Abstract: A modular incremental rotary shaft encoder is preassembled within its housing and then installed and aligned upon the shaft of which rotation is to be sensed. The encoder housing loosely confines a thin disc assembly having a shaft receiving aperture dimensioned to be a press fit upon the shaft. The encoder is installed simply by pressing the housing and the disc assembly therein upon the shaft and fixing the housing to the shaft support. The disc assembly plane of rotation and the disc to detector gap are fixed by inserting a slender elongated installation tool through the housing cover into engagement with the disc assembly and pressing and bending the disc assembly against a fixed stop while the shaft and disc assembly are rotated. A pointed tool is inserted through the housing against the disc assembly to hold the latter against rotation while the shaft is carefully rotated to provide for rotational indexing of the disc assembly.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus effecting a drive through the wall of a pressure vessel comprising a stationary housing containing a rotating drive shaft, a motion transmitting member, a driven shaft and a flexible member attached to both the motion transmitting member and the stationary housing to hermetically seal and prevent transfer of fluid in or out.

Abstract: An electrical resistance type corrosion measuring probe has a test element exposed to a corrosive environment and an adjacent reference element protected from the environment. Electrical circuitry is connected to the elements for measurement of resistance ratio. This provides a corrosion output signal having a first order of temperature correction provided by the reference element. Secondary temperature compensation for dynamic or short term variation of temperature of the corrosive environment is provided by thermocouple measurement of temperatures of the test and reference elements and compensating the corrosion signal in accordance with the directly measured short term temperature difference of the elements.

Abstract: A modular light-weight structural panel is made by stacking in consecutive alternation a number of long, narrow foam plastic filler elements with a number of substantially flat lattice structures. The sub-assembly is laterally compressed to cause each of the lattice structures to be pressed into and partially embedded in mutually abutting surfaces of adjacent ones of the filler elements. While in such compressed condition cross members are welded to side portions of the lattice structures that protrude beyond the filler element surfaces to thereby hold the assembly in its pressed condition with the lattice structures embedded in the filler elements and surfaces of adjacent filler elements in close face-to-face contact with one another.

Abstract: A vacuum pump is connected through a vacuum line to the milking apparatus, and a pressure regulator is employed to admit into the line the amount of ambient air necessary to maintain line pressure constant within narrow limits. The pressure regulator comprises a rolling-sleeve air valve to control the admission of ambient air, and which is itself controlled by a bias spring and an opposed diaphragm. One side of the diaphragm is subjected to pressure generally equal to line pressure, whereas the other side is subjected to the pressure of air within a dome. Means are provided to admit into the dome sufficient air to maintain dome pressure constant. Means are also provided to bleed air through the diaphragm, thus maintaining substantially constant the pressure drop thereacross. The air valve is constructed with a deflecting skirt which prevents false sensing of line pressure.

Abstract: A tone generation system is intended for use with an electronic musical instrument of the type wherein an audible tone is generated electronically in response to actuation of the instrument by a player. The invention generates digital signals capable of defining either the waveshape or the envelope or characteristic of a tone for each tone initiated by such player actuation the latter envelope being varied in accordance with the intensity of the player actuation initiating that tone. In the latter case, digital electronic circuits are utilized for developing a digital scaling signal S corresponding to the intensity of actuation of the instrument by the player, and a digital envelope signal which represents slopes and Y intercepts of portions of a composite waveform, viewed in an orthogonal coordinate system. These digital circuits arithmetically manipulate these scaling signals and envelope signals to give a composite output signal defining the envelope.This application is a continuation of application Ser.

Abstract: An assembly is described for filling a water bed mattress or pumping the contents therefrom. The assembly includes a siphon pump which is attached directly to the mattress outlet and may be secured to an integrally formed storage chamber in the mattress and stored therein when not in use. Collapsible conduit can be used with the siphon pump and the integrally formed storage chamber may also include storage facilities for the collapsible conduit.

Abstract: This invention provides a fluid fitting for joining two tubular members in a fluid-tight relationship, the fitting including a sleeve having outer end portions with ridge means on the inner surfaces thereof for retaining a tube upon being compressed inwardly around the tube, sealing areas inwardly of the retention areas, the sealing areas including sealing elements on the inner wall of the fitting for forming a fluid-tight engagement with a tubular member received within the fitting upon compression around the tubular member, intermediate areas separating the end portions and the sealing areas, and a central portion of increased wall thickness for providing a greater strength at that area.

