Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning paint spray gun nozzles automatically includes a housing having separate cleaning and reservoir chambers separated by a dividing wall, and a cleaning spray head in the cleaning chamber for directing a spray of cleaning fluid at a nozzle in the chamber. A supply of cleaning fluid in the reservoir is connected to the cleaning spray head by a supply tube. The cleaning chamber has an entrance for receiving a spray gun nozzle, and a supply of gas under pressure is connected to the reservoir chamber automatically on detection of entry of a spray gun nozzle through the entrance, to urge cleaning fluid from the reservoir into the supply tube. A passageway is provided in the dividing wall for returning used cleaning fluid to the reservoir. The supply of gas to the reservoir is cut off automatically at the end of a cleaning cycle on removal of the cleaned nozzle from the chamber.

Abstract: A lateral thrust assembly for missile maneuvering comprises an annular array of outwardly directed nozzles, each nozzle having a releasable plug normally blocking flow of propellant gases out of the nozzle. A plug release mechanism associated with each plug allows that plug to be released to open the respective nozzle. A combustion chamber containing propellant is connected to the inner ends of all the nozzles. The propellant is ignited when one or more selected plugs are released to allow opening of the associated nozzle or nozzles, controlling the direction of the lateral thrust applied to the vehicle.

Abstract: A booster retarding apparatus for an airborne vehicle such as a missile having a separable booster at its rear end, comprises a series of flaps with hinge assemblies for securing the flaps to the aft end of the booster for movement between an inner position extending rearwardly from the booster and an extended position projecting outwardly from the booster. The flaps are biased towards the extended position, and normally retained in the inner position by retaining devices. The retaining devices are released on booster thrust termination, and include a release mechanism responsive to booster thrust termination for releasing the retaining devices. The release mechanism includes a biasing device having a biasing force less than the acceleration forces developed on launch which oppose operation of the release mechanism so that the flaps are held in during booster thrust and are released and urged outwardly on booster thrust termination to brake the booster and separate it from the remainder of the missile.

Abstract: Apparatus and a process are disclosed for cleaning and/or fluxing circuit card assemblies. The assemblies are moved through an enclosure in which they are sprayed with cleaning and/or fluxing liquid from fenestrated cylinders rotating above and below the path of the assemblies and disposed laterally thereacross. The complex spray impact pattern created by the simultaneous movements of the assemblies and the cylinders effects thorough cleaning and/or fluxing of the assemblies. Separate control of liquid pressure from the cylinders prevents unsoldered components from being dislodged from the assemblies during cleaning and or fluxing.

Abstract: Self-dissipating projectiles for use in anti-satellite weapons or warheads are made from suitable solid materials capable of sublimation after relatively short periods of time at the low pressures found in outer space. The material is suitably a volatile organic compound such as naphthalene, paradibromobenzene, benzoic acid, or similar compounds which change directly from the solid to the gaseous phase without becoming liquid.

Abstract: An apparatus for seating and tightening clamps around joints between tubular sections comprises an elongate flexible member such as a chain for extending around a clamp positioned over a joint, the member having rollers spaced along its length, and a tightening device for applying tension to the member to tighten it around the clamp so that the rollers roll around the surface of the clamp and apply a radial force to the clamp.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting deflection of the spin axis of a gimbal supported spinning mass relative to the gimbal axis comprises four equally spaced linear arrays of detector elements mounted around the gimbal axis and extending parallel to that axis. Four light sources are provided, each one in alignment with a respective one of the arrays, and a reflective surface is provided on the spinning mass for reflecting light onto the respective detector arrays. Deflection of the spin axis will be registered by displacement of a reflected light spot in one or more of the arrays.

Abstract: The described embodiments of the present invention provide a high-gain antenna while allowing for the inclusion of devices within the antenna array. In one embodiment of the invention an array of receiver/transmitter elements is positioned in a pan-like reflector base. The elements are positioned one-quarter of a wavelength from the surface of the base. The wavelength is the wavelength of the chosen frequency of transmission or reception of the antenna. A partially reflective plate is positioned one-half wavelength from the base and thus one quarter wavelength from the elements. Reflective disks are also positioned one-half wavelength above the base and are positioned directly above the elements. The disks create a resonant cavity around the elements for waves of the chosen frequency arriving from near normal to the plane of the base or being emanated from the elements at a normal or near-normal angle. The partially reflective plate extends this resonant area spatially from the element.

Abstract: A method for making a metalized dichroic parabolic lens reflector for multi-frequency antenna system applications. The reflector is prepared by depositing an etchable conductive metallic layer upon a parabolic work surface of a male mandrel. The metallic layer is adhered to a parabolic support surface of a substrate formed of a low dielectric constant material. The mandrel is separated from the metallic with the metallic layer remaining bonded to the support surface. Photoresist imaging and chemical etching techniques are used to form a dipole grid pattern in the metallic layer.

Abstract: An in-flight jettisonable protective cover device for protecting fragile, accurate, radomes or signal-responsive components for the major portion of a flight which is capable of being jettisoned in one piece at supersonic speeds from a guided missile, other air vehicles, or space vehicles. The cover device is for use, for example, in combination with a guided missile having a shell structure, a nose portion, and a radome in the missile nose. The cover device is attached to the missile nose for covering the radome such that an inner space is defined. A plurality of shear pins or other quick-release mechanisms attach and retain the cover device to the missile shell. A source of low pressure gas pressurizes the inner space to approximately 50 psi. A rapid-discharging, high pressure gas cartridge produces a high pressure gas for exerting a pressure force on the aft face of the cover device.

