Abstract: A method for collecting a particulate sample from a gas or liquid particulate suspension on a substrate and keeping the collected particulate on the substrate in the same position and orientation as when it was initially collected. The substrate for collecting particulate may be covered with a coating or film that reacts with the substrate or the particulate and is optically and electron transparent. A coating or film may be placed over the collected particulate as well as, or instead of, the coating or film directly concerning the collecting substrate. A particulate sample sandwiched between two electron transparent coverings is suitable for analysis by electron microscopy.

Abstract: A dry flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of a stream of granular material through a chute includes a force transducer mounted inside an enclosure, the enclosure being mounted by a bracket assembly to the chute with a plate assembly cantilever mounted in the chute from the force transducer and a thermoelectric heat pump to maintain the temperature of the force transducer at a desired value. A temperature sensor is mounted on the force transducer and a computer compares actual with desired temperature to control the heat pump. The cantilever mount comprises a pair of beam members, each beam including a central threaded rod with a hollow tube surrounding the rod and held in place between the force transducer and plate assembly by compression. A collar member surrounds one beam member and has a plurality of adjustment screws to limit radial torquing of the beam and plate assembly with respect to the force transducer.

Abstract: A vertical speed indicator uses a substantially rigid hollow closed air chamber; a capillary tube having a reduced inside diameter connected to the chamber for routing atmospheric air from an aircraft static system at a reduced flow rate into the chamber; a differential pressure transducer having two inlet ports; a pneumatic conduit connecting the chamber and one of the ports of the transducer for exposing that port to internal chamber air pressure; a pneumatic conduit connected to the other port for exposing that port to atmospheric pressure occurring within the static system; and electronic processing circuitry connected to the transducer for providing an indication of the vertical speed of the aircraft.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for determining the density of a gas by measuring the time for a predetermined its flow through a sub-sonic square-root restrictor, such as a venturi, the rate of increase or decrease of the pressure in a reference chamber, a semi-continuous measurement means utilizing a motor driven, constant rate-of-movement piston being disclosed as well as a continuous density measurement means including a sub-sonic square-root restrictor followed, in fluid flowing fashion by a sonic restrictor venting to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A crash sensor for automobiles of the type including a sensing mass movable in a closed chamber against pressure resulting from viscous flow has a disk shaped sensing mass suspended by one or two webs like those used to suspend the moving elements of audio speakers. The web suspending the sensing mass allows the sensing mass free axial motion while resisting radial motion. Movement of the sensing mass is resisted by air pressure resulting from viscous flow of air through conduits. Compensation for variation of air viscosity with temperature is achieved by varying the travel of the sensing mass. The sensor design enables accurate automatic calibration. The unit is compact and is made from a small number of inexpensive parts. The combination of these elements provides a crash sensor that is insensitive to cross axis vibrations and costs much less than current production sensors.

Abstract: A motion of a first pendulous mass responsive to combinatorial gravitation and acceleration force vectors in a first plane is kinetmatically coupled to cause displacement of an indicator needle in a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane. Also in an accelerometer/inclinometer, a second pendulous mass moves responsively to combinatorial force vectors in the second plane, and causes displacement of another indicator needle in this same second plane. The first plane is nominally aligned longitudinally in a vehicle while the second plane is aligned laterally. By this alignment each of the longitudinal, or fore-aft, and the lateral, or side-to-side, combinatorial tilts and accelerations of the vehicle are displayed.

Abstract: The transducer is fabricated using micro-machining techniques of a silicon wafer. The transducer includes E-shaped leaf springs of silicon dioxide suspending a mass from a support. The transducer is formed by chemical etching through openings of opposite faces of a silicon wafer on which etch stop layer patterns are diffused. Sense and force conductive patterns are diffused onto the opposite faces of the suspended mass. The spring-mass-support structure is then sandwiched between opposite plates having corresponding sense and force conductive patterns which face such patterns on the suspended mass. Circuitry is provided by which a sense voltage and a force voltage are applied between opposite sense and force conductive patterns of the opposite plates creating a sense electric field and a force electric field across the sense and force patterns of the mass. A feedback circuit arrangement is provided to maintain the mass at a predetermined reference position between the support plates.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor including a magnetic fluid, a permanent magnet emplaced movably in the magnetic fluid, a nonmagnetic case, in which case the magnetic fluid and the permanent magnet are sealed and from which case air is substantially excluded, the shape of internal receptacle of the case dominating the shape of the magnetic fluid, whereby the path of the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnet is restricted and the permanent magnet in the magnetic fluid is given an automatic positioning function, a unit for detecting the position of the permanent magnet, and a processing circuit for processing signals from the detection unit.

Abstract: A quick-clamping fixture for centering and clamping vehicle wheels on the spindle of a balancing machine, having a flange affixed to the spindle against which the cylindrical opening in the center section of a vehicle wheel is seated. A spring loaded conical fixture fits into the center opening of the wheel, and biases the conical fixture in the direction of said opening. The conical fixture is configured like a two part clamping collet the outer part having an external cylindrical surface for insertion into the centering opening of the vehicle wheel. One part of the clamping collet has a contact surface engaged by the spring, and the other has a contact surface for abutting a counterbearing. Precision centering takes place at the cylindrical inner surface of the wheel center section when the outer part of the collet expands as its conical surface slides against the complementary conical surface of the inner part. There are no centering errors due to the presence of play arising from mechanical tolerances.

