Abstract: A system is provided for determining the tensile characteristics of a sample under dynamic conditions. The system includes an apparatus adapted to accelerate the sample to a desired test velocity and maintain the test velocity through a predetermined test run, and a microprocessor for controlling the apparatus, data collection and data evaluation. The apparatus is formed with two movable clamping jaws for engaging the sample and sensors for measuring characteristics necessary to determine the stress-strain characteristics of the sample. During the course of the test, a sample is accelerated to a predetermined test velocity and one end of the sample is caused to be instantaneously fixed. The other end of the sample is then translated away from the fixed end at the test velocity. A closed loop between the microprocessor, a linear encoder measuring velocity, and a linear motor can be formed to accordingly adjust and maintain the desired test velocity.

Abstract: A torque sensor having an improved detection accuracy is disclosed. The torque sensor includes a cylindrical stator. The stator is arranged to face a magnetostrictive member fixed to a shaft. The stator includes a stator body and two retainer rings. When assembling the stator body and the two retainer rings, a pair of exciting coils and a pair of detecting coils are accommodated in the inner wall of the stator. Joints between the stator body and the two retainer rings are not exposed to the inner surface of the stator.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor including a first electrode and a second electrode which are disposed opposite each other in spaced-apart relationship to form a capacitor, the first electrode being disposed on a first substrate and the second electrode on a second substrate, the substrates being joined together at the sides of the electrodes, and the second substrate forming, in the area of the second electrode, a diaphragm deformable by pressure. An electronic signal processing device for processing the measurement signals is incorporated in one of the substrates below the electrode disposed thereon.

Abstract: A drag setting device is provided for setting a desired drag on a fishing line. The drag setting device includes a cable, line, or other fastening member which can be attached to a fishing line of a fishing rod and reel. The drag setting device further includes a pulling member for pulling the fishing line towards the drag setting device, a first actuator for selecting the amount of tension applied by the drag setting device to the fishing line, and a second actuator for causing the drag setting device to apply the selected tension to the fishing line. In use, the drag setting device is mounted to a stationary object such as a work bench or a gunnel of a boat. The end of a fishing line is then attached to the cable, line or other fastening member of the fishing rod and reel. Then, as one person holds the fishing line, the drag setting device pulls against the fishing line until the selected tension is reached. The drag on the fishing line is then set utilizing the conventional mechanisms on the rod and reel.

Abstract: A method for testing the strength of a ceramic engine-valve is provided, in which the strength can be tested without producing unnecessary stress in portions other than the places to be tested and without variations in the applied stress during testing; a long time is not taken to set the valve on the testing device while the valve face of the head portion and so forth cannot be damaged during setting.

Abstract: An ink printer head of individual ink printer modules operating according to the edge-shooter principle equipped with piezoelectric actuators is provided for use in printers for postage meter machines and correspondingly has a large number of nozzles arranged in columns. An assembly has n ink printer modules arranged in registry side-by-side with ink chambers open toward a front side of the assembly with an adapter plate matched to the front face and having openings in registry with ink chambers is disposed adjacent the front face. A nozzle plate adapted to the adapter plate is disposed in front of the adapter plate. The nozzle plate is supported by the adapter plate and a spatial matching between the larger ink chambers and the smaller nozzles is achieved. Moreover, the two ink chamber columns of a module are united to form one nozzle column. A reduction in the manufacturing outlay while preserving the requiring printing precision is achieved.

Abstract: A force-measuring apparatus, particularly a weighing cell, has a stationary part 10, a load receiver 60, a measuring transducer 138, and a lever 100 for transmitting a force from the load receiver to the measuring transducer. An improved arrangement is proposed for changing the lever ratio by providing at least two different locations so that the fulcrum pivot flexures can be attached either at positions 112/212 and 118/318 or, alternatively, at positions 114/214 and 116/316 of the lever/stationary part.

Abstract: A real-time mass flow measurement system that accurately measures fuel mass delivered to each cylinder per stroke of an injection pump or a fuel injector in an internal combustion engine. In accordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mass flow measurement system and method includes a fuel measuring device that measures fuel delivered by one of the plurality of fuel injectors or fuel pumps. The preferred embodiment also includes a fuel transfer circuit for directing fuel flow to the fuel measuring device and a plurality of fuel diverting devices positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for diverting fuel flow from the plurality of fuel injectors or pumps into the fuel transfer circuit and a fuel routing device positioned along the fuel transfer circuit for routing the diverted fuel flow to either the fuel measuring device or a fuel drain.

Abstract: A calibrated stop bolt is provided for measuring the dynamic load transmitted to the calibrated stop bolt during a shock test. The stop bolt includes an anterior extension and a posterior extension, for restraining a torpedo bearing plate therebetween, and also includes a plurality of strain gauges mounted at the top portion of each extension. In one embodiment, eight strain gauges are utilized, with two strain gauges placed on each side of the two extensions, i.e., in a full bridge arrangement. The calibrated stop bolt is preferably mounted to a base plate and bolted at each end to a longitudinal test fixture. The calibrated stop bolt can be utilized with a conventional longitudinal shock test fixture, torpedo shape and heavy weight shock machine.

Abstract: A Villari effect seatbelt tension sensor 10 comprises a sensor housing 30 having a sensor chamber 32 therein. A first end 34 of the sensor housing 30 has a plurality of pull rod holes 36 therein for acceptance of a plurality of pull rods 60. A Villari effect sensor 20 comprising a magnetostrictive sensor rod 22 is disposed axially within the sensor chamber 32 and abuts the first end 34 of the sensor housing 30. A plunger 40 is disposed within the sensor chamber 32 and is slidably movable therein. One end of the pull rods 60 is secured to the plunger 40. A spring 50 is disposed between the plunger 40 and a second end 26 of the sensor rod 22 to bias the sensor rod 22 toward the first end 34 of the sensor housing 30.

