Abstract: A magnetically operated shutter mechanism is provided that will function in cryogenic or cryogenic zero gravity environments to selectively block radiation such as light from passing through a window to a target object such as a mirror or detector located inside a cryogenic container such as a dewar. The mechanism includes a shutter paddle blade that is moved by an electromagnetically actuated torquing device between an open position where the target object is exposed to ambient radiation or light and a closed position where the shutter paddle blade shields the ambient radiation or light from the target object. The purpose of the shuttering device is to prevent the mirror or other target object from being directly exposed to radiation passing through the window located on the side wall of the dewar, thereby decreasing or eliminating any temperature gradient that would occur within the target object due to exposure to the radiation.

Abstract: An improved NDE method utilizes a laser source with modulator and scanning mirror, a pancake shape eddy current detecting coil, a lock-in amplifier, a system controller, and an impedance gain/phase analyzer. The laser is directed by the scanning mirror to a specimen to be analyzed. A very localized or small area of the specimen is impacted directly by the laser beam creating a thermal and stress wave in the specimen. An impedance gain/phase analyzer is connected to the eddy current detecting coil and to a lock-in amplifier through the system controller. The lock-in amplifier is also synchronized to the laser modulator. The system controller is used to control the lock-in amplifier, scanning mirror, and to process data from the analyzer. Raster scanning of the laser beam across the speciment allows the detection by the coil of the laser generated thermal and elastic strains induced in the specimen by the laser. The rastering of the laser beam is controlled by the controller by positioning the mirror.

Abstract: A low friction, object guidance, and gripping finger device for a robotic end effector on a robotic arm, having a pair of robotic fingers each having a finger shaft slideably located on a gripper housing attached to the end effector, each of the robotic fingers having a roller housing attached to the finger shaft. The roller housing has a ball-bearing mounted centering roller located at the center, and a pair of ball bearing mounted clamping rollers located on either side of the centering roller. The object has a recess to engage the centering roller and a number of seating ramps for engaging the clamping rollers. The centering roller acts to position and hold the object symmetrically about the centering roller with respect to the X axis and the clamping rollers act to position and hold the object with respect to the Y and Z axis.

Abstract: A superconducting bearing for a rotating member having a magnet at each extremity of the rotating member; having a bearing made of a material exhibiting Type II superconducting properties, the bearing is formed as a recess in the superconducting material in the form of a cylindrical, closed-end orifice. The bearing exerts levitation forces on the magnets at each extremity of the rotating member. Several methods for controlling the levitation forces exerted by the bearing on the magnets at each extremity of the rotating member are shown. One method is to construct the bearing from two different types of superconducting materials. Another method is to provide heating elements in the bearing. A further method is to provide an electromagnetic coil above the bearing. The bearing could also be segmented or have material removed to control the levitation forces.

Abstract: A joystick control device having a lower U-shaped bracket, an upper U-shaped bracket, a handle attached to the upper U-shaped bracket, with the upper U-shaped bracket connected to the lower U-shaped bracket by a compliant joint allowing six degrees of freedom for the joystick. The compliant joint consists of at least one cable segment affixed between the lower U-shaped bracket and the upper U-shaped bracket. At least one input device is located between the lower U-shaped bracket and the upper U-shaped bracket.

Abstract: A connector assembly comprised of two halves, each respectively including a shell type connector sub-assembly, one being an active half and the other being a passive half. The active half includes an alignment cusp that causes a coupling motion in response to coming in contact with the outer portion of the other half which causes the respective connectors within the two sub-assemblies to move toward each other into coupling relationship at twice the rate at which the two sub-assemblies come together. Both halves are adapted to rotate about and translate along respective mutually orthogonal axes to facilitate an interconnection.

Abstract: A disk memory device is provided that will maximize the storage capacity of a memory disk while at the same time maximize the record and playback data rate. Two recording disks are mounted upon a common shaft that is rotated at a fixed speed. Each disk has a recording area including a surface upon which data can be recorded/read in the form of tracks arranged either in concentric tracks or in a spiral. The recording area surfaces are divided into multiple concentric track groups. Two read/write heads and two head positioning servos (including electronic controls) are mounted such that each disk recording surface can be read out or written by the read/write heads. Each track of the multiple track groups of the first disk are given designated numbers beginning with the outer track of the outermost or edge track group and continuing in higher consecutive numbers until the inner track of the innermost track group is designated.

Abstract: A coupling device with a thermal interface occuring along a curved vertical surface is disclosed. One curved surface is on a cold pin extending from a "cold" object and the other curved surface is on a hot pin extending from a "hot" object. The cold pin is fixed and does not move while the hot pin is a flexible member and its movement towards the cold pin will bring the two curved surfaces together forming the coupling and the thermal interface. The actuator member is a shape-memory actuation wire which is attached between the hot pin and the hot object. By properly programming the actuation wire, heat from the hot object will cause the actuation wire to move the hot pin towards the cold pin forming an effective thermal interface. The shape-memory actuation wire is made from a shape-memory-effect alloy such as Nitinol.

Abstract: An angular position encoder is provided that minimizes the effects of eccentricity and other misalignments between the disk and the read stations by employing heads which incorporate beam steering optics with the ability to actively track the disk in directions along the disk radius and normal to its surface. The device adapts features prevalent in optical disk technology toward the application of angular position sensing. A reflective disk and the principles of interferometry are employed. The servo controlled steering optics move so as to acquire a track on the disk lying at a predetermined radius and distance below the head, and then adjust position and orientation in order to maintain view of the disk track as required. Thus, the device is actively self-aligning.

