Abstract: A plotter having the capability of unattended operation incorporates several innovations. An X-axis dual motor drive mechanism moves the plotting chart through the plotter using two independently controlled motors driving respective individual friction drives at either side of the chart. An automatic chart alignment mechanism aligns the chart with the plotter X-axis using the X-axis dual motor drive for swiveling of the chart as necessary and a sensor to detect and correct the position of the chart. A chart cutting mechanism allows chart stock supplied in roll form to be cut to a desired length for a plot using a knife assembly carried by the pen carriage like a pen. A cut chart handling mechanism enables cut charts to be retrieved and neatly stored.

Abstract: A valve-in-head filter includes an outer housing (2) adapted to receive a fluid filter cartridge (4) therein. A valve head (7) is provided which includes an annular stand pipe (22) for locating an end of the filter. The stand pipe is cut away (32) on its downstream side to reduce fluid back pressure. Furthermore, a passage (13) is disposed between the head inlet (11) and outlet (12), with the passage receiving a slidable plunger (23) therein. A manually actuatable handle (28) connects through a rotary actuator (29) to move the plunger. The actuator includes a stem (30) mounted eccentrically to the handle axis, with the stem received in a recess (31) in the plunger so that turning of the handle moves the plunger between "on" and "off" positions. The plunger includes a seal (26) which continuously engages the passage wall in all plunger positions, and the construction provides full "on" and "off", with no fluid bypass in the "off" position.

Abstract: A modification of a basic jack-shaft control apparatus for a combustion system to provide a trim control. A first radial arm is mounted on a first rotating shaft which controls a fuel valve and a second radial arm is mounted on a second rotating shaft which controls an air damper. Ordinarily, a linking rod connects the radially outward ends of said first and second radial arms. The trim modification comprises attaching one end of a third radial arm to the radially outward end of either said first radial arm or said second radial arm. A third rotating shaft is attached to the third radial arm where it is attached to said first or second radial arm. The third radial arm rotates under the influence of trim control motor means on a plane transverse to the plane of rotation of the arm on which it is mounted. The linking rod connects the radially outward end of the third radial arm with the radially outward end of either said first or second radial arm to which the third radial arm is not otherwise attached.

Abstract: A heterojunction p-i-n photovoltaic cell having at least three different semiconductor layers formed of at least four different elements comprises a p-type relatively wide band gap semiconductor layer, a high resistivity intrinsic semiconductor layer, used as an absorber of light radiation, and an n-type relatively wide band gap semiconductor layer. The intrinsic layer is in electrically conductive contact on one side with the p-type layer and on an opposite side with the n-type layer. First and second ohmic contacts are in electrically conductive contact with the p-type layer and the n-type layer, respectively.

Abstract: A web of foam material is fed to a cutting station by upper and lower rollers drawing the web from a supply roll and along a low-friction table surface. A cutter station has a knife bar and blade, with a clamp bar coupled with the knife bar. The lower draw roller has its axle mounted in a pair of pivoted arms depressible by presser feet on a presser foot bar carried by the knife bar. When a desired length of web has been drawn past the cutter station, actuation of the knife bar lowers the blade toward a grooved anvil, while the presser feet swing the arms down to depress the lower roller away from the web to stop drawing it. Immediately after interrupting drawing action, the web is clamped by the clamp bar, and then immediately thereafter cutting occurs. The table has bridge-like fingers extending downstream through grooves in the movable lower feed roller. These fingers support the web when the lower roller is swung down.

Abstract: A by-pass vacuum motor assembly wherein the motor cooling fan is positioned in an opening at the bottom of the motor band and immediately above a flat plate portion of the fan housing bracket. The flat plate portion functions as a plate diffuser, redirecting air drawn through the commutator end bracket and across the motor internals into a radial exhaust between a bottom portion of the band and a top portion of the fan end bracket. The invention also includes a brush holder clip passing through a vertical opening in the commutator end bracket and engaging a collar on the brush mechanism. The brush mechanism passes through a horizontal opening in the commutator end bracket which intersects with the vertical opening. Armature grounding is achieved by a disk maintained in a recess in the commutator end bracket and urged by a spring against the bearing receiving the motor shaft.

