Abstract: A cylindrical vessel has a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein and extending along substantially the entire longitudinal extent thereof. This drive shaft is rotatably driven by a motor at a speed of 1,500-10,000. Solid particles to be comminuted which may be of coal and limestone/dolomite or lime are fed into the vessel. Connected to the shaft and rotatably driven therewith is a centrifugal compressor fan which forms an uplifting air curtain which suspends the particles. Mounted above the compressor and rotatably driven by the drive shaft are a plurality of rotors, screens, and a disc mounted in an aperture formed in a fixed plate which forms a circular vortex in the space between the disc and the plate. The particles are comminuted by the successive action of the rotors, screens and the circular vortex, larger particles being repelled for further comminution while the finer particles are fed from the vessel to cyclonic classifiers.

Abstract: A cylindrical vessel has a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein and extending along substantially the entire longitudinal extent thereof. This drive shaft is rotatably driven by a motor at a speed of 3,000-10,000 rpm. The output of a roller mill or the like having particles of the order of -200 mesh to be further comminuted, which may be of coal or other minerals, are fed into the vessel. Connected to the shaft and rotatably driven therewith is a centrifugal compressor fan. This fan with additional air intake to the vessel provides a high velocity air curtain which suspends the particles and drives them upwardly. Mounted above the compressor and rotatably driven by the drive shaft are a plurality of semipermeable screens which comminute the particles to bring them to a superfine state. Particles which are not comminuted to a superfine state are repelled by the screens for further comminution.

Abstract: A refueling tank has a telescopic refueling probe formed by a plurality of telescoping tubes which are actuable for extension and retraction from an existing pylon mounted jettisonable external fuel tank on the wing of an aircraft. The telescopic drive action is achieved by a drive mechanism including a motor and a jack screw mechanism which operates to extend and retract the telescoping tubes slidably mounted, one on the other. The probe when fully retracted is completely enclosed within the associated fuel tank assembly resulting in no additional drag or lift on the aircraft and keeping the probe concealed.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is fueled with a controlled mixture of natural gas and air which mixture is regulated by a regulator responsive to an electronic controller. In the event of a system failure with the electronic controller shutting down, a backup regulator automatically bypasses the normal regulator to provide temporary operation with a predetermined acceptable constant gas mixture.

Abstract: A roller assembly including a roller and a support frame is removably mounted in a carrier attached to the floor of a vehicle. The roller is raised to an extended position so as to abut against a cargo unit load device when a roller drive system is activated and subsequently automatically lowered to a retracted position within the carrier when this system is deactivated. The roller is rotatably mounted on a support frame. Also mounted on this support frame is a DC motor which has an eccentric arm attached to its drive shaft. When the roller drive system is electrically activated, the DC motor as well as the roller drive motor are both activated, with the DC motor driving its arm against a post member to bring the frame to its extended position in the carrier. In this position, the roller is urged upwardly in abutment against the cargo unit load device. A capacitor is fully charged while the motors are activated.

Abstract: A container for use in storing specimens such as dried insects, pressed plants, documents, fabric, art work, and other archival material is sealed off from the ambient atmosphere by placing sealing cement between the sides, top and bottom of the container. In this manner the specimens are kept in an environment which is protected from ambient factors such as air and other gasses, dust, humidity, ultraviolet, and other factors including the common acid degassing of wood construction storage systems which would tend to deteriorate such specimens. A window is provided to enable viewing of the specimens in the container, this window being fabricated of an ultraviolet blocking material. While the interior of the container is effectively sealed around the window, a simple latching (and unlatching) device is provided for retaining the window in position such that the window can be readily lifted off the container in replacing specimens or installing new specimens in the container.

Abstract: A card holder has a frame which is rectangular in configuration with one open end through which a card can be inserted into and removed from the holder. A slide plate is slidably mounted in the frame. When the card is inserted into the frame, it slides along the slide plate and comes to a position where it abuts against a stop ridge formed along the inner edge of the slide plate. With insertion of the card into the holder, the slide plate is driven by the card further into the holder. With such motion of the slide plate, a spring connected thereto at one end and to the holder at the other end is brought to a retracted or loaded position. The spring and card are retained in the retracted position by a retainer detent formed in the holder which latches onto the slide plate and retains the slide plate in position.

Abstract: A door key is held in a tray which is slidably installed in a container. The tray is retained in the container by a form member pivotally mounted on the container which engages a latch on the tray. A shackle is removably attached to the container for use in retaining the container to a door knob or the like. The shackle has a notched arm which engages a fork member pivotally mounted on the container, thereby retaining the shackle in a closed position. A motor which rotatably drives a drive gear is mounted in the container. When the motor is driven in a first direction, the drive gear drives a tapered release wheel which operates to release the fork member from engagement with the key tray latch, thereby permitting the key tray to be removed. When the motor is driven in an opposite direction, the drive gear drives a second tapered release wheel so as to disengage the notched arm of the shackle from its associated fork member, thereby permitting the shackle to be moved to an open position.

