Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining moisture content of materials by irradiating a sample of unknown moisture content with a narrow frequency band of light at a first wavelength during a first time period and a narrow frequency band of light of a second wavelength during a second time period. The two wavelengths of light have different water absorptive characteristics, and therefore are reflected by varying degrees depending on the surface moisture on the material. The respective reflections are measured by a single common detector, and a value corresponding to the ambient light is subtracted from each measurement. A ratio of the resultant values is then correlated with data derived from precalibration measurements of samples of known moisture content.

Abstract: A bonded insulator flexural transducer for use in sonar applications includes a hollow metal tube having an inner surface, a segmented ceramic electromechanical driver disposed along an inner surface of the tube and a bonded insulator disposed between the segmented driver and the metal tube. The bonded insulator includes a high dielectric strength film, a layer of a binding fiber material, and a layer of epoxy. The dielectric film provides the electrical isolation between the driver and the shell and the binding fiber material provides a reliable bond by effectively trapping the epoxy between the driver and shell.

Abstract: A refrigerator door hinge including a bracket connected to and extending forwardly from the face of the cabinet on the side to which the door opens. The bracket includes an upper horizontal plate supporting the door, and a lower horizontal plate with a threaded aperture which captures a threaded post of a foot. The bottom of the foot has a pad and during installation, the foot is rotated to lower the foot until the pad contacts the floor thereby providing adjustable height hinge support directly to the floor.

Abstract: An impedance matching coaxial adaptor for use with magnetron power sources having output coaxial probes includes an outer cylindrical housing disposed around a cylindrical inner housing. The inner housing is disposed along a common axis of the outer housing and includes a bore disposed within a first end of the inner housing for receiving an antenna-type probe element of a magnetron power source. The coaxial adaptor allow a magnetron source normally having an output probe for radiating into a waveguide to be used with a coaxial output.

Abstract: A package for electronic components, especially MMIC components, is disclosed. The package is constructed from layers of ceramic cofired to form an annular piece. Metal pieces are brazed onto the top and bottom of the annular piece to hermetically seal the package. Certain of the ceramic pieces are coated with patterns of conductive material before cofiring. The conductive material forms DC power distribution lines to electronic components within the package and low loss RF feedthroughs into the package.

Abstract: A controller for a washing machine with an alternately reversing drive motor wherein an electromechanical timer interfaces in conventional manner to electrical devices, and also switches line voltage to predetermined ones of a plurality of control lines to provide an encoded signal corresponding to the selected agitator stroke profile. The line voltage on the control lines is shifted to a DC voltage level compatible with a microprocessor that decodes the encoded signal, and then provides high rate control signals that gate high power solid state switches that switch line voltage to the respective stator windings of a permanent split capacitor motor. In such manner, the motor is driven in alternately reversing directions and, by way of a speed reducer, drives the agitator of the washing machine according to the selected stroke profile.

Abstract: A potted heater assembly and a method of forming such a potted heater assembly comprises the steps of introducing into a mold having a filament disposed therein a slurry containing a liquid vehicle and particles of a refractory ceramic, said particles having a cylindrical shape and a diameter of generally less than a micron. The method further includes the step of removing the liquid vehicle from the slurry to leave behind a consolidated ceramic embedding the filament, and heating the ceramic having the embedded filament to further consolidate the ceramic to provide said ceramic having a density of at least 85% of theoretical density for the particular ceramic. The potted heating assembly having a ceramic potting embedding a filament heater is provided having higher post-sinter density than prior assemblies and has substantially higher strength.

Abstract: An RF circuit includes an RF power divider circuit having an input port and a plurality of output ports the RF power divider circuit providing in response to a signal fed to the input port an output signal at each output port each output signal having known amplitude and known phase. The RF circuit further includes means for selectively coupling at least a portion of a signal fed to an input port of the RF circuit to the input port of the RF power divider circuit and a like plurality of directional coupler circuits each of the coupler circuits having an input port and a coupled port with each input port coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of output ports of the power divider circuit and each coupled port corresponding to an output port of the RF circuit.

Abstract: A SAW oscillator package having low vibration sensitivity includes a stiffener layer disposed between a mounting surface for the oscillator and the oscillator circuit package. Preferably, the stiffening layer comprises a slab of a highly stiff material such as a ceramic and, in particular, aluminum oxide, as well as other material which preferably have suitable thermal expansion coefficients matched between the material of the package and the mounting surface. Moreover, the rigidly of the SAW device itself is also increased by either reducing the lateral dimensions of the SAW device or increasing the thickness of the SAW substrate and/or cover.

Abstract: A radio frequency amplifier including a plurality of field effect transistors having input electrodes successively coupled by an input propagation network and output electrode successively coupled by an output propagation network is described. The radio frequency circuit includes a feedback circuit, preferably a plurality of feedback circuits, each one being disposed about a corresponding one of the plurality of transistors to provide a negative feedback path about each one of said transistors.

Abstract: A gas convection oven having a radiant burner and fuel feeding apparatus which enables the single burner to be operated in either a broil mode or a bake mode. In the broil mode, the radiant burner is operated in conventional manner with the flame being held by an inner screen to heat the outer screen to a radiant luminous temperature. In the bake mode, forced air is injected into the burner by a fan thereby providing a leaner fuel-air mixture with higher velocity. As a result, the flame burns outside the outer screen of the burner with the outer screen serving as a flame holder. Therefore, hot combustion gases as produced while the outer screen remains non-luminous.

