resistant reinforced bodies are disclosed which are composed of reinforcing fibers, filaments or fabrics in a cured body of bis- and tris-imide resins derived from tris(m-aminophenyl) phosphine oxides by reaction with maleic anhydride or its derivatives, or of addition polymers of such imides, including a variant in which a mono-imide is condensed with a dianhydride and the product is treated with a further quantity of maleic anhydride.

Abstract: Phosphine oxide-containing polyimide resins modified by elastomers, having improved mechanical properties and particularly useful in the production of fiber or fabric-reinforced composites or laminates.

Abstract: Addition of controlled amounts of perfluorinated alkyl ether diacyl fluoride to epoxy resin systems prior to cure results in a formulation which, when cured with or without reinforcing, exhibits improved energy absorbing properties.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to methods and devices for installing in a tubular shaft multiple strain gages, and more particularly to a method and a device for pneumatically forcing strain gages into seated engagement with the internal surfaces of a tubular shaft in an installation of multiple strain gages in a tubular shaft. The essence of the invention involves the novel concept of seating strain gages or other electronic devices in a template-like component, wrapping the template-like component about a pneumatically expansible body, inserting the component into a shaft and expanding the body pneumatically, a suitable adhesive having been applied to the surfaces.

Abstract: Fire extinguishant composition comprising a mixture of a finely divided aluminum compound and alkali metal, stannous or plumbous halide. Aluminum compound may be aluminum hydroxide, alumina or boehmite but preferably it is an alkali metal dawsonite. The metal halide may be an alkali metal, e.g. potassium iodide, bromide or chloride or stannous or plumbous iodide, bromide or chloride. Potassium iodide is preferred.

Abstract: Bis- and tris-imides derived from tris(m-aminophenyl) phosphine oxides by reaction with maleic anhydride or its derivatives, and addition polymers of such imides, including a variant in which a mono-imide is condensed with a dianhydride and the product is treated with a further quantity of maleic anhydride. Such monomers or their oligomers may be used to impregnate fibers and fabrics which when cured, are flame resistant. Also an improved method of producing tris(m-aminophenyl) phosphine oxides from the nitro analogues by reduction with hydrazine hydrate using palladized charcoal or Raney nickel as the catalyst.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an improved laser altimeter for a flight simulator which will allow measurement of the height of the simulator probe above the terrain directly below the probe tip.A laser beam 22 is directed from the probe 13 at an angle .theta. to the horizontal to produce a beam spot 20 on the terrain. The angle .theta. that the laser beam 22 makes with the horizontal is varied so as to bring the beam spot into coincidence with a plumb line 18 coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the probe 13. A television altimeter camera 30 observes the beam spot and has a raster line aligned with the plumb line 18. Spot detector circuit 26 coupled to the output of the TV camera monitors the position of the beam spot relative to the plumb line 18. An error signal is produced by computer 28 driving, via a servo motor 23, the laser beam optics so as to cause the beam spot to come into coincidence with the plumb line 18.

Abstract: A mounting device 10 for securing a microphone pick-up head 12 flush with respect to the external surfaces of the skin 14 of an aircraft A for detecting shock waves passing thereover. The mount includes a sleeve 30 mounted internally of the aircraft for capturing and supporting an electronics package having the microphone pick-up head attached thereto in a manner such that the head 12 is flush with the external surface of the aircraft skin and a pressure seal is established between the internal and external surfaces of the aircraft skin.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for making laminate patterns for a resin matrix composite structural component. A sheet of paper (28) is temporarily adhered to a model (26) of the structural component. Pen (13) is positioned on paper (28) with spindle (24) touching the model surface opposite the pen. The pen and spindle are moved along the path that maintains the aforementioned contacts. The resulting line (31) traced on paper (28) is a model constant-thickness locus and provides a pattern for a single lamination of resin-impregnated fabric. The steps are repeated to make other patterns and each time the steps are repeated the distance between the tracer and the spindle is changed to correspond to the thickness of a lamination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the concentration of coliform bacteria in a sample. The sample containing the coliform bacteria is cultured in a liquid growth medium. The cultured bacteria produce hydrogen and the hydrogen is vented to a second cell containing a buffer solution in which the hydrogen dissolves. By measuring the potential change in the buffer solution caused by the hydrogen, as a function of time, the initial concentration of bacteria in the sample is determined. Alternatively, the potential change in the buffer solution can be compared with the potential change in the liquid growth medium to verify that the potential change in the liquid growth medium is produced primarily by the hydrogen gas produced by the coliform bacteria.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of carbonizing polyacrylonitrile fibers (PAN fibers) by exposing the fibers at an elevated temperature to an oxidizing atmosphere, then exposing the oxidized fibers to an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen containing a carbonaceous material such as acetylene. The fibers are preferably treated with an organic compound, for example benzoic acid, before the exposure to an oxidizing atmosphere. The invention also relates to the resulting fibers. The treated fibers have enhanced tensile strength.

