Abstract: An improved circuit permits measurement of the impedance of an Al.sub.2 Ob.3 water vapor sensor used with conventional radiosonde telemetry systems.The circuit includes an oscillator, an output pulse shaper and a voltage regulator. The oscillator section is a temperature stabilized feedback oscillator which uses the sensor as a feedback element. The oscillator output is a square wave varying from 20 to 200 Hz over a dew point range, of 110.degree. to 0.degree. C. and is stable within .+-. 1% over a -60.degree. to +20.degree. C. temperature range. The output pulse shaper converts the square wave from the oscillator to a 60 microsecond wide, 3 volt negative-going pulse suitable for modulating the radiosonde transmitter. The voltage regulator provides regulated +4.5 volts from the sonde battery for operating the oscillator and pulse shaper.

Abstract: The invention involves an electronic countermeasure technique which is used gainst a pulse compression, random PRF, frequency diverse radar by stretching a pulse received from the radar before returning it. By progressively delaying the pulse until its delay is greater than the range gate of the radar, the return pulse to the radar is either blocked entirely or else it is received as a spurious, misleading echo.

Abstract: An aligning apparatus for inserting a bolt and a washer in a remote or reicted place for securing equipment. A standard washer is permanently attached to the end of tubing, a bolt is inserted in the tubing through the washer and held in position by a tool inserted in the tubing, mating with the bolt. This combination is placed in alignment with a normally inaccessible threaded hole. The bolt is turned into the hole and secured by a torquing action on the tool. For the reverse process, removal tabs are attached to the tubing to accomplish intact extraction of the bolt, washer, and tubing.

Abstract: A circuit to control the RF drive to a gridded traveling wave tube (GTWT) to operate the tube in saturation across the entire RF band and at all PRF's and pulse widths. Control is attained by sensing the GTWT output and using a feedback circuit to vary an input variable attenuator to the GTWT based upon whether the output is increasing or decreasing.

Abstract: A warhead containing an hourglass-shaped explosive charge. At either or b ends of the charge an expandable rod structure or rod fragments are placed and arranged at any desired angle to the longitudinal axis of the charge. The charge is initiated at the center of its length and because of its shape creates a concentrated pancake configured shock wave and gas cloud expanding radially outward from the center of the missile. Because of the large amount of explosive between the initiation point and the rod structure the rods are imparted with a higher velocity than in conventional rod warheads of comparable mass.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for preventing thermal shock caused by the introtion of steam into a superheater header by preheating the header with an electrical heating element located on the header before boiler light-off and the introduction of any steam. A temperature sensor located on the header controls the coupling of the heating element to its voltage source to maintain the temperature of the header within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A high efficiency, high power blue-green laser capable of providing short lses useful for underwater communication and detection systems. To provide the desired blue-green lasing, a solid state laser is pumped by a matched high-efficiency laser having a relatively long duration output pulses. Q-switching of the solid state laser is used to shorten the duration and increase the peak power of the pulses. Material found especially useful for practice of the invention are Holmium.sup.+3 and Praseodymium.sup.+3 as the solid state laser and a dye laser pumped by a mercury capillary lamp as the pumping laser.

Abstract: A quick shut-off device for attachment to the side of a liquid filled container to measure the amount of liquid therein. Upper and lower valves with a sight glass extending between them are provided with ball valves to allow the on-off positions of the upper and lower valves to be controlled by a 90.degree. change in position of rods connected to the ball valves. In the closed position of both valves, the interior of the sight glass and the main ball valve passageways are in alignment for easy cleaning without sight glass removal. The upper and lower valves are identical in construction so they can be readily interchanged.

Abstract: Synchronous plating techniques for reducing adjacent bit disturb charactetics or interactions in a magnetic memory wire include the step of sinusoidally and smoothly depositing the magnetic layer on the outer surface of the wire so as to increase the effective magnetic path length between adjacent bits. The resultant wire has changing cross-sectional dimensions corresponding to the varying sinusoidal configuration of the wire.This invention concerns a film-plated memory wire of improved characteristics and the method of making the same. The term "memory wire" is used to designate a magnetic recording and reproducing element for recording or reproducing magnetic signals by magnetic flat interlinkage with a magnetic transducer head during relative motion of the wire and head.

Abstract: A protective coupling circuit is located between the D.C. supply voltage the amplifier components of a push-pull switching amplifier to suppress transients created during switching. The coupling circuit comprises a power supply filter with an inductor coil and capacitor, and circuitry for limiting the voltage on the individual switching elements and the output coil. Excess voltages caused by transients are fed to the power supply filter. In an alternative embodiment the power supply filter inductor coil is actually an auxiliary winding on the amplifier output transformer rather than a separate coil. This allows for use of some smaller capacity circuit elements.

