Abstract: A rotary particulate separator for removing particulates from a pressurized gas stream such as that emanating from a reactor vessel is disclosed which precharges the particles in the gas stream, and then utilizes the charge on the particles to induce them from the main flow path through an airblock and into the rotary particulate separator. The rotor of the rotary particulate separator has polarized plates which use a first charge opposite that on the charged particles to attract the particles as they enter the rotation chamber, and then use a second charge of the same polarity as the charge on the charged particles to release the particles into a control gas flow vortex which draws the particles radially inwardly into an exit aperture contained in the center of one of the rotor segments and out from the device. Pressure letdown devices are used to drop the pressure of both the control gas flow exiting the separator with the particles and the cleaned gas stream.

Abstract: The invention is a linear actuator that operates under the principle that like charges repel and opposite charges attract. The linear actuator consists of first and second pairs of spaced opposed conductors where one member of each pair of conductors is attached to a fixed member, and where the other member of each pair of conductors is attached to a movable member such as an elongated rod. The two pairs of spaced conductors may be provided in the form of two spacedly interwound helical vanes where the conductors are located on the opposite sides of the two helical vanes. One helical vane extends inwardly from a housing and the other helical vane extends outwardly from an elongated rod. The elongated rod may be caused to move linearly with respect to the housing by applying appropriate charges of like or opposite polarity to the electrical conductors on the helical vanes.

Abstract: A rough terrain vehicle is described which includes auxiliary wheels that can be deployed to avoid overturning the vehicle when turning while traversing a slope, to climb an embankment or the like, and to right the vehicle when it is overturned. The vehicle includes a pair of front and rear primary wheels, and a pair of auxiliary arms having inner ends pivotally mounted on the front wheel axes and outer ends that carry auxiliary wheels. A motor can turn the arms to move the auxiliary wheels from a stowed position about halfway between the front and rear wheels and above the ground, to a second position against the ground to stabilize the vehicle. The arms can be turned more than 180.degree. to move the auxiliary wheels in front of the front primary wheels to help climb an embankment. The primary wheels can be mounted at the end of primary arms, so when the primary arms are turned they not only move the primary front wheels but also the inner ends of the auxiliary arms.

Abstract: A security code system for controlling access to computer and computer-controlled entry situations comprises a plurality of subsets of alpha-numeric charcters disposed in random order in matrices of at least two dimensions forming theoretical rectangles, cubes, etc., such that when access is desired, at least one pair of previously unused character subsets not found in the same row or column of the matrix is chosen at random and transmitted by the computer. The proper response to gain access is transmittal of subsets which complete the rectangle, and/or a parallelepiped whose opposite corners were defined by first groups of code. Once used, subsets are not used again to absolutely defeat unauthorized access by eavesdropping, and the like.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for fabricating mats of ceramic material comprising preparing a slurry of ceramic particles in a binder/solvent, charging the slurry into a vessel, forcing the slurry from the vessel into spinneret nozzles, discharging the slurry from the nozzles into the path of airjets to enhance the sinuous character of the slurry exudate and to dry it, collecting the filaments on a moving belt so that the filaments overlap each other thereby forming a mat, curing the binder therein, compressing and sintering the mat to form a sintered mat, and crushing the sintered mat to produce filament shaped fragments.

Abstract: A cylindrical intramuscular implantable electrode is provided with a strip of fabric secured around it. The fabric is woven from a polyester fiber having loops of the fiber protruding. The end of the main cylindrical body is provided with a blunt conductive nose, and the opposite end is provided with a smaller diameter rear section with an annular groove to receive tips of fingers extending from a release tube. The fingers are formed to spring outwardly and move the fingertips out of the annular groove in order to release the electrode from the release tube when a sheath over the electrode is drawn back sufficiently. The sheath compresses the fingers of the release tube and the fabric loops until it is drawn back. Muscle tissue grows into the loops to secure the electrode in place after the sheath is drawn back. The entire assembly of electrode, release tube and sheath can be inserted into the patient's muscle to the desired position through a hypodermic needle.

Abstract: A surface-tension liquid pumping system is provided by one or more arrays of converging solid monofilament fibers or metal wires (strands) spaced apart at an input end to gather liquid, and gathered close together at the opposite end where menisci forms between wetted strands to force liquid in the direction of convergence of the strands. The liquid pumping system is independent of gravity. It is illustrated as being used in a heat pump having a heating box to vaporize liquid and a condensing chamber. Condensed liquid is returned by the pumping system to the heating box where it is again vaporized. A vapor tube carries the vapor to the condensing chamber. In that way, a closed system pumps heat from the heating box to the evaporating chamber and from there radiated to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A continuous flow ash lockhopper includes an ash hopper at the outlet of a high temperature, high pressure reactor vessel containing heated high pressure gas, a fluidics control chamber having an input port connected to the ash hopper's output port and an output port connected to the input port of a pressure letdown means, and a control chamber connected to a variable pressure control fluid (gas or steam) supply for regulating the pressure in the control chamber to be equal to or greater than the internal gas pressure of the reactor vessel, whereby the reactor gas is contained while ash is permitted to continuously flow from the ash hopper's output port, impelled by gravity. The fluidics control chamber may be provided with a variable port to inject control fluid at a desired velocity.

Abstract: Fluidics flow control of a multiphase supply using a cylindrical chamber is achieved by introducing the supply flow radially into the chamber. The supply flow exits through a port in the center at the chamber. A control fluid is then introduced tangentially about 90.degree. upstream from the supply port. A second control fluid port may be added about 90.degree. upstream from the first control fluid port, but preferably two sets of supply and control ports are added with like ports diametrically opposite each other. The control fluid flows against the circular wall of the control chamber, which introduces a vortex in the flow of the supply flow that decays into a spiral path to the exit port in the center of the chamber. The control flow rate may thus be used to control the spiral path, and therefore the supply flow rate through the exit port.