Abstract: The handling apparatus includes two spaced apart lower arms pivoting on a base, and two spaced apart upper arms pivoting on an elbow bearing on the lower arms. The lower arm is driven by a ball-screw arrangement in which a threaded drive, mounted on the base of the apparatus is connected to a ball screw attached to a strut between the ball screw and the lower arm. Moving the ball screw along the threaded drive member pivots the lower arm upward. Another ball screw arrangement is mounted on the lower arm and is attached to the lower end of the upper arm by means of cables that extend along a rear curved surface of the upper arm to allow for more travel of the upper arm. Various attachment can be mounted on the upper arm including hangers for propellers and rudders and a gripper unit for supporting propeller shafts. When handling propellers and rudders, a single material handling unit is used, and the propeller or rudder is hung between the spaced apart arms.

Abstract: Process and apparatus are disclosed for forming excellent quality, large area thin films essentially without discontinuities and inhomogenuities, particularly for photovoltaic solar cells. The reactants are conducted past a heated substrate in a relatively thin gap, e.g., 0.030 inch, in a turbulent flow. In a specific embodiment, the reactants are contained in nebuli of an atomized solution, and the nebuli are sorted, preferably by gravity, prior to introduction thereof into the gap to prevent introduction of larger size nebuli into the reaction gap.

Abstract: A motor cooling fan housing for a by-pass vacuum motor is presented. The fan housing includes a top plate connected to a cylindrical side portion. The top plate is characterized by a plurality of uniformly spaced tear-drop shaped slots therein. The slots provide for the entry of cooling air to the motor maintained therein. The slots are elongated and have a major axis which is non-collinear with the center point of the top plate of the housing.

Abstract: A fire fighting tool is described which is capable of both penetrating the wall of an enclosure, and dispensing a fire fighting agent into the interior of the enclosure. A drill bit or other penetrating device is carried at the forward end of an elongate shaft which is connected at its rear end to a drill motor or other appropriate actuating device. The shaft is surrounded by a barrel which receives a fluid fire fighting agent and includes a series of outlet openings at its forward end through which the agent is dispensed. The shaft is thus surrounded and cooled by the agent during the penetration operation. A leaky bearing is provided at the forward end of the barrel, and is specially configured along with the shaft and drill bit to induce a leakage of agent through the bearing and onto the bit and surrounding enclosure wall during drilling, thereby cooling the various parts and lessening the risk of an explosion. The barrel is designed to hold the tool in place once it has been inserted into the enclosure.

Abstract: An optical fibre cable switch is provided in which opposed cable end faces are precisely aligned coaxially while permitting standard optical fibre cable bushings to be used. An alignment member is first positioned within the central opening of the bushings. The aligned bushings are then cemented or glued to the switch housing while being held in alignment by the alignment member. The alignment member is then removed so that standard cable terminating ferrules may be inserted into the aligned bushings.

Abstract: A quiet by-pass vacuum motor wherein a ring-like cavity is defined between inner and outer walls of the housing for a working air fan. Separating members divide the cavity into passageways which communicate with openings in the housing. A plate having a plurality of vanes thereon is received upon the separating members, the plate extending from the outer wall to a position short of the inner wall. A baffle plate is then received upon the vanes. Working air is exhausted over the baffle plate, between the vanes, over the plate and between the separating members and through the openings. The exhaust path greatly reduces the noise level of the vacuum motor.

Abstract: Improved fabrics are produced by weaving and using relatively uniform elongated hollow monofilament bristles which partially collapse during weaving to form a partially flattened fabric without twists and bends and which has a superior weight/strength ratio in comparison with conventional fabrics.

