Abstract: Orientation sensing apparatus including a bubble suspended in liquid contained within a transparent cylindrical container, light sources aligned along the cylindrical axis of the container that transmit light via light pathways for illuminating the bubble, light sensors disposed along the circumference of the container that receive light via light pathways for measuring the amount of light reflected from the bubble, and signal processing circuitry for converting the light sensors' readings into an orientation indicating signal for communication to other electronic devices.

Abstract: The tape threading mechanism threads a magnetic tape from a magnetic tape cartridge along a tape transport path to a take-up reel by using a two-member, spring loaded tape threading arm which uses two cam surfaces to control the articulation of the spring-loaded tape threading arm. A cam follower formed on the upper end of a leader block locating pin of the tape threading arm engages a short cam surface at the beginning of the tape transport path to guide the leader block of the magnetic tape along a short distance at which time the tape threading arm is smoothly accelerating. Once the cam follower disengages from the cam surface, the spring-loaded tape threading arm is locked into a fixed radius which allows the magnetic tape to maintain a constant velocity through approximately three hundred degrees of rotation, at which time the cam follower engages a second cam surface. The second cam surface guides the cam follower and leader block into position to engage the take-up reel.

Abstract: A method of detecting rivets which are outside of a predetermined length tolerance includes holding a rivet in a first reference position with its head in a rivet hole countersink, and moving a probe, in the form of a rivet tail die, into contact with the rivet tail. The position of the probe when it contacts the rivet tail is detected and compared with the predetermined position tolerences corresponding to the rivet length tolerences. The rivet is held in the first reference position by a rivet head die with a force greater than the force exerted by the probe when contacting the rivet tail to ensure that the rivet stays in the reference position during the measuring step. If the rivet is too long or too short, a rivet recovery sequence is executed to remove the out-sized rivet and a new rivet is inserted and measured. When the rivet is confirmed to be within the length tolerance, the rivet dies are driven inward toward each other to upset the rivet.

Abstract: A method of determining range from a moving vessel to an approaching object sing only two bearing measurements is provided. At a first point in time, a first bearing measurement to the approaching object is obtained using the vessel's conventional bearing sensor. The vessel and approaching object are then postulated to be on an intercept course based on the vessel's first velocity vector and first bearing measurement. At a second point in time, the vessel commences a maneuver to a known second velocity vector different from the first velocity vector. Then, at a third point in time, a second bearing measurement to the approaching object is obtained using the vessel's bearing sensor. At the same third point in time, a virtual bearing to the approaching object is provided as if the vessel and the approaching object were on the postulated intercept course.

Abstract: A device for measuring the circumference of a tooth or other object, having a longitudinally extending handle with a first end, a second end, an exterior and a hollow interior. A rotatably mounted head portion is disposed at the first end of the handle, and has an aperture which connects the hollow interior to the exterior of the handle. The head portion is adjustable to locate the aperture at a particular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle. A band is provided which has two ends and a central portion. The central portion is located exteriorly of the handle and forms a loop to be placed around the tooth or other object. The ends pass through the aperture of the head portion into the hollow interior. A tightening lever is pivotally connected to the handle and the ends of the band for retracting the band through the aperture into the hollow interior, to tighten the loop around the tooth or other object to be measured.

Abstract: A fixture type gauge (20) includes a base (22) and a plurality of segment blocks (1-12) mounted on the base (22) configured and arranged to allow comparison of manufactured parts (46) with a reference standard. Under computer control, reference marks (36, 54, 56, etc.) and data (26) are laser etched on the gauge base and segment blocks to facilitate rapid, accurate assembly of the gauge parts and provide a permanent record on the gauge of part related information. Laser machined alignment holes (30, 32) in the gauge base establish a reference axis on the base which can then be used to physically align the gauge with an independent spatial coordinate system, such as that of a coordinate measuring machine.

Abstract: A marking device which includes a hand-held housing and electrically powered means for vibrating the housing. An ink cylinder having a writing tip at its end is slidably supported within a cartridge casing, and a spring biases the cylinder outwardly on the casing. The casing is supported on the housing of the marking device.

Abstract: A system for automatically orienting a cylinder head such that a valve guide inserted into a guide is perpendicular to the ground.

Abstract: A tile cutting gauge comprises mainly a semi-circular protractor and a guide rod pivotally fastened to the protractor. A length ruler is slidably mounted on the straight side of the protractor, while a baffle means is slidably mounted to the guide rod in such a manner that it can be moved upward, downward, leftward, and rightward. The desired length and angle of the tile intended to be cut are measured respectively by means of the length ruler and the guide rod. The tile intended to be cut is held securely by the length ruler and a baffle means so as to permit an operator to make a cutting mark on the tile along the guide rod.

Abstract: The invention relates to a railroad vehicle for measuring the parameters of a railroad track, characterized by the presence of third axles (13 and 23) with independent wheels and disposed between the main axles (11 and 12; 21 and 22) of the bogies (10 and 20) of the vehicle, and by the existence of a third bogie (30) having two axles (31 and 32) capable of undergoing relative angular displacement about a line passing through their centers, said third bogie (30) also having a third axle (39) with having independent wheels; the measurements are made by means of optical proximity meters and distance gauges.

