Abstract: A mooring and fluid transfer system of the type which utilizes a yoke pivotally connected at its opposite ends to a ship and to a buoy, which enables the use of hard piping along the fluid conduit which couples the buoy to the ship. A cross arm whose middle is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis on top of the buoy and whose opposite ends connect to the arms of the yoke, has a cutout between its middle and ends. The fluid conduit includes a fluid swivel joint for accommodating pivotal movement of the yoke, which lies in the cutout so the axis of the fluid joint is coincident with the horizontal axis of pivoting of the yoke on the yoke connector.

Abstract: A circuit board apparatus of the type which has multiple connection regions that can each make a solder connection to the lead of a component and a weld connection to a wire, which minimizes the possibility of damage to the region during wire welding and which facilitates repair. Each connection region of the printed circuit board includes at least two plated-through holes plated by a solderable material such as copper which also interconnects the holes, and a pin of weldable but solder-rejecting material such as stainless steel which lies in one of the holes and is in press fit contact with the walls of the hole. Component leads can be soldered into the pinless holes as by wave soldering techniques, without coating the pins with solder, and wires can be welded to the pins by stitch wire techniques. The pins permit wire welds to be made thereto without requiring large weld currents to pass through the thin plating layer of the board, and also facilitate repair of a damaged weld by replacement of the pin.

Abstract: A full-charge indicator for battery chargers, includes a transistor which is in a conductive state as long as charging current to the battery is not less than a level which indicates that the battery did not reach full charge. When the battery reaches full charge, a voltage drop in a resistor in the charging current path is not sufficient to maintain the transistor in a conducting state, and therefore it is switched off. When this occurs an LED is turned on, to indicate a full charge state of the battery. A photocoupler together with a photocoupler transistor are included. When the transistor is off, the photocoupler activates the photocoupler transistor to shunt out a resistor, thereby reducing the charging current to the battery to a float charging current and prevent the battery from being overcharged and damaged.

Abstract: A carburetor actuating system for two carburetors (5a, 5b) in V-shaped space (4) between two cylinders (2a, 2b) of a V-engine such that drafting directions of the respective carburetors are opposite to each other. One carburetor (5b) is controlled by a cable (16b) attached to an actuating arm (15b) connected to the valve stem (14b) protruding to the outside of the one carburetor (5b), i.e., in a direction away from the carburetor. The other carburetor (5a) is controlled by a driven arm (21a) connected to the valve stem (14a) protruding toward the carburetor (5b). The driven arm is actuated by a drive arm (21b) connected to the valve stem of the one carburetor (5a) through links (22a, 22b) hinged by a pin (24) constrained by a guide groove (28) to motion along a perpendicular bisector of a line passing through the axes of the valve stems (14a, 14b).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting an input step waveform signal into a smooth output waveform signal is comprised of two sample-and-hold circuits (11, 12), one for sampling each step of the input signal and the other for synchronously sampling and holding the output waveform, a circuit (17-20) for providing a signal proportonal to the difference between the samples held in the sample-and-hold circuits, and means (21-23) for integrating the difference. The output of the integrator is connected to the second sample-and-hold circuit while the step waveform to be filtered is connected to the input of the first sample-and-hold circuit. The integrator thus produces an output that is a linear signal during each clock pulse period with a slope equal the sign and amplitude of each step.

Abstract: Apparatus for installing a tape leader on a hub, including a resilient locking member which can be projected into an undercut slot in the hub to press in a portion of the tape leader and lock it therein. A punch moves the locking member towards the hub slot, while a pair of pivotally mounted compressors move along opposite sides of the locking member to compress it and guide it into the hub slot.

Abstract: Apparatus for operating on the brain with minimal disturbances thereto, including a bullet-shaped expandable device with an end that can be closed for insertion through a small hole in the brain. The device can be expanded after insertion to leave an air pocket through which to extend viewing and cutting devices which enable operation on tumors or the like that lie at the end of the expanded device. A set of probes of varying diameters are also provided, to progressively enlarge a passage leading to the tumor, prior to inserting the expandable device.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for oscillating a shake table or other member at high accelerations but over short distances. The mechanism includes a group of pad devices supporting the shake table on a base, with each pad device including upper and lower curved pads respectively received in sockets of the table and base and with the pads able to slide on one another. However, the centers of curvature of the two pads are spaced from one another, so that when a driver rotates the lower pad in its socket, causing the upper pad to rotate in its corresponding socket and slide on the lower pad, the upper pad is displaced vertically by a slight amount. Thus, an actuating device that applies a moderate force to the lower pad to rotate it, therefor applies a much greater vertical force to the table, to accelerate it at a high level. The pad devices also can support a large static loading on the table as where it lies in a centrifuge.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a connecting rod (7) secured to a crankshaft (5) over a bearing (6) by a cap (1), holes in the cap for lubricating the cap side of the connecting rod are improved by providing for at least two holes (A.sub.2, A.sub.3) a trapping groove extending from the hole in the direction of rotation (R) of said crankshaft, and a wall surface (D.sub.2, D.sub.3) parallel to the axis of the hole. In one embodiment the axis of the improved lubricating holes through the cap are disposed along radii of said crankshaft. In another embodiment the axis of each improved lubricating hole is canted a small angle (.theta.) to tilt the inlet of the hole in the direction of rotation.

