Abstract: An acoustic tachometer for diesel engines includes a microphone which is responsive to the sounds generated by the engine combustion occurrences. The microphone signal is passed through a band-pass filter having a variable center frequency which is determined by a control signal from a sweep generator. The control signal has a known relationship to the operating speed of the engine. As the band-pass filter is swept through its frequency spectrum, a peak detector identifies the signals of maximum amplitude, which occur at the fundamental frequency of the combustion occurrences. The control signal voltage at the maximum amplitude and hence at the fundamental frequency is stored. At the end of each sweep, the stored control signal voltage is fed to an oscillator having a frequency which is dependent upon the stored control signal voltage, and is related to revolutions per minute (RPM). The output of the oscillator excites a counter-display circuit which displays the operating speed in RPM.

Abstract: In a method for determining the grain size of a cemented carbide for a given quantity and composition of the metal binder, the grain size is determined as a function of the coercive force and quantity of metal binder.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a cylinder head having a cylinder wall section defining therein a cylinder bore, and an outer wall section, forming therebetween an engine coolant passage. The cylinder wall section is formed with a boss section to which an engine knock sensor is rigidly connected. The cylinder block outer wall section is formed with an opening at a location generally corresponding to the boss section to separate the boss section from the cylinder block outer wall section. Additionally, a resilient seal member is disposed between the cylinder block outer wall section and the engine knock sensor to prevent engine coolant from leaking through the outer wall section opening. Accordingly, the engine knock sensor is directly subjected to engine knock vibration, thereby greatly improving engine knock sensing accuracy without being affected by noise vibrations.

Abstract: A device for hydrodynamic, in vitro testing of heart valve prostheses. The device has a flow channel in which a flow of desired characteristics is induced. The flow channel includes a test fixture for supporting a prosthesis to be tested in a desired orientation within the flow. In a preferred embodiment, the test fixture includes first and second chambers spaced from each other along the flow channel and a shuttle intermediate the chambers which is movable between at least first and second positions. The shuttle includes at least one support for a heart valve prosthesis and selectively positions that prosthesis in the desired orientation within the flow by movement between the first and second positions. The shuttle may carry two or more heart valve prostheses to alternatively positioned one of them within the flow by movement of the shuttle.

Abstract: A drive shaft mounting assembly for dynamic wheel balancing machines includes force sensors supporting bearings at axially spaced positions of the shaft. The assembly further includes rods extending between the bearings in a manner absorbing the forces of run-out created at each bearing.

Abstract: A method for separating/classifying closed bolls of a given variety of cotton by maturity is disclosed. Harvested, unopened cotton bolls are immersed in a series of solutions having a specific gravity of less than one. The bolls of cotton are thus identified and separated by means of the different specific gravity readings. The specific gravity readings are correlated with the moisture content of the bolls and subsequently the maturity dates of the cotton. Additional steps for cleaning, washing and drying are provided as needed. Alcohol/water solutions are utilized to prepare solutions with specific gravities of 0.8379 to 0.9455.

Abstract: An ultrasonic scanning apparatus includes a transducer plate, a plurality of elongated, parallel driving line electrodes arranged on one surface of the transducer plate and a plurality of elongated, parallel grounding line electrodes arranged on the opposite surface of said transducer plate. The driving line electrodes and the grounding line electrodes intersect to effectively form a matrix of individual transducer elements capable of both emitting and receiving ultrasonic beams. The apparatus includes control means to sequentially activate selected arrays of the individual transducer elements to produce and focus the resultant ultrasonic beam and to sequentially switch selected arrays of the individual transducer elements to a reception mode to vary the effective reception area of the transducer.

Abstract: An improvement in an engine vibration sensor of the type including a vibrator set to resonate at a specific frequency of vibration of the engine to which it is attached, for example the engine knocking vibration frequency, wherein the vibration of the vibrator is converted to an electric signal representing the specific engine vibration. The improvement consists of forming the vibrator from a magnetic material and providing a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field of controlled intensity to the vibrator, whereby the resonant frequency of the vibrator can be adjusted by varying the intensity of the magnetic field.

Abstract: A method of testing the integrity of the internal lining of a hollow body, especially a pipeline, by transmitting an ultrasonic wave from the exterior of the body through the adjacent wall of the body and monitoring the wave, if any, reflected from the opposite wall. In many cases, especially concrete linings, an intact or partially intact lining on the adjacent wall will absorb the ultrasonic wave and there is no reflected wave. A reflected wave frequently indicates loss of the lining on the adjacent wall although in some cases depending on, for example, the thickness of the lining or the material of which it is made, a reflected wave may be obtained even when the lining is intact. In such cases comparison of the reflected wave with predetermined standards provides an indication of whether or not the lining is intact.

Abstract: A switch is provided for ending the shifting movement of a crankshaft when the balance thereof is being adjusted in a machine for balance centering. The machine for balance centering is provided with a bearing bed below a swing bridge supported by means of springs, in which machine the crankshaft to be balance centered rotates around the axis of the machine. The axis of the crankshaft can be displaced in relation to the axis of the machine until a minimal rotation radius has been obtained for a point on the surface of two selected crankshaft sections rotating around the axis of the machine without eccentricities due to the system.

