Abstract: An apparatus for releasing a parachute from its payload upon ground impact by the payload. The apparatus has a pair of sections releasably secured to each other. Each section has an intermediate portion having a longitudinally extending axis and a spur receiving opening that extends through the intermediate portion and is transverse to the longitudinally extending axis, a first end portion attached to the intermediate portion and comprising a spur that extends in a generally lateral direction with respect to the longitudinally extending axis, and a second end portion attached to the intermediate portion such that the intermediate portion is between the first and second end portions. Each section is configured so that a lanyard can be connected to the section wherein in order to use the apparatus, a lanyard is attached to and between one section and a parachute, and another lanyard is attached to and between the other section and a payload.

Abstract: A non-woven, flame resistant fabric and a disposable coverall made from the fabric. The non-woven, flame resistant fabric is made of a plurality of NOMEX® synthetic fibers, a plurality of KEVLAR® synthetic fibers, and a plurality of electrostatic dissipative fibers. The coverall has an upper section for covering the shoulder, chest, back and abdominal regions of a wearer. The upper section has long sleeves to cover the arms of the wearer and a collar to cover the neck region of wearer. The coverall also has a waist section contiguous with the upper section for covering the waist region of a wearer, and a pair of leg sections for covering the legs of the wearer. Each leg section has an upper portion contiguous with the waist section. The coverall also has a seat section contiguous with the waist section and the upper portions of the leg sections. The coverall has a two-way zipper extending from the collar section to the waist section.

Abstract: This invention comprises a lightweight, portable chemical combination of reagents for sterilizing or disinfecting objects in the absence of electrical power or fire. The chemical combination includes a chemical oxidant with the capacity to liberate a biocidal intermediate, a chemical reductant of the oxidant with the capacity to react with the oxidant, and an effector to induce a reaction between the oxidant and reductant. In one embodiment, the oxidant comprises chlorite, the reductant comprises sulfite, and the effector comprises ascorbate. In another embodiment, the chemical combination comprises the oxidant, reductant, effector and iron-activated magnesium. When water or water solutions are added to either embodiment, the chemical combination generates heat, steam and a biocidal intermediate that can destroy contaminating microorganisms. In one embodiment, the biocidal intermediate is a halogen-based biocidal intermediate, such as chlorine dioxide.

Abstract: To provide alternative operation at 2.4 or 9.6 Kb/s bit rates, a multirate igital processor generates a data frame of 216 bits representing sync and voice encoded at both rates, with the 2.4 Kb/s embedded as a subset within the frame. Rate conversion is made by inserting or deleting 162 bits per frame. Speech signal is transformed by linear prediction into coefficients and residual signals. The coefficients are transmitted similarly at both 2.4 and 9.6 Kb/s rates. However, the residual is processed into a simple pitch/hiss excitation signal for 2.4 Kb/s, but is processed into a Fourier transform of its baseband (250-1500 Hz) for 9.6 Kb/s excitation signal transmission.

Abstract: A reflecting mirror for transforming the polarization of electromagnetic ) waves independently of the frequency of the waves and, thus, over an arbitrarily wide RF bandwidth includes two interleaved sets of planar arrays of resonant elements, both being orthogonally polarized, and each set comprising layers of the arrays which are arranged so that the layered elements of each set form a log-periodic configuration. The difference in phase between the reflection coefficient functions of the first and second sets of arrays is independent of the frequency of EM waves. Each of the arrays resonates at a different frequency and the arrays resonate over the frequency band of operation. A plane EM wave, the polarization of which has two vector components, strikes the mirror on the array having the shortest strips. The two polarization components of the wave travel into the mirror. Each component is reflected as it encounters strips of an array having a resonance which matches the resonant frequency of the component.