Abstract: A cylindrical warhead having spiralling channels disposed along the peripy thereof. A center portion of the cylinder contains an explosive and axially located detonators.

Abstract: The recovery of buoys by a helicopter or a ship is accomplished by sweeping a grapnel therefrom underwater until it engages a suitable receptacle attached to the buoy mooring cable. Once engaged, the buoy is then winched aboard the helicopter or ship.

Abstract: There is disclosed an intermittent data tracker that is capable of provid smooth target tracking data from intermittent target range data. The heart of the intermittent tracker is an instantaneous position memory (IPM) which can instantaneously memorize the range of a target video signal, and play it back immediately, or at any later time, with no loss in accuracy. The IPM is updated in accordance with computed target velocity, and corrected as necessary by comparison of the predicted range with the measured target range derived from the tracking radar video.

Abstract: A product-water management system removes steam produced by the reaction of ydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell, by circulating a hydrogen stream, containing the steam, from the fuel cell to a condenser where the water is liquified and collected in a sump. A continuously operating pump forces water and/or hydrogen from the sump through a transfer line to a water storage tank. Hydrogen is vented back to the condenser from the storage tank through a vent line concentrically mounted within the transfer line. A tank drain on the storage tank allows hydrogen to be purged between missions.

Abstract: A tapered electrical pass-through connector for allowing conductors to go through a hole in a vessel wall from the high pressure side to the low pressure side and capable of withstanding up to 150,000 PSI from the high pressure side. The small diameter end of the tapered connector is inserted into the vessel hole and the conductors extend through holes in the connector. A bonding agent surrounds the conductors in the connector holes and the holes are tapered and dimensioned to a small diameter to prevent the bonding agent from being blown out of the holes under pressure.

Abstract: A drive circuit responsive to the phase of the amplifier output current eres that the non-conducting amplifier element remains off while the other amplifier element conducts. The output current phase can be detected either from the individual amplifier element outputs or from their combined outputs. Adjustments are made to compensate for any phase shift which occurs between the input to the amplifier and the point in the output at which the phase is detected.

Abstract: A warhead which upon detonation imparts such high velocities to particles magnesium that they expand outwardly faster than the gas from the explosion. The particles are positioned so that they are propelled in predetermined directions. The burning particles precondition the air thus allowing the gaseous explosion products to expand in the particle paths at a much more rapid rate than normal. Larger aluminum particles are also positioned to travel in predetermined directions upon detonation. As the magnesium particles travel outward they lose their effect on the gas cloud because of the distance between them and the expanding gas cloud. The aluminum particles then emerge from the slowing gas cloud and precondition the air to promote more rapid and further expansion of the gas cloud in the paths of the aluminum particles.

Abstract: A warehouse system and method for stacking, storing and retrieving material includes a cab stacker, preferably a twin-cab stacker, that can be mounted on the mast of a stacker crane or sideloader. The twin cab functions as a mobile work-station which can retrieve materials from a storage area, cut them to order, bundle them, and place them directly on a conveyor system for packing and ultimate shipment. The twin cab includes a plurality of forks mounted on a carriage which is connected to a telescoping mast on the cab. The forks can be employed as a lift or support for materials removed from cantilever or pigeon-hole racks. Automatic stops align the cab with a selected rack. The cab also may support a ledge-fence on which elongated materials can be placed for cutting by a swing-arm mounted, cutting wheel which is controlled by an automatic feed mechanism. Tape dispensers in the cab provide tape for bundling the cut materials. Sheet and elongated materials are transferred directly from the forks to conveyors.

Abstract: A solid-state commutation system comprising the driving of each pair of 1degree. electrically displaced phases from an even-phased motor with the A.C. current from a dedicated pair of 180.degree. electrically displaced phases of an even-phased A.C. generator by routing the A.C. power per phase pair through a plurality of sets of oppositely disposed thyristor pairs which are gated in accordance with a rotor position-sensor connected to the shaft of the motor rotor.

Abstract: A temperature probe measures temperature changes of biological tissue while he tissue is being irradiated with microwaves. The temperature probe is completely nonmetallic to minimize perturbation of the microwave field, and the structure of the probe includes a plurality of optic fibers which carry light to and from a reflective liquid crystal film. The liquid crystal is enclosed in a housing at the tip of the probe which is in contact with the biological tissue, and the liquid crystal undergoes changes in absolute reflectance proportional to the temperature changes of the tissue. The optic fibers are gathered in a bundle with a first portion of the bundle transmitting light from a light generation device to the liquid crystal and the remainder of the bundle transmitting reflected light from the crystal back to a photo transistor. The reflected light received by the photo transistor is converted into an electrical signal and displayed as a representation of temperature.