Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling the path of oscillatory travel of a device within a two-axis system. A device, such as a camera, is held in a two axis gimbal system having motors for driving the azimuth and pitch axes. A two degree-of-freedom gyroscope is fixed to the case of the device. A first derivative circuit is interposed between a first input port for a loop for controlling device movement with respect to a first axis and a second input port for a loop for controlling device movement with respect to a second axis. Likewise, a second derivative circuit is interposed between the two input ports so that a periodic signal driving with respect to one axis generates a derivative function for driving with respect to the cross-axis. The cross axis signal is scaled to counteract the direct torquing of the gyro rotor that otherwise prevents smooth oscillatory slewing or scanning by the device.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for compensating production or operationally-induced inaccuracies in the binary-weighted electrodes of a high-resolution digital phase modulator of, for example, a fiber optic gyroscope. Programmable correction values are employed to increase the accuracy of each binary-weighted planar electrode. In the invention, a less significant component of the binary drive signal, if appropriate after compensation in a low resolution digital-to-analog converter, is converted into an analog signal that is applied to a specific or a separate additional electrode of the digital phase modulator.

Abstract: An optical fiber coil for a fiber-optic measuring device and a method for producing it. An opitcal fiber is applied to a winding body in a quadrupole winding pattern in directly successive winding layers such that the turns of the individual winding layers have, at irregular spacings, as large a number of crossover points as possible. The spacings between the individual turns in each winding layer are variable, but, on average, they correspond to approximately half the diameter of the optical fiber. The optical fiber coil is preferably applied to the winding body without the use of fixing and buffer means.

Abstract: An accelerometer having a micromechanical pendulum, a capacitive pick off and a control loop reset by electrostatic forces and, in a time sequence, applies a resetting voltage between the pendulum and two electrodes spaced apart on opposite sides of the pendulum. The control loop is designed such that, firstly, no charge difference flows via the pendulum and a force of identical magnitude thus acts on both sides of the pendulum. Secondly, when a pendulum deflection occurs in response to a voltage difference, the time durations of the respectively applied voltage pulses are impeded in accordance with the acceleration. The simultaneous control of two components results in the control bias tending essentially to zero. The capability of temporarily switching to detection of the total charge as the control variable also allows control of the scale factor of the accelerometer.

Abstract: The invention relates to transport techniques and can be used for protecting passengers and a pilot in a cabin of an aircraft or another transport means against intense light, in addition to an auxiliary arrangement for moving mobile furniture elements. The dimming device comprises a blind and a mechanism for moving the blind, including guides for translational displacement of the blind and axial connecting elements of said mechanism. Intermediate non-rigid elements like, for example, a self-adhesive gearing band are arranged between contacting surfaces of the blind and the guides. The device ensures smooth displacement of the blind by means of decreasing friction force between the contacting elements and reduces noise occurring while the device is in use.

Abstract: An optical fiber interleaver and method for aligning the output channels to a set of nominal values in frequency space. The interleaver is formed of two optical fibers joined together at fused input and output couplers to define an input section, an interferometer section and an output section. Within the interferometer section, an element is arranged to vary the optical path length of at least one of the fibers in response to a feedback signal. The feedback signal is generated by examination of the intensity of a monitor signal at the output section that was applied at the input section.

Abstract: An optical switch includes a reflective element that may be moved into and out of the path of an input light beam without rotation about a hinge. The switch includes a right angle prism whose hypotenuse is an angularly-fixed reflective surface. The prism is fixed to a base platform that is pivotal about an underlying pivot member. A switchable electromechanical relay is energizable for selectively rotating the platform about the pivot member to move the prism in and out of the path of the input beam. A collimator fixed to the output face of the prism assures proper registration of the output with a beam when reflected.

Abstract: An accelerometer of the type in which a disk is mounted upon a vertical post. The accelerometer may be employed as a hydrophone, for example, including a watertight case, and forming a neutrally buoyant structure or may be suitable for hull-mounting. The disk comprises a planar honeycombed structure. A solid, dense ring-like peripheral mass is fixed to the central honeycombed structure to form a composite apparatus. The honeycombed central structure contributes enhanced stiffness without a corresponding increase in weight when compared with disks of solid fabrication while the peripheral concentration of mass increases radius of gyration sufficiently to offset gain dimunition due to increased stiffness so that an increase in figure of merit is obtained.

