Abstract: A method is provided for the production of near net ring gear forgings (106) including the steps of forging ring roll preforms (102) of substantially toroidal shape, ring rolling the preforms into forging blank rings (104) having a general rectangular shaped wall thickness and then precision forging said rings into near net ring gear forgings.

Abstract: A laser distance measuring apparatus in which source beams from two lasers are combined and focused on a target. One beam is continuous wave and one has periodic narrow pulse envelopes. After reflection the composite reflected beam is redivided in a diffraction grating and compared with two respective reference beams by means of two photodetectors. Doppler data are provided, as well as separate high resolution and low resolution range output data. Integration of the Doppler data in a computer, and combination of the three data signals there, enable an unusually complete and accurate record of the shape of the target even if the shape has many severe discontinuities, as in the case of a turbine rotor. An alternative embodiment provides for switching the pulse time of flight portion of the system to utilize various harmonics of the pulse envelope waveform.

Abstract: The present invention is a current sensor employing a magneto resistive sensor having high fidelity of output. This current sensor includes a magnetic flux concentrator substantially encircling the electrical conductor having magnetic sensing, a magnetic device generating a magnetic field component along an axis offset from the principle axis, a magneto resistive device disposed in the magnetic sensing region, a constant current source supplying a predetermined constant current to said magneto resistive device, and a voltage sensing circuit connected to said magneto resistive device for measuring resistance by measuring a difference voltage induced by said constant current. This measured voltage corresponds to the current through the conductor. The magneto resistive device is formed as a Wheatstone bridge having a first and second pair of opposite terminals.

Abstract: The present invention is a proximity sensor employing a magneto resistive structure. This proximity sensor includes a toroidal magnet having a central aperture, an inner circumference and an outer circumference. This toroidal magnet has a first magnetic pole at the inner circumference and a second magnetic pole at the outer circumference thereby creating a magnetic field null at a center portion of the central aperture. A magneto resistive structure is disposed at the magnetic field null in the central aperture of the toroidal magnetic. This magneto resistive structure has a resistance dependent upon magnetic flux. The proximity of a magnetically permeable target to the toroidal magnet shifts the position of the magnetic null, thereby causing a large change in the magnetic flux through the magneto resistive structure. An electrical detection circuit detects changes in this resistance for indication of the proximity of the magnetically permeable target.

Abstract: A programmer/timer for an appliance of the type having a rotatable cam drum advanced for sequential actuation and deactuation of a plurality of electrical switches. The drum is advanced or indexed intermittently by an oscillating advance pawl engaging a ratchet wheel and also continuously by a gear driven by a common motor for oscillating the advance pawl. The ratchet wheel has a hub which is frictionally engaged to drive the cam drum. The driven gear in turn is frictionally engaged with the hub to also drive the ratchet wheel. When the advance pawl engages the ratchet wheel for intermittent drive, the driven gear slips on the ratchet hub. Upon user selection, a separate cam track lifts the advance pawl to permit the driven gear to continuously drive the ratchet wheel.

Abstract: A locking mechanism (100) for locking an electronic module (10) to a heat sink plate (12) is provided. Mechanism (100) features a slide block (16) slidably disposed in a slide track that is secured to plate (12). Block (16) is urged into heat transfer contacting engagement with module (10) by means of a shaft member (18) having a detent pin (34) that is biased by a resiient biasing member (44) outwardly into an opening (20) in the slide track wall (14) to positively lock block (16) against module (10) and requiring compression of member (44) through opening (20) from outside of the slide track wall to release block (16) from module (10).

Abstract: A torque sensor for a cylindrical shaft subject to torque employs an electrically conductive loop on the shaft, which loop exhibits changing electrical impedance with changing stress and strain as the shaft is torqued. In another embodiment, a pair of loops exhibit oppositely changing electrical impedance as the shaft is torqued. In another embodiment, a magneto-elastic electrically conductive loop on the shaft exhibits changing magnetic permeability and changing electrical impedance with changing stress and strain as the shaft is torqued.

Abstract: A Hall-Effect position sensing system is provided that is particularly advantageous for use in vehicular applications such as for sensing position of a transmission gear change shift rail by requiring only a single power conductor (34) between a Hall-Effect switch device (90) and a remote power source (20) such as a battery by connecting a signal output terminal (16) of device (90) to conductor (34) in close proximity to device (90) and including a drop resistor (r.sub.1) such that a micro-processor (24) is able to provide an output control signal (32) indicative of position by monitoring the effect of the output signal of device (R) on conductor (34).

Abstract: An eddy current brake for braking the rotation of a rotating shaft driven by a drive including a rotatable, stamped one-piece inductor drum member connectable to a driven shaft, having a radially extending portion and an axially extending portion spaced from and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the driven shaft. A pole assembly is located within a volume defined by said drum member and is rigidly attached to an end adaptor plate of the drive. The pole assembly includes a pair of stamped pole members each defining a plurality of poles which are placed in a confronting, interdigitated relationship upon assembly.

Abstract: A controller for a battery-driven DC motor controls the average motor current by switching a series-connected FET on and off with a pulse-width-modulated gate signal. Motor speed is changed by changing the duty cycle of the signal, which is generated by an oscillator. An undervoltage protection circuit senses the battery voltage and compares it with a reference system that has hysteresis. An overload protection circuit senses the motor current, integrates the sensed signal, and compares the result with a Zener reference diode that is connected in an amplifier circuit for positive feedback. The oscillator's pulse-width-modulated output, the undervoltage protection circuit's output, and the overload protection circuit's output are input to a "NOR" logic gate, whose output drives the gate of the FET.

