Abstract: A gaseous or liquid fluid to be centrifuged, for the purpose of purification or of separation of different phases, is conducted at high speed in a curved channel past a vortex chamber formed in one of the channel walls at the concave side thereof, this chamber being partly separated from the main fluid path by an overhanging sharp upstream edge and by a possibly rounded downstream edge which extend over the full width of the channel. A body of fluid whirling in this chamber develops a cylindrical core free from entrained solids, or from an accompanying heavier phase, which can be axially extracted from the chamber while the remaining fluid continues its flow through a reduced channel portion which may also be curved and provided with another vortex chamber to repeat the process. Entrained particles may be removed from the solid-enriched residual flow by way of end apertures along the periphery of the vortex chamber and/or at the convex side of the curved channel.

Abstract: In the disclosed detector, data is passed into two channels. In one channel successive interword pulses are gated out and the resulting pulses stretched at least one-half pulse width. In the second channel pulses representing the entire data word stretched so that the interword pulses overlap. After the data words are suitably synchronized to equalize the stretching delays, an exclusive OR gate compares the channel outputs to produce a step representing the interword interval. The step opens a counter which counts a predetermined number of clock pulses to define the beginning of the next word. A delay at the beginning of the channels eliminates any lead between the data and the corresponding clock pulses.

Abstract: A device for sealing the fuselage gap in a variable geometry aircraft. The fuselage gap is designed to receive part of the movable wing on the aircraft. The seal is in contact with the upper and lower wing surfaces near the inboard trailing edge section so that the fuselage gap is effectively sealed during flight. The seal is constructed of an air bellows with a triangular-shaped cross section and a plurality of partition walls therein, each partition wall being filled with air passageways in order to allow equilization of air pressure within the bellows. The partition walls are connected to one of the outer sheath walls of the bellows through a hinge-like connection. The hinge consists of numerous loops with a hinge pin protruding through the loops to interlock the concerned outer wall of the bellows with the partition walls. In another embodiment, a one-piece, elastic wire is threaded through the loops of all partition walls consecutively.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the electric hydraulic control of a hydraulic actuator, said control comprising a redundant servovalve circuit with switching and monitoring logic. The apparatus has a plurality of electrohydraulic servovalves each controlled by separate electrical input channels and connected to a central pressure medium source. The control further has a control spool triggered by the servovalve to control the actuator and a hydraulic logic system for monitoring errors in the servo output signal. The positioning land of the control spool is acted upon on the one side by one group of signals consisting of the combined output signals of the same sign from one selected group of servovalves and is acted upon on the other side by the central pressure medium supply while the remaining sevovalve signals are applied separately to a hydraulic logic system including a comparator and alarm means.

Abstract: In a laser system activated by a molecular gas there is provided a novel nozzle construction for the purpose of effecting expansion of the gas in a minimum period of time but without destroying laminar flow conditions therein. Instead of the relatively long single nozzle of the prior art there is provided a plurality of nozzles expanding in three dimensional directions and arranged in parallel aligned relationship in a cluster closely adjacent each other. The nozzles may be of many cross-sectional shapes but in one embodiment the walls are concave, such that a relatively large wall angle with respect to the direction of flow at the throat of the nozzle diminishes progressively toward the end of the nozzle so that at such end the nozzle walls will be substantially parallel with each other, whereby to discharge the gas stream therefrom in a jet of constant cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An anchoring device for securing freight containers to the freight deck of an aircraft. A plurality of locking hooks are pivotally secured to the flight deck beneath the surface thereof. A resilient device is provided to urge the locking hooks to an upright position wherein the hook portion of the locking hook projects above the surface of the freight deck. The locking hooks, when in the retracted position beneath the surface of the freight deck are locked in position by a pair of locking mechanisms. One of the locking mechanisms is connected to a roll-over bar and the other locking mechanism is a manually operated release lever. The roll-over bar will be moved in response to an engagement therewith by a freight container. As a result, when a freight container has engaged the roll-over bar, the first locking mechanism will be released and the locking hook will only be released from a holding by the second locking mechanism by an operation of a manually operated release mechanism.

