Abstract: The present invention relates to an inflatable air bag apparatus attached to a harness restraint system in a vehicle which inflates if an impact sensor detects an impact. The apparatus comprises an bladder attached to the harness's shoulder strap. The sides of the bladder wrap around the shoulder strap and are folded on top of the shoulder strap. When an impact is detected, the impact sensor transmits an electrical signal which ignites the gas generator, and inflates the bladder. In a preferred embodiment, the bladder member comprises three chambers, a central chamber and two side chambers. The chambers are formed by two vertical webs that divide the bladder into the central chamber and the side chamber. The webs are fabricated from permeable material, such that the side chambers inflate before the central chamber inflates, thus stabilizing the air bag apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention is a biofidelic manikin neck comprising a butyl rubber beam inserted between an aluminum base and an aluminum top, with a stainless steel cable assembly in the middle of the beam connecting the top to the base. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pivot joint is bolted to a lug in the neck top. The joint is attached to a head mounting plate to provide head nodding action. An outer cylinder, comprised of a thick sheet of butyl rubber attached vertically around the head mounting plate and the neck base, allows the head moment to respond to the angle between the head and the torso. A second preferred embodiment of the present invention uses a torsion release swivel joint instead of a pivot joint, and uses additional strips of butyl rubber to stiffen the neck response. A third preferred embodiment uses a rectangular inner beam, and a roughly oval-shaped outer support structure.

Abstract: An environmentally-sealed parachute deployment system for bail-out parachutes comprising a spring-loaded pilot parachute, an environmentally sealed vacuum bag, a deployment bag having one or two elastic closure loops, and a man-rated parachute. The drag force exerted by the pilot parachute tears open the environmentally sealed bag, initiating deployment of the parachute.

Abstract: The present invention is a spatially-resolved differential analysis technique. A modulated differential analysis technique is applied using a proximal probe to obtain a spatially resolved characterization of a heterogeneous sample comprising at least two phases. As applied to spatially-resolved modulated differential scanning calorimetry, the present invention comprises a thermocouple probe that is scanned over the sample surface. The differential temperature of the area of the sample just beneath the thermocouple probe is obtained with respect to the temperature of a reference. The temperature of the sample and the reference is modulated above and below a transition temperature for one phase of the sample. The signal from the thermocouple probe is deconvoluted to obtain an image of the sample delineating the regions of the sample having that phase.

Abstract: A computerized dynamic displacement control display system which involves a method of systematically simulating and displaying the cyclical components of the behavior of the movement of a curve represented by a plurality of points relating two parameters to one another, in which the following are obtained: a moving average of the curve; an oscillator, a series of dynamic moving averages; and pairs of inner and outer envelopes. This derived information is used as a basis to calculate the probable future movement of the curve. An industrial application of this method controls the flow of coolant liquid through a chamber. A temperature sensor supplies information to a computer which is in communication with the use through a keyboard and control unit. Sets of lines relating to the above derived information are displayed on a V.D.U.

Abstract: In applications where it is desired to determine the locations of image features, such as eye monitoring to determine the direction that a person is gazing, determining the point at which he is gazing, or measuring the motions of his eye using a camera to capture an optical image of the eye and image processing to extract information about the eye's gaze point and/or orientation, there is provided a method and apparatus for precise location of image features such as edge coordinates between the pupil anc iris of the eye and of the center coordinates of light reflections off the cornea of the eye.

Abstract: A dual-interferometer apparatus for simultaneously measuring in-plane and out-of-plane ultrasonic displacements of the surface of materials comprising a single laser source, optical fibers, optical couplers and dividers, a phase-conjugate mirror, and a path length stabilizing system including a piezoelectric compensator. The present invention is unique in providing for the automatic alignment of the beams of the two interferometers, thus eliminating the need for time-consuming alignment procedures. The automatic alignment of the interferometers is achieved because a phase conjugate mirror is used to generate a counterpropagating beam used by both interferometers, and because the beams for the out-of-plane interferometer are derived from the beams used for the in-plane interferometer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to differential analytical techniques for determining the composition, phase, structure, identification or other properties of a material that undergoes a transition as function of a driving variable. As applied to differential scanning calorimetric analysis (DSC), the preferred embodiment comprises: (1) heating a sample of the material with a linear temperature ramp that is modulated with a sinusoidal heating rate oscillation; and (2) deconvoluting the resultant heat flow signal into rapidly reversible and non-rapidly reversible components.

