Abstract: A tool for simultaneously measuring the gap and flushness between two adjacent panels includes a pair of probes for engaging the panel edges and adjacent surfaces, one probe being slideable in one direction to adjust to the panel gap and the other probe being slideable at right angles to the other to adjust to different flushness values. The probes are equipped with electrical position transducers to give readings on gap and flushness. The probes can be slid along a gap to obtain a rapid succession of data points. One embodiment has rollers for probe contact surfaces to aid in sliding the tool along the panels.

Abstract: A brake lining wear sensor includes a metal contact secured to a grounded brake lining support plate through a semiconductive ceramic bushing containing silicon carbide and silicon nitride which establishes an electrical resistance between the contact and the support plate so that the contact has a resistance to ground when the brake lining is not worn, but when the brake lining is worn and the contact touches a grounded brake rotor or drum, a short to ground occurs. The sensor is coupled by a lead wire to an indicator circuit which senses the resistance value in the circuit path to ground to determine whether the contact is connected to the indicator circuit and whether it is electrically grounded to the rotor. An indicator lamp comprises a tri-color LED to emit different colors signifying a normal condition, an open circuit, or a worn brake lining condition.

Abstract: A brake lining wear sensor includes a metal contact secured to a grounded brake lining support plate through a semiconductor ceramic bushing containing silicon carbide and silicon nitride which establishes an electrical resistance between the contact and the support plate so that the contact has a resistance to ground when the brake lining is not worn, but when the brake lining is worn and the contact touches a grounded brake rotor or drum, a short to ground occurs. The sensor is coupled by a lead wire to an indicator circuit which tests for the resistance value in the circuit path to ground to determine whether the contact is connected to the indicator circuit and whether it is electrically grounded to the rotor. An indicator lamp comprises a tri-color LED to emit different colors signifying a normal condition, an open circuit or a worn brake lining condition.

Abstract: A conical sheath of air emitted from a vortex plenum adjacent the outer edge of a rotating bell spray apparatus is effective to optionally help atomize the coating material, and to carry the atomized material forwardly toward a confluence on the axis of the rotating head where tubulent mixing of the particles occurs, and the particles are sprayed forwardly for deposition in a uniform thickness film of a uniform population mix of particles sizes. Forward air and tangential air components are admitted to the plenum and are independently controlled so that different spray characteristics are obtained, the tangential air providing a swirl moment to the conical air sheath which enlarges the size of the deposited film pattern. The forward velocity determines the atomization ability of the sheath air and the particle velocity in the spray pattern. Electrostatic and non-electrostatic operations are intended.

Abstract: To protect a load circuit on a printed circuit board, a pair of input circuit conductors are placed close together to form a spark gap. A load limiting resistor is placed in one of the conductors. A tape with adhesive around its perimeter is secured to the circuit board over the spark gap to trap air or other gas at the spark gap. A conformal coating covers the circuit board including the tape and the resistor.

Abstract: A transducer responsive to a mechanical input produces a binary coded electrical signal on a single data bus. A plurality of piezoelectric elements each produce a voltage pulse when stressed and an actuator applies stress to the elements to generate a sequence of voltage pulses. The elements are coupled to the data bus according to polarity to establish a coded sequence of polarized pulses.

Abstract: A miniature solid state fluid flow sensor has a low diffusivity substrate, such as a polymer film, which is optionally mounted on a thermally conductive base. A resistor strip on the substrate is connected to an electrical oscillator and thus emits thermal waves which are propagated through the fluid at a rate dependent on a fluid flow component perpendicular to the strip. A thermoelectric detector, spaced from one side or each side of the strip, senses the thermal waves; and detector circuitry determines the time or phase shift due to fluid flow.

