Abstract: A device and method for testing the integrity of a vaginal diaphragm having an annular ring about a membrane desired to be nonporous consists of a base member defining a surface for engaging the ring in sealing relationship and defines, with the membrane, a pressure chamber, a clamp for clamping the ring in sealing relationship upon the surface, apparatus for creating an inflating pressure condition in the chamber of a level predetermined to cause loss of air from the chamber through the membrane if the membrane has in excess of predetermined maximum degree of porosity, and an indicator of loss of air from within the chamber. Preferably the clamp is defined by a cover, and the device is in the form of a protective carrying case for the diaphragm.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the flow of a packed bed of particles moving in a primary stream comprises positioning a feedpipe having an open end facing downstream in the primary stream and feeding a secondary stream of particles through the feedpipe to satisfy a void that would otherwise be formed downstream of the feedpipe due to the passage of the primary stream of particles. The flow of the primary stream is proportional to the flow of the secondary stream. The flow of the secondary stream can be measured either by measuring the amount of particles being metered into the feedpipe or by connecting a hopper to the feedpipe and measuring the rate at which a level of particles in the hopper falls.

Abstract: A method of measuring the direction of mechanical vibrations, in which a plurality of points are marked on the surface of a vibrating object along the arc of a circle of a given radius at a constant pitch selected from a range of 1.2 to 1.8 of the amplitude of mechanical vibrations, forming a circular scale and while moving together with the vibrating object making up, depending on the shape of a trajectory of mechanical vibrations, stroboscopically still equal segments of a straight line or patterns. A group of straight line adjacent segments disposed at a minimum distance in a radial direction or patterns having a maximum overlapping and a radially arranged axis of symmetry is visually defined. An ordinal number is determined of one or two straight line segments or of one or two patterns through which the axis of symmetry passes, and the direction of mechanical vibrations is measured on the circular scale by an angle corresponding to this ordinal number.

Abstract: An acceleration detector, the spring is a substrate plate, e.g., of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, which is fixed at one end in a housing. The resistors and the evaluating circuit are arranged on the spiral spring and can be applied to the substrate plate in a single work step using thick-film technology.

Abstract: A sensing device for use in an internal combustion engine to sense combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber of the engine includes a tubular body part in which is located a radiation conductive element one end of which is exposed to the combustion chamber in use. On the other end of the element is a sensor which in use is connected in an electrical circuit. The sensor is responsive to radiation transmitted along the element from the flame in the combustion chamber. The element is held in a bore of the body part by a visco-elastic lining which also provides a gas tight seal and acts to cushion the element against vibration.

Abstract: A dewpoint meter has a sensor comprising a mirror (1) situated in a chamber (2) through which gas, the dewpoint of which is to be measured is passed through an inlet port (3) and an outlet port (4). The mirror (1) is cooled by a Peltier effect heat pump (11) and the formation of condensation on the mirror as it is cooled is detected by a detector comprising a light emitting diode (7) and a photodiode (8). The temperature at which condensation occurs, which is the dewpoint of the gas, is measured by a thermometer. Instead of transferring the heat from the heat pump (11) directly to a heat sink (13) as is usual, a heat pipe (12) is interposed between the heat pump (11) and the heat sink (13). This avoids the necessity for having the heat sink closely adjacent the mirror and thus avoids errors caused by heat from the heat sink affecting the temperature of the mirror.

Abstract: The temperature range for stable operation of a flueric partial pressure sensor (300) is improved by temperature-responsive means (80, 60) which vary with temperature change the suction applied by a flueric aspirator (27) in drawing gas through sensor bridge legs (12, 13) and a power line (37) of a flueric amplifier (11). The temperature-responsive means may comprise temperature-sensitive adjustment means (107, FIG. 2) embodied in a pressure reducing valve (80) to vary the pressure of working gas supplied by way of delivery line (28) for driving the flueric aspirator. Alternatively or additionally the temperature-responsive means may comprise a temperature-sensitive bleed valve (60) incorporated in a common outlet (14) from the bridge legs and the flueric amplifier power line.

