Abstract: Two different carrier frequencies modulated by a reference frequency are transmitted to each receiver to be synchronized therewith. Each receiver responds to local phase differences between the two received signals to correct the phase of one of them so as to maintain the corrected signal as a reliable synchronization reference.

Abstract: In the space shuttle, a cargo bay storage rack was required which was to be manufactured from a metal-plastic composite and bolted to a cargo structure. Following completion, utilization of the rack was disallowed due to tolerances, that is, the size differences between the outside bolt diameter and the inside hole diameter. In addition to the space shuttle problem there are other close tolerance requirements for bolts. Such environments often benefit from close tolerance bolting. Frequently such fabrication is not cost effective. Consequently there is a need for means of achieving close tolerances between bolts and bolt holes. Such means are provided herein. After compressing the elements together a strong rigid plastic, ceramic, or ceramic plastic fluid is forced into a channel extending through the bolt.

Abstract: Thrust chambers for liquid propellant rocket engines include three principal components. One of these components is an injector which contains a plurality of injection elements to meter the flow of propellants at a predetermined rate, and fuel to oxidizer mixture ratio, to introduce the mixture into the combustion chamber, and to cause them to be atomized within the combustion chamber so that even combustion takes place. Evolving from these injectors are tube injectors. These tube injectors have injection elements for injecting the oxidizer into the combustion chamber. The oxidizer and fuel must be metered at predetermined rates and mixture ratios in order to mix them within the combustion chamber so that combustion takes place smoothly and completely. Hence tube injectors are subject to improvement.

Abstract: A strip imaging wide angle optical system is provided. The optical system is provided with a "virtual" material stop to avoid aberrational effects inherent in wide angle optical systems. The optical system includes a spherical mirror section for receiving light from a 180-degree strip or arc of a target image. Light received by the spherical mirror section is reflected to a frustoconical mirror section for subsequent rereflection to a row of optical fibers. Each optical fiber transmits a portion of the received light to a detector. The optical system exploits the narrow cone of acceptance associated with optical fibers to substantially eliminate vignetting effects inherent in wide-angle systems. Further, the optical system exploits the narrow cone of acceptance of the optical fibers to substantially limit spherical aberration.

Abstract: The sensitivity model of a complex optical system obtained by linear ray tracing is used to compute a control gain matrix by imposing the mathematical condition for minimizing the total wavefront error at the optical system's exit pupil. The most recent deformations or error states of the controlled segments or optical surfaces of the system are then assembled as an error vector, and the error vector is transformed by the control gain matrix to produce the exact control variables which will minimize the total wavefront error at the exit pupil of the optical system. These exact control variables are then applied to the actuators controlling the various optical surfaces in the system, causing the immediate reduction in total wavefront error observed at the exit pupil of the optical system.

Abstract: An associative optical memory including an input SLM in the form of an edge enhanced LCLV and a pair of memory SLMs in the form of LCTVs forms a matrix array of an input image which is cross correlated with a matrix array of stored images. The correlation product is detected and non-linearly amplified to illuminate a replica of the stored image array to select the stored image correlating with the input image. The LCLV is edge enhanced by reducing the bias frequency and voltage and rotating its orientation. The edge enhancement and non-linearity of the photodetection improves the orthogonality of the stored images. The illumination of the replicate stored image provides a clean stored image, uncontaminated by the image comparison process.

Abstract: A split spline screw type payload fastener assembly including three identical male and female type split spline sections. The male spline sections are formed on the head of a male type spline driver. Each of the split male type spline sections have an outwardly projecting load baring segment including a convex upper surface which is adapted to engage a complementary concave surface of a female spline receptor in the form of a hollow bolt head. Additionally, the male spline section also includes a horizontal spline releasing segment and a spline tightening segment below each load bearing segment. The spline tightening segment consists of a vertical web of constant thickness, having at least one flat vertical wall surface which is designed to contact a generally flat vertically extending wall surface tab of the bolt head. Mutual interlocking and unlocking of the male and female splines result upon clockwise and counter clockwise turning of the driver element.

Abstract: Apparatus for simulating an exoatmospheric structure, such as a spin stabilized satellite, in an environment subject to gravitational forces. The apparatus includes a floating structure which is pivotally and rotationally supported upon a gimballed bearing structure positioned adjacent the center of mass of the floating structure and suspended upon a support structure. The floating structure is translatable in either vertical direction relative to the supporting structure upon a vertically movable suspension system connected to the supporting structure. The supporting structure is provided with bearing assemblies which are adapted to engage a supporting surface for permitting freedom of movement of the supporting structure over the supporting structure in any direction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for extra corporeal access to blood for analysis of the blood and for treating it or constituents of it with force, energy, or radiation; e.g. electrical energy, heat, sound or electromagnetic or electrostatic force; such apparatuses in one aspect having one or more access ports in tubing or other members through which blood flows with treatment and/or analysis windows disposed at adjacent, within, or over the ports.

Abstract: Highly conducting lightweight hybrid materials are obtained by weaving strands of carbon or graphite fibers into a 2-dimensional fabric-like structure, depositing a layer of carbon onto the fibers of the fabric-like structure, heating the fabric-like structure to graphitize the carbon layer and intercalating the graphitized carbon layer. Composite materials for use in lightning strike protection are composed of at least one layer of the highly conducting lightweight hybrid material and at least one layer of traditional composite materials.

