Abstract: A high pressure pilot operated valve includes a housing with inlet and outlet passages, an internal bore communicating the passages and slide valve member movable between a first position blocking fluid flow and a second position permitting fluid flow. A spring in a low pressure chamber urges the slide valve member in the closing direction. A stem on the opposite end of the slide valve member is selectively exposed to a control pressure by means of a pilot valve connected to high pressure fluid to cause the slide valve member to move to the second position. The inlet passage communicates with the hollow interior of the slide valve member and with metering orifices in its sidewalls. A passage in the slide valve member having a radial conduit opening against the bore near its stem end connects the outlet passage with a low pressure chamber when the slide valve member is in the first position and is blocked when in the second position.

Abstract: An electrical tilt switch includes a generally cylindrical cap member having a hollow interior with an internal inwardly extending ridge positioned a significant distance above its lower edge, a flat, generally cylindrical base member having a concave dished upper face, an annular insulating member interposed between the base and cap and fastened to each, electrical leads attached to the base and cap members, and a spherical contact member carried on the dished surface and movable against the ridge when the switch is tilted to a specified angle. For severe environmental conditions the preferred material for the cap, base and spherical contact member is a K Monel alloy.

Abstract: A digital drive system for a pulse width modulated power control utilizes an output transformer driving a load device with the transformer primary winding being connected to a pair of power output devices such as field effect transistors. Each of the output devices is switched on and off from a flip-flop whose "on" and "off" time is controlled by means of digital counters and gate devices, the times of "off" and "on" cycles being controlled by a digital counter connected to a clock and receiving amplitude information from a digital register which is programmable to vary the count of the amplitude counter with a desired variation in amplitude. By programming the gate devices to switch from one flip-flop to the other with an identical clock count, the two half cycles of the output signal supplied to the transformer are maintained identical and ensure that the transformer core is not saturated.

Abstract: A ballistic tolerant linear actuator incorporates a piston (16, 46, 76) and piston rod (38, 42 or 48, 50 or 90, 92) within a cylindrical housing (58, 60 or 81, 88) connected at each end (14, 22 or 42, 54 or 74, 82) to a source of fluid. A sleeve (18, 62 or 88) of a metal matrix or composite material which will break or puncture but which will not bend or petal on impact is incorporated as part of the barrel within which the piston is translated. The piston rod which extends through at least one end of the cylindrical housing is formed with an external sleeve of the metal matrix or composite material (38, 50 or 92) spaced from an internal load carrying metal rod (42, 48 or 96).

Abstract: A self-propelled spherical vehicle (10) for operation in a fluid medium utilizes an impeller (12) of approximately half the diameter of the sphere for propulsion. In addition to driving the vehicle, the impeller acts to draw the flow of fluid smoothly over the after part of the sphere, thus avoiding or minimizing the tendency of the fluid flow to separate from the surface and create turbulence. Compensation for impeller torque is effected in one embodiment by a series of non-rotating stator blades (14) carried coaxially of and immediately aft of the impeller and which are curved to counter the torque of the impeller on the vehicle. The stator structure is supported at the rear of the housing by brackets (18) including pivotal supports providing support in the vertical plane.

Abstract: A construction and method of producing an elongated underwater acoustic array includes a plurality of interconnected hydrophones and circuit modules protected by a plastic foam cushioning sheath, covered with a tough, essentially acoustically transparent hose-like jacket and containing a plurality of aramid fiber ropes as strength members to carry the tensile loads on the array. An elongated tube-like fabric retaining member is interposed between the sheath and the exterior hose jacket which is longitudinally stitched to provide a plurality of spaced parallel tubes, each of which is of just sufficient diameter to contain one of said strength members. The strength members are terminated at a connector at each end of the array, and a spacer member is placed near each connector to spread the strength member ropes to the desired diameter. The spacer members and the adjacent ends of the retaining members are each cemented to the strength member ropes.