Abstract: A high temperature stable and solar radiation stable thermal control coating either useful as such, applied directly to a member to be protected, or applied as a coating on a re-usable surface insulation (RSI) has a base coat layer and an overlay glass layer. The base coat layer has a high emittance, and the overlay layer is formed from discrete, but sintered together glass particles to give the overlay layer a high scattering coefficient. The resulting two-layer space and thermal control coating has an absorptivity-to-emissivity ratio of less than or equal to 0.4 at room temperature, with an emittance of 0.8 at 1200.degree. F. It is capable of exposure to either solar radiation or temperatures as high as 2000.degree. F. without significant degradation. When used as a coating on a silica substrate to give an RSI structure, the coatings of this invention show significantly less reduction in emittance after long term convective heating and less residual strain than prior art coatings for RSI structures.

Abstract: A portable dual-laser-beam interferometer is described that nonintrusively measures skin friction by monitoring the thickness change of an oil film at two locations while said oil film is subjected to shear stress. An interferometer flat is utilized to develop the two beams. Light detectors sense the beam reflections from the oil film and the surface thereunder. The signals from the detectors are recorded so that the number of interference fringes produced over a given time span may be counted.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an optical system for rotating the plane defined by a pair of parallel light beams.In one embodiment (see FIG. 4) a single pair of rhomboid prisms 36 and 37 have their respective input faces 15 disposed to receive the respective input beams 21 and 22. Each prism is rotated about an axis of revolution coaxial with each of the respective input beams 21 and 22 by means of a suitable motor 29 and gear arrangement 41 to cause the plane of the parallel output beams 21' and 22' to be rotated relative to the plane of the input beams.In a second embodiment, two pairs (FIG. 2) of rhomboid prisms 23, 24 and 31, 32 are provided. In a first angular orientation of the output beams, prisms 23 and 24 serve to merely decrease the lateral displacement of the output beams for keeping the beams in the same plane as the input beams. In a second angular orientation of the prisms (FIG.

Abstract: Alkali metal and ammonium dawsonites can be prepared by a non-aqueous process according to which equimolar quantities of the corresponding hydrogen carbonate and aluminum hydroxide in finely divided state are heated together to a temperature within the range of 150.degree. to 250.degree. C. for a period of 1 to 6 hours under a carbon dioxide pressure within the range of 120 to 360 psig. Carbonates may be used instead of hydrogencarbonates.

Abstract: A low-drag truck consisting of a tractor-trailer rig (10) characterized by a rounded forebody and a protective fairing (16) for the gap conventionally found to exist between the tractor and the trailer, particularly suited for establishing an attached flow of ambient air along the surfaces thereof, and a forward facing, ram air inlet and duct (24 and 22) and a plurality of submerged inlets (18) and outflow ports (20) communicating with the trailer (14) for continuously flushing heated gasses from the trailer as the rig is propelled at highway speeds.

Abstract: Fluorinated alkyl or alkylether 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds are prepared by cyclizing the corresponding alkyl or alkylether imidoylamidoximes in vacuo or in an inert atmosphere at a temperature within the range of 40.degree. to 100.degree. C. for a period of 8 to 144 hours in the presence of an acid compound which can accept ammonia to form a salt. The imidoylamidoximes usable in this process may be either polymeric or nonpolymeric. The products, when polymeric, have excellent heat, chemical and solvent resistance.