Abstract: In the disclosed fault detector, a casing has a u-shaped portion for receiving a cable and a portion extending from the u-shaped portion. A screw is mounted on said portion. A pressure device is mounted on the end of the screw and directed toward the u-shaped portion for holding the cable in the u-shaped portion. A magnetic lamination passes through the u-shaped portion. The pressure device is made of a magnetic material and a coil surrounds said laminations.

Abstract: A Motor structure and energization scheme provides a high efficiency electronically commutated reluctance motor that is characterized by less iron losses than conventional switched reluctance motors. The motor operates without the reversal of the flow of flux in the stator. Also, the flux switching frequency in the stator is minimized. By eliminating flux reversals and minimizing the flux switching frequency, the electronically commutated reluctance motor is operable over a wide range of speeds with improved efficiency. Structurally, the stator includes unevenly spaced poles which are grouped into pairs separated by a space related to the even spacing of the poles on the rotor. Adjacent pairs of poles on the stator are separated by a spacing which is not equal to the spacing between the poles of a pair. To provide for rotation of the rotor, each pair of poles on the stator is polarized to form poles of opposite polarity such that a magnetic circuit joins the two adjacent poles of the pair.

Abstract: An optical lighting control, such as that used to control street lamps, delays the response of the lamps to changes of illumination while the lamps are on at night but avoids the delay in response to daylight. Thus, headlamps, flashlights, and lightning flashes of brief duration do not cause the control to turn off the street lamps. However, the street lights turn off without this delay in response to daylight.

Abstract: In a particle detector, a stream entraining particles to be measured is passed through a laser beam. Light scattered in two different directions from the laser beam by particles are detected by photodetectors and a coincidence circuit detects simultaneous pulses generated by both photodetectors to discriminate against noise and to disable the integration function in baseline control circuits for preamplifiers amplifying the output signals from the photodetectors. In an alternative embodiment arrays of photodetectors are arranged to detect light scattered in different directions from the sample stream. Optics are provided to focus light scattered from different positions in the sample stream upon different photodetectors in each array so that simultaneous particles in the sample stream can be detected.

Abstract: A shim for use in defining a fluid passage in a particle detecting fluid cell has a base portion of metal and head portion, defining the fluid passage, which haws a metal core and a covering which is non-corrodible by water and acid. The sides of the covering and the base portion define continuous flat surfaces which are sandwiched between plates defining the other boundaries of the flow passage. The coverings form a fluid tight seal with the plates and the base portions of the shims bear the compressive forces exerted on the shims by the plates.

Abstract: An optical fire detection system that uses cosmic radiation or a radioactive source to test whether the ultraviolet light detector tube operates properly and includes self test logic to independently verify that the detector electronics are functioning properly. A high voltage is applied across the ultraviolet light detector tube to produce pulses of current when radiation is present. A pulse rate discriminator circuit measures the current pulses and outputs a fire signal if the pulse rate is equal to or greater than the pulse rate produced by ultraviolet radiation from a fire. A background count circuit also measures the current pulses from the ultraviolet light detector tube to test whether the ultraviolet light detector tube is operational. At least one current pulse should be detected within a specified time because the detector tube senses cosmic radiation or radiation from the radioactive source.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting submicron particles in air includes a saturator for saturating a sample stream of the air with a vapor of a low volatility liquid and a condenser for cooling the vapor to form droplets around the particles to result in particles of a size detectable by an optical detector. Conduits extend through a bath of the liquid in the saturator so that sample streams passing through the conduits are heated by the bath. A flow divider divides a single sample stream at the inlet of the saturator into a plurality of laminar flow streams corresponding in number to the conduits. The condenser is a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes with funnel-shaped inlet ends positioned over the bath of the saturator, and the tubes are inclined toward their inlet end so that condensed vapor flows back into the bath.

Abstract: An integrating sphere for detecting particles in an aerosol has a diffuse reflectant interior surface and a plurality of photodetectors. The aerosol passing through aligned ducts which are spaced at the center of the integrating sphere, and a beam of collimated light, such as a laser beam, projects transversely through the aerosol in the space. Particles in the aerosol scatter the light, and the scattered light is detected simultaneously by the photodetectors within the integrating sphere. A coincidence detection circuit is used to detect the number of times scattered light is simultaneously detected by the photodetectors and, thereby, count the number of particles in the aerosol.

Abstract: In a color measuring spectrometer employing a reflecting grating and a linear array of photodetectors for measuring different components of a spectrum, the width of the photodetectors varies throughout the length of the array. The width of each photodetector is selected so that each photodetector detects the same bandwidth interval measured in wavelengths.

Abstract: In an air contamination level detector for detecting the degree of contamination of the intake air to an internal combustion engine, a laser beam is directed through the intake air stream and light scattered from particles in the intake air stream are detected by a photodetector to generate a pulse for each particle. Pulses over a given size are used to enable an AND gate to pass high frequency pulses to a counter, which is periodically recycled. The count accumulated in the counter represents the duty cycle of the pulses and the dirtiness of the intake air. When the count in the counter reaches a preselected level, it causes a warning light to be energized to indicate that the intake air has a exceeded a tolerance level.