Abstract: An improved servo demodulator channel employing a transconductance balanced modulator as a polarity switch, an AGC amplifier and a signal separation circuit. A transconductance balanced modulator comprises two amplification transistors and four output transistors which together form two signal channels, each comprised of an amplification transistor connected in parallel to two output transistors. In a specific embodiment, the transistors are n-p-n transistors, the emitters of the two output transistors associated with a given channel being connected to the collector of the amplification transistor. The transconductance balanced modulator is configured so that the two amplification transistors are interconnected as a differential amplifier, and the base electrode of an output transistor in one signal channel is connected to the base electrode of an output transistor in the other signal channel, the base electrodes of the other two output transistors also being interconnected.

Abstract: A single or multiphase boost chopper regulator operating with unity power factor, for use such as to charge a battery is comprised of a power section for converting single or multiphase line energy into recharge energy including a rectifier (10), one inductor (L.sub.1) and one chopper (Q.sub.

Abstract: Planar optical circuits may be made to cross through each other, (thus eliminating extra steps required to fabricate elevated, nonintersecting crossovers) by control of the dimensions of the crossing light conductors (10, 12) to be significantly greater than d=0.89.lambda. and the angle of crossing as nearly 90.degree. as conveniently possible. A light trap may be provided just ahead of the intersection to trap any light being reflected in the source conductor at angles greater than about 45.degree.. The light trap may take the form of triangular shaped portions (16a, 16b) on each side of the source conductor with the far side of the triangular portion receiving incident light at an angle so that incident light will be reflected to the other side, or it may take the form of windows (18a, 18b) in place of the triangular portions.

Abstract: A loudspeaker horn is described, which produces good coupling of sound to the atmosphere, while avoiding perturbations in magnitude and phase that would produce large narrow-frequency losses or transient distortions. The horn includes a major sound-reflective portion of typical horn shape, and also includes a buffer extending around the large end of the horn. The buffer has a sound absorption coefficient about halfway between the almost zero absorption coefficient of the major portion of the boundary walls of the horn and the 100% absorption coefficient of the ambient atmosphere, to couple sound to the atmosphere more efficiently, and with an efficiency that is relatively constant with frequency. A horn of largely rectangular cross-section, has corner regions covered with highly sound absorbing material, to minimize transient distortions such as "ringing".

Abstract: A mud pump piston assembly is provided which facilitates replacement and secure holding of piston parts which wear rapidly. A double acting piston includes a piston rod, a pair of hollow piston members on the rod, and a pair of wear rings located between the piston members. The wear rings fit over a flange on the rod and are slightly separated.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for destructively removing particles from a flowing gas containing the particles. In the specific embodiments disclosed the apparatus is adapted to remove carbon particles from diesel engine exhaust products. The exhaust products are directed to a predetermined location where they are rapidly vaporized and combine with oxygen in the exhaust products to form carbon dioxide. Vaporization in one embodiment is effected by a discharge grid 30 located within an exhaust conduit 22, the grid 30 being chosen so that alternate conductors 32 and 34 defining the grid 30 are spaced apart a distance approximately 125 times the mean diameter of the particles to be removed. A voltage differential of approximately 690 volts is applied across adjacent conductors 32 and 34. Presence of a diesel exhaust particle between these conductors 32 and 34 is sufficient to create an electric spark discharge enveloping the particle, thereby resulting in a rapid vaporization and oxidation of the particle.

Abstract: A personal identification system comprises a generator which generates an Offset Number which is recorded on the magnetic stripe of a card, together with the account number (PAN) of the person to whom the card is to be issued. The generator stores transformed digits of a sequence of digits (IN) which have been secretly entered by one or more officers of the card-issuing institution. To generate the Offset Number the PAN is entered and transformed before being stored to initialize a first feedback shift register. The person to whom the card is to be issued enters a chosen alphanumeric sequence (PIN) secretly known only to him. The PIN, after undergoing transformation is stored to initialize a second feedback shift register. When both registers have been initialized they are reinitialized by different parts of different digits of the transformed IN.

Abstract: A method for making monolithic optical circuits, with related optical devices as required or desired, on a supporting surface (10) consists of coating the supporting surface with reflecting metal or cladding resin, spreading a layer of liquid radiation senstivie plastic (12) on the surface, exposing the liquid plastic with a mask (14) to cure it in a desired pattern of light conductors (16, 18, 20), washing away the unexposed liquid plastic, and coating the conductors thus formed with reflective metal or cladding resin. The index of refraction for the cladding (22) is selected to be lower than for the conductors so that light in the conductors will be reflected by the interface with the cladding. For multiple level conductors, as where one conductor must cross over another, the process may be repeated to fabricate a "bridge" with columns (24, 26) of conductors to the next level, and conductor (28) between the columns. For more efficient transfer of energy over the bridge, faces at 45.degree.