Abstract: A microwave oven having griddle and convection cooking capabilities. A microwave oven cooking cavity has an aluminum bottom with a Calrod heating element coupled thereto. Convection heating is provided by routing air, introduced into the oven to cool electronics including the magnetron, between the cooking cavity and the outer housing of the oven. In this way, such air flow cools the outer housing of the oven. The air flows under the griddle and through a plenum adjacent to the heating element in order to further heat the air. The heated air is then directed into the cooking cavity to provide convection cooking. From the cavity, the air is exhausted from the oven through apertures disposed in the door adjacent to a choke seal.

Abstract: A sonic grade control device for maintaining a leveling instrument of a paver at a constant distance from a datum. The device transmits and receives a sonic signal to provide first and second time periods corresponding to the round trip travel time of a sonic signal to the datum and a target, respectively. A distance indicating signal, corresponding to the distance between the control device and the datum, is provided in response to the first and second time periods and a stored target distance, such target distance corresponding to the distance between the control device and the target. The grade control device includes an operator actuable control for modifying the stored target distance to calibrate the control device. A reference signal is compared to the distance indicating signal to provide a control signal. The reference signal is adjustable by a predetermined increment and the control device includes an operator actuable control for modifying the predetermined increment.

Abstract: A seeker is disclosed including a Cassegrainian telescope, responsive to an optical signal having a signal path, for directing the optical signal toward an optical detector. The seeker also includes a first rotatable optical wedge, disposed in the signal path of the optical signal, for directing the optical signal from a first direction toward the Cassegrainian telescope. The seeker further includes a second rotatable optical wedge, disposed in the signal path of the optical signal, for directing said optical signal from a second direction to the first direction. With such an arrangement, a seeker is provided which is capable of surviving a high "G" application and providing a wide field of view. The seeker provides two angular degrees of freedom in polar coordinates for the optical signal just as a two axis gimbal provides two angular degrees of freedom in Cartesian coordinates.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for popping high yield popcorn using a bag having a substantially rectangular cross section as manufactured using a conventional bag machine. A base supports the bag on edge with at least one joining panel being inclined such as, for example, at 45.degree.. Whether the bag is initially unfolded or unfolds as a result of internal pressure caused by some kernels popping, a horizontal elongated V-shaped trough is formed as the lower-most region of the bag due to the supporting orientation of the base. Kernels form in a clump in the nadir of the trough thereby enhancing the yield of the popping, and kernels disturbed from the clump by popping kernels are directed back to the clump by the inclined walls of the bag.

Abstract: A transition circuit includes a conductive pin; a first dielectric member disposed about a first portion of the conductive pin; and a second dielectric member disposed about a second, different portion of the conductive pin and having a first surface disposed adjacent to a first surface of the first dielectric member. A conductive wall is disposed about and contiguous to a second surface of the first dielectric member and a second surface of the second dielectric member. A strip conductor is disposed on a third surface of said second dielectric member and coupled between said conductive pin and said conductive wall.

Abstract: A clothes dryer door assembly adapted for mounting in alternate positions so that the door assembly can be made to open from either side. The door assembly includes an outer panel to which a handle, latching mechanism, and hinges are mounted, and inner liner having a bowed out lower portion forming an internal chamber through which air is exhausted to a lint filter. In reversing the mounting side, the inner liner is first disconnected from the door panel and then reconnected after the door panel has been inverted. Thus, the hinges, handle, and latching mechanism of the door panel are relocated for mounting to the opposite side of the access opening of the dryer cabinet, but the lower portion of the liner remains on the bottom.

Abstract: A crossed-field amplifier tube is constructed in which there is substantially no direct RF coupling between the output of the slow-wave structure on the anode and the input of the slow-wave structure of the cathode to thereby obtain a cathode-driven tube which is capable of RF pulsed operation into a linear accelerator cavity which presents a mismatched load, a short circuit impedance, at initiation and termination of the RF pulse without breaking into oscillation. During the RF pulse, the tube operates into a substantially matched load and provides high peak and average power.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave device includes a substrate having a surface which supports surface acoustic wave propagation and having a pair of interdigitated transducers disposed thereon. Each of the pair of interdigitated transducers has a set conductive members. To improve the ratio of devices having acceptable long-term frequency stability characteristics to those without such acceptable characteristics, the conductive members of the pair of interdigitated transducers have a larger than conventional thickness.

Abstract: A sheet of polymer material is secured between a pair of clamp members. The sheet is directed through a localized heated region to provide a localized heated portion of said sheet. A first one of said clamp members is pulled away from a second fixed clamp member to stretch said sheet providing a pair of neckdown region portions and a reduced thickness portion or stretched portion of the sheet. One of the neckdown regions propagates along unstretched portions of the sheet as the clamp member moves away from the fixed clamp member. The propagating neckdown region is kept within the localized heated region by moving the localized heated region and an electric field is applied to the propagating neckdown region portion to polarize the sheet.