Abstract: A rotary piston internal-combustion engine adapted to operate on a hydrogen fuel gas mixture injected into the intake chamber of the engine through a plurality of spaced intake ports in the engine housing designed to distribute the flow of the fuel gas mixture evenly along the width of the intake chamber. The exhaust gas outlet of the engine includes a plurality of spaced small exhaust ports so as to decrease the dwell of the apex seal of the rotary piston as it passes over the exhaust gas outlet. The fuel supply system to the engine includes a plurality of mixing chambers to ensure thorough and uniform mixing of the fuel gas mixture, an intake header for distributing the fuel gas mixture to the intake ports, and means for preventing back-fire of the fuel gas mixture in the system. Lubricant may be supplied to the interior of the engine through the fuel intake ports in the form of a lubricating vapor in admixture with the fuel gas mixture.

Abstract: A braking apparatus for a tape transport device including first and second, stacked coaxial reels includes first and second feelers respectively mounted in proximity to the first and second reels for respectively sensing the tape being fully wound on the first and second reels. A brake means is mounted in proximity to adjacent, central hubs of the first and second reels. The brake means simultaneously, frictionally engages both hubs to brake both reels by virtue of a mechanical actuator being mechanically coupled to both feelers and the brake means. The brake means comprises a pair of rubber shoulders that extend in opposite directions relative to a common axis. The brake means turns about the axis in response to either of the feelers, which are eccentrically mounted relative to the axis, being turned about the axis.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for determining bacterial levels, especially in samples of aqueous physiological fluids, which method depends on the quantitative determination of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the presence of non-bacterial ATP. The bacterial ATP is released by cell rupture and is measured by an enzymatic bioluminescent assay. A concentration technique is included to make the method more sensitive. It is particularly useful where the fluid to be measured contains an unknown or low bacteria count.

Abstract: In a switchable beamwidth monopulse method and system, an antenna comprising a curved reflector and a first set of monopulse feeds positioned in the effective region of the Airy disc of the antenna includes a second set of monopulse feeds. The second set of monopulse feeds is positioned outside the Airy disc in the region of first bright Airy ring. In narrow beamwidth monopulse operation, monopulse sum and difference channel patterns are obtained from the first set of feeds within the Airy disc. In wide beamwidth monopulse operation, the difference channel pattern is obtained from the second set of feeds in the Airy ring; the sum channel pattern is obtained by attenuation and phase shifting the sum channel signal obtained from the first set of feeds, and adding the resultant to the sum channel signal obtained from the second set of feeds.

Abstract: Low-cost polycrystalline silicon cells supported on substrates are prepared by depositing successive layers of polycrystalline silicon containing appropriate dopants over supporting substrates of a member selected from the group consisting of metallurgical-grade polycrystalline silicon, graphite and steel coated with a diffusion barrier of silica, borosilicate, phosphosilicate, or mixtures thereof such that p-n junction devices are formed which effectively convert solar energy to electrical energy.

Abstract: An ultraviolet light reflective coating is disclosed which exhibits high reflectance to ultraviolet light having wavelengths down to about 2,000 Angstrom units. The coating composition comprises a dispersion of barium sulphate in an aqueous solution of a water-soluble inorganic binder selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulphates, ammonium sulphate and mixtures thereof. The coating is preferably employed in conjunction with an alkaline primer.

Abstract: Simultaneous phase lock and synchronization acquisition of an L format biphase input signal having a pseudorandom sequence are obtained with a delay lock loop including a feedback shift register for deriving a first non-return to zero (NRZ) output signal having the same pseudorandom sequence as the input signal. An output of the shift register is compared with the input signal to derive a phase indicating binary error signal that is fed to a digital filter for deriving a binary output signal to control the transition times of a clock signal derived from a voltage controlled clock source. The digital filter is activated and the shift register is advanced in response to the clock signal. The input signal is converted into a second NRZ signal that has the same information content as the input signal. The first and second NRZ signals are compared to derive a further signal indicative of an estimate of the correlation function between the input signal and the output signal of the shift register.

Abstract: A network is disclosed for automatically checking the skew and character spacing of digital tape drive systems to indicate out-of-tolerance conditions of those parameters. The network enables a tape drive to check its own recording accuracy as well as that of tapes recorded on other drives. In operation, the first detected pulse of each character triggers a monostable multi-vibrator which locks out further data pulses and initiates a window pulse equal in length to the maximum permissible skew. At the end of the window pulse data pulses may again be received. If a pulse is received after termination of the window pulse, the skew is determined to exceed specifications and a skew error indication is given by the illumination of a display light, for example. A similar circuit arrangement is provided for detecting character spacing which is less than the minimum required for unambiguous data reproduction.

Abstract: A space-to-space or space-to-earth optical transmission link is simulated by positioning a linear optical modulator between an optical carrier source and a receiver for the carrier. The optical modulator is driven by an analog signal having random variations indicative of characteristics of the transmission link, as derived from an analog computer circuit. The analog computer circuit is responsive to a Gaussian random analog source. For certain types of links, the analog computer circuit is responsive to a pair of Gaussian analog signals which are derived by feeding a relatively wide band Gaussian analog source in parallel to a first low pass filter and to a heterodyne circuit that derives a beat frequency output that is passed through a second low pass filter having the same characteristics as the first low pass filter. For space-to-space transmission, transmitter pointing jitter is a dominant noise source and is simulated by deriving a beta statistical variation from the analog computer.

Abstract: Mass spectrometry apparatus for analyzing the composition of moving microscopic particles includes a capacitor having a front electrode upon which the particles impinge, a back electrode, and a solid dielectric sandwiched between the front and back electrodes. In one embodiment, the electrodes and dielectric are arcuately shaped as concentric peripheral segments of different spheres having a common center and different radii. The front electrode and dielectric together have a thickness such that an impinging particle can penetrate them. The front electrode is negatively biased relative to the back electrode so that an impinging particle causes the front and back electrodes to become electrically connected to form a discharge spark between the electrodes. The discharge spark causes ejection from the front electrode of positive ions of elements in the impinging particle. An electric field is formed in front of the front electrode by a grid that is pervious to the particles and ions.