Abstract: A method of bonding a metal termination member including an electrical connector to an electrical cable designed for underwater operation having a plurality of insulated electrical wires, an internal armor layer of spirally wound wires, and a tough polyurethane protective jacket including the steps of splitting the external jacket longitudinally and peeling it away from the remainder of the cable, connecting the electrical wires to the connector member, attaching the wires of the armor layer to the termination member, cleaning and priming the metal surfaces of the termination member and the armor wires with a suitable thermoplastic adhesive which will adhere to metal and to polyurethane, repositioning the split halves of the polyurethane jacket around the end of the cable and the termination member, placing the termination assembly in a mold and subjecting it to heat and pressure sufficient to cause the polyurethane jacket material to flow sufficiently to bond the split halves of the jacket together and to th

Abstract: An unbalanced current detector for a three phase electrical system of the type including a current transformer (4, 6, 8) for each phase (.phi.A, .phi.B, .phi.C) and a burden resistor (16) which receives a rectified output of the current transformer is disclosed. The harmonic content of a rectified ripple voltage developed across the burden resistor (16) is applied to a filter (20) for extracting desired frequencies and rejecting other frequencies, and the filter output is applied to a level detecting and amplifying circuit (54) the output of which is applied to an indicator (77) to indicate an unbalanced current condition.

Abstract: A control system directs an aircraft along a predetermined curvilinear descent path (10). The aircraft carries a plurality of sensors, for example, an altitude sensor. The system has a longitudinal device (64) responsive to at least one of these sensors for providing a longitudinal signal related to longitudinal displacement of the aircraft. The system also has a height device (26) responsive to the longitudinal signal for producing a height signal functionally related to the altitude required to follow the path. Also, a command subsystem (36) responds to the height signal and a given one of the sensors to produce an error signal bearing a predetermined relation to the extent of deviation from the descent path. In one embodiment dispersion otherwise occurring during a flare maneuver is reduced by definitely directing the aircraft onto a specific path such as a circular arc. Such a control system may employ an aircraft motion monitoring system (FIG.

Abstract: A compliantly mounted damper (16,18) for rotating equipment of the type including a rotor shaft (2) and a quill shaft (6) coupling the rotor shaft (2) to a driver shaft (8) is disclosed. The damper includes a plate (14) rigidly mounted to the quill shaft (6) and a plate (16) compliantly mounted to the rotor shaft (2) so that the rotor shaft plate (16) follows the angular displacement of the quill shaft plate (14) due to shaft misalignment which may occur, while torsional damping is achieved.

Abstract: 1. An electromagnetic decoder comprising a code wheel assembly includinga base member,a shaft supported by the base member,a first wheel element and a second wheel element carried by the shaft,a plurality of code posts carried by the first wheel element and preset for locking the first and second wheel elements together in driving relation,selectively operable means carried by the base member for actuating the code posts sequentially in a predetermined sense for unlocking the first and second wheel elements,and means actuated by one of the wheel elements for performing a control function upon the first wheel element being unlocked from the second wheel element.

Abstract: 1.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor is disclosed which features an arrangement that relies upon the principle of a fixed, non-pendulous magnetic sensing device (2), which is rendered insensitive to the effect of the earth's vertical magnetic field component by means of an adjacent cooperating magnetic member (20) pendulously-supported to maintain its axis along the true vertical. Means (34, 44, 46, 48, 50) are disclosed whereby the magnetic field provided by the pendulously-supported magnetic member is automatically adjusted to cancel the earth's vertical field even when the latter changes for any reason.

Abstract: A weapon firing system including weapon interrogation means is disclosed wherein a weapon control computer (8) provides a signal (at 27) for closing a normally open switch (16) and signals (at 29, 29A, 29B, 29N) for connecting one of a plurality of weapon select relays (18, 18A, 18B, 18N) to the switch. During weapon interrogation, a low level interrogation signal (from 20) is applied through the closed switch and the one relay to a weapon igniter (12, 12A, 12B, 12N) connected to a corresponding weapon (2, 2A, 2B, 2N) to interrogate the availability of the weapon for firing. The igniter provides an impedance indicative of said availability, which is sensed by a sensor (28) for providing a signal (E.sub.L) which is applied to the computer for mission programming and display purposes.

