Abstract: A buoyant capsule depth controller is presented for positioning and maintaining a capsule within the ocean waters for establishing an observation or defense station. A bouyant capsule is connected to a weight assembly by means of explosive fittings which detonate at a predetermined depth to separate the two. The buoyant capsule and weight assembly are then held together by means of a short line of fixed length until a second predetermined depth is reached, at which time a pressure-actuated release mechanism releases the short line and a cable wound within the weight assembly is payed out to the buoyant capsule below a preset depth as the weight assembly sinks to the ocean floor. The paying out of the cable rotates a shaft within the weight assembly which in turn drives an hydraulic pump, the output of the pump being controlled by a valve to regulate the amount of drag which the pump exerts upon the shaft thus controlling the rate of cable pay out.

Abstract: A circuit incorporated with an antiskid system for testing the operability of the system. A multivibrator may be actuated to energize converter circuitry with a signal indicative of a particular wheel speed. The entire antiskid system is then caused to function as though the vehicle wheels are actually spinning and the vehicle is moving. The major subcircuits of the antiskid system are connected to logic circuitry which senses their operation and produces an output signal to a lamp which is illuminated when the subcircuits are properly operative. When the multivibrator operation is ceased, changes in operation of the various subcircuits is again sensed by the logic circuitry which, if such subcircuits are operating properly, deenergizes the lamp.

Abstract: A digital video correlator wherein a reference image and a live image are digitized and compared against each other in a shifting network to determine the correlation or degrees thereof existing between the two images. Fundamentally, the invention includes a video digitizer which divides live and real images from various sources into picture elements and digitizes those elements to fixed voltage levels. The digitized live image is passed to a dynamic memory consisting of a plurality of interconnected shift registers while the digitized reference image is maintained within a first set of shift registers comprising a portion of a processor. A second set of shift registers within the processor maintain therein a mask function. Yet a third set of shift registers within the processor are interconnected in parallel to the dynamic memory to receive, under control of a clock, the digitized data of the live image.

Abstract: A circuit for converting AC signals from a wheel speed transducer to a varying DC level indicative of the instantaneous rotational speed of the wheel of a vehicle. The invention includes a squaring circuit receiving a sinusoidal input from a wheel speed transducer and producing a fixed amplitude square wave of a frequency equivalent to that of the sinusoidal input. A pulsing circuit receives the square wave signal and produces a series of fixed duration pulses of a frequency double that of the sinusoidal signal. These pulses are applied to an integrator which produces a DC output of an amplitude characteristic of the frequency of the sinusoidal input. The integrator has a characteristic phase lag associated therewith resulting in a tendency of the phase of the superimposed AC output, caused by cyclic changes in the frequency of the transducer output, to lag the phase of the associated wheel speed change.

Abstract: Devices for transmitting signals from a rotatable tire to a stationary receiver which correspond to the internal pressure of the tire. In one embodiment, a Bourdon tube communicates with internal tire pressure to regulate the magnetic gap of an electromagnetic induction configuration. Changes in the magnetic gap result in corresponding changes in an output signal strength. In another embodiment of the invention, a bellows is provided in communication with tire pressure for regulating the position of the core of an LVDT. The core position and, accordingly, the output of the LVDT corresponds to tire pressure. In yet another embodiment, strain gauges or other appropriate electrical signal generators are connected to the tire and interconnected with a rotating race. A plurality of ball bearings are maintained in a preloaded condition between the rotating race and a stationary race, the latter race communicating signals to a tire pressure meter or the like.

Abstract: A wheel balance weight adapted for use between the halves of an aircraft wheel. The invention includes a substantially rectangular lead weight having a center hole passing therethrough. A plate having a well therein is received by the weight, with the well being maintained by the center hole. A locknut is press-fit in the well and is adapted for receiving a bolt passing through the web of the wheel for securing the weight assembly thereto. The reception of the locknut within the well substantially reduces the height of the weight assembly.

