Abstract: A plasma injection device in combination with a projectile includes a reusable multi-part propellant case which has a cartridge base and an electrically insulating case body directly attached to the cartridge base. The case body has an interior, a front end and an opposite rearward end. The rearward end of the case body is directly attached to the cartridge base. The case body has an outer surface for engaging an inner surface of a weapon tube whereby the case body constitutes an obturator. An electrode is held in the cartridge base in direct contact therewith. The electrode extends into the electrically insulating material and is exposed to the interior of the case body. The device further includes a plasma-receiving container having a front end and a rearward end; the rearward end is attached to the front end of the case body. The case body and the plasma-receiving container are substantially consecutively disposed end-to-end.

Abstract: An aesthetic structure comprising a sheet of material having a smooth surface and a plurality of strips of a non-metallic material. Each strip has a surface and a layer of adhesive material is adhered to the surface of each strip for securing the strip to the smooth surface of the sheet of material. The strips are disposed on the smooth surface of the sheet of material to segment the smooth surface of the sheet of material into discrete portions. A method for making an aesthetic structure such as a stained glass window is provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an antenna unit for a portable radio unit capable of operating in a satellite communication mode. The antenna unit includes a first and a second conformal u-shaped antenna body which are movably arranged to each other. Each of the antenna bodies have a top surface and two outer surfaces. The second antenna body can be slid in and out of the first antenna body. The first antenna body has an array of patches on the top surface and on both of its outer surfaces to receive radio signals. The second antenna body has an array of patches on the top surface and on both of its outer surfaces to transmit radio signals. The antenna unit is coupled to the terminal unit by a hinge which enables the antenna unit to be folded onto the terminal unit.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a means of transporting items such as those commonly taken to the beach or on a picnic over sandy or otherwise yielding terrain. The device is comprised of a wheeled, collapsible frame including a bottom frame suitable for supporting larger objects such as an ice chest. The disclosed invention also includes an upper frame which supports a pliable receptacle that is of sufficient size to hold a multitude of miscellaneous items such as blankets, beach toys, clothes, food, etc. The invention includes a retractable chair hanger to support a plurality of folding chairs in a hanging fashion thereby providing a stable environment for transporting the chairs with little risk of loosing the chairs when traveling over rough terrain. In the preferred embodiment, near the midpoint of the chair hanger is a cross bar that is used to support the front portion of the receptacle.

Abstract: A flexible penetration fitting is provided for sealing the hole through which a pipeline penetrates a wall of an underground containment box. The penetration fitting includes a flexible boot with a sealing flange for providing a first seal against the inside wall of the box. The sealing flange is held against the wall by a backing ring placed against the outside wall of the box. The backing ring includes a plurality of studs extending through the wall and into the box. A compression ring with a plurality of holes is placed over the sealing flange with the studs of the backing ring extending though the holes. A plurality of nuts are threaded to the studs to hold the sealing flange firmly against the inside wall of the box. The flexible boot also includes a sleeve for providing a second seal against the outside surface of the pipeline. The sleeve is stepped with different sized openings so as to be able to receive different sizes of pipelines.

Abstract: A D-AMPS+ cellular communications air interface is presented wherein a packet data control channel and packet data traffic channel is supported in addition to the conventional digital control channel and digital traffic channel. In particular, the packet data control channel and packet data traffic channel support multiple modulation level operation (high versus low). Procedures are provided for mobile station selection, as well as re-selection, of either the high or low-level modulation for the packet channels. Procedures are further provided for facilitating a fall-forward to the high-level modulation packet data control channel, or a fall-backward to the low-level modulation packet data control channel with respect to both uplink and downlink packet data communications.

Abstract: A drilling fluid and an invert emulsion fluid having utility for drilling, completing or working over subterranean oil and gas wells are disclosed. The drilling fluid includes a continuous phase that includes a preferentially-oil-soluble glycol ether which has a viscosity at 25.degree. C. of at least 10 centipoise, and an emulsifier. The invert emulsion fluid includes a oleaginous fluid including a preferentially-oil-soluble glycol ether which is miscible in oil and is such that less than 10% by volume of the glycol ether is miscible in fresh water at 20.degree. C., that is to say 10% by volume of the glycol ether mixed in fresh water results in two phases. The invert emulsion fluid also includes a nonoleaginous fluid and an emulsifier which is functionally effective to stabilize the invert emulsion.

