Abstract: The invention relates to an electric snap switch assembly which includes a stiff arm which is pivotal about a fixed axis abutment and is movable in a range between two operative positions. A sheet metal hinge member extends the length of the arm and is attached to the fixed axis abutment and to the arm. A sheet metal spacer member is attached to a movable abutment and a U-shaped bow spring straddling the movable abutment is maintained in a compressive state with one leg thereof attached to the free end of the hinge member and the other leg thereof attached to the movable abutment member. A pivotally mounted adjustment member carries the movable abutment.

Abstract: A string of outdoor decorative lights is connected to a facer board on a building cave. A stowable embodiment of the invention provides hinged attachment to the facer board and means for securing the string in a display position or in a hidden position. Snap-in tabs hold the string in either position.

Abstract: A marker or clearance light for semi trailers and the like which increases the life by a factor of from 3 to 10.

Abstract: Gas-forming deflagrating compositions which produce relatively low peak pressures and impart high velocity to projectiles are formed by incorporation of from about 1 to about 25 percent of water in an oxidizer-fuel mixture.

Abstract: 1. In an improved paravane the combination comprising;A body unit,A charge housing,Means for slideably engaging said charge housing with said body unit,A mooring line engaging means pivotally connected to and extending from s charge housing,An explosive charge disposed in said charge housing,A detonation means attached to said body unit and connected to said explosive charge for actuating said explosive charge upon a predetermined amount of relative movement between said charge housing and said body unit, andA locking means disposed in said charge housing between said mooring line engaging means and said detonation means for preventing relative movement between said charge housing and said body unit prior to movement of said mooring line engaging means.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cooling a plasma of warm charged species confined in the center mirror cell of the tandem mirror apparatus by injecting cold neutral species of the plasma into at least one mirroring region of the center mirror cell, the cooling due to the loss of warm charged species through charge exchange with the cold neutral species with resulting diffusion of the warm neutral species out of the plasma.

Abstract: A double base propellant having plasticizer and ballistic modifiers unifoy dispersed therein is formed by using high speed, high shear techniques. The method of uniformly incorporating plasticizers and ballistic modifiers in a solventless process for preparing nitrocellulose is accomplished by forming a slurry of nitrocellulose under high shear, high speed mixing, adding the plasticizers and modifiers thereto and recovering the propellant.

Abstract: A method for detecting and locating defective fuel elements in a liquid cooled nuclear reactor employing a sonic/ultrasonic dual test. In accordance with the invention acoustic transducers, sensitive to a broad range of frequencies ranging from the audio to ultrasonic range, are respectively coupled to the exposed top end plugs of the fuel elements of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly. The respective fuel assemblies are voided of coolant, raising the temperature of the individual elements to a point that will boil any liquid coolant present in a defective fuel tube. The audio output of each transducer is translated into a graphic display identifying the presence and location of defective fuel elements. At prescribed intervals passive acoustic monitoring is interrupted for a pulse-echo attenuation measurement of each element. The respective transducers are sequentially energized, communicating pulsed acoustic energy along the fuel element cladding.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for confining a plasma in a center mirror cell by use of two end mirror cells as positively charged end stoppers to minimize leakage of positive particles from the ends of the center mirror cell.

Abstract: A regulating rod drive of a nuclear reactor, comprising a guide tube and a signalling device to signal the engagement of the drive with the regulating rod, which signalling device is installed in a hermetically sealed housing and includes a spring-loaded sensing rod, whereof one end interacts with the regulating rod, and an armature of a ferromagnetic material.

Abstract: A nuclear fuel rod assembly support structure has top and bottom end pieces, and a plurality of fuel rod spacer grids and control-rod guide tubes having top and bottom ends respectively fastened to the top and bottom end pieces to hold these pieces interspaced, the guide tubes being inserted slidably through the openings in the spacer grids and the latter being positioned between the end pieces of the support structure. It is necessary to fix the spacer grids to the guide tubes to maintain the spacer grids at properly interspaced positions and to provide a support structure that is as rigid as possible. For reasons of nuclear physics, the guide tubes and spacer grids are made of different metals or alloys which are difficult to fix together by the use of solidified molten metal using presently known welding and soldering techniques.