Abstract: A flow inducer apparatus for positioning in a duct containing a flowing stream for continuously and rapidly receiving a sample of gas from and returning said sample to the flowing stream in said duct. Said apparatus comprises inlet opening means extending around an entire outer circumference of said apparatus to receive the sample of said flowing stream regardless of the rotational disposition of said apparatus in the duct. Said apparatus also comprises an integral discharge aspirator means. The discharge aspirator means is open to the surrounding duct along an entire outer circumference of said apparatus for receiving a portion of said flowing stream regardless of the rotational disposition of said apparatus in the duct. The discharge aspirator means is adapted so that the movement of the stream flowing in the duct tends to draw the sample through the apparatus and thereby provide the energy for operation of the flow inducer.

Abstract: A plurality of blades extend radially from a hub which is rotated by a motor about a drive axis. Each blade has a root which is rotatably connected to the hub so that it can be independently twisted to vary the pitch thereof relative to the drive axis. A plurality of electromagnets are annularly positioned adjacent the hub so that permanent magnets connected to the roots of corresponding blades can be attracted and/or repelled to induce twisting motion in the blades as the hub rotates about its drive axis. A control circuit receives input commands for a manual control device and causes predetermined electrical signals to be applied to the electromagnets for simultaneously varying the pitch of the blades. The pitch of the blades can be varied cyclically and collectively in accordance with any real continuous function, and not just sinusoidally as in the case of prior mechanical linkages employing swash plates.

Abstract: A plurality of piezoelectric or magnetostrictive rectangular planar staves are held in side-by-side relation in a laminate assembly including insulative spacers. The widthwise polarity of adjacent pairs of the staves are inverted relative to each other. The acoustic centers of the staves are spaced apart a distance of approximately one-half of a wavelength of the operating frequency. Electrical connections are made to the opposite side edges of each of the staves through leads and bus wires. The array of staves define an active planar acoustic face for simultaneously sending and simultaneously receiving a pair of angularly separated beams of acoustic energy without electronically phasing or time delaying the signals transmitted to and from the individual staves and without mechanically rotating the array.

Abstract: A fluid flowmeter is disclosed herein which includes a fluid displacement member positioned in the fluid flow to substantially linearize the velocity profile associated therewith. In one form of the invention the pressure differential in the fluid existing across the fluid displacement member is advantageously exploited, and several embodiments thereof are disclosed. In another form of the invention the fluid displacement member is utilized to produce trailing vortices.

Abstract: A magnetic flux shield and enhancer for brushless motors, with a plurality of clips having orthogonal legs in flux-conducting relationship to the rotor and permanent magnets of the motor. The permanent magnets are affixed to an inner circumferential surface of the rotor. Each of the clips receives a Hall sensor for activation by the magnets as they pass by. A first leg of the clip is configured so as to concentrate the flux from the magnets to an associated Hall sensor, while shielding the Hall sensor from flux emanating from the stator assembly of the motor. A second leg of the clip, connected to the first leg, provides a path for the flux through the rotor for return to the magnet from which it originated.

Abstract: A backwound pre-stressed flat spring motor and method of making the same having a pre-stressed spring element backwound on a central arbor within a cup wherein a portion of the spring element extends beyond the arbor wherein the initial turns of spring element backwound on the central arbor comprise alternating layers of the extended portion of the spring and the spring element resulting in increased initial torque when compared to a conventional backwound pre-stressed spring motor having the same construction otherwise.

Abstract: A by-pass vacuum motor assembly wherein the motor cooling fan is positioned in an opening at the bottom of the motor band and immediately above a flat plate portion of the fan housing bracket. The flat plate portion functions as a plate diffuser, redirecting air drawn through the commutator end bracket and across the motor internals into a radial exhaust between a bottom portion of the band and a top portion of the fan end bracket. The invention also includes a brush holder clip passing through a vertical opening in the commutator end bracket and engaging a collar on the brush mechanism. The brush mechanism passes through a horizontal opening in the commutator end bracket which intersects with the vertical opening. Armature grounding is achieved by a disk maintained in a recess in the commutator end bracket and urged by a spring against the bearing receiving the motor shaft.