Abstract: An in-flight refueling system, alignment system, and method are provided for substantially automating the positioning and engagement of an in-flight refueling system carried by a first aircraft with respect to a refueling receptacle carried by a second aircraft so as to facilitate an in-flight refueling operation between the first and the second aircraft. More specifically, the present invention provides for the alignment of the in-flight refueling boom with the refueling receptacle such that an extendable nozzle may extend from the in-flight refueling boom and engage the refueling receptacle to initiate an in-flight refueling operation.

Abstract: A negative ion source placed inside a negatively-charged high voltage electrode emits a beam which is accelerated to moderate energy, approximately 35,000 electron volts, and filtered by a momentum analyzer i.e. an analyzing bending magnet, to remove unwanted ions. Reference ions such as carbon-12 are deflected and measured in an off-axis Faraday cup. Ions of interest, such as carbon ions of mass 14, are accelerated through 300 kV to ground potential and passed through a gas stripper where the ions undergo charge exchange and molecular destruction. The desired isotope, carbon-14 along with fragments of the interfering molecular ions, emerge from the stripper into a momentum analyzer which removes undesirable isotope ions. The ions are further filtered by passing through an electrostatic spherical analyzer to remove ions which have undergone charge exchange. The ions remaining after the spherical analyzer are transmitted to a detector and counted.

Abstract: Under the present invention, componentized costs for providing/producing an item are collected from a plurality of suppliers. The componentized costs include the fixed and variable costs associated with raw materials and production for providing the item according to various specifications and order quantities. When a buyer wishes to obtain the item, a particular order specification and a demand forecast for the item will be provided. Based on the particular specification, the demand forecast and the componentized costs, an optimal order quantity for the item will be calculated. Then, a total (lifetime) cost for providing the item will be calculated for each supplier. The supplier having the lowest total cost for the projected lifetime of the item will be identified to the buyer.

Abstract: A negative ion source placed inside a negatively-charged high voltage terminal emits a beam which is accelerated to moderate energy, approximately 35,000 electron volts, and filtered by a momentum analyzer i.e. an analyzing bending magnet, to remove unwanted ions. Reference ions such as carbon-12 are deflected and measured in an off-axis Faraday cup. Ions of interest, such as carbon ions of mass 14, are accelerated through 300 kV to ground potential and passed through a gas stripper where the ions undergo charge exchange and molecular destruction. The desired isotope, carbon-14 along with fragments of the interfering molecular ions, emerge from the stripper into a momentum analyzer which removes undesirable isotope ions. The ions are further filtered by passing through an electrostatic spherical analyzer to remove ions which have undergone charge exchange. The ions remaining after the spherical analyzer are transmitted to a detector and counted.

Abstract: A bookmark editor in an Internet web browser application allows a user to create symbolic links between bookmarks and bookmark folders. The bookmark editor may also detect when a bookmark already exists for a document and prompt the user to create a link rather than a new bookmark for the same document. The user may then keep a folder, subfolder, or bookmark and link to it via a symbolic link. When a bookmark is added to a folder or subfolder, the user does not need to duplicate that bookmark for a linked folder or subfolder.

Abstract: A planar, phased array antenna includes a ground plate, a signal plate having a plurality of hollow active elements and conductive branches electrically connecting said active elements in mirror symmetrical pairs, an aperture plate having a plurality of apertures oriented in the same direction and aligned with said active elements to provide electromagnetic coupling between each active element and the corresponding aperture, and spacers between the plates. The ground plate is formed on a first spacer, e.g. by screen printing, and the aperture plate is formed on the other spacer, e.g. by screen printing. The signal plate includes an insulating substrate and a patterned conductive layer on said substrate. Alternatively, the aperture plate is separate from the other spacer and includes an insulating substrate and a patterned conductive layer on the substrate.

Abstract: The high voltage electrostatic accelerator of this invention has spark arrester rings which form magnetic shield elements around an acceleration tube and which together with mu-metal rings between accelerator segments shield the electrons being accelerated from stray static and dynamic magnetic fields. The spark arresters surround the accelerating electrodes. The rings between accelerator segments are formed of mu-metal, an alloy of nickel designed for its magnetic shielding properties and consisting of 77 percent nickel, 4.8 percent copper, 1.5 percent chrome and 14.9 percent iron. The mu-metal spark arresters together with the rings between accelerators segments provide an effective magnetic shield in a cost-effective manner. Because mu-metal has a high permeability, magnetic field lines tend to travel about the Mu-metal rings rather than pass through the acceleration tube, where they would influence electrons being accelerated.

