Abstract: A ratchet screwdriver contains a magnetic clutch assembly which is accessible by external switching means. The switching means can alternately switch the clutch assembly from a first position to a second position and vice-versa. When the clutch assembly is in the first position the handle will be in a fixed relationship with the shaft and head when the handle is turned in a clockwise direction but will rotate relative to the shaft and head when the handle is turned in a counterclockwise direction. ALternatively, when the clutch assembly is in the second position, the handle will be in a fixed position relative to the shaft and head when the handle is turned in a counterclockwise direction but will rotate relative to the shaft and head when the handle is turned in a clockwise direction. Previous ratchet drivers do not operate smoothly or they are much too complex.

Abstract: A tandem rod for use between locking ends of locking handles on a casement window or the like has an elongated bar with two or more brackets slidable thereon. The bar does not have any pre-existing openings by which the brackets can be affixed to the bar. The potential sites for affixing the first bracket onto the bar are infinite. The locking handles can be installed in a window first at any desired location and the tandem rod can then be fitted to the existing location of the locking handles. The tandem rod overcomes the difficulty of installation of previous tandem rods in which the locking handles must be located at pre-determined locations in the bar.

Abstract: A temporary closure for containers such as storage tanks and the like has a cap portion with arcuate thread supports extending downward from a lower surface of the cap portion. The outer surface of the thread supports has screw threads thereon, the screw threads corresponding to screw threads on an inner surface of a tank opening. The closure is made of a one piece plastic material and the thread supports are flexible enough so that the closure can be quickly and easily inserted longitudinally into the tank opening with the screw threads on the closure overriding the screw threads in the tank opening. The closure is held in place in the tank opening by the screw threads and can be removed by turning or by prying the closure out of the opening with a suitable tool.

Abstract: A two, three or four channel multiplexer can be operated in the TE.sub.01.delta. or HE.sub.11.delta. modes, each channel of the multiplexer has one bandpass filter, with each filter usually having a plurality of cavities. One cavity of each filter is a common cavity with all of the other filters of the multiplexer. The common cavity contains one independent dielectric quarter-cut or half-cut image resonator for each filter representing a channel of the multiplexer. Each resonator is mounted on a suitable support the common cavity provides a common junction and contains a loop coupling to couple electromagnetic energy between the various channels. The multiplexer has at least one input and at least one output. Previous microwave multiplexers have a plurality of bandpass filters arranged on a coaxial manifold. With the multiplexer of the present invention, the manifold can be eliminated.

Abstract: An air deflector is used on a truck, there being one deflector for each side window. Each deflector has an oblong panel with means for mounting the deflector onto a front corner of the truck with an inner surface of the panel facing the truck and a longitudinal centre line of the panel being substantially parallel to a longitudinal centre line of said corner. The panel curves smoothly around said corner and the gap between the panel and the truck increases slightly from front to rear. The panel has a folded rear edge that is folded towards said truck. The panel is held in place by upper and lower brackets mounted between the deflector and the truck, the brackets continuously decreasing in width from front to rear of the deflector and being curved to correspond to the arcuate cross section of the panel. The deflector directs air beneath the side window nearest to it, thereby maintaining the cleanliness of the side window for a much longer period.

Abstract: An electronically scanned radar system has a serpentine antenna, with at least two ports. The antenna is physically rotated. Each port has a mixer, transmitter and local oscillator feeding signals to it, the signals of the transmitter and oscillator being synchronized with one another to take advantage of the physical rotation of the antenna. The radar system can be operated in various ways to produce two independent beams simultaneously in a surveillance mode and/or tracking mode at each port. Furthermore, with the use of coupling means, the system can be operated to produce four independent beams at two different frequencies simultaneously. The system can also be operated to produce one or more beams in a surveillance mode and/or one or more beams in a tracking mode at each port. Further, the system can be operated to compensate for the physical rotation of the antenna and can avoid jammers by hopping to another frequency.

