Abstract: The bottleneck of interfacing manual keyboards with high capacity data processing systems to rapidly enter a large number data input characters and processing instructions is resolved to use fewer keys without compromise on the rapidity of data entry. Thus, data input of either characters or processing instructions is entered in response to a single manual actuation stroke of keyboard keyswitches selected either one at a time or concurrently two or more at a time by a single finger on one hand. Thus, numeric calculators can with only nine keyswitches process all ten decimal digits plus a variety of processing instructions. Full alphanumeric data input can be handled with as few as twelve keyswitches. In this mode of operation fewer keys are needed and there is no delay in entry of data. Also the invention provides a layout pattern for touch entry of data with one hand with contoured finger homing positions that sense the right keyswitches and reduce entry errors.

Abstract: A computer keyboard system provides for fast entry of all numeric data, yet with only a small number of keys, such as the minimum number of twelve, is able to make hundreds of computer functions available for access from the keyboard. Typically a sixteen key keyboard will make available 266 different functions from a modern computer chip, surprisingly without sacrifice of more complex programming procedures and with significant advantage in providing finger room for error free operation of pocket-size computers, for example. A charted catalog of functions and corresponding keystroke selections is graphically displayed adjacent the keyboard keys so that reference to an instruction manual is minimized. Also by appropriate abbreviated notation a more diverse selection of functions is available to the keyboard as designated functions.

Abstract: A stair or ladder which has a central stringer adapted for mounting between an upper level and a lower level at a relatively steep angle of inclination, and a plurality of tread members disposed in alternating arrangement on respective sides of the stringer, each of the tread members having a foot support portion outwardly extending from the stringer. A pair of handrails is disposed substantially in a plane forward and parallel to a plane passing through the front edges of the foot support portions and positioned with respect to the foot support portions to provide support of the user. The tread members are substantially identical, except for the top tread and bottom tread of the stairway and include a foot support portion and an outwardly extending support adapted for connection to a rail. The stairway is preferably composed of components preformed of aluminum and welded together to provide a completed structure which is relatively light weight, rigid, and strong.

Abstract: A stair having a central stringer and two parallel side stringers. A plurality of vertically-spaced half treads is disposed on each side of the central stringer and extends between the central stringer and an adjacent side stringer. The half treads on one side of the central stringer alternate with those on the other side of the central stringer. The central stringer may or may not be a structural member depending upon the stair configuration but in all cases serves at least as a protective shielding of the inside corners of the treads, thereby minimizing user injury from the corners in case of a fall or other user mishap. A pair of handrails are disposed in a plane forward and parallel to a plane passing through the front edges of the treads and positioned with respect to the treads to provide support for a user.

Abstract: A solid state compass having a pair of flux gates orthogonally disposed on a gimballed platform and coupled by a single pair of conductors to an electronic subsystem which includes a current source for energizing the respective flux gates and a detection and control circuit to provide control of flux gate energization and to detect signals derived from each flux gate and from which compass heading is derived.

Abstract: A surveying system utilizes remote-controlled flashbulbs of flashlamps which are positioned to identify objects on terrain which is overflown with an aerial camera. The firing of the flashbulbs or flashlamps by a flash actuation signal transmitted either from the aircraft or from the ground is synchronized with the camera operation for providing a photograph of the overflown terrain having highly distinctive markings corresponding to the high intensity light emitted by the flashbulbs or flashlamps.

Abstract: An offshore water electrolysis plant which produces pressurized gas by electrolysis of fresh water and wave power includes the combination of a wave-powered electric generator at the ocean surface, an electrolyzer and storage vessels located on the ocean bottom for providing gas under pressure, and a source of fresh water at the ocean surface forced down to the submerged electrolyzer through the use of a water-filled standpipe. In one embodiment, the electric power generating system includes a tethered floating helix coupled to an electric generator, in which the helix is automatically aligned with the wave propagation direction, while in another embodiment linear alternators are mounted for reciprocation on a column which extends through the air-sea interface, with each alternator provided with a donut-shaped float, such that electric power is generated as each float moves vertically up and down responsive to wave motion.

