Abstract: A system for operating a lifting cable over the side of a ship at sea in ch a spar buoy having an adjustable lifting capacity is coupled to the ship by a rigid linkage which is free to pivot on an axis attached to the deck. The lifting cable is suspended from a first sheave which is mounted above a central, longitudinal channel in the spar buoy. The linkage is attached to the top of the spar buoy such that the spar buoy may rotate about an axis normal to the deck axis of the linkage and pivot on an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the spar buoy. A second sheave is mounted on the deck axis so that the distance between the sheaves does not change as the linkage rotates on its axis. The lifting cable is fed from a winch on the ship over the sheaves and falls through the longitudinal channel. The invention operates to decouple the motion of the ship from the lifting cable so that the vertical motion of the cable is controlled by the motion of the spar buoy.

Abstract: A system for battlefield and enemy support area surveillance. An air-drop unit monitors and records on tape enemy activity, and plays back and transmits the monitored data at high speed when interrogated by a coded signal from friendly aircraft.

Abstract: Apparatus for use as a chain climbing device or a chain racheting device ludes a pair of spring-closed opposing cams disposed in a rigid structure which supports a pair of cam pins, each of which extends through an elongated aperture in one of the cams. The weight of a person using the chain climbing device is transferred from a pair of cam stops attached to the rigid structure to the cams to the chain. When the device is used for chain racheting the weight of the chain is transferred to the cams to the cam stops to the rigid structure. The shape of the cams and the elongated apertures enable the cams to rotate about and slide upward or downward on the cam pins to selectively allow upward or downward relative motion between the chain and the apparatus or lock the chain and the apparatus in a fixed relationship.

Abstract: A system and method for providing substantially constant visibility over a ask area within a work area with time in which the visibility provided by natural daylight illumination is supplemented by a variable artificial illumination from luminaires to maintain a specified visibility. The background luminance and the difference luminance are determined as a function of the artificial illumination and the natural daylight. These relationships are used to determine the actual visibility at the task. The actual visibility is then compared with a criterion visibility and the intensity of the artificial illumination from the luminaires is varied to bring the actual visibility to the criterion visibility.

Abstract: A means for placing freshly mixed concrete on the ocean floor at great des. A pipeline is grossly positioned by a ship whereas the position of the submerged end is controlled by guide wires, water jets, props, etc. The discharge device at the end of the pipeline includes a slip joint, a tank flooded with seawater to maintain the pipe end submerged a certain distance in the concrete, and an expansion chamber where the velocity of the concrete being discharged is reduced. Deflector means at the pipe end directs the concrete laterally and negates the vertical lift component of the discharging concrete.

Abstract: A dynamic parachute four-line release simulator device which allows aircren to practice the steps necessary to assure a safe parachute descent and landing following emergency aircraft egress. The device is suspended at a desired height adjacent a raised platform, and is constructed of a cross-braced metal ring having parachute suspension lines connected thereto via bungee cords and eye bolts; a parachute riser assembly, which serves as an attachment point for aircrewmen trainees, is connected to the suspension lines via metal connector links.

Abstract: An angle servo preamplifier for use in the tracking antenna servo drive sem of a precision tracking radar system. The angle servo preamplifier processes tracking error signals indicative of tracking antenna pointing errors with respect to a target. The preamplifier is comprised of an input differential amplifier stage, a phase control stage, a sample and hold stage and a power amplifier stage. In addition, interfacing circuitry is included for coupling the preamplifier to the azimuth/secant correction system of the tracking radar system. The sample and hold stage includes "deglitching" circuitry for suppressing sampling/switching transients. And, to accommodate a bipolar tracking error signal while utilizing a single voltage supply, the power amplifier stage performs d.c. level translation.

Abstract: Apparatus for following the sun using the sun's radiant energy to heat a fluid-containing sensor to create a pressure which is used to rotate the apparatus against a spring force provided by an expansion bellows. The sunlight is permitted to strike the sensor only for certain angles of incidence to the apparatus so that the fluid pressure and the spring force rotate the apparatus to a predetermined position relative to the angle of incidence. In one embodiment, sunlight passing through a filter including several parallel plates which allow passage of sunlight having a predetermined angle of incidence relative to the filter is focused on the sensor. A reflector focuses sunlight on the sensor to reposition the apparatus to the desired position when the apparatus is incorrectly positioned because the sun has been obscured by clouds. In two alternative embodiments, a fresnel lens and a parabolic reflector, respectively, focus sunlight having a predetermined angle of incidence onto the sensor.

Abstract: 1. A method for detecting and differentiating between containers of submed junk and explosive-filled mines in demolition operations, comprising the steps of subjecting an unknown submerged container under surveillance to a gamma radiation source, traversing said submerged container with said source along a standard diagnostic path, detecting the changes in intensity of the radiation penetrating the submerged container, and recording the variations of intensity of said radiation penetrating the submerged container along said path to obtain a density signature of said submerged container and contents enabling a positive identification of said unknown submerged container by comparison of its density signature with density signatures of known containers.

