Abstract: A microstrip to dielectric waveguide transition is provided comprising a gth of rectangular dielectric waveguide which has one end tapered in such a manner that the height of the waveguide top surface above the waveguide bottom surface decreases linearly from full height to zero height at the tapered end of the length of waveguide. The bottom surface of the waveguide length is mounted on the top surface of a planar microstrip dielectric substrate having an electrically conductive metallic ground plane on the bottom substrate surface and a length of microstrip conductor on the top substrate surface aligned with the waveguide length and abutting the tapered end of the waveguide length. A second length of microstrip conductor is mounted on the tapered portion and part of the untapered portion of the top surface of the waveguide length and is electrically connected to the first microstrip conductor at the tapered end of the waveguide length.

Abstract: A high stability quartz crystal oscillator is made from a quartz crystal te by first cutting the quartz crystal plate at the angles that result in a resonator having a turnover temperature below the lowest operating temperature of the equipment in which the oscillator is to be used. A resonator is made from the quartz plate; the resonator when connected into a high stability oscillator circuit, and the oscillator-circuit/resonator combination placed into a temperature controlled environment where the temperature is maintained at a temperature between the lowest operating temperature of the equipment in which the oscillator is to be used to about -250.degree. C.

Abstract: A plurality of dual feed half square wave antenna element (each of U-shaped onfiguration) are arranged in a log-periodic structure. The antenna elements are feed at the current loops; i.e., at the corners of the U-shaped antenna elements. A dual inphase feed produces vertical polarization signals of low angle radiation, and a dual antiphase feed produces horizontal polarization signals of high angle radiation.

Abstract: The cycle life of rechargeable lithium batteries is significantly prolonged y applying to the battery as a charging mode a current interrupted at intervals of 1 milliseconds to 9 seconds in a frequency range of about 0.1 to about 10 Hertz.

Abstract: An audiographic telephone conferencing system between a plurality of parties or users either directly connected or through a piece of apparatus known as a "meet me bridge" over voice grade telephone lines. Each user has a programmed personal computer which controls a programmable or "smart" modem, cassette recorder/player, and speakerphone. A protocol is implemented by the software, i.e. the computer program, in each of the computers which puts its respective modem in a listening mode to monitor the phone line at all times. The computer is further programmed and includes a memory for storing and transmitting graphics presently on hand to other user(s) via the modem during a teleconference or alternatively receive graphics from another user, or it can switch to an external graphics program to make new or modify existing graphic images.

Abstract: A long life high current density cathode is made from a mixture of tungsten nd iridium powders using a barium iridiate as the impregnant by processing the mixture of powders with an activator into a porous billet, and then impregnating the billet with a barium iridiate by firing the billet in a dry hydrogen furnace at a temperature at which the impregnant melts.

Abstract: The face of a cathode surface is machined to provide a spiral surface fin with microscopic sharp symmetrical protrusions. The cathode gives enhanced emission due to field emission generated at the sharp symmetrical protrusions and due to the increased surface area.

Abstract: A broadband H.F. directional sky-wave antenna system comprises a plurality f interconnected, vertical, zig-zag, antenna sections of predetermined increasing height. A counterpoise is utilized to balance the antenna. Power is coupled to the shortest zig-zag section via an impedance matching transformer. A resistance is used to terminate the antenna in its characteristic impedance.

Abstract: A device is disclosed which uses permanent magnets to manipulate charged ticle beams, such as those employed in traveling wave tubes, wigglers, and undulators. Tapered pole pieces are inserted between magnets in a periodic permanent magnet array, and the taper is oriented away from the beam path. The magnets themselves may also be tapered, but the taper is oriented toward the beam path. Tapering is described according to the cross sections formed when the plane which contains the beam path intersects the magnets and pole pieces.

Abstract: A housing for optical fibers to be spliced including a pair of movable sleds for supporting the opposing fibers and directing the fibers into opposite ends of a central alignment guide. Retainer sleeves crimped about the cable ends and locator sleeves crimped around individual coated fibers are positioned in slots in each sled to provide precise locations for the fibers. Grooves in the sleds align the fibers for insertion into the guide upon positioning the sleds in recesses at each end of the housing. Movement of the sleds feeds the stripped and cleaved fiber ends through internally tapered rings and into the ends of the alignment guide. Two or more fibers from respective cable ends may be supported on each sled to provide two or more splices in the same housing. The housing device is readily assembled with the fibers aligned and held securely in place so that negligible optical losses result.

Abstract: A method and digital system for the compression and reconstruction of culal data for use with display systems, such as a system for producing a real time moving map display of terrain, provides a modified footprint/common boundary technique for data compression in which the footprint extends forward of the last point generated along a line in the direction of the line to that point. The particular scheme for compressed data reconstruction employs the storage of footprint data in such a manner that change in line direction information is automatically provided along with the necessary delta data information so that the direction of the line can be constantly updated as each point is generated. The compression of area cultural features involves a double compression of data based on a common boundary approach and the inner compression techniques of the modified footprint technique.