Abstract: To measure the leak rate in a transmission partially filled with a transmission fluid but having an air space of unknown volume, air is supplied to the transmission to pressurize the cavity to a preset value. The flow rate of air to the transmission is measured and that rate is integrated in a computer to determine the mass air flow which is proportional to the volume of the air space in the transmission. The decline of pressure in the air space as a result of fluid leakage from the transmission is monitored by the computer and the leak rate is determined on the basis of that rate and the derived volume of the air space.

Abstract: A robot or other manipulator has an end effector useful for gripping a part and performing an assembly operation to a second part, the assembly requiring, for example, an insertion and a rotation motion. A sensor is mounted between the manipulator and the end effector and comprises a pair of telescoping sections mounted for relative axial and rotational movement with springs for normally inhibiting any movement beyond a range caused by normal assembly forces. An excessive force caused by the failure of the parts to join normally results in a relative axial or rotational movement which is sensed by one or more cam operated switches. The switches are arranged to yield a plurality of signals which contain coded information on the specific type of overload movement. The information can be used by a robot or manipulator controller to stop the assembly operation and then to make the appropriate movements to solve the problem or to simply indicate to an operator the type of malfunction.

Abstract: The specification describes urethane foam automobile seats having variable firmness or density or varying in some other property from one portion of a seat to another by combining several hardenable precursor constituents in a predetermined ratio and discharging the resulting mixture through a single nozzle into a predetermined place in the mold and then changing the constituents and/or ratios of the constituents as the mixture discharges into other parts of the mold to produce the desired property in each part of the seat. The mixing of the various constituents is under the control of a computer programmed to deliver to each mold a series of shots of the polymer mixture, each constituent being supplied at the proper rate, and gradually and simultaneously changing the flow of each constituent at the beginning and end of each shot to maintain a consistent ratio within each shot yet allowing a change of ratios from one shot to the next.

Abstract: A pair of PTC elements, preferably of the barium titanate variety, are mounted in a container to sense liquid level, for example oil level in an engine crankcase. The elements have the same resistance, mass and switching point but different thermal loss coefficients which have one value in air and another in liquid. In one embodiment, the elements are both positioned at the set liquid level and are electrically energized at the same moment. When the elements are in liquid, one of them will heat to the switch point before the other and change to a much higher resistance. When the elements are in air, the other element reaches the switch point first. When the elements are connected in series across a power source, the switching causes the circuit to latch in that state even though the liquid level condition changes. The junction of the elements provides a convenient signal output indicating liquid level. In a second embodiment, one PTC element is at the set liquid level and the other is in air above that level.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a first air flow meter includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers mounted on one wall of a conduit, and an opposite reflective wall is shaped to focus acoustic signals from one transducer to the other. In a second embodiment, the opposite wall is separated into a stepped series of cylindrical reflective surfaces spaced from the transducers by different distances, each surface being one-half wavelength from its adjoining surfaces so that constructive combination of the acoustic signals occurs. For noise of the same wavelength emitted at sources axially spaced from the transducers, the reflective surfaces appear to be spaced by approximately 3/4-wavelength steps so that reflected noise signals tend to cancel.

Abstract: A fluid flow regulator for fluids containing fine solids in suspension, such as paint, has a sharp-edged orifice to meter fluid in accordance with pressure across the orifice. The pressure is determined by throttling action of a main poppet valve carried by a spool and controlled by three diaphragms. Valve opening pressures on the diaphragms are downstream fluid pressure, and pilot air pressure while valve closing diaphragm forces are applied by the regulated fluid pressure downstream of the poppet. This regulator is fully pressure-compensated for variations in downstream pressure. Valve leakage is positively prevented by applying pilot air pressure in a manner to seat the poppet valve. Valve flushing at a high flow rate is permitted by a second poppet which carries the sharp-edged orifice and opens to allow a bypass of the orifice during flushing. Flushing action is actuated by high pilot air pressure forcing the main poppet valve to full open position.

