Abstract: A power transmission belt having a center belt with a length, an inside surface, and an outside surface. Upper and lower blocks are provided and each has a leading face, a trailing face, and laterally oppositely facing pulley-engaging side surfaces. The upper and lower blocks are connected to each other to maintain the upper block, lower block and center belt together in an operative relationship without penetrating the center belt. At least one of the pulley-engaging side surfaces on at least one of the upper and lower blocks is uninterrupted between the leading and trailing faces on the one of the upper and lower blocks so that the at least one side surface can engage a cooperating pulley surface along an uninterrupted line between the leading and trailing faces of the at least one side surface.

Abstract: The problem of maintaining precision control of a synchronous motor is solved in a motor start control which utilizes an estimate of the amplitude of the fundamental wave component as a feedback value. The motor receives power from a main inverter and an excitation inverter. The inverters are controlled by a control unit which includes a pulse width modulation generator which is responsive to a voltage command and a commutation command to develop switching signals for controlling the switches in the main inverter. At speeds above a preselected minimum speed, the voltage command is developed in a closed loop manner responsive to a feedback signal representing an estimate of the fundamental output of the main inverter.

Abstract: A magnetic bearing system (24) supports a shaft (20). The bearing system (24) includes a magnetic rotor (34) and a stator element (36) positioned in proximity to the rotor (34). A plurality of first electromagnets (40, 41, 42) are mounted in the stator element (36). The first electromagnets (40, 41, 42) are of relatively large size to provide high load bearing capacity. A plurality of second electromagnets (44, 45, 46) are mounted in the shator element (36) in spaced relation with the first electromagnets (40, 41, 42), the second electromagnets (44, 45, 46) being of relatively small size to provide high frequency response. Displacement sensors (56, 57, 58) sense position of the shaft (20) relative to the stator element (36). A controller (60) is coupled to the displacement sensors (56, 57, 58) and the electromagnets (40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46) for controlling current thereto.

Abstract: In order to prevent serious damage to a flight control system in a failure mode, a failure protection unit includes an input shaft connected to a shaft of the flight control system with the input shaft normally being operably associated with a plunger having a brake hub integral therewith for rotational driven movement of the plunger and the brake hub through the input shaft. The plunger and the brake hub are movable relative to the input shaft, and a brake reaction plate is positioned within a housing in normally spaced relation to the brake hub. The brake hub is biased by a spring in a direction toward the brake reaction plate and the plunger is biased by the spring in a direction away from the input shaft. The plunger is normally locked against movement by a detent which resists movement of the plunger away from the input shaft and movement of the brake hub toward the brake reaction plate.

Abstract: An antireverse mechanism in a fishing reel of the type having a housing with a rear wall. The reel also includes a line carrying spool, a crank shaft that is rotatable about a first axis and a structure for directing line onto the spool as an incident of the crank shaft rotating about the first axis in a first direction. The antireverse mechanism is selectably placeable in a) an "on" position for preventing rotation of the crank shaft about the first axis opposite to the first direction and b) an "off" position for allowing the crank shaft to rotate about the first axis opposite the first direction. An actuator switch for placing the antireverse mechanism selectively in its "on" and "off" positions is provided. A mounting structure mounts the actuator switch to the rear housing wall for movement between first and second positions corresponding to the "on" and "off" positions of the antireverse mechanism.

Abstract: A turbine engine (10) includes a turbine wheel (12) coupled to a compressor (14) for driven movement, a nozzle (16) for directing gases of combustion at the turbine wheel (12), and an annular combustor (18) defining an annular combustion space upstream of the turbine wheel (12) in fluid communication with both the compressor (14) and the nozzle (16). The combustor (18) receives fuel from a source and air from the compressor (14) and combusts them in the combustion space to generate the gases of combustion. The combustor (18) is defined by an annular outer wall (20), an annular inner wall (22), and a radial wall (24) extending therebetween opposite the nozzle (16). The turbine engine (10) also includes at least one air blast fuel injector (26) disposed in the annular outer wall (20) of the combustor (18) for injecting atomized fuel generally tangentially of the outer wall (20) outwardly of a flame zone (28) within the combustion space.

Abstract: A bowling center system includes a plurality of bowling lanes and a plurality of bowling scoring systems each connected to a manager's control system. A video distribution system includes a memory device for storing data representing a plurality of video segments and generating video signals. A plurality of video display terminals are remotely located from the manager's control system and are operable to display video information responsive to a received video signal. A video communication network connects to the memory device and the display terminals. The manager's control system responds to a selection for a particular video segment to transmit a video signal to convey video segment information responsive to data read from the memory device to a selected one of the video display terminals.

Abstract: The lack of torsional rigidity in the mounting of a turbine engine (10) to a transmission (12) in a power unit (14), (16) is avoided utilizing a mounting structure including a relatively small ring-like base (58), (60) connected to the transmission (12) and a relatively larger, ring-like base (66) connected to the engine shroud (32). A plurality of struts (68) extend between the bases (58), 60) and (66) and are configured to define a series of triangular and/or trapezoidal openings (76). The arrangement of the struts (68) and the openings (76) provides exceptional torsional rigidity.