Abstract: A sample metering valve for both liquid samples and slurry samples with entrained gas bubbles. The sample metering valve for liquids is comprised of a piston with sample chambers formed in the side thereof said piston moving freely into and out of a cylinder having an aperture matching the size of the piston. Sealing is provided by a seal which has no dead volume which cold flows under a spring bias to maintain the seal under various operating conditions. The sample metering valve for slurry samples includes a syringe embodiment having separately moving piston and valve in a cylinder. The syringe valve sucks up sample with a piston, isolates the sample with the valve and compresses the entrained gas bubbles with the piston. Another embodiment uses three, three way valves which are coupled to a pump and a means to compress the sample.

Abstract: A method of testing a manual transmission utilizes a test fixture adapted to be positioned on the transmission shift tower mounting pad. The test fixture includes a plurality of cylinders equal in number to the number of transmission shift rails, with each cylinder being connected to a separate actuating arm operatively engaging a separate one of the shift rails. The transmission is positioned in a test stand for supplying power to the transmission input while simultaneously loading the output, and providing an oil flush. The cylinders are then actuated in a predetermined sequence to independently actuate the shift rails and shift the transmission in a predetermined sequence. In accordance with the present invention, a constant force is applied to the shift rail to effect a shift, and the time required to complete a particular shift is measured. This measured time is then compared to a predetermined reference time, which represents the time period the shift should have taken in a satisfactory transmission.

Abstract: A centrifuge tube is used to hold a mixture of several constituents, and also contains a generally cylindrical float. The float settles, after centrifugation, into the zone occupied by the constituent whose volume is to be measured. The constituent layer will settle, after centrifugation, into the annular space between the tube bore and the outside of the float, and will be expanded axially due to the restricted volume of the annular space. The degree of expansion is dependent upon the respective sizes of the float O.D. and the tube bore ID, both of which must be closely controlled for accurate results. A known volume of a control material is placed in the tube to settle into the annular space during centrifugation in an area thereof outside of the constituent layer zone. The length of the band of the control material is measured after centrifugation and is compared to a known length which will result if the annular space is of the proper target volume.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously receiving a different NMR response signal from each of a plurality of closely-spaced surface coils, first provides an array of a plurality of the surface coils, each positioned so as to have substantially no interaction with all adjacent surface coils. A different NMR response signal is received from an associated portion of the sample enclosed within an imaging volume defined by the array. Each different NMR response signal is used to construct a different one of a like plurality of NMR images of the sample, with the plurality of different images then being combined, on a point-by-point basis, to produce a single composite NMR image of a total sample portion from which NMR response signal contribution was received by any of the array of surface coils. Interactions between non-adjacent surface coils are minimized by coupling each onto an associated preamplifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for nondestructive evaluation of a structure is disclosed. Resonant audio frequency vibrations are excited in the structure to be evaluated and the vibrations are measured and characterized to obtain information about the structure. The vibrations are measured and characterized by reflecting a laser beam from the vibrating structure and directing a substantial portion of the reflected beam back into the laser device used to produce the beam which device is capable of producing an electric signal containing information about the vibration.

Abstract: The disclosed pressure transducer assembly comprises a transducer for generating electrical signals in response to differential pressures; a structure for encasing the transducer, the encasing structure including first and second ports for communicating fluids at first and second pressures to the transducer; and a housing for enveloping the casing structure with fluid having a pressure at least approximately equal to the first or second pressure, the encasing structure being removably disposed within the housing.

