Abstract: A solid state ignition system for an internal combustion engine is controlled by a spark advance means in relation to one or more parameters affecting spark quality. Supply battery voltage is monitored by the spark advance means whereby the latter generates control signals that regulate primary ignition current so that the latter attains a predetermined level before primary ignition current is interrupted.

Abstract: A flashlight in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a housing enclosing an insulating battery retaining member formed with spring arms for retaining a pair of batteries in spaced-apart relationship. Further included is a light bulb having a pair of leads extending therefrom and carried at one end of the housing with the leads each connected to a battery. Adjacent the opposite end of the housing a conductive switch member is frictionally retained on the positive post of one battery and extends between the battery retaining member and a flexible wall of the housing. The other end of the switch member is located adjacent a cutout portion of the battery retaining member which exposes a conductive surface of the other of the batteries so that when the flexible wall of the housing is pressed the other end of the switch wire contacts the other of the batteries completing a circuit between the batteries and the light bulb.

Abstract: Apparatus for increasing the seismic data storage capacity of magnetic tape. A pair of storage registers store a sequential pair of digitized seismic data samples. A subtractor coupled to these two registers provides an output equal to the difference between the two stored samples. A decoder and a set of gates couples the difference word serially to a bit comparator starting with the most significant bit. The first logical "1" which is encountered and all the lower order bits of the same word are serially coupled to and written in a read/write memory. The decoder and gates cause a "0" to be written in a second read/write memory at the beginning of each data word, and "1's" to be written in addresses corresponding to the data written in the first read/write memory. The data in the read/write memories are addressed for reading by a read/address counter, which is incremented by an incremental shaft encoder on a drive motor of a tape recorder.

Abstract: An electric snap-action switch is disclosed having a movable contactor with oppositely inclined camming surfaces meeting at an apex on the top thereof. The contactor is centrally biased upwardly from below and cammed downwardly from above by a laterally movable operator traversing the inclined camming surfaces such that the contactor snaps laterally against vertical stationary contacts as the apex is crossed by the operator.

Abstract: A motorcycle headlight tilt control cooperates with wind deflecting fairing. It includes:(a) support means supporting the headlight structure to the fairing so that the headlight is tiltable to tilt the headlight forward beam up and down,(b) a manual control on the fairing, and(c) other means connected with the headlight structure and the manual control to controllably tilt the headlight in response to manual operation of said control,(d) there being a spring acting to transmit force biasing said headlight structure in a tilt direction.

Abstract: A snap-action overcenter contact mechanism utilizes a spring-loaded apexed plunger depressibly cammed within a rockable actuator block. The plunger rides in tracks in the block which ensure registered pivotal movement of the block and plunger, and also guides the plunger for depression within the block perpendicular to the pivotal axis thereof. A cam, which may be in the form of a roller mounted to a linearly sliding operator or a toggle lever operator, traverses the plunger to depress the plunger within the block against the bias of compression springs. When the cam translationally crosses the apex of the plunger, the stored energy of the springs is released, and the plunger and block pivot to an alternate position. A positive off feature is also disclosed wherein secondary cams formed on the operator strike the block to force it to pivot to an off position if the first cam has crossed the apex of the plunger and the block has not pivoted to the off position.

Abstract: Spark ignition internal combustion engine arrangements are disclosed wherein swirling stratified charges are formed in the engine combustion chambers, each charge having a central core of relatively fuel-rich mixture and a surrounding peripheral portion of leaner mixture or air, and in which the exhaust valve for each chamber is connected with the fuel-lean peripheral portion so that during the exhaust process the portions of the burned gases which are lowest in unburned hydrocarbons will be preferentially exhausted, leaving those portions richest in hydrocarbons as residual gases within the chamber.

Abstract: A fuel assembly for a light-water or heavy-water reactor or for a fast reactor comprises a bundle of clad fuel pins disposed on a uniform lattice and maintained in parallel relation by means of separate spacer grids fitted with resilient members for applying the grids against the fuel pins. A rigid support structure is formed by two parallel end-plates braced by tie-rods having the same diameter as the fuel pins and disposed at uniform intervals at the lattice nodes. The fuel-pin bundle is associated with a single support grid rigidly fixed at the mid-point of the tie-rods, the other grids being uniformly spaced in the vertical direction on each side so that elongation of the fuel pins takes place upwards and downwards from the support grid.

Abstract: A back-up lens for a stop, tail and signal lamp comprising a body of clear plastic material having an inner surface with dioptrics and catadioptrics thereon and an outer surface with cylindrical surfaces thereon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for the production of a plasma by concentrating and focusing a laser beam on the plasma-forming material with a lightfocusing member which comprises a parabolic axicon in conjunction with a coaxial conical mirror. The apex of the conical mirror faces away from the focus of the parabolic axicon such that the conical mirror serves to produce a virtual line source along the axis of the cone. Consequently, irradiation from a laser parallel to the axis toward the apex of the conical mirror will be concentrated at the focus of the parabolic axicon, impinging upon the plasma-forming material there introduced to produce a plasma. The system is adaptable to irradiation of a target pellet introduced at the focus of the parabolic axicon and offers an advantage in that the target pellet can be irradiated with a high degree of radial and spherical symmetry.