Abstract: The physical and electrical condition of electrochemical cells of a battery s monitored on a continuous basis so that corrective action can be taken before explosion and/or venting occurs by a method including the steps of:(A) coating the electrically conductive shell of each cell of the battery with a thin non electrically conductive layer,(B) applying a sensor stripe over the non electrically conductive layer so that the sensor stripe does not make electrical contact to the shell of the cell,(C) connecting leads to the sensor and then coating the sensor with a protective layer, and(D) connecting the sensor leads of individual cells of the battery into an electrical series circuit, the remaining leads of the series sensor circuit being connected to an alarm/control network that monitors the conductivity of the series electrical path.

Abstract: A low aging piezoelectric resonator is made from a plate of piezoelectric terial using standard resonator fabrication techniques with identical electrodes applied to both major faces of the plate; the electroded plate mounted in a suitable enclosure and the unit vacuum baked and sealed under high vacuum to remove as much contamination as possible, and a DC voltage impressed between the resonator electrodes and the enclosure to create a static electric filed within the enclosure.

Abstract: A wide range radiation dose rate meter for civil defense use, including a iger-Mueller tube used in a continuous counting mode and for measuring dose rates from the natural background to about 30. rads/hr., with an ion chamber arranged to measure higher dose rates up to 10,000 rads/hr. The instrument has a sample and record capability in which the selected radiation detector will have its output connected to a selected storage capacitor for a precise interval of time determined by a timing circuit and the storage capacitor will accumulate and hold a voltage proportional to the dose rate, which can be read by means of an electrometer at a later time. The instrument has a self contained hand cranked power supply and all components are selected for long shelf life.

Abstract: A ring-supported quartz crystal resonator having a circular peripheral surt region encircling an inner resonator region which is configured in the form of a domed arch wherein the top and bottom surfaces thereof are, respectively, convex and concave. In one embodiment the radius of curvature of the convex and concave top and bottom surfaces are substantially equal so that an arch of substantially uniform thickness is provided. In a second embodiment, the convex and concave top and bottom surfaces have different radii of curvature and, more particularly, the radius of curvature of the top surface is less than the radius of curvature of the bottom surfaces whereby a thickness of the inner region gradually increases uniformly toward the center. Such structures exhibit low resistance and improved mode spectrum.

Abstract: A tunable bandpass filter comprising a pair of slot line resonant cavities formed in a metallic film covering the planar surface of a ferrite substrate. A magnetic biasing field of variable magnitude is generated and applied through the ferrite substrate transversely across the slot line resonant cavities. The magnetic field operates to change the electrical length of the resonant cavities due to the fact that the magnetic permeability of the ferrite material changes with the applied field.

Abstract: A low voltage trigger pulse is coupled to a three-stage driver which genees therefrom a high amplitude (e.g., 20 amp.) decaying current spike of predetermined width. The current pulse or spike from the driver is coupled to the gates of a multiplicity (i.e., 12) of parallel-connected field effect transistors (FETs) to turn or switch the same to the "ON" state. A laser diode array is series-connected with the parallel connected FETs so that when the latter is switched ON a very high (100 amp.) current pulse is delivered to the laser diode array to enable the same. At the cessation of the pulser current drive, a passive pull-down technique is used to enhance the turn-off of the parallel-connected FETs so that the laser diode array is quickly disabled. A protective overload circuit sets a limit to the average current through the laser diode array without affecting the pulse burst current.

Abstract: A cathode suitable for use in a lithium electrochemical cell is made from a ixture of active cathode material, carbon, and non fluorinated linear chain polymer by a method including the steps of(A) dissolving the non fluorinated linear chain polymer in a non polar solvent at a temperature near the melting point of the polymer,(B) adding the active cathode material and carbon and evaporating the solvent, and(C) grinding the dried mixture into a fine powder and making it into a cathode by pressing the powdered mixture onto both sides of an expanded metal screen and then cutting to the desired dimensions.The cathode can be combined with lithium as the anode and a solution of 0.8 mol dm.sup.-3 LiAlCl.sub.4 in a mixed organic solvent of 24 mass percent 4-butyrolactone in 1, 2 dimethoxyethane as the electrolyte to provide a mechanically stable, relatively inexpensive lithium electrochemical cell having good cell performance.

Abstract: A cathode is provided for use in high energy primary lithium-thionyl chloe cell systems or calcium-thionyl chloride cell systems. The cathode comprises an expanded metallic current collector screen into which has been pasted a mixture of a low surface area conductive carbon black and a high surface area conductive carbon black previously mixed with a binder.

Abstract: A millimeter-wave circulator for microstrip use. The device employs an hexagonal ferrite element to selectively direct the propagation of electromagnetic energy through a Y-junction circulator. The device does not require an external biasing magnet and provides improved bandwidth for high frequency operation.