Abstract: A fast frame-rate imaging device is produced by a attaching a fiberoptic block to an otherwise ordinary and inexpensive CCD. A part of the fiberoptic block is occluded so as to darken a majority of the active imaging photocells. The CCD imaging device is operated at near its maximum horizontal and vertical clock rates, but multiple image frames are defined within the one previous active photocell array field. The added dark areas in the optical field protect the recent frames still in transit within the active array area from being double exposed and thus corrupted. The serial output of the thus-modified CCD imaging device is reinterpreted to include more frames than originally at a multiple equal to the original array dimension divided by the new array dimension (m·n/m′·n′). Such a modified CCD array uses only one-fourth of the original active area, and is operable at a multiple of the original frame rate.

Abstract: A combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system includes a reference oscillator that provides local oscillator signals for a satellite navigation receiver and a precision frequency source for use by an electronic distance meter. When the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking orbiting navigation satellites, the highly precise cesium-rubidium clocks in the navigation satellite system can be used as standards to control the reference oscillator in the combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system. Baseline measurements made by the electronic distance meter are therefore not subject to mis-calibrations and drift as long as the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking the orbiting navigation satellites.

Abstract: A neural network integrated circuit comprises many neuron circuits each with a distance resister that is compared in a competition for the closest-hit with all the other neurons. Such closest-hit comparison is conducted bit-by-bit over the many bit positions of a distance measure in binary format each time after the neurons fire. A single-wire AND-bus interconnects every neuron in a whole system. Each neuron drives the single-wire AND-bus with an open-collector buffer. All neurons press the single-wire AND-bus with their respective distance measures in successive cycles, starting with the most significant bit. For example, a fourteen-bit binary distance word requires fourteen comparison cycles. Any neuron that sees a “0” on the single-wire AND-bus when its own corresponding bit in its distance measure is a “1”, automatically drops from the competition. By the time the least significant bit cycle is run, a single closest distance will have been determined.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprises nine component parts that are brought together in three brazes and one TIG-weld to result in a finished product. An anode assembly is brazed with the rest of a body sub-assembly in one step instead of two. A single-bar cathode-support strut is brazed together as one step. A window flange and a sapphire output window are brazed together with the product of the strut braze step in a mounted-cathode-braze step. A copper-tube fill tubulation, a kovar sleeve, a ceramic reflector body, an anode flange, and a tungsten anode are all brazed together in a “body-braze” step. The products of the mounted-cathode-braze step and body-braze step are tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welded together in a final welding step. A lamp is finished by filling it with xenon gas and pinching off the tubulation.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprises a single edge-to-edge cathode support strut on which the cathode is mounted with an end slot. Such makes heat and thermal stress loading on the assembly symmetrical over operational time, and arc tip wander from the anode center is practically eliminated. Nine component parts that are brought together in only three brazes and one TIG-weld to result in a finished product. An anode assembly is brazed with the rest of a body sub-assembly in one step instead of two. A single-bar cathode-support strut is brazed together as one step. A window flange and a sapphire output window are brazed together with the product of the strut braze step in a mounted-cathode-braze step. A copper-tube fill tubulation, a kovar sleeve, a ceramic reflector body, an anode flange, and a tungsten anode are all brazed together in a “body-braze” step. The products of the mounted-cathode-braze step and body-braze step are tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welded together in a final welding step.

Abstract: A high pressure mercury lamp comprises a quartz envelope that contains an atmosphere and a pair of arc-discharge electrodes. These are coil-wound tungsten that has been doped to grain-stabilize the tungsten crystalline structure, e.g., with potassium or potassium and alumina. Preferred potassium doping levels of the tungsten material are in the range of 35-75 ppm. A suitable commercial product of alumina and potassium doped tungsten material is Type BSD-Sylvania. The atmosphere generally comprises a rare gas like xenon, to which is added no more than 0.2 mg/mm3 of mercury so as to keep operating pressure under 200 bar (197 atm). But the electrical power applied is sufficient to maintain arc power loadings of at least 150 watts/mm. The resultant wall loading is more than 0.8 watts/mm2, and lamp operating-power levels can be greater than 150 watts.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of alumina, iron oxide and titanium dioxide from bauxite ore and clays, and other ore bodies and feedstocks. The process starts by sulfuric acid leaching of the feedstocks in pressure autoclaves at about 200° C. and appropriate pressure. A leach liquor of sulfate salts of aluminum, iron and titanium is obtained. Any iron values are converted to a ferrous state. A recycled potassium sulfate helps produce double aluminum alkali sulfate crystals in the reduced leach liquor. The crystals are removed at about 20°-60° C. with the help of SO2 gases that reduce the ferric. Such double salt is hydrolyzed into a basic aluminum alkali precipitated sulfate salt. This is then dried and calcined at about 950° C. Any alkali sulfate is washed out and recycled. The remainder is alumina. The ferrous sulfate is crystallized out at about 10° C. It is dried and calcined at about 450° C. to produce an iron oxide mixed with other sulfate salts that can be washed out and recycled.

Abstract: An arc lamp system comprises a power supply coupled to a xenon arc lamp through an interface constructed on a heavy printed circuit board. Such plugs directly into an igniter printed circuit board. In turn, a xenon arc lamp module with heatsinks plugs directly onto banana plugs bolted on the interface printed circuit board. Copper traces buried on inner layers of the interface printed circuit board are very wide and heavy, and kept as short as possible.