Abstract: A marine speed log for providing an indication of the relative velocity of a vessel through water and an indication of the forward or reverse direction of travel. An output indication of total distance travelled can also be provided. The speed log is operable in both salt and fresh water without any change in calibration and incorporates a transducer having an air core. The speed log provides high sensitivity and high rejection of noise.

Abstract: A cylindrical compass gimballing and data readout system permitting 360.degree. rotation about both yaw and roll axes includes a cylindrical compass housing flooded with semiconductive fluid to permit transmission of a digitally multiplexed signal from a remote reading compass to a processing unit in which the fluid is interposed between spaced-apart plates located along and perpendicular to the roll axis of the compass. This permits electrical connection to and from the compass, and permits not only 360.degree. rotation about the yaw axis for compass heading readout, but also 360.degree. rotation of the compass about the roll axis to permit use in seismic streamers.

Abstract: A remote indicator displays data contained in a transmitted signal by angular displacement of a rotor. In essence, the indicator comprises a rotatably mounted magnetic rotor, a plurality of controllable magnetic field generators disposed circumferentially around the rotor, and appropriate selection circuitry. A sector selection circuit responsive to the transmitted data selectively enables at proper polarity a plurality of generators appropriate for controlling the rotor within the sector representative of the data, and an angle selection circuit responsive to the transmitted data alternately drives selected generators by electrical pulses time modulated to drive the rotor within the sector to the angular position representative of the transmitted data. Distortions due to residual magnetism are substantially eliminated by the use of AC pulsing, and non-linear salient pole effects are eliminated through the use of look-up table techniques.

Abstract: A system is described for manufacturing hydrogen gas which utilizes the energy of surface waves in a liquid, such as an ocean. The system first converts the energy of surface waves to mechanical energy by apparatus comprising a buoyant helical member mounted for rotation about an axis. The pitch of the helical member can be matched to the length of the expected waves and the member is floated on the surface with its axis oriented so that each wave traverses the helix lengthwise and buoyantly supports successive sections thereof causing it to rotate about its axis. The helix is coupled with rotary driven means to an electrical generator, wherein the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy in the form of DC current which in turn is employed to electrolyze ocean water to produce hydrogen gas which may then be compressed or liquified, e.g. for storage and transportation.

Abstract: A remote-reading compass in which a compass assembly is buoyantly supported within a housing to accommodate a large range of tilt. Buoyancy is provided by a float surrounding the compass assembly and a liquid within the housing chamber. A pivot pin extends from either side of the float along a first normally horizontal axis to permit rotation of the float and compass assembly about the axis. The ends of the pivot pin ride in a circumferentially extending track which is disposed on the interior of the housing. The track permits rotation of the compass assembly and float about a second normally horizontal axis orthogonal to the first axis of the pivot pin. In this manner, the compass assembly is permitted to remain in a normally horizontal orientation during movement of the compass housing without need of gimbals, and rotation about a normally vertical axis is prevented. In addition, the track and the pivot pin together maintain a desired spacing between the float and the interior of the housing.

Abstract: A floor mounted air conditioner comprising a housing containing condenser coils disposed in a conical configuration about a normally vertical axis, and cylindrically configured evaporator coils coaxially disposed above the condenser coils. A drip pan separates the condenser and evaporator coils and includes openings for discharging condensate onto the condenser coils for evaporation. A condenser fan associated with a bottom duct adapted for installation in a mounting opening in the floor of a room blows hot air through the mounting opening, and an evaporator fan is associated with a top duct for blowing cool air into the room being cooled. Another fan is provided for blowing cool air over the compressor.