Abstract: A fuel control unit which is formed in a housing such as a load block or carburetor has a passageway with a fuel inlet at one end thereof and a fuel outlet at the other end thereof. A pair of adjusting valves, one for adjusting the amount of fuel flow from a first fuel source such as natural gas and the other for adjusting the amount of fuel flow from a second fuel source such as propane are mounted in the passageway. The valves are positioned to set the sizes of metered passages and are preadjusted to provide the desired fuel flow to provide a proper air to fuel ratio for the fuel from each source. The passageway is alternatively set for proper operation with one or the other fuel sources either by manually positioning a shuttle valve or actuating a solenoid which drives the shuttle valve.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel injector has a ball valve which is spring urged to a closed position. Positioned below this valve is the armature of an electromagnetic solenoid having an extension which abuts against the ball valve. The ball valve is normally closed against a valve seat to prevent passage of gas through the injector. With each actuation of the solenoid, the armature extension drives the ball valve upwardly from its valve seat to provide an injection of gas from the injector. The ball valve member, limit stops on the armature, and the surface along which the armature slides are all fabricated of durable, heat resistant plastic material which resists wear, provides low friction and are dimensionally stable over varying environmental conditions.

Abstract: A semi-cylindrical dielectric lens antenna on a ground plane for focusing radiation from a line source adjacent to the semi-cylinder. Grooves in the surface of the ground plane modify the polarization of the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the ground plane thus allowing conversion of radiation from linear to circular polarization and vice versa. Selectable line sources may be used to provide both right and left hand circularly polarized radiation. The entire antenna and ground plane may be rotated and the line source may be moved relative to the dielectric lens so as to scan the antenna beam over a hemisphere.

Abstract: A roller assembly is removably mounted on the floor of a vehicle. The assembly has a floor unit which is mounted on the vehicle floor and an erectable unit pivotally supported on the floor unit. This assembly has a retracted configuration in which the erectable unit is retracted in abutment against the floor unit. In the retracted configuration the assembly is adapted for moving cargo therelong in a first direction. The assembly further has an erected configuration in which the erectable unit is retained in a position normal to the floor unit. In this second configuration the assembly is adapted for moving cargo in a second direction at an acute angle relative to the first direction. To facilitate movement of the cargo, a first set of rollers is mounted on the floor unit of the assembly for universal movement and a second set of rollers is mounted on the erectable unit of the assembly for rotational movement about a single axis.

Abstract: A condiment mill has a catcher device installed on the bottom thereof opposite the grinder to catch and prevent the dropping of condiment grindings left over after the mill has been used. The catcher device is in the form of a receptacle and cover which is pivotally mounted on the mill. This cover is resiliently urged towards a closed position by a leaf spring and can be manually placed in retention in the closed position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the dry grinding of solids, comprises initial coarse grinding of the solids in a controlled vortexing of a fluidized bed and directing the solid fine particles generally upwardly into a vortex grinding zone and grinding the upwardly directed solid particles in the vortex grinding zone by passing a portion of the particles through the vortex grinding zone. The vortex grinding zone comprises at least one successively vertically disposed grinding stage comprising passing particles upwardly through at least one horizontal vortex zone of an annular gap, defined by a stationary plate with a circular aperture, hereafter cleaning up the upward moving product mix by eliminating coarser particles by gravity separation with a centrifugal expelling fan and subjecting the remaining part of the upwardly particles to the vertical vortexing of a rotating semipermeable means, defined by a rotating assembly containing a broad mesh screen therein.

Abstract: A microcomputer with a modem is programmed with information for controlling a flight control computer on a missile. The microcomputer is carried on an aircraft from which the missile is controlled. The pilot of the aircraft has a keypad for setting the target coordinates in the microcomputer. The audio signals from the microcomputer modem are fed to the voice communications system of the aircraft so as to modulate the carrier of the transmitted signal. This signal is received by the receiver on the missile and demodulated and employed to control signals for the missile in the missile flight control computer. The pilot of the aircraft sets in target coordinates for the missile on a keypad connected to the microcomputer.

Abstract: An antenna having an omnidirectional pattern in azimuth and coverage throughout a hemisphere. The radiating elements are four half-loops mounted on a ground plane. Each half-loop is approximately one-half wavelength in length with one end grounded to the ground plane and the other end fed in opposition to the ground plane. The image produced by the ground plane of each half-loop, together with the actual half-loops give the effect of a set of four complete loops, each of which complete loops is approximately one wavelength in circumference. The elements are nominally located in planes normal to the ground plane that pass through a central point in the ground plane. The planes of the elements are oriented nominally at 90 degree intervals about a central point and the centers of the elements are offset from the central point of the ground plane by approximately one-quarter wavelength. The combination of elements produces an omnidirection radiation pattern in azimuth.

Abstract: The invention is a state machine for the detection of a pre-specified pattern of m bits in a stream of bits where the stream of bits is examined in steps, each successive step consisting of the examination of the next successive set of n bits in the stream of bits. The state machine is mechanized by a look-up table. The current set of n bits is combined with a state number representing the current state of the machine to obtain an address for entry into the look-up table. The state number stored in the table at that address is the new state number representing the new state of the machine after the examination of the current set of n bits in the stream. The new state number is then combined with the next successive set of n bits to obtain the next new state number from the table. Thus each new state number becomes the current state number for combination with the next set of n bits to form the address for entry into the table.