Abstract: A method for manufacturing a modular starting gate. The modules making up the starting gate include a truss module, a door releasing module, a stall divider module, a front door module, a rear door module, a towing module, and a wheel assembly module. Each module is manufactured to precise tolerances using fixtures or jigs to achieve the desired tolerances. The door releasing module is coupled to the truss module. The truss module is raised mounted to the towing module and the wheel assembly module. A first stall divider module is attached to the truss module and a positioning fixture is used to properly align a second stall divider module relative to the first stall divider module. The second stall divider module is attached to the truss module. The positioning fixture is removed and the front and back gate modules are fastened to the stall divider modules.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of making a golf club head by casting a molten titanium alloy and thereafter removing the alpha case that is formed on the surface of the titanium by means of a conformal milling process. The conformal milling process uniformly dissolves the alpha case without distorting the underlying metal. The reduction in wall thickness caused by the conformal milling results in a concomitant reduction in the weight of the part without any loss in the critical impact strength of the part. In fact, impact strength is increased. This weight can then be redistributed as a supplemental weight member, which can be used to lower the center of mass of the club. The weight member can further be positioned on the sole plate or club body in such a way so as to permit fine tuning of the location of the center of mass of the club, as well as shaped so as to increase the polar moment of inertia of the club head about the golf club shaft.

Abstract: A high strength T-joint for inflatable tubular is formed by forming a butt joint between the end of a first two tubular member and the side wall of a second tubular member. The opening in the side wall of the second tubular member is sized to match the end of the transverse support member so that a sealing flange can be applied to the inner surface of the joint to provide an airtight seal. A reinforcing flange comprising a disk-shaped piece of fabric having a center opening, is then bonded over the opening in the second tubular member. The center opening in the reinforcing flange is substantially smaller than the opening in the side rail member. Therefore the reinforcing flange substantially reduces the size of the discontinuity in the side wall of side rail member, thereby substantially increasing the circumferential (“hoop”) load capacity of the side wall of the side rail member and substantially increasing the rupture pressure of the joint.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for measuring the flexural characteristic of a golf club shaft. The apparatus includes a table having a clamping structure for clamping the golf club shaft thereto. A data collection system having a computer coupled to an image recording device measures the amount of deflection of the golf club shaft before and after a bending moment is applied to the golf club shaft. The stiffness of the golf club shaft is determined from the amount of deflection.

Abstract: A method and a device for producing a sufficient quantity of a fire suppressing gaseous product to substantially suppress a fire. The device has a first stage gas source containing a pyrotechnic gas generating material and a second stage gas source in fluid communication at a first location with an outlet of the first stage gas source and, at a second location, with an outlet for dispersing gas. The second stage gas source contains at least one liquified gas or supercritical carbon dioxide, where the first stage gas source is capable of providing a sufficient quantity of gas at a sufficiently high temperature to vaporize at least a portion of the liquified gas or supercritical carbon dioxide in the second stage gas source, thereby producing a fire suppressing gaseous output, which exits the device through the outlet for dispersing gas, in an amount sufficient to at least partially suppress a fire.

Abstract: A modular starting gate having a truss module, a door releasing module, a stall divider module, a front door module, a rear door module, a towing module, and a wheel assembly module. The door releasing module includes a roll-bar having articulated members that are coupled to the front door module via a coupling bar and a turnbuckle adjuster. The roll-bar is coupled to the truss module via a bearing and includes a first section coupled to a second section via a U-joint. A rebound stop is coupled to the starting gate, wherein the rebound stop has a first portion mounted to the front door module which cooperates with a second portion coupled to the stall divider module.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a flat panel display, such as a liquid crystal microdisplay having a plurality of square and rectangular pixel electrodes that are addressable separately to produce a fine resolution display or addressable in combination to create a lower resolution display. By providing an array of square pixel electrodes with adjacent rectangular electrodes, the display is capable of displaying, for example, XGA or SXGA video data, full-size undistorted and in its native display format, thus obviating the need for expensive image processing chips to convert the image data from one format to another.

Abstract: A method of joining superalloy substrates together comprises diffusion bonding the superalloy substrates by depositing an activator directly on the surface of the joint to be bonded and thereafter subjecting the joint to heat and pressure. The heat and pressure causes the surface of the superalloy, in the presence of the activator, to diffusion bond without the use of a brazing alloy. By eliminating the brazing alloy, a high strength, high temperature bond is achieved, yet there is no molten brazing alloy to be drawn through capillary action into any fine features surrounding the joint being bonded, and there is no residue left at the interface that would diminish the mechanical properties of the joint.

Abstract: A system for controlling with safety the transfer or control of high pressure fluids from a container for use as to an inflatable escape slide. The pressurized container houses valve mechanisms such as a first and second valve mechanism, with the first valve mechanism controlling by actuation the on off flow of high pressure fluids to the second valve mechanism. The second valve mechanism controls the rate of flow by reducing the pressure for delivery to the inflatable escape slide. A safety valve operates in conjunction with the first valve mechanism and upon breaking of the valve mechanisms from the pressurized container to prevent the contents of the pressurized container from rapid escape or uncontrolled release.

