Abstract: An optical switching device is comprised of an asymmetrical double barrier resonant tunnelling diode (RTD) connected in series with load resistance apparatus to a power source, apparatus for illuminating the RTD with an infrared incident light beam, apparatus for applying signal power to the RTD, and apparatus for varying the power within the RTD.

Abstract: The towed multi-band radar decoy or target is a collapsible, airstream-inflatable device intended to be used for providing gunnery practice or electronic countermeasure protection for aircraft against radars and radar-guided missiles by being towed on a line behind the aircraft and offering a more attractive radar target than the aircraft for the radar or radar guided missile to track and home on. The decoy or target is collapsible, so that many can be stored in a small space, and can be deployed while an aircraft is airborne. The decoy is comprised of a sleeve of radar-transparent fabric having a tapered cylindrical shape and an open mouth at a narrow end, and clusters of orthogonal trihedral corners formed from flat conductive surfaces fixed inside and to said sleeve which can be folded and collapsed into a small space, and once inflated, for providing a radar reflective signature which exceeds that of a towing aircraft over predetermined angular aspects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of processing video signals comprised of gamma correcting pixel data of a first signal, gamma correcting pixel data of a second signal, adding the gamma corrected first and second signals to form a sum signal, dividing the sum signal by a factor to form a processed signal, and reverse gamma correcting the processed signal, whereby merged pixel data is produced for generation of a display.

Abstract: An antenna pointing mechanism for a highly directional antenna which avoids the aforenoted problems. The mechanism including the antenna are rendered substantially immune to bending and play-induced movements resulting from vibration or the like, making it highly useful for land based vehicles, ships, and particularly for aircraft. It also provides the ability to point the antenna over elevational angles exceeding 180.degree., making it particularly useful for communication with satellites from aircraft.

Abstract: A device for cleaning rows of machines, such as textile machines, which can travel along the machines and has a blower guided above the machines, whose pressure side is connected to a distributor station. At least two hoses are attached via connecting pieces to the distributor station which have different openings directed to the machines. A slider is located on the distributor station which distributes the air supplied to the distributor station in accordance with its position on the connecting pieces. A number of hoses can be attached to the device, and the hose to be charged with air can be easily selected by a slider which can travel along the row of connecting pieces. The slider has a through-hole which, when the slider is moved, successively coincides with the connecting pieces. A flexible hose which leads to the pressure side of the blower and surrounds the through-hole, is attached to the side of the slider facing away from the connecting pieces.

Abstract: An index grating is imprinted in the core of an optical fiber using a specially designed silica glass phase grating mask. The phase mask is held in close proximity to the optical fiber. Laser irradiation of the phase mask with ultraviolet light at normal incidence imprints (photoinduces) into the optical fiber core the interference pattern created by the phase mask.

Abstract: A light guide is comprised of a laser light source for providing a light beam along a central axis, an optical system for collimating and focusing the beam at infinity, a virtually cylindrical convex lens fixed in a position to intercept the focused beam wherein the angle between the centreline of the beam and the optical surface at its exit point from the lens is an oblique angle whereby the beam is spread radially toward a target, and thereby form a line of light on the target, and whereby the target surface can be located at various distances from the lens while the width of the beam impinging thereon is maintained along a straight line with constant width on a target surface at an angle to the plane thereof.

Abstract: An optical signal deflector comprising an optical signal waveguide formed of plural layers of optically non-linear semiconductor material, apparatus for launching a first optical signal in the waveguide in a first direction which is parallel to the layers, apparatus for applying a second optical signal to the waveguide in a second direction parallel to the layers but at an angle to the first direction, the thickness and indexes of refraction of the layers being predetermined to cause non-linear field contributions of the signals to add in phase in the far field, whereby a third optical signal is obtained having an angle of emission which is the three dimensional vector addition, at a harmonic sum frequency, of the first and second signals.

Abstract: In order to make the thickness and strength values uniform in an extruded foil tubing made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), in the form of a long neck, an air nozzle ring is provided at the level of the end of the long neck in addition to an outer blow ring surrounding the ring nozzle of the blow head. The rate of air flow through the nozzles of the air nozzle ring is controlled dependent on a rotating measuring device for measuring the thickness of the foil which is located above the expansion portion of the foil tubing. The cooling effect of the outer blow ring is preferably twenty times greater than that of the air nozzle ring. To stabilize the foil bubble, an inner pin is provided at the level of the end of the long neck.

Abstract: A footrest holder for a motorcycle comprising two mounting plates for attachment to a vehicle frame, of the motorcycle, an arm extending therefrom for supporting a gearshift or brake lever on its free end, the arm being pivotable about an axis at right angles to the swivel axis of the arm, the arm being formed by a continuous rod which carries the plates, and at least one of the plates is movably mountable on the rod.

