Abstract: An open-ended diffusion chamber and an adjacent combustion chamber located in the nose of a projectile to receive ram air that ignites a solid fuel material within the combustion chamber. A pair of oppositely disposed lateral steering ports are provided aft of the combustion chamber and are interconnected therewith via a diverting valve that is controllable to selectively divert the escaping combustion gases from the combustion chamber to one or both of the steering ports to thereby change or maintain the trajectory course of the projectile after firing.

Abstract: A method for controlling the idling speed of an internal combustion engine includes generating a constant time delay to determine the delay from the occurrence of top dead center until the next spark plug firing. A speed error signal is applied to the parallel combination of a phase compensator and an integrator to generate a signal for controlling airflow through the throttle of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A structure (47) is rotatable 360.degree. about a vertical azimuth axis and 90.degree. or more about an orthogonal elevation axis. The structure (47) is mounted upon a rotating turret (6) in the general shape of an inverted pyramid, with a vertical generally cylindrical torque tube (11) protruding from the bottom of the turret (6). A drive wheel (12) is attached to the bottom of the tube (11) and provides a mechanical advantage for azimuthal rotation because it is larger than the wheel (25, 26, 30) connecting the top of the tube (11) with the bottom of the turret (6). The turret (6) rotatably turns about tripod base (46) by means of wheels (29) mounted beneath the rim (30) of said upper wheel (25, 26, 30). Elevational motion is provided by means of a lead screw (16) connecting rotating turret (6) with structure (47), which can be a modular mass-producible solar radiation reflector consisting of many identical reflective panels (1), each having the shape of a portion of the surface of a sphere.

Abstract: An improved detector array for scan receiver applications whereby each contiguous element of the array is connected to a summing port with its adjacent element.

Abstract: A microwave coupler for coupling microwave energy from a first waveguide to a second waveguide disposed side by side along a propagation length includes a common coupling means, and specifically, orifices along the propagation length wherein the coupling orifices are sized to promote coupling of a favored field mode of electromagnetic energy according to a Bessel function distribution of energy along the length of the waveguide. The Bessel function distribution provides for wideband, low-loss coupling of the favored field mode and maximal isolation from non-favored field modes. The invention is particularly useful for extracting a type TE.sub.21 circular mode signal from a signal containing TE.sub.11 and TE.sub.21 circular modes wherein the TE.sub.21 mode signals are used for generating elevational and azimuthal tracking signals.

Abstract: A double dielectric resonator (1) having lower and upper preferably cylindrical dielectric elements (3, 5, respectively) is used to stabilize an oscillator operating at microwave frequencies. The dielectric elements (3, 5) are separated by a distance (d) which is greater than zero but less than an amount that will eliminate magnetic coupling between the dielectric elements (3, 5), and preferably less than an amount that will push the oscillator into a nonlinear region of the frequency versus separation (d) curve. The major axes (43, 45, respectively) of the dielectric elements (3, 5) are aligned, or else parallel but offset slightly. The invention may be used with reflection type, parallel feedback, and series feedback oscillators.

Abstract: A bipolar metal-gas battery cell stack (1) eliminates the heavy bipolar plates (11) of the prior art by means of locating the series electrical connections (25, 27) between oppositely polarized electrodes (5, 7) of adjacent cells (3) external to the cells (3) in a dielectric frame (21, 23). As a result, the reliability of said electrical connections (25, 27) is improved, weight is saved, and reactant gas screens (15) and electrolyte reservoirs (13) can beneficially be made of compressible lightweight materials. Electrolyte is beneficially confined within each cell (3), and secondary (overcharge) gasses are beneficially confined within each cell (3) in a region (17) proximate the positive electrode (7). A hydrophobic barrier (29) and the frame segments (21, 23) prevent intercell migration of electrolyte and secondary gasses.

Abstract: A guidance system for small spinning projectiles which is mechanically simple, has low power requirements, uses relatively unsophisticated electronics, and is capable of withstanding large gas pressures and accelerations. The system uses a one-piece fin assembly which is de-spun so that its guidance fins maintain a constant attitude with respect to the ground. The guidance fins and their hub can be nutated simultaneously and independently in two orthogonal planes by pivoting and translating a single control rod. The hub cooperates with the projectile body to reduce its base drag and thereby extend its range.

Abstract: A vacuum dewar for infrared detectors is disclosed, in which unitary Kovar leads are used to reduce heat load and improve reliability and ruggedness. The Kovar leads are encapsulated in the glass walls of the hollow stem which carries the sensor array and supplies cryogenic fluid for cooling the array. The Kovar leads extend throughout the entire length of the stem to form both the electrical feed-through and the contact points at each end of the stem for the attachment of wire leads or cables, and to form a reinforcing structure for the stem. A fabrication method is also disclosed, in which a unitary Kovar leadframe is held under tension while two concentric glass tubes, between which the leadframe is vacuum-sandwiched, are fused together to form a stem encapsulating continuous Kovar leads throughout its length, while preventing excessive oxidation of the Kovar leads.