Abstract: A brake adjuster for implementation between the brake housing and pressure plate of a brake disk stack. A casing is fixedly secured to the brake housing and receives therein a spring follower. Maintained within the spring follower and engaged at one end thereof is a tubular member. Passing through the tubular member and through the casing is a shaft, the shaft being fixedly secured to the pressure plate at a first end thereof and maintaining a multi-sided broach on the other end thereof. The broach is of such geometry as to make contacting engagement with the interior surface of the tube. Upon successive brake applications, the broaching or cutting surfaces of the broach cut portions of the inner wall of the tube, allowing the shaft to telescope from the casing in order to maintain a fixed built-in clearance among the disks of the brake disk stack.

Abstract: A wheel flange retaining ring provided about the circumference of an aircraft wheel to maintain a removable flange thereabout. The invention includes a metallic band having a bulb received within a circumferential groove formed within the wheel frame. The band makes contacting engagement with a surface machined into the flange. The band is caused to form a completed ring maintained within the circumferential groove by a clip having a bent-tab section which makes secured engagement with tongues provided at each end of the band.

Abstract: An adjuster for brake wear compensation. Fundamentally, the invention includes a casing affixed to a brake housing. Maintained within the casing, and operative between the ends thereof, is a spring follower. A hollow tubular member is received within the spring follower and in contacting engagement with one end thereof. A shaft passes through the tubular member and is connected at a first end to the brake system pressure plate and is characterized at the other end by a swage. The swage is of a perimeter substantially equivalent to the inside circumference of the tubular member. However, the swage and tubular member are of different geometrical configurations. As brake wear compensation is made, the pressure plate draws the swage through the tubular member and reshapes the same without stretching or enlarging the tubular member itself.

Abstract: A bottom tension boom for collecting floating material, such as an oil spill upon a body of water, has a barrier containing an upper or freeboard portion, a lower or skirt portion which is submerged in and extends downwardly into said body of water, and pleats or slack portions which extend generally vertically across the barrier. A plurality of flotation elements is attached to the freeboard portion of the barrier and thereby supports the barrier as a whole upon the water. A lattice containing a plurality of strands made from an extensible material is attached to the skirt and extends downwardly therefrom. The lower portion of the lattice is connected to a bottom tension line which is shorter in length than the corresponding portion of the barrier. The boom is towed by tow lines connected solely to the bottom tension line and effects a backward skirt inclination with respect to the position of the bottom tension line.

Abstract: The invention relates to the utilization of a pyrolyzed carbon-containing ribbon which is wrapped about a brake disk core. The ribbon which is impregnated with a bonding agent forms an outer layer when wrapped about the core. An integral brake disk is formed upon pyrolyzation of the bonding compound.

Abstract: A brake adjuster providing compensation for brake wear. Fundamentally, the invention includes a casing attached to a brake housing and maintaining a spring follower therewithin. A shaft or pin is connected to the pressure plate of a brake assembly and is interconnected with a reshapable tube. The shaft and tube pass through a die which makes swaging engagement with the tube. As the brakes wear, the tube is drawn through the die and is progressively swaged along the length thereof. The spring follower acts against the die to urge the die, tube, and shaft to a return position following release of brake pressure. Such action releases the pressure plate from forceful engagement with the brake disk stack. In an alternative embodiment, the shaft can be eliminated and one end of the reshapable tube can be connected directly to the pressure plate or to a suitable connection member on the pressure plate.

Abstract: A ram-air inflatable, fabric, towed gunnery target for air, land, and naval defense practice having a rigid enclosed nose cone and a flexible inflatable envelope with aft inflation inlets and finlet stabilizers is presented. The gunnery target is foldable for storage and deployment, said envelope folded into a rigid extraction module canister and said nose cone serving as the nose cone for said module. The target may be air launched or ground-snatch deployed, said module being air deployed from a pod launcher on the tractor aircraft. The target may be towed for gunnery sorties at speeds and distances exceeding current tow target performance limits. The nose cone contains housing for sensitive detection devices to record hits or near-misses of said target simulated to be hits on an actual aircraft. The target is capable of withstanding multiple bullet perforations and may be recovered from land, sea, or air and refurbished and reused.

