Abstract: An aircraft-crash location transmitter tuned to transmit on standard emergency frequencies is shock mounted in a sealed circular case retained in a recess atop the tail of an aircraft by means of a shear pin designed to fail under a G-loading associated with a crash situation. The antenna for the transmitter is a metallic spring-blade having a curved cross-section and coiled like a spiral spring around the outside of the circular case, the free end of the antenna abutting the surface of the recess when the case is retained therein by the shear pin for maintaining the antenna in a furled state. A battery within the case for powering the transmitter is kept trickle-charged from the electrical system of the aircraft through a break-away connector on the case that also serves to mechanically hold-open the transmitter key until the connector separates.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage system for converting a fluid such as water, into a superheated vapor for driving a turbine includes an energy storage device for storing thermal energy from the vapor to be utilized should the pressure of the vapor fall below a predetermined value. The energy storage device includes a storage tank having a plurality of stacked vertical compartments containing metallic spheres filled with metal alloy for storing the thermal energy therein and a fluid reservoir below the stacked compartments.

Abstract: An electrical power system is provided for supplying DC power to electrically motorized vehicles, emergency standby sources, and the like wherein a lead-oxygen battery cell used as a source of DC power includes a positive charging grid, a conventional negative electrode, a positive discharging electrode, and a teflon membrane member coated with a catalyst contained in an atmosphere of oxygen which is admitted to the cell through the teflon membrane. Oxygen is given off during the charging cycle and is compressed in a storage tank for re-use during each duty cycle providing a closed system wherein contamination is minimized and a long-life cycle can result.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for trapping solar energy emitted from the sun for heating a fluid that could be subsequently used in turbines and the like. The apparatus includes an elongated vertical light pipe having an open end through which the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from the sun passes to strike a tubular absorber carried adjacent the other end thereof. The light pipe has a coated interior surface of a low absorptivity and a high reflectivity at the visible wave lengths and a high absorptivity/emissivity ratio at infrared wave lengths. The tubular absorber has a coating on the surface thereof for absorbing visible wave lengths so as to heat the fluid passing therethrough. Infrared wave lengths are radiated from the tubular absorber back into the light pipe for heating fluid passing through a tubular coil wound thereon.

Abstract: An electric impedance network for AC carrier frequency control systems which provides optimal arithmetical symmetry in frequency response with respect to the carrier frequency, characterized by having a symmetrical even amplitude response and a symmetrical odd phase response for a substantial frequency band around the carrier frequency.

Abstract: A solar energy vapor (freon) powered system for generating electrical energy in which a portion of the heat absorbed from the sun in daylight is stored for use during darkness by a thermal capacitor in which a mass of Pyrone, having a high thermal capacity, liquifies when heat is applied to it and goes through a solidification process to provide a heat output. A highly efficient solar boiler is constructed utilizing an anodized titanium surface and a particular combination of shaped boiler tubes and complementary reflectors. The overall efficiency of the system is further improved by a unique arrangement of heat recovery devices.

Abstract: A pressurized flexible tunnel which employs a plurality of equal length cables between ends of the tunnel. The cables are lengthened or shortened together by a single winch to adjustably constrain elongation. By positioning one set of cables on one side of the tunnel and another on the opposite side of the tunnel, the tunnel may be expanded or contracted along a straight line or along a curve as permitted by externally positioned orienting means.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the background noise produced by the porous walls of the test section of a wind tunnel includes a finely meshed screen member placed over the perforations in the test section walls. The mesh wire screen attached to the interior wall provides a smoother surface for the air stream to flow against reducing the vorticies produced by the edges of the perforations in the test section walls.

Abstract: A translatory shock absorber is provided for mounting an attitude sensor thereon for isolating a sensor from translatory vibrations. The translatory shock absorber includes a hollow block structure formed as one piece to form a parallelogram. The absorber block structure includes a movable top plate for supporting the attitude sensor and a fixed base plate with opposed side plates interposed therebetween. At the junctions of the side plates, and the base and top plates, there are provided machined-out grooves which act as flexible hinges for attenuating translatory vibrations. A damping material is supported on a pedestal which is carried on the base plate between the side plates thereof. The top of the damping material rests against the bottom surface of the top plate for eliminating the resonant peaks of vibration.

Abstract: A device for installing rocket engines supported at a cant relative to vertical, an axially extensible, tiltable pedestal, a lifting platform for supporting a rocket engine at its thrust chamber exit, including a mount having a concentric base characterized by a concave bearing surface, a plurality of uniformly spaced legs extended radially from the base, and an annular receiver coaxially aligned with the base and affixed to the distal ends of said legs for receiving the thrust chamber exit. The lifting platform rests on a seat concentrically related to the pedestal and affixed to an extended end portion thereof having a convex bearing surface mated in sliding engagement with the concave bearing surface of the annular base for accommodating a rocking motion of the platform about an axis angularly related to the longitudinal axis of the pedestal, whereby excessive asymmetric loading on the thrust chamber is avoided.

