Abstract: A regenerative turbine pump apparatus which includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and an impeller mounted for rotation within the housing. The impeller has an outer diameter and a channel ring is disposed around the impeller. The channel ring has a first arcuate portion that has a first radius to provide a substantially uniform first clearance with respect to the outer diameter of the impeller and the first arcuate portion extends throughout a major part of the channel ring. The channel ring includes a second arcuate portion proximate to the inlet having a second clearance with respect to the outer diameter of the impeller that is greater than the first clearance.

Abstract: A pump which includes a housing and a shaft disposed within the housing having an axis. The apparatus also includes apparatus for mounting the shaft within the housing for rotational movement thereof and an impeller having a geometric center carried on the shaft. A fluid inlet in the housing is disposed with a first opening disposed in eccentric relationship to the geometric center of the impeller. In some forms of the invention the opening is generally shaped like a dog bone with the two largest parts thereof spaced apart from the geometric center of the impeller.

Abstract: A process and system which provides for the heatless or pressure swing fractionation of a gaseous mixture which comprises first and second fractionation columns containing appropriate adsorption materials, together with heat exchangers, and especially featuring a compressed gas pressure powered motor driving a compressor so as to recover energy released due to the pressure reduction in one of the process flow streams.

Abstract: A communication system in which a controller is coupled over a communication path with two or more transponders, at least two of which transponders have different addresses, which controller and transponders communicate by periodically transmitting a broadcast message simultaneously to all transponders, transmitting an acknowledge message indicative of a new input received by at least one of the transponders, and individually polling all of the transponders using a polling technique which incorporates time periods to allow communication between the controller and a selected transponder, wherein the polling is only activated subsequent to the transmission of the acknowledge message. Periodic polls of all transponders in sequence provide supervision of the integrity of the system.

Abstract: An endothermic gas generator having separate sources of oxygen and hydrocarbon gas at pressures above the pressure of the endothermic gas to be produced, the sources of oxygen and hydrocarbon gas being interconnected through separate pressure reducing valves and to a gas tight reaction chamber, the reaction chamber containing catalyst bodies and being heated to a temperature sufficient to support a reaction between carbon atoms and oxygen atoms to produce an endothermic gas, the reaction chamber having a outlet port for an endothermic gas resulting from the reaction of the oxygen and the hydrocarbon gases at a pressure approximately that of the mixture of gases entering the reaction chamber.

Abstract: Apparatus for mechanical coupling such as an actuator to a valve includes an elongated drive member having an axial extremity having a drive surface and an elongated driven member having an axial extremity having a drive surface. One of the drive surfaces is an internal surface which has a polygon shaped cross section and one of the drive surfaces is an external drive surface which has a polygon shaped cross section. In some embodiments first and second sleeves including a plurality of wedge surfaces having generally planar faces are inserted between the drive and driven surfaces. In other forms of the invention the internal drive surface has four wedge shaped faces and a single sleeve having wedge shaped faces is inserted between the drive and driven member. The drive and driven members are disposed with the drive surfaces disposed in nested axially overlapping relationship with the wedge shaped surfaces disposed radially intermediate the respective drive surfaces.

Abstract: A radio frequency crosspoint switch module for use in a matrix comprising: a housing adapted to provide grounding; a pair of orthogonally related crosspoint switches disposed within the housing at either end thereof, each crosspoint switch including three movable blade contacts and three sets of fixed contacts, one set of fixed contacts being disposed on, and in contact with, the housing; a pair of coaxial connectors coupled to each of the ends of the housing, each connector having an inner conductor and an outer conductor, each pair of coaxial connectors being disposed on a common axis to be connected in a through connection mode when a respective switch is in a first position, such that two of the movable blade contacts are in contact with the second and third sets of fixed contacts attached to, or forming part of, the inner conductors of the first and second connectors respectively; a third coaxial connector being rotatable, extending between the ends of the housing, and orthogonally related to the two pai

Abstract: The illuminator apparatus disclosed herein provides illumination for the microlithographic manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits. Degradation of the illuminator output by photopolymerization of volatile compounds associated with the resist coatings is inhibited by utilizing a composite filter at the cooling area inlet to the light source which includes a bed of activated carbon for removing volatile compounds which are photopolymerizable to substances which are absorbtive at the exposing wavelengths.

Abstract: An optical reticle inspection system and method employing a photolithographic projection optical system. The present invention provides for imaging a reticle pattern to be inspected onto a complementary reticle pattern and directly viewing the obscured image pattern to provide a measure of the fidelity of the reticle patterns.

Abstract: A photolithographic projection optical system comprising: a source of exposure energy for generating a beam of energy; an optical element located in the path of the beam for receiving the beam of energy and passing the beam therethrough; a refractive lens assembly located in the path of the portion of the beam for receiving and transmitting the beam of energy, the refractive lens assembly comprising at least one meniscus lens, a plano-convex lens, and an air gap disposed between the meniscus lens and the plano-convex lens; a reticle element located in the path of the portion of the beam, the reticle element having a uniform thickness and being positioned for permitting the beam to pass through the thickness and through the lens assembly to the optical element. Alternatively, the air gap of the refractive lens assembly can be replaced with a glass layer having an index of refraction that is lower than both the meniscus lens and the plano-convex lens.

Abstract: Impellers and impeller systems are described which enable liquids and liquid suspensions to be mixed and blended where the size of the impeller and the viscosity of the liquid may require operation in the turbulent and laminar flow regimes, as well as in the transitional flow regime therebetween. The impellers have a plurality of fluidfoil blades and have camber and twist. The angle at the tip of two diametrically disposed blades of a four blade impeller may have a different blade angle at the tip than the other pair of blades. A pair of impellers may be used. These impellers may be of different diameter and disposed in close proximity so that they are in dependent relationship (preferably spaced apart by less than the diameter of the larger impeller).

