Abstract: An apparatus for extending USB linkage between a host computer and a peripheral unit includes a first extender port, a second extender port, a first extender cable connected to transmit signals from the first to the second port, and a second extender cable connected to transmit signals from the second port to the first, such that outgoing USB signals from each port are identical to incoming USB signals into the other port. Each port is formed of a driver circuit connected to one extender cable, a receiver circuit connected to the other cable, and an interface circuit including a USB transceiver connected by USB cable to the transceiver of the host or peripheral. A logic device connected between the circuits selectively effects outgoing signals on a USB or extender cable. The extender cables are bundled in a combined cable that includes a power line and a line for speed signals.

Abstract: A gas cap for a thermal spray gun has a spray passage extending from the combustion chamber to an exit end, and a thermal spray material is fed into the passage. A nozzle component of the gas cap is formed of a tubular inner member in thermal contact with a metallic outer member, such as copper, that is in contact with a fluid coolant. The inner member is formed of a hard, thermally conductive material, preferably a carbide in a metal matrix, such as tungsten carbide in cobalt.

Abstract: A granular composition is applied to tips of rotor blades utilized in a gas turbine engine wherein the blade tips rub against an abradable ceramic layer. Individual grains each have a core of silicon carbide and a layer of aluminum nitride on the core. A layer of a cladding metal may be bonded to the aluminum nitride. The composition also may include particles of cubic boron nitride and/or particles of metal alloy blended with the grains of silicon carbide.

Abstract: An apparatus effects a uniform surface potential on an insulating specimen in an x-ray photoelectron or a secondary ion emission instrument in which there is positive charging of an irradiation region. An area of the specimen including the irradiation region is flooded with a beam of low energy electrons to neutralize the positive charging, causing negative charging of the flooding area. Positive ions are directed onto the flooding area to neutralize the negative charging. The electron beam has an energy less than about 2 eV and an energy spread less than about 0.5 eV. The ratio of the beam distance to its diameter is less than about 10. The ions have an energy less than 10 eV.

Abstract: An arc spray gun has a pair of tubular wire guides that guide two metal wires to a point of contact at the wire tips where an arc current through the wires effect an arc, thereby melting the tips. Primary gas channeling on a central axis issues a primary gas flow that atomizes the molten metal and effects a spray stream thereof. A gas cap has at least four orifices arcuately spaced equally about the central axis. The orifices direct secondary gas jets inwardly with a forward directional component toward a point of intersection of the orifice axes on the central axis. The point of intersection is located proximate the point of contact and spaced downstream therefrom sufficiently for the jets not to interfere substantially with the atomization. The spray stream thereby is constricted and accelerated by the secondary gas jets.

Abstract: A wire thermal spray gun such as a two-wire arc gun has a speed regulator for a DC pull motor in the gun. Armature current corresponds to pulling torque on the pull motor depending on load resistance of the wires. A DC push motor is between a wire supply and the gun, with wire conduits connecting to the gun. A controller provides the push motor with a controlled pushing torque. Feedback of the armature current of the pull motor to the controller adjusts the pushing torque in direct response to change in the pulling torque, such that load sharing is maintained between the push motor and the pull motor.

Abstract: An anode assembly for generating x-rays has a mounting block with a channel therethrough, with a diamond wafer mounted sealingly across an opening in the block so as to have an inner surface in contact with the coolant flowing in the channel. Alternatively, a thicker diamond member is mounted in the block with thermal conduction through the metal block. A metal anode film bonded to the outer surface of the diamond is receptive of a focused electron beam to generate x-rays. The diamond provides cooling in compensation for the film being heated by the electron beam. The assembly is useful in a scanning x-ray monochromator instrument for chemical analysis of a specimen surface.

Abstract: A composite thermal spray powder, for producing abradable coatings, is substantially in the form of clad particles each of which has a core particle of boron nitride and subparticles of aluminum-silicon alloy. The subparticles are bonded to the core particle with an polymeric binder.

Abstract: An instrument for surface analysis includes rastering an electron beam across an anode to generate x-rays. A concave Bragg monochromator focuses an energy peak of the x-rays to a specimen surface, the x-rays rastering the surface to emit photoelectrons. An analyzer provides information on the photoelectrons and thereby chemical species in the surface. A second detector of low energy photoelectrons is cooperative with the rastering to produce a scanning photoelectron image of the surface for imaging of the specimen. Alternatively a lens formed of two concave grids transits the photoelectrons to the analyzer with selectively modified energy so that the analyzer detects either higher energy electrons characteristic of chemical species or lower electrons for the image. The monochromator is formed of platelets cut from an array of platelets in a single crystal member.

Abstract: A cooling fixture for thermal spraying includes a rotatable tubular member for supporting a tubular substrate such as for an oxygen sensor. A cooling tube extends from the tubular member into an open end of the substrate so as to delimit an annular channel therein. The other end of the substrate is closed. Air is forced through the cooling tube into the substrate and thence out via the annular channel, to cool the substrate during thermal spray coating of the outside surface.

Abstract: A thermal spray powder is formed as a mixture of tungsten carbide granules and chromium carbide granules. The tungsten carbide granules each consists essentially of tungsten carbide bonded with cobalt, and the chromium carbide granules each consists essentially of chromium carbide bonded with nickel-chromium alloy. The powder may be asmixed with self-fluxing alloy powder. The powder preferably is sprayed with a high velocity oxygen-fuel thermal spray gun.

