Abstract: Printed wiring board assemblies (12) and the like encapsulated in foam (28) may be removed by use of a pair of sandwich structures (30) placed about the assembly. Each sandwich structure includes a pair of perforated sheets (36) with a sinuously extending filament (40) sandwiched between the sheets. Defoaming is effected by pulling the filament from the foam through the intermediary of a tool grasping ends (52) of the filament.

Abstract: A heat pipe (10) includes an evaporator (18) to which a heat generating device is coupled. A heat dissipating condenser 14 is coupled to the evaporator by a thermally insulating tube 46. A capillary is on the interior surfaces of the evaporator, the condenser and the thermally insulating tube. Both working fluid and inert gas are placed therein. Reservoirs (16) for receiving the inert gas are joined to the condenser. Both the condenser and the gas reservoirs are thermally secured to a heat sink (28); however there is a path of higher thermal conductivity between the reservoir and the heat sink than between the condenser and the heat sink.

Abstract: In the present invention, a novel magnetic circuit maximizes the electrical power generated upon manual actuation of a push-button switch while minimizing the required weight of the magnetic materials. In particular, the magnetic circuit of the power supply of the present invention includes the following magnetic materials: an unmagnetized core (comprising iron) around which a coil is wound, the coil being connected to supply power to the transmitter; a permanent magnet (comprising iron having a permanent magnetic moment) mounted on a vibrating reed, at least one pole of the permanent magnet facing at least one end of the core. Actuation of the push-button switch induces oscillatory motion of the reed and of the permanent magnet. An advantage of this novel magnetic circuit is that, in at least one embodiment, the oscillatory motion of the permanent magnet causes a complete flux reversal through the coil during each cycle of the mechanical oscillation of the reed, a significant advantage.

Abstract: A ceramic substrate includes a multiplicity of alternately screened and fired conductor and dielectric levels, with interconnections between levels through small via holes in the dielectric layers or alternately by means of crossovers. Thick film resistors are incorporated throughout the ceramic substrate, wherever needed, and the thick film resistors are printed and trimmed through windows which extend through any upper layers. In addition, resistors may be printed directly on top of the dielectric layers where necessary. Selective area hermetic sealing is utilized only for those chips and wire bonds which require environmental protection by placement of a ring frame seal encircling the selected area and over insulation on substrate conductors which are routed directly beneath the sealing area. A lid is directly soldered to the frame and, before final sealing, a proper environment is created within a sealed area.

Abstract: A flexible hose having resistance to radial crush is formed from a bonded and interlocked helically wound rod or strip of plastic co-extrusion. The co-extruded profile of the strip is defined by a pair of matable rib components which are joined by a web. The rib components are bonded, sealed and interlocked together at adjoining convolutions of the profile not only to form the hose but also to form a composite rib integrated into the hose for resisting radial crushing and axially directed deformation forces exerted on the hose. The composite rib is formed from a material having a hardness which is greater than that of at least a part of the web for rendering the rib with a relatively stiff bend resistance characteristic and the web with a relatively soft and flexible characteristic. The web itself may be a co-extrusion of two materials placed in series, or in parallel as a laminate, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A palm guard (20, 40, 60) for use in manually inserting a stay (16) into the ground (12) for securing a resin tube (14) about a tree (10) in reforestation projects comprising a base (22, 42, 62) attachable to a user's hand (17), and a rim (24, 44, and 64) attached to the base and forming a pocket (37, 57, 77) for receiving the end of the stay.

Abstract: A ceramic substrate includes a multiplicity of alternately screened and fired conductor and dielectric levels, with interconnections between levels through small via holes in the dielectric layers or alternately by means of crossovers. Thick film resistors are incorporated throughout the ceramic substrate, wherever needed, and the thick film resistors are printed and trimmed through windows which extend through any upper layers. In addition, resistors may be printed directly on top of the dielectric layers where necessary. Selective area hermetic sealing is utilized only for those chips and wire bonds which require environmental protection by placement of a ring frame seal encircling the selected area and over insulation on substrate conductors which are routed directly beneath the sealing area. A lid is directly soldered to the frame and, before final sealing, a proper environment is created within a sealed area.

Abstract: Input and output tubes in an osmotically pumped heat pipe (10) are utilized to improve solvent-solute mixing and sweeping across a solvent-permeable membrane (46, 146, 246), to enable its operation in 0-g, 1-g and negative-g applications. Lean mixture solution flows through a path (16) of low pressure to an evaporator (14) where the solvent evaporates. Rich mixture solution from the evaporator then returns to the solvent-permeable membrane through a path (18) of higher pressure than the low pressure path to enable sweeping of the membrane and consequent increased mixing with the incoming condensed solvent.

Abstract: A platform (10) comprises a deck (12), leg pairs (14) pivoted to the deck, and screw mechanisms (28-38) coupled to the legs for pivoting the legs in unison towards and away from each other, respectively, to lower and raise the deck. The platform is yieldable due to flexibility inherent in the legs, which yieldability increases as the legs depart further from their vertical position. Such yieldability is particularly useful when a pair of such platforms is used as a raisable floor alongside of a balance beam (50) in gymnastic training, for helping the gymnast lose her fear of height, and for enabling a coach safely to spot the gymnast.