Abstract: An impulse valve for an ion source is positioned between an ion source chamber and a gas metering valve. The impulse valve is a two-position solenoid-controlled valve which is closed in its off position. In the off-position, the valve forms a reservoir between the valve stem of the impulse valve and the metering orifice of the metering valve. In the off condition, the gas reservoir fills with gas that over time equilibrates to the pressure of the gas supplied to the metering valve. The volume of the gas reservoir and the pressure of the gas which is supplied to the metering valve are chosen so that when the two-position valve is open, the gas contained in the reservoir is sufficient to pressurize the ion source chamber to a pressure of approximately 0.1 Torr. Thus, when the impulse valve opens, a pulse of gas flows into the ion source chamber, where a plasma discharge is initiated.

Abstract: A planar, phased array antenna includes a ground plate, a signal plate having a plurality of active elements and conductive branches electrically connecting said active elements in mirror symmetrical pairs, an aperture plate having a plurality of apertures oriented in the same direction and aligned with said active elements to provide electromagnetic coupling between each active element and the corresponding aperture, and spacers between the plates. The ground plate is formed on a first spacer, e.g. by screen printing, and the aperture plate is formed on the other spacer, e.g. by screen printing. The signal plate includes an insulating substrate and a patterned conductive layer on said substrate. Alternatively, the aperture plate is separate from the other spacer and includes an insulating substrate and a patterned conductive layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Photopolymer platemaking apparatus comprises a tilting bucket assembly comprising a tilting bucket having a lip, a substantially vertical wall associated with the tilting bucket, and positioning means for maintaining the lip in contact with a substantially vertical wall during tilting of the tilting bucket from an upright position to a pre-pouring position, and for separating the lip from the substantially vertical wall as the tilting bucket tilts from the pre-pouring position to a pouring position. Preferably, the positioning means additionally moves the tilting bucket from the pouring position to the post-pouring position, and from the post-pouring position to the upright position, and maintains the lip in contact with the substantially vertical wall during movement of the tilting bucket from the post-pouring position to the upright position.

Abstract: A rotary printing press is used for printing standard pages and for double truck printing of the centerfold page. This is accomplished by mounting side by side printing plates to locking devices in the rotary printing press. The printing plates are positioned by two registrations which are selectively movable toward and away from each other to one of at least two predetermined fixed positions. In one of the fixed positions, the standard printing takes place, and in the other fixed position, the printing press is used for double truck printing.

Abstract: A rotary printing press is used for printing standard pages and for double truck printing of the centerfold page. This is accomplished by mounting side by side printing plates to locking devices in the rotary printing press. The printing plates are positioned by two registrations which are selectively movable toward and away from each other to one of at least two predetermined fixed positions. In one of the fixed positions, the standard printing takes place, and in the other fixed position, the printing press is used for double truck printing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved process for casting the impression of a tire tread by preparing a negative mold of the tire tread and making a positive cast from the negative mold. The improvement consists of pouring a liquid photopolymerizable composition into the negative mold of the tire tread, applying a vacuum, exposing the composition to ultraviolet radiation to cross-link the polymer, removing the positive cast from the negative mold, and exposing the cast to additional ultraviolet radiation in the absence of oxygen to harden the surface of the cast.

Abstract: A rotary printing press includes a printing plate mounted around a plate cylinder. The printing plate is in the form of a pair of semi-cylindrical resilient substrates. Each substrate is mounted to the printing plate by forming a multiple bend on the non-printing area of the leading edge of each substrate and mechanically locking the multiple bend to the printing plate.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for the preparation of photopolymerized relief image plates is disclosed in which a series of indicators are used to indicate that the liquid photopolymerizable material is prepared for exposure to actinic radiation. Such detection may be accomplished by the closure of electrically energized indicator circuits used to detect when a top cover is in position over a layer of liquid photopolymerizable material. In addition, the actinic radiation may be activated directly by the closure of such circuits. Also disclosed is a method by which the time required for the top cover to come to rest in position over the photopolymerizable layer can be measured, and this measurement may then be used as a control to determine if a sufficient amount of photopolymerizable material to make an acceptable relief image plate was deposited on the platemaking surface.

Abstract: An efficient continuous wave solid state laser is described. An array of semiconductor diode lasers is employed to generate a pump light source at an absorption wavelength for a solid state laser such as Nd:YAG laser. The array of diode lasers is pulsed at a high repetition rate to produce narrow light pulses which are directed upon an end surface of the solid state laser rod. The pump pulses rate is selected sufficiently high to establish CW operation of the solid state laser while the duty cycle for the pump-light source is sufficiently low to avoid excessive junction heating of the diode lasers, which would substantially reduce their output power.