Abstract: The discharge end portion of a sewage delivery tube is surrounded by the input end portion of a conveyor pipe. A long, flat strip of consumable filter material is inserted through the annular space between them and into the conveyor pipe. Prior to this insertion, however, the filter strip is shaped and fastened into the form of a closed tube. The conveyor pipe discharges into an incinerator equipped with means for breaking the sewage sludge into burnable droplets. The conveyor pipe is supported over a liquid-collecting funnel and is perforated in the portion thereof that is over the funnel. A vibrator attached to the conveyor pipe oscillates it longitudinally; and ratchet teeth inside the conveyor pipe are oriented to cooperate with the vibrator to urge the filter-encased sludge toward the incinerator.

Abstract: Cylindrical, flexible bearings of the type constructed of concentric, annular layers of elastomer and rigid material mutually bonded together are molded under high temperatures and pressures to fluidize the elastomer and to neutralize the tensile stresses that would otherwise result from shrinkage of the elastomer during cure and cooling thereof.

Abstract: A rectangular, coarse-weave blanket is folded upon itself at one edge to form a pocket, which is sewn into that position at the ends and, optionally, at intermediate locations. A long tube of leather, or other flexible material, is fastened at one side to the underside of the pocket, and is to be arranged along the front edge of an automobile seat. This forms a scabbard for storing a hunting gun. Two slits, one on each edge of opposite sides of the blanket, divide it into a cover for the seat cushion and a cover for the back cushion. Each slit is reinforced with decorative piping that forms a pair of loops at the outer corners of each slit. The same kind of piping is sewn to the edge of the pocket and extends beyond it at each end for fastening the blanket to structural members of an automotive vehicle seat and for forming corners therein.

Abstract: An enclosure having an inlet and an outlet for hot air, and an inlet and an outlet for waste water, contains a plurality of refractory, porous, tubular, membrane-type filters, each of which is closed at one end and connected at its other end to the waste water outlet. Hence, waste water entering through its inlet in the enclosure must pass through the walls of the filter tubes before being discharged through its outlet. During this process, any solid particles in the water become deposited on the outer surfaces of the filter tubes. After a filtering cycle is over and the waste water has been drained through its outlet, a heating means, equipped with a blower and attached to the hot-air inlet, forces heated air into the enclosure to incinerate the solids deposited on the filter tubes. Therefore, the filter tubes serve also as refractory grates to hold the sludge while it burns. After the sludge has been burned, an automatic timer switches back to the filtering cycle.

Abstract: The invention is a special, low-friction, compliant bearing seal for use between the stationary and movable members of a thrust-vectoring, rocket nozzle. The movable member of such nozzles typically contains the throat and expansion cone for acceleration of the propulsive gases. It is attached to the back end of the rocket by the stationary member. A torsion ring, seated in an annular groove in the stationary member of the nozzle holds an annular, lubricous pad against a spherical surface of the movable member. An elastomeric pad bonded between the adjacent surfaces of the torsion ring and the groove, both of which are arcuate in cross section, permits twisting motion of the torsion ring; so that the lubricous pad maintains its seal and bearing function relative to the movable member, despite temporary deformations of the nozzle members during operation of the rocket.

Abstract: Crystals of cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX) are dissolved in a suitable solvent, as are crystals of ammonium perchlorate. The two solutions are then mixed thoroughly and desiccated. This produces cocrystals of HMX and ammonium perchlorate that may be used as an oxidizer in rocket propellant, pyrotechnic materials, or in gas generators. Stoichiometric proportions are 50 parts of HMX to 30 parts of ammonium perchlorate.

Abstract: A slanted sieve is used to drain liquid out of sewage and to concentrate the sludge, the liquid being drained into a first tank and the sludge allowed to slide into an adjacent, second tank. The sludge is drawn from the second tank into a macerating pump where it is ground and dumped into a third or incinerator-feed tank. A second pump forces the sludge from this tank through a pipe and into an incinerator, where the sludge is formed into droplets and dispersed over the fire by a blower that forces air at substantially right angles to the opening of the pipe. To prevent settling out of heavy, solid particles in the sludge, and clogging of the apparatus, the sludge must be moved therethrough at a velocity too great for feeding the sludge into the incinerator. An automatic timer operates a three-way valve between the second pump and the incinerator, that alternately directs sludge into the incinerator in powerful spurts against a blast of air, and diverts it back into the incinerator-feed tank.

