Abstract: An acoustic pyrometer measures the average gas temperature across a wide space of known distance, especially turbulent, high temperature gas loaded with caustic particulates. It includes an acoustic signal generator that generates a high amplitude acoustic signal with a short rise time and a detector positioned adjacent the signal generator that detects the onset of the acoustic signal in the signal generator and generates a first electrical signal corresponding in time to the onset of the acoustic signal in the signal generator. A receiver, positioned across the space from the signal generator, receives acoustic signals from the space and generates electrical signals corresponding to amplitude and frequency of the acoustic signals received in the receiver.

Abstract: This invention is a special trolley system that attaches to a case or other object needing mobility. The trolley has the capability of having legs integrated into the mechanism, which, when unfolded, allow the case to function as a table. This functionality is particularly useful for applications where technology is being deployed to areas without existing infrastructure, such as telemedicine, military, etc.

Abstract: A hydromechanical transmission has an operating assembly including an input hydrostatic unit (50) and an output hydrostatic unit (60), each having a rotating cylinder (180, 182) and piston element (210, 212) and a non-rotating yoke element (150, 151). The non-rotating elements are yoke elements (150, 151) linked together to react the separating forces internally, bypassing the housing (120).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing wings includes a fixture that holds wing panels for drilling and edge trimming by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination features machined into the parts and subassemblies, thereby making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinant of the dimensions and contour of the wing. Spars are attached to the wing panel using the coordination holes to locate the spars accurately on the panel in accordance with the original engineering design, and in-spar ribs are attached to rib posts on the spar using accurately drilled coordination holes in the ends of the rib and in the rib post. The wing contour is determined by the configuration of the spars and ribs rather than by any conventional hard tooling which determines the wing contour in conventional processes.

Abstract: A process for making a cutting instrument includes cutting a blank from a plate or strip of Type 60 Nitinol, having a thickness of between 0.005″-0.500″ using an abrasive waterjet, wire electron discharge machining or laser cutting, and grinding top and bottom surfaces of the blank by rotating a grinder having cubic boron nitride or diamond abrasive particles on a cutting surface of said grinder against the knife blank at a surface speed of about 5000 to 7000 surface feet per minute and grinding to a depth of about 0.001 to 0.005 inches per pass to remove material along the blade surface. The surface of the blade is polished to a surface finish smoother than 20 microinches RMS using Turkish emery abrasive grinding/polishing materials on a buffing wheel driven by a high power motor. The blade is then finish polished to a mirror-like luster of 2 microinches RMS or less using a fine diamond buffing compound and a buffing wheel running at about 3000 RPM.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for fabricating wing panels from a plurality of elongated wing planks attached together with splice stringers along adjacent longitudinal edges and stiffened with stringers parallel to each other and to the splice stringers includes a fixture having a series of headers on which the planks can be assembled and held at the desired curvature with attachment devices for holding the planks as assembled on the fixture. An elevator supports the fixture in an elongated pit for precise adjustment in a generally vertical direction of the fixture and the assembled wing planks. A stringer positioning device is mounted along one longitudinal edge of the pit for positioning a stringer loaded thereon against the assembled wing planks accurately in accordance with the wing design. A downwardly opening yoke having two arms depending from a top cross member is suspended over the pit on a support structure.

Abstract: A torsionally-damped ski having a durable, low friction ski base and non-rusting durable ski edges that have exceptional edge-retaining qualities, including an elongated snow-contacting base surface made of a Nitinol sheet having two opposed longitudinal edges on opposite sides of an elongated medial portion. A Nitinol ski edge structure extends longitudinally along both of the edges of the sheet, having a greater thickness than the medial portion of the sheet. The edge structures form an integral part of the Nitinol base sheet by welding the sheet along opposite edges thereof to the edge structures. Preferably, the ski edge structure is Type 60 Nitinol. The base sheet can be superelastic Nitinol or Martensitic Nitinol having shape memory characteristics. A torsional vibration structure is built into the ski, including Nitinol structures extending along one or more axes lying oblique to the longitudinal axis of the ski.

Abstract: A process for post processing a part that has a Nitinol coating applied by plasma spraying or PVD coating gives the Nitinol desirable properties of toughness and malleability. It also produces a layer of surface material that is extremely hard, chemically non-reactive, electrically and thermally insulating. The process includes selecting a part that has a surface coating of Nitinol applied by plasma spraying or PVD coating and polishing the surface coating to give it a smooth and shiny surface. The polished surface is then cleaned to remove all polishing residue. The surface of the Nitinol coating is heated a temperature in a range of about 400° C. to 900° C.; and is rapidly cooled by forced air flow over the surface coating or by low temperature air or liquid immersion. Thereafter, the outer surfaces of the layer of surface material may be repolished and reheated as before to enhance the layer of thermally produced surface material.

Abstract: A foam board, for fabrication of sandwich panels made of a face sheets bonded over each side of the foam board, has two opposed planar faces having an embossed pattern in the faces. The embossed pattern has three series of parallel linear indentations, each of the series intersecting the other two series at an angle of 60°, such as a series of interlinked equilateral triangles angularly offset from the other two series. The indentations into the surface of the foam boards are sufficiently deep and close together to provide escape paths for volatiles generated during the bonding. In this way, the face sheets may be bonded over the foam board and the escape paths vent the volatiles and prevents the development of excessive pressure between the face sheets that otherwise would interfere with the bonding.