Abstract: A system for placing piles into the seafloor by using pressure differential as the driving force. The pressure differential is created by a pump unit located either within or external to the pile. Operation of the pump unit which displaces both water and soil across a bulkhead section, enables the pile to be driven into and under the seafloor. A section of piling with a pump unit can operate as an uplift anchor, and multiple pumps on a large diameter piling can be embedded into the seafloor as a large foundation.

Abstract: A dielectric corona ring to provide field shaping by spreading or deconceating an electric field for reduction or elimination of ionization of air near a high voltage insulator.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating pulses having selectable pulse width and selecta pulse repetition interval which may be used as a pulse repetition interval generator in a radar signal simulator. Each pulse is initiated by a clocked counter when it reaches a predetermined count from a preselected initial count. The initial count is determined by data stored in a read-only-memory which is selectably loaded into the counter to provide a variable initial count. Another clocked counter which is enabled by the leading edge of the pulse then terminates the pulse when it reaches a predetermined count from a preselected initial count.

Abstract: Non-destructive vibratory cleaning of reverse osmosis and ultra filtration membranes is accomplished by strategically positioning a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and using a frequency modulating sweep system to vibrate various and different transducers for vibrating liquid adjacent the membrane to be cleaned while preventing long period standing waves from being produced and/or continuously move a transducer along a filter module during cleaning to provide intense ultrasonic energy while preventing formation of membrane destructive standing waves.

Abstract: An ocean bottom surveying system comprising a recording mechanism mounted on the ocean floor. A stadia moved about the recording mechanism is connected thereto. Thus, by moving the stadia to various locations in the vicinity of the recording mechanism, a series of values indicating train and elevation relationships are obtained by the recording mechanism. The recorded data is later fed to a read-out system which plots a record showing bottom elevations at various points about the ocean bottom.

Abstract: A solar still into which cold seawater is fed by means of a pipe perforated long its horizontal length. The seawater then flows down an inclined plane through a black wick material placed on top of a double or parallel plate base which serves as a heat exchanger that transfers heat from a working fluid to the seawater. The seawater in turn evaporates while flowing down the wick and the vapor condenses as pure water on the upper inner surface of the still transferring heat back to the working fluid which is being circulated through the upper cover of the still. The vapor condensate is collected as it flows down the inclined upper inner surface and in turn is drawn off; the working fluid is recirculated to continuously heat and then cool the distillate.

Abstract: A fire fighting pump apparatus adapted for remote control wherein a chemi additive is injected into the system and utilized in conjunction with water. The device is provided with an automatic self-cleaning circuit wherein water can circulate through the chemical agent injection pump, and the system is also so designed that the chemical agent injection pump will not be inadvertently operated dry.

Abstract: A pressure differential seafloor corer-carrier for obtaining long core samples of seafloor sediments. The corer-carrier is composed of two main components: The first component is a pump assembly that pumps seawater and sediment as to create a negative pressure differential; the negative pressure differential being the driving force that forces the corers into the seafloor such that cores of over 100 feet in length can be obtained. The second component is a space frame mounted and fastened to the pump and functions as a rack to which conventional corers are attached. Once the corers are embedded to their full length, the pump is used to create a positive pressure differential which helps remove the corer-carrier from the seafloor.

Abstract: 1. An FM doppler fuze system comprising means forcombining a periodic wave ith white noise, white noise being a random mixture of frequencies possessing a constant power spectral density, means for modulating a carrier frequency with said periodic wave plus noise and transmitting a signal in the direction of a target, means for mixing a portion of said transmitted signal and a return echo signal from a target, and means for passing the band of expected doppler frequencies from the output of said mixer to provide an output operable to actuate the detonation circuit of a fuze.

Abstract: Supercorroding magnesium alloys that react rapidly and predictably with seawater to produce heat and hydrogen gas. The alloys are formed by a mechanical process that bonds magnesium and noble metal powder particles together. The alloy powders can be sintered to form barstock, etc., suitable for self-contained corroding links.

Abstract: An electrostatic charge generator for continually providing charge carriers f a given polarity in a flow of dielectric fluid. The charge generator comprises a coaxial tube with an inner conductor wire coaxial with a hollow, cylindrical outer conductor. A D.C. potential is applied between the inner and outer conductors of the coaxial tube and a dielectric liquid, such as oil, is caused to flow therethrough. Since the intensity of the non-uniform electric field in the conductor tube is highest near the inner conductor, the electrostatic charges of the opposite polarity as the inner conductor are removed from the dielectric fluid faster than charges of the same polarity are removed at the outer conductor. This results in the dielectric fluid exiting the conductor tube carrying a charge of the remaining polarity.