Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating x-ray optics of the type having a doubly curved crystal lamella attached to a backing plate that is positioned and aligned for use in a spectrometer, monochromator or point-focusing instrument. This method utilizes an apparatus with a removable top and a removable liner; the top containing one or more micrometer screws, and the liner being made of a material to which the bonding agent does not adhere. During fabrication of the optic by pressing the crystal against a doubly curved mold via the viscous bonding agent, excess bonding agent escapes through channels in the liner. The liner is suitably configured so that the completed optic can be easily removed and the mold and fabrication apparatus can be reused many times.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating x-ray optics of the type having a doubly curved crystal lamella attached to a backing plate that is positioned and aligned for use in a spectrometer, monochromator or point-focusing instrument. The fabrication method is an improvement over the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,710 and provides for simpler and more accurate prepositioning the crystal lamella relative to the backing plate. This method utilizes an apparatus with a removable top and a removable liner; said top containing one or more micrometer screws, and said liner being made of a material to which the bonding agent does not adhere. During fabrication of the optic by pressing the crystal against a doubly curved mold via the viscous bonding agent, excess bonding agent escapes through channels in the liner. The liner is suitably configured so that the completed optic can be easily removed and the mold and fabrication apparatus can be reused many times.

Abstract: A curved crystal x-ray optical device consists of a doubly curved crystal lamella attached by a thick bonding layer to a backing plate that provides for prepositioning it in three dimensions relative to a source and image position in x-ray spectrometers, monochromators and point-focussing x-ray focusing instruments. The bonding layer has the property of passing from a state of low viscosity to high viscosity by polymerization or by a temperature change. In fabrication, the crystal lamella is bent so that its atomic planes are curved to a radius of 2R1 in a first plane where R1 is the radius of a focal circle and R2 in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane by forcing it to conform to the surface of a doubly curved convex mold using pressure produced in the highly viscous bonding material by force applied to the backing plate.

Abstract: A system for local excitation by monochromatic X-rays having a plurality of x-ray sources and a plurality of focussing diffractors to selectively monochromatize X-rays and focus them on a particular region of a sample to be analyzed. The X-ray source for each diffractor is selected from a plurality of closely-spaced sources by displacement of the focal spot of an electron beam that produces the X-rays. Each diffractor is prealigned to focus X-rays generated by the electron beam onto a common region of the sample. Each diffractor comprises a toroidally shaped crystal structure, which, along with the appropriate source and the common region of the specimen satisfies the Johann or Johansson geometric conditions within a plurality of planes containing both the source of X-rays and the focused X-ray image. Application of the system for local excitation to X-ray fluorescence analysis is described.

Abstract: A rotary engine in which two rotors having interleaving radial vanes move with cyclic rotary motion superposed on uniform rotary motion inside a cylindrical cavity in a cooled engine housing. The rotor vanes divide the cylindrical cavity into four compartments in which intake, compression, explosion and exhaustion occur. The rotor motion is obtained by a gear and linkage system made up of an internal gear which rolls on a fixed external gear. The internal gear, having a pitch diameter of 3/2 the pitch diameter of the external gear, is contained in a moving housing that has crank pins that move in epicycloidal curves. Each crank pin is coupled to a crank on one of the rotors. Ignition timing is done by sensing the motion of the internal gear housing using magnetic means or optical means.

Abstract: A rotary engine having two interdigitated rotors (FIGS. 1a, 1b, or 1c) each of which has two radial vanes dividing a cylindrical cavity in the liquid-cooled rotor housing (11 in FIG. 2) into four chambers. The rotors are coupled to a planetary gear system (FIG. 2 ) by connecting rods (19 and 29) to planet gears (22 and 32) that rotate about a fixed sun gear (27) having a diameter twice the diameter of the planet gears. During one revolution of the output shaft (25), which is connected to the planet gear cage (24), the rotors alternately speed up and slow down, causing the size of each of the four chambers to vary from a maximum size to a minimum size twice. As the chambers rotate about the axis of the cylindrical cavity, they pass an inlet port (13), outlet port (14) and ignition plug port (15) contained in the housing so that intake, compression, explosion and exhaustion occurs in each chamber for one revolution of the output shaft.

Abstract: An improved digital wind-speed meter based on a digital optical tachometer (20) that may also be used independently to measure the angular velocity of propellers or fans. The improved wind-speed meter consists of a turbine (1) mounted between two bearings (4, 5) and containing a polished metal cylinder (3) with alternate reflecting and non-reflecting peripheral regions to change the light reflected by lamp (12) into a light guide, e.g. plastic rod (14), which conducts light to the digital optical tachometer. The turbine head, containing a mounting tube (15) may be rotated about this tube's axis to change the direction of the display relative to the wind direction. By changing the direction of the display in this way, the wind-speed meter provides easier and more convenient use than existing wind-speed meters when measuring the wind speed produced by fans or propellers, or the airspeed of wind-propelled craft such as sailboats and gliders.

Abstract: A rotary engine in which two rotors having interleaving radial vanes revolve inside a cylindrical cavity and are connected to a planetary output gear system which causes them to alternately speed up and slow down. The radial vanes divide the cylindrical cavity into four chambers in which intake, compression, explosion and exhaustion occur. At least two glow plugs, each of which contains a coil of refractory wire, are located at different angular positions relative to the axis of the cavity. The glow plugs are selected so that one, which cools more rapidly than the other, will cause ignition at an earlier time than another of the glow plugs that cools more slowly. A passageway containing an adjustable, pressure-sensitive, valve vents the compression chamber to the intake chamber to allow the compression ratio to be varied, to allow a greater expansion ratio than compression ratio, and to allow adjustment of the time at which ignition occurs during each cycle.