Abstract: A circular knitting machine creel for a plurality of bobbins which are supported in tiers by a circular cylindrical frame, comprising a carrier located inside the frame, at least one blower supported by the frame, having an air outlet connection directed somewhat radially outward, the blower moving on a circular path whose axis coincides essentially with the axis of the frame.

Abstract: A time-of-flight range sensing system for a vehicle such as a mobile robot comprised of a number of sensors that are situated at preset locations and aligned with particular orientations on the vehicle. Each sensor may consist of single or multiple transmitting transducers and single or multiple receiving transducers. Each sensor provides a means for changing the effective sensing volume of the sensors or it has two or more separate processing channels for processing the time-of-flight information with several different effective sensing volumes using the sensor signal processor. The sensor signal processor also provides a means for collecting information regarding the echo signal peak value and the noise present in the received signal before reception of the first echo.

Abstract: A grid plate is comprised of a base and vertical one piece side walls which form chambers open to the top, the bottom of each chamber being provided with a drainage hole and the bottom having projections on a plate rim which protrude beyond the rim of the grid plate and grip the bottom area of an adjacent grid plate, the plate rim of the grid plate intersecting at least every second rim-bordering chamber, the chambers forming additional chambers with side walls of adjacent grid plates and the side walls of a pair of grid plates only coming into contact along their vertical edges.

Abstract: A group demodulator for FDMA/PSK input signals comprising a down-converter for the input signals to convert these signals into in-phase and quadrature-related signals which are applied through analog-to-digital converters to a digital transmultiplexer. The digital transmultiplexer converts the signals into a number of channels of PSK modulated data. The output of each analog-to-digital converter is applied to an automatic threshold controller which detects the statistical bias of the input signal amplitude. Each automatic threshold controller provides an analog reference signal which is applied to a reference input of the associated analog-to-digital converter. The reference signal corrects any DC offset error for the analog-to-digital converter and prevents degradation in energy per bit-to-noise density ratio.

Abstract: A brake mechanism for a roller blade having at least a pair of in-line wheels each suspended via an axle from a pair of frame members disposed on opposite sides of the wheels, comprised of two pair of disk shaped bearing surfaces, each pair fixed to opposite sides of a corresponding wheel coaxial with its axle, a pair of brake pad supports, each on an opposite side of the wheels, each having opposite end regions overlapping the bearing surfaces on both wheels, brake pads retained by the brake pad supports between the end regions of the brake pad supports and the bearing surfaces, apparatus for resiliently retaining the brake pad supports in positions with the brake pads spaced from the bearing surfaces, remote control apparatus for squeezing the brake pad supports together whereby the brake pads bear against the bearing surfaces, increasing friction therebetween and retarding rotation of the wheels.

Abstract: A hearing aid having a stereophonic microphone mounted on a flexible base and an adhesive for adhering it to the top of the head. This substantially eliminates the shadow effect encountered when two separate hearing aids are used, one for each ear, which reduces the ability of the wearer to locate the source of sounds originating at an angle from a vertical central plane passing through the nose and axis of the wearer.

Abstract: Efficient, narrow-band rocking filters have been made in polarization-maintaining monomode optical fiber by photoinducing periodic birefringent gratings along the length of the fiber. These gratings, fabricated with a period chosen to provide synchronous coupling between the two principal states of polarization of the LP.sub.01 mode at a preselected wavelength, gently rock to and fro the principal polarization axes of the fiber. To photoinduce the grating, the fiber is exposed periodically along its length to a U.V. light beam which is incident at right angles to the geometrical axis of the fiber and is directed .pi./4 radians with respect to the principal axes. Efficient polarization mode conversion at 1.3 .mu.m with the fiber gratings are obtained.

Abstract: A trolley brush for sliding electrical connection with a live rail, which is of simple construction and maintains precise alignment of the sliding contact with the live rail with relative change of position between the live rail and the base of the trolley brush. The trolley brush is comprised of a base, an arm attached thereto which can be turned about a first axis which is almost at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the arm and a sliding contact support attached to the arm which can be turned about a second axis which is almost perpendicular to the first axis and to the longitudinal axis. The base has a slot-like recess whose plane extends in the plane formed by the first axis and the longitudinal axis, the recess having a limiting first wall.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for monitoring simultaneously the temperature and the velocity of sprayed particles. The system is comprised of a sensor head attached to the spray gun, an optical fibre transmitting the collected radiation to detection apparatus, and a protective detection cabinet having the detection apparatus that incorporates two detectors. A two-slit or multiple-slit mask is located in the sensor head at the end of the optical fibre. For the temperature measurements, the particle emitted radiation collected by the sensor head is transmitted to two photodetectors, filtered by interference filters at two adjacent wavelengths. The particle temperature may be computed from the ratio of the detector outputs. To measure the velocity, the two-slit system collects radiation emitted by the in-flight particles travelling in the sensor field of view, which generates a double peak light pulse transmitted through the optical fibre.