Abstract: A process for separating zirconium values from hafnium values wherein an aqueous solution of ZrCl.sub.4 and HfCl.sub.4 is contacted with NH.sub.4 SCN, feeding the resultant solution into a solvent extraction system containing aqueous HCl and MIBK, separating off the solvent phase containing MIBK, HSCN, hafnium thiocyanate complex, and any decomposition products of HSCN to leave the aqueous phase raffinate containing NH.sub.4 Cl, zirconium oxide-chloride and low concentrations of HSCN, scrubbing the hafnium values from the separated solvent phase, treating the scrubbed solvent phase containing MIBK and HSCN with NH.sub.4 OH to convert the HSCN to NH.sub.4 SCN, separating the NH.sub.4 SCN from the treated solvent phase, treating the separated solvent phase to remove essentially all thiazolines, and scrubbing residual HSCN from the raffinate with the desulfurized solvent phase.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing a rigid-flex printed circuit wherein a rigid insulating layer supports one portion of the printed circuit and a flexible insulator supports another portion thereof to furnish flexible leads for connection the printed circuit to an operative device, a first assembly is provided comprising a curable prepreg insulator layer having an opening for the flexible leads. A flexible sheet spans the opening, and the assembly is pressed with one surface in contact with a smooth hard surface while the other surface is supported by a flowable curable prepreg layer. The insulator and flowable layers are a release layer which prevents bonding between the prepreg layers throughout most of the areas while permitting bonding along the edges. The assembly is maintained under heat and pressure to partially cure both prepreg layers and bond the flexible sheet to the edges of the opening and bond the edges of the prepregs together to form a flat rigid sandwich.

Abstract: An explosive device which has a retainer with a groove, that houses a charge adapted to produce a shock wave upon detonation. The retainer is attached to a target such as an airplane canopy, so that the charge is spaced from the target a predetermined distance. Between the charge and the target is a transmitting medium that transmits the shock waves of the charge to the target. The transmitting medium is constructed from an essentially incompressible material such as rubber, which transmits the shock waves without dissipating much of the blast energy of the charge.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a metal-gate field effect transistor having source and drain regions which are self-aligned with the gate. The source and drain dopants are introduced into the substrate and driven. Then, a metal gate is formed, the metal gate having a length which is approximately the same as the length of the channel. After the gate is fabricated, dopant ions are implanted into any portions of the channel not covered by the gate. These dopant ions are activated by rapid thermal annealing at a temperature selected to avoid damage to the metal gate, to form bridge regions which extend one or both of the source/drain regions into the channel and which are self-aligned with the gate.

Abstract: A vehicle having a suspension control system that is especially applicable to an aircargo transport loader which is adapted for storage in a cargo hold of an aircraft. The suspension control system utilizes sensors to monitor the clearance between the vehicle and an underlying or overlying surface such as the ramp leading into a cargo hold or the roof of the cargo hold. The sensors relay information concerning clearance to a central control where the necessary suspension adjustments are made to allow the vehicle to avoid a clearance problem once travel is continued after stopping for the suspension adjustment. The system allows for suspension adjustments to be made either automatically or manually. The invention also includes an under deck support system which allows for limited pitch, yaw, roll and side to side adjustments to be made to the deck with respect to the underlying base frame.

Abstract: A plurality of baffles for adjacent finned tubes of a heat exchanger wherein a first fluid flows in the finned tubes and a second fluid of a different temperature flows past the finned tubes in heat transfer relationship therewith, include a baffle for each adjacent pair of finned tubes. A first flow path for second fluid extends in between baffles at one of the finned tubes, and a second flow path for second fluid extends in between baffles at an adjacent other of the finned tubes. The second flow path is larger between baffles at the other finned tube than the first flow path between baffles at the one finned tubes, and the second flow path is longer along baffles at the other finned tube than the first flow path along baffles at the one finned tube.

