Abstract: The gauge has a first template-like cavity and a first straight edge bordering the first cavity. The first template-like cavity is adapted to enclose an end of an oar blade, and the straight edge is usable for steadying a pitch meter against the oar blade for measuring a pitch angle on the oar blade. In another aspect of the invention the gauge has first and second template-like symmetrical cavities separated from each other by a pendulum member that is movable from side to side to selectively define a template-like trapezoidal shape inside either cavities for selectively gauging a competition-type oar blade on a starboard or on a port side of a racing shell.

Abstract: A three-dimensional wheel alignment display system (10) and method includes a processor (12) and display unit (14) interconnected with a motor vehicle wheel alignment system (18) adapted to determine vehicle wheel angular relationships such as camber, caster, and toe. The processor of the display system is configured to manipulate portions of a digital three-dimensional model (100) of at least one motor vehicle wheel and associated suspension components to correspond to the angular relationships determined by the wheel alignment system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a gap between two opposing surfaces by utilizing a dial gauge instead of feeler gauges is disclosed. The apparatus includes a mounting block, an extension arm and a dial gauge which may be used to measure any gap distance between about 0.01 mm and about 10 mm. The method is carried out by first zeroing the dial gauge by utilizing a calibration block which has the same thickness as the gap distance to be measured. The novel method and apparatus can be used to replace a conventional feeler gauge method and achieve the benefits of greatly improved precision in measurement, a short measurement time required and completely eliminating human error due to operator dependency.

Abstract: A method of assembling components of an assembly, such as the components of a truss, using a laser imaging system in combination with assembly jigs. The jigs may be slidably mounted on an assembly table wherein the jigs include laser alignment indicia on a top surface of the jigs spaced a predetermined distance from a side surface of the jigs. The method includes projecting an enlarged laser generated outline of at least a portion of the components to be assembled which is spaced laterally from an outline or template of the components in the assembled position a distance equal to the distance between the laser alignment indicia and the side surface of the jigs and spaced vertically a distance equal to the distance between the indicia and the work surface. The jigs are then moved on the work surface to align the laser alignment indicia with the enlarged outline and affixed relative to the work surface.

Abstract: An indexing mechanism is provided to enable discrete angular displacement of a first body 10 relative to a second body 12. An intermediate body 22 is provided, and is rotatable relative to both the first and second bodies 10,12. Mutually engageable detent elements on the first and intermediate 10,22, and intermediate and second 22,12 bodies, provide indexing of the first body 10 relative to the intermediate body 22 and the intermediate body relative to the second body 12 respectively. The angular separations of adjacent indexed positions provided by the first and second sets of detent elements differ such that the first body 10 is indexable relative to the second body 12 in finer indexing increments than are provided by either the first or second detent elements individually.

Abstract: A dual chalk line device for marking straight lines in construction applications. The dual chalk line device includes a housing with a pair of separable sections and a pair of openings. Each of the sections has a sidewall, a pair of opposite ends, and a pair of side edges extending between the ends. A divider panel is positioned between the sections of the housing to separate the housing into a pair of compartments. A first spool is rotatably disposed in one of the compartments of the housing. A second spool is rotatably disposed in another of the compartments of the housing. Each of the spools has a quantity of line wrapped therearound. A pair of handles are mounted to the spools and positioned outside the housing. The handles permit external rotation of the spools.

Abstract: A device for computing the heading of an airplane in the outbound leg of a holding pattern, and the bearing to a VOR or NDB station at which the airplane should begin turning inbound at the end of the outbound leg, given the bearing of the outbound leg, the speed and bearing of the wind, and the true airspeed of the plane, but without requiring the user to keep track of the time. In a first preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a slide rule with upper, middle and lower disks attached at their centers by a pivot, and a straight rule movably retained in a groove in an upper disk. There is a logarithmic scale for true airspeed on the straight rule, and a parallel and adjacent logarithmic scale for wind speed on the upper disk. The lower and middle disks each have degree markings, and the middle disk also has figures for heading and bearing corrections, to which arrows on the straight rule point.

Abstract: A trailer alignment backing aid for vehicles that includes a target sticker and a hitch ball attachable aiming tube assembly. The target sticker has aiming indicia provided on a front surface thereof and an adhesive covered back surface having a peel off backing cover. The hitch ball attachable aiming tube assembly includes a ball attachment tube and an extender tube. The ball attachment tube includes two ball insertion flaps at a lower end thereof, a trailer tongue insertion window adjacent to the ball insertion flaps, and incremental measuring marks along the length thereof. The two ball insertion flaps are sized and spaced to resiliently grip the ball of a ball hitch and maintain the hitch ball attachable aiming tube assembly in an upright position during use.

Abstract: A measurement and compensation system for thermal errors in a machine tool is disclosed. A module is provided to compensate thermal errors of the machine tool. The module comprises an operating part, a data bank, an analog to digital converter, a counter and a digital input/output part. The data bank stores in all the coefficients applied to a thermal error modeling equation which governs a relation between temperatures and thermal errors at various operating conditions. The operating part determines all the coefficients of the thermal error modeling equation which are stored in the data bank and calculates the thermal errors corresponding to the temperatures of a plurality of the thermocouples by the temperatures of a plurality of thermocouples inputted from the A/D converter and the positional coordinates of the bed inputted from the counter.

Abstract: A position sensor having a housing which defines a carriage guide, a carriage movably arranged in the guide, and a measurement probe arranged on the carriage for transmitting a measurement signal as a function of a position of the carriage. The measurement probe includes a measurement probe carrier separated from the carriage and the carriage guide and movably arranged in the housing. The measurement probe carrier is also connected to the carriage and the carriage guide so that a force can only be transmitted to the measurement probe carrier parallel to a movement direction.