Abstract: A vertical bale elevator to transfer bales of hay, straw or the like between the ground and a barn has an elongated frame with two opposing augers mounted on opposite sides of the frame. The frame contains a guide for the blades. The augers are mirror images of one another and rotate in opposite directions to force a bale upward and rearward within a frame. The guide is arranged to receive a bale in the bottom section and discharge the bale in the top section. The augers are powered by a single power source that can be reversed to move bales down the elevator rather than up. When operating in reverse, it is usually desirable to make changes to the guide. The middle sections are made in various lengths so that the total height of the elevator can be varied. With previous elevators, a chain rotates upward at a back and front of the elevator. These previous elevators are much more complex.

Abstract: An electronically scanned radiometer has a dispersive serpentine antenna with one or two ports. A mixer is connected to each port with each mixer being fed by a variable frequency local oscillator. Each oscillator provides the mixer to which it is connected with a drive signal that varies in frequency. The antenna most efficiently receives one or more beams through radiators at an angle that varies with the frequency of the drive signal at the mixer. An output is received at each port and is appropriately displayed. When the serpentine has two ports the radiometer can be operated at two orthogonal polarizations. The frequency being fed to each mixer can be varied in various predetermined patterns. Scanning of the beam can be effected by changing the frequency of observation without physically rotating the antenna. Also two simultaneous beams rotating in opposite directions with independent motions can be achieved.

Abstract: This invention relates to a supersonic nozzle (2) for injecting a gas into an infrared spectrometer, said nozzle having an aperture (24) that produces a one-dimensional expansion of said gas. The nozzle has an entrance (4) and exit (6) and between the aperture (24) and the exit (6) is a region for one-dimensional expansion of the gas. The region has two windows (14) that extend on either side of said aperture (24) towards said exit, said windows having an interior surface (30) that is set back slightly from said aperture (24). The windows (14) are made of an appropriate material such as zinc selenide to pass infrared rays and allow the gas to expand in one dimension only.

Abstract: A microwave switch that is an S-switch or a C-switch or the like has an electromagnetic actuator and a plurality of armatures. The armatures moves simultaneously in a linear path in response to the electromagnetic actuator. The actuator has one permanent magnet for each aperture and the switch has at least one coil winding. When an electric current is passed through the winding, the armatures move into a closed or open position, as desired. The only moving parts in the switch are the armatures themselves. The switch does not contain any complex mechanical arrangement or return springs that have been found in previous switches. The mass and volume of the switch as well as the number of moving parts is greatly reduced when compared to previous switches. This is very important when the switch is used in satellites.

Abstract: A tamper-evident closure cap and corresponding container have projections on a skirt of the cap corresponding to projections on a neck of the container. The skirt is conencted to a remainder of the cap by a series of severable tabs. The projections are shaped to override one another when the cap is turned onto said container but to interlock with one another when the cap is turned off said container. When the projections interlock, the force exerted on the cap severs the tabs, thereby severing the skirt from the cap and providing evidence of tampering. The cap and container are operable over a wide rnage of tolerances and the tabs can be very small when compared to previous caps and containers.

Abstract: An end protector for a reinforcing bar has a one piece support and a cushion. The support has a cylindrically-shaped receptacle with two arms extending outwardly therefrom and two longitudinal slots that are generally opposed to one another along either side of the receptacle. The arms hold the cushion in position on a side of said receptacle opposite to the reinforcing bar. When an external force is exerted on the cushion, at least part of the force is transferred through said arms to said receptacle, thereby causing the slots to narrow and the receptacle to further tighten onto said rebar. When the external force is removed, the support returns to its initial position. Thus, when no external force is exerted onto the protector, it can be easily installed or removed from an end of the reinforcing bar.