Abstract: A folding wing structure for a missile or other airframe comprises a supporting strut assembly including a leading strut and a trailing strut pivotally secured together at their common ends and pivotally mounted at spaced locations relative to the airframe at their opposite ends, the struts being moveable between a collapsed, storage position in which they are substantially colinear and an expanded, erect position in which they project radially out from the missile. A biassing device urges the struts into the erect position. A double walled, pocket-like wing member of flexible fabric material encloses the strut assembly and conforms substantially to the extended configuration of the struts, and a series of spaced, parallel reinforcing ribs extend chordwise across each wall of the wing member in its erect position between the leading and trailing struts.

Abstract: The described embodiment of the present invention provides a technique for minimizing unwanted components in the output of a frequency synthesizer. The output signal of the frequency synthesizer is tapped and mixed with a selective reference control signal. The reference control signal is selected by a control logic so that, when mixed with the output signal of the frequency synthesizer, a signal is derived of constant frequency no matter what frequency the frequency synthesizer is set to provide. This constant frequency signal is provided to a power divider. One output of the power divider is provided to a phase shifter which shifts the signal 180 degrees. The other output of the power divider is provided to a high quality band pass filter tuned to the constant frequency. The output of the phase shifter and the high quality band pass filter are recombined, thus cancelling the constant signal while leaving remnants of the undesired frequency drift.

Abstract: An optical processing system for performing a matrix multiplication Mx where M is a matrix and x is a vector involves two two-dimensional arrays of optically transmissive elements with each element of the first array communicating light to the corresponding elmement of the second array. The optical transmittance of each row of one of the arrays is controlled according to the values of the vector x, and the optical transmittance of each element of the other array is controlled according to the corresponding matrix value m(i,j). The first array is uniformly illuminated and the amount of light transmitted through the two arrays is detected by a suitable array of photodetectors. The output of each photodetector will be proportional to the sum of the products of the vector x(i) with each value of the matrix in the corresponding column of the matrix array.

Abstract: A sealing assembly for protecting the exposed components of a mounted electrical connector from the environment provides a seal between a connector backshell and a mounting plate to which the connector is mounted. The bell housing sealing assembly generally comprises a tubular member having a bottom end and a top end, the member being of sufficient inside diameter and length for surrounding an electrical connector having a backshell between the connector backshell and a mounting plate to which the connector is mounted; a top seal for sealing between the top end of the tubular member and the backshell of the surrounded connector; and a bottom seal for sealing between the bottom end of the tubular member and the mounting plate. The sealing assembly is threadably attached to either the connector backshell or, preferably, to the receptacle mounting nut. A second embodiment employs a force fit double lip seal as a top seal.

Abstract: A bimetallic shaped-charge liner is formed by explosively bonding two metal disks and then shear-forming the bonded disks simultaneously into a conoidal shape over a mandrel. An exemplary method for manufacturing a ductile, bimetallic, shaped-charge liner comprises the steps of explosively bonding a plate of one metal to a plate of another metal; annealing the bonded plates; cuting forming blanks from the bonded, annealed plates; shear-forming the blanks with the light metal side outward into a conoidal shape over a mandrel; and then annealing the resulting conoid.

Abstract: A rocket exhaust recirculation obturator or cover member is designed to extend across the base of a missile in a launch tube between the exit nozzle of the missile rocket exhaust and the walls of the launch tube. The cover member has a central opening which seals against the rocket motor nozzle exit, and an outer periphery which seals against the launch tube walls. During launch, pressure of exhaust gases recirculating back up the launch tube will urge the obturator against the base of the missile, and both the missile and obturator will accelerate together up the launch tube. A release assembly is provided at the upper end of the launch tube which engages corresponding release devices at the outer periphery of the obturator. The engagement releases the pressure bond between the obturator, the missile base, and the launch tube. This allows the rocket exhaust to impinge upon the upper surface of the obturator in opposition to the obturator's momemtum.

Abstract: A wire sensing and measurement apparatus comprises an optical fiber having a hook shape formed at one end and connected to an optical pulse generator at the opposite end for transmitting a continuous stream of optical pulses to the free end of the hook. An optical detector is positioned opposite the free end of the hook to detect pulses emitted from the hook, and is connected to a missing pulse monitor for monitoriing the output of the detector to detect any missing pulses in the sequence. The monitor produces an output pulse for each missing pulse detected. The hook is moved beneath expected wire positions and any wire passing between the free end of the hook and the detector will interrupt the stream of pulses, allowing the wire position to be located. The fiber optic hook may be used as part of a wire pull test machine for testing the strength of electrical circuit wires.

Abstract: An apparatus for seating and tightening clamps around joints between tubular sections comprises an elongate flexible member such as a chain for extending around a clamp positioned over a joint, the member having rollers spaced along its length, and a tightening device for applying tension to the member to tighten it around the clamp so that the rollers roll around the surface of the clamp and apply a radial force to the clamp.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying inertial reference unit (IRU) errors in a guided missile employing a multi-mode guidance system and constructing correction terms to recover the missile true position. Discrepancy parameters are introduced to indicate misalignment between missile and launching platform (or ship) inertial frames where the missile onboard executive computer simultaneously processes the data provided from missile onboard sensors and target relevant data uplinked from the launching platform. The discrepancy parameters are employed to construct correction factors used to reduce the discrepancies. This updated missile configuration is then coupled with the target state estimator outputs to reconstruct smoothed line-of-sight (LOS) angles for terminal homing engagement.

Abstract: A missile support structure comprises at least two sabots or packing bodies which surround a missile in a launch tube and extend along at least part of its length. The sabots substantially fill the gap between the outer surface of the missile and the walls of the launch tube to restrict lateral movement. A capture assembly is provided to capture the sabots at the launch tube exit as the missile leaves the tube, and a return mechanism is provided on each sabot for intercepting the missile exhaust flow to urge the sabots back down into the launch tube.