Abstract: Flexible bearings of the type constructed of alternate, clyindrical layers of rigid material, or shims, and elastomer bonded together are made substantially free of internal, tensile stresses by making the walls of the shims wedge-shaped and by alternating the thin and thick ends of adjacent shims. As the elastomer cures and cools during manufacture of the bearing, it typically shrinks in volume, causing residual tensile stresses in prior-art cylindrical bearings. However, this shrinkage causes the shims of the present invention to move together axially, thus relieving the stress. If there is an odd number of shims, there is no axial displacement of the inner mounting ring of the bearing relative to the outer mounting ring, as a result of elastomer shrinkage. Alternatively, all shims may be initially held out of alignment, so that shrinkage of the elastomer will pull them into alignment.

Abstract: A small, permanent magnet is eccentrically supported on a shaft that is rotated by some means, such as gears, in response to linear change in some quantity, e.g. accumulated water from rainfall. A float on the surface of the water in a receptacle transmits the motion to the gears. At least three sensors, responsive to magnetic flux, are mounted in a circle concentric about the shaft so that the rotating magnet will produce a response as it passes each sensor. Each sensor is connected to an input terminal of two of a plurality of flip-flops (one for each sensor), so that the resultant stored bit of information in each flip-flop is determined by two different sensors. This stored bit comprises a digit of a three digit binary code that is changed whenever a sensor responds. It is available at the output terminal of each flip-flop, which is connected to an AND-OR inverter containing at least three two-input AND gates and an OR gate.

Abstract: A system for mounting a movable thrust nozzle to a rocket case, wherein a plurality of cups surrounding the nozzle is fixed in a common plane to one of the members (the nozzle or case) and a plurality of plugs, each loosely fitting into a corresponding one of the cups, is fixed to the other member. The plugs and cups are arranged so that they tend to be forced together by pressure of propulsive gases of the rocket. A bladder, partially filled with fluid, is confined in each cup by its plug. Tubes connect either adjacent or diametrically opposite bladders; so that fluid may be displaced and exchanged between bladders as the nozzle is moved for steering the rocket. Hydraulic actuators may be interposed in tubes connecting diametrically opposite bladders for forcibly moving fluid from one to the other, and thereby move the nozzle. Alternatively, each bladder may be connected directly to a source of hydraulic fluid and be selectively inflated or deflated thereby for moving the nozzle.

Abstract: A safety igniter for flares is attachable to the flare parachute by a lanyard that operates the igniter when the parachute opens. The igniter is packaged in a housing that is mounted into the flare casing adjacent the ignition surface of the flare candle. The housing has two contiguous bores of different diameters, the larger bore containing a primer-charge holder and a firing-pin holder, both of which are movable in the bore. The primer-charge holder is retained adjacent the shoulder at the juncture of the bores, so that its motion is rotational only; while that of the firing-pin holder is primarily a forceful axial motion produced by the parachute lanyard, to which it is operatively attached. The primer charge is normally out of angular alignment with the firing pin and the chamber in the housing containing a pyrotechnic charge, but is aligned with a dead-air chamber.

Abstract: Sodium chloride is added to water which is then passed through at least one electrolytic cell. There, electrolysis of the sodium chloride produces chlorine molecules and sodium hydroxide. The water is then flowed into the presence of metal-cyanide contaminants. The chlorine and caustic immediately react with the metal-cyanide compounds to produce metal hydroxide precipitates, while the cyanide is decomposed and liberated from the water in carbon dioxide and gaseous nitrogen. As part of this reaction, the sodium chloride is reformed, so that the same brine can be recycled and the process repeated without further additives. The optimum pH of between 7 and 8 may be maintained as needed by addition of small amounts of hydrochloric acid to the system.

Abstract: A heavily insulated, hydraulically actuated, compound poppet valve is positioned in a main gas stream between a gas generator and a rocket motor so that the gases must flow around it and be diffused thereby. It is also capable of selectively valving a variety of ports from the gas generator into the rocket motor to achieve desired ignition effects; and it can turn off flow completely between the two motors and prevent excessive heat from the rocket motor from entering the gas generator.