Abstract: A controller, for use with a fastener installation apparatus having a primary turret tooling head and an opposed reactionary tooling head, includes a data acquisition computer and several servomotors controlled by the computer for operatively connecting the computer to the primary tooling head turret for rotatably positioning the turret, and actuating the tools. The servo operated drive systems are computer operated and numerically controlled to position the turret relative to the work piece for accurate and repeatable positioning of the tools on the turret over the desired location of the hole without sacrificing desirable machine rigidity for some fastening operations. The system includes programming means operable to cause the computer to rotate the primary turret tooling head and actuate the tools using the computer numerically controlled servo motors for remotely controlling both the linear carriage position, the turret angular rotation, and actuation of the tools.

Abstract: A reinforced ceramic structure, such as a superplastic forming die for forming a metal part, has a body of cast silica/calcium aluminate or mullite based ceramic material; and a plurality of reinforcing rods, made of monolithic fused oxides of silicon or aluminum, cast into said ceramic body. The rods have a thickness between ⅛″-2.0″ and are spaced apart on centers by about 2-10 times the diameter of the rods. The rods are bonded in the ceramic body or they may be coated with a release agent to prevent bonding to said ceramic body so that they can translate in the direction of their axes to prevent cracking during drying and curing. The rods are disposed in an array of at least two rows, with the rods in each row arranged parallel to each other and with the rods in adjacent rows arranged orthogonally to each other. The rows are spaced apart a distance equal to about ½-3 times the diameter of the rods.

Abstract: A coupon holder and presentation article comprises a band made of a flexible sheet material, such as paper and the like, that has a first planar surface and a second planar surface. The design includes a designation on the first planar surface that will imply a fold line, score or other like specification, to divide the first planar surface into plural zones, The second planar surface will reflect similar zones as the first planar surface. The band will be printed to include information and/or photographs, drawings, illustrations, graphics, and the like, about (but not limited to) any type of product, service, special offer, discount or coupon for any type of business.

Abstract: A dual, or single, case mobile computing and communication system with rapid mobility for usage in the field, consisting of a component mounting mechanism, a mobile computer and peripheral data switching micronetwork, an enclosed modular peripheral power system, and a plug-in modular component card system. The universal mounting mechanism holds multiple peripherals in such a way that they can be easily and quickly installed and removed from the case configuration. It locks the peripherals so they do not move during transportation. It is also low in profile so it does not obstruct the use of the items being held. The system offers rapid reaction mobility, by isolating and securing the many data and power cables necessary to connect up to 8 peripherals. The data part of this micronetwork includes data switching to connect the single computer's parallel and serial interface to these peripherals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing wing spars includes a fixture that holds spar webs for drilling and edge trimming by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination features machined into the parts and subassemblies, thereby making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinant of the dimensions and contour of the wing.

Abstract: An assembly cell for accurate placement of stringer clips in a channel of a stringer for a compound contour section of an airplane fuselage, and for holding the clips at a predetermined orientation while drilling holes for fastening the clips in the stringers includes a fixture having locating surfaces for holding the stringer in a configuration that is the same as the configuration it will have when installed at its designated position in the airplane. The fixture has headers adjustable to conform to the shape of the airplane in which the stringers will be installed, The headers have clamps for securing the stringers against accurately machined reference surfaces on the headers. An end effector is held by a machine tool in the assembly cell for gripping a stringer clip and inserting it into the stringer channel.

Abstract: A method of making an monolithic metallic sandwich structure includes selecting at least two chemically clean metal core sheets having superplastic characteristics and placing them face-to-face. The core sheets are welded together into a core pack along intersecting lines that will form junction lines of webs defining cells between the core sheets when the core pack is expanded superplastically. Gaps are left adjacent to the intersections of the weld lines to produce openings through which gas can pass to pressurize each cell. The position of the gaps adjacent the weld line intersections minimizes strain on the marginal regions around the openings as the core pack is inflated, to reduce the tendency of the sheets to tear or rupture around the openings. A gas pressure line fitting is inserted between one edge and the core pack is welded around its periphery with the gas fitting protruding from the edge for connection to a gas source that will purge and pressurize the core pack with gas.

Abstract: A hydrostatic axial piston transmission having a continuously variable transmission ratio includes an axial piston pump driven by an input shaft, the pump having an annular pump cylinder block with a ring of cylinders in which pump pistons reciprocate to pressurize and displace fluid from the pump cylinders. The pump is also coupled to an output shaft for conveying reaction torque from the input shaft directly to the output shaft as a first output torque component. An axial piston hydraulic motor has an annular motor cylinder block with a ring of motor cylinders in which motor pistons reciprocate in a power stroke to apply output torque to the output shaft, and a displacement stroke in which spent fluid is displaced from the motor cylinders for return to the pump cylinders. The pump cylinder block is concentrically disposed within the annulus of the motor cylinder block, and the input shaft and the output shaft lie on a longitudinal axis through the annulus.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission includes a housing enclosing an axial piston pump and an axial piston motor arranged concentrically with respect to the pump. The pump and motor have cylinder blocks with axial cylinders, each receiving a piston. Pump and motor swash plates are engaged with the pump and motor pistons for rotating and nutating relative to the cylinder blocks to convert between fluid pressure power and rotating mechanical power. Input and output shafts are journaled in the housing for rotation about a central axis and have inner ends coupled to the pump and to the motor swash plate, respectively. Fluid passages between the pump cylinder block and the motor cylinder block convey fluid pressurized in the pump to the motor cylinders and convey spent fluid displaced from the motor cylinder block back to the pump cylinders.