Abstract: A mechanism comprising a code wheel assembly including a first element, a second element and a third element, a element, a plurality of main code posts preset for locking the first element and the second element in driving relation, selectively operable means for actuating the main code posts sequentially in a predetermined sense for unlocking the second and first elements, an auxiliary code post operable for locking the first element to the third element following the actuation of the main code posts sequentially in said predetermined sense to unlock the first and second elements, control means selectively actuated by the third element for performing a control function, and said control means being selectively actuated by said third element following the locking of the first element to the third element by the auxiliary code post and after the first element has been unlocked from the second element.

Abstract: A mechanism comprising a code wheel assembly including an angularly movable shaft, a first element affixed to said shaft, a second element angularly movable on said shaft, and a third element angularly movable on said shaft, a plurality of main code posts preset for locking the first element and the second element in driving relation, selectively operable means for actuating the main code posts sequentially in a predetermined sense for unlocking the second and first elements, means for limiting angular movement of the second element upon the unlocking of the first and second elements, an auxiliary code post operable in a sense for locking the first element to the third element in driving relation, means for preventing the operation of said auxiliary code post in said locking sense until the actuation of the main code posts sequentially in said predetermined sense to unlock the first and second elements followed by a predetermined angular movement of the first element relative to the second element, control me

Abstract: A weapon firing system including weapon interrogation means is disclosed wherein a weapon control computer (8) provides a signal (at 27) for closing a normally open switch (16) and signals (at 29, 29A, 29B, 29N) for connecting one of a plurality of weapon select relays (18, 18A, 18B, 18N) to the switch. During weapon interrogation, a low level interrogation signal (from 20) is applied through the closed switch and the one relay to a weapon igniter (12, 12A, 12B, 12N) connected to a corresponding weapon (2, 2A, 2B, 2N) to interrogate the availability of the weapon for firing. The igniter provides an impedance indicative of said availability which is sensed by a sensor (28) for providing a signal (E.sub.L) which is applied to the computer for mission programming and display purposes.

Abstract: 1. A decoder mechanism comprising a code wheel assembly includinga first wheel element and a second wheel element,a main code post means normally positioned for locking the first and second wheel elements in driving relation,selectively operable means for actuating the main code post means in a predetermined sense for unlocking the first and second wheel elements,auxiliary code post means effective upon the first and second wheel elements being in an unlocked relation,said auxiliary code post means being operable by said selectively operable means in one sense for locking said first and second wheel elements and in another sense to retain said first and second wheel elements in said unlocked relation,and means actuated by one of the wheel elements for performing a control function upon the first element being retained in said unlocked relation with the second element.

Abstract: A decoder mechanism comprising a code wheel assembly including an inner wheel element and an outer wheel element, means for locking the inner wheel element to the outer wheel element in driving relation, means selectively operable for actuating said locking means in locking and unlocking senses, other means selectively operable for changing the locking and unlocking senses of said locking means, and said other means including means effective to transfer from said one unlocking sense to said other unlocking sense upon actuation of said locking means in said one unlocking sense.

Abstract: An accurate level sensor having an electrolytic switch 10 is mounted within a chamber 22 on a thermally insulating member 12 and is surrounded by a thermally insulating air space 23. Chamber 22 is mounted within a chamber 24 by thermally insulating members 38 and is surrounded by a thermally insulating air space 25. Chamber 24 is mounted to an inertial reference member 44 by thermally insulating members 46. All mounting surfaces are precisely parallel to each other and sensitivity to ambient temperature conditions is attenuated to provide a sensor for maintaining the inertial reference member level and stable within a high degree of accuracy.