Abstract: A method for forming a thermally stable honeycomb panel which may be used constructing large mirrors employs thermally stable composite planks comprised of about 50% graphite fibers and of about 50% borosilicate glass. These planks which are formed by hot pressing in vacuum serve as a basic construction material.The thermally stable honeycomb panel is comprised of a core member, a backplate member, and a faceplate member which are bonded by bonding process after a wet frit paste is first applied and then dried to remove volatile solvents. The bonding is completed in an oven in an air atmosphere at a temperature sufficient to melt the glass in the frit paste after the organic binder material is boiled out. After holding the honeycomb panel components at a predetermined temperature for ensuring that all the glass in the frit is melted, the bonded panel is allowed to cool to room temperature.

Abstract: A process for nuclear hardening an optical part consisting of a prepared beryllium substrate processed to yield a surface finish of at least 125 micro-inch rms that is subsequently provided with a vapor deposited coating of beryllium of about 0.012 inch .+-.0.002 inch thick. The vapor deposited coating is precision finished to a low-scatter, first surface mirror on a beryllium substrate.The disclosed process broadly comprises:1. selecting a suitable substrate material of high purity beryllium;2. matching to shape;3. processing and annealing the machined part;4. mild alkaline cleaning the machined part;5. etching the machined part;6. precision machining holes, threads, and lap precision surfaces;7. cleaning all surfaces by vapor degreasing;8. coating surfaces by vapor depositing beryllium;9. thermally processing by immersing coated part in liquid nitrogen; and10. grinding, polishing, and configuring to yield a low-scatter first surface mirror on a beryllium substrate.

Abstract: A latch connector for releasably connecting a male connector provided with lural male terminals and a female connector provided with plural female terminals. The connector includes a handle member cooperating with the latch member to effect disconnection of a pair of electrical connectors.

Abstract: Germanium and doped-germanium polycrystalline films are formed using photolytic CO.sub.2 laser-induced chemical vapor deposition method. Germanium being transparent to IR light makes the production of high purity polycrystalline germanium and doped-germanium films from starting compounds of germane, ethylgermane diethylgermane, and triethylgermane ideally adapted to the laser induced infrared radiation provided by the tunable, continuous-wave CO.sub.2 laser which delivers infrared laser radiation in the range of 10.4 or 9.4 micrometers. Triethylgermane produces germanium in a quantity usable as a dopant. Scanning electron microscopy is used for analysis of the films. The products identified on irradiation of germane are germanium and hydrogen. Conversion rates on the order of 86% are readily obtained. On irradiation of diethylgermane and ethylgermane, ethylene, germane, germanium and hydrogen are produced.

Abstract: A laser weapon countermeasure method in which a chemical countermeasure is eployed into the atmosphere along a predetermined length that is located between that which is desired to be protected and a high power laser weapon so as to cause the laser energy emanating from said laser weapon to bloom and be dissipated when the laser energy is directed into the atmosphere containing said chemical countermeasure.

Abstract: A small field probe is calibrated by selectively varying the field intens and frequency and recording the data in arrays with each incremental step. The arrays are built by selectively varying one parameter while maintaining another constant. In this way coefficients of the equation for the calibration of the probe is arrived.

Abstract: An improvement is disclosed in the method of initiating an explosive charge arried to a target site by a rocket launched toward a target whereupon striking a soft target the performance functioning of a percussion primer to a spotting charge is improved by an impactor-cap device in communication with the percussion primer whereby the impactor will indent the primer with sufficient energy and depth to cause functioning. The impactor-cap device is comprised of a cap portion and an impactor portion. The cap portion is in the form of a thin plastic cup of a material selected from polyethylene, nylon, mylar, or cellulose acetate. The impactor portion is in the form of a ball or spike of hard material such as a steel ball, glass ball, or high impact strength plastic such as polycarbonate, methyl methacrylate (Plexiglas), or nylon.

Abstract: A solid fuel for generating H.sub.2 or D.sub.2 gases, comprising magnesium orohydride diammoniate (MBDA) or its deuterated analog as the H.sub.2 or D.sub.2 source, an oxidizer selected from LiNO.sub.3 and KNO.sub.3, and a binder of polytetrafluoroethylene is a thermally stable gas generator composition which yields greater than 12.5 weight percent H.sub.2 or D.sub.2. The MBDA weight percentages by weight ranges from 80-90, the oxidizer ranges from 5-15, and the binder ranges from 2-15.

Abstract: A recoilless rocket launcher including a rocket launch tube which is resintly coupled to a support member. Points of contact to the gunner who fires the rocket from a rocket launch tube are to the shoulder and the hand which grips a hand grip which is part of the firing mechanism integrally attached to the support member. The resilient coupling for support member is comprised of a resilient material selected from the group consisting of a butene-diolefin copolymer, rubber, plastic, leather, or fiberous paper. The resilient material disposed in spaced relation adjacent opposite ends of the support member resiliently couples the support member to the launch tube. The nonrigid coupling effects the transfer mechanisms to result in a time offset, extended reaction time, and a reduced total impressed impulse transferable to the gunner prior to rocket exiting the rocket launch tube.

