Abstract: An electrical transducer connected to a computer-based system is temperature compensated by providing an assembly including the transducer, which assembly further includes a temperature transducer and a coding element providing a signal which is decoded by the computer to specify the zero shifts and sensitivity changes of the transducer at high and low temperature extremes.

Abstract: A glide path instrument for an aircraft to display to a pilot that the aircraft is descending on a predetermined inclined glide path. The instrument includes a rectangular casing mountable in stationary position in the aircraft and carrying a freely pivotable frame which has sighting elements at opposite ends spaced different vertical distances from the plane of the frame. The frame carries a pendulum-like structure including depending legs supporting free swinging weights. The sighting elements align in a single sight plane with a runway reference point when the aircraft is at the predetermined glide angle. A lamp in the casing illuminates the sighting elements.

Abstract: An improved pipette device for removing and transferring a plurality of liquid samples to and from a multi-well tray is disclosed. The pipette device comprises the housing having an elongated plate defining a first chamber therein. A patterned array of collector conduits are joined to the plate such that a first outwardly extending section extends into the chamber and a second outwardly extending section, in flow communication with the first, extends away from the chamber and toward the tray. A port is formed on the housing such that a vacuum can be created in the first chamber whereby a predetermined quantity of liquid is caused to flow into each of the collector conduits. The conduits are designed to contain decreasingly smaller volumes to allow precise measure of the contained volume when the conduits are filled.

Abstract: A liquid level detecting device, which has a low transmission loss and may be miniaturized, comprising a plurality of optical fibers each composed of a core made of a transparent material and a cladding layer covering the core therewith and made of another transparent material having a lower refractive index than that of the former transparent material forming the core, end portions of the optical fibers being placed in adjacent to each other in either parallel arrangement or that attained by making an acute angle with each other, and a detecting portion which is obtained by heating the adjacent end portions of these optical fibers to fuse one another and shaping into a spherical form due to the surface tension of the fused material.

Abstract: An elevator particularly suitable for outdoor uses for lifting up and down a water examining instrument, in which a water examining instrument (3) is swingable into a horizontal position from a vertical position or vice versa upon rotating an arm (16) by a handle (12) through a worm (14) and a worm wheel (15), the arm (16) being also turnable in a horizontal plane upon rotating a support column (5) by a handle (18).

Abstract: A leak detection method and apparatus is disclosed, the apparatus comprising an enclosing temporary removable casing member which is connectable about a section of piping to be tested. The casing member provides openings which allow the passage of a section of piping to be tested therethrough, with the portion to be tested being sealably housed on the inner portion of the casing. The casing thus provides an inner leak recovery collection space between the casing and the section of the piping to be tested. The casing in the preferred embodiment is comprised of a pair of casing halves which are structurally connected about the section of piping to be tested by means of a bolted connection, for example, with flanged mating surfaces of each casing half registering and abutting to form a sealable connection about the section of the pipe to be tested.

Abstract: A reference block for ultrasonic examination, said block having an ultrasonic absorber secured to its back surface; and a method for ultrasonic examination using these blocks.

Abstract: A diver's combined gauge console having an integral mount for a knife and sheath. The gauges may include a tank pressure gauge and a depth gauge. The gauges may be slightly tilted toward one another for ease of reading. The depth gauge may be externally adjustable.

Abstract: A device for the non-contacting dosing or metering of liquids, designed as a dosing syringe, comprises a piston centrally disposed within a sleeve, with a spring surrounding the piston. The spring bears against an upper end of a barrel within which the piston reciprocates and which is surrounded by the lower end of the sleeve. The outside of the barrel is formed with stroke-limiting abutments.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for checking the operation of a fluid flow and/or pressure control member with a given and constant flow, wherein the control member is disposed at the outlet of a main fluid circuit connected to a source of pressurized fluid and a bypass circuit at its inlet and having a fluid bleed circuit with an isolation device at its outlet upstream from the control member. The main circuit includes a flow meter, a pressure meter, a progressive volume variation member to enable the pressure in the main circuit to be varied gradually and without fluctuations, and isolation devices for isolating the volume variation member from the control member and for isolating the inlet of the main circuit from the fluid source and the bypass circuit.

Abstract: A steering console for tractors providing digital readout displays activated by a keyboard strategically located within easy finger reach of the operator. A multitude of vital tractor functions are automatically continuously monitored and, simply by touch of appropriate colored switch pads on the keyboard, the operator at will changes the digital displays to the different functions he desires to read. In one preferred embodiment thereof, my invention forms part of a unitary tilt-telescope steering wheel arrangement and displays dual digital readouts, such as of the ground speed and engine speed for being viewed for comparison side by side and simultaneously in the console.

