Abstract: A pierce rivet machine for simultaneously pierce riveting sheets of material to the opposing flanges of a channel shaped member having a first and a second pierce rivet driver, a first and a second pierce rivet holder for respectively holding rivets for said first and second pierce rivet drivers, and a first and a second anvil each respectively positioned to function in conjunction with the operation of said first and second pierce rivet drivers. The first and second pierce rivet drivers are positioned diametrically opposed to each other. A drive rod supports each pierce rivet driver and attached to the end of the drive rod is a link member and bellcrank for driving the drive rod along an axial reciprocating path. A tie bar has its ends pivotally attached to the bellcranks causing the drive rods to be simultaneously actuated. One of the bellcranks has its end pivotally attached to an air cylinder motor that operates the machine.

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly having adaptability for use as both a side facing seat positioned along the side walls of various model vehicles and as a front facing seat along the rear wall of various model vehicles. The assembly has a plurality of seat modules, the combination being any mix of the single occupant or double occupant variety. Each of the seat modules has a shell-like structure with a back portion and a seat portion, both of which have a concave outer contour configured to receive a human body. Side flanges are integrally formed along the edges of the seat and back portions. A plurality of end arm members are provided and each has a panel section and inwardly extending flanges for supportably contacting the side flanges of the seat module. The arm member flanges have a back portion support flange and a seat portion support flange. Interlocking structure is formed on the rear of the end arm members for engaging interlocking structure on the front of seat mounting adaptor members.

Abstract: An acoustical laminate comprising multi-ply glass fabric impregnated with an epoxy resin and a method of manufacturing the laminate. The laminate may be bonded to suitable backing, such as a honeycomb core with a solid backing, to produce an acoustical panel. The panel provides excellent, substantially linear, sound absorption characteristics.

Abstract: An improved windshield for a transit vehicle. The windshield comprises a pair of windshield sections horizontally separated by a vertical divider. Each of the windshield sections are positioned at different angles from a common vertical axis whereby at night the interior lighting of the vehicle is reflected rearwardly from the interior surface of the windshield section in a manner which prevents interference with the forward vision of the operator through the windshield sections.

Abstract: A folding seat and wheelchair restraint assembly having a vehicle passenger seat and a barrier assembly. The vehicle passenger seat has a seat back portion and a seat bottom portion that is pivotally attached to the seat back portion whereby the seat bottom portion, which is normally horizontally oriented, may be pivoted to a vertical orientation. A restraint arm assembly is pivotally secured to the underside of the seat bottom portion in such a manner that it may be pivoted in a substantially horizontal plane when the seat bottom portion is folded upwardly in its vertical orientation. The barrier assembly has a complete seat belt unit with a retractable seat belt member and a non-retractable seat belt member attached to the barrier assembly. The retractable seat belt member is mounted on said barrier within a casing that is positioned on the barrier wherein it may also function as a support surface for the seat bottom portion of the folding seat when it is in a substantially horizontal position.

Abstract: A base drive regulator for a transistor operation in a switching mode comprising a series transistor regulator between the source of drive voltage and the base of the switching transistor and a diode with its anode element connected to the base of the series transistor regulator and its cathode connected to the collector of the switching transistor. The material used for construction of the switching transistor, series regulator transistor and the diode has similar electrical characteristics.

Abstract: A relatively simple variable area divergent exhaust nozzle and low drag afterbody integrated with a target-type thrust reverser and used in conjunction with a convergent nozzle for application to the propulsion system of a high performance jet powered aircraft. Two or more aerodynamically shaped afterbody surfaces may be pivoted with a common actuation system to form: first an efficient nozzle-afterbody suitable for subsonic operation; second, a divergent nozzle-afterbody for efficient supersonic operation and; third, a target-type thrust reverser for in-flight or ground roll deceleration.

Abstract: A cantilevered seat for a transit vehicle having a seat shell and a back pan molded from polycarbonate structural foam plastic. The seat shell has contoured into its front surface two seat recess areas and two back recess areas. The seat shell is an integral member having a front panel with a laterally extending flange formed around its periphery. The rear surface of the seat shell has plurality of integrally molded horizontal, diagonal, and vertical structural rib members. Substantially in the center of the seat shell is a major vertical structural rib member and the matrix formed by said vertical, diagonal, and horizontal rib members is symmetrical about said major vertical rib member whereby the seat shell can be used either as a right hand mounted or a left hand mounted cantilevered seat. The back pan has integrally molded channels on its inwardly facing surface for receiving the vertical and horizontal rib members extending outwardly from the rear surface of the seat shell.

Abstract: A passive stern seal for a plenum chamber of an air cushion marine vehicle comprising a front rectilinear planar seal member with an upward extending curvilinear rear tip, a plurality of front seal member supporting stay members adjacent to the underside of the planar seal, and pivotally attached to the vehicle at their forward surfaces, strut members pivotally attached and extending from the front planar seal member adjacent the curvilinear tip; a rear seal member extending from an attachment to the vehicle downward and to an attachment to the front planar seal member forward of the curvilinear tip, the free end of the strut members are attached to the upper surface of the rear seal member and a plurality of forming members are attached between the rear seal member and the vehicle. The forming members cooperate with pressure within the stern seal and form at least one transverse convolute in said rear seal member.