Abstract: An inertia responsive mechanism employs a freely mounted inertia mass in combination with a seat belt retractor mechanism wherein the inertia mass is sensitive to vehicle deceleration or to strap acceleration, or to both. Disclosed are a variety of arrangements for supporting an inertia mass in a manner to permit free movement of the mass including balls and recesses, conical post ends in holes, frusto-conical surfaces on tube ends and frusto-conical surfaces in combination with balls in grooves. Anti-lock mechanisms prevent inertial locking while the strap is retracting. In a compact inertia reel arrangement, a reel ratchet wheel directly supports the inertia mass. Also disclosed are mechanisms for manually resetting inertia reels.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an electrical motor, such as a hybrid permanent magnet stepping motor or a variable reluctance motor. A rotor is assembled on a rotor shaft and includes at least one lamination stack and a pair of supporting bearings, with the outer diameter of the bearings being slightly larger than that of the lamination stack. A stator is assembled from a stator lamination stack including a pole configuration and a pair of unmachined end caps registered and secured to the lamination stack such as by thru bolts. The registered stator assembly is potted to unitize the assembly, fixing the relationship between the end caps and the lamination stack, and providing a smooth continuous bore through the center of the stator assembly. The thus potted assembly is then machined as by diamond lapping to form a continuous bore accurately machined through the center of the stator, concurrently forming bearing surfaces in the end caps and an intermediate machined section in the lamination stack.

Abstract: In an instrument for measuring the size of particles entrained in a fluid stream, photodetectors are mounted on the walls of tubing shaping the flow of the fluid stream through a laser beam. The photodetectors generate electric current pulses in response to scattering of the light which is generated by the particles passing through the laser beam. The pulses generated by the photodetectors provide a measurement of particle size. The photodetectors are mounted either adjacent to the laser beam on the tubing walls or, alternatively, the tubing walls are mirrored above and below the laser beam and the photodetectors are mounted on the tubing walls at right angle bends of the tubing to receive the light reflected from the mirrored surfaces.

Abstract: A motor structure and energization scheme provides a high efficiency electronically commutated reluctance motor that is characterized by less iron losses than conventional switched reluctance motors. Preferably, the motor operates without the reversal of the flow of flux in the member of the motor supporting the motor windings (e.g., the stator). Also, the flux switching frequency in the first member is reduced and preferably minimized. By eliminating flux reversals and minimizing the flux switching frequency, the electronically commutated reluctance motor is operable over a wide range of speeds with improved efficiency. Structurally, first and second members of the motor are mounted for relative movement. The first member includes unevenly spaced poles, whereas the second member includes evenly spaced poles. The poles of the first member are grouped into pairs separated by a space related to the even spacing of the poles on the second member.

Abstract: In an optical instrument for measuring particles in the size range of 0.5 microns to 300 microns, a laser beam is caused to pass through a sample stream of liquid containing particles to be measured. A photodetector detects a portion of the direct laser beam passing through the sample stream and the amplitudes of the pulses generated by this first photodetector provide a measurement of particles in the size range of 10 to 50 microns. A second photodetector detects forward scattered light from the laser beam passing through the liquid sample stream. The amplitudes of pulses generated by the second photodetector provide a measurement of pulses in the size range of 0.5 microns to 10 microns and the durations of pulses generated by the second photodetector provide a measurement of pulses in the size range of 50 to 300 microns.

Abstract: A stepping motor with toothed stator poles and toothed rotor poles is magnetically enhanced by locating permanently magnetized inserts in the spaces between the stator teeth and magnetizing the inserts transverse to the direction of movement of the rotor and substantially transverse to the direction in which the teeth extend. In a hybrid motor with a split and axially magnetized rotor, the inserts are magnetized to oppose the magnetization of the rotor. In a variable reluctance motor with an unmagnetized rotor, inserts are placed in both rotor and stator and magnetized to aid each other. Linear motors use either configuration.

Abstract: In a method of identifying or comparing compositions of material, the reflectivity of a material to be identified or compared is measured at index points distributed through the near infrared spectrum. A similar measurement is made for at least one standard or known material. From the reflectivity measurements, sets of values representing the first or higher order derivative curves are determined. These values mathematically define vectors by representing the coordinates of the end points of the vectors and multiple dimensional space. An index of a similarity between the composition of a test sample and a standard material is calculated by determining the cosine of the angle between the corresponding vectors.

Abstract: The sample air inlet nozzle into a particle counter test cell is formed with an elongated, flattened tip to provide a thin, flat laminar flow jet which intersects a laser beam. A secondary tube surrounding the nozzle provides a sheath of air which helps maintain the jet shape.

Abstract: In an optical instrument, fiber optics are employed to receive light from a linear filament. The fiber optics are arranged into a plurality of light receiving bundle ends distributed around the linear filament and shaped into narrow rectangular slits aligned with the filament. The fibers from each of the receiving ends are equally distributed between two transmitting ends which direct the light through cylindrical lenses to opposite sides of a rotating filter wheel in a paddle wheel configuration. Light beams from the transmitting ends of the fiber optic bundles pass through filters on the filter wheel to additional fiber optic bundles which carry the received light to a probe.

Abstract: An optical analysis system employs a rectangular beam of light passing through interference filters to analyze the constituents of a test sample moving through the beam. A plurality of interference filters are moved successively through the beam between the source of the beam and the sample and are tilted about an axis as they are moved, thereby transmitting a range of wavelengths to the sample. Skew rays of light in the beam strike the filters at different angles from the angles at which rays parallel to the axis of the beam strike the filters and so transmit wavelengths different from those of rays parallel to the axis of the beam. The angle deviation is greatest for the skew light rays which are skewed from the axis of the beam in a plane perpendicular to the tilt axis of the filters. Thus, the shorter dimension of the rectangular beam is arranged to be perpendicular to the tilt axis of the filters.