Abstract: The present invention is a self-contained air bag module and to a method of protecting an occupant of a vehicle in a collision involving the vehicle using the self-contained air bag module of the invention. The self-contained air bag module of the invention has an air bag having an interior volume in fluid communication with a high thermal efficiency inflator, the high thermal efficiency inflator having an initiator, and adapted for producing a sufficient quantity of a gaseous product to substantially inflate the air bag; and an impact detector in electrical or mechanical communication with the initiator. The high thermal efficiency inflator contains a pyrotechnic material in an amount sufficient to produce at least about 10 mole percent of the inflation gas, and a pressurized gas is present in an amount sufficient to produce up to about 90 mole percent of the inflation gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the torsional stiffness of a shaft comprises a rigid frame having a collet for securing one end of the shaft to be measured the rigid frame. A second collet secures the opposite end of the shaft to an inertial weight, which is supported for rotation by a separate bearing so that the inertial weight introduces no axial load in the shaft being measured. The inertial weight has mounted to it a biaxial accelerometer, optical gate or other electronic means for measuring the torsional frequency of the shaft/weight combination. When the inertial weight is displaced from the initial static position and released, the inertial weight oscillates about its center of mass under the urging of the torsional stiffness of the shaft. A computer is programmed with the mass moment of inertia of the inertial weight and therefore is able to solve the differential equation of motion for the torsional spring constant of the shaft based on the frequency of oscillation.

Abstract: A power assisted combination shear used for forming structural louvers in the crimped seam of structural steel decking comprises a frame supporting a pair of jaws which are opened and closed by means of an operator-controlled pneumatic cylinder. One jaw terminates in a blade and the other jaw has a corresponding die member. The blade and die have undercut reliefs in the root portions, which permit the louver to be formed without breaking through to the edge of the seam. The louver comprises a sheared portion in the form of a bowed tab bridging a corresponding window formed in the seam by the shearing of the tab. The interference between the louver and window provides a substantial increase in the lateral resistance (shear strength) of the crimped seam, thereby obviating the need to additionally weld or screw the seam to provide the necessary shear strength for even the highest stress applications.

Abstract: An ultra precision stamped process carrier frame for use in the manufacture of microelectronic devices comprises a frame into which a plurality of precision-stamped apertures are made. Each of the coupon carrying apertures in the frame has a serrated side wall comprising a plurality of fingers extending into the aperture. The ends of the fingers are precision punched to define the aperture that registers the semiconductor coupon simultaneously with the punching of the reference fiducials. Since only the ends of the fingers are punched in the final process operation, the coupon-registering apertures can be held to a tighter tolerance relative to the fidicuals and relative to each other than is possible when the entire side wall of the aperture is punched.

Abstract: Heat sinks suitable for use, for example, as semiconductor heat sinks are formed from a unitary precision stamping consisting of at least one rail to which are attached a plurality of heat sink elements. Each of the heat sink elements is attached to the rail by a bridge region of reduced thickness. The heat sinks, supported by the rail member, may be subjected to the anodizing treatment or other surface coating treatment while still attached to the rail. The thickness of the area of reduced thickness is chosen to correspond to the design thickness of the anodized coating. Since the anodized coating penetrates the surface of the part being anodized, by selecting the appropriate thickness for the region of reduced thickness, the anodized coating can be made to fully penetrate the bridge region such that when the heat sink is separated from the rail member, the anodic film completely covers the heat sink, without the presence of bare spots typical of prior art rack-anodized heat sinks.

Abstract: A system for controlling with safety the transfer or control of high pressure fluids from a container for use as to an inflatable escape slide. The pressurized container houses valve mechanisms such as a first and second valve mechanism, with the first valve mechanism controlling by actuation the on off flow of high pressure fluids to the second valve mechanism. The second valve mechanism controls the rate of flow by reducing the pressure for delivery to the inflatable escape slide. A safety valve operates in conjunction with the first valve mechanism and upon breaking of the valve mechanisms from the pressurized container to prevent the contents of the pressurized container from rapid escape or uncontrolled release.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell having improved cell gap uniformity is made by depositing a plurality of spacer particles on the cell substrate then subjecting the substrate to an external energy source to selectively dislodge and remove the larger particles, such as by immersing the substrate in and ultrasonic bath. Because the larger particles will inherently have a lesser attraction to the substrate relative to their mass, subjecting the entire substrate to the ultrasonic bath will inherently preferentially remove the larger particles, resulting in a distribution having a smaller standard deviation than the initial mixture of particles deposited on the substrate as well as an asymmetric reduction in the number of gap-dominating large particles.

Abstract: A very low stress attachment method for attaching a microelectronic device to a flexible substrate comprises use of a photo initiated anisotropic conductive adhesive, preferably an infrared photo initiated anisotropic paste, which can be applied to the bonding terminals of a microelectronic device. The flex circuit is then aligned with the corresponding pads on the device. The flex circuit is then biased against the microelectronic device and the infrared photo initiated anisotropic adhesive is exposed to infrared light by means of a dual purpose light guide that presses against the back side of the polyimide flex circuit and simultaneously receives and guides light energy from an Nd: YAG laser to the back side of the polyimide flex circuit. Light energy from the laser passes through the polyimide substrate and between the circuit tracks of the flex circuit to excite the photo initiator of the photo initiated ACA material, thereby causing it to cure.