Abstract: An electrostatic three-dimensional printer in which molten material drops such as plastic and wax are given an electrostatic charge, and accelerated through a guiding magnetic field. Just as an electron is accelerated and guided in a cathode ray tube. Any molten material may be used. Parts are created by the build up of multiple layers of these droplets. When parts have overhangs a second removable material is used. In the case of plastic a lower melting point wax could be used to support the overhanging plastic then later removed from the part by melting.

Abstract: A .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator-controlled, phase-locked-loop circuit, and an associated method, generates a frequency-regulated signal which does not exhibit undesired tones. Dithering signals are generated and are provided to a .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator. The .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator forms a division-factor control signal used to control the division factor of a frequency divider forming a portion of the PLL circuit. The dithering signals applied to the .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator reduce the likelihood that the .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator shall enter a limit cycle and generate repetitive output signals.

Abstract: A new class of shift registers that shift the contents of a 2.sup.n bit length register up to 2.sup.n -1 positions in n cycles. Shift registers according to the present invention can be constructed to shift left, shift right, or to shift either left or right. A general implementation of this class of shift registers comprises the following hardware: 2.sup.n D flip-flops or D latches for the data register positions of the shift register; logic for each of the 2.sup.

Abstract: New drilling fluids have been invented which are invert emulsion fluids comprising an oleaginous liquid, a non-oleaginous liquid, and a protonated amine. Such fluids are acidic and thus useful in drilling wells in which acidic gases such as CO.sub.2 or H.sub.2 S are likely to be encountered and break, i.e. de-emulsify, the drilling fluid.

Abstract: Dilute solutions of fermentation sales may be concentrated by extracting water using low-miscibility, low-molecular-weight secondary and tertiary amines, e.g. triethylamine (TEA), diisopropyl amine (DIA), N,N-diethylmethylamine (DEMA), and mixtures thereof. At 30.degree. C.-55.degree. C., which corresponds to typical fermentation temperatures, these low-molecular-weight amines or their mixtures, can extract large amounts of water from dilute aqueous solutions containing fermentation salts. Thus, dilute fermentation salt solutions can be concentrated by selectively removing water. At these low temperatures, the amine phase contains 20-35% water and a much reduced quantity of fermentation salt. When the temperature is raised, water phases out of the amine, allowing the amine to be recycled and reused to extract additional water. Using this approach, about 82.

Abstract: A process for manufacture of molten carbonate fuel cell matrices in which an aluminate precursor material and a lithium salt are mixed in an aqueous or organic solvent, resulting in formation of a suspension, the suspension is heated to a temperature less than a boiling of the solvent, resulting in formation of a slurry comprising a lithium aluminate precursor material, at least one casting additive is added to the slurry, the slurry is formed into a desired shape, the desired shape is dried or cured to yield a green molten carbonate fuel cell structure, and the green molten carbonate fuel cell structure is heated after assembly into a molten carbonate fuel cell to the molten carbonate fuel cell operating temperature, resulting in transformation of the lithium aluminate precursor material to lithium aluminate.

Abstract: The fiber optics sensor includes a polarization maintaining optic fiber forming an optical loop, and a sensing medium coupled to the optic fiber and disposed generally midway in the optical loop. First and second quarter waveplates, coupled to the optic fiber and oriented at approximately 45.degree. with one another in close proximity to the sensing medium, convert two counter-propagating linearly polarized light waves traveling in the optical loop into two counter-propagating circularly polarized light waves prior to passing through the sensing medium. The first and second quarter waveplates further convert the counter-propagating circularly polarized light waves into two linearly polarized light waves after exiting the sensing medium. The counter-propagating circularly polarized light waves passing through the sensing medium experience a differential phase shift caused by a magnetic field or current flowing in a conductor proximate to the sensing medium.

Abstract: In a magnetizable flat damping component with an acoustic wave damping or suppressing layer (5) with an adhesive layer (2) bonded thereto for securing the damping component to other objects (6) and with magnetizable particles (3) in the damping component the magnetizable particles are integrated into the adhesive layer (2) using binding agents (4).

Abstract: Methods and an apparatus for measuring gas flow with greater reliability than earlier single-rotor and double-rotor turbine meters and dual turbine meter systems are disclosed. The apparatus comprises two independent rotors, in close proximity of each other, housed in the same meter body, but isolated from the effects of each other. No pressure and temperature correction are needed for accuracy performance comparison between the two rotors. Because of the two rotor averaging technique, the reliability of the volume totalization is greatly improved over earlier double-rotor and single-rotor designs.