Abstract: To test the tightnesses of two valves arranged upstream respectively downstream of each other in a fluid line, the pressure conditions in the line portion between the two valves is measured with both valves being closed. Following a certain time after the closure of the two valves, the pressure in the line portion is measured to determine whether pressure is above or below a predetermined limit pressure to conclude whether the one or the other valve is tight. Following this determination, the passageway is opened across the valve taken to be tight and the line portion is then drained or filled. During a measuring time interval then following, a differential pressure sensing device measures whether and how often the pressure in the line portion reaches or passes the limit pressure.

Abstract: A surface resonator suitable for use in nuclear magnetic resonance equipment has two adjacently disposed windings, the respective ends of each winding being connected to each other through a series circuit including two capacitors. The respective junctions of the capacitors with each other constitute the electrical symmetry point for each winding, and are connected to ground. The signal tap for the surface resonator is galvanically taken at the ends of each winding. The surface resonator can be used for imaging and spectroscopy using nuclear magnetic resonance principles.

Abstract: A signal detector for a cycle computer comprises a head, a sensor supported by the head, and a flexible strap having one end connected to the head. The head includes a housing having a curved abutment surface shaped to bear against the curved abutment surface of a support tube such as a leg of a bicycle fork or a rear stay tube. The head has a strap-guiding surface defining one wall of a strap-receiving passageway extending completely through the housing and tangent to the curved abutment surface. The passageway has a strap entrance portion adjacent the curved abutment surface and a strap exit portion remote from it. The strap has transverse teeth along the inside surface facing inwardly into the passageway when the strap extends through it. In the embodiment disclosed, the head is molded of plastics material and includes an integral pawl in the passageway.

Abstract: In an automatic cleaning device for use in the thermoplastics extrusion plastometer including a piston cleaning unit, a conveying unit, a cylinder cleaning unit and a die cleaning unit. The piston cleaning unit cleans the surface of the piston at plasticity testing positions. The conveying unit moves the cylinder from the plasticity testing position to a cylinder cleaning position and to a die cleaning position. The cylinder cleaning unit cleans the interior surface of the cylinder at a cylinder cleaning position. Finally, the die cleaning unit cleans the interior surface of the die at the die cleaning position.

Abstract: Phase error contributions in pixels of a complex image of a nuclear magnetization distribution in a body region due to inhomogeneities of the steady, uniform magnetic field which are caused by the magnetic susceptibility of, for example a patient to be examined and by eddy currents are eliminated by processing the resonance signals obtained in multiple cycles of different magnetic field characteristics according to the assumption that the phase error varies smoothly as a function of the location in the complex image. A corrected phase and the corresponding phase error of a given pixel are determined and then the corrected errors of the next adjacent pixels are sequentially determined and a corrected phase 0 or .+-..pi. assigned to the respective next adjacent pixel, if the phase difference between its phase and the known phase error of the preceding pixel is modulo 2.pi. in intervals (-.DELTA.,.DELTA.), (.+-..pi.-.DELTA.,.+-..pi.+.DELTA.

Abstract: An insolation plug suitable for leakage testing a liquid conduit has an O-ring seal mounted adjacent one end of its body to mate with a sleeve in a pump fitting for the conduit when the plug is inserted in the fitting through a threaded hole. This seals off the outlet of the fitting from its remaining portions. The plug contains a bore through which the liquid in the conduit may be pressurized for testing purposes. An additional base in the isolation plug communicates with the portions of the fitting upstream of the seal to permit liquid to be discharged from the tank through the additional bore.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for an ultrasonic velocity in a region of interest within a medium includes an array transducer, and a velocity measuring circuit. The transducer is constructed of a plurality of transducer elements which are subdivided into at least first and second transmitting sections and first and second receiving sections with having a distance. First and second ultrasonic beams are emitted from the first and second transmitting sections to the ROI under the condition that the transmitting beam axis is intersected by the receiving ultrasonic beam axis. Then, the first and second receiver sections receives in total four echoes reflected from four corners of the ROI. The velocity measuring circuit calculates the propagation time of the ultrasonic beams and finally the ultrasonic velocity based upon the propagation time.