Abstract: An inline check valve for a flow line where the valve element is guided for inline travel forward and rearward of a valve sealing member and is spring biased to a closed sealing condition. One of the guides for the valve element includes a dashpot housing with a bore and plunger member to control the rate of travel of the valve element in either direction as well as providing a guiding function. The plunger member is arranged with a dashpot ring to frictionally contact the dashpot bore and has an interior tortuous flow path from one side to the other side of the dashpot ring. The dashpot housing is not anchored to the valve body so that the valve can be functional even if the dashpot ring becomes jammed in the dashpot housing.

Abstract: A hydraulically powered gas compressor receives low pressure gas and outputs a high pressure gas. The housing of the compressor defines a cylinder with a center chamber having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of a left end chamber and a right end chamber, and a spool-type piston assembly is movable within the cylinder and includes a left end closure, a right end closure, and a center body that are in sealing engagement with the respective cylinder walls as the piston reciprocates. First and second annular compression chambers are provided between the piston enclosures and center housing portion of the compressor, thereby minimizing the spacing between the core gas and a cooled surface of the compressor. Restricted flow passageways are provided in the piston closure members and a path is provided in the central body of the piston assembly, such that hydraulic fluid flows through the piston assembly to cool the piston assembly during its operation.

Abstract: An inline check valve for a flow line where the valve element is guided for inline travel forward and rearward of a valve sealing member and is spring biased to a closed sealing condition. One of the guides for the valve element includes a dashpot bore and plunger member to control the rate of travel of the valve element in either direction as well as provided a guiding function. The dashpot is not anchored to the valve body so that the valve can be functional even if the plunger member becomes jammed in the dashpot.

Abstract: Methods for producing oxygen from metal oxides bearing minerals, e.g. ilmenite, the process including producing a slurry of the minerals and hot sulfuric acid, the acid and minerals reacting to form sulfates of the metal, adding water to the slurry to dissolve the minerals into an aqueous solution, separating the first aqueous solution from unreacted minerals from the slurry, and electrolyzing the aqueous solution to produce the metal and oxygen; and in one aspect, a process for producing a slurry with ferrous sulfate therein by reacting ilmenite and hot sulfuric acid, adding water to the slurry to dissolve the ferrous sulfate into an aqueous solution, separating the aqueous solution from the slurry, and electrolyzing the aqueous solution to produce iron and oxygen. In one aspect, these process are suitable for producing oxygen in outer space, e.g. on the moon or Mars.

Abstract: A supervised procedure for obtaining weight values for back-propagation neural networks is described. The method according to the invention performs a sequence of partial optimizations in order to determine values for the network connection weights. The partial optimization depends on a constrained representation of hidden weights derived from a singular value decomposition of the input space as well as an Iterative Least Squares optimization solution for the output weights.

Abstract: A hypervelocity projectile shield which includes a hollow semi-flexible housing fabricated from a plastic like, or otherwise transparent membrane which is filled with a fluid (gas or liquid). The housing has a inlet valve--similar to that on a tire or basketball, to introduce an ablating fluid into the housing. The housing is attached by a Velcro mount or double-sided adhesive tape to the outside surface of a structure to be protected. The housings are arrayed in a side-by-side relationship and may be in layers and in an over-lapping relationship for complete coverage of the surface to be protected. In use, when a hypervelocity projectile penetrates the outer wall of a housing it is broken up and then the projectile is ablated as it travels through the fluid, much like a meteorite "burns up" as it enters the earth's atmosphere, and the housing is deflated. The deflated housing can be easily spotted for replacement, even from a distance.

Abstract: A microporous structure with layered interstitial surface treatments, and method and apparatus for preparation thereof. The structure is prepared by sequentially subjecting a uniformly surface-treated structure (10a) to atomic oxygen treatment to remove an outer layer (16) of surface treatment to a generally uniform depth, and then surface treating the so exposed layer with another surface treating agent. The atomic oxygen/surface treatment steps may optionally be repeated, each successive time to a lesser depth, to produce a microporous structure having multilayered surface treatments. The apparatus (200) employs at least one side arm (228) from a main atomic oxygen-containing chamber (202). The side arm (228) has characteristic relaxation times such that a uniform atomic oxygen dose rate is delivered to a specimen (239) positioned transversely in the side arm (228) spaced from the main gas chamber (202).