Abstract: A tubeless tire to be mounted is placed on a wheel rim so that a side-wall bead of the tire is in contact with the adjacent wheel rim flange. A plastic, water soluble substance of doughy consistency is then placed in the gap between the opposite side-wall bead and its adjacent wheel rim flange to form an airtight seal. Air is then introduced into the tire in the conventional manner through the wheel rim valve until desired inflation is achieved. During inflation, the plastic substance is expelled and may be manually removed and/or washed off with water. In the case of large tires, wherein the gap between the side-wall bead and its adjacent wheel rim flange is large, the quantity of the plastic substance used is minimized by first inserting a flexible annulus, such as an inflated tube, into the gap.

Abstract: The invention, which is especially useful for inflating safety cushions for automotive vehicles, is essentially an orificed housing and an expendable cartridge therein. The cartridge has a hermetically sealed can containing a layer of gas generant material in one end contiguous with a tubular-shaped igniter including an electric squib and pyrotechnic material to be ignited thereby. A layer of filter screens is included between the ignition device and a perforated partition. The remainder of the can is filled with an annulus formed by annular wrappings of wire screen and a central bag of pH neutralizing material. The perforations in the partition are centered over the neutralizing material so that the slightly alkaline gases from the burning gas generant and ignition device must pass through the pH neutralizing material before passing through the annular wrappings of screen and rupturing the wall of the can to inflate a safety cushion.

Abstract: An elongated gas generator, designed especially for use on the passenger side of the front seat position of an automotive vehicle, has a combustion cartridge having a central, electrically initiated igniter surrounded by gas generant material. This, in turn, is surrounded by filtering screens and by a perforated, tubular housing. A pH neutralizing material is located adjacent the openings of the housing for neutralizing gases produced by the burning gas generant. At least one other perforated case encloses the housing, and multiple layers of wire cooling screens are interposed between the housing and the case enclosing it. The openings in the housing are arranged relative to those of the outer case so that a long path is created for gases passing through the cooling screens, parallel to the layers thereof. The cooled and filtered gases are discharged directly from the outer case into a structure to be inflated.

Abstract: A hopper has an adjustable opening into a tube that leads to the interior of a drum-shaped housing containing a grinding impeller that also functions simultaneously as a screw-type fan and as a paddle-type fan, formed to maximize air turbulence at the grinding edges thereof and to separate finely ground material from the coarser particles continuously. The grinding impeller is operated by a motor attached to the outside of the drum-shaped, grinder housing. The impeller is adjustable relative to a dam that partially surrounds a discharge port in one end of the housing. The dam intercepts air from the vortex created by the impeller, to promote flow of material through the discharge port. A tube leads from the discharge port to a separating device above a drawer having a partition therein, so that the coarse material may be dropped into one compartment and the fine material into the other.

Abstract: The central portion of the aft closure of a rocket motor case is recessed inwardly and held in fixed relationship to an apertured aft closure dome by brackets. A sleeve, operating in sealed relationship inside an annular, aftwardly extending flange fixed to the periphery of the recessed aft closure section, is joined by radial arms to a socket on a ball joint centrally fixed to the aft side of the recessed aft closure section. A hollow spike nozzle member, attached to the socket by a hydraulic actuator, may operate with sliding motion and in sealed relationship to the inner, cylindrical surface of the sleeve. A cowl surrounds the spike nozzle member. It is fixed to the sleeve by brackets and may slide against a partial spherical surface on annular flanges surrounding the aperture of the aft closure dome, in sealed relationship therewith.

Abstract: An electric squib igniter and a gas generant composition surrounding it are enclosed in a hermetically sealed container. This is enclosed in an inner housing which is surrounded by an annular outer housing. An annular filter surrounds the gas generant composition inside the container, which is rupturable through orifices in the inner housing by gases produced when the gas generant composition is ignited. A cooling device in the annular chamber between the two housings is positioned between the orifices of the inner housing and peripheral orifices in the outer housing, through which the filtered, cooled gases may be expelled radially into an inflatable structure. A mounting flange fixed to the outer housing is provided for attachment to related apparatus.

Abstract: The compositions burn to produce flickering signals of flame and smoke, and which in addition emit infrared and radar signals. The compositions comprise a fuel of either magnesium, aluminum or both, a reactive chlorinated aromatic compound such as hexachlorobenzene, one or more oxidizers selected from nitrates and perchlorates of ammonium, barium, cesium, lithium, potassium, sodium, and strontium, and a binder of a fluorinated polymer.