Abstract: An aircraft luggage rack consists of limiting walls with dividers and a cover and a cover opening mechanism which contains a gas compensator and an arm, both being fixed with the aid of a hinge pin at one end to the divider and to the luggage rack cover with aid of a bracket at the other. A roller is fixed to the arm in such a way that it could move along profiled guides made in the divider. At the top of the rack there are casings in which the cover is arranged in an extreme top position. The device ensures the possibility of simultaneous opening of two opposite luggage racks and better lighting of both, the aircraft cabin and the luggage rack interior.

Abstract: An intake valve includes a floating seat for attaining variable valve timing. A valve stem is integral with a valve head base. The valve head base includes a region for accommodating a peripheral ring in vertically-actuable relationship. The region of the valve head base for accommodating the peripheral ring includes a vertical locking portion and an upwardly-convex portion that mates with an downwardly-concave portion of the interior of the peripheral ring. A port may be arranged to vent gases at an upwardly-sloping portion of the bottom of the interior of the peripheral ring, thereby preventing instantaneous gas seepage while the peripheral ring is elevated. The vertical locking arrangement is positioned at the inner circumference of the peripheral ring to permit adjustment of peripheral ring travel without adding to the mass of the valve head.

Abstract: An optical interleaver. The interleaver is based upon the Mach Zender interferometer. At least one of the optical paths joining opposed couplers of the arrangement includes an optical image transfer element intermediate the ends of fibers associated with the couplers. In one embodiment, the optical image transfer element is a single imaging lens whereas, in another embodiment, the element consists of an aligned pair of collimating lenses. During fabrication, optical positioning stages support the optical image transfer element and fiber ends to permit ready adjustment of &Dgr;&THgr;, the optical path length difference between the arms of the interleaver, to assure predetermined optical channel spacing of an input DWDM signal.

Abstract: A telemetry harness for a hydrophone array which carries and positions the signal carrying elements of the array for ready assembly and reconfiguration. An elongated fabric incorporates bare optical fibers as well as optical and electrical cables and tension-resistant strength members. The fiber is characterized by markings, fiber slackness and apertures at predetermined locations that assist an assembler in determining where to cut selected bare fibers for splicing. The harness is wrapped around a layer of open cell foam that surrounds the aligned and linked sensors of an array segment with the resultant locations of the various sensors in resultant registration with the appropriate overlying fibers of the harness.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phosphorous-containing flame retarding epoxy resin and their composition comprising the nitrogen-containing flame retarding epoxy resin. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flame retarding epoxy resin having a pendent phosphorous-containing functional group and their composition comprising the nitrogen-containing flame retarding epoxy resin. The flame retarding phosphorous-containing epoxy resin and the epoxy resin composition containing the same of the present invention possess excellent flame retarding property and heat resistance without containing halogen and diantimony trioxide. Therefore they are useful as an encapsulating material in the semiconductor industry and the cured article prepared from the composition exhibits excellent molding ability and excellent reliance.

Abstract: In a fibre-optic Sagnac interferometer, in particular for determining rotational speeds (fibre gyro), having an optical directional coupler (3) which is located in the light path from a light source (1) and whose at least one output is connected via a spatial filter (6) and a polarization filter (7) to a beam splitter (8) which, on the one hand, splits the light transmitted by the polarization filter (7) into two component light beams which are irradiated into the two ends of an optical fibre (9), it being the case, on the other hand, that the component light beams returning after traversing the optical fibre (9) are reunited in an interfering fashion and applied to a light-sensitive receiver (5), it is provided for the purpose of reducing the amplitude error, that is to say, the polarization ratio of the light upstream of the polarization filter (7), to produce the spatial filter (6) from monomode fibre.

Abstract: An auxiliary visor for a standard riding helmet. The visor includes a bill fixed to an elongated flexible band. Facing sides of the ends of the band include mating fasteners that permit the band to surround and apply an inwardly-directed force to the exterior surface of a helmet. The interior surface of the band includes a strip of material of predetermined non-sticky composition.

Abstract: A spin rate measurement device for rotating missiles. Preferably, three micromechanical spin rate sensors whose three spatial axes are aligned at right angles to one another, each of which is designed to be excited, read and reset capacitively, are arranged on a single platform that can be rotated by means of a servo loop for rotation decoupling. The spin rate measurement device is distinguished by high bias and scale factor stability that can be checked at any time.