Abstract: An apparatus for image processing comprising a camera for receiving an original visual image and transforming the original visual image into an analog image, a first converter for transforming the analog image of the camera to a digital image, a processor having a single flow architecture for receiving the digital image and producing, with a single algorithm, an output image, a second converter for transforming the digital image of the processor to an analog image, and a viewer for receiving the analog image, transforming the analog image into a transformed visual image for observing the transformations applied to the original visual image. The processor comprises one or more subprocessors for the parallel reception of a digital image for producing an output matrix of the transformed visual image.

Abstract: An improved linkage assembly (10) provides for locking the pivotable position of one member (12) relative to another member (14). The linkage assembly permits the unlocking of these members, their subsequent repositioning, and the reliable relocking in a desired position without utilizing tooling. The first member (12) includes a pair of spaced apart support flanges (24,26) each having a through aperture (28) therein defining a flange female spline (29). The second member (14) has an end (42) positioned between the pair of support flanges (24,26) and also includes a through aperture (46 ) defining a pair of second member female splines (47). A pair of control members (84,86) are each slidably moveable along the common axis (32) and extend through the respective flanges (24,26). Each control member (84,86) has a male splined portion (66) which normally engages both the respective flange female spline and the second member female spline to lock the rotatable position of the first and second members.

Abstract: An all metal energy dissipator construction for dissipating kinetic energy force (F) by rolling balls (26) which are forced by a tapered surface (32) on an expandable sleeve (22) to frictionally load a force rod (15). The balls (26) are maintained in an initial position (FIG. 1) by a plate member (48) which is biased by a spring member (50). A spring member (52) returns the force rod (15) to its initial position after a loading force (F) is removed.

Abstract: A method for pretreating a cellulosic waste product with microwaves is disclosed as well as a method and apparatus for converting cellulosic wastes into soluble saccharides. The invention greatly enhances a reaction rate for enzymatic hydrolysis. A feed mixture of cellulose, water and acetic acid are irradiated with microwaves at a superatmospheric pressure in an autoclave reaction vessel and the treated cellulose is enzymatically hydrolyzed in a bioreactor. The acid and enzymes are optionally separated for reuse. As a feed stock for the culture of microbes, the sugars can be further processed into ethanol or food protein. High yield, low hazard potential, low energy usage and ready preparation in space of acetic acid and the enzyme makes the present invention well suited for use on long duration space missions.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for joining structures, an active structure (10) and a passive structure (12), and imposing a tensile pre-load on the joint by a remotely operable mechanism comprising a heat contractible joining element (15). The method and apparatus include mounting on the structure (10) a probe shaft (15) of material which is transformable from an expanded length to a contracted length when heated to a specific temperature range. The shaft (15) is provided with a probe head (21) which is receivable in a receptacle opening (41) formed in the passive structure (12) when the active structure (10) is moved into engagement therewith by an appropriate manipulator mechanism. A latching system (45) mounted on the structure (12) adjacent to the receptacle opening (41) captures the probe head (21) when the probe head (21) is inserted a predetermined amount.

Abstract: Robot-friendly connectors, which, in one aspect are truss joints with two parts, a receptacle and a joint, the joint having a head which is loosely inserted into the receptacle and is then tightened and aligned; in one aspect, the head is a rounded hammerhead which initially is enclosed in the receptacle with a sloppy fit provided by the shape, size and configuration of surfaces on the head and on the receptacle.

