Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the flow rate and pressure of water discharged from a standpipe valve includes a portable tank (10) mounted on wheels (24). A pipe assembly (40), includes a pressure gauge 48), a flow meter (46) and a shut-off valve (44) mounted in series on the tank (40) in fluid flow communication with the tank. A high pressure hose (52) is used to connect the inlet of the pipe assembly (40) to the valve being tested.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting a tire inflation pressure of a vehicle tire. The apparatus includes a device for producing an oscillating electric signal having a vibration frequency component of the vehicle tire. A wavelet transformer transforms the oscillating electric signal by a wavelet function into a wavelet coefficient. The wavelet function is provided on the basis of a mother wavelet function localized in time, scaled in response to a scale parameter, and shifted in response to a shift parameter indicative of a time localization. Then, an extracting device extracts a resonance frequency from the vibration frequency component of the vehicle tire on the basis of the wavelet coefficient, and an estimating device estimates the tire inflation pressure on the basis of the resonance frequency.

Abstract: An operation condition detecting system for an automobile vehicle includes a fifth wheel rotatably connected to a shaft protruding downward from the bottom center of an automobile chassis. A first sensor is installed around the fifth wheel's axle to measure an actual vehicle velocity and a bar extending from the fifth wheel's axle is connected to the shaft. The system also includes a yawing sensor provided at one end of the bar near the shaft to measure a yaw motion of the automotive vehicle. The yawing sensor includes a light emitting element and a light-receiving element and cooperates with reflectors reflecting the light from the light emitting element onto the light receiving element.

Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a method having a fast time to first fix (TTFF) using GPS signal Doppler frequency shifts for correcting the local clock time and using information for an expected GPS message for synchronizing the corrected local clock time to GPS time. The GPS receiver includes radio frequency (RF) circuitry for receiving and downconverting a spread spectrum GPS satellite signal, a correlator for despreading the downconverted GPS signal and providing a GPS bit stream, a clock for providing a local time, and a processor including an executable code.

Abstract: A pressure sleeve for a vibration pickup, has a body part with a central opening for a mounting element and a supporting surface to be placed on a component causing vibrations, a detecting element arranged radially outwardly on the body part with an axial pretensioning, a spring providing the axial pretensioning of the detecting elements, and an abutment provided on the body part for the spring, the abutment including at least two curved portions provided on an outer peripheral of the body part and formed by wedging of a material of the body part.

Abstract: By a load detector, a magnitude of a dynamic load, depending on a downward-flow impact of a particulate material flowing through a flow passage, is measured, and also a magnitude of a static load, corresponding to a total amount of the particulate material flown through a predetermined position for a predetermined time period, is measured. A value of a dynamic load-type flow rate of the particulate material, corresponding to a measured value of the dynamic load, is calculated from the measured value of the dynamic load by a first calculation formula, and also a value of an actual flow rate of the particulate material is calculated from a measured value of the static load during the predetermined time period by a second calculation formula. A correction factor for bringing the dynamic load-type flow rate value, depending on the difference of the particulate materials, into agreement with the actual flow rate value is found.

Abstract: A composite scan pattern for ultrasound imaging includes a linear or curved linear scan pattern and one or more sector scan patterns. The sector scan patterns abut the linear or curved linear scan pattern along its boundaries to form the composite scan pattern. The linear or curved linear scan pattern can be steered to a desired angle .theta. for obtaining a high quality image. The sector apertures can be reduced in width and the linear scan pattern can be increased in width for imaging at shallow depths. The composite scan pattern provides a wide field of view for both shallow imaging and deep imaging.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flow sensor comprising a cylinder and a piston movable within the cylinder and dividing the cylinder into first and second chambers. The first chamber communicates with an inlet and the cylinder has an orifice which cooperates with the piston to define an outlet from the first chamber. The area of the orifice varies with the position of the piston within the cylinder. The apparatus operates to vary the pressure in the second chamber so as to move the piston in response to fluid flow to maintain a substantially constant pressure drop between the inlet and outlet, each unique axial position of the piston within the cylinder indicating a particular flow rate. A transducer senses the position of the piston and thus the direction and rate of flow.

Abstract: This mass flow sensor, which can be mounted by means of end parts, in particular flanges, in a conduit of a given diameter through which flows a fluid to be measured, has two parallel, circular-arc-segment-shaped measuring tubes which are fixed at their ends in respective flanges. The measuring tubes have the same inner diameter D and the same wall thickness w. The circular-arc segment has a height h, an arc radius R, and a chord length L. The inner diameter D is chosen as a function of the maximum permissible pressure loss in the measuring tubes, and the wall thickness w as a function of the maximum permissible pressure of the fluid. The stress .sigma..sub.T resulting from a maximum permissible temperature change .delta.T of the fluid is chosen to be less than the .sigma..sub.0.2 -value of the material of the measuring tubes. Under these conditions and for a given arc radius R, the segment height h is chosen as small as possible to become h.sub.min.

Abstract: A differential pressure transducer for measuring a pressure differential between a first pressure source and a second pressure source. The differential pressure transducer includes a displacement element and a sensing element coupled to the displacement element. The displacement element moves in a linear direction and deflects the sensing element to provide a signal that is proportional to the movement of the displacement element when the first and second ends are subjected to the pressures at the pressure sources. The differential pressure transducer can also include a force transfer beam that connects the displacement element and the sensing element. The sensing element can include a sensing beam and a strain gauge mounted on the beam to provide an electrical signal proportional to the strain in the beam induced by the deflection of the beam. The force transfer beam and the sensing element can be portions of a unitary member formed as a stamped part.

