Abstract: A method of producing a fluid-tight seal between a thin, flexible member and a member support including the steps of providing a pair of spaced apart braze material receiving recesses on an external surface of the member support having a combined depth to accommodate excess braze material during the brazing of the member to the support, positioning the member to extend across the recesses and the surface and brazing the member to the surface while maintaining the contact between the braze material and the member. An apparatus using this method to produce a fluid-tight seal for a thin, flexible member comprises a support surface, a pair of excess braze material receiving spaced apart recesses on the surface and having a combined depth for accommodating excess brazing material and a brazing material located between the member and the surface and covering the recesses and an adjacent portion of the support surface.

Abstract: A fluid control apparatus for selectively providing a stored fluid to a working environment for the fluid includes a container for storing the fluid. The container is arranged as a metal thimble with longitudinal score lines evenly spaced about its diameter. A weight is attached to one end of the thimble to provide a force on the thimble in a longitudinal direction as a result of a corresponding acceleration of the thimble. The scoring lines produce stress concentrations and serve to weaken the thimble in its radial direction. The longitudinal force produced by the weight during acceleration results in a collapse of the thimble and a rupture of the walls of the thimble along the score lines to produce exit orifices for the fluid stored in the thimble. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid is an electrolyte, and the fluid control apparatus is used in a reserve activated battery housing to store the electrolyte until the acceleration induced collapse of the thimble.

Abstract: A method of determining PID parameters for PID control by a PID controller having proportional, integral and derivative operating portions including the steps of monitoring a limit cycle generated in a controlled process to obtain characteristics of the process, continuing process control in a tuning mode where a nonlinear element is inserted preceding a proportional operation portion and at the same time an integral operation portion is connected in parallel to the series connection of the nonlinear element and the proportional operation portion and the derivative operation portion is removed from operation and determining optimum PID parameters to be used for succeeding process control on the basis of the results of the limit cycle monitoring.

Abstract: A running time display for a projectile time fuze uses a digital display visible through a transparent window in a nose of the projectile. The fuze running time can be programmed either electrically by a receiving coil within the nose or manually by a time setting ring on the surface of the nose. To facilitate a running time display during adverse visibility conditions, the display may comprise LED elements with the display elements being intermittently energized to reduce electrical power consumption from a battery powering the time fuze.

Abstract: A refrigeration system control method for minimizing off cycle losses in a heating mode of operation includes the steps of closing a valve in a refrigerant line between an indoor coil and an outdoor coil for a first predetermined period of time starting with a deenergization of a compressor and ending before a reenergization of the compressor to retain the refrigerant in the indoor coil and maintaining an energization of an indoor coil fan for a second predetermined time period after the deenergization of the compressor which second time ends before the first time period.

Abstract: A method for randomly delaying a restart of electrical equipment following an availability of power for energizing the equipment includes the steps of measuring an environmental temperature, e.g., the room where the electrical equipment is located, converting a predetermined fractional portion of the value of the sensed temperature to a number and using the number following an availability of power for energizing the equipment after a time period having a duration restarting the equipment. An apparatus employing this method includes a restart control, a temperature sensor and an equipment start programmer responsive to the temperature sensor and connected to the restart control for producing a restart control energizing signal dependent on a predetermined fractional portion of the value of the sensed temperature.

Abstract: A valve having a flow path in the form of a Venturi tube having a throttle and flow path sections extending and flaring from the opposite sides of the throttle to an inlet and outlet, respectively, and a cylindrical valve plug provided at the throttle and selectively movable at right angles to the flow path to present a flow path end into the flow path and having a semi-spherical valve head at the flow path end with a notch having a length in the direction of movement of the valve plug less than the diameter of the throttle formed in a portion of the valve head and the remaining portion of the valve head containing a diametrical line connecting opposite portions of the valve head in contact with the wall of the throttle while occupying a major portion of the surface of the valve head facing a flow in the flow path.