Abstract: The angular position of a compass card or like rotary encoder disk includes the utilization of an optical pickoff system in which the accuracy associated with a digitally encoded disk is enhanced through the utilization of a secondary analog optical pickoff system in which the outer periphery or border of the disk carrying the digital code is provided with a series of skewed lines running at an angle to the radius of the disk. A mask having a narrow slot is located to one side of the disk along the radius of the disk. A light source is positioned on the other side of the disk, and a linear array of detectors is positioned above the slot. The use of the skewed lines and slot amplifies the motion of the rotary encoder disk such that fine angular orientation may be detected by virtue of the position along the length of the slot of a line within the slot aperture.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a krill peeling machine having a bank or plurality of banks of pairs of peeling rolls having peeling nips therebetween and with their major axes transverse to the path of flow of a supply of krill to be peeled through the machine. There are means for oscillating the peeling rolls causing the nips to engage and peel the krill to provide a tail meat with shell removed. The bank of peeling rolls are positioned at a declination of from 20.degree. to 30.degree. to the horizontal, each bank having a loading and discharge end. A krill leveling means is situated at the loading end of each peeling bank for distributing the krill substantially evenly across the peeling nips of the transversely disposed rollers to provide a layer of krill in contact with the peeling nips.

Abstract: A thermal plotter is provided which is of extremely simple construction and which can provide a magnified trace on a sheet in response to very small mechanical movement. A pair of spaced electrically conductive bus bars are disposed with their forward edges in contact with an electrical resistance wire which is maintained at a small acute angle to the axis of the bus bars. The resistance wire is supported by a mechanism which is moveable about a pivot axis to cause lateral movement of the portion of the resistance wire which bridges the bus bars. Small pivotal movement of the mechanism is magnified by the angular orientation of the resistance wire and bus bars into relatively larger movement along the length of the bus bars. A heat sensitive sheet is disposed with a surface in engagement with the confronting edges of the bus bar and bridging resistance wire, and is arranged for movement along a path transverse to the axis of the bus bars.

Abstract: A system is described for manufacturing hydrogen gas which utilizes the energy of surface waves in a liquid, such as an ocean. The system first converts the energy of surface waves to mechanical energy by apparatus comprising a buoyant helical member mounted for rotation about an axis. The pitch of the helical member can be matched to the length of the expected waves and the member is floated on the surface with its axis oriented so that each wave traverses the helix lengthwise and buoyantly supports successive sections thereof causing it to rotate about its axis. The helix is coupled with rotary driven means to an electrical generator, wherein the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy in the form of DC current which in turn is employed to electrolyze ocean water to produce hydrogen gas which may then be compressed or liquified, e.g. for storage and transportation.

Abstract: Liquid crystal, plasma cathode glow type or other materials visibly changeable by electrical actuation are provided with a set of generally circular shaped electrodes registering on opposite sides of a display panel and connected by a set of conductors serves to select decimal and alphameric numbers and symbols from subsets of as few as twelve side-by-side element positions. The character presentation in a pleasing and flexible style such as scroll is feasible because the elements form substantially equilateral triangles with adjacent elements.Simplified electronic coding and switching circuits are possible by use of fewer element areas in a set to form characters. The arrays may be continuously energized with a thirteen lead version with individual conductors to each element or may be cyclically pulsed with a four by four, five by three, etc. matrix conductor pattern of wires on opposite sides of the material.

Abstract: A circular ladder for use along a cylindrical wall and having a single stringer which is disposed in a helical path around the cylindrical wall and an array of half treads disposed on each side of the stringer. Each array of half treads is vertically spaced from the other along the length of the stringer, the half treads being affixed to and laterally extending from the respective sides of the stringer. Each half tread includes an outwardly extending portion which terminates in a plane which is forward of a plane passing through the front edges of the treads. First and second handrails are disposed in this forward plane and affixed to the outwardly extending tread portions. In an alternative embodiment, a single outside handrail is employed, the cylindrical wall providing a body support in place of an inside handrail.

Abstract: A hand-held calculator in which respective keyboards are arranged along the front face and rear face of the calculator housing and disposed along transverse axes such that each keyboard is in immediate position for use upon rotation of a user's wrist without any repositioning of the calculator in the hand. The use of both front and rear keyboards permits additional keyboard capability without increasing calculator size and without requiring multi-function keys.