Abstract: A magnetostrictive liquid level probe in a double-walled liquid container develops liquid level data and external sensors in the space between the walls respond to the presence of liquid leaked into the space from inside or outside the container. Other sensors external of the liquid level probe may sense other conditions. The probe electronics determines binary states of the external sensors and digitally encodes the states for inclusion in data transmission of the liquid level information to a remote controller via a two-wire transmission line. One embodiment develops pulses spaced as a digital function of the sensor states and includes liquid level data between the pulses for transmission. The pulse space is measured at the remote controller and decoded to determine the external sensor states, while the liquid level data is analyzed to determine the contents of the container.

Abstract: A leadless type ballast transformer having a connector at one end of the housing for accepting a mating connector which supplies voltage to the ballast and provides the operating voltage to the lamps controlled by the ballast. Uninsulated connection leads extending inwardly of the housing from the connector terminals to contact the lugs of a terminal board adjacent a transformer coil with the magnet wires of the transformer coils also being in contact with the terminal board lugs. The connection leads and magnet wires are permanently electrically connected to the terminal board lugs by ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: A constant wattage ballast transformer of the isolated type permitting the electrical grounding of a mounting shell of the lamp it powers in which a primary, secondary and auxiliary winding are provided with the primary winding inducing voltage into the auxiliary and secondary windings while being electrically isolated from both these windings and the auxiliary winding electrically connected to the secondary winding to add its induced voltage to that directly induced in the secondary winding from the primary winding.

Abstract: One half-connector terminates a set of leads in the ballast, for carrying electrical power to and from the ballast coils. Another half-connector terminates another set of leads outside the ballast, connected e.g. to carry power to lamp sockets. Male contacts, preferably formed very inexpensively as bared ends of one set of leads, are held in a first of the half-connectors; female contacts, connected to the other set of leads, are held in a second of the two half-connectors. Through-holes in the second half-connector each hold one female contact; each hole has a necked-down section, forward from the contact, and some device (preferably an ultrasonically displaced slug) to retain the contact. In one aspect of the invention, each hole also has a bore whose transverse preformed dimension is biggest immediately rearward from the necked-down forward section.

Abstract: In a rotor mounting system, a tab is welded to the outer race of a bearing assembly extending in a radial direction beyond the diameter of the outer race. The motor bracket housing includes a boss projecting upward from the housing proximate to the receiving cavity for the bearing assembly, such that when the bearing assembly is seated in the receiving cavity, interference between the tab and the boss prevents rotation of the outer race within the receiving cavity.

Abstract: A housing of electrical insulating material for a thermal protector used with an inductive device, such as a ballast transformer, in which the housing has an open portion through which the case of the thermal protector is accessible to be placed adjacent a part of the inductive device to sense its temperature. The housing also has an aperture through which a current carrying inductor device lead wire connected to the protector extends. An adhesive tape on the housing is used to fasten the housing to the inductor. An insulated part of the housing protects a junction of a current carrying wire connected to the protector and a wire of a coil of the inductive device.

Abstract: An assembly tool helps connect an electrical external half-connector to an internal half-connector at an aperture in a ballast case. The tool includes a fulcrum for stabilizing the tool against the case, and tongue for pushing the external half-connector into engagement while clearing the connector wires, to avoid damage. A handle of the tool is used to rotate the tool about the fulcrum. If the connector has a latch to deter pull-out, the tool also preactuates or depresses the latch to eliminate frictional resistance to inserting the latch--and so reduce the required engagement force. Latch depression is simultaneous with the point in the insertion process where the latch hook passes its mating engagement member. The tool dimensions provide a high mechanical advantage to help push the two connector halves together against friction. The tool converts the connector-engaging task from wrist action to a stress-free upper-body movement.

Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: An integral housing for mounting and operating one or more elongated fluorescent lamps. The housing is frame shaped having a center arm with a section for holding the ballast transformer and a side arm at each of the ends of the center arm which have sockets for holding the lamps. The housing is preferably of two hollow sections for holding the ballast, wiring and various components and the sections are fastened together.

Abstract: In a position detection probe having a magnetostrictive wire stretched between a head and a reflective foot end termination, and a magnet displaceable along the probe and using the sonic pulse propagation time from the magnet to the foot as a position detection parameter, compensation for thermal expansion and thermal change of propagation velocity is made based on the property of the total propagation time along the wire length being a unique function of temperature and calibrating the probe at different temperatures to yield either equations or look up tables of true positions as functions of the total propagation time and the position detection parameter. By mapping wire characteristics at a plurality of magnet positions and temperatures to construct look up tables, wire nonlinearities as well as thermal effects can be compensated for.

Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: A position detection probe having a magnetostrictive wire stretched between a head and a reflective foot end termination, and a magnet movable along the probe uses the sonic pulse propagation time from the magnet to the head as one parameter and the time from the magnet to the foot and reflected back to the head as another parameter for determining the magnet position. The sum of the propagation times is a constant which is used as a reference value. Upon receipt of the first two pulses the propagation times are summed and compared to the reference value, and the data is accepted if the sum is within a prescribed window around the reference value. When noise occurs, it creates a false measure of propagation time so that the sum of the propagation times is no longer equal to the reference value and the data is rejected.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive liquid level transducer equipped with a number of temperature sensitive resistors is supplied with low level power from a remote station and charges a capacitor to store power for interrogation of the level transducer. The transducer is interrogated periodically for level measurements and the capacitor is recharged between interrogations. During the recharging periods, temperature measurements are made. Thus the level and temperature related data is measured and transmitted alternately. Each measurement results in a pair of pulses having a spacing corresponding to the measured value. The transmission message comprises a plurality of frames or time periods. The first frame is blank and is used for synchronizing the receiving device with the message frames. The subsequent frames have the level and temperature related data interleaved in the message and are easily sorted by the receiving device at the remote station. The data pulses are sent on the power transmission conductors.

Abstract: Charging voltage and current control circuits for battery chargers provide for a constant output voltage above a first predetermined value of charging current and an increasing output voltage below the first predetermined value of charging current. The charger makes use of a pulse-width modulated control circuit utilizing a variable duty cycle proportional to charging current and couples a signal proportional to charging current via a diode-resistor network to the pulse-width modulator for values below the first predetermined value of charging current. A current limit control circuit provides a current limit function by driving the pulse-width modulator to a minimum duty cycle during overcurrent conditions.

Abstract: Method for controlling an electric drive motor coupled to a reciprocating mechanical system such as an oil well walking beam pump by inserting a pair of power-off pulses in a reciprocation period of the pump motor energization cycle, with one pulse in a top-of-cycle region and the other pulse in a bottom-of-cycle region to reduce rod stress and motor electrical power consumption and increase pump displacement and efficiency.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp power control having an input conditioning section, a lamp driver section, and a power command interface and control section to control power to fluorescent lamps. An external power command input is compared to an internally generated, computed power level and an electronic preregulator is controlled to regulate amp power. The preregulator output voltage and lamp driver current are multiplied to obtain a signal indicative of lamp power. A power command interface isolates the external power command input. Fluorescent lamp dimming is achieved by reducing the external power command input signal, reducing the power delivered to the fluorescent lamps.

Abstract: Charging voltage and current control circuits for battery chargers provide for a constant output voltage above a predetermined value of charging current and a step-wise increased output voltage below the predetermined value of charging current. The charger makes use of a pulse-width modulated control circuit utilizing a variable duty cycle to control charging current and couples a trim command signal responsive to a primary side signal representative of charging current to the pulse-width modulator for values below the predetermined value of charging current. A current limit control circuit provides a foldback current limit function by driving the pulse-width modulator to a reduced output current during overload conditions.

Abstract: A pressure transducer mounting apparatus for mounting pressure transducers utilizes a collet secured to a base to selectively retain and release a a transducer from a receptacle. The receptacle is movable within the collet to provide pressure communication to the transducer when installed and to block pressure communication when the transducer is released. A retainer surrounds the collet and receptacle and moves the collet radially when the retainer moves axially. The retainer may be moved axially by a screw thread or an offset key hole cooperating with a projection on the base.

Abstract: A waveform corrector for providing correction to three-phase electrical power to correct for transient and harmonic distortion arising from electrical power cable reactance wherein the cable head end voltage and current are sensed without load end voltage or current sensing. Phase and neutral current values are sensed and corrected with predetermined values of cable resistance and inductance to provide a corrected sine wave voltage at the load end of the cable achieved by inserting a dynamic correction voltage in series with the electrical output of the waveform corrector.

Abstract: A bearing lubrication system having an exterior bearing cap circumscribing a motor shaft and having an annular recess with an axially extending depth, divided into first and second arcuate portions in the recess, forming lubrication inlet and outlet pockets in the recess, with the inlet and outlet pockets separated by axially extending walls, each wall having a height less than the depth of the recess for permitting grease to flow from the inlet pocket to the outlet pocket. The recess further has a sloped surface on an inner circumferential wall thereof to direct grease towards an adjacent antifriction bearing. A grease metering shield in the form of a solid or perforated annular plate adjacent the bearing directs grease to the contact region between the inner race and the rolling elements of the bearing.