Abstract: A roller locking brake structure includes a roller locking/lifting ring, a housing, a set of conical locking rollers, a striker ring and a drive disc. The roller locking/lifting ring includes respective V-shaped locking cam surface segments for each locking roller which is in the form of a truncated cone and provides a force and torque reaction surface for forces and torques generated in the braking process as well as providing a channel for a magnetic coil and flux return path of a magnetic circuit used to release a conical roller when the brake is off. The locking conical rollers couple the ring to the rim surface of the drive disc which provides another cam surface. The striker ring is located adjacent the rollers and is pulled down against the small end of the rollers by an electromagnetic coil when energized to decouple the locking rollers from the drive disc and thus cease the braking action.

Abstract: A latching device for latching two items together has a housing and a shaft mounted to one item such that rotation of the shaft by a sprocket causes the shaft to move longitudinally up and down. The shaft has one end extending beyond the housing with a alignment cone attached to this end for engaging a receptor on the other item. A latch mounted to the shaft by a traveling nut provides a pivot point for the latch so that rotation of the shaft causes the pivot point of the latch to translate along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Camming surfaces and a camming spring are used for rotating the latch so that the latch will engage and disengage a receptor on the other item.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive drive motor having a rotary drive shaft in the form of a drum which is encircled by a plurality of substantially equally spaced roller members in the form of two sets of cones which are in contact with respective cam surfaces on the inside surface of an outer drive ring. The drive ring is attached to sets of opposing pairs of magnetostrictive rods. Each rod in a pair are mutually positioned end to end within respective energizing coils. When one of the coils in an opposing pair is energized, the energized rod expands while the other rod is caused to contract, causing the drive ring to rock, i.e. rotate slightly in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, depending upon which rod in a pair is energized. As the drive ring is activated in repetitive cycles in either direction, one set of drive cones attempt to roll up their respective cam surface but are pinned between the drive shaft drum and the drive ring.

Abstract: A device 10 for applying constant pressure to a surface includes a cylinder 12 having a longitudinal axis greater than the diameter of cylinder 12. A first wheel 14 and a second wheel 16 are coupled to each end 18 and 20, respectively, of cylinder 12. Wheels 14 and 16 have a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of cylinder 12. An elastomeric covering 22 surrounds cylinder 12. Elastomeric covering 22 has an outer diameter substantially greater than the diameter of wheels 14 and 16. A handle 24 is coupled to wheels 14 and 16 for rolling and applying pressure to elastomeric covering 22.

Abstract: The grooved surface of an aberration-corrected holographic model grating is sensed by utilizing the sensing head of a scanning tunneling microscope. The sensing head is mechanically connected to a blazing type stylus for replicating the groove pattern of the holographic model on a ruled grating blank. A ruling engine causes the sensing head not only to scan the surface of the holographic grating model but also drive a blazing type ruling stylus or an equivalent type device in accordance with an error signal resulting from a departure of a sensing tip from the top of the holographic model groove as a function of tunneling current.

Abstract: Topographical terrain models are generated by digitally delineating the boundary of the region under investigation from data obtained from an airborne synthetic aperture radar image and surface elevation data concurrently acquired either from an airborne instrument or at ground level. A set of coregistered boundary maps thus generated are then digitally combined in three dimensinoal space with the acquired surface elevation data by means of image processing software stored in a digital computer. The method is particularly applicable for generating terrain models of flooded regions covered entirely or in part by foliage.

Abstract: An assembly of three major components including a wrist interface plate which is secured to the wrist joint of a robotic arm, a tool interface plate which is secured to each tool intended for use by the robotic arm, and a tool holster for each tool attached to the interface plate. The wrist interface plate and a selected tool interface plate are mutually connectable together through an opening or recess in the upper face of the interface plate by means of a notched tongue protruding from the front face of the wrist interface plate which engages a pair of spring-biased rotatable notched wheels located within the body of the tool interface plate.

Abstract: A multi-channel electronic visual aid device which is able to signal to the user whether sound is coming from the left or right, front or back, or both. For the plurality of channels, which may operate in pairs, the sound is picked up by a respective microphone and amplified and rectified into a DC voltage. The DC voltage is next fed to an analog to digital converter and then to a digital encoder. The binary code from the encoder is coupled into a logic circuit where the binary code is decoded to provide a plurality of output levels which are used to drive an indicator which, in turn, provides a visual indication of the sound level received. The binary codes for each pair of channels are also fed into a digital comparator.

Abstract: An acceleration free research laboratory is provided that is confined within a satellite but free of any physical engagement with the walls of the satellite, wherein the laboratory has adequate power, heating cooling and communications services to conduct basic research and development.An inner part containing the laboratory is positioned at the center-of-mass of a satellite within the satellite's outer shell. The satellite is then positioned such that its main axes are in a position parallel to its main axes are in a position parallel to its flight velocity vector or in the direction of the residual acceleration vector. When the satellite is in its desired orbit, the inner part is set free so as to follow that orbit without contacting the inside walls the outer shell.

Abstract: A differential, voltage-controlled current source, employing operational amplifiers as the active elements, provides an essentially symmetrical, differential, high impedance drive to a load, the drive being isolated from any circuit common or system ground. Because of the "floating" differential drive and the identical source impedances of the two outputs, errors from common mode voltages are eliminated.

Abstract: A synchronous demodulator includes a switch which is operated in synchronism with an incoming periodic signal and both divides and applies that signal to two signal channels. The two channels each include a network for computing and holding, for a predetermined length of time, the average signal value on that channel and applies those values, in the form of two other signals, to the inputs of a diffferential amplifier. The networks may be R-C networks. The output of the differential amplifier may or may not form the output of the synchronous detector and may or may not be filtered. The output will not include a periodic signal due to the presence of a dc offset. Additionally, the output will not contain any substantial ripple due to periodic components in the input signal.