Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining the strain developed in a coated surface. A beam with a coating on a surface thereof is mounted as a cantilever and a force is applied to the free end of the beam to cause deflection of the beam until the coating on the beam fails. The strain in the beam, and hence in the coating at the point of failure, is determined based on the dimensions of the beam, the point along the beam where failure of the coating occurs and the amount of deflection of the beam, and this determination is made independently of the temperature of the beam and the material from which the beam is made. The determination is made based on the equation E=1.5.sub.x /1.sup.3, where E is strain, h is the beam thickness, d is the beam deflection, x is the distance from the free end of the beam to the point where failure of the coating occurred, and l is the length of the beam.

Abstract: A device for controlling the temperature of a resistor used for measuring purposes is adversely affected in its measuring accuracy as the result of deposits on the resistor (8). To establish the degree of contamination and to initiate a free-burning operating, in the case of a device associated with an internal-combustion engine, the air volume (m), respectively the fuel quantity (k), is determined and compared to a specific limiting value (m.sub.Max or k.sub.Max). When the limiting value is exceeded, a trigger signal is emitted to initiate the free-burning operation in order to burn free the resistor (8).

Abstract: An engine misfiring detection system includes a crank angle sensor for generating a reference pulse representative of a reference crank angle position in each cylinder of the engine, and a ring gear sensor for monitoring a magnitude of crank angle rotated from the reference crank angle position so as to define a first crank angle position required for starting an angular velocity measurement for an engine crankshaft and a second crank angle position required for ending the angular velocity measurement. A controller is provided to determine an engine misfiring state on the basis of fluctuations in a measuring time reaching from the first crank angle position to the second crank angle position. The controller variably sets the first and second crank angle positions in response to changes in an ignition timing of the engine.

Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring a rotational speed sensor of an internal combustion engine having a starter and a rotational speed sensor which supplies an output signal in dependence on a rotational speed, has a unit for measuring a vehicle electrical system voltage, and a control device in which an output signal of the rotational speed sensor is related to a vehicle electrical system voltage and an error operation of the rotational speed sensor is monitored. The measuring unit and the control device are formed so that for error recognition a course of the vehicle electrical system voltage is evaluated during a starting process of the internal combustion engine, and an error recognition is released only when a typical course of a starting process for the vehicle electrical system voltage is recognized and simultaneously no output signal of the rotational speed sensor is recognized.

Abstract: A test piece subjected to a test is embodied from a pellet in which two half-moon shaped notches are embodied, the test piece taking support on two arc-shaped shoulders situated at the base of a clamping jaw extremity having a ribbed support plate. Two jaw extremities are disposed into a female clamping jaw of the test equipment. The present invention provides elements for measuring the residual resistance of a test piece following an atmospheric re-entry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring method to determine elongation after fracture on a tensile testpiece in a computer controlled tensile test. To meet the requirements of the tensile test to DIN EN 10002/1, the measuring grid known from DIN EN 10002/1 is applied to the tensile testpiece. The measuring grid is scanned with a line sensing camera. In the tensile test the elongation of the testpiece is determined when the tensile force has exceeded its maximum and drops to zero. That place for which the computer with the CCD camera detects the greatest distance between adjacent grid lines is utilized to calculate the elongation after fracture to DIN EN 10002/1.

Abstract: For transducing a physical quantity into an output electric signal, a transducing device comprises lower and upper dielectric substrates and a physical quantity sensor mounted on a predetermined portion of a substrate surface of the lower dielectric substrate for sensing the physical quantity to produce a sensed signal representative of the physical quantity. The upper dielectric substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface which is on a different portion of the substrate surface. In order to receive the sensed signal and produce the output electric signal, an electric circuit is mounted on the upper surface and electrically connected to the sensor through a bonding wire which is shorter than that used in a conventional device. The electric circuit (14) receives the sensed signal through the bonding wire (15) and produces the output electrical signal. The physical quantity may be fluid pressure which a fluid has and is higher or lower than atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A device for the determination of residual stress in a material sample consisting of a sensor coil, adjacent the material sample, whose resistance varies according to the amount of stress within the material sample, a mechanical push-pull machine for imparting a gradually increasing compressional and tensional force on the material sample, and an impedance gain/phase analyzer and PC for sending an input signal to and receiving an input signal from the sensor coil. The PC will measure and record the change in resistance of the sensor coil and the corresponding amount of strain of the sample. The PC will then determine from the measurements of change of resistance and corresponding strain of the sample the point at which the resistance of the sensor coil is at a minimum and the corresponding value and type of strain of the sample at that minimum resistance point thereby enabling a calculation of the residual stress in the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for use in the direct tensile testing of materials, in particular brittle materials, which is self-centering under eccentrically applied loads. The apparatus effectively communicates a compressive load applied thereto to a tensile load applied substantially concentrically to the pull axis of the test specimen and thus can be employed to obtain direct tensile test characteristics by utilizing devices capable of exerting compressive forces only. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a pair of grips for gripping the specimen which are pivotally attached at right angles to respective sleeves in a dual sleeve assembly. The sleeves are movable so as to self-center the load which is applied, thereby eliminating bending stresses associated with off-centered loading and thus providing more accurate test results.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine coupled with a supercharger includes an air flow meter positioned upstream of the compressor of the supercharger. The engine also has an intercooler disposed between the compressor and a throttle valve. Variation in an amount of air in a boost chamber between the compressor and the throttle valve are derived on the basis of the volume of the boost chamber and variations of the boost pressure detected between the intercooler and the throttle valve. The intake air flow rate detected by the air flow meter is corrected by the thus calculated variations in the amount of air.

