Abstract: An apparatus for forming a material layer onto a form tool may include at least one nosepiece configured to laterally sweep a ply carrier onto a form tool contour. The apparatus may include a pair of tension arms configured to support opposing lateral sides of a ply carrier having a material layer mounted to a lower surface thereof. The apparatus may include one or more actuators configured to position the tension arms during forming of the ply carrier to the form tool contour. The one or more actuators may be configured to sense and control lateral tension in the ply carrier during forming of the ply carrier to the form tool contour.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a material layer onto a form tool may include at least one nosepiece configured to laterally sweep a ply carrier onto a form tool contour. The apparatus may include a pair of tension arms configured to support opposing lateral sides of a ply carrier having a material layer mounted to a lower surface thereof. The apparatus may include one or more actuators configured to position the tension arms during forming of the ply carrier to the form tool contour. The one or more actuators may be configured to sense and control lateral tension in the ply carrier during forming of the ply carrier to the form tool contour.

Abstract: An alert system may include an alert sender module, an alert routing module, an alert controller module, and an alert mechanism. The alert sender module may be configured to send an encrypted alert independent of an internet security firewall. The alert routing module may have a registry and may be configured to receive the encrypted alert and process the encrypted alert according to a security mechanism associated with the registry. The alert controller module may be configured to accept the encrypted alert from the alert routing module according to the security mechanism. The alert mechanism may be configured to be activated by the alert controller module.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a data acquisition device comprises a plurality of sensors to detect an environmental condition, a configurable processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the configurable processor is configured to receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors and process the one or more signals to generate environmental data representative of the environmental condition, and a first input/output module to transmit the data to a remote device. Other embodiments may be disclosed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a data acquisition device comprises a plurality of sensors to detect an environmental condition, a configurable processor coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the configurable processor is configured to receive one or more signals from the plurality of sensors, process the one or more signals to generate environmental data representative of the environmental condition, wherein the environmental data is, and a first input/output module to transmit the data to a remote device. Other embodiments may be disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the bore diameter of a hole as a function of hole depth is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a diametric probe, for generating first measured bore diameter data along a diametric probe sensitive axis; a foot, for positioning the diametric probe sensitive axis in a plane parallel to the hole; a linear distance probe, coupled to the diametric probe, for generating first measured depth data describing the depth of the diametric probe sensitive axis within the hole; and a data acquisition system, for recording first measured bore diameter data from the diametric probe and first measured depth data from the linear distance probe of an insertion of the diametric probe into the hole.

Abstract: An inspection device includes a mount that secures the inspection device to the object for travel along the object, a sensor attached to the mount that measures characteristics of the object, and a position indicator attached to the mount that determines the position of the inspection device on the object.

Abstract: An inspection device includes a mount that secures the inspection device to the object for travel along the object, a sensor attached to the mount that measures characteristics of the object, and a position indicator attached to the mount that determines the position of the inspection device on the object.

Abstract: A measuring instrument and method for measuring paint and coating thickness on conductive and poorly conductive substrates. The instrument uses a microwave amplifier, a measurement cavity, and a reference cavity with supporting electronics to measure the apparent changes in the length of the measurement cavity due to the changes in the paint and coating thickness. The measurement cavity resonates when the measurement cavity is set upon the test surface. The oscillating signal is sent through a reference cavity tuned to give the desired filtered response to cover the paint and coating thickness range allowed. The filtered response of the reference cavity is converted to a dc level signal that serves as input to a data acquisition circuit. The data acquisition circuit converts the input signal to digital form so that the calibration method may be used to associate a given response with the corresponding paint and coating thickness.

Abstract: A real-time fastener measurement system includes an anvil (10) having a striking surface (16) that engages a fastener as it is upset. Three proximity sensors (20) are disposed at 120.degree. intervals around a striking surface of the anvil. A computer system (110) reads the electronic signals produced by the proximity sensors just after the fastener has been upset and converts the signals to digital values. The computer stores a piecewise linear function that has been predetermined for each sensor and uses the function to convert the digital values of the proximity sensor to fastener head height.

Abstract: A portable siting system particularly useful for siting a portable localizer for a collocated approach guidance system for aircraft utilizes a laser range finder in conjunction with a shaft encoder to determine the distance between the localizer and two arbitrary points along a runway center line as well as the azimuth offset between the two points. A microprocessor is used to compute the number of degrees the antenna of the localizer must be rotated so that its beam intersects the extended runway center line at a predetermined point based on trigonometric computations performed on the two measured distances and the measured angle.

Abstract: A metal body located below a metal surface layer is detected by energizing inductance coils in a bridge circuit at a frequency below 10 KHz to avoid skin effect as one of the coils is placed proximate said body. A threshold circuit determines when bridge unbalance is caused by other than the surface layer and provides positive identification of the metal body.

Abstract: An analog signal produced in response to eddy current probing of a test part is digitized by an analog-to-digital processor and then entered into a microprocessor-based computer.

Abstract: A material hardness testing apparatus is provided, for use in quality control of production materials and parts, in which a pneumatically actuated indenter probe, incorporating an LVDT displacement transducer, is coupled by an analog-to-digital converter to a microprocessor-based computer that controls the cyclic actuation of the indentor probe, and processes indenter measurement data received from the LVDT transducer. The pneumatically actuated indenter probe includes pneumatic control means for providing independently adjustable control over the rates of probe impact and retraction in order to achieve consistent hardness measurements from cycle to cycle, together with relatively rapid displacement cycling of the indenter probe. The microprocessor-based computer incorporates a recalibration processor which automatically causes the testing apparatus to branch into a recalibration routine after a predetermined period of operation.