Abstract: An electrochemical gas sensor having a solid ionic conductive electrolyte therein and adapted to sense trace levels of reactive gases in the parts per million range. The electrochemical sensing cell has a pair of catalytic electrodes attached to the opposite sides of the solid electrolyte. The sensing cell is supported and contained to permit the distribution of reactant gases over the electrode surfaces for reacting thereat and thereby providing an external electrical current flow representative of the quantity of the reactant gas undergoing sensing.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of substantially pure zirconium values from zircon sand which also contains Ra, U, Hf, Pb and other metal values, comprising contacting zircon sand in a chlorinator with a chlorination medium to form an off-gas stream containing chlorides of Zr, Hf, Si, and tract U. The off-gas stream is passed to a condenser to remove volatile Si chlorides and thereby provide a product stream containing condensed chlorides of Zr, Hf and tract U, treating the product stream in acidic aqueous medium in a separation stage to separate the principal Hf values from the principal Zr values. Adjusting the pH of the resulting effluent to between about 3 to about 7 in a second stage to precipitate the trace U values. The residue stream is treated by(A) leaching with an acidic aqueous system to solubilize the trace Ra, Pb and other metal values while settling out the unreacted zircon sand and chlorination medium, and contacting the resultant leach liquor first with Ba++ ions and then with SO.sub.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for measuring the velocity of an object by measuring the Doppler frequency shift of a reflected laser beam. A laser beam is projected onto a target area which is moving with respect to the inertial frame of the laser transmitter and the laser receiver. The reflected laser energy is mixed with a local oscillator beam and the mixed beam is focused onto a radiation detector. The Doppler frequency shift is measured, thus indicating the object's velocity. A sacrificial mirror is employed so that internal projectile velocity measurements may be made on the projectile. The laser beam permits measurement both external and internal to the barrel for large and small caliber weapons. Additionally, integration and differentiation means may be provided so that instantaneous position and acceleration data can also be generated for the projectile.

Abstract: A wind-resistant heating appliance has a housing with air inlet openings for sustaining combustion generating flue products inside that housing which also has an outlet for flue products. The heating appliance has a top structure above that outlet and the housing. A top wall of that top structure is penetrated with exhaust openings for flue products along opposite edges of that top structure. The outlet between the housing and the top structure is provided with a transverse outlet channel inside the top structure and has opposite ends open at the exhaust openings adjacent the opposite edges of the top structure. That transverse outlet channel is solidly enclosed along its top, sides and bottom between the opposite ends, except for the outlet between the housing and the top structure. The exhaustion of flue products in various wind conditions is further aided by increasing the speed of flue products passing through the outlet from the housing to the transverse outlet channel.

Abstract: A hinge for a cabinet having a box and a door in an opening of that box, includes a hinge rod having a first offset end portion and a corresponding second offset end portion opposite that first offset end portion and an intermediate rod portion between these first and second offset end portions. A first mounting clip for the first offset end portion is connected either to the box or to the door near the cabinet opening. A second mounting clip for the second offst end portion is connected either to the box or to the door near the cabinet opening. At least one hinge rod mounting bracket for the intermediate rod portion is connected either to the door or to the box. A first slot for either the first offset end portion or for the intermediate rod portion is either in the first mounting clip or in the hinge rod mounting bracket, and a corresponding second slot for either the second offset end portion or for the intermediate rod portion is either in the second mounting clip or in the hinge rod mounting bracket.

Abstract: An improved method of making a larger map from individual 7.5 minute digital line graph (DLG) data is described herein. The process is fully automated and performed by a computer with minimal human interaction required. This eliminates errors and produces a more accurate final map product. The method includes conversion of the raw DLG data files into ARC/INFO format, locating the border arcs of each individual data set, edgematching the individual map data sets, and joining the data sets into a single, large map coverage. Any node along the border arc which cannot be automatically edgematched is noted in a special error file. A geographer then matches the unmatched edges which contain an error in the input data. A large map product is available as the product of the process.