Abstract: A portable microform viewer provides a short film path through a film transporter that adjustably positions the film in two directions by means of a pair of concentric knobs. A pair of projecting lenses is shiftably mounted for selection of one or the other and the two are mounted on a common pivoted focusing plate. Film is positioned within the film transport by means of a pair of glass flats that are detachably mounted in the transport and flexibly connected to each other for accommodation of microform of different thickness and for ready removal and complete cleaning.

Abstract: A venturi type mixer that produces an aerated water jet for spas, therapy pools, swimming pools and the like, is provided with a pulsating action by means of a flow impeding spoiler that momentarily and repetitively disturbs the water jet that is projected into the mixing chamber. Disturbance of the jet effectively disables the vacuum produced by the venturi action to thereby cause discharge of a water stream of decreased velocity having considerably less entrained air. The spoiler is moved into and out of the water jet by means of an automatically reciprocating piston that is operated by a combination of a spring and the vacuum produced by the venturi action. Alternatively the spoiler may be rotated into and out of the path of the jet by a water driven rotor, or the jet orifice may be rotated relative to a fixed spoiler.

Abstract: Material is drawn from a roll of flat stock, passed through a pipe forming machine, and welded to provide a continuous length of pipe which is stored in a variable size loop. Pipe is withdrawn from the loop by means of a series of pipe straightening and feeding rollers which feeds the pipe to a bending machine. The bending machine is suspended from an overhead platform for rotation about a vertical axis and carries a shearing cutter so that multi-bend pipe sections, such as automobile exhaust pipes, may be bent, severed and dropped onto a conveyor for inspection and disposition while the pipe is being continuously formed from the flat stock. Distance between bends and plane of bend are respectively controlled by the pipe feeder and the bend machine rotation. Differences between forming and bending rates are compensated by varying the amount of pipe in the storage loop.

Abstract: A rotary pipe bending machine employs two sets of bending dies for making either right-hand or left-hand bends about a horizontal axis. A pipe handling carriage having a laterally offset chuck is slidably mounted along a track to longitudinally and rotationally position pipe with respect to the machine bending head. The track is pivotally mounted for 180.degree. of rotation about an axis extending longitudinally through the track so that the chuck can be positioned on one side or the other of the longitudinal machine center line. This enables the chuck to position a pipe to be bent by the die set on either side of the machine.

Abstract: The keyboard or pianos and similar musical instruments has key shanks (levers) which rest on a balance rail from which balance pins project. The balance rail is mounted on a strengthening rail which is keyed into one of two parallel slots in an underlying support wall. There are two balance-pin holes in each shank. The distance between the two holes corresponds to the distance between the two parallel slots in the underlying support. The result is that assembly or adjustment for either light or heavy touch may be achieved at almost no added manufacturing cost. The touch depends upon which slot is employed and which hole is employed.

Abstract: To apply a selectively variable tensioning force to the toothed traction wheels of an automatic wallboard joint taper, and to preclude reverse wheel rotation, an adjustable pawl mechanism is attached to the taper head behind the wheels. The mechanism includes a mounting plate extending transversely between the head assembly side plates, a pawl arm pivoted at one end to a lower portion of the mounting plate, a pawl connected to the plates and positioned behind one of the wheels. A spring connected at one end to a point along the length of the pawl arm, and at its other end to one of a series of apertures in an upper mounting plate lip, exerts a pivotal force on the arm. This biases the pawl into wedging engagement with the wheel and the stop. The biasing force, and thus the tensioning force exerted on the wheel by the pawl, may be selectively varied simply by connecting the tensioning spring between a different point on the pawl arm and a different aperture in the mounting plate lip.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modifying and converting full-time four-wheel drive vehicle transfer cases to adapt them for optional two-wheel drive operation are described. A gear arrangement is provided for locking the main drive shaft from the transmission to the rear output gear of the transfer case, while permitting the differential cage of the transfer case to be engaged or disengaged with a forward drive gear for the front wheels, as desired.

Abstract: A heart valve stent that includes an annular framework, preferably of bendable material, having three rounded apexes interconnected by support arms curved to incline away from the apexes. Additional support arms are included parallel to and axially beyond the first support arms. For use in the mitral position, the framework is circumscribed by an outer ring, which receives an annular element of felt or other suitable material. The heart valve is positioned on the stent, with its marginal portions overlapping it and affixed to it by sutures.