Abstract: Apparatus is provided for reducing the temperature of a plunge grinding drum to minimize the effects of thermal expansion on the accuracy of the grinding process. The grinding drum has air passages through the interior of the grinding drum. A radiator cylinder is pressed into the inside of the drum. The radiator cylinder has an outside diameter sized so that it can be press fit into the drum. The radiator cylinder has a plurality of radial fins projecting inward. Air is conducted through the grinding drum and picks up heat from the radiator fins. The air then carries the heat out of the grinding drum. The grinding drum has a shaft with a hollow central region for receiving air. The grinding drum has flanges on each end which have openings to allow the air to flow into and out of the grinding drum. At the air inlet, the opening in the flange is preferably at the flange's center. At the air outlet, the openings in the flange are preferably adjacent the radiator fins.

Abstract: An improved system for increasing the effectiveness of magnetorheological finishing of a substrate. An inline flowmeter is close-loop linked to the rotational speed of a pressurizing pump to assure that the flow of magnetorheological fluid (MRF) to the work zone is constant. A simplified capillary viscometer is disposed in the fluid delivery system at the exit thereof onto the wheel surface. Output signals from the flowmeter and the viscometer pressure sensor are sent to a computer which calculates the viscosity of MRF being delivered to the work zone and causes replenishment of carrier fluid to the work-concentrated MRF to return the viscosity to aim to assure that a constant concentration of magnetic solids is being provided to the work zone.

Abstract: A scanning reflection profilometry system utilizes an objective lens which focuses a beam at the surface under test and measures the profile of the surface (its height variations) in accordance with the amount of defocus of the reflected beam. Surface profile distortion which is focus dependent is reduced through the use of a transparent mask over the aperture of the lens in the path of the beam which is incident on and reflected from the surface under test and which covers a portion but not all of the aperture. A photodetector upon which the reflected beam is incident provides output signals representing the change in profile. The system has height sensitivity characteristic of a small spot size on the surface without signal distortion attributable to the diffraction anomalies associated with small spot sizes. A microprofilometer head having the objective lens and other optics is mounted on flexures and driven to execute reciprocal movement so as to scan the surface under test.

Abstract: A mixing process may be carried out in a tank of a certain diameter. The process may also be constrained to the use of an impeller of certain diameter in order to obtain the flow pattern desired to carry out the process. The power consumption of the system which may be expressed in terms of flow per unit (Q/P) is optimized for the impeller diameter to tank diameter (D/T) constraint by utilizing an axial flow blade, preferably having camber and a tip chord angle at the tip and an angle near the attachment to the shaft (the hub) which rotates the impeller, where the tip chord angle and the twist the difference between the blade angle (between the chord and a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft between the tip and hub) are varied in opposite senses; for example, increasing the tip chord angle to provide a more D/T for a more optimum Q/P to which the process is constrained and then reducing the twist to maintain the power efficiency at the higher tip chord angle.

Abstract: A novel limb construction for a compound archery bow including a handle riser and a bow limb with a base portion attached to the handle riser. The bow limb comprises a pair of resilient limb members connected to and integral with the base portion of the limb. Where the base portion joins two independent limb portions, a fork is formed. The bow limb also includes a working portion, which is an area of reduced thickness between the base of the limb and pulley. The majority of the flexing of the bow limb occurs at this working portion during the draw of the bowstring. In the present invention, the fork is on the base side of the working portion rather than the pulley side of the working portion, as with bows of the past. This design provides a lightweight bow which is strong and has many fewer parts compared to the split limbs of the past. The split limbs are stronger than a solid limb and can be made from various types of fiber reinforced plastics such as short and long fiber reinforced nylon.

Abstract: In order to reduce the size of a spectrophotometer having a rotatable diffraction grating and to compensate for longitudinal chromatic aberration and to provide for triangular bandwidth (where the image of the entrance aperture through which the light to be analyzed enters the spectrophotometer is equal in width to the width of exit slit through which the spectral components of each band are passed to a photodetector) thereby enabling high, accurate resolution of spectral line locations and edges of colors to be obtained, the diffraction grating is pivoted about an axis laterally displaced from the grating in the tangential plane, which plane contains substantially all of the light paths in the spectrophotometer. The exit aperture rotates with the grating and has a displacement from the grating in a direction transverse to the direction of displacement of the pivot, which displacement may be in the sagittal plane of the spectrophotometer.