Abstract: The battery is of the type including a plurality of laminar semi-conductor bodies arranged on a dielectric support in parallel relation to each other and each comprising respectively layers of two different but oppositely conducting semi-conductor material forming a photovoltaic junction, with the layer adjacent the support being of the same conducting type in all of the semi-conductor bodies, and including contact strips electrically interconnecting oppositely conducting layers of adjacent semi-conductor bodies and extending throughout the length thereof. The support has one surface thereof formed with a plurality of V-shape notches extending parallel to each other and separated by lands, and the semi-conductor bodies are applied directly to the lands. The contact strips extend in the notches between two adjacent lands and are, along the edge of one land, in electrical contact with the inner layer of the respective semi-conductor body on the one land and which is directly adjacent the support.

Abstract: A warhead includes an outer casing and an explosive charge substantially filling the casing and the warhead has the usual streamlined tip with a target contact or impact trip element. The trailing end of the warhead is closed by a cover over a pot which contains an electronic ignition device. The explosive charge in the warhead is provided with a central bore which extends inwardly from its trailing end toward the tip and the bore is filled with a series of ignition elements or an ignition train which includes a first element which is centrally located along the longitudinal length of the bore and connected to the electronic ignition device. The train of ignition elements are capable of being set in a safety position and they may be armed before or during flight of the warhead by an arming mechanism which places them in an operating position.

Abstract: The present apparatus is especially constructed for osteotomic purposes. Bone extension means are movably supported in an elongated, slender housing. The extension means include an extension member movably extending out of said housing. Drive means are supported in the housing and operatively connected to the extension means. The drive means are energized through a source of power which may be either located in the housing itself, or it may be an external power source, such as a magnetic field. The power source is operatively connected to said drive means. Control means are supported in said housing to operate the drive means through said power source for moving the extension member. Sealing means seal the housing so as to provide an implantable structural unit.

Abstract: In a round of ammunition particularly intended for use against airborne targets, such as aircraft, explosive material and oxygen releasing carrier material are arranged within a casing, preferably in a number of layers, with at least a portion of the materials arranged for detonation under time delay, for increasing the flammability of the target. To increase the likelihood of damage of the target, the casing is arranged to splinter and splinter forming materials can be incorporated into one or more of the layers. In addition, to further promote the flammability to the target, material to support and enhance flammability is incorporated into the material within the casing.

Abstract: A controller for avoiding the pitching up of aircraft. A device is provided which, at a predetermined combination of the angle of attack and the aerodynamic rate of change of the angle of attack, supplied by a pitch rate gyro in connection with an electrical network, interrupts the pilot's command signal and transfers the control of the aircraft to the control device. The control device causes the aircraft to move through its change command by the pilot at primarily an optimum permissible limit for the angle of attack (.alpha.) and an optimum permissible limit for the aerodynamic rate of change for the rate of attack (.omega..sub.7 *). An optimum permissible limit which corresponds to the optimum permissible limit (.alpha. permissible) for the angle of attack (.alpha.) is also provided so that all control operations commanded by the pilot which would exceed .alpha. permissible are stopped prematurely.

Abstract: Device for measuring an angle defined by two adjacent planes. The invention defines a pair of independent parallelogram units each hinged at their respective corners and each carrying an angle sensing unit at a first respective end thereof. The second respective ends of said parallelogram units are connected to an indicating device for responding to the relative position of said parallelogram units. One of the parallelogram units is secured to an angle sensing unit and an indicating device through spherical pivot bearings. Thus, the angle between said sensing units is reflected in and indicated by said indicator regardless of translational position changes between the two planes in the orthogonally related z and x directions.

Abstract: The fluid to be treated is directed along a main flow path and past a flow-off edge on the concave side of the main flow path to produce a stationary whirl at least contacting the main fluid flow and in which suspended matter is separated from the fluid, by centrifugal force, to provide purified fluid. At selected locations in the stationary whirl, a selected one of the purified fluid and the suspended matter is separated and withdrawn from the stationary whirl. The non-separated portion of the fluid volume, whose suspended matter content is now changed, is returned into the main flow. The geometric form of the whirl axis is selected in accordance with the particular requirements of each installation. Thus, starting from a simple cylindrical configuration, the whirl may take any form having a curvilinear axis, even an annular form with a circular axis.

