Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for determining sound propagation speed in a medium which is subject to variations in this speed. A measuring tube containing the medium is energized by a loudspeaker (ultraacoustic transducers) with a controllable energizing frequency in resonance with the measuring tube containing a column of the medium to be evaluated. The resonant output frequency is detected and modulated with a low frequency signal and the mean value of the modulated output signal is formed and counted. For a predetermined count, the elapsed time is measured and from this value the propagation velocity is calculated.

Abstract: An automatic removal device of a classifying apparatus has a control circuit which includes a first detector to effect detection as to whether postal matter stacked in a stacking section provided with a removal mechanism is in a removal ready state before a full stack state, and a second detector, which effects detection as to whether the postal matter stacked in the stacking section is in the full stack state. When an empty transport section is brought to a position corresponding to the stacking section during a period from the detection of the removal ready state of the stacked matter in the stacking section before the full stack state to the detection of the full stacked state, or after the detection of the full stack state, these states being detected by the respective switches, the control circuit provides a control signal to a driving device for driving the removal mechanism of the stacking section, whereby the stacked matter in the stacking section is transferred onto the empty transport section.

Abstract: A system is provided for gathering information concerning power consumption at different locations, generating signals corresponding to this power consumption, transmitting the signals to a selected location and conditioning the signals for recording and subsequent analysis by computer. The signals have frequencies proportional to the power consumption monitored plus a preselected offset frequency which can be synchronized with an outside source such as the line frequency of readily available power lines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a filling machine having a stationary part, and movable part provided with filling elements, whereby each filling element has associated therewith at least one electrically actuatable valve and a signal emitter which is actuated by the filling material rising in a filling vessel or container briefly pressed into engagement on the filling element for filling thereof.

Abstract: A technique for ensuring independence of random samples of input queues of time-shared processing systems taken during a fixed interval to determine system usage involves interposing guardband intervals of minimum time duration between such samples. A stratified sampling method is disclosed which develops successive stratum or subintervals, positions a data sampling at a random point in each subinterval and interposes a guardband interval between successive subintervals. A simple random sampling method is disclosed which takes a sampling at the termination of a random subinterval and interposes a guardband interval between successive random subintervals.

Abstract: An apparatus having a device for measuring speed by counting pulses and a device for measuring pressure by counting pulses wherein a first memory stores advance correction coefficients and a second memory stores a value with respect to full-load advance. An advance counter is connected to the outputs of the second memory and to the highest-weight output of the pressure counter by way of a series connection of a binary rate multiplier, a divider which divides by M and a switching device.

Abstract: A computer-based well logging system is disclosed, for acquiring nuclear well log data, including gamma ray energy spectrum and neutron population decay rate data, and providing a real-time preentation of the data on an operator's display based on a traversal by a downhole instrument of a prescribed borehole depth interval.For acquiring energy spectrum data, the system has a multichannel analyzer including a pulse height analyzer and a memory. After a spectral gamma ray pulse signal coming from a downhole instrument over a logging cable is amplified and conditioned, the pulse height analyzer converts the pulse height into a digital code by peak detection, sample-and-hold action, and analog-to-digital conversion. The digital code defines the address of a memory location, or channel, corresponding to a particular gamma ray energy and having a count value to be incremented. After a period of time, the memory channels contain a spectrum of counts per incremental energy band.

Abstract: A DEH (digital electrohydraulic) control system for a steam turbine generator having a steam bypass system. The turbine system includes a high pressure turbine having throttle and governor steam admission valves as well as an intermediate pressure turbine having stop and interceptor steam admission valves. The turbine is brought on line by initially controlling steam admission into the intermediate pressure turbine by modulating the interceptor valve in response to a speed error signal generated as a result of the difference between actual and a predetermined reference speed. During this initial control the throttle valve remains in a closed position. When the turbine speed has attained a preset value such as half of synchronous speed, the interceptor valve is held at the same position it was in when the preset speed was attained and the throttle valve is controllably open in response to the same speed error signal.

Abstract: A postage meter includes a printer adapted to print postage and a computer coupled to the printer to account for postage printed by the printer. A power supply is coupled to the computer for energizing the computer to operate. The power supply includes a winding adapted to energize the power supply when magnetic flux is caused to pass through the winding. The power supply further includes a magnetic circuit for coupling magnetic flux to the winding. A housing encloses the postage meter power supply, postage meter computer and postage meter printer. The housing includes a portion adapted to allow the passage of magnetic energy into the interior thereof to energize the magnetic circuit.The postage meter may operate in conjunction with a mailing machine. The mailing machine is adapted to engage the postage meter and includes a power supply system which energizes the mailing machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for interpolating data along radial lines so that it can be displayed at display points arranged in orthogonal rows and columns by recursively adding stored values to derive signals indicative of the radial position of each display point along the radial data lines and its angular position between the radial data lines. Interpolation is done along each radial line to derive first and second intermediate interpolated values, and these values are interpolated so as to derive the final data value for the display point at its angular position. Alternatively, the intermediate interpolated values can be attained by angular interpolation and the final data value by radial interpolation.

Abstract: An electronic postal meter system is separated into a meter unit and an input/output control unit. The two units are linked by a communications link which preferably uses light transmitting fibers to transmit data and instructions. The meter unit is used to process and store only that data which pertains to the critical accounting functions of the meter or to the control of the printer driven by the electronics control within the meter unit. Less critical functions, such as zip-to-zone conversions, are restricted to the less secure control unit. By restricting the meter unit to highly critical data and by enclosing only the meter unit in a secure housing, the overall security of the meter system is enhanced. Novel failure detect circuitry for a printer setting detector array and a novel event-indicating signal generator circuit are disclosed. The significant routines employed in the operation of the meter system are described.