Abstract: The present invention entails an equipment leveling device comprising a leveling head having a leveling instrument incorporated therein and a series of spaced apart support legs secured to the leveling head and projecting radially therefrom for engaging an object to be leveled and for supporting the leveling head adjacent the object during the leveling process. In the embodiment disclosed, each of the support legs is adjustable in length such that the leveling device can accommodate structures and objects of various size.

Abstract: A gauge system determines the thread pitch diameter of an internally or externally-threaded article and includes a standard measuring caliper with styli selected and fitted into the caliper to correspond to a particular thread type and pitch. The styli are mounted into the caliper to provide a reference zero position to the calipers for either externally or internally-fitted articles. A processor is associated with the calipers and styli and is of a type which is configured for hand-holding. The processor has input buttons for inputting a descriptor of internal or external threads, thread type and thread pitch. The processor software receives and processes information received from the caliper to calculate the thread pitch diameter. A display connected to the processor presents the thread pitch diameter.

Abstract: A digital thermometer, having a sensing tip that is integral with a heater, a display, and a microcontroller which samples for rise time and proportionally operates the heater to increase the temperature of the sensing tip in an alternating control sequence that includes a post-heating delay and, thus, the sensing tip quickly arrives at a stable temperature when no further heating is required.

Abstract: A universal self-centering device for heads or sensors for checking the trim of the wheel assemblies of motor vehicles in general, comprising a contoured plate, which is provided with a central hub for supporting a head which is adapted to acquire the trim data of a wheel assembly of a motor vehicle; with a circumferential plurality of radial slots, with which respective double-acting grip claws are slidingly associated, the claws being adapted to engage, from the inside and from the outside, the bead retaining rim of a wheel; and a grip unit, which is adapted to fasten onto the tire mounted on the wheel and comprises a common actuation element, which is placed at the center of the plate and is kinematically coupled to the claws so as to make them slide along the slots with a simultaneous mutual approach or spacing motion.

Abstract: A telescoping field marker which is retractable into a compact storage position. The inventive device includes a bracket structure attachable to an implement frame, an inner arm having a lumen pivotally attached to the bracket structure, a hydraulic cylinder attached between said bracket structure and said inner arm, a hydraulic motor within the inner arm adjacent the bracket structure, an outer arm slidably positioned within the lumen of the inner arm, and a threaded shaft connected to the hydraulic motor and threadably connected to a proximal end of the outer arm for extending and retracting the outer arm with respect to the inner arm. A marking disc is attached to a distal end of the outer arm for marking a ground surface. The outer arm is free to move upwardly and downwardly when fully extended thereby compensating for uneven terrain. The hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic motor are preferably fluidly connected in series so as to operate simultaneously.

Abstract: A system for measuring the points on a vehicle includes reference emitters fixed relative to the vehicle, electromagnetic radiation-emitting probes, a camera, and a computer. The camera senses the direction of the emitter from three different locations so the computer can triangulate to determine the position of the emitter. The position is then put onto a standard coordinate system and is compared to standard data for the type of vehicle to determine the extent of deviation of the measured point from the standard data. This provides real time data to a person who is straightening the vehicle or aligning parts of the vehicle to know when the straightening or aligning is complete.

Abstract: An optical method for measuring the temperature of a substrate material with a temperature dependent band edge. In this method both the position and the width of the knee of the band edge spectrum of the substrate are used to determine temperature. The width of the knee is used to correct for the spurious shifts in the position of the knee caused by: (i) thin film interference in a deposited layer on the substrate; (ii) anisotropic scattering at the back of the substrate; (iii) the spectral variation in the absorptance of deposited layers that absorb in the vicinity of the band edge of the substrate; and (iv) the spectral dependence in the optical response of the wavelength selective detection system used to obtain the band edge spectrum of the substrate. The adjusted position of the knee is used to calculate the substrate temperature from a predetermined calibration curve.

Abstract: A digital thermometer, having a sensing tip that is integral with a heater, a display, and a microcontroller which samples for rise time and proportionally operates the heater to increase the temperature of the sensing tip in an alternating control sequence that includes a post-heating delay and, thus, the sensing tip quickly arrives at a stable temperature when no further heating is required.

Abstract: A cartoon drawing apparatus for 16 F size drawing paper, includes an auxiliary positioning plate which can reconfigure the apparatus for 12 F size drawing paper. The cartoon drawing apparatus for 16 F size drawing papers includes a round drawing disk, a frosted glass, an upper and lower positioning rulers. The frosted glass is embedded in the drawing round disk for an artist to draw thereon. The upper and the lower positioning rulers have positioning protuberances for fixing 16 F drawing papers. The auxiliary positioning plate includes some insertion holes on the upper edge of a plane body. The plane body includes some protuberances on the lower edge of the plane body, so that when the insertion holes are slipped over the positioning protuberances on the upper positioning ruler, the distance between the protuberances on the lower edge of the plane body and their corresponding positioning protuberances on the lower positioning ruler exactly matches the fitting of 12 F drawing papers on the apparatus.

Abstract: This ceramic sheath type thermocouple has a long service life, an improved temperature measuring responsibility and an improved temperature measuring precision, and enables repetitive use. The ceramic sheath type thermocouple has its protective tube 1 formed of a heat resisting ceramics selected from silicon nitride, sialon and silicon carbide. In the protective tube 1 are installed a pair of W--Re wires that are connected to form a joint portion constituting a temperature measuring point 5. A filler made of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 reaction-sintered ceramics is loaded into the front end portion of the protective tube to enclose the W--Re wires. Another filler made of SiC whisker with a heat conductivity smaller than that of the filler of the front end portion is loaded into the rear portion of the protective tube. An inert gas is sealed in the protective tube.