Abstract: Weapons system for both detection and affecting of stationary or moving objects. A laser beam is generated at a relatively low power level and caused to monitor, as by sweeping, a predetermined zone or space. Said laser beam or a portion thereof is reflected by and from an object appearing within said zone or space and is sensed by suitable detection means. The detection means provides the input to a computer which then locks the generator onto said object and simultaneously increases the power emitted therefrom to a predetermined higher, as destructive, value. Friendly objects operating within the same area can be caused to emanate a signal beam which is sensed simultaneously with the sensing of the reflected laser beam and prevents the actuation of the computer.

Abstract: An on-board freight loading device for aircrafts, particularly for large aircrafts, which transport large containers for containerized freight. The freight loading device has a lifting platform for receiving the freight, which lifting platform can be lifted approximately from the ground level to the level of the floor of the freight compartment of the aircraft. The platform is movable in a frame, which can be swung between a storage position within the aircraft fuselage and an approximately vertical operating position outside of the aircraft. The frame for the lifting platform consists of two beams which are parallel to one another, when in the operating position, and which beams in their upper zone are hinged to the aircraft by further hinged joints.

Abstract: An ignition system for rocket engine combustion chambers which are operated by non-hypergolic propellant components and particularly for the pre-combustion chambers of main stream engines of this type, comprises a main combustion chamber having injector means for injecting a propellant component into the combustion chamber for combustion therein. Since the propellant components employed are non-hypergolically reactive, they are ignited by an ignition agent which is produced by the pressure of a first propellant component which is non-hypergolically reactive with the ignition agent into the combustion chamber. The second propellant component which reacts with the ignition agent hypergolically is also introduced into the combustion chamber so that ignition takes place immediately.

Abstract: Two crowded single file traffic lanes of electronically speed-controlled vehicles are merged at a merge point by electronically establishing gaps sufficient to accept vehicles between the vehicles of each lane before they approach the merge point. The vehicles of one lane are then electronically guided into the gaps of the other as they pass the merge point. Lane-side transmitters and receivers along each lane cooperate with the vehicles to control the spacing between the vehicles in the approach toward the merge point. The gaps are established and the vehicles guided by signalling electronic images of each vehicle to the other lane and by guiding each vehicle as if the imaged vehicle were an actual vehicle in front of it.

Abstract: A stairway for aircraft which will fold into a compact package. The stairway is mounted on suitable tracks within the aircraft for alternate positioning, either in alignment with a door thereof for extension therethrough or for movement as a compact package to one side thereof. Such track may be either a standard seat track or a special track provided for the purpose. Translation mechanism such as a sprocket supported chain or a parallelogram arranged linkage may be provided for moving such package translatably and without rotation thereof between a position in front of the aircraft door and a position at one side thereof.

Abstract: An arrangement for producing rotational energy, particularly for generating thrust gases in rocket combustion chambers using hypergolically reacting propellants, comprises a rocket combustion chamber having a closed end and a gas discharge end with an impeller mounted in the closed end. The impeller has a plurality of spaced vanes which extend radially and which define flow ducts therebetween having discharge ends which extend substantially tangential to the combustion periphery. The apparatus includes means for directing hypergolically reacting propellant components into the combustion chamber at a location in which they are deposited at the inner radial ends of the flow ducts. The oxygen carrier propellant is supplied radially inside of the other propellant component so that it forms a cooling veil along the impeller.

Abstract: Anchoring mechanism for aircraft freight decks. Normally erect anchoring devices are provided on the freight deck of an aircraft which devices will automatically yield to the passage of freight containers or pallets across same and will automatically become reerected after such have passed. There is provided in a suitable recess in the deck of the aircraft a first lever system for sensing and responding to the presence of a pallet or container and a second lever system including a hook which when desired can be caused to enter into an appropriate recess in a container for holding same snugly to such deck. Such lever systems are interconnected in such a manner that pivotal movement of the first such system against a resilient force in response to the presence of a container or pallet will automatically fold the second lever system into its retracted position and then release same for return to operating position upon the passage of such pallet or a container.