Abstract: A thermostatically operated valve uses a valve insert screwed into a tube-shaped stud at a valve housing. The valve insert comprises two spaced-apart valve seats which are located on opposite walls of a chamber provided within the valve insert series-connected in a flow direction with one seat forming a control valve seat and the other seat forming a shut-off valve seat. Between the valve seats, a valve closing body is arranged within the chamber for temperature control operation by a thermostat device. The outlet of the valve is connected to a chamber downstream of the shut-off valve seat and a throttling bore connects the chamber between both valve seats with the outlet of the valve. A removal of the thermostat device allows the valve closing body to be urged against the shut-off valve seat by a spring within the valve insert while maintaining a flow through the throttling bore.

Abstract: A thermostat having heat anticipation uses a temperature responsive bimetallic element for effecting a thermostat contact closure during a heating operation controlled by the thermostat with an electrical contact carried by terminal strip positioned adjacent to the bimetallic element and formed from a high resistance stainless steel material. The resistance of the terminal strip is enhanced by lengthening the current path into a convoluted path utilizing notched out areas of the terminal strip. The resistance heat generated in the terminal strip by the current flow therein during the heating operation provides the desired heat anticipation for the operation of the thermostat by the bimetallic element by increasing the temperature sensed by the element.

Abstract: A proportional solenoid valve control circuit uses a solenoid current driver, a feedback circuit for providing a feedback signal representative of an output current supplied by the drive means, input signal means for connection to a source of a control signal representative of a desired current to be supplied by the driver means, signal comparison means for comparing the feedback signal with the control signal to produce an error signal representing the difference therebetween, timer means connected to the comparison means for producing an output signal having a frequency dependent on the magnitude of the error signal and a circuit for applying the output signal to the current driver to produce the output current from the driver proportional to the output signal.

Abstract: A method for measuring a curvature of a reflective surface includes the steps of directing a pair of collimated light beams onto a substantially smooth portion of the reflective surface and measuring the separation of the light beam images reflected from the surface as a representation of the curvature of the surface. An apparatus utilizing this method includes a pair of lasers for producing respective collimated light beams, a laser mount arranged to direct the separate light beams from the lasers as substantially parallel light beams onto a substantially smooth portion of a reflective surface being measured to produce respective bright spots on the surface, receiving images of the bright spots onto a diffuse target surface, viewing these bright spot images with a sensor to produce a light intensity pattern encompassing the spots and calculating the separation of the bright spot images from the light intensity pattern as a measure of the curvature of the surface.

Abstract: A refrigeration system control method and apparatus for minimizing off cycle losses during a cooling mode of operation of a refrigeration system having an indoor coil, an indoor coil fan, an outdoor coil, an outdoor coil fan, a refrigerant line between one end of the indoor coil and one end of the outdoor coil, a valve in the refrigerant line and a compressor apparatus connecting the other end of the indoor coil to the other end of the outdoor coil includes the steps of sensing the humidity of an indoor space to be cooled by the refrigeration system to determine whether the sensed humidity is below a preset humidity setpoint level or above the preset humidity level, and controlling an energization of an indoor coil fan during a time period starting with an energization of the compressor apparatus and ending after the deenergization of the compressor apparatus and having a fan energization duration during the time period dependent on the sensed humidity.

Abstract: A flange mounted pressure transmitter uses a filled assembly having pressure transmitting fill fluid in a sealed capillary extending between a barrier diaphragm exposed to a fluid being monitored and a pressure sensor located in a housing attached to one end of a protective extension tube containing the capillary and supporting the diaphragm at the other end thereof. A gasket ring and a transmitter mounting flange are located on the exterior surface of the protecting tube and are arranged to provide a means for attaching the extension tube to a housing containing the fluid being monitored. The gasket ring is arranged to be welded to the exterior surface of the extension tube at a selectable distance from the barrier diaphragm which is effective to produce a desired location of the extension tube and the diaphragm within the housing containing the fluid being monitored.

