Abstract: An apparatus for improving and increasing sustainable shear force capabilities at an interfacing surface between a rigid material and a flexible material is disclosed. The interface includes at least two superimposed components having different surface roughnesses. A coarse surface roughness component has a surface roughness about 3 orders of magnitude greater than that of a fine surface roughness component. The interface is useful for all types of devices with a rigid-to-flexible interface that needs to resist shear, tension, torsion, compression, or any disturbing steady-state or variable force or forces.

Abstract: An apparatus for improving and increasing sustainable shear force capabilities at an interfacing surface between a rigid material and a flexible material is disclosed. The interface includes at least two superimposed components having different surface roughnesses. A coarse surface roughness component has a surface roughness about 3 orders of magnitude greater than that of a fine surface roughness component. The interface is useful for all types of devices with a rigid-to-flexible interface that needs to resist shear, tension, torsion, compression, or any disturbing steady-state or variable force or forces.

Abstract: A helicopter having a torque-correcting thruster device. The helicopter has an aerodynamic body which has opposite side portions, a top portion and a bottom portion. The aerodynamic body has a cockpit and a pilot seat in the cockpit. The helicopter includes landing gear attached to the bottom portion of the aerodynamic body. The helicopter includes a rotor that is supported by the aerodynamic body and a rotor blade attached to the rotor, and a thruster device operative on one of the side portions of the aerodynamic body to produce an aft-directed thrust that counteracts the torque produced by rotation of the rotor blade so as to control the yaw of the helicopter. The aft-directed thrust simultaneously supplements the forward thrust of the helicopter.

Abstract: A steering system is provided for a hydrodynamically shaped vehicle having a nose end, a tail end, and forward propulsion. The steering system includes an internal supply of drag-reducing medium, at least one ejector ring positioned adjacent a nose end of the vehicle, and a plurality of ejector sections formed in the at least one ejector ring. Each ejector section includes an opening arrangement for ejecting drag-reducing medium to an external surface of the vehicle. A control unit selectively supplies drag-reducing medium to at least one of the plurality of ejector sections. The drag-reducing medium ejected from selected ejector sections causes a reduced-drag surface on said vehicle body and an increased speed thereof relative to a remainder of the vehicle body and thereby imparting a directional motion to the vehicle in the form of pitch and/or yaw.

Abstract: A cut-off valve consists of a hollow rigid body and a flexible or supple forated plug. The plug defines a flow pate therethrough and is sealed in the rigid body between the rigid body's inlet and outlet to define a free volume in the rigid body between the inlet and the plug. The plug flexes or deforms in response to a differential pressure thereacross to collapse into the flow path when the differential pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold thereby stopping the flow.

Abstract: A muffler is described for use in connection with an exhaust passage in a ongated shaft rotating about a longitudinal axis. The shaft exhausts exhaust material generated by an internal or external combustion engine, having both a gaseous and a liquid material. The muffler includes a series of partitions situated transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, each partition defining a central aperture to facilitate passage of gaseous material from an input end of the exhaust shaft to an output end of the exhaust shaft, and at least one exterior aperture proximate the sidewall of the exhaust passage to facilitate passage of liquid material from the input end to the output end. The central and exterior passages tend to separate the gaseous and liquid material in the exhaust. The series of partitions define chambers which attenuates the sound energy in the exhaust.

Abstract: There is presented an underwater body and intake scoop, the underwater body aving a wall defining a major portion of the body, the wall being exposed to water during movement of the body through a water environment. The intake scoop includes a recess in the wall of the body, the recess having forward and aft edges extending substantially width-wise of the body and interconnected by generally length-wise extending side edges to form, in plan view, a multi-sided recess with the side and aft edges being rounded to facilitate reduction of turbulence and cavitation. A bottom surface of the recess slopes from the forward edge inwardly of the wall. The recess is in communication with a conduit extending to the interior of the body.

Abstract: A fluid dynamometer is provided for absorbing a range of power output proed by an engine's rotating shaft. Power absorbing characteristics are controlled by adjusting the fluid media characteristics in terms of its temperature and/or its density and viscosity. A tank, containing an energy or power absorbing fluid, receives the rotating shaft. One or more disks, submerged in the fluid and coaxially mounted on the rotating shaft for rotation therewith, cooperate with the fluid to absorb power from the rotating shaft. The disk(s) are sized so that a first specified amount of power from the rotating shaft is absorbed at a calibration temperature of the fluid. Heating and cooling units are provided to respectively heat and cool the fluid. A controller energizes the heating and cooling units in a cooperative fashion to adjust and maintain the fluid at a predetermined temperature value for power absorption at a second specified amount of power produced by the rotating shaft.

Abstract: A process is provided for coating a given surface of a heat sensitive metal article (e.g., thermally massive aluminum) with a high-cure-temperatureating-forming-powder. A first oven heating step elevates the metal article's temperature to a predetermined preheat cycle high-limit-of-heat-load-temperature. After a first predetermined period of time, the metal alloy article is withdrawn from the oven. A high-cure-temperature-coating-forming-powder is then sprayed onto the given surface of the metal article. The spraying, comprising first and second spray sequences, is initiated essentially immediately after withdrawal of the metal article from the oven. The first spray sequence is a single group of spray passes that applies a coating layer to fill the pores in the given surface with heat melted high-cure-temperature-coating-forming-powder. The second spray sequence builds up the total thickness of coating.