Abstract: According to the head space method, samples are supplied from sealed sample vessels by means of a needle. A change-over valve, an optionally higher or reduced carrier gas pressure is applied to a carrier gas conduit comprising a shut-off valve and terminating between the needle and entrance of the separating column. This enables a defined sample feeding and analysis by an optimum carrier gas pressure even with volatile samples.

Abstract: For use in a crude oil sampling system which delivers samples in pumped pulse fashion, a volumetric analyzer accumulating the sample is disclosed. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the device incorporates a valve which is selectively closed to direct the pumped pulsed sample into the apparatus. It includes a cylinder head attached to a cylinder. In the cylinder, there is a reducer sleeve. The reducer sleeve encloses a piston of selected size. The piston is forced upwardly by sample introduced beneath it. The piston connects with a push rod which in turn extends from the apparatus and which supports a piston follower having a marker cooperative with a scale to indicate the volumetric accumulation below the piston. The piston and reducer sleeve calibrate the apparatus to selected maximum capacities.

Abstract: A housing is mounted on the body of an internal combustion engine to vibrate together therewith. The housing contains a weight that is constructed as a unitary structure together with a vibration unit which has such a rigidity as to resonate at knocking frequencies of the internal combustion engine, and a converter element which converts the pressure received from the weight into electric signals.

Abstract: Ultrasonic probes are automatically moved and oriented on the edges of a weld in off-shore structures. An open U squirrel cage is fixed on a secondary member of an off-shore structure; an open U squirrel cage rotor rotates in the squirrel cage and bears a retractable sleeve within which an inspection arm moves. The end .OMEGA. of the arm has an orientable telescopic elbow of length .OMEGA..GAMMA.. From a wrist .GAMMA. of the arm extend two hands bearing ultrasonic feelers. The position of .GAMMA., the angle of the hands between them, and their orientation, are programmed by numerical control from theoretical geometries. The compensation of the manufacturing tolerances is integrated into the design of the hands. The device is useful for checking the welds of nodes in off-shore platforms.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for determining the hardness of a test piece supported in a predetermined position, by illuminating the test piece with an electromagnetic medium, receiving reflected medium in a television camera which provides a signal which varies in accordance with variations in intensity of the reflected medium, and electrically processing the signal to provide an output dependent upon the size of indentation which can be interpreted to determine the hardness of the test piece.

Abstract: A calibratable turbine wheel gas meter includes a tube member having a lateral stud which carries a counter. An exchangeable measuring insert comprises an inlet member including an inlet body and an outlet member including an outlet body and is inserted into the tube member to abut a stop formed in the outlet member. Together with the tube member the inlet member forms a pressure space to measure the static pressure therein. The outlet member is formed integrally with the outlet body and is combined overlappingly with the inlet member. The inlet member and the outlet member define a passage in which the blades of a turbine wheel are located and the shaft of the turbine wheel is journalled in a bearing housing disposed in the outlet body. A pulse generator is arranged to cooperate with the turbine wheel and generates pulses, the number of which is dependent on the volume of gas passing through the passage. Each measuring insert is calibrated by comparison to a standard measuring insert.

Abstract: Record playing apparatus includes a housing having an opening at its front end; a record carrier assembly having a turntable for supporting a record disc and a tone arm assembly for reproducing signals from the disc; guide rollers which support the record carrier assembly for horizontal movement through the opening between a first position within the housing and a second position withdrawn from the housing; a dust cover; a pair of elongated arms pivotally mounted at one end thereof to opposing sides of the record carrier assembly and having the dust cover connected to the free ends thereof; springs for biasing the arms to move the dust cover to a first cover position in blocking relation to the opening when the record carrier assembly is moved to its first position; and cam bars for biasing the arms against the force of the springs when the record carrier assembly is moved to its second position so as to move the dust cover out of the aforementioned blocking relation and into a slot formed in a mounting frame

Abstract: Sample handling apparatus includes a disposable, single use sample vessel that includes reclosable port structure, and coupling structure adjacent said port structure. Cooperating sample transfer structure for detachable connection to the coupling structure of the vessel includes a transfer passage and a port opening probe portion and is movable to a position in which the probe portion opens the reclosable port structure to provide a flow path between the transfer passage and the sample storage vessel. In that position, the vessel and sample transfer structure cooperate to define a sealed chamber that has a flexible, resilient wall.

Abstract: In a liquid quantity detecting apparatus, a torsion bar is mounted on a stationary structure to support a container thereon in such a manner that the torsion bar is twisted at a torsional angle in dependence upon the weight of liquid stored within the container. An electric detector is provided to electrically detect the torsional angle of the torsion bar so as to generate an output signal indicative of the quantity of the stored liquid based on the detected torsional angle.