Abstract: A system is provided for molding a slurry containing particles in a solution of solvent and binder, which enables the close control of the production of a tape with particles of a high density. A rotor forms a chamber with a cylindrical molding surface, and a conduit carries the slurry from the outside to the surface while the molding surface rotates to use centrifugal force to force particles against the molding surface. The chamber is substantially closed to avoid the uncontrolled loss of solvent, and a means is provided for venting the chamber to remove solvent therefrom after the slurry has been molded into a tape. A container lies within the chamber and holds solvent prior to casting the slurry, to create a solvent-containing environment within the chamber.

Abstract: A common hydraulic reservoir holds one or more rows of slidable pistons or "fingers" in a base, or "hand". The individual fingers in each row expose graduated cross-sectional fluid application areas to the hydraulic fluid in the reservoir, with the smallest fluid application area in the center of the row and graduating to progressive larger fluid areas towards both ends of each row. The fingers are elongated pistons. Exposed outer ends of each piston extending away from the reservoir, house a transverse pad to contact an object to be held. The transverse pads are universally ball-joint and spring-center mounted in a longitudinally located opening at the outer tapered end of each finger. Simple and effective capacitance metering in the reservoir is provided for each finger.

Abstract: A vacuum hold-down is described, for holding a thin film workpiece while it undergoes large temperature changes and corresponding dimensional changes, which permits creep of the workpiece to avoid damage thereto while still holding it on a support surface. The support surface has a multiplicity of holes arranged in a plurality of zones. The vacuum is repeatedly interrupted at the holes lying at different zones while it continues to be applied at the other zones, to permit creep of the workpiece at a zone when vacuum is not applied thereto.

Abstract: A tank tread assembly having adjacent tank tread segments joined by a link bearing tapered pins retained by clips inserted through the tread shells perpendicular to the axes of the pins and having highway pads attached by a release rod bearing tapered, grooved cams which interlockingly engage tabs inserted into the tread shells.

Abstract: A system is described for loading newly mined material such as coal, into a shuttle car, at a location near the mine face where there is only a limited height available for a loading system. The system includes a storage bin (18) having several telescoping bin sections (20-23), and a shuttle car (14) having a bottom wall (64) that can move under the bin. With the bin in an extended position and filled with coal (FIG. 3), the bin sections can be telescoped (FIG. 4) to allow the coal to drop out of the bin sections and into the shuttle car, to quickly load the car. The bin sections can then be extended, so they can be slowly filled with more coal while awaiting another shuttle car.

Abstract: A drug dispensing device for in-vivo implantation has a diaphragm defining a movable wall of a container for drug fluid, the diaphragm being moved by expanding gas volumes differentially activated by electric heater means controlled by a calendar-clock to induce drug fluid through a constant flow valve in one wall of the container and into the living organism, discretely, or continuously over a period of time or at intervals controlled by the clock. The container is refilled with fresh drug by injection through the skin and a puncturable seal valve while the diaphragm is actuated in a reverse direction by heater activation. The dispensing program can be changed externally by electromagnetically coupled signals; the controller batteries can be similarly recharged by external coupling to a power source. Freshness of the drug and the size of the container determine the time between refills.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for penetrating boreholes in oil wells. The apparatus includes a shaft rotatable by power means. First means may be operatively associated with the shaft and a rod to obtain a rotation of the rod by the shaft. Second means obtain a linear movement of the rod at each instant in accordance with a load imposed upon the rod at that instant. The second means may include means providing a slippage between the rotary movements of the shaft and the linear movements of the rod in accordance with the load on the rod. Third means are operatively coupled to the rod and are adaptable in configuration and position in accordance with the configuration of the bore hole to be penetrated. The third means may include an outer casing, a flexible boom movable within the outer casing and resilient means disposed within the flexible boom and movable within the outer casing. Means may rotate the resilient means in accordance with the rotation of the rod.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in a borehole or other restricted space to bore a side hole into the strata surrounding the borehole, including a flexible shaft with a drill at its end, and two trains of sheathing members that can be progressively locked together into a rigid structure around the flexible shaft as it is directed sidewardly into the strata.

Abstract: A probe is described which can be installed in a side hole that extends from a bore hole in the earth, to assess the permeability of the strata surrounding the borehole. The probe is elongated and has a plurality of seals spaced therealong and sealed to the walls of the side hole to form a plurality of chambers sealed from one another. A tracer fluid injector on the probe can inject a tracer fluid into one of the chambers, while a tracer fluid detector located in another chamber can detect the tracer fluid, to thereby sense the permeability of the strata surrounding the side hole. The probe can include a train of modules, with each module having an inflatable packer which is inflated by the difference between the borehole pressure and the strata pressure.

Abstract: An improved system having at least one endless band saw blade characterized by a continuously regenerated cutting edge and unidirectionally driven along a pair of courses extended in mutual parallelism through a cutting station located near the midportion of said courses. The blade is supported at the cutting station by pairs of guides continuously rotated through less than 360.degree. of angular displacement during each cutting operation for thus continuously regenerating the blade-supporting surfaces of the guide whereby blade wobble substantially is eliminated.

Abstract: An automatic storage and retrieval system for motor vehicles has a plurality of elevators for conveying automobile support pallets to and from a plurality of tiers, the support pallets being moved off an elevator onto a cart by a transfer mechanism on the cart, and into storage stalls, under automatic sequence control by a programmable controller; the sequence of events being displayed on an interactive terminal together with storage location data, and recorded in programmable controller memory for later retrieval by automatic sequence upon command.