Abstract: A simple chemotactic apparatus and method wherein surface tension is used to hold cell suspensions, chemotactic factors, and control fluids in place on membrane filters. In some embodiments, chemotaxis factors and controls are placed on one side of a membrane filter, and cell suspensions are placed on the other. Gravitational flow is limited by the effect of surface tension on the fluids. In some of the preferred embodiments, grids, sheets, or occluding materials are used to further limit the gravitational fluid flow.

Abstract: The present invention relates to analytical methods for determining the composition of a material that undergoes a transition as a function of a driving variable. As applied to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a first preferred embodiment comprises (1) decreasing the heating rate when deviations from a baseline signal are detected; (2) establishing a minimum heating rate; (3) forcing the heating rate to a predetermined maximum whenever the rate of change of the weight change with respect to the temperature falls below a predetermined value; and (4) adjusting the heating rate according to the rate of change of the weight of the sample to track a predetermined rate of change of the weight of the sample.

Abstract: A radial bleed total thrust control system for a rocket propelled missile. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus employs at least two pairs of straight radial nozzles which are disposed within and penetrate the skin of the missile and at least two pairs of tangentially canted radial nozzles which are also disposed within and penetrate the skin of the missile to provide control moments necessary to control the pitch, yaw, roll and/or the axial thrust of the missile. In one embodiment the radial and tangential nozzles are supplied by the same source of propelling gas as the main thrust nozzle, and in a second embodiment the straight radial and tangentially canted radial nozzles have a separate gas supply source.

Abstract: An end nesting stackable container is modified with means to firmly contain material being shipped or stored inside the container. The means contact the load being shipped at at least 4 points and are advantageously pivoted out of the way of the container during nesting. The preferred embodiment is directed at the shipping and storing of automotive windshields.

Abstract: The present invention is a biofidelic manikin neck comprising a butyl rubber beam inserted between an aluminum base and an aluminum top, with a stainless steel cable assembly in the middle of the beam connecting the top to the base. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pivot joint is bolted to a lug in the neck top. The joint is attached to a head mounting plate to provide head nodding action. An outer cylinder, comprised of a thick sheet of butyl rubber attached vertically around the head mounting plate and the neck base, allows the head moment to respond to the angle between the head and the torso. A second preferred embodiment of the present invention uses a torsion release swivel joint instead of a pivot joint, and uses additional strips of butyl rubber to stiffen the neck response. A third preferred embodiment uses a rectangular inner beam, and a roughly oval-shaped outer support structure.

Abstract: There is provided a cylindrical link and armor for electrical, electronic, or fiber-optic cables, hoses, conduits and the like. The armor comprises links which can either rigidly or flexibly interlock and can support their own weight.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for waste disposal by hydraulic embedment in a subterranean formation. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of drilling into stable geologic formations thousands of feet below ground, fracturing those formations, pumping a mixture of hazardous waste in solid, liquid, or sludge form and a selected transport medium into the fractured formations, and preventing migration of the waste. Although a suitable transport medium can be selected based on a number of factors, transport media selected in accordance with one aspect of the present invention prevent migration of the waste by reacting chemically or to either heat or pressure or both to become highly viscous or solid.

Abstract: The multiple linear regression approach typically used in near-infrared spectrometry yields equations in which any amount of reflectance at the analytical wavelengths leads to a corresponding composition value. As a result, when the sample contains a component not present in the training set, erroneous composition values can arise without any indication of error. There is described a method of detecting "false" samples by constructing a multi-dimensional form in space using reflectance values of samples in a training set at a number of wavelengths. A new sample is projected into this space and a confidence test is executed to determine whether the new sample is part of the population from which the training set was drawn. The method relies on few assumptions about the structure of the data; therefore, deviations from assumptions do not affect the results of the confidence test.

Abstract: A method for using spectral analysis to detect subpopulations is disclosed. According to this method, a training set of spectra of a first plurality of samples is obtained and a bootstrap distribution is formed. A test set of spectra of a second plurality of samples is then obtained and a second bootstrap distribution is formed. First and second univariate distributions are then formed from the bootstrap distributions. A quantile-quantile relationship of the training and test sets is then developed and a determination of whether the test set and training set are substantially identical is made. The plurality of test samples are thus used to calculate probability density contours inside a training-set spectral cluster and detect perturbations of those contours using a bootstrap procedure. False samples are detected as subclusters well inside the training set, and trace analyses using a very small number of wavelengths are facilitated.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of making autostereographic images of an object, comprising the steps of inputting to a computer a predetermined number of planar images of the object, each of the planar images being a view of the object, from one of the predetermined number of different viewpoints; interleaving the predetermined number of planar images in the computer; and printing the interleaved images with a high-resolution output imaging device on a spacer, a selected edge of each interleaved image being aligned with a predetermined direction on the spacer.