Abstract: A bicycle wheel truing tool includes a middle and two outer elongated rigid segments having the same lengths and shapes. The segments are pivotally connected together to permit erecting of the tool from a storage condition in which the segments are retracted to a nested relationship to an operational condition in which the segments are extended to an end-to-end relationship. The tool has a length in the storage condition which is about one-third that in the operational condition. Each tool segment is similarly progressively twisted along its longitudinal extent such that the opposite end portions of the segment lie in respective planes oriented in a generally transverse relationship to one another. The truing tool also includes a pair of releasably adjustable clamping mechanism pivotally connecting opposite end portions of the middle segment with adjacent end portions of the two outer segments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vertical indicator unit for measurement comprising placing a float in a vessel filled with a liquid, supporting the vessel with an external supporting frame, securing a doughnut-like magnet integrally with the outside of the lower end portion of the float, connecting a vertical supporting rod to a hinge contact point at the lower end of the external supporting frame, securing a separate funnel-like doughnut magnet to the upper end head portion of the vertical supporting rod, reversely polarizing both the magnets for diamagnetically repulsively maintaining both the magnets from each other at a certain air space, inserting the head portion of the vertical supporting rod into the inner space of the upper vessel, and vertically maintaining the vertical supporting rod with respect to a predetermined position of the lower portion of the supporting frame by diamagnetism of the doughnut-like magnet of the float and the funnel-like magnet provided in the head portion of the vertical supporti

Abstract: A gage assembly has a frame including a base fastened to a fixture on a table to which workpieces are to be brought for gaging. Digital electronic gages are secured to the frame and have gage-operating plungers extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The plunger axes are coplanar and intersect in the center of a hole in the frame base through which a pneumatically-operated conical ended probe extends. The gage plungers are resiliently biased against a probe ring that is coaxial with the probe cone and is mounted on articulated pivot arms so that the gages are operated in response to random horizontal movement of the probe ring as the probe point enters and centers in a hole whose location in a workpiece is being checked to about a second axis parallel to the first axis.

Abstract: An aim assist device is described which consists of a light beam generator mounted to the weapon and positioned to direct the beam toward the eye of the operator. This beam is projected on a screen at the end of a tubular housing. When the weapon is properly held and aimed, the beam becomes visible and centered in the screen.

Abstract: A miniaturized electronic magnetic compass system, or the like, is mounted in a substantially cylindrical gimbal ring unit of about 0.75 in diameter, and 1.25 in length. Critical to the small size is the pendulum that positions the internal magnetic detector by gravity relative to the earth's surface. Thus, a pendulum formed of tungsten has its curved bottom surface formed of a central spherical surface and two flanking cylindrical surfaces meeting in two planes disposed at an angle intersecting with the pendulum axis of rotation. The mass of the detector is centered by resilient conductive spring plates bearing on gimbal pivot shafts, which also serve as electrical connectors for the detector. Thus, two separated shaft ends journalled in one gimbal ring, which is insulated to electrically isolate the shaft ends serve as two conductors. The gimbal system is damped in a perfluorocarbon oil.

Abstract: A device for aligning the shafts of adjacent driven and driver machinery units comprising a pair of congruent alignment plates connected to the coupling flange of each plate such that the axis of each shaft is normal to an identical point on each plate. A pair of centering bars positions each shaft with a coupling flange thereon in such position. Opposed keys on one plate are registered in corresponding keyways on the opposed plate by manipulation of the machinery. A gauge plate indicates any offset in the plates. Registration of the keys and superimposition of the congruent plates is achieved by machine manipulation to assure the user that an alignment in angularity and parallelism has been achieved. Bubble levels and dial indicator gauges are used in connection with the plates to enhance the alignment process.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic fluxgate compass having a supporting substrate on which a layer of high permeability material, and at least two layers of nonmagnetic conducting materials are deposited; the high permeability material is fabricated to form a magnetic core or cores; a portion of the non-magnetic conducting layers is fabricated to form an excitation coil, magnetically coupled to the core or cores, which is to be connected to a pulse generator; the remainder of the non-magnetic conducting layers is fabricated into at least two sensing coils, or two pairs of sensing coils wound around the core or cores in opposite pairs, which are used to generate output signals. A method for the fabrication of the thin film compass is disclosed. The compass can be used for the determination of the direction of the geomagnetic field, and, because of its miniature size, for instrumentation that requires a very small magnetic field sensor.

Abstract: A rotating body tracing control apparatus which performs a tracing while rotating a model and a workpiece. A plurality of point coordinates (P1 or P10) are set on the outer peripheral surface of the model (6), which points depend on a position of the central axis of the rotation and the angle of the rotating axis of the rotation, and a tracing is executed by using a line connecting the individual points (P1 to P5, P6 to P10) as a potential line. Therefore, even when tracing a model, such as a groove of a cylindrical cam having a shape which varies along the central axis of a rotating body, only the groove region can be set around the potential line, and thus the tracing time can be shortened and the groove alone can be treated with a high accuracy.

Abstract: A masonry block spacer tool includes two opposing base plates each having four pins for nesting the corners of masonry blocks therein as the blocks are being assembled into a wall or panel, and a cross-member between the plates whose ends snap fit into the base plates and form one of the four pins.

Abstract: A gauge for measuring the depth of a hole countersink in a workpiece for a fastener, or for measuring the protrusion height of a fastener head above the surface of the workpiece, includes a tapered cylindrical case for holding a transducer such as an LVDT, and a probe assembly removably mounted on the lower end of the case. The probe assembly includes a foot having an annular contact ring at its lower end for contacting the workpiece around the hole or around the fastener head to establish the reference position from which the measurement is to be taken. A probe is mounted in a well in the foot for axial sliding movement therein and is captured within the food by a connector which is screwed onto the upper end of the foot.