Abstract: A power transmission belt having a belt body with a length and laterally oppositely facing pulley engaging side surfaces. A first plurality of short fibers, made from a first material, is embedded in the belt body and extends substantially in a lateral direction. A second plurality of short fibers, made from a second material, is embedded in the belt body and extends substantially in a lateral direction. A plurality of the short fibers made from the first material project laterally from at least one of the pulley engaging side surfaces on the belt body.

Abstract: An oil-based article absorbs oil-based fluid on a surface. The article is made of a cloth and a flotation material encased in the cloth to assist in the absorption of oil-based fluid and the flotation of the article. The cloth has at least one napped surface that defines voids therein, and nap is formed of raised ends or loops of the fibers and has a thickness. The flotation material can also absorb water. When encased in the cloth, the cloth inhibits water absorption to inhibit water from contacting the flotation material. Thus, the flotation material absorbs oil-based fluid to increase the absorption capability of the article. The oil-based fluid containing flotation material is capable of assisting flotation. The oil-based fluid is recovered from the article and put to a beneficial use. The article can be reused repeatedly.

Abstract: An object that is selectively movable through a fluid in which the object is at least partially immersed and which is adapted to automatically change between different operating states without operator intervention. A movable object has a vessel / balloon with first means having first and second states for causing the vessel to move within the fluid. The first means in the first state thereof cause the vessel to move along a first travel path. The first means in the second state thereof cause the vessel to one of a) move along a second travel path within the fluid which is different from the first travel path and b) remain substantially in a static state within the fluid. Second means are provided on the vessel for automatically changing the first means from one of its first and second states to the other of its first and second states and back to its original state without intervention by an operator.

Abstract: A collapsible fuel tank system for use on aircraft and the like includes a plurality of nestable shell sections which, when assembled in proper edgewise orientation, form a shell for the fuel tank. A nose cone and a number of shell-reinforcing bulkheads are axially spaced within the fuel tank and have a ring-and-groove construction for facilitating manual assembly of a fuel tank. A preassembled fuel management system includes an elongated flexible liner encapsulating the bulkheads and having snap connections for quick attachment to the shell interior. All of the components of a plurality of fuel tanks are housed in a single container for shipping and handling purposes.

Abstract: A non-intrusive milk flow sensor includes first and second cylindrical nipples of a conductive material. Each of the first and second cylindrical nipples has an inner diameter. A molded rubber body has a passage therethrough joining the first and second nipples. The body fixes the first cylindrical nipple inline with the second cylindrical nipple and is bonded with the nipples. The body has an inner diameter defined by the passage equal to the inner diameter of the first and second cylindrical nipples. The molded rubber body insulates the first cylindrical nipple from the second cylindrical nipple. A first electrical lead is connected to the first cylindrical nipple. A second electrical lead is connected to the second cylindrical nipple.

Abstract: A general purpose interface is provided for connecting a floppy disk drive to a parallel port of a personal computer. The interface comprises an interface circuit and software driver circuit operated by the CPU. The interface circuit emulates the internal bus circuit in the CPU and can be used with virtually any disk controller. The interface circuit uses gate arrays as state machine logic elements to perform various functions, eliminating requirements for a microprocessor and plural memory chips.

Abstract: A rubber composition includes hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (HNBR), a copper dithiocarbamate salt compound and sulfur. The use of the copper dithiocarbamate salt compound results in the vulcanized rubber composition exhibiting improved heat resistance as compared to a rubber material that does not include the copper dithiocarbamate salt compound. Toothed belts and V-ribbed belts can be made using the rubber composition to produce belts exhibiting improved heat resistance.

Abstract: In order to sell a multi-media product such as documentation and software in an effective yet unique manner, a convertible package/shelf organizer is provided. The convertible package/shelf organizer comprises a generally rectangular box having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, and a pair of side walls defining an enclosure for shipping the contents of the box in a normal protected-product fashion. The front wall of the box is in the form of a cover hinged to one of the top and bottom walls and is movable from a closed position concealing and protecting the contents of the box during shipment to an open position providing access for removal of the contents of the box after shipment. The convertible package/shelf organizer is also such that the cover is moveable to a position within the enclosure juxtaposed against an inner surface of the one of the top and bottom walls to which it is hinged and also against the rear wall when the contents of the box have been removed therefrom.

Abstract: The combustion dynamics and efficiency of gas turbine having an annular combustor 26 provided with fuel injection nozzles 50 that inject fuel generally tangentially is improved by providing the walls 32, 34, 39 of the combustion 26 with cooling air film injectors 70, 86; 72, 88; 74, 90 at substantially equally angularly spaced locations about each such wall and which are oriented to generally tangentially inject a film-like air stream on the associated wall 32, 34, 39.