Abstract: A apparatus and method for detecting an out-of-alignment condition of a wheeled vehicle with at least one steered wheel controlled by a steering wheel by comparing the relative number of periodic samples during a sampling period in which the vehicle steering wheel is positioned right of the center position as compared to left of the center position.

Abstract: A portable fastener tester system for measuring the pullout strength of a fastener that is comprised of an electronic processing unit electrically coupled to a load cell, an optical reader, an opto chopper disc, and a display, a motor having a shaft coupled to a small drive gear which engages a large drive gear, and a tester assembly comprised of a driving member, a case housing, a power nut assembly and a captured nut retained within the power nut assembly. The captured nut is forceably rotated by the motor and engaged small and large drive gears so to foreceably translate the driving member upward through the power nut assembly thereby applying a pulling force on a fastener being tested. The load cell being utilized to transfer the pulling force from the driving member to the fastener, electrically sense the applied force and transmit data to the electronic processing unit for being displayed to the user.

Abstract: A fluid thermal mass flow meter including a composite flow tube having four tubular segments of high thermal conductivity formed in a length of tube made of a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity, a thin film element formed on the surface of and extending around each of the four tubular segments, circuitry for incorporating the elements into a bridge circuit, and a housing for containing the flow tube, elements, and circuitry.

Abstract: A pressure sensor is provided with a compressible insert that is disposed within an internal opening of a potentially frangible component, such as a tubular glass member. If a condensate forms within the internal opening of the tubular glass member, freezing of the condensate can cause it to expand and damage the glass member. The compressible insert absorbs the expansion of the liquid condensate by compressing and prevents the expanding condensate from cracking the tubular glass member. The compressible insert, in a particularly preferred embodiment of this invention, has an opening extending therethrough to facilitate the transmission of pressure throughout the aligned openings of the pressure sensor. In one particular embodiment, a silicone die is etched to provide a cavity and corresponding diaphragm portion on which piezoresistive elements are disposed.

Abstract: To improve the recognition of defective electric motors, the present invention proposes a test apparatus and method comprising an accelerometer mounted on a member rotating with the output shaft of the motor under test. The accelerometer measures the acceleration in the direction of rotation. A communication path between the accelerometer and an electronic processor is provided to assign detected disturbances to certain known defect modes which have been obtained from sample defect motors. The communication path may comprise a slip ring contact.The rotating accelerometer can detect disturbances caused by gear train defects that cannot be discovered by an accelerometer mounted on the motor housing in the known way.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating various tire profiles. A linear-linear-rotary table carries a non-contacting probe that sequentially scans the entire outer surface of a tire. The non-contacting probe collects measurement data which is transferred to a processor to generate an average cross-sectional tire profile or a high definition cross-sectional tire profile of the tire being measured. The processor, in conjunction with the non-contacting probe, provides an automatic ranging feature which eliminates the need to manually adjust the non-contacting probe prior to the collection of measurement data.

Abstract: (Purpose) A construction for mounting a load-sensing element for use with a vehicle, in which construction no measurement error is resulted even if the slide plate contacts the leaf spring at different contacting points.(Construction) The sensing element 21 is composed of opposed walls forming a substantially U-shape in both front and side views thereof and having a hollow portion therein, and a plate-like member made of a magnetic material, which plate-like member being inserted into the hollow portion and threaded by a coil to be held therein, wherein the mounting location 15f of the slide plate 15 is a groove into which said sensing element 21 is fitted; wherein the construction further includes a lid which fits over the sensing element and a wedge-like key inserted under the sensing element for fixing the sensing element. The output of the sensing elements are added together so as to output a sum of the outputs of the sensing elements.

Abstract: A sacrificial specimen for use in monitoring fatigue damage of a structural member including a main body made of the same material of the structural member and having an artificially formed crack at a central region thereof, and first and second thin epoxy resin plates cemented to both surfaces of the main body by an epoxy resin adhesive agent except for the central region. The main body is made by a thin metal plate having a thickness of 0.25 mm. In order to keep the central region of the main body free from the adhesive agent, a synthetic resin film is wound around the central region of the main body. The sacrificial specimen is secured to a surface of the structural member by means of an epoxy resin adhesive agent. A condition of fatigue crack growth at the artificially formed crack is monitored by a microscope, and fatigue crack of the structural member can be predicted from the monitored condition.

Abstract: A flow measurement device and a VAV device are adapted to be directly coupled. The flow measurement device is adapted to automatically make and record flow measurements and to communicate the measurements to a VAV controller. The VAV controller is adapted to receive the flow measurements and self calibrate in response thereto. The VAV device is further adapted to report results of the calibration process to a system central and/or supervisory controller.

Abstract: A brake fit adjuster supports a brake drum on a rotatable drum support 20. A brake shoe unit is locked on a mounting mechanism 40. A brake fit is adjusted by applying a pulling force on a wire harness and pressing a brake shoe unit against the inner surface of the rotating brake drum by applying a preset force on the brake shoe unit connected to one end of the wire harness.