Abstract: A missile or rocket detent and positive release mechanism, actuated by the rocket's thrustor, is mounted on the outside of a rocket launcher tube. A notched-end (52) of a spring-loaded lever (50) extends into the launch tube for positively locking a rocket (10) into place. One end of a sear (60) extends over the spring lever for maintaining the lever in its locked position. A toggle lever (44) is pivotally connected to the other end of the sear and extends into the blast region of the rocket, whose high speed exhaust gasses cause it to be pivoted out of the way, to withdraw the sear from the spring loaded lever, and thus to permit release of the rocket.

Abstract: A protective sleeve (12) includes a plurality of slots (26) for receiving a hose (16). Distribution tubing (18) is attached to the hose within the protective sleeve and extends out of unused slots, with or without aid of a supportive gate (36), to the soil. A cap (14) engages the protective sleeve and includes an extension (58) which bears against the hose and the gate to retain the same in place.

Abstract: An arrangement for reducing non-symmetrical, thermally induced strains in a gun tube (12) comprising a heat pipe jacket (18) in thermal engagement with the gun tube to provide both high radial and circumferential thermal conductance from the tube.

Abstract: A fitting (10) secures a vacuum hose (20) to a wand or tank of a vacuum cleaner. The hose is swivelably and pneumatically sealed within the fitting through use of a sealing surface (18) on the fitting in engagement with a flexible lip (28) at the end portion (24) of the vacuum hose. A ring (30) engageable with the fitting compresses the end portion in order to bias the flexible lip into engagement with the sealing surface. The electrical terminations including slip rings (144) are used to terminate a hose (120) with electrical conductors therein to cooperating electrical connections.

Abstract: For controlling passage of energy through a variable transmittance window, an enclosure (12) is positioned in the path of the energy. A reservoir (22), saturated with working fluid, is coupled by a conduit (20) to the enclosure. The working fluid is selected to have a property which is capable of affecting passage of the energy through or into the enclosure. By applying or withdrawing heat from the reservoir, working fluid is respectively supplied to, or withdrawn from, the space within enclosure 12. Depending upon the properties of the working fluid, enclosure 12 will operate as an absorber, reflector or transmitter of light or thermal or other energy.

Abstract: An oil cooler (10) for an internal combustion engine includes a regulator (26) with a bimetallic element (28) which is adapted to close off all but one end (22) of parallel flow paths extending between an inlet plenum (12) and an outlet plenum (14) of the cooler. Increasing the oil temperatures causes the element to bend away from the openings and thus to open more of the conduits to passage and cooling of the oil through the cooler.

Abstract: A missile or rocket detent and positive release mechanism is actuated by the thrustor of a rocket (10). The mechanism is mounted on a housing (42) to which a rocket launcher tube (15) is secured. A spring-loaded lever (50), having a notch (52) and a cam follower (55) at opposite ends, lies parallel to the rocket and is pivoted to the housing. Its notched end extends into the launch tube for positively locking the rocket into place. A spring-loaded sear (62) also lies parallel to the housing, is reciprocable on the launcher, and has a cam (64) which rests against the first lever's follower. At its other end, the sear is pivoted to a toggle (44) lying perpendicular to the housing so that one end (48b) nests against a housing end surface (46) and its other end (48a) extends into the path of the exhaust from the rocket's thrustor.

Abstract: A high concentration gradient across a solvent permeable membrane (20), separating the solution and solvent reservoirs (12, 16) or an osmotic pumped heat pipe (10), is effected by inducing convection currents across the membrane material on its solution reservoir side (34). The induced convection current is created by the difference in densities of rich and lean solute-solvent mixtures which are caused respectively to traverse separate paths (40, 42). These convection currents sweep and mix with the solvent which has been freshly pumped through the membrane from the solution reservoir side (34).

Abstract: The axial position of the fiber is controlled in three grinding or polishing stages. The fiber (72) is first ground flush with the guide (120) in which it is housed. The fiber end and face of the guide are then ground flat and square. The fiber is thereafter polished to its optical quality and required length. The tool for accomplishing these steps includes a retainer (74) which holds the fiber optic ferrule (70) and its optical fiber (72) therein at a tool surface (16). This tool surface is protected by a guard (18) from being too rapidly ground away while the fiber and fiber/guide combination are ground flush with the surface. The surface and its retailed guide and fiber are then moved to an unprotected position (FIG. 3) so that the surface and the fiber within its ferrule may be polished on a suitable polishing wheel or similar device.

Abstract: Solution and solvent reservoirs (30, 14) are separated by a solvent permeable membrane (54). A path (26) interconnects the reservoirs. Solvent vapor from the solution reservoir is created upon heat applied thereto for condensation (20) back to the solvent reservoir. A vent (56) extends from the solvent reservoir into the solvent vapor path so that the amount of solvent pumped through the membrane, which is determined by the level of solvent wetting the membrane, will equal the amount of solvent evaporated from the solution.