Abstract: A sound reproduction system has pairs of sound emitters that subtend different angles ?, the span angle, at the listener position. The pairs of sound emitters are arranged to be excited by different frequency bands of the signal output from an inverse filter means (Hh, Hl). The operational span-frequency range of the pairs of sound emitters is determined by an equation (I) where the transducer span ? is the angle subtended at the listener by a pair of transducers, where O<n<2. c0: is the speed of sound, and ?r: is the equivalent distance between the ears. The sound emitters may be discrete speaker units, the different pairs of units being positioned at different span angles, or they be constituted by area portions of an extended transducer (FIG. 10). When discrete speaker units are employed a cross-over filter (FIG. 28) is used to provide drive signals in the different frequency bands to the different speaker pairs.

Abstract: The sound reproduction system is of the kind which comprises electro-acoustic transducer means, and transducer drive means for driving the electro-acoustic transducer means in response to a plurality of channels of a sound recording. The electro-acoustic transducer means comprises sound emitters which are spaced-apart in use, the transducer drive means comprising filter means that has been designed and configured with the aim of reproducing at a listener location an approximation to the local sound field that would be present at the listener's ears in recording space, taking into account the characteristics and intended positioning of the sound emitters relative to the ears of the listener, and also taking into account the head related transfer functions of the listener.

Abstract: Sound recordings are played through a closely-spaced pair of loudspeakers with a predetermined listener position having an included angle of between 6° and 20°, and filter means being employed in creating said sound recordings, the filter means having characteristics such that when the sound recordings are played, the need to provide a virtual imaging filter means at the inputs to the loudspeakers to create virtual sound sources is avoided, the sound recording being such that when played through the loudspeakers a phase difference between vibrations of the two loudspeakers results where the phase difference varies with frequency from low frequencies where the vibrations are substantially out of phase to high frequencies where the vibrations are in phase, the lowest frequency at which the vibrations are in phase being determined approximately by a ringing frequency, f0.

Abstract: A method of recording sound for reproduction by a plurality of loudspeakers, or for processing sound for reproduction by a plurality of loudspeakers, is described in which some of the reproduced sound appears to a listener to emmanate from a virtual source which is spaced from the loudspeakers. A filter means (H) is used either in creating the recording, or in processing the recorded signals for supply to loudspeakers, the filter means (H) being created in a filter design step in which: a) a technique is employed to minimise error between the signals (w) reproduced at the intended position of a listener on playing the recording through the loudspeakers, and desired signals (d) at the intended position, wherein: b) said desired signals (d) to be produced at the listener are defined by signals (or an estimate of the signals) that would be produced at the ears of (or in the region of) the listener in said intended position by a source at the desired position of the virtual source.

Abstract: A reciprocating exercise device for strengthening of the muscles comprising the shoulder. The device is held in the user's hand and moved in a repeated manner to simulate a sports specific movement or for therapeutic muscle strengthening. A tube with detachable end caps contains a weight. The end caps house springs that extend into the tube when attached to the ends of the tube. The weight is of a diameter such that it may travel freely along the inner length of the tube, yet closely matched to the inner diameter of the tube such that significant air compression occurs in front of the moving weight. The generated air compression serves to reduce the shock of the weight when it impacts the springs at the tube ends. Controllable tube venting allow for control of the magnitude of this effect. Variable styles of attachable handles allow for improved simulation of sports specific throwing motions.

Abstract: A method for applying at least one bond coating on a surface of a metal-based substrate is described. A foil of the bond coating material is first attached to the substrate surface and then fused thereto, e.g., by brazing. The foil is often initially prepared by thermally spraying the bond coating material onto a removable support sheet, and then detaching the support sheet. Optionally, the foil may also include a thermal barrier coating applied over the bond coating. The substrate can be a turbine engine component.

Abstract: A remote adjustment mechanism for the louvered cleaning elements of a combine harvester has a linearly movable output member directly fastened to the adjusting bar of each element. The actuator is driven by an electric motor. Calibration and feedback of the louver opening is provided by a pair of non-contact sensors sealed in the actuator housing. A first sensor sends a signal to a microprocessor controller when the output member is in a home position corresponding to a known louver opening. The second sensor sends a signal to the microprocessor that is responsive to movement of the output member. By tracking the movement of the output member from the home position, the current position of the output member is known from which the louver opening is determined based on the louver geometry.

Abstract: A sound reproduction system has pairs of sound emitters that subtend different angles &THgr;, the span angle, at the listener position. The pairs of sound emitters are arranged to be excited by different frequency bands of the signal output from an inverse filter means (Hh, Hl). The operational span-frequency range of the pairs of sound emitters is determined by an equation (I) where the transducer span &THgr; is the angle subtended at the listener by a pair of transducers, where O<n<2. c0: is the speed of sound, and &Dgr;r: is the equivalent distance between the ears. The sound emitters may be discrete speaker units, the different pairs of units being positioned at different span angles, or they be constituted by area portions of an extended transducer (FIG. 10). When discrete speaker units are employed a cross-over filter (FIG. 28) is used to provide drive signals in the different frequency bands to the different speaker pairs.

Abstract: An article having a substrate is protected by a thermal barrier coating system. An interfacial layer contacts the upper surface of the substrate. The interfacial layer may comprise a bond coat only, or a bond coat and an overlay coat. The interfacial layer has on its upper surface a preselected, controllable pattern of three-dimensional features, such as grooves in a parallel array or in two angularly offset arrays. The features are formed by an ablation process using an ultraviolet laser such as an excimer laser. A ceramic thermal barrier coating is deposited over the pattern of features on the upper surface of the interfacial layer.