Abstract: A vehicular transmission shift control system is provided for effecting automatic shifting between a group of sequentially related forward gear ratios provided by the transmission that includes a logic member (16) operative to receive and process an engine speed signal (22) and a gear ratio position signal (30) and to provide an output control signal (33) to a shift actuator (34) that is operative to enable automatic shifting between the sequentially related forward gear ratios whenever the lowest sequentially related forward gear ratios of the group is manually engaged by an operator of the vehicle. Fuel to the engine is controlled (26) to cause a torque reversal across an engaged jaw clutch (80-86, 82-88, 84-90) to assure disengagement thereof without requiring disengagement of the master clutch (8).

Abstract: A torque motor and throttle body are integrated within a single assembly for application with an internal combustion engine charge air inlet. The butterfly valving element of the throttle body and rotor of the motor are mounted on a common shaft, the position of which is established by a fly-by-wire control circuit. The rotor is selectively affixed to the shaft through an intermediate coupling which is excessible externally of the motor's closed stator assembly.

Abstract: An improved control system and method for an automatic transmission system (10) including an automatic change gear transmission (12) driven by a throttle (26) controlled engine (14) is provided. The control system includes a processing unit (42) for receiving inputs indicating at least throttle position (THL) and vehicle speed (OS), for determining vehicle acceleration/deceleration (dOS/dt) and for processing these inputs in accordance with a program or logic rules to determine the selected engaged gear ratio and for issuing command signals to transmission system shifting mechanisms (34 and 30). The processing unit includes an operator selected (DOR) set of logic rules by which vehicle performance is maximized and the control will evaluate downshifts at assumed constant vehicle deceleration for a period of time (T) greater than the time required for a single downshift and command a downshift to the lowest gear ratio under the calculated conditions.

Abstract: A dual path switch (DPS) circuit for interfacing between arithmetic elements of a computer for performing Fast Fourier Transforms. The ratio of power consumption to signal resolution is very low. The DPS has very high frequency resolution, and to conserve power, many of its registers are reset to a logic low status when they are not in use. The DPS includes a diagnostic system which, upon a hardware failure, identifies the faulty gate and specifies the nature of the fault. The diagnostic system also provides a fault signal for use in testing for the mean time between failures.

Abstract: An image sorting system such as an airborne defense system for receiving and classifying enemy radar signals according to frequency, azimuth angle of arrival, etc. It employs a RAM that is addressed by the frequency and azimuth values of each received signal. If the addressed storage location in the RAM is empty, a number is assigned and stored there to represent the radar that is producing the received signals. The RAM represents a map of the aircraft's environment. Hash addressing, chaining of overlapping radar signals, pipelining to facilitate the blocking of superfluous pulse Doppler signals, etc. enable rapid reliable sorting and identification of hundreds of radar or other signals in the area.

Abstract: A method for controlling an AMT system (10) is provided including sensing and identifying faulty input signals (ES, IS, OS) from the engine speed sensor (28), the input shaft speed sensor (32) and/or the output shaft speed sensor (36) and, if only one of the speed signals (ES, IS or OS) is faulty, modifying the logic method of control (42) to a logic method tolerant of the identified faulty input signal.

Abstract: A seal assembly (22 or 50) including a primary seal (26), an exclusion seal (28 or 52), and a contaminant absorbing material (30 or 54). The exclusion seal and absorbing material extend the life of the primary seal. The exclusion seal is of the face seal type and includes spacer means (40, 42, 38 or 62, 64, 56) for proper positioning of a sealing lip (34d or 60a) of an elastomeric seal member (34 or 60) relative to an axial facing sealing surface (36a or 58c). The absorbing material (30 or 54) is disposed between the exclusion seal and the primary seal for absorbing contaminants which get by the exclusion seal. The axially facing sealing surface (36a or 58c) may be defined by a frustonconical surface such as provided by a spring washer (44). The seal assembly (50) includes circumferentially, radially spaced vanes (62d) for centrifuging contaminants radially outward and into the absorbing material.

Abstract: An optical probe for measuring various parameters of bent pipe comprises a substantially U-shaped housing defining a sensitive area across which light is projected from within the housing toward first and second light sensors mounted to the legs of the probe and having fields of view directed toward the inner portion of the probe. A pipe positioned within the sensitive area of the probe occludes sections of the fields of view of the sensors, which occluded sections have a direct relation to the position of the pipe with respect to the probe. Positions of the occluded sections of the fields of view defines the position of the pipe relative to the probe. By moving the probe in a scanning path along the pipe, a large number of measurements are made so that a best fit line will effectively average a large number of measurements to more accurately define three dimensional position and orientation of the pipe centerline.

Abstract: A system for controlling refrigerant flow in an air conditioning system employing an electrically operated valve for controlling flow of refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator. Separate thermistors sense the temperature of the refrigerant entering and discharging from the evaporator. A comparison of the sensed temperatures is used to modify the control signal to the valve for maintaining proper refrigerant flow to the evaporator.

Abstract: A viscous fan clutch (10) is typically employed in a fan drive mechanism within a truck or automobile. A shaft (18), driven by the engine (12), rotates a clutch member (42) within the fan drive. The clutch member is arranged for fluid engagement with a body member (60) for the transmission of torque thereto when fluid is disposed in an operating chamber (106) defined by complimentary shear surfaces in the clutch and body members (48 and 98), respectively. A tether assembly (30) operates as an actuator to displace a valving element (196) within the clutch to control the torque transmission there through and thus the speed of the output shaft and fan (34) thereof. Fan speed is regulated by variable current signal applied to a coil (174) within assembly (30) to selectively variably frictionally engage valve element assembly (196) with a grounded thrust surface or reaction member (190) to effect limited displacement of a valve element (198) in response thereto.