Abstract: A combination pressure and knock sensor produces an electrical signal in response to the intake manifold absolute pressure of an internal combustion engine. A high pass filter is coupled to the output of the sensor for providing a signal indicative of engine knock. A low pass filter is coupled to the output of the sensor for providing a signal indicative of absolute intake manifold vacuum pressure.

Abstract: A light guide element, secured in a spark plug-like housing and positioned, for example, within a metallic tube forming a spark plug connector, is coated at the end facing the combustion chamber with a light-impervious material viz: graphite, the graphite emitting radiation upon influence of heat arising within the combustion chamber, which radiation is transmitted to the optical pick-up for subsequent photo-electric evaluation thereof. The optical pick-up is, for example, a quartz glass rod coupled to a light guide cable, or directly coupled to an opto-electrical transducer.

Abstract: To facilitate manufacture and assembly of a vibration sensor, particularly to sense knocking vibrations or incipient knocking in an internal conbustion (IC) engine, piezoelectric elements are secured to the machine or cylinder or a cylinder head bolt, the vibration of which is to be sensed, and a flexing strip is resiliently engaged with a surface of the piezoelectric element or elements, and arranged transverse to the direction of vibration of the machine or IC engine. In a preferred form, the piezoelectric element can be a tubular structure (FIG. 4: 19) located in a cross bore (16) of a cylinder head bolt, the free swinging flexing element (21) being positioned within the hollow portion of the tubular piezoelectric element and pressed against an outer end face by a spring engaging laterally projecting wings (22) secured to the flexing strip.

Abstract: A pressure-to-electric output system is used to convert the dual outlet pressure signals of a fluidic angular rate sensor to a pair of oscillating electrical signals whose relative frequency differential is very accurately indicative of the sensor outlet pressure differential. The sensor outlets are fluidically coupled to the control ports of the first amplifier in a cascaded series of fluidic proportional amplifiers. The outlet ports of the terminal amplifier are coupled to the inlet ports of a pair of fluidic oscillators. A pair of microphone type pressure-to-electric transducers are driven by the oscillators to produce the oscillating electrical signals.

Abstract: A tuned coriolis, angular rate measuring device includes a substantially hollow, generally annular rotor driven by a high-speed, synchronous spin motor. The rotor is made unsymmetrical by mounting within the rotor near its periphey at least a pair of high density masses, the respective masses being located diametrically opposite one another. The rotor is secured within a gimbal structure which is, in turn, mounted in tuned fashion upon a support housing through a cantilever spring at each end along the gimbal output axis, thereby providing bearingless, frictionless pivots permitting limited gimbal rotation. A pair of piezo-electric crystals is secured at opposite edges of one of the springs for sensing relative angular motion between the gimbal and the housing. The crystals are electrically paralleled so as to cancel any signals resulting from linear movement between the gimbal and housing.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring specific force and angular rate of a moving body, particularly useful for a non-gyroscopic inertial measuring unit, comprises an orthogonal triad of rotating accelerometers, each producing an output signal "a", from which output signals are derived both (1) the angular rate vector .OMEGA. by multiplying the accelerometer output signal "a" by the function "SgnCos.omega.t" and integrating the resulting product over the cyclic period, and (2) the specific force vector F, by integrating the output signal "a" over the cyclic period, this processing of the accelerometer output signals substantially suppressing the unwanted components of these signals.

Abstract: A balancing machine and support structure usable therewith for measuring unbalance in a rotor. Each support structure of the balancing machine has a pedestal, a yoke, and springs interconnecting the yoke and pedestal. A pair of round springs are positioned between confronting surfaces of the yoke and pedestal. A pair of flat springs are connected to one of the yoke pedestal and are selectively engagable with the other of the yoke and pedestal. A connecting plate is provided to interconnect the yokes of two structures to each other when the flat springs are disengaged. The connecting plate is removed when the flat springs are engaged. As a result, the balancing machine can be used in a first configuration to measure unbalance in a rotor having a bearing prepositioned on a shaft of the rotor and can be used in a second configuration to measure unbalance in a conventional rotor not having a bearing prepositioned on a shaft.

Abstract: The balancing machine comprises a rotation shaft whereon the body to be balanced can be mounted, a supporting structure for the shaft, and a carrying member for the supporting structure, in the form of a resiliently flexible plate. Detector means are provided for detecting the vibration generated by the unbalance of the body to be balanced and transferred thereto through the resilient plate, and means for imparting rotation to the shaft.

Abstract: The recorder comprises a case of moulded plastics material which forms in its lower part a driving cable entrance which is externally screwthreaded and bearings in which a shaft carrying a magnet of a tachometer and transmission means can be respectively fitted. The case further comprises internal ribs for supporting a sheet which closes the case and is in one piece with flanges which support the shaft of an indicator needle of a speedometer and counting means of the distance recorder and guide the fitting of the assembly inside the case.

Abstract: A device for indicating the instantaneous fuel consumption of an automotive vehicle with spark ignition engine in which the free end of a Bourdon tube (1) of a pressure gauge is blocked by a hinged armature (7) of a hinge-armature relay (4) as long as a circuit is not closed by engagement of the direct drive of the automotive vehicle provided with the device so that the hinge-armature relay (4) is energized and the hinged armature (7) is swung away. By this mechanical barrier the result is obtained that the pressure gauge can operate only when the direct drive is engaged.