Abstract: An integral gas compressor and internal combustion engine. The compressor is built by converting a portion of an internal combustion engine to a compressor by removing the original engine head and valve train and replacing these with a compressor head assembly. The compressor head assembly includes compressor valves and valve chairs for holding the compressor valves in place. An inlet manifold encloses all of the valve chairs and places all of the inlet flow paths through the valve chairs in communication with a gas source. The head defines a discharge passageway therethrough which is in communication with a discharge opening. A venting system is provided to vent any gas that might build up in the compressor due to leakage past the piston rings and to transfer this vented gas to a fuel inlet of the engine, as desired. An oil viscosity sensing system is provided for sensing the oil viscosity in the crankcase and shutting down the engine when the viscosity drops below a predetermined level.

Abstract: A semiconductor sensor includes a field-effect transistor for detecting a physical quantity such as pressure, strain, acceleration or the like. The field-effect transistor is disposed on an elastically deformable portion of a cantilevered semiconductor substrate. A detected signal generator generates a signal representing a change in a drain current of the field-effect transistor in response to a stress which is applied to the field-effect transistor due to elastic deformation of the semiconductor substrate. The field-effect transistor may be supplied with a fixed gate bias voltage and an integrator may generate a signal representing an integral of the drain current for temperature compensation. Alternatively, an integrator may generate a signal representing an integral of the drain current, and a gate bias voltage may be applied to the field-effect transistor so that the signal generated by the integrator will be of a predetermined value for automatic temperature compensation.

Abstract: An elastically deflectable sensor body has an inner peripheral portion engaging with a first portion of a radially extending wall of a lid closing one end of a cylinder of a shock absorber for movement therewith and an outer peripheral portion engaging with a second portion of the radially extending wall. A first pair of diametrically opposed strain gages and a second pair of diametrically opposed strain gages are placed on the sensor body. A first Wheatstone bridge circuit has the two diametrically opposed strain gages of the first pair in series. A second Wheatstone bridge circuit has the two diametrically opposed strain gages of the second pair in parallel.

Abstract: An air flow rate measuring device for an internal combustion engine has a housing adapted to be inserted through a wall, the housing defining an air intake main passage of the engine. The housing also has an auxiliary air passage for a portion of the intake air and the housing supports a circuit board containing a hot wire and a temperature sensitive resistor, the hot wire being adapted to measure the air flow rate in the auxiliary passage. In a feature of the invention the housing has a metallic wall which is exposed to air flow in the main passage so that improved temperature reliability of the device may be achieved.

Abstract: Action force of a wheel is measured in order to measure the road surface frictional force, vertical drag, road surface friction coefficient, etc. Means for making these measurements can be constituents of an antilock brake system, traction control system, etc. These constituents may also serve as devices for measuring stresses generated in other structures. In a specific example, axle of a vehicle is formed with a hole, a stress detection sensor is installed in the hole and secured in position with the aid of a spacer element, and a detection signal from the stress detection sensor is processed in a signal processing circuit.

Abstract: A strain, crack and acoustic emission conformal structural health monitoring circuit with integral preprocessor and provisions for connectorization to a central processing system includes a strain gauge (11) having crack sensing traces (21), (23), and (25) sandwiched between a bottom layer (13) and a top layer (39). Strain gauge (11) is attached to an aircraft structural surface (51) to be monitored. Successive alternating layers of interconnecting sheet layers (61) and dielectric layers (63) joined by successive layers of non-structural adhesive (65) are added sufficient to effectively attenuate any stress forces, and forces directly from the strain and cracks, from traveling upward from the aircraft structural surface (51).

Abstract: There is disclosed a printed circuit board text fixture and method for testing printed circuit boards. The test fixture and test method is designed to establish statistical information concerning the breaking force for and deflection of a printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is broken along pre-existing score lines. In particular, the test fixture comprises a support surface for the circuit board to be tested, a clamp for holding the circuit board in place, an alignment target for locating the score line on the circuit board with respect to the clamp, a force gauge for exerting and measuring a downward force on the circuit board until the circuit board breaks along the score line, and a travel indicator for indicating the maximum flex experienced by the circuit board just prior to breaking.

Abstract: A method for checking the controllability of a tank venting valve is described, via which an additional quantity of air charged with fuel vapors can be supplied to the intake area of an internal combustion engine.In order to carry out this method, quantities in the area of the tank venting valve are measured which change when a throughput quantity passes through the tank venting valve. In this connection, differences of these quantities before and after activation of the tank venting valve are preferably evaluated. If necessary, for example if required by the sensitivity of the sensors used, an execution of the checking can be made dependent on the pressure in the intake area.

Abstract: Described is an inner tube element for use in a double tube device for taking soil samples during drilling operation (coring), the inner tube element comprising distinguishable end parts which are connected by a tube member of fiber reinforced plastic. According to the invention such tube member is provided with an orientation marking over its whole length and at least covered by a thin layer of plastic. An attractive embodiment of such marking are parallel lines of different color. Also is described a method for producing an inner tube element by forming a tube member between two differing end parts by winding fiber material which is impregnated with hardenable synthetic resin and hardening the tube member then formed. According to the invention a material in strip form and bearing an appropriate orientation marking is incorporated during the forming of such tube member.

Abstract: A cylinder identification apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes the following units. A reference signal generator that senses the rotation of an engine crankshaft and generates a reference signal indicating each time the crankshaft is at a prescribed rotational angle. An identification signal generator senses the rotation of the engine camshaft or other member coupled to and rotating at 1/2 the speed of the crankshaft and generates a cylinder identification signal having a different form for different cylinders of the engine. A control unit identifies each cylinder of the engine based on the form of the cylinder identification signal.