Abstract: A rotary engine in which two rotors having interleaving radial vanes (3,4,8,9) revolve inside a cylindrical cavity and are connected to a planetary output gear system which causes them to alternately speed up and slow down. An axial shaft (5) attached to one rotor and passing through the other rotor contains a thrust bearing (10) to prevent the rotors from moving apart. The rotor vanes and disk-shaped end plates (1,6) which contain cooling means divide the cylindrical cavity into four chambers in which intake, compression, explosion and exhaustion occur. A passageway (39,39') containing an adjustable, pressure-sensitive valve (40) vents the compression chamber to the intake chamber to allow the compression ratio to be varied and to provide for a greater compression ratio than expansion ratio.

Abstract: A diffractor for energetic electromagnetic radiation has diffracting planes oriented parallel to the surface of steps which have a doubly curved surface. The steps are configured so that the resulting diffractor approximates the Johansson geometric conditions in the plane of the focal circle of radius r. The steps are additionally curved in a direction perpendicular to the focal circle in order to provide for satisfying Bragg's law for diffraction over the maximum area of the diffractor. The curvature of the planes perpendicular to the focal circle corresponds to rotating the stepped approximation to the Johansson geometry about an axis passing through the source and image points.

Abstract: A doubly-curved crystal for use in a scanning monochromator is oriented with respect to a reference plane containing source and image locations of the monochromator. The crystal has concave planes of lattice points and a concave crystal surface which satisfy Johannson geometric conditions within the reference plane for a Rowland circle of radius R. The planes of lattice points are substantially spherically curved to a radius of 2R, and the crystal surface is substantially toroidally curved with a radius of substantially 2R within a plane perpendicular to the reference plane. The crystal may be formed by plastically deforming a cylindrically curved crystal blank over a doubly-curved convex die.

Abstract: An electron beam source having a single electron optical axis is provided with two coplanar cathodes equally spaced on opposite sides from the electron optical axis. A switch permits selecting either cathode, and a deflection system comprised of electromagnets, each with separate pole pieces equally spaced from the plane of the cathodes and electron optical axis, first deflects the electron beam from a selected cathode toward the electron optical axis, and then in an opposite direction into convergence with the electron optical axis. The result is that the electron beam from one selected cathode undergoes a sigmoid deflection in two opposite directions, like the letter S, with the sigmoid deflection of each being a mirror image of the other.

Abstract: A doubly-curved crystal for use in a scanning monochromator is oriented with respect to a reference plane containing source and image locations of the monochromator. The crystal has concave planes of lattice points and a concave crystal surface which satisfy Johannson geometric conditions within the reference plane for a Rowland circle of radius R. The planes of lattice points are substantially spherically curved to a radius of 2R, and the crystal surface is substantially toroidally curved with a radius of substantially 2R within a plane perpendicular to the reference plane. The crystal may be formed by plastically deforming a cylindrically curved crystal blank over a doubly-curved convex die.

Abstract: A system for X-ray fluorescence analysis utilizes a plurality of parfocal diffractors to selectively monochromatize X-rays and focus them on a sample to be analyzed. In a preferred embodiment, each diffractor comprises a toroidally shaped crystal structure which, in the operative position of the diffractor, satisfies Johannson geometric conditions within a plurality of planes containing both a source of X-rays and a focused X-ray image.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell that incorporates a PbO-SnO heterojunction of graded composition which, among other applications, can be utilized for the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy. A p-i-n junction is formed while PbO and SnO are simultaneously deposited on a substrate in a varying ratio that is either decreased or increased to form the compositions Pb.sub.1-x Sn.sub.x O where x varies in the range of 0 to 1.

Abstract: There is described an apparatus for use in high resolution lithographic techniques. The apparatus includes a microchannel array plate for providing a large area electron source with small divergence angle. The electrons can be used directly, in transmission electron lithography, or as a source for producing x-rays for x-ray lithography. The microchannel array plate is used to control the divergence angle of the electrons (especially in the transmission electron lithography technique) as well as the x-rays (in x-ray lithography techniques). That is, in the x-ray lithography technique the microchannel array plate collimates x-rays which are generated in response to electrons striking a suitable source.

Abstract: There is described a unique apparatus which is especially useful with very thin masks used in X-ray lithography, transmission electron lithography or electron projection lithography. The apparatus includes temperature stabilization means for counteracting the deleterious effects in the mask caused by absorption of energy from the energy source as well as positioning means for precisely spacing thin masks for proximity lithography techniques. The thermal effects are counteracted by providing a chuck which supports the substrate to be acted upon. A thermally conductive layer, for example a fluid or other conformable medium, can be provided between the substrate and the chuck. The mask is similarly spaced from the substrate by a thin layer of thermally conductive material, for example, a low pressure gas which is capable of passing the energy in question. The precise spacing of the mask is controlled by the use of a source which establishes an electrostatic charge between the substrate and the mask.

Abstract: A rotating anode x-ray source is disclosed having means by which to efficiently cool the electron beam target surface thereof. Energy is removed from the rotating anode target surface by a technique which includes liquid to vapor phase cooling.