Abstract: A single tunable filter WDM Bragg cell is employed to both wavelength demultiplex and detect incoming light beams by the application of a DC tuning signal for wavelength selection, together with an AC component for facilitating detection of data impressed upon selected incoming demultiplexed beams, all in the optical domain, in contrast with the electrical domain, to enhance processing speed. The AC component can perform hetrodyne detection for TV and telephone analog communication systems, or can detect digital signals for DSL internet communication systems, and cost savings result from the use of a single compact cell tuned by the composite signal permitting demultiplexing and detecting in one cell component. The resulting versatility enables use of the single cell in WDM and TDM, WDM and spread spectrum, and WDM packet switching and TCP/IP header digital address recognition systems.

Abstract: A golf swing elbow angle control device for various types of golf shots, e.g. ninety degrees for long wood drives, and lesser angles for iron drives and chip shots. The device is readily adjustable, providing easy and rapid changes in its elbow angle control function, and customized fiducial settings of the device for various types of shots are readily established for the players having different forearm and elbow sizes and shapes. The device also functions as a convenient anchor for an elastic belt extending around the opposite upper arm of the player, keeping the arms together to provide a simple and easy way to prevent the player's elbows from extending away from the body, which is detrimental to good golf swing form.

Abstract: A remotely operable device that enables one person to quickly attach and release a boat to and from a mooring. The device is retractable to allow for a safe and non-obstructive state while the boat is under way. A mooring buoy with a tall vertical rigid rod is targeted by a catcher at the end of a telescopic arm that is aimed by remote control at the rod on the buoy, and automatically locks with the rod upon contact with a bi-directional latch in the catcher. Guide rails extend from either side of the catcher to form a “V” to quickly enable the catcher to lock on to the rod. A mooring line can then be extended. To get the boat under way, the mooring line is reeled in, pulling the boat close. Then the remote controlled latch releases the rod. These operations can be performed by cables controllable from the cockpit of a boat or by radio or infra-red control links for controlling electronically actuated motors, latches or springs.

Abstract: Electrical control circuitry is provided for normally maintaining an electrically controlled water supply valve in an open condition and an electrically controlled water drain valve in a closed condition when a home is occupied and for arming the system by shutting off the water supply valve and for maintaining the water drain valve in an open condition. This action prevents pipe bursting and flooding, particularly during the winter, when a single manually operated conspicuously located switch is opened to arm the system upon departure from the home for an extended period. Should the home owner forget to arm the system, an electrical power interruption, which often can disable heating systems, causing pipe bursting and flooding, will automatically arm the system upon a power failure and the supply valve remains shut and the drain valve remains open until the homeowner returns and resets the system with a pushbutton switch.

Abstract: An economical reversible pony tail hair holder is disclosed, having a sleeve made of first and second bunched fabrics and having elastic bands sewed within opposite end portions of the sleeve to render it elasticized so that it tends to grip the pony tail. At any one time the outer fabric displays a first decorative design and upon the reversible sleeve being turned inside out, the inner fabric becomes the outer fabric to display a second different design.

Abstract: An underwater camera having high speed film is coupled to illumination apparatus that includes a pair of ultraviolet-white-light fluorescent light bulbs for illuminating fluorescent life forms at night, and having a substantial component of ultraviolet light of a wavelength of about 365 nanometers, along with light having significant components of wavelength extending substantially throughout the visible spectrum. A transparent optical grade tubular protective enclosure surrounds the light bulbs and their electrical components.

Abstract: Each skate is strapped down upon a skate carrier, in turn mounted upon any pre-existing or conventional article carrying bicycle rack. Stop elements, along with the skate carrier strap, prevent escape of the skate from the carrier, particularly while a mountain bike is being driven over rough terrain. Vertical positioning of the stop elements, which can be threaded bolts, is adjustable to secure various skate wheel sizes of child and adult skates. Positioning of the threaded bolts is rapidly changed by loosening and tightening a wing nut on the bolt thread while a square bolt head portion within a square orifice prevents rotary slippage of the bolt, and thus no tools such as a wrench or screwdriver are needed. A cylindrical sleeve can surround the bolt, enabling the use of lighter skate carrier metal stock. A non-slip rubber mat can be placed between the skate carrier and the bike rack to prevent detrimental shifting of the skate carrier.

Abstract: A method of making a micro-mirror light beam switch having a thin flexible movable support member for supporting a thin central reflective mirror surface thereon and for supporting a plurality of thin unimorph piezoelectric cantilevered mirror actuators mechanically coupled between a fixed substrate and movable hinging portions of the thin movable support member. The method employs thin film deposition techniques and photolithography for readily forming the extremely thin switch, whereby the components thereof are substantially co-planar for precisely controlled, multi-axial micro-mirror motion and low voltage operation necessary for the rapid switching of optical traffic from fiber to fiber in the next-generation optical networks.