Abstract: A device for measuring the movement of a motor vehicle with a speedometer (11, 13) which produces a control signal when it is determined that the speed has exceeded a predetermined limit. A distance gauge (11, 15) is equipped with a release mechanism (14) which is activated by the control signal so that a record can be made of the distance driven only when such a control signal is received from the speedometer. The distance gauge (11, 15) is preferably equipped with a connecting device (14) which permits a stepwise or continuous increase in the weighting of distance registration following increased speed above the first, predetermined limit.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a thermal balance of a rotor. When obtaining a difference in shaft-vibration component of the rotor between an actual load condition and a no load condition, on the basis of detection results at a simulated load, a difference in shaft-vibration component of the rotating rotor between a no-load condition and a condition in which the rotor is heated from the outside and a difference in shaft-vibration component of the rotating rotor between a no-load condition and a condition in which the rotor is heated from the inside are detected at the simulated load. The detected differences in shaft-vibration component are converted respectively to differences in shaft-vibration component under a temperature condition at the actual load. Both the converted differences in shaft-vibration component are added to each other in a vector manner to obtain a difference in rotor shaft-vibration component at the actual load.

Abstract: This invention discloses a vortex sensor for detecting vortices generated by a bluff body immersed in a fluid stream, which vortex sensor comprises an elongated or planar member receiving fluid dynamic forces associated with the vortices and a transducer connected thereto, wherein at least one extremity of the elongated or planar member is secured to the wall structure of the flow passage, while the other unsecured extremity of the elongated or planar member or an extension thereof is connected to the force receiving member of a transducer. The secured extremity of the elongated or planar member contributes to a high resonance frequency thereof well above the vortex shedding frequency ranges, while the other unsecured extremity contributes to a high sensitivity in the vortex sensing as that extremity connected to the transducer transmits all of the stress and/or strain generated by the fluid dynamic forces associated with the vortices to the force receiving member of the transducer.

Abstract: The gyrometer comprises a cavity filled with a fluid in the form of a body of revolution having an axis coinciding with the axis of a rotation to be measured. An excitation transducer and a measuring transducer are disposed on the wall of the cavity in a same cross section and offset at an angle of 90.degree.. The excitation transducer excites a first acoustic resonance mode of the cavity and the measuring transducer measures a second mode of resonance induced by Coriolis forces when the cavity is subjected to the rotation to be measured. Such a gyrometer, less sensitive to mechanical embodiment inaccuracies, is assembled on, a moving body, for example, in order to measure its speed(s) of rotation.

Abstract: A motion sensor comprising a permanent magnet suspended in pendulum fashion at one end of a length of cord string so as to be capable of swinging freely within an electrical coil when the motion sensor is moved. The movement of the magnet induces an emf in the coil which can be detected by simple electronic circuitry. The motion sensor is extremely simple but yet highly effective to detect both shock movement or a gentle motion.

Abstract: A resonant bridge two-axis microaccelerometer is disclosed comprising polysilicon resonant bridges orthogonally attached to a silicon proof mass, such that the silicon proof mass is suspended by the resonant bridges. Acceleration in the plane of the substrate causes differential axial loads on the opposing microbridges in each pair, thereby shifting their resonant frequencies. The acceleration component aligned with a pair is measured by the difference in resonant frequencies.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining Young's Modulus of a specimen by measuring the speed at which stress waves, either P-waves or S-waves, propagate therein. An embodiment of the apparatus includes two fixtures which are removably affixed to opposite ends of the specimen. A hammer having an accelerometer affixed to its head is used to strike the first fixture to produce stress waves in the specimen. A timing means starts counting in response to an output generated by the accelerometer when the hammer strikes the first fixture. A second accelerometer affixed to the second fixture detects the stress waves and generates an output which causes the timing means to stop counting. Further circuitry extracts the measured time, calculates a dispersion time delay based on material and length, and subtracts the dispersion time delay and a predetermined constant, both dependent on the material in the specimen, from the measured time to form a corrected transit time.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor has a lever which is swung by the movement of a mass body that is held in a holding member in such a manner as to be movable relative thereto when an acceleration of a predetermined magnitude or greater acts on the holding member in the horizontal direction. The sensor also has a transmission member which is swung by the movement of the mass body and of which the swinging causes the lever to swing, and a prevention member which prevents any upward movement of the transmission member. Therefore, even when the mass body is affected by an acceleration acting in the vertical direction, any affection of the acceleration is prevented from being transmitted to the lever via the transmission member.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor comprises a pair of driven tines and a pair of output tines connected to the driven tines by a stem portion. A detection circuit including a set of output electrodes, associated with each output tines, generates a detection signal related to angular rate. A feedback circuit, including a further set of electrodes associated with each driven tine; utilizes a phase quadrature component of the detection signal so as to drive the driven tines towards a condition of torsional balance.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for nondestructive evaluation of defects in hot terials, such as metals and ceramics, by sonic signals, which includes a zirconia buffer in contact with a hot material being tested, a liquid couplant of borax in contact with the zirconia buffer and the hot material to be tested, a transmitter mounted on the zirconia buffer sending sonic signals through the buffer and couplant into the hot material, and a receiver mounted on the zirconia buffer receiving sonic signals reflected from within the hot material through the couplant and the buffer.

Abstract: To increase the stability and sensitivity of a vibrational angular velocity sensor, the vibrator is airtightly housed within a glass vacuum casing whose inside surface is coated with a metallic film. Further, conductive lead pins electrically connected between vibrator signal terminals and a printed circuit board for a signal processing circuit and fixing pins mechanically fixed to the printed circuit board are arranged with a constant length outside the casing in parallel to each other. Further, two vibrator support pins are fixed to the glass casing by glass material. To obtain a high vacuum within the glass casing, a subcasing including a getter is connected to the casing through a connecting tube cut off or sealed after evacuation.