Abstract: A combination fan jet engine nozzle plug and muffler. The combination comprises a nozzle plug structure formed from a plurality of inwardly slanted spaced apart elements. The elements form outwardly open and inwardly closed cavities. The cavities' openings are covered by porous skin material attached to the elements.

Abstract: The head portion of a T-shape strip of elastomeric material is threaded lengthwise into the undercut sides of a channel formed in one of two members to be joined together so that the stem or body portion of the strip projects therefrom. The strip is so located, and this projecting stem portion is of such thickness, as to enter a narrow channel with serrated sides formed in the other of said members. Supported as on a fulcrum on a narrow neck portion projecting from the free edge of the strip stem portion, and spaced slightly from the stem portion, is a transversely curved portion which is slightly wider than the serrated channel. Upon movement of the two members toward each other, the stem portion forces the transversely curved portion to flex, and enter into the serrated channel, in which position the edges of the curved portion are in gripping relation with the channel serrations, and thus resist its withdrawal.

Abstract: A base drive inhibit circuit for positive and negative phase transistors of a switching amplifier. The circuit comprises a pair of comparators for comparing the voltage between the collector and emitter elements of the transistors with an appropriate reference voltage, and provides a signal to supply base drive voltage, when their associated output transistor is in a forward biased state and the level of reference voltage is less than the level of voltage between the collector and emitter. A logic control circuit supplies base drive voltage to one of the transistors when both a drive signal from an external source is in a proper polarity state and the output signal from the comparator indicates that the transistor is in a forward biased state.A timer is provided to delay base drive voltage to either transistor when the base drive signal is in a transition between polarity states.

Abstract: A liquid interface diffusion process is provided where a thin deposit (from 1/2 to 4 mils) of nickel (and/or cobalt) having 4-12 weight percent boron is plated on the nickel or cobalt based alloy faying surfaces. In the case of honeycomb sandwich, the plating is applied to the edge of the core or on the facing sheets and the assembly held together in intimate contact and exposed to a temperature sufficient to cause the Ni-B eutectic to melt. At the eutectic temperature a liquid is formed which makes a metallurgical joint. Upon further time at temperature the boron is diffused into the substrate so that isothermal solidification occurs and the boron is diluted to a small concentration. Sufficient time is allowed (on the order of one or more hours) so that the melting point at the joint area is essentially the same as the substrate and the joint is comparable to a diffusion bond.

Abstract: A base drive regulator for regulating the base drive voltage of the output transistor of a switching amplifier. The inputs of a comparator are separately connected to a reference voltage of either an independent source or the base of the output transistor and to a resistor network connected between the collector and emitter of the transistor. The output from the comparator is utilized to indirectly control the conductivity of the output transistor to maintain the output transistor just at saturation.

Abstract: For assemblying a plurality of extruded aluminum strakes with their edges formed for interconnection by plastic key joints, thereby to form a side wall for a transit vehicle, a panel support is formed to support a required plurality of the strakes in completed conformation. Clamping mechanism then squeezes the strakes laterally to a designed assembled width, thereby interlocking the joints, and opening up a key-forming passage lengthwise within each joint. An adhesive injecting manifold is mounted for reciprocation toward and away from one end of a panel on the support, with a nozzle on each of a plurality of outlets of the manifold for sealed engagement, one with each panel joint passage. The manifold inlet has controlled connection to a supply of pressurized, flowable, hardenable, key-forming compound for injection into the joint passages, with flushing means arranged for alternate connection to the nozzles for flushing out the nozzles and manifold after use.

Abstract: A diffusion and brazing method of bonding honeycomb core material to its facing sheets wherein the core and facing sheets have a predetermined configuration and either the facing sheets or the core edges have had deposited thereon a laminate formed of diffusion bridge or braze alloy material. First, the faying surfaces of the facing sheets and the core are positioned together with the core located between the facing sheets to form the assembly. Secondly, a male plug is inserted into the interior of the assembly wherein the dimensions of the male plug are slightly smaller than the interior dimensions of the asembly and wherein the male plug is formed from a metal having a thermal coefficient of expansion greater than that of the material of the facing sheets and core.

Abstract: For the diffusion bonding of members of titanium and some titanium alloys, layers of Cu, Ag and Ni are deposited by plating on both sides of a sheet of etched, chemically clean, titanium or titanium alloy foil of a thickness preferably less than 0.001 inch. The plated foil is interposed between faying surfaces of the members to be bonded together, and the members, with the interposed foil, are sealed under pressure, in an inert atmosphere and under partial vacuum or hard vacuum of, for example, 10.sup..sup.-4 Torr. The parts thus prepared are heated to brazing temperature to render liquidus plating material and thereby establish a diffusion bridge between each plated face of the foil and the adjacent faying surface of each of the members. Heating is continued to induce atomic diffusion in the zone thus established between the titanium of the foil and the members, and between the members themselves, until the diffusion zone becomes principally titanium with traces of plating materials diffused throughout.