Abstract: A reconfigurable fuzzy cell comprising a digital control programmable gain operation amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, an electrically erasable PROM, and 8-bit counter and comparator, and supporting logic configured to achieve in real-time fuzzy systems high throughput, grade-of-membership or membership-value conversion of multi-input sensor data. The present invention provides a flexible multiplexing-capable configuration, implemented entirely in hardware, for effectuating S-, Z-, and PI-membership functions or combinations thereof, based upon fuzzy logic level-set theory. A membership value table storing "knowledge-data" for each of S-, Z-, and PI-functions is contained within a nonvolatile memory for storing bits of membership and parametric information in a plurality of address spaces. Based upon parametric and control signals, analog sensor data is digitized and converted into grade-of-membership data. In situ learn and reconfiguration modes of operation are also provided.

Abstract: A mobile robot for traversing any surface consisting of a number of interconnected segments, each interconnected segment having a first "U" frame member, a second "U" frame member, a compliant joint between the first "U" frame member and the second "U" frame member, a number of linear actuators between the two frame members acting to provide relative displacement between the frame members, a foot attached to the second "U" frame member for adherence of the segment to the surface, an inter-segment attachment attached to the first "U" frame member for interconnecting the segments, a power source connected to the linear actuators, and a computer/controller for independently controlling each linear actuator in each interconnected segment such that the mobile robot moves in a caterpillar like fashion.

Abstract: The use of guanidine salts of organic fatty acids (guanidine soaps) as vehicles and binders for coating substrate surfaces is disclosed. Being completely organic, the guanidine soaps can be burned off leaving no undesirable residue. Of special interest is the use of guanidine 2-ethyl hexanoate as the vehicle and binder for coating problematic surfaces such as in coating alumina fibers with platinum or zirconia. For this application the guanidine soap is used as a melt. For other applications the guanidine soap may be use in a solution with a variety of solvents, the solution containing chlorometalates or powdered metals, refractories or ceramics.

Abstract: Oxides having a composition of (Ba.sub.1-x Sr.sub.x)O--Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --2SiO.sub.2 are used as sintering aids for producing an improved silicon nitride ceramic material. The x must be greater than 0 to insure the formation of the stable monoclinic celsian glass phase.

Abstract: A method for controlling the crystallization of protein by solvent evaporation including placing a drop of protein solution between and in contact with a pair of parallel plates and driving one of the plates toward and away from the other plate in a controlled manner to adjust the spacing between the plates. The drop of solution forms a liquid cylinder having a height dependent upon the plate spacing thereby effecting the surface area available for solvent evaporation. When the spacing is close, evaporation is slow. Evaporation is increased by increasing the spacing between the plates until the breaking point of the liquid cylinder. One plate is mounted upon a fixed post while the other plate is carried by a receptacle movable relative to the post and driven by a belt driven screw drive. The temperature and humidity of the drop of protein solution are controlled by sealing the drop within the receptacle and mounting a heater and dessicant within the receptacle.

Abstract: A retainer member (2) suitable for retaining a gap filler (1) placed in gaps (20) between adjacent tile members (21, 22). One edge of the retainer member (2) may be attached to the gap filler (1) and another edge may be provided with a plurality of tab members (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) which in an intermediate position do not interfere with placement or removal of the gap filler (1) between tile members (21, 22). The retainer member may be fabricated from a shape memory alloy which when heated to a specified memory temperature will thermally activate the tab members (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) to predetermined memory positions engaging the tile members (21, 22) to retain the gap filler (1) in the gap (20).

Abstract: An optical scanning device utilizing a source of optical energy such as laser light backscattered from the earth's atmosphere or transmitted outward as in a lidar, a rotating holographic optical element having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of its substrate, and having a stationary focus which may or may not be located on its axis of rotation, with the holographic optical element diffracting the source of optical energy at an angle to its rotation axis enabling a conical scanning area and a motor for supporting and rotating the rotating holographic optical element.

Abstract: In vacuum plasma spraying a turntable must be provided which not only makes it possible to rotate and tilt a heavy workpiece, but to operate at vacuum plasma temperatures to do so. In the vacuum plasma coating of large parts such as combustion chambers of rocket engines the workpiece must not only be rotated, but it must be tilted. Hence the turntable must be capable not only of supporting heavy parts, but of angulating such heavy workpieces. And this must be done without drive means failure due to extremely high temperatures under which the turntable mechanism is operated. Herein a turntable mechanism is provided which is capable of operating under such conditions. For cooling the turntable drive mechanism internal cooling means are included.

Abstract: This invention is a novel high-speed neural network based processor for solving the "traveling salesman" and other global optimization problems. It comprises a novel hybrid architecture employing a binary synaptic array whose embodiment incorporates the fixed rules of the problem, such as the number of cities to be visited. The array is prompted by analog voltages representing variables such as distances. The processor incorporates two interconnected feedback networks, each of which solves part of the problem independently and simultaneously, yet which exchange information dynamically.

Abstract: Neural network algorithms have impressively demonstrated the capability of modelling spatial information. On the other hand, the application of parallel distributed models to processing of temporal data has been severely restricted. The invention introduces a novel technique which adds the dimension of time to the well known back-propagatioORIGIN OF THE INVENTIONThe invention described herein was made by employees of the United States Government and ma be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.