Abstract: In order to enable ophthalmic (eyeglass) lenses with add-on lens segments to be produced economically so as, for example, to provide a multi-focal addition to a base single lens and dispensed to a user, the add on segment is molded from a liquid photpolimer and partially cured to a state where it is elastomeric (a gel which holds its shape). The segment is then located upon a surface of the base lens which acts as a substrate where the base lens which acts as a substrate and conforms to the surface even if the surface has special corrective curvature as for astigmatism. The base lens may be a conventional plastic lens (acrylic or polycarbonate). No additional adhesive is required. When in place the curing of the segment is completed so that the multi-focal lens with the segment adhering to the base lens is produced.

Abstract: Refinery waste feedstock is screened to remove large particles and is diluted to less than 5% solids weight percent to form a slurry. The slurry is agitated and heated to 180.degree. F. or higher for a time sufficient to melt waxy petroleum solids, reduce the viscosity of the slurry, reduce the density of petroleum fractions within the slurry, and begin to break surface adhesion of petroleum to residual fines. The conditioned slurry is passed through a first disc/bowl centrifuge which separates more than 80% of the waste volume as a first liquid effluent containing most of the petroleum fractions from the original waste and which may be returned to the refinery for processing. The residual cake is diluted with hot water to form a second slurry and is treated with an amount of hydrogen peroxide for a time sufficient to lyse and/or liberate residual petroleum bound to inert fine particles and to oxidize toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to non-toxic derivatives.

Abstract: A sun sensor for use in orbiting satellites provides accurate attitude control yet eliminates the use of complicated optical components. The improved accuracy results from adjustment of the relative positions of a slit or pinhole aperture and a cooperating linear array of photodetector elements to increase the operating range of the sun sensor. Enhanced accuracy is further achieved by the use of a relatively wide slit instead of complicated optical components, in conjunction with a processing procedure which uses the finite angular subtense of the sun to increase the accuracy of the attitude control of the satellite by the sun sensor. A further embodiment of the invention includes a sun sensor device having dual "pinhole" apertures which is particularly useful for attitude control of a spinning satellite.

Abstract: A seed food composition enzymatically predigested to be more readily digestible and utilizable by humans than the seed starting material from which it is derived. A quantity of seeds, either whole seeds or seeds having been modified from their raw, whole, natural state, as by drying, shelling or sprouting is macerated and comminuted. Water is added to form a slurry, and one or more plant-digestive enzymes are introduced. The slurry may be heated and pH may be adjusted and nutrient compounds introduced as required to enhance enzyme activity. When enzymatic predigestion has proceeded to a desired state, characterized by partial or complete conversion of all the enzyme substrate in the seed material or by a desired level of enzyme reaction products, the slurry preferably is dried to a powder and may be mixed subsequently with enzymes and other known materials or compounds to improve, for example, appearance, palatability, shelf life, or nutritive potential.

Abstract: An electrical power supply and controller for supplying electrical power from a common platform in a plurality of distinct electrical waveforms, including voltages, and frequency, and to a plurality of distinct loads including distinct motor loads, and controlling alternatively the speed and torque of these motor loads. The power supply and controller of this invention automatically accepts and adjusts to an electrical input across a wide range of electrical waveforms, including voltage and frequency, and includes an interface for accepting a plurality of distinct computer programs for controlling each load type. The electrical power supply and controller supplies electrical power to the plurality of distinct load modules, accepts the plurality of distinct electrical inputs, and accepts the plurality of distinct computer programs without any modification to the electrical power supply and controller itself.

Abstract: Apparatus for adjusting the angular position of the pulleys in a compound bow is mounted on each of the pulleys, not between the pulleys. The apparatus consists of either rotatable or slidable elements which are mounted on the pulleys. The tension cables contact these elements. The elements are designed such that movement of the elements moves the tension cables and causes changes in tension in the tension cables. This causes rotation of the pulleys, thus changing the angular position of the pulleys. The rotatable elements consist of either eccentrically mounted or shaped cams. The tension cables extend around the cams and are anchored to the pulleys. The rotation of the cams causes changes in tension in the tension cables, thus changing the angular position of the pulleys. The slidable elements consist of either a set screw or a sliding plate. In the case of a set screw, one end of the set screw contacts the tension cable and the tension cable is anchored to the pulley.