Abstract: An armor system matrix is provided, having a multiple layer system of very hard geometric objects tensionally restrained in their layers by fiber material interwoven about the objects with the objects and fiber material being bonded together by an adhesive material. The objects are substantially spherical ceramic material which may be of different dimensions, each ceramic sphere being substantially in contact with adjacent spheres on the same and adjacent parallel layers. Larger ceramic spheres may be located in the layers closer to the exposed surface of the armor system. The tensional relationship of the ceramic objects in each layer effectively distributes the impact of projectiles over a greater surface area.

Abstract: A friction segmented brake disk has a plurality of arcual segments which are rigidly fastened together by a tongue extending from at least one end portion of the segment and is received by an adjacent segment recess and fastened thereto by at least two fastening members. The tongue, recess, and fastening members all reside by the periphery of each arcual segment, substantially beyond the swept area of each segment to avoid the thermal expansion and contraction forces inherent to the swept area. In another embodiment, a rigid friction brake disk contains a plurality of arcual segments which have a slot in each end portion thereof. A clip engages the slots and is connected thereto by a fastening member. Similarly, the clip, slot and fastening members will reside on the periphery of each arcual segment, substantially beyond or outside the swept area of each segment, and thereby also minimizes thermal expansion and contraction forces inherent to the swept area.

Abstract: This invention relates to a clutterlock with displaced phase antenna, and more particularly to a means to provide a control signal generated from radar signals which may be used to maintain alignment between the physical and synthetic beams of a coherent doppler aperture radar or to maintain alignment between the antenna and the direction of cancellation of fixed scatterers of an airborne-doppler-moving-target-indication radar.

Abstract: A tracking filter circuit for use with optical image correlators is presented. The output signal of the optical image correlator exhibits a frequency content shift during operation due to the application of a ramp voltage to the nutation control circuitry of the correlator. The filter circuit is controlled by the ramp voltage such that the frequency response of the filter tracks the frequency content shift of the output signal. Integrator and multiplier circuits are interconnected as a part of a feedback network to accomplish the filtering technique.

Abstract: An improvement is provided for use in a wheeled vehicle having anti-skid circuitry associated with the wheels thereof. Fundamentally, the invention comprises a comparator connected to the anti-skid circuitry which products an output signal when anti-skid signals exceed a particular level for a predetermined period of time. The output of the comparator is operative for removing the application of the anti-skid control circuit from the anti-skid valves and for applying in its place a rudimentary anti-skid control circuit comprising a multivibrator of predetermined duty cycle. Thus, under all conditions, braking effort remains with the vehicle operator but under certain conditions is modulated at a predetermined rate by the multivibrator. Provisions are also made for returning the anti-skid system to normal operation in conjunction with the brake system when the output of the anti-skid system drops below the aforesaid particular level.

Abstract: A wheel speed transducer for sensing the rotational speed of a wheel about an axle which fundamentally includes a housing fixed to the axle and containing therein two permanent magnets. The magnets are arranged such that an elongated pole piece commonly abuts first surfaces of each of the magnets, such surfaces being of like polarity. Two inductive coils having flux-conductive cores axially passing therethrough abut each of the magnets on second surfaces thereof, the second surfaces of the magnets again being of like polarity with respect to each other and of opposite polarity with respect to the first surfaces. There are further provided two additional pole pieces, one connected to the end of each of the cores opposite the ends of the cores which abut the magnets.

Abstract: A low wear disk brake assembly has a rotatable body and a fixed axle rotatably supporting the body. A stack of disks having splined portions are aligned alternatingly relative to the axle in the body with each disk characterized by being made from graphite and/or carbon materials such that the disks have flexural strength of greater than 5000 psi and an average interlaminar spacing of crystalline and amorphous carbon of not more than 3.39 angstrom units at 15.degree.C.