Abstract: A snap action switch blade has a basic `Q` shape with two arms interconnected and drawn together by a bridge portion, which may be integral with the arms, to form a deformed loop capable of snap movement between two configurations, with respective tongues projecting into and out of the loop to afford anchoring and/or actuating points for the blade.

Abstract: A flat snap-action push-button switch comprising a sheetmetal spring with two elongated slots dividing the sheetmetal member into three coherent strips, is disclosed. The center strip is extended beyond the point of junction of the strips, and carries contacts which cooperate with fixed contacts on a printed circuit board. By depressing the center strip the spring snaps over thus opening one contact and closing another. The switch is particularly suited for use with key boards of electronic pocket calculators.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high temperature power plant construction, preferably a nuclear power plant, including a plurality of plant components comprising at least one gas-cooled high temperature source, contained in a sealed vessel, and a transport system, connecting the plant components, for gas of high temperature and high pressure, the improvement which comprises the gas transport system comprising at least one internally insulated hot gas transport conduit formed from a plurality of separate sections, a pressure jacket surrounding said hot gas transport conduit, at least one closed channel formed inside of the vessel for transporting a cool gas stream, and means for freely and removably mounting the hot gas transport conduit coaxially inside of the cool gas transport channel.

Abstract: The invention is a spark timing computer which includes a resetting device for forming a start pulse and a stop pulse which is electrically coupled to the reference angle detecting device, an integrator which is electrically coupled to a reference voltage which is reset by either a stop pulse or a start pulse from the resetting device, a peak detecting device for detecting and holding the peak amplitude of the integrator and being reset by a start pulse from the resetting device, a scaling device for scaling the peak amplitude of the peak detecting device which is electrically coupled to the peak detecting device, a comparing device for comparing the scaled peak amplitude of the peak detecting device with the output signal of the integrator and a triggering device for forming a spark trigger in response to a signal from the comparing device and for sending the spark trigger to a spark generator.

Abstract: A subminiature, three position switch has a rocker, or see-saw, moveable contact which is free of conventional side tabs and tab guides, these being precluded by the limited space available. Instead, the rocker arm is of uniform cross section except for a pair of lateral grooves in the under face, each on an opposite side of a central depression, for the tip of the actuator rod. A U-shaped support means, electrically connected to the common central terminal, has a pair of upstanding, legs, or blades, each arranged to be received in one of the grooves to prevent longitudinal sliding of the contact arm, when tilted.

Abstract: Nuclear reactor apparatus for containing, cooling, and dispersing reactor debris assumed to flow from the core area in the unlikely event of an accident causing core meltdown. The apparatus includes a plurality of horizontally disposed vertically spaced plates, having depressions to contain debris in controlled amounts, and a plurality of holes therein which provide natural circulation cooling and a path for debris to continue flowing downward to the plate beneath. The uppermost plates may also include generally vertical sections which form annular-like flow areas which assist the natural circulation cooling.

Abstract: A support system for nuclear reactor pressure vessels which can withstand all possible combinations of stresses caused by a postulated core disrupting accident during reactor operation. The nuclear reactor pressure vessel is provided with a flange around the upper periphery thereof, and the flange includes an annular vertical extension formed integral therewith. A support ring is positioned atop of the support ledge and the flange vertical extension, and is bolted to both members. The plug riser is secured to the flange vertical extension and to the top of a radially outwardly extension of the rotatable plug. This system eliminates one joint through which fluids contained in the vessel could escape by making the fluid flow path through the joint between the flange and the support ring follow the same path through which fluid could escape through the plug risers.

Abstract: An intense, space-charge-neutralized, pulsed ion beam is used to heat a magnetically-confined plasma, such as a tokamak plasma, by injecting the ion beam into the plasma along a trajectory that is generally perpendicular to the confining magnetic field. For proper beam parameters, the ion beam will propagate across the magnetic field in the vacuum region, penetrate the confined plasma, and deposit its energy in the interior of the plasma.

Abstract: Breaks in the lining of a protectively lined reactor vessel are repaired without introducing unwanted electrical paths through the vessel. Specifically, the breaks are repaired using a plug comprising an insulated anchor stud anchored into the portion of the metal support wall underlying the break; a sealing gasket disposed on the portion of the protective lining surrounding the break; a washer disposed outside the sealing gasket; and a clamping arrangement mechanically coupling the washer and the anchor stud for clamping the gasket onto the protective lining throughout a path surrounding the break.

Abstract: A process for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine based on the volumetric efficiency of the engine to define a primary nominal fuel quantity. The process also includes measuring the fluctuations in the volumetric efficiency. In order to operate the engine in a preferred leaned-out condition, a nominal set-point value of the permitted range of fluctuations of the volumetric efficiency is established and the actual measured fluctuations are maintained in that range by changing the fuel metered out to the engine.Various methods for measuring the volumetric efficiency indirectly by pressure measurements in the induction tube are presented.