Abstract: An improved hanger for resiliently supporting delicate instrumentation charactrized by an elongated elastic body, having omnidirectional rigidity, adapted to be supported at each of its opposite ends and connected in supporting relation with a mounting block disposed midway between the opposite ends thereof. The body includes a plurality of mutually spaced flexure plates disposed in substantially parallel planes and interconnected through a plurality of abaxially aligned flexure pins spaced in sequential helical progression about a common axis normally related to said planes for serially interconnecting the plates for imparting a predetermined coefficient of elasticity to the body.

Abstract: A solar energy absorber including a tubular absorber surface through which a fluid passes for transferring thermal energy from the absorber to other devices. Positioned above the tubular absorber surface are a plurality of spaced glass layers. Positioned between an upper layer and the next layer is vacuum or air for minimizing thermal energy losses through convection. A clear liquid passes between two intermediate layers of glass for transferring by means of conduction the thermal energy absorbed therein by either the initial passage of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic rays or by infrared radiation radiated from an absorber positioned therebelow.

Abstract: An electrical filter for removing noise from a voice communications signal in which, for example, seven sample values of the signal are obtained continuously updated and subjected to filtering. Filtering is accomplished by adding balanced, with respect to a mid-point sample, spaced pairs of the sampled values and then multiplying each pair by a selected filter constant. The signal products thus obtained are summed to provide a filtered version of the original signal.

Abstract: An improved system for use in imposing directional stability on a rocket-propelled vehicle. The system includes a pivotally supported engine-mounting platform, a gimbal ring mounted on the platform and adapted to pivotally support a rocket engine, an hydraulic actuator connected to the platform for imparting thereto selected pivotal motion, an accelerometer and a signal comparator circuit for providing error intelligence indicative of aberration in vehicle acceleration, and an actuator control circuit connected with the actuator and responsive to error intelligence for imparting pivotal motion to the platform, whereby a relocation of the engine's thrust vector is achieved for imparting directional stability to the vehicle.

Abstract: A device for mixing foam ingredients. The device comprises an arrangement of lands situated about a cylindrical elongated shaft-like member with each land having a slot therein. The slots of alternate lands are positioned 180.degree. from each other so that as the ingredients flow through the mixing chamber it flows from adjacent one side of the housing to the other dividing as such passes around the shaft-like member.

Abstract: A self-energized plasma compressor which compresses plasma discharged from coaxial plasma generator. The device includes a helical shaped coil which is coaxially aligned with the center axis of the coaxial plasma generator. The plasma generator creates a current through the helical coil which, in turn, generates a time varying magnetic field that generates a force which acts radially upon the plasma. A seal is carried on the end of the coaxial plasma generator for containing gas therein. As the plasma is accelerated out the outer end of the generator, it forces the gas outwardly also compressing such. Beads are carried adjacent the small end of the helical shaped coil for being accelerated to hypervelocities by the plasma and gas. As a result of utilizing gas in the coaxial plasma generator, such minimizes ablation of the beads as well as accelerates such to higher velocities.

Abstract: An improved heat transfer device particularly suited for use as an evaporator plate in a diffusion cloud chamber. The device is characterized by a pair of mutually spaced heat transfer plates, each being of a planar configuration, having a pair of opposed surfaces defining therebetween a heat pipe chamber. Within the heat pipe chamber, in contiguous relation with the pair of opposed surfaces, there is disposed a pair of heat pipe wicks supported in a mutually spaced relationship by a foraminous spacer of a planar configuration. A wick including a foraminous layer is contiguously related to the external surfaces of the heat transfer plates for uniformly wetting these surfaces.

Abstract: An electronic optical analyzer for use in systems such as optical transfer function analyzers eliminates mechanical scanning systems and comprises entirely electronic image dissection means for dissecting an image transmitted by an optical system under test and producing an electric output signal representative of the beam intensity at a selected element of the image. The image dissection means is preferably (in the case of visible light) an image dissector tube whose positioning coils serve as an image element addressing means. The system is useable with any optical system including visible light, other electromagnetic radiation or charged particles (ions or electrons) so long as the image dissection means is responsive to the beam in question. The optical system under test must produce a real image at the image dissection surface of the image dissection means in order for readily evaluatable data to be obtained.

Abstract: An optical pantograph for directing light beams and the like from a source to a receiver according to the movement of a pointer. The device can be used for, among other things, directing a laser beam and the like to a target for etching patterns on a target according to the movement of a pointer relative to a pattern trace.

Abstract: An improved portable peening gun characterized by a pneumatic motor, an axially reciprocable hammer supported to be driven by the motor from an initial position along a linear path, and an improved peening head including an axially reciprocable rod bundle coaxially aligned with the hammer and disposed within the path thereof. The improved head includes a plurality of peening rods, each being characterized by an anvil defined at one end thereof for receiving the hammer in impacting engagement, and a peening surface defined at the other end of a configuration substantially conforming to a segment of a sphere having a radius substantially equal to one-half the thickness of the rod, a barrel for supporting the rod bundle for axial reciprocation, and a helical spring disposed within the barrel for urging the bundle in displacement toward its initial position.