Abstract: A powder injection apparatus for a plasma spray gun includes a block having channelling therein for liquid coolant. A powder port extends through the block in proximity to the channelling so as to be cooled by coolant flowing therein. The port has a powder inlet receptive of spray powder in a carrier gas, and has a powder outlet end formed as a tubular protrusion extending from the block. A pair of extensions extend from the block proximate the protrusion on diametrically opposite sides thereof. Each extension has at least one orifice therein disposed so as to direct gas onto the protrusion. A pair of additional gas exit openings direct gas to the face of the gun.

Abstract: A tenacious wear resistant coating is applied with a high velocity oxygen-fuel thermal spray gun using a composite powder of aluminum and an iron base metal. The metal may be iron-chromium, iron-molybdenum, cast iron or a combination. A particular combination is a blend of a first powder and a second powder, the first powder consisting of a composite of aluminum subparticles and iron-molybdenum alloy subparticles, and the second powder consisting of a composite of aluminum subparticles and cast iron subparticles. An internal combustion engine block has such a coating applied to the cylinder walls.

Abstract: In a fluid valving system, binary fluid control lines are connected in parallel between a common fluid inlet and a common fluid outlet. Each line has a binary valve and a metering orifice for passing a predetermined rate of fluid flow. The rates are in a geometric progression in factors of two. An analog fluid control line is connected in parallel with the binary lines, and has a continuously adjustable flow rate regulator for passing any selected rate of fluid flow up to a maximum at least equal to the largest increment of rate change in the binary lines. The regulator is formed of a miniature solid state device. A controller sets each binary valve open or closed, and sets the regulator for a selected flow rate, such that cooperative settings provide for a smoothly variable rate of total fluid flow.

Abstract: An instrument for surface analysis includes a gun for selectively focusing an electron beam on an anode spot, or rastering the beam across an array of such spots, to generate x-rays. A concave monochromator focuses an energy peak of the x-rays to a specimen surface, in a spot on a selected pixel area or across an array of pixel areas on the surface to emit photoelectrons. An analyzer with a detector provides information on the photoelectrons and thereby chemical species in the surface. A second detector of low energy photoelectrons is cooperative with the rastering to produce a scanning photoelectron image of the surface, for viewing of a specimen to be positioned, or for imaging an insulator surface. The monochromator is formed of platelets produced by cutting an array of platelets from a single crystal member, and bonding the platelets to a concave face of a base plate juxtaposed in crystalline alignment in a positioned array identical to that of the initial array.

Abstract: A spectrometric instrument which exhibits an intrinsic profile for a sharp spectral line produces profile data for narrow spectral lines. The spectral lines are effected with a high finesse etalon of gold coated polymer. A transformation filter is computed for transforming the profile data to a gaussian profile. A wavelength calibration is combined with the filter to effect a correction matrix which is applied to sample data to generate calibrated standardized data. Iteratively a correction matrix is applied to calibration data to generate standardized calibration data which is utilized for the wavelength calibration. Calibration is effected with an optical standard, an interference etalon and a fringe formula. Etalon effective thickness is first estimated and then precisely determined so that fringe peaks calibrate wavelength.

Abstract: A method of producing spectral data corrected for background includes generating spectral data, ascertaining background and subtracting background points to produce the corrected data. To ascertain background the spectral data are masked initially at the spectral peak of interest, and a least squares curve is fitted to the masked data. A runs test is performed to detect whether the number of runs exceeds a selected significance level. If so, the data are further masked and a curve is refitted. These steps are iterated until no further significant number of runs is detected. Similar testing for outliers is then effected with similar masking, a final curve represents the background level.

Abstract: In an angular gas cap on a wire thermal spray gun, a forward channel extends from a rearward channel at an oblique angle thereto so as to have a lateral directional component. The rearward channel at the nozzle has a channel axis parallel to the central axis of the nozzle and is offset from the central axis in a direction opposite the lateral directional component. Immediately upon termination of spraying the wire is retracted into the nozzle. A wire positioner includes a hollow collet with the wire extending therethrough. A linear actuator retains the collet against a wall to hold the collet open from the wire during spraying. Upon termination of spraying the actuator retracts to release the collet from the wall so the collet is sprung to engage the wire during the retraction. Upon startup the wire is advanced into the gas cap faster than normal spraying speed.

Abstract: A wire flame spray apparatus includes a wire feed pulley driven by a motor. A first counterpulley urges a wire into engagement with the feed pulley. A detector pulley with a second counterpulley engages the wire to detect actual wire feed rate. A balance beam supports the counterpulleys. A pressure cylinder acts on the beam to increase counterpulley force on the wire in response to a lagging of actual feed rate from a predetermined feed rate so as to avert slippage of the wire on the feed pulley. A sensor senses changes in rotational speed of the detector pulley and generates signals to increase the counterpulley force. A microprocessor provides control signals for the motor and pressure cylinder.

Abstract: To calibrate a photodetector, a rotating disk with a slot is disposed in a light beam with decreasing speed from a defined maximum rotational speed to a defined minimum speed, while magnitudes and times of signals are read out and stored. Vernier pairs of signals occur in adjacent readout intervals, and non-vernier signals exclude the verniers. Readout times for verniers are used to estimate a preliminary function of rotations versus time. From the function are estimated an occurrence time for each pair and period of disk rotation at the time. Vernier fraction is the ratio of one signal in the pair to the sum of the pair. A time offset is the product of vernier fraction, slot fraction of the disk and the estimated period. Occurrence times corrected with the time offset are utilized to fit a corrected function of disk rotations versus time. Points of time for the non-vernier signals are determined from the corrected function, each point corresponding to disk rotations to a corresponding non-vernier signal.