Abstract: A single tube Coriolis flowmeter having a flow tube and balance bar vibrated in-phase opposition. Material flow through the vibrating flow tube induces Coriolis deflections in the flow tube which, via brace bars, induces in-phase Coriolis like deflection in the balance bar. A balance bar resonator coupled to the balance bar is excited to vibrate in a rotational mode out of phase with respect to the balance bar. The vibration of the balance bar resonator increases the accuracy of the flowmeter output data by 1) increasing meter flow sensitivity by applying torque to the balance bar to reduce its in-phase Coriolis like deflections; 2) by applying torque to the flow tube via the balance bar to reduce shaking of the flowmeter; and 3) causing the flowmeter to have a flat calibration factor with respect to changed in material density.

Abstract: A high-resolution pressure-sensing device is disclosed. The device includes an insulating flexible matrix having a plurality of filler particles. Application of a force to the matrix causes compression of the matrix. This results in the filler particles occupying a greater amount of space within the matrix relative to when no force is applied. A detector attached to the matrix detects or measures the volume of the filler particles relative to the volume of the matrix, and therefore determines the force applied to the matrix. Preferably, the resistivity of the matrix is inversely proportional to the volume percent of the filler particles, in which case the detector is a resistance-measuring circuit.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a pressure sensor which avoids temperature hysteresis effects caused on account of heat-induced expansions as a result of stresses between a ceramic pressure-measuring cell and a metallic housing. The inventive pressure sensor (100) for determining the pressure of a process medium comprises a metallic housing (110), which is open to a process medium and has a continuous hole (111) for accommodating the ceramic pressure-measuring cell (120), the pressure-measuring cell (120) comprising a ceramic base body (122) and a ceramic diaphragm (121), which is fitted thereon and is exposed to the process medium, and also suitable means (124a, 124b, 130), which supply an electrical signal which can be picked off and corresponds to the process pressure acting on the diaphragm (121).

Abstract: The device of the invention is intended for measuring a loading force and a friction force in a tribological tester. The device consists of two deformation-sensitive sensors for simultaneous equal deformation in two opposite directions for eliminating misbalance created in the measurement system when a single sensor is used. Each sensor is a deformable beam having through longitudinal slots extending in different and non-parallel directions and overlapped within the body of the beam. The sensor deforms in one direction under the effect of a loading force measured by two pairs of strain gauges located on opposite sides of the beam near one end of the beam and in another direction under the effect of a friction force measured by another two pairs of strain gauges located on opposite sides of the beam near the other end of the beam.

Abstract: A system including a pulse-generating device can comprise of at least one analog sensor and at least one unit for signal-processing is arranged to detect the analog signal and to generate signal changes having a higher frequency. When generating signal changes in connection with the determination of the amount of fuel dispensed from a fuel pump unit and a frequency generator for generating a periodic analog signal having a frequency is generated, which corresponds to a fuel volume flow in the pump unit. The amplitude of the analog signal is detected and then signal changes having a higher frequency are emitted, which is dependent on and higher than the frequency.

Abstract: A misfire monitor for detecting cylinder misfires in an internal combustion engine. The monitor has a light detector that senses infrared light signals emerging from combustion gases through a window inserted on an exhaust pipe or manifold. Characteristics of a detected light signal indicate whether there is a firing or a misfire in any cylinder. Other information about the engine is deduced with processing of the detected signals and misfire counts. The detection is real time and functions well at all normal engine speeds and operating conditions.

Abstract: A rain gauge assembly has a collection cylinder situated within a vertical support housing. The lowermost portion of the collection cylinder comes to a point which rests upon the bottommost surface of the support housing. The uppermost portion of the collection cylinder is supported by the uppermost portion of the support housing. Connected to the uppermost portion of the collection cylinder is a flexible connector which is connected to a collector and a collector funnel. Affixed to the collector is a wind deflector support arm. The wind deflector support arm is attached to a vertical deflecting fin and a horizontal deflecting fin. The vertical and horizontal fins are situated in perpendicular planes for reacting to both wind direction and wind velocity, respectively.

Abstract: A capacitance pressure sensor that prevents leakage from outside the sensor to the reference pressure cavity, has a structure that can decrease defects due to leakage compared to conventional technology. An electrode comprising a thin metallic layer is formed on the upper surface of a glass substrate that forms one of the substrates of a pressure sensor and an external electrode is formed on the surface edge of the substrate. In addition, in the region where the silicon substrate is bonded, a feedthrough extending from the electrode to the external electrode is formed, and spine shaped layers with three braches for blocking leakage gas are formed perpendicularly to the feedthrough.

Abstract: A load cell assembly for use in measuring the level of a liquid in an airplane waste tank includes a lower member, a spherical bearing placed in the lower member, an upper member, in contact with the spherical bearing, and a fastener to couple the lower member, spherical bearing and upper member together, the lower member having pockets formed therein and including a strain gauge device within each of the pockets.

Abstract: A pressure sensor apparatus comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, each attached to and supported by one of a pair of backing sheets; a resistive electrode, having a known electrical resistance, attached to and supported by one of the backing sheets so as to provide an electrical conduction between the first electrode and the second electrode; a shunt electrode, having a resistance that is lower than the resistance of the resistive electrode and attached to and supported by one of the backing sheets; and at least one spacer disposed so as to maintain the shunt electrode in a non-conductive arrangement relative to the resistive electrode, the shunt electrode configured such that, when pressure acts thereon, the shunt electrode contacts the resistive electrode and provides an electrical conduction between the resistive electrode and the shunt electrode.