Abstract: A method of removing acid gas pollutants from flue gases and the like involving contacting the gas with a coal-water slurry, said coal being a type that has exchangeable cations. The exchangeable cations are exchanged with hydrogen ions and form salts with the sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the flue gas, thereby removing substantially all of the pollutants from the flue gas.

Abstract: A process for hydrogasification of biomass to produce high yields of methane utilizes a reactor capable of carrying out rapid pyrolysis. Biomass particles, hydrogen, particles of a suitable catalyst that has both cracking and hydrogenation activity, and heat are introduced into said reactor. Pyrolysis is carried out in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere under the following conditions: (a) a temperatue ranging from 500.degree. C. to 550.degree. C.; (b) a pressure equal to or greater than one atmosphere; (c) a gas residence time not exceeding two seconds; (d) a biomass particle residence time at least as long as the gas residence time; (e) a biomass particle size not exceeding 2 mm. The methane-rich product gas is then recovered. Conversion of carbon to methane of 69% has been attained using the process of the present invention.

Abstract: A dielectrically stabilized planar GaAs FET oscillator has a single gate transistor with a gate terminal and a drain terminal. A cylindrically shaped dielectric resonator is mounted on a ceramic support. The dielectric resonator resonates in a TE.sub.01 mode and is located on the gate line of the transistor a predeterminated distance from the gate terminal. The transistor is biased so that the dielectric resonator alone can stabilize the power produced by the transistor. Stabilized output power is obtained from both the drain terminal and the gate terminal. With previous oscillators having a single gate transistor, output power could only be obtained from one terminal.

Abstract: A reconfigurable beam-forming network for use with a transmitter has a waveguide R-switch that is interconnected with a Magic T. The R-switch contains phasing elements and is connected to a dual-mode power-dividing network, which in turn is connected to first, second and third region power-dividing networks, each having their own feed horn array. The R-switch can be moved to three different positions so that in a first position power is divided between two input ports of the dual-mode network on substantially a fifty-fifty basis with the power on the two input ports being out of phase on a positive basis. In a second position of the R-switch, power is also divided on substantially a fifty-fifty basis between the two input ports but the power is out of phase between the two ports on a negative basis. In a third position of the R-switch, substantially all of the power entering the R-switch is passed into the first input port of the dual-mode network.

Abstract: This invention relates to a modular contiguous channel multiplexer having one or more modules that produce an asymmetric filter function that is combined with responses from other modules to produce an overall symmetrical response. The multiplexer can have channels arranged in any order of relative frequencies and one or more channels can be added or removed from the multiplexer without disturbing the operation of the existing or remaining channels. A method of constructing a multiplexer involves choosing the most downstream channel first, then choosing sequentially the channel immediately upstream from the channel last chosen and choosing filters of each channel to meet certain criteria. The filters of each channel are identical to one another but are not necessarily identical to filters in adjacent channels.

Abstract: A side kick machine can be used as an exerciser or a simulator for side kicking. The machine has a kicking pad that can be adjusted in height and a handle that can be adjusted in various directions relative to the kicking pad. A stack of weights is used to vary the force required to move the kicking pad. The kicking pad can pivot from a rest position to a pivotal position in a direction away from the handle when subjected to an external force and return automatically to its rest position when the external force is removed.

Abstract: A waveguide R-switch has transformers in one or more of its three waveguide paths. The presence of the transformers allows the R-switch to be constructed of a smaller size than previous R-switch with curved outer paths. This results in important weight and volume savings.

Abstract: A quadruple mode bandpass filter has at least one cavity resonating in four independent orthogonal modes simultaneously. Preferably, the filter has two cavities, one cavity being a quadruple mode cavity and the remaining cavity being either a single mode, dual mode, triple mode or quadruple mode cavity. By introducing a resonant feedback coupling into filters of the present invention, the number of transmission zeros produced by the filter is equal to the order of the filter. Previous filters have cavities resonating in either a single, dual or triple mode and the maximum number of transmission zeros is equal to the order of the filter minus two.