Abstract: A remote adjustment mechanism for the louvered cleaning elements of a combine harvester has a linearly movable output member directly fastened to the adjusting bar of each element. The actuator is driven by an electric motor. Calibration and feedback of the louver opening is provided by a pair of non-contact sensors sealed in the actuator housing. A first sensor sends a signal to a microprocessor controller when the output member is in a home position corresponding to a known louver opening. The second sensor sends a signal to the microprocessor that is responsive to movement of the output member. By tracking the movement of the output member from the home position, the current position of the output member is known from which the louver opening is determined based on the louver geometry.

Abstract: A method for applying at least one bond coating on a surface of a metal-based substrate is described. A foil of the bond coating material is first attached to the substrate surface and then fused thereto, e.g., by brazing. The foil is often initially prepared by thermally spraying the bond coating material onto a removable support sheet, and then detaching the support sheet. Optionally, the foil may also include a thermal barrier coating applied over the bond coating. The substrate can be a turbine engine component.

Abstract: A web-based data access system is described that allows users to easily access, manipulate and share information. The users can access the system to create customized view of the data and share the views with others. The data access system includes a database for storing multidimensional data. Electronic reports are stored as report object on a server and define dimensions and members of multidimensional data that are included in an electronic report. A page generation module executes on the server to access the multidimensional data and format a web page based on the report object. A packet engine communicates the web page to a client device in a stream of packets for display to the user.

Abstract: An article having a spallation resistant TBC comprises a metal substrate, such as a high temperature superalloy, and a TBC, such as a coating of yttria stabilized zirconia. The TBC comprises a plurality of plasma-sprayed layers. The TBC has a coherent, continuous columnar grain microstructure, wherein at least one layer has a plurality of continuous columnar grains which have been extended by directional solidification into an adjacent layer.

Abstract: A method for smoothing the surface of a ceramic-based protective coating which exhibits roughness is disclosed. The method includes the steps of applying a ceramic-based slurry or gel coating to the protective coating surface; heating the slurry/gel coating to remove volatile material; and then further heating the slurry/gel coating to cure the coating and bond it to the underlying protective coating. The slurry/gel coating is often based on yttria-stabilized zirconia, and precursors of an oxide matrix. Related articles of manufacture are also described.

Abstract: A varnish oven (10), including a preheating station (12), a temperature homogenization station (14), a varnish application station (16), a varnish curing station (18), a cooling station (20), a conveyor system (24) and a control system (38). The conveyor system (24) moves parts through the oven. The parts start at the preheating station (12) where portions of the part are raised to an appropriate temperature for varnish application. The parts then move to the temperature homogenization station (14) where the temperature is maintained at an appropriate level. Varnish is applied to the part in the varnish application station (16) and is cured in the varnish curing station (18). Finally the part is cooled in the cooling station (20). The control system (38) varies the temperature of the preheating station (12), the temperature homogenization station (14), and the cooling station (20) to maintain part temperature upon stoppage of the conveyor system (24).

Abstract: An article having a spallation resistant TBC comprises a metal substrate, such as a high temperature superalloy, and a TBC, such as a coating of yttria stabilized zirconia. The TBC comprises a plurality of plasma-sprayed layers. The TBC has a coherent, continuous columnar grain microstructure, wherein at least one layer has a plurality of continuous columnar grains which have been extended by directional solidification into an adjacent layer. In a preferred embodiment, the coherent, continuous columnar microstructure comprises substantially all of the volume of TBC. A coherent, continuous columnar grain microstructure is also taught wherein at least some of the plurality of coherent, continuous columnar grains which comprise a TBC extend through essentially the entire thickness of the coating.

Abstract: A separation system for separating a first section from a second section is disclosed. In one embodiment, the separation system includes first and second doublers for initially interconnecting the first and second sections, an expandable explosive system contained in a cavity defined by the first and second doublers and first and second sections, and first and second staggered grooves positioned on the first and second doublers, the first and second doublers severable along break planes defined by the first and second staggered grooves to facilitate a substantially collision-free separation and ejection of the first section relative to the second section.

Abstract: A separation system for separating a first section from a second section is disclosed. In one embodiment, the separation system includes first and second doublers for initially interconnecting the first and second sections, an expandable explosive system contained in a cavity defined by the first and second doublers and first and second sections, and a slide plane including first and second slide members, the first and second slide members slidably engagable with each other for at least initially guiding the first section away from and relative to the second section upon severance of the first and second doublers.

Abstract: A separation system for separating a first section from a second section is disclosed. In one embodiment, the separation system includes first and second doublers for initially interconnecting the first and second sections, an expandable explosive system contained in a cavity defined by the first and second doublers and first and second sections, first and second grooves positioned on the first and second doublers, the first and second doublers severable along break planes defined by the first and second grooves, and bend augmenters associated with at least one of the first and second doublers to facilitate hinging of the doubler upon firing of the explosive, which thereby reduces separation shock.

Abstract: A sound reproduction system comprises a plurality of loudspeakers (S1, S2) spaced from a listener at a location (M1, M2), and a loudspeaker drive means (H) for driving the loudspeakers (S1, S2) in response to a plurality of channels of a sound recording (x) of the type being suitable for playing normally through a plurality of reference speakers that are optimally positioned at locations that are displaced from the actual positions of the loudspeakers (S1, S2). The loudspeaker drive includes a filter (H), having a filter characteristic selected by minimising the difference between a desired sound field that would be created by playing the unfiltered sound recording (x) through the reference speakers and sound field reproduced at the listener location (M1, M2) by playing the recording through the speakers (S1, S2).