Abstract: An apparatus for decontaminating a radioactively contaminated coolant flowing through the core of a nuclear reactor wherein the coolant containing radioactively contaminated impurities is withdrawn from the core, precooled and cooled, and then the impurities are removed therefrom by ion exchange, before the coolant is returned to the core.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor plant has a fuel-element storage pit formed in a pit building and a pit adjacent thereto for safely lowering a fuel-element transporting cask therein, the adjacent pit being connected by a spur channel to the storage bit, a barrier separating the storage pit and the pit adjacent thereto, the barrier being at least one-half as high as the vertical length of the fuel-element transporting cask and being connected to the pit building in a manner as to be capable of withstanding at an upper edge thereof a lateral force equal to at least 10% of the maximum weight of the transporting cask.

Abstract: (U) A dual gate tracker and method for controlling the flight path of a missile having television camera in the nose thereof. The two gates respectively track the right and left contrast edges of the target within the field of view of the camera and the target center is determined from a combination of these two signals. The deviation of the determined target center from the center of the field of view of the camer is utilized for missile control. Means are provided to prevent the tracking of the same contrast edge by the two gates and manual control of the gates may be established to position and/or enlarge the gates for target acquisition.

Abstract: In a pressure tight steel container for housing a nuclear reactor of the type wherein the container is surrounded by a biological shield wall, the container is supported by a relatively flexible structure, and a protective wall is provided along the inner surface of the container for receiving the jet stream and the percussive forces of bodies flying about at high speeds in the container as a result of the existence of emergency conditions. The outer surface of the container is spaced from the biological shield wall by an annular space sufficient to permit ready access to the outer surface of the container.

Abstract: Increases in reactivity can be obtained in thermal and epithermal reactors by utilization of heavy elements in selected locations in the reactors. These increases can result in economic gains, for example, in reduction in the amounts of heavy water needed in heavy water moderated reactors and in reduction of the enrichment needed in light water reactors. A number of examples are provided of advantageous use of the heavy elements in specific reactor embodiments.

Abstract: A relatively thin thermoplastic sheet material, vacuum molded to form a sign letter base including hollow wall members and hollow light-fixture supports upstanding from a single-thickness horizontal bottom member. The base inverted forms a mold itself for receiving a flexible plastic foam inserted to a suitable height and disposed within the vertical walls and fixture supports for providing compressible elasticity to the thin molded sheet in predetermined locations for enabling cooperative interaction of the same with retainer members used to secure a display sign face and gas filled lighting tube structures in proper location onto the base. A rigid polyester resin is cast as a ring encircling the letter walls, located and supported by the flexible foam to stabilize and support the thin nature of the base.

Abstract: A lamp-shade for tubular lamps of outer diameter d, comprising two longitudinally extending, in cross sections evenly concavely curved, light reflecting side shade-faces facing each other and arranged on each side of a middle plane containing the axis of the lamp. The shade further comprising a number of light reflecting cross plates extending between the two side shade-faces evenly spaced along the length of the shade. The distance between the lamp and a plane through the lower edges of the side shade-faces being between 1.7 d and 3 d. Each side shade-face being evenly curved from an uppermost portion situated at a level higher than that of the upper side of the lamp and having a minimum distance from said middle plane not exceeding 0.6 d to the lower edge and is near the latter touching a plane parallel to the middel plane in a distance therefrom of between 1.3 d and 3 d. The lower border zone of each side shade-face having a height of between 0.2 d and 0.

Abstract: A system for producing neutron pulses seriatim in which a smaller, high velocity, sub-critical, downward traveling slug intercepts a larger downward falling sub-critical target-mass, both of which have a portion of higher concentration in fissile materials. The combined masses are more than prompt-critical and the resulting neutron and energy pulse is contained within a large pressure vessel. Spray of mostly sodium slurry protects the walls of the vessel from the effects of the neutron and energy pulse and absorbs the energy and neutron excess of the energy-neutron pulse. Heated slurry is drained from the pressure vessel to provide useful heat energy and neutron irradiated materials. Precipitated materials and sodium are used in the fabrication of both the slug and target-mass.

Abstract: A transmission linkage construction arranged between a governor and a fuel metering device of an internal combustion engine with the linkage construction selectively positioning a control rod of the fuel metering device in response to predetermined speeds of the internal combustion engine sensed by the governor. The control rod is positionable at a plurality of positions defined between a maximum fuel filling position and a zero fuel filling position. The transmission linkage construction includes a pivotally mounted transmission lever operatively connected with the governor and the control rod of the fuel metering device by way of connecting linkages with the connecting linkage between the control rod and transmission lever being effected by way of an arm fixedly secured to the transmission lever at an adjustable distance from the pivot point of the transmission lever.