Abstract: A tunable powertrain mount for use in an automobile has a shear disc suspension coupled between a frame rail and a cross member supporting the powertrain. The shear disc suspension has two elastomer discs interleaved between three support plates. The shear disc suspension is tunable as a function, at each deformation stage, of load, displacement, stiffness and frequency, and as a function of area, support mass, shear modules of the elastomer and maximum shear strain.

Abstract: An imaging radar seeker (8) for producing two-dimensional images of a target (2) is mounted on a missile (6) or other moving body, such as an automobile. A computer (40) directs the seeker (8) to operate sequentially in searching, tracking, and imaging modes. In the searching mode, a combination of circumferential rotation of antenna (12) of seeker (8) and frequency scanning of electromagnetic energy fed to antenna (12) enables seeker (8) to search for its target (2) over a conical field-of-view (16) or a wider, peripheral belt field-of-view (16). In the imaging mode, circumferential rotation of antenna (12) is stopped, and the tilt angle (A) of the linear array (32) of antenna (12) is stepped or continuously moved to compensate for radial movement of the radiated beam (14) caused by frequency stepping imparted by a frequency synthesizer (20). This keeps the beam (14) fixed in space and centered on target (2).

Abstract: A mass airflow sensor with backflow detection includes a first, second, and third elongated, relatively thin silicon members generally parallel to each other and spaced from each other in an orienting plane. The second silicon member, between the first and third silicon members, has a metal coating for carrying a heating current. The first and third silicon members each have a thermocouple formed thereon so as to detect temperature differences on either side of the second silicon member and thus the direction of airflow across the metal second silicon member.

Abstract: A compact, low-profile broad-banded log-periodic antenna comprises a planar conductor (3) partially sandwiched by but electrically insulated from two substantially parallel spaced-apart ground planes (4, 8). The sandwich extends as far as an imaginary plane (15) that is orthogonal to conductor (3) and to the ground planes (4, 8). Conductor (3) comprises an alternating series of radiating loops (L(n)) and non-radiating transmission-line loops (L(j)). The non-radiating loops (L(j)'s) lie on the ground plane (4, 8) side of plane (15). The radiating loops (L(n)'s) lie on the other side of plane (15). Optional additional ground planes (6, 10) may be employed, in which case they lie in plane (15) and meet one of the primary ground planes (4 or 8, respectively) along a common edge. The length (d) of the loops (radiating or non-radiating), the spacing (D) between loops, and the height (h) and width (w) of the radiating loops (L(n)) are all scaled by a factor (S) which is less than 1 but greater than 0.

Abstract: Improved pushbutton end caps of a mechanical tuner pushbutton assembly for use on a radio receiver whereby a portion of each end cap is pivotable to two orthogonal orientations by manual depression on two defined areas displaced above and below the pivot axis to provide a flush face appearance to said radio when in their first orientation and to allow for station resetting when in their second orientations.

Abstract: Transmission gear and clutch shifting apparatus for the automatic operation of manual shift mechanisms in an automotive vehicle include gear and clutch actuation mechanisms mounted onboard the vehicle and coupled by cables to control actuation mechanisms mounted offboard the vehicle. The onboard gear shift actuator includes two intersecting movable slot means for causing movement of the shift lever.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire profile height sensor system which includes a compressible sensor combined with an electrical signal generator mounted within a vehicle wheel and electrically connected through an inflation valve stem to a signal transmitter mounted on said valve stem external to the wheel.

Abstract: An injector mounted sensor, providing an electrical signal indicative of the opening and closing of a hydraulically actuated injector valve, is monitored to determine the time period for which the injector valve is opened and to determine the frequency rate at which said injector valve is opened. The time period and frequency rate are compared with a predetermined table of values to derive a fuel consumption value for each time period that the injector valve is open.

Abstract: A method of detecting electrical faults that may occur in a vehicular air suspension system utilizing height sensors and air springs mounted between sprung and unsprung components of the vehicle. The method involves defining specific signals that are available from a properly functioning and an improperly functioning height sensor during both its energized and de-energized conditions and comparing the output signals with the defined signals to determine fault occurrences and communicating that event to the vehicle operator when the number of detected fault occurrences exceed a predetermined number.

Abstract: A data communication system for providing data transmission between a plurality of individually addressable local computer networks, by utilizing single node switching across a common passive bus medium. The passive bus medium is characterized as having a plurality of separate conductors of limited length that are each commonly connected to individual bus interface circuits for each local computer network. Each bus interface circuit has a number of dedicated address data ports, message data ports and control ports that are connected to separate dedicated conductors of the passive bus medium for transmitting data to and receiving data from other local computer networks. Each message transmission of data on the passive bus medium is divided into a number of mini-packets each of which contain a number of parallely transmitted bits corresponding to the number of dedicated address and message conductors in the passive bus medium.