Abstract: A method of matching a first query pattern with a plurality of stored data is disclosed. For each stored data pattern, the number of components are counted which are identical to corresponding components in the first query pattern, thereby forming a set of match numbers equals the number of components in any stored pattern, that stored data pattern is displayed as an output pattern set indicating a match. If no match exists then a second query pattern is determined by modifying the first query pattern, component by component, in dependence upon both a first, global influence of all stored patterns on all components of the first query pattern and a second, particular influence of all stored patterns on each respective component of the first query pattern. The first two method steps are then repeated using the second query pattern in place of the first query pattern. If no match a third query pattern similarly is determined by modifying the second query pattern.

Abstract: A quick-connect fastener of a relatively-simple straightforward design is arranged with a tubular body adapted to be engaged against an attachment fitting in coincidental alignment with an opening in that fitting. A tubular collet having flexible fingers projecting from its forward end is arranged in the fastener body to be shifted forwardly by an elongated expander member coaxially arranged within the tubular collet for advancing the collet fingers into the opening in the attachment fitting. Biasing means are arranged between the elongated expander member and a rotatable actuator which is threadedly mounted within the tubular collet so as to be rotated for urging the expander member into engagement with the collet fingers.

Abstract: A bus programmable slave module card 30 for use in a computer control system which comprises a master computer and one or more slave computer modules interfacing therewith by means of a bus and wherein each slave module includes its own microprocessor memory, and control program for acting as a single loop controller. The slave card includes a plurality of memory means corresponding to a like plurality of memory devices in the master computer, for each slave memory means its own communication lines connectable through the bus with memory communication lines of an associated memory device in the master computer, and a one-way electronic door which is switchable to either a closed condition or a one-way open condition. With the door closed, communication lines between master computer memory and slave memory are blocked.

Abstract: Human beings judge patterns (such as images) by complex mental processes, some of which may not be known, while computing machines extract features. By representing the human judgements with simple measurements and reducing them and the machine extracted features to a common metric space and fitting them by regression, the judgements of human experts rendered on a sample of patterns may be imposed on a pattern population to provide automatic classification.

Abstract: A flow reactor for simulating the interaction in the troposphere is set forth. A first reactant mixed with a carrier gas is delivered from a pump and flows through a duct having louvers therein. The louvers straighten out the flow, reduce turbulence and provide laminar flow discharge from the duct. A second reactant delivered from a source through a pump is input into the flowing stream, the second reactant being diffused through a plurality of small diffusion tubes to avoid disturbing the laminar flow. The commingled first and second reactants in the carrier gas are then directed along an elongate duct where the walls are spaced away from the flow of reactants to avoid wall interference, disturbance or turbulence arising from the walls. A probe connected with a measuring device can be inserted through various sampling ports in the second duct to complete measurements of the first and second reactants and the product of their reaction at selected XYZ locations relative to the flowing system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for maintaining continuous, long-term microbial control in the water supply for potable, hygiene, and experimental water for space activities, i.e., space shuttle, orbiter lab, Lunar base, Mars base, deep space missions, etc., as well as treatment of water supplies on earth. The water purification is accomplished by introduction of molecular iodine into the water supply to impart a desired iodine residual. The water is passed through an iodinated anion exchange resin bed. The iodine is bound as I.sup.-.sub.n at the anion exchange sites and releases I.sub.2 into the water stream flowing through the bed. Suitable anion exchange resins are Amberlite IRA 401S (Rohm & Haas); Dowex SBR (Dow Chemical); and Ionac ASB-1P (Sybron Corp.). The concentration of I.sub.2 in the flowing water gradually decreases and the ion-exchange bed has had to be replaced.

Abstract: A thruster nozzle sealing system and apparatus is provided for protection of spacecraft thruster motors. The system includes a sealing plug, a sealing plug insertion tool, an outer cover, an outer cover attachment, a ferry flight attachment, and a test stand. The sealing plug provents moisture from entering the thruster engine so as to prevent valve failure. The attachments are interchangeably connectable with the sealing plug. The ferry flight attachment is used during air transportation of the spacecraft, and the outer cover attachment is used during storage and service of the spacecraft. The outer cover provides protection to the thruster nozzle from mechanical damage. The test stand provides a means for testing and certifying the operating condition of each component of the system.