Abstract: An article of clothing for preventing snow from getting between a young child's mitten and overcoat sleeve and thus contacting the wrists and forearms of a young child playing in the snow, resulting in early termination of play, consisting of a pair of mittens, each having an elongated elastic snow shielding sleeve attached to each mitten and having a length at least as long as a major portion of a forearm of the young child.

Abstract: An elongated pouch having various storage pockets thereon is provided, for storage of personal articles therein, and is mounted upon a forearm of a user of the pouch such as the driver of an automobile. A personnel communicator device is positioned within the pouch, the personnel communicator device having a data transmission portion, typically a keyboard and a character display screen, facing the driver of the vehicle for facilitating data exchange between the driver and the personnel communicator device while operating the vehicle. The screen generated characters are displayed along a line parallel to the length of the forearm of the driver of the vehicle to facilitate easy reading of the characters by the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: An oscillatory scissor type rotary engine having two rotors wherein first and second rotor drive mechanisms are located on first and second opposite sides of the engine respectively, each rotor drive mechanisms including a carrier bowl that is rigidly fixed to an output shaft passing through the two hollow rotor drive shafts and mounted in bearings thus obviating the need for a separate drive mechanism support structure. By evenly spreading the load between all meshed gears through the provision of shock-absorbent members in the connecting rod heads, and of an increased number of symmetrically positioned planetary crank-and-pinion units on each side of the engine, and by evening out the impact loading through the use of drive components as flywheels, the resultant design is made simple, reliable, durable and dynamically balanced.

Abstract: In a small oscillatory type rotary piston engine, first and second rotors are provided, having first and second independently rotatable drive shafts. An engine output shaft is affixed to a rotatable carrier bowl member which carries a pair of rockers coupled to a pair of counterweighted rotor drive shaft arms each affixed to respective rotatable rotor drive shafts via first and second connecting rods. Each rocker has a centrally positioned, bearing mounted guide pin, positioned within an elliptical cam groove formed in a stationary baseplate made of hard alloy, for changing the relative angular positioning between the rotors during oscillatory, scissor action operation of the rotary piston engine. Shock-absorbent connecting rod elements are also provided within the connecting rods.

Abstract: A public building alarm system for displaying information relating to potential alarm conditions within or about a public building area, employs an alarm condition display screen for informing a fireman, for example, of the nature and location of a possible fire. For the vast majority of the time, in the absence of an alarm condition, display control circuitry causes the alarm display screen to display information of general interest to the public, in high traffic areas of the building frequented by persons visiting the building. This is in contrast with alarm conditions of no interest to the general public. Such information can include advertising, enabling the building owner to collect advertising revenues to help offset the cost of the alarm system. Upon the occurrence of an alarm condition, the alarm condition display is immediately substituted for the information of general interest display.

Abstract: A spectrum analyzer for producing a first two-dimensional array of time varying spectral analysis image input signals, a reference image generator for producing a second two-dimensional array of spectral analysis image reference signals, and a time-integrative correlator, which can be non-coherent or coherent, or correlating the two groups of image representitive signals to determine the degree of matching between an input image and a library reference image. The spectrum analyzer can include an interferometer, a tunable optical filter, or a time-wavelength-multiplexing holographic lens for viewing the input image. A monolithic non-holographic version provides a rugged, compact and portable image analyzer for examining many types of images.

Abstract: Lightweight, long-life combustion liner comprises a two-dimensional array of thin walled metal liner cells welded to a liner support structure and having thermal expansion gaps between side wall cell portions. Cooling air orfices are formed in the cells for producing a cooling air film at upper portions thereof. The resulting liner has no moving parts such as slip joints, which can fail under vibrational stresses, and thus maintenance costs are reduced.

Abstract: An airfoil includes a plurality of interior cooling air paths arranged so as to provide crossover metering and pressure side bleed of cooling air at the trailing edge region of the airfoil.

Abstract: A scrambled facial image of an ID card bearer is recorded upon a card and is descrambled only by using the proper descrambling control code assigned to the proper bearer upon verification of the authenticity of the bearer. The pixel scrambling method prevents card duplication, as a reproduced card will unscramble only the image of the proper bearer, and the method inherently prevents producing a card which can be unscrambled by a verifier. Updated scrambling codes are used for newly issued cards from enhanced security. Issue clerk initials are automatically recorded upon the card to deter unlawful card issuance. Also, unscrambled image portions are video recorded for investigation of unlawful use.

Abstract: A specially designed ribbon for a ribbon loudspeaker is disclosed which prevents ribbon snaking associated with prior art corregated ribbon. The elimination of snaking enables the use of extremely small gaps between the side edges of the ribbon and the magnetic pole pieces which in turn greatly reduce transient distortion of high fidelity sound. Relatively large amplitude corregations are formed within suspended terminal ribbon portions and substantially smaller amplitude corregations are formed within the suspended centralized ribbon portion.