Abstract: An integrated compound reflector ceramic arc lamp comprises three internal mirrors. Top and bottom concave mirrors encircle the inter-electrode gap. The third mirror is convex and is mounted coaxially on the stem of the cathode and faces a sapphire window. Its appearance is like that of a 360 ° apron. Light rays emitted from the inter-electrode gap below a critical elevation angle will be reflected off the bottom concave mirror. Such rays bounce only once before exiting through the window to an external focus. Light rays emitted from the inter-electrode gap above the critical elevation angle, will be reflected off the top concave mirror. Such rays will bounce twice before exiting through the window to the focus. The rays that do reflect from the top concave mirror are directed to the convex cathode apron reflector, and from there will be reflected out the window to the focus.

Abstract: An improved GPS navigation receiver for converting range and range-rate information from microwave radio transmissions from orbiting satellites and for determining a position of the receiver from a processing of the information and an output connected to provide the determined position on a display. The improvement comprises a database of maps stored in a portable document format (PDF) file independent of any hardware, software and operating system used to create it. The PDF file provides for a description of documents including any combination of text, graphics and images in a device-independent and resolution-independent format. The database is connected to output selected ones of the maps on the display with hypertext access on points-of-interest.

Abstract: A recognition system comprises at least two field-programmable logic array devices connected to a common vector-input port of an array of a zero-instruction-set computers. Each field-programmable logic array device is configured to preprocess data from different respective media inputs and provide feature extraction vectors to the common vector-input port. Neural networks within the zero-instruction-set computer recognize the input patterns by comparing in parallel their vectors with those stored in each neural network cell. A variety of recognition jobs are made possible by changing the programming on-the-fly of the field-programmable logic array devices to suit each new job.

Abstract: A low-cost ceramic arc lamp comprises an optical coating on a sapphire window, a window shell flange, and a body sleeve. A gas-fill tubulation attaches to the side of the body sleeve and permits a charge of xenon gas to be injected during manufacture. This contrasts with the prior art where the xenon gas is introduced through the anode base. A single-piece strut assembly is used that is compatible with mass-production techniques. The single-piece strut assembly supports and suspends a cathode inside an elliptical reflector. An anode flange replaces a more conventional shell, copper anode base, and base support ring. A tungsten anode completes the lamp. All of these parts are brazed together in an assembly process that is far less complex than the prior art.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprising a hollowed-anode electrode with an arc-face having a central hole extending to an internal chimney. An opposing cathode electrode faces the hollowed anode electrode for providing a short electric arc around the central hole in the arc-face of the hollowed anode electrode. The anode and cathode electrodes are disposed in an inert gas, such as xenon. The internal gas is subject to an “arc wind” for transporting metal deposits downstream of the short electric arc and flowing from the short electric arc down the chimney. Such operation provides for an improvement in arc lamp life because the reflector blackens far less rapidly. A magnetic z-pinch pumping mode can be used to move the arc wind away from the reflector.

Abstract: A xenon arc lamp is provided with an improved cathode support. The improvements reduce the number of assembly procedures and parts needed to produce an arc lamp. Such reduces the overall cost of manufacturing. The cathode suspension system is made by starting with a single piece of sheet Kovar material that is formed into a cup. Pieces are cut from the bottom of the cup such that three webs connect the outside ring to the center. The three webs each have a flap that is then folded back 90° to form a rigid strut arm. A tungsten cathode electrode is brazed at the center and apex of the three struts with a sleeve that helps bridge the fillet area.

Abstract: A haircutting guide-comb instrument for use in cutting head hair of a human being and including a pair of elongated legs superimposed over one another to clasp hair of the human being in between said legs with a bias spring engaged about the terminal ends of the legs to urge them in engagement with one another and an anchor at the terminal ends securing the bias springs to both of the elongated legs.

Abstract: A fast frame-rate CCD imaging device is produced by modifying the optical mask of an otherwise ordinary and inexpensive CCD integrated circuit to darken a majority of the active imaging photocells. The modified CCD integrated circuit is operated at near its maximum horizontal and vertical clock rates, but multiple image frames are newly defined within the one previous active photocell array field. The added dark areas in the optical mask act to protect all recent frames still in transit within the active array area from being double exposed and thus corrupted.

Abstract: The aluminum smelting from alumina in the Hall-Heroult cells can be dramatically improved by using one or a combination of the following features together or in alternative to the Bayer alumina as feedstock: Al+++ alumina, sawtooth shaped electrodes, and lower temperatures. Laboratory experiments have shown that higher rates of dissolution of the Al+++ alumina in molten fluoride baths combined with lower voltage drops and improved design of electrodes can allow the operation of the cells at even higher current density, thus increasing overall productivity and efficiency of the cells.

Abstract: The smelting of aluminum from alumina in the Hall-Heroult process can be dramatically improved by lowering power consumption and in the use of carbon free anodes by using a feed of positively charged alumina. Laboratory experiments have shown that the apparent solubility and reactivity of alumina in molten fluoride baths is surprisingly increased by altering the negatively charged aluminum hydroxide Al(OH)4− particles, at about pH of nine, to positively charged particles containing Al+++ with a pH of less than two, by using acid solutions. The alumina thus produced is referred to as Al+++ alumina, or positively charged alumina. In particular, sulfuric acid is used to convert aluminum hydroxide using the Bayer process to a family of basic aluminum sulfates, 3Al2O3.4SO3.9H2O, which are dehydrated and calcined to produce Al+++ alumina.

Abstract: Navigation satellite receiver measurements of the acceleration of a moving vehicle are used to derive valuable attitude information about the vehicle. Three-dimensional accelerometer measurements aboard the vehicle are used to determine the specific force vector in the bow frame. The navigation satellite receiver measurements allow determination of the specific force vector in the earth-fixed frame. The specific force vector measured in both vehicle and earth-fixed frames can be used with additional information to derive vehicle attitude.