Abstract: An emergency lighting system includes a lighting unit having a battery which is kept in a charged condition in the presence of voltage on a power line to which the unit in connected. Upon loss of voltage, the battery is caused to discharge into a pair of flood lamps to provide emergency illumination to an area surrounding the unit. To provide for periodic testing of the unit without requiring the user to actuate a switch on the unit the system includes a radio frequency receiver in the unit which responds to signals generated by a hand-held radio frequency transmitter actuated by the user. A two stage battery charging circuit and a low voltage lamp cut-off circuit are included in the lighting unit for improved battery life.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering high purity refractory product metal such as titanium, hafnium, zirconium, vanadium, niobium or their alloys from the regulus of a reduction reaction mixture of a by-product metal halide, excess reducing metal and product metal, which process includes feeding crushed regulus material into a furnace, heating the regulus at temperatures to melt then remove by vaporizing the metal halide and excess reducing metal, and melting the product metal before recovering it from the furnance pool obviating the steps of vacuum distillation or leaching in the recovering step.

Abstract: A relief valve system which is made up of a valve bowl with inlet housing, a relief valve cartridge, a stop valve system, a releasable securement system, and a manual by-pass valve. The relief valve cartridge is a self-contained relief valve which is easily inserted into a reception area formed in the inlet port housing so as to be in line with the inlet port leading to a high pressure source. The stop valve system includes a spring biased poppet valve with a contact shroud that is placed in contact with the upstream end of the cartridge when the cartridge is inserted into the reception area. When the cartridge is inserted the stop valve is in a non-sealing state with respect to the inlet port. When the cartridge is removed the stop valve shifts to a sealing position. At the time a cartridge is removed for servicing a pretested cartridge is inserted in place of the removed cartridge.

Abstract: A cooling system for a liquid cooled engine comprises a first fluid line interconnecting the coolant exhaust port of an internal combustion engine and an exchange tank having a high pressure region and a low pressure region, a second fluid line interconnecting the high pressure region of the exchange tank and a heat exchanger, a third line interconnecting the heat exchanger and the inlet of a coolant pump attached to the coolant input port of the engine, and a fourth coolant line interconnecting the low pressure region of the exchange tank and the third line. The fluid contained within both the low and high pressure regions is of engine discharge temperature. By this arrangement the pressure maintained at the coolant inlet of the pump and the low pressure region of the exchange tank is equal. The low pressure region is preferably a tank situated within the high pressure region, thereby resulting with a tank being situated within a tank.

Abstract: A method of packing empty collapsible tubes for shipment to the filler and sealer of the tubes, wherein the ten usually used diameter tubes can be packed into one of two standard size boxes.

Abstract: In an input buffer, logic level discrimination is provided by a first circuit which provides a first current to the output so that the output voltage is a hysteresis function of the input volt. To improve transient response without increasing power consumption, a second circuit is used to provide a second current to the output in support of the first current during transient periods of the input signal.

Abstract: A solid state relay circuit which utilizes a metal oxide power semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) as an output switching device to switch power to load circuitry by an electrically-isolated coupling arrangement including light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a photodiode array. An arrangement is provided for sensing the current through the LED coupling arrangement to determine when the solid state relay circuit has been operated and, in turn, to operate indicating circuitry. The circuitry may also be utilized as self testing circuitry to check the integrity of components of the input portion of the circuitry.

Abstract: A hydraulically-piloted switch assembly includes a housing through which runs a hollow conduit that in use contains a fluid under pressure. A linear conduit portion defines a bore one end of which projects away laterally from a portion of the conduit. Slidable sealingly within the bore is a piston. There is an opening in the housing to the exterior atmosphere from the bore with one end of the pistion being movable through the opening to a position exposed beyond the housing. The piston is urged by a compression spring away from the opening to retract the piston end. An elongated leaf spring is secured at one end fo the housing, has an intermediate bend disposed adjacent to the exit of the opening and has its other end defining a finger that projects away from the opening. An outwardly-biased plunger of a microswitch is located in the path of flexure of the finger as the piston end is engaged and disengaged from the bend.