Abstract: The present invention relates to a tuneable fringe effect capacitor for conducting radio frequency energy. The capacitor includes a thin film of ferroelectric material, a pair of films of a conductive material deposited on the ferroelectric film with a gap between the films, and a substrate for the ferroelectric material and the conductive films. The capacitance value across the gap is varied by applying a voltage to the ferroelectric material and thereby altering the dielectric constant of the ferroelectric material.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a phased array antenna for microwave and millimeter wave applications, using either microstrip line, coplanar waveguide, or other construction techniques incorporating a solid dielectric transmission line. A continuously variable phase delay structure which is used to control the beam pattern of the phased array antenna can be applied to the construction of resonant frequency tunable coplanar waveguide antennas and impedance tunable quarter-wave transformers. A thin film of barium strontium titanate (Ba.sub.x Sr.sub.1-x TiO.sub.3) or other nonlinear material such as PbZr.sub.x Ti.sub.1-x O.sub.3 (PZT), LiNbO.sub.3, etc. is deposited upon the coplanar waveguide, and/or the patch antenna element. The dielectric constant of the thin film can be made to vary significantly by applying a DC voltage to the thin film. The propagation constant of a transmission line is directly proportional to the square root of the effective dielectric constant (assuming a lossless dielectric).

Abstract: A ball caddy includes a housing with dividers forming compartments within the housing. The compartments retain various size sports balls in a vertical arrangement The dividers have two hinged segments which are independently adjustably mounted within the housing to vary the size of each of the compartments. Each compartment also has an orifice formed at a lower portion thereof and a ball release device which has a retainer normally preventing dispensing of the balls. The handle attached to the ball release allows pivoting of the ball release to provide for dispensing of the balls through the orifice.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for infrared and near-infrared estimations of properties of materials with improved model stability against random and pseudo-random effects and improved assessment of the appropriateness of the model for an unknown sample. Statistical tests are defined for quantifying the model's stability against random effects (B-statistic) and the probability of substantial interpolation error (I-statistic). The method of this invention involves building many different infrared models for each property of interest, either randomly or by other strategies. The models with the lowest calibration errors for their respective calibration sets whose errors are least correlated to one another are averaged to create a composite model. Such composite models have improved stability and accuracy. The consistency with which the individual models (making up the composite model) estimate the same property value for an unknown sample is a measure of the improbability of substantial interpolation error.

Abstract: The present invention provides a superconducting device having a weak link junction with an angle at the grain boundary between the two superconductor crystals being variable. The angle at the junction is substantially equivalent to a vicinal angle for the substrate. Accordingly, the magnitude of the angle at the junction can be varied by varying the vicinal angle of the substrate. This result can be realized by using buffer layers of different compositions underlying the superconducting materials on either side of the weak link junction. Weak link junctions and reproducible properties are essential for a variety of electronic and magnetic sensing devices.

Abstract: A healing collar for use with an endosseous dental implant that has an internal-threaded passage and at the top has a multi-sided male projection includes a cylindrical-shaped external surface, a first cavity at one end that has the same number of sides as the male projection atop the implant and a size and shape adapted to fit frictionally or non-frictionally over the male projection. At the other end of the healing collar is an opening leading to a second internal cavity having a plurality of sides adapted to engage a tool suitable for inserting an implant, joined to the healing collar, into a passage formed in the jawbone of a patient formed to receive the implant. Between the first and second internal cavities is an inwardly-projecting flange that has upper and lower annular surfaces for engaging the head a fixation screw, and the top surface of the implant, respectively.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to ferroelectric and superconducting thin films used in combination to produce low-loss passive microwave and millimeter wave devices which are frequency tuneable. Various metal oxide superconducting and ferroelectric thin films can be deposited in numerous multilayer geometries via a variety of deposition techniques to produce devices which can manipulate microwave and millimeter wave signals through the application of voltage bias signals across the ferroelectric films. Numerous superconducting microwave and millimeter wave devices, including delay lines, phase shifters, resonators, oscillators, filters, electrically-small antennas, half-loop antennas, directional couplers, patch antennas, and various radiative gratings, are made frequency-tuneable by utilizing voltage-tuneable capacitor structures fabricated from voltage-biased ferroelectric thin films.