Abstract: A high yield, four step synthesis process is disclosed for producing the omer, 2,3-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene, wherein in step 1 acetophenone pinacol is produced from the dimerization of acetophenone in 96% yield; in step 2 acetophenone pinacol is reacted with triethoxymethane and benzoic acid to produce 2,3-diphenyl-2-butene in about 88-96% yield. The 2,3-diphenyl-2-butene and N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) are reacted together in step 3 in an ultra violet reactor and in a CCl.sub.4 reaction solvent to produce in about 92% yield, the dibromo compound, 1,4-dibromo-2,3-diphenyl-2-butene. In step 4, 1,4-dibromo-2,3-diphenyl-2-butene is converted to the desired monomer in about 86% yield by reacting with NaI under refluxing conditions for about 90 minutes in a hot acetone solution. The monomer 2,3-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene is recovered in hexane, shaken (in the order listed) with water solutions of NaHSO.sub.3, NaHCO.sub.3, and pure water, dried over CaCl.sub.2, and the hexane is spun off.

Abstract: The incorporation of methyl alcohol into a hydrazine, and hydrazine nitrate uel blend is effective in lowering the freezing point of the combination while enhancing the performance of the monopropellant blend by contributing to the total energy of the monopropellant ternary combination. Hydrazine content varies from about 58 to about 68 weight percent, the hydrazine nitrate varies from about 20 to about 25 weight percent, and the methyl alcohol varies from about 12 to about 17 weight percent. The freezing point of this monopropellant fuel blend has a freezing point from about -29.degree. F. to about -65.degree. F., which renders this monopropellant fuel blend useful as a tactical monopropellant fuel blend over a wide temperature range.

Abstract: A laser welder is provided that generates output energy focused in a circr or cylindrical shape for simultaneously welding around a 360.degree. circumference without unnecessarily heating large amounts of material. The welder may be used to fasten cylindrical shaped objects, gears and shafts together, which is difficult to do by conventional means. The welder may also be used to fasten one cylinder to another.To accomplish the welding, a laser has an unstable optical cavity arranged with its feedback mirror centered to generate a circular output beam having an obscuration in the center. A circularly-symmetric, off-axis concave mirror focuses the output beam onto the objects being fastened and away from the center line or axis of the circular beam.

Abstract: Two solenoid controlled ball valves are employed in such a way that dual w rate control is provided to a missile control vane actuator. The result is the superior performance of an open center valve actuator over that of a closed center valve actuator with gas consumption savings approaching that of the closed center valve design and having the same complexity as a closed center design.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for projecting a laser beam for communication or guidance purposes wherein transmitted energy goes directly to a receiver area without requiring services of slewing or tracking devices. The energy is precisely directed from a laser transmitter on a missile toward a receiver at a tracking area. By directing the laser energy from a source on the missile during flight and by performing phase conjugating amplification of this laser energy at a tracking area station, atmospheric distortions are removed from the return energy and beam broadening is limited only to the negligible effects of diffraction broadening of the return energy, with the laser return beam being directed almost exclusively back to the missile.

Abstract: An effective method to recover the catalyst material, ferrocene or its deatives, from high burn rate propellants comprises the method which uses compressed gas in the form of a near critical liquid to extract, remove, and recover the specific catalyst material directly from rocket motors or from chunks of cut propellant.The method comprises introducing compressed carbon dioxide into a pressure vessel containing the propellant from which the catalyst material is to be recovered. The carbon dioxide as a near critical liquid (NCL) is circulated within the pressure vessel where extraction of ferrocene or its derivatives directly from the propellant takes place. The NCL with extractibles is transported to a warming and recovery zone where the extractibles are recovered after the carbon dioxide is volatilized and returned for recycling, compressing, and further extracting after being adjusted to a near critical liquid.Analytical data indicates that from 99.

Abstract: A stoichiometric amount of a polyamine compound selected from the group cisting of cyanoethyl substituted tetraethylene pentamine (TEPAN), or the glycidol reaction product of cyanoethyl substituted tetraethylene pentamine (TEPANOL) is reacted with a stoichiometric amount of perchloric acid to yield an amine salt bonding agent useful in propellant compositions.This improved method prevents the generation of ammonia (as in prior art method) which has to be removed prior to use of amine salt bonding agent in a propellant composition. Also, a lesser amount of diluent water is involved in this method which offers an advantage by not having to strip an excessive amount of water by heat, purge, or vacuum means.The amine salt bonding agents prepared by this improved method are shown to be of like identity and quality as shown by IR spectroscopic examination and their testing in a propellant composition.

Abstract: A safety container for transporting small quantities of explosives that iude a metal bottle that has a bottom and top section that are secured together with seal means therebetween and a cavity of the bottle has antistatic foam plastic material therein with a cavity at the geometric center of the foam plastic material for mounting or containing an explosive and the cap section has a relief valve for relieving any pressure that may be in the cavity of the bottle.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for acousto-optically addressed pattern recognition using Vander Lugt matched filtering. In optical correlation a beam of light containing an image to be examined is directed to fall on a matched filter array that contains a representation of an object of interest. Critical alignment between the beam and a matched filter of the array is achieved by acousto-optical deflection of the light beam. A large number of matched filters can be addressed sequentially at very high sampling rates, thereby providing a large memory capability for coherent optical image processing. In the system an object beam containing an image of interest is directed to a plane of interest where the matched filter is located. An acousto-optical device located in the object beam path is driven by a signal generator at megahertz frequencies.

Abstract: A nonimaging technique for identification of a ground vehicle as a nontar utilizing a pulsing infrared wavelength energy source located on the ground vehicle and a matched receiver at the point making the identification. The transmitter is designed to not increase the vehicle infrared signature nor to be easily duplicated by target vehicles. The receiver allows continuous identification of detected vehicles in a highly discriminating system.

Abstract: A missile which has a shaped charge warhead mounted therein in such a man that the shaped charge warhead is automatically pivoted or canted after launch of the missile to present a shaped charge warhead in an advantageous position for destroying a target.