Abstract: A slitter is disclosed for slitting a cable-like item longitudinally to a controlled depth with a blade. The cable-like item is drawn through a guide which is shaped to correspond to the cross-section of the item, thereby ensuring proper twist as the item is drawn under the slitter blade.

Abstract: A position control system having dual controllers, each capable of operating in either a proportional or a proportional plus integral gain mode, is normally operated with one controller in the proportional plus integral mode and the other in the proportional mode, each controller contributing its proportionate part of the output position control signal to the position controlled device, and each controller capable of operating alone in the proportional plus integral mode in the event of a failure.

Abstract: The directions of travel of an inner and an outer loop actuator are monitored for movement in opposite directions within selected ranges and the outer loop actuator is disabled under selected conditions. These conditions may include movement of both the inner and outer loop actuators in opposite directions, any one of which has been detected moving at a rate greater than a selected rate or to a position outside a selected range. The invention is particularly suited for an aircraft trim actuator shutdown monitor system.

Abstract: A light-off detector for an afterburner of a gas turbine jet engine comprises an afterburner flameholder (24) electrically insulated (70) from an attached igniter (38) and insulated from other engine parts by means of non-electrically-conductive support rods (30, 45) or by means of electrically conductive rods (30) insulated (50, 52) from the engine case (12) and insulated (70) from an attached igniter (38). An electrical connection (54) brought through the engine case connects the flameholder to a resistor (57) through a bias battery (56). Ionic current flow resulting from flame causes a Schmidt trigger (60) to provide a light-off signal, A/B LIT (62).

Abstract: A device for removing and inserting an IC chip from its installation.

Abstract: The accuracy of a fluid jet angular velocity sensor is increased by reducing flow disturbances which tend to increase the device's temperature sensitivity.

Abstract: A current-limited MOSFET switch is achieved using a zener diode connected from the gate to source of the MOSFET.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor for sensing orthogonal components of angular velocity of rotation of the sensor about any axis in a plane perpendicular to a reference jet axis within the sensor, wherein a fluid jet is deflected relative to two pairs of electrically resistive, temperature sensitive elements in response to rotation of the sensor, wherein each pair of elements forms the sensing branch of a bridge circuit, the jet deflection causing differential cooling and bridge unbalance which is an indication of the deflection of the fluid jet from the reference jet axis which is in turn an indication of the rate and direction of angular rotation, wherein each pair of elements is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the reference jet axis, each pair sensing an orthogonal component of angular velocity of rotation.

Abstract: A highly accurate signal conditioning circuit for use with a linear/rotary variable differential transformer (L/R VDT) operating in a unipolar mode is disclosed. The circuit may be utilized for ratiometric comparison of L/R VDT primary coil peak excitation and L/R VDT secondary coil peak response. Unique peak detectors are used for detecting both primary and secondary peak values. The circuit may include an oscillator having R and C elements in a tank circuit which also includes the L/R VDT primary coil. Offset errors may be determined externally by providing for a momentary shutdown of the oscillator to permit the measurement of DC components to the signal conditioner and excitation DC outputs, by external means.

Abstract: A plurality of operating systems in buildings organized in geographical groups, each group having a local service office, are monitored at both the local offices and a central office for the presence of various combinations of performance criteria defining alarm conditions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the absolute compression pressure of each cylinder in an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The technique involves analyzing the changes in engine kinetic energy in order to calculate both the work of compression and expansion of each cylinder in a multi-cylinder engine typically during a decelerating engine cycle. Speed data is obtained and the work associated with the compression and expansion process for each cylinder is calculated and compared to the compression and expansion data of a good engine which is stored in computer memory. If a compression fault is present, it can be detected because that cylinder will display a decrease in both the work of compression and expansion. Once a faulted cylinder has been identified, the magnitude of the fault can be calculated and normalized and the compression pressure of each cylinder calculated and displayed.

Abstract: In a position measurement system having a plurality of redundant pulsed light sources, detectors, control circuits, signal conditioning circuits, and signal processors, but having space available for only a single encoder for measuring the position of a monitored device, the pulsed light sources emitting light of different wavelengths which are combined in wavelength multiplexed fashion at the encoder, the combined light then being split for encoding and recombining in time domain multiplexed fashion, the recombined light then being split for filtering of the different wavelengths at the plurality of light detectors each of which provide signal manifestations indicative of the position of the monitored device according to the encoded light pulses of the particular wavelength monitored to the associated control and signal conditioning circuits for transmittal to an associated signal processor.

Abstract: A conventional regenerative comparator is modified by including a transistor switch in the feedback network to open circuit the feedback path according to the output state of the comparator, and by biasing the noninverting input of the comparator with a voltage directly proportional to the amplitude of the input signal, thereby providing variable threshold comparator with a hysteresis transfer characteristic with two distinct state change threshold levels that are a fixed ratio of the amplitude of the input signal.

Abstract: A power loss analyzer for providing a signal processor with a discrete power loss alert signal indicative of an imminent power disruption and for providing to the processor subsequent to a disruption a discrete power loss signal indicative of a power disruption that has resulted in degradation of the data stored in memory is disclosed.

Abstract: A plurality of two-plate capacitive pressure sensors with low parasitic capacitance and easily accessible plates are made with microcircuit and thin film technology by depositing a thin layer of glass over a plurality of thin, rigid plates and thin, narrow electrodes previously deposited on a thick glass dielectric substrate, by etching cavities in the thin layer of glass over the plates, and by anodically bonding, in vacuum, thin, doped silicon diaphragms to the thin layer of glass to form variable capacitors each of whose capacitance varies with the pressure outside the sensor.

Abstract: An improved PBA shutdown monitor circuit senses collective pitch control position rate of change magnitude and inhibits PBA shutdown in response to the continuous presence of sensed magnitude within a range of selected collective pitch rate magnitudes bounded by a slow rate limit signal value and a fast rate limit signal value.

Abstract: An ion/electrostatic probe for an afterburning gas turbine jet engine comprises an afterburner flameholder (24) electrically insulated from other engine parts by means of non-electrically-conductive support rods (30, 45) or by means of electrically conductive rods (30) insulated (50, 52) from the engine case (12). An electrical connection (54) may be brought through the engine case. The flameholder (24) may be insulated (70) from an attached igniter.

Abstract: Low reflectivity electrodes (2, 7) are provided on semiconductive and piezoelectric substrates (1, 6) including a layer (3, 9) of gold-germanium mixture and a layer (5, 8) of raw gold, or only a gold-germanium mixture (10), the total germanium content of the electrode comprising approximately 2%-3% of the total gold and germanium content of the electrode, and the thickness of the electrode being on the order of 1% of the acoustic wavelength.

Abstract: The flexible membrane for sensing a differential pressure in a cylindrical sensor is made from a tube with heavy end rings that gradually taper down to form a flexible membrane such that stresses from membrane flexions are distributed throughout the end rings to prevent the stresses from being transmitted to the joints between the tube and its supporting structure thereby reducing hysteresis and creep deformation effects; temperature and stray capacitance effects are minimized by using the capacitive sensor in a tank circuit having an inductor integral to the transducer structure, the tank circuit oscillating at its resonant frequency for use in indicating the differential pressure.