Abstract: A catadioptric imaging system is used to form a converging test beam for measuring large aperture optical elements having convex spherical surfaces. A beamsplitter block divides a collimated beam of coherent monochromatic light from a laser source into a test beam and a reference beam. A focusing system receives the test beam and transforms the beam into a spherically diverging beam emanating from a point source. A beamsplitter plate partially reflects the diverging beam into a further diverging beam that impinges against a concave spherical mirror at a small angle from normal incidence. The mirror reflects the further diverging beam in the form of a converging beam having a numerical aperture at least nearly equal to numerical apertures of the test surfaces. The converging beam is also interrupted by the beamsplitter plate; but on this occasion, the beamsplitter plate partially transmits the converging beam toward a focal point coinciding with a center of curvature of the test surface.

Abstract: A mixer impeller, which is adapted to mix and blend liquids and liquid suspensions in industrial and commmercial applications and is subject to forces which tend to work the impeller loose from attachment with its driving shaft, is secured to the shaft by collars (locking rings) which are threaded on the ends of hubs from which the blades of the impeller extend. In order to secure the attachment of the collars to the hub, a locking key is inserted between the collar and the shaft. The inner periphery of the collars are tapered outwardly away from the shaft. The neck of the locking key has portions which are deflected against these tapered inner peripheries when a pin is inserted through the neck of the locking key. A ramp on the collar mates with a ramp on the key to prevent reverse rotation (working loose) of the collar. The impeller is restrained against axial movement by the collar and against rotational movement by being keyed to the shaft and restricted by the ramp on the collar.

Abstract: A modular mixer system which enables motor, transmission, bearing housing and impeller shaft components to be selected and combined as required for particular mixing applications. The components may be assembled to provide either direct drive from the motor to the impeller shaft contained in the bearing housing (without reduction gears), or through a gear transmission (with an interplate and intershaft where seal removal is required), and form a mixer drive subassembly. This subassembly is mounted on mounts which provide portability; these mounts having pivotal clamps for mounting the mixer system on the wall of a tank or the like. Various fixed mounts may also be used, which are in the form of plates or pedestals which rigidly connect the mixer system to a tank or beam above the tank. In all cases the bearing housing is common and forms the core to which the components of the drive assembly and the mount are connected.

Abstract: An analog and digital display device for use with railroad vehicles which comprises: a host processor which transmits operational data received from a digital overspeed controller (DOC), such as actual speed, allowable speed, profile speed, distance to profile, messages and an indication of overspeed; a central processing unit (CPU) which receives and interprets operational data transmitted by the host processor; and an analog and digital display which displays the operational data in both analog and digital formats.

Abstract: Side entering mixer apparatus has an impeller with an axis of rotation above and along the bottom of a tank in which the material (liquid or liquid suspension) to be mixed is disposed. In a discharge region in front of the impeller and in close proximity to the front of the impeller, there is disposed a flow straightening vane which removes substantially any radial component of flow. By removal of the radial flow component, helical flows which interact in the discharge region and cause pulsation of flow into the inlet region (between the rear surface of the impeller and the side wall of the tank from which it projects) are substantially eliminated and potentially catastrophic stress-induced failures in the side entering mixer and its seals are avoided.

Abstract: Impellers and impeller systems are described which enable liquids and liquid suspensions to be mixed and blended where the size of the impeller and the viscosity of the liquid may require operation in the turbulent and laminar flow regimes, as well as in the transitional flow regime therebetween. The impellers have a plurality of fluidfoil blades and have camber and twist. The geometric pitch or blade angle increases from the tip of the blade towards their axis of rotation in a manner to provide an over pitched condition so that the pitch ratio of the blades at 40% of the blade radius from the axis is greater than the pitch ratio at the tip. The blades are preferably smoothly tapered and increased in width from the tip towards the axis. The impeller blades are mounted on a hub connected to a drive shaft. The blades may decrease in width where they connect to the hub. The pitch angle at the tip is in the range of 18.degree. to 30.degree. (preferably about 20.degree.).

Abstract: Plural plasma etching vessels and a wafer queuing station are arrayed about a closed pentagonal locus with a wafer transfer arm therewithin all in a controlled vacuum environment. Wafers are movable within the controlled environment between the several plasma vessels and the wafer queuing station without atmospheric or other exposure so that possible contamination of the moved wafers is prevented. The system is selectively operative in either single-step or multiple-step processing modes, and in either of the modes, the several plasma etching vessels are operable to provide a desirably high system throughput. Wafer processing in each vessel is regulated by a state controller for processing a plurality of wafers from a single cassette, contained within the vacuum environment of the plural plasma etching vessels and wafer queuing station, to provide an orderly and efficient throughput of wafers for diverse or similar processing in the plural vessels. The wafer transfer arm is movable in R and .theta..

Abstract: In the distance and tilt sensing apparatus disclosed herein, an image of a light source is projected by a lens obliquely onto a surface to be sensed. A ring reticle is interposed in the optical path between the light source and the lens at a distance from the lens substantially equal to its focal length. A second lens projects a remote image of the first object image onto a detector. The light projected from the second lens is split into two paths. An aperture reticle is interposed in one of the paths at a distance from the second lens substantially equal to its focal length, an image of the center of the ring reticle being formed on the aperture reticle. A position responsive optical detector aligned with the aperture reticle senses the position of the image of the center of the ring reticle relative to the center of the aperture and that position is indicative of the tilt of the surface around an axis essentially perpendicular to the axis of the incident light.