Abstract: A lamp monitor for detecting the failure of headlamps and other lamps on an automotive vehicle includes a failure detection circuit coupled to the lamp circuit to produce an output whenever the lamp circuit is operating and a failure occurs. A latch circuit responsive to the detector output and powered from the vehicle battery latches into a failure state when a lamp failure is detected and maintains that state even though the lamp circuit or the vehicle ignition circuit is switched off. The latch output triggers an indicator circuit to reveal an indication or warning when the vehicle ignition switch is turned on even though the lamp circuit is turned off and the ignition switch has been opened subsequent to the detected failure. Upon correction of the failure, the detector resets the latch circuit when the lamp circuit is actuated to disable the display.

Abstract: A microwave probe for measuring the amount of soot or water in engine crankcase oil and/or detecting the level of oil comprises a coaxial cable having a tip including five substantially parallel wires shorted together at one end and connected at the other end to the coaxial cable, one of the wires being connected to the center wire of the coaxial cable and the other four wires being connected to the sheath of the coaxial cable. The size and geometry of the wires is selected so that the impedance of the tip when immersed in oil substantially matches the impedance of the coaxial cable.

Abstract: A microwave probe for measuring the amount of soot or water in engine crankcase oil and/or detecting the level of oil comprises a coaxial cable having a tip including five substantially parallel wires shorted together at one end and connected at the other end to the coaxial cable, one of the wires being connected to the center wire of the coaxial cable and the other four wires being connected to the sheath of the coaxial cable. The size and geometry of the wires is selected so that the impedance of the tip when immersed in oil substantially matches the impedance of the coaxial cable.

Abstract: An acoustic fluid flow meter determines the flow velocity or volumetric flow from a measurement of the phase shift of acoustic signals propagated upstream and downstream along an acoustical path in the fluid. High resolution measurements of the phase difference of transmitted and received signals represent the fractional wavelength which exceeds the integral number of waves along the acoustic path. The low resolution determination of the integral and fractional number of waves for each direction is made by measuring the fractional phase shift at one frequency of the acoustic signal and again at a slightly different frequency of the acoustic signal. The difference of those phase shift measurements is proportional to the number of waves along the path for a given direction of propagation. That value is combined with high resolution fractional phase shift measurement to obtain a high resolution total wave number value for each direction of propagation.

Abstract: In order to obtain an objective measurement of paint gloss on a flat or slightly curved surface, a distinctness of image instrument is provided having a light source for projecting a light beam onto the test surface, a detector responsive to reflected light from the surface, an aperture at the detector, a chopper near the light source and a lens for imaging the chopper blade on the plane of the aperture so that the sharpness of the image depends upon the reflective quality of the test surface. The rate of change of the detector output signal is large for a high glass surface while the rate of change is low for a low gloss surface. For use of the instrument on curved as well as flat surfaces the chopper is provided with a plurality of blades spaced at different distances from the light source.

Abstract: A fluid flow meter and, more especially, an airflow meter having fast response and very high resolution uses piezoelectric transducers operating near resonance to pass ultrasonic signals upstream and downstream alternately in a flow passage. Transmission signals continue longer than the propagation time to the receiver so that the phase of the received signals can be compared to the transmission signals. The difference of upstream and downstream phase differences is a measure of the air velocity while the sum of those phase differences is useful to determine air temperature. These values along with an air pressure sensor reading are combined to determine mass airflow through the passage. The acoustic transducers are operated near resonance to optimize signal-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: For road testing vehicle brakes the vehicle is equipped with transducers for measuring wheel speeds and temperatures, vehicle deceleration, brake line pressures, etc. A control circuit processes the transducer signals and supplies output signals proportional to the measured parameters as well as peak values generated during a brake test and hold values stored upon manual command. These various parameter values are displayed through a switching circuit on four numeric displays in view of the operator and a special bar graph display selectively displays parameters of prime interest to the operator such as front brake pressure or vehicle deceleration to produce a single blinking light when a selected target value is obtained and illuminates successive LED's in a lineal array each representing an increment of deviation from the target value so that the error appears in bar graph form for easy assimilation by the operator during the road test.