Abstract: A twist-bladed dental drill with an enhanced cutting tip for preparing surgical sites for endosseous implants includes a central, axially-extending internal passageway for carrying fluid through the shank of the drill to the outer surfaces of the drill.

Abstract: Endosseous dental implants having generally cylindrical-shaped bodies and self-tapping threads at the distal end and, in some case, external threads over a substantial portion of their external surface, include internal or external wrench-engaging surfaces at the proximal end portion and, between the relatively smooth distal and proximal end portions, an external middle region having greater surface roughness than the proximal or distal ends, or a coating, to promote attachment of the implant to bone tissue when the implant is placed in a generally-cylindrical passage formed in bone tissue to receive the implant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying cuttings from a wellbore is disclosed. The cuttings can be identified by measuring emissions such as alpha, beta, or gamma particles which emanate from the cuttings. A continuous wellbore profile of the alpha or beta emissions can be constructed by measuring the emissions from cuttings taken from different locations in the wellbore, and by documenting such emissions. The effects of cuttings dispersion caused by differing particle sizes can be reduced by collecting cuttings of an intermediate size for analysis. The profile of the intermediate size cuttings can be compared with a well log to identify the original elevation of the cuttings within the wellbore.

Abstract: A customizable data gathering method utilizes a transportable computing device to store a user-defined menu and data table structure with pointers to define a hierarchical tree model. Once defined the tree model serves as a data template that guides a field inspector in collecting data. The template is created by a user without having to program the computing device.

Abstract: A method of transversely cutting a prefabricated slab having one or more hollow longitudinal cores includes inserting a pair of expandable plugs into at least one of the one or more cores, the plugs of the or each pair being positioned in a respective core spaced apart on opposite sides of an intended cut line and post-insertion expansion of the plugs blocking the respective core; introducing settable material into a portion of the or each blocked core between its spaced apart pair of expanded plugs; and after at least partial setting of the introduced settable material, cutting the slab transversely across the intended cut line.

Abstract: A medium-sized portable container for holding and dispensing such fluids as aircraft engine oil is formed from durable, corrosion-resistant polymeric material such as high density polyethylene. The container, which has a generally rectangularly parallelepipedal shape, is positioned with its longest dimension parallel to the ground to enhance stability and permit stacking. The container is divided into two compartments, one holding the fluid to be dispensed and the other enclosing an electrically driven pump and other dispensing equipment. Controls are provided to shut off current flow automatically when the dispensing pump is not operating.

Abstract: A container and dispenser for fluids, especially hydraulic and engine oil fluids for aircraft. The container, which is preferably made of a recyclable polymer such as high density polyethylene, is rectangularly parallepipedal, with a crowned top to minimize contamination by water or particulate matter. A pump is mounted on the top of the container, and various filters, check valves, and quick disconnect couplings are provided to further minimize contamination. In use, the container is mounted on a 2-wheeled cart that is especially designed to accommodate it.

Abstract: An endosseous dental implant system includes a dental implant having a multi-sided projection at its top end and an internally threaded or unthreaded passage extending into the body of the implant through an opening in the projection at the top of the implant, and an abutment having an internal passage for receiving a fastener that passes through the internal passage of the abutment, and threads into the internal passage inside the implant. The abutment has a multi-sided internal cavity at its bottom end with each of the cavity sides perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the abutment so that the cavity, when seated over the projection at the top of the implant, forms an anti-rotational, interlocking junction with the implant.

Abstract: A cooling panel for use in drawing off excess heat from and protecting the side walls and roof of a furnace such as an electric arc furnace, the cooling panel being preferably made entirely out of oxygen-free pure copper. The cooling panel is a wall having a series of strips welded on one side, the strips having recesses on the side adjacent the wall to form channels between the strips and wall for circulating a cooling fluid therethrough. The cooling panel is also provided with inlet and outlet manifolds for supplying and removing the cooling fluid to the passages of the cooling panel. The strips and the manifolds are preferably made using an extruding process and assembled using a tungsten inert gas welding process.