Abstract: A VLSI chip is provided for use with six bidirectional data buses and may be programmed to operate in one of four modes as a bidirectinal bus multiplexer, an error correction assist circuit, a register stack addressing circuit for direct or indirect addressing, or a multiport file. Depending on the mode of operation, some data buses may be utilized for inputting control signals to the chip, hence only five terminals are required which are dedicated to control signal use only. The circuits utilized in the four modes of operation share enough commonality to make it feasible to build the chip with the capabilities for operating in all modes, and then controlling it to function in only a single desired mode.

Abstract: A complex optical system may be maintained in alignment by means of a technique in which an analytical model of the system is utilized which is assumed to be capable of essentially optimal performance. A physical example of the same system design is then assembled and a plurality of performance characteristics are measured related to the intensity function associated with a point source image on the system's focal plane detector array. A plurality of specific adjustments are then calculated by means of a second order approximation technique which would have the effect of degrading the performance of the analytical model to equal that measured for the physical example, whereupon compensating physical adjustments are made to the physical example to improve its measured performance.

Abstract: A complex optical system may be aligned by means of a technique in which an analytical model of the system is utilized which is assumed to be capable of essentially optimal performance. A physical example of the same system design is then assembled and a plurality of performance characteristics measured. A plurality of specific adjustments are then calculated which would have the effect of degrading the performance of the analytical model to equal that measured for the physical example, whereupon compensating physical adjustments are made to the physical example. For many applications, the performance measurements may relate to aberrations to the wavefront of the point source image quantified by means of a Hartmann mask or the like. In that event, the estimation technique may be a straight-forward linear approximation technique including possible damping and/or weighting factors.

Abstract: Synchronous demodulation using a lock in amplifier technique improves substantially the signal to noise ratio in a conveyor belt rip detector. The lock in amplifier technique uses an analog multiplier to form a product of a received AC transmitter signal, i.e. that received by the rip detector receiver from an antenna carried by the conveyor belt, and an AC reference signal, which has the same frequency as the transmitted AC transmitter signal, i.e. that transmitted by the rip detector transmitter. A shift in the phase of the AC transmitter signal as it is coupled from the transmitter to the receiver requires a corresponding shift in the phase of the AC reference signal so that the latter is tuned to the same phase as that of the received AC transmitter signal.The invention lends itself to computer control and self diagnosis of faults of the overall rip detector system.

Abstract: Quantitative chromatography is widely used in many fields to measure the amount of a compound present in a mixture. A series of Gaussian-like peaks are generated as output, and the size is conventionally measured by peak area or peak height determinations. The microprocessor-based analysis system of the present invention is designed to "learn" the characteristics of a set of chromatographic peaks. Retention time and peak width parameters are used to detect and measure selected peaks by a convolution procedure based on a matched filter. The filter is applied to peaks in the neighborhood of selecting peak times which have a shape closely resembling that of a control sample. The system is built around a microprocessor with a wide dynamic range analog-to-digital conversion input stage. Operator interaction with the programs and the printing of output results is facilitated.

Abstract: Apparatus for displaying the information represented by data samples occurring along radial lines at display points arranged in rows and columns wherein intermediate interpolated data values are derived at the intersections of a row containing a display point for which a final data value is sought with radii on either side of the display point and interpolating the first and second intermediate interpolated data values so as to derive a final interpolated data value at the angular position of the display point with respect to the radii.

Abstract: In a scintillation camera having apparatus for shortening waveforms, a regulating circuit for preventing display of signals representing unwanted .gamma. rays having excessive intensity including a device for comparing the peak of the shortened waveform representing the total light energy received by the camera from the .gamma. ray with a preset reference range between an upper limit and the saturation level of the pre-amplifiers of the camera and for generating a signal while the total light energy exceeds the reference range, a circuit for generating an output for a predetermined time after the signal ceases and an AND gate for blocking access to the display during the period of the output.

Abstract: The device comprises an evaluation unit and at least one transducer for feeding the electric signal to this unit on the occurrence of a characteristic event and the evaluation unit comprises a recognition unit sensing the occurence of the characteristic event. To permit determination of the trigger point characterizing the occurrence of the characteristic event also in the case of heavily noise-contaminated measuring signals the evaluation unit is provided with one or several comparators in addition to the recognition unit, whose thresholds are spaced out over a certain range of levels, and--depending on whether the transducer signal has reached the threshold of the recognition unit--by using the information contained in the evaluation unit, which is influenced by the sequence of the comparator responses according to the signal shape delivered by the transducer, for determination of the trigger point characterizing the occurence of the characteristic event, in a manner predetermined in the evaluation unit.

Abstract: A power shedding-restoring system for controlling delivery of electrical energy from a power line to a residence having a plurality of controlled loads with predetermined priorities includes a plurality of load relays, a circuit for measuring total power delivered to the residence, a computer for computing and storing a shed value for each controlled load as it is shed, a minor average equal to the average power delivered to the residence over the past minute, and a major average equal to the average power delivered to the residence over the past hour. The computer also stores a power limit preset by the residence owner, and compares the minor average and the major average to the power limit. If the minor average and the major average both exceed the power limit, the system sheds the lowest priority controlled load that is presently electrically connected to the power line.