Abstract: A method of digital process variable transmitter calibration includes the steps of sensing the process variable (PV) to produce an analog output which is converted to a digital signal representation. The digital signal is corrected by a microprocessor using a characterization equation previously individually developed during a manufacturing testing of the process variable transmitter over a predetermined range of environmental stimuli to ascrtain the coefficients for a polynomial in the form of PV=A.sub.o =A.sub.1 P+A.sub.2 +. . . A.sub.i P.sup.i. Thus, the digital computer produces a process variable representation as a modified digital output. Subsequently, the digital output from the computer is converted to a conventional 4-20 mA analog signal for use as a process control signal.

Abstract: A thermochromatographic column has a fused silica capillary with a high temperature chemically inert polymer coating thereon supporting a thin heater film formed by the deposition of either a high resistance metallic compound auto-catalytically from a solution of the compound or a nichrome film sputtered onto the polymer clad capillary tubing. The electrical contacts to the heater film may be either resistance welded thereto or the electrically conductive wires may be attached to the capillary body and integrated into the heater film during the deposition of the heater film. An outer layer of an electrically insulating material is applied to the heater film to electrically isolate the heater film and to protect the heater film from damage.

Abstract: A remote seal-type pressure signal generator has a pressure measuring end having a sealing diaphragm facing a pressure to be measured, a pressure detector body connected to the pressure measuring end through a first capillary tube, the detector body having a pressure-receiving space in which a pressure transmitting medium is liquid-sealed and pressure detecting means for detecting an internal pressure of the pressure-receiving space by way of a pressure difference thereof with respect to a pressure of a second pressure-receiving space to which a second pressure is applied, and a flexible protective pipe covering the capillary tube between said detector body and said pressure measuring end, a second capillary tube is housed in the protective tube, and extending from the second pressure-receiving space in the detector body while having substantially the same length as the first capillary tube, and having a distal end closed in the vicinity of the pressure measuring end, with the pressure transmitting medium bei

Abstract: In a serial bus system an active representation of the logic states of a bus signal for transmission of both logic states is implemented either on two separate lines for separate transmission of the logic states thereon or on a single line with both logic states being represented by different frequencies.In the method selection of a subscriber connected to the bus, the subscribers wishing to transmit a message indicate this by issuing a collision signal to the bus. The time period during which the collision signal is issued by each subscriber is chosen in such a way that each subscriber of the bus has the possibility to be prepared for the selection. The selection of the subscriber wishing to transmit a message then is done by means of an address comparison on a bit-by-bit basis.

Abstract: An A/D conversion method including the steps of storing digital voltage values obtained through an A/D conversion of divided voltages obtained by dividing an analog voltage in a predetermined voltage range into a predetermined number of different dividing ratios by an A/D converter and digital data for calculating digital output data for the A/D conversion of an input voltage in combination with the digital voltage values in a memory, converting the input voltage into a corresponding digital input value through A/D conversion, deciding upon a voltage division including the digital input value among divisions demarcated by the digital voltage values by sequentially comparing the digital voltage values with the digital input value, deciding which of a pair of the digital voltage values demarcating the division selected through the prior decision is the approximate value of the digital input value, updating the divided voltage corresponding to the digital voltage value through A/D conversion to provide a represe

Abstract: The present invention uses an input multiplexer for selecting a plurality of input signals, a fluid multiplexer for selectively delivering a control output to a plurality of devices to be controlled, a detecting multiplexer for selecting detected signals indicative of the condition in which the devices respond, a controller for controlling the multiplexers for successive and repeated selective operations, for effecting a controlling arithmetic operation on an input signal fed through the input multiplexer and a detected signal fed through the detecting multiplexer, and for delivering a control signal resulting from the controlling arithmetic operation, and an electropneumatic transducer for converting the control signal to a pneumatic pressure and issuing the pneumatic pressure as an input to the fluid multiplexer.

Abstract: A hot water heating system powered by a gas burner uses the output signal of a heat consumption meter measuring the amount of heat flowing to heating radiators for controlling the heat capacity or heating power of the burner. A control signal dependent on the demand of heat is fed to a solenoid operator of a servopressure regulator and the required amount of air for achieving optimum combustion is supplied via an air control valve which receives its input signal from an oxygen or carbon dioxide sensor in a burner stack.