Abstract: A DC to DC converter power supply for converting a varying unregulated DC voltage into a lower voltage regulated output. The DC to DC converter has a buck topology and includes a high frequency switch with a variable duty cycle, a regulating filter, a current inner control loop, a voltage outer control loop, a latching switch that provides a load bypass during startup, a logic circuit oscillator that controls the high frequency switch frequency duty cycle as a function of both the inner control loop current and the outer control loop voltage, and a circuit that taps the source voltage for a power input to the logic circuit oscillator during startup. The DC to DC converter admits a source voltage range of approximately 4:1 and provides a regulated fixed output voltage that ranges from approximately 30% of the source voltage at the lowest accommodated source voltage to approximately 5% of the source voltage at the highest accommodated source voltage.

Abstract: An in-line roller skate that includes a boot having a sole plate to which an in-line roller wheel system is attached and further including a shell and a collar mounted for articulation on the boot for securing the boot to the leg and foot, a U-shaped clamping member having a front plate and an arcuate shaped back plate that conforms to the shape of the boot collar, the plates being cojoined by a base member wherein the plates are biased towards each other, the clamping member removably secured to the boot collar by passing over the boot collar at the spine with the back plate placed inside the collar wherein the back plate extends downwardly along the length of the collar to a depth that brings the base member into contact with the collar wherein the base member cooperates with the arcuate shaped back plate to prevent the frame from canting out of parallel with the spine, and the front plate having integral to and extending from it a frame for holding an article.

Abstract: Friable solid material contaminated by oxidizable hydrocarbons such as petrochemicals is delivered into a system wherein that material is subjected to a series of physical and chemical reactions to separate the contaminants from the solid material. The system can receive solid material, separate coarse and fine material and suspend the fine material in an aqueous medium. The aqueous suspension is subjected to temperature adjustment and the addition of an oxidizing agent preferably hydrogen peroxide. The suspension is agitated for a period of time to allow the hydrocarbons to be oxidized. The gaseous oxidation products are stripped and separated from the residual solid material. The aqueous suspension of solid material and diluent are physically separated and the solid material may be returned to its point of origin after treatment. The process and apparatus for carrying out the process are preferably applied to soils containing hydrocarbon pollutants.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a silica aerogel that includes subjecting a mixture that includes an organosilicon compound and ethyl acetoacetate to hydrolysis and polycondensation in an acidic medium to obtain a transparent gel. The organic solvent is substituted by liquid carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide is evacuated under supercritical conditions of the carbon dioxide to obtain an aerogel.

Abstract: A heat pump system capable of heating and cooling an indoor space includes a refrigerant compressor having a discharge side and a suction side interconnected with respective indoor and outdoor heat exchanger coils via a reversing valve, and a condensed refrigerant line interconnecting the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers. Refrigerant charge can be variably added or taken away from the system based on operating conditions using a refrigerant reservoir having a flow regulated first valve connected to the condensed refrigerant line and a similar second valve connected to the suction side. A flow regulated third valve is used to bleed vapor from the reservoir to lower the pressure of refrigerant contained therein relative to the pressure in the liquid line.

Abstract: An earth horizon sensor on board an orbiting spacecraft is designed to produce four (4) scans across the earth at geosynchronous altitudes using only two non-visible wavelength (infrared) detectors. The four scans are essentially parallel and permit the earth center to be offset from the null axis of the earth sensor permitting the offset pointing of high gain communication. By providing four scans using only two detectors, components are minimized and reliability is improved. The four scans are generated with only two detectors by using both the front and rear surfaces of a rotating scanning mirror.

Abstract: Apparatus for filtering a suspension having a chamber containing a cylindrical filter cartridge. At least one suction box is rotatably mounted inside the cartridge containing a scraper blade for riding in contact with the inside face of the cartridge. The blade is arranged to direct material removed from the cartridge into an opening formed in the box wherein the material is removed from the chamber.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an oil-sealed vacuum pump (1) with a pump chamber (8, 9), with a rotor 3 rotatively mounted therein, with a bearing piece (13) delimiting the pump chamber on the drive side and with a passage (35) in the bearing piece (13) which contains a coupling piece (37) used to interlock the rotor (3) with the shaft (36) of the drive motor (4) and a sealing ring (55) to seal off the coupling piece from the passage (35) in the bearing piece (13). To simplify manufacture of the pump, the invention proposes that the interlocking connections between rotor (3) and coupling piece (37) as well as coupling piece (37) and shaft (36) are effected from the faces, and that the coupling piece (37) is a support for a rotor (46) for an oil pump (45, 46), the pump chamber (45) of which is formed in the end plate (13).