Abstract: The disclosed pressure transducer assembly includes metallic body, a diaphragm, a metallic plate, an insulator, and a conductor. The body defines an interior cavity. The diaphragm is mounted in the body and divides the interior cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber. A portion of the diaphragm flexes in a first direction in response to a pressure in the first chamber being greater than a pressure in the second chamber, and that portion of the diaphragm flexes in a second direction opposite the first direction in response to the pressure in the second chamber being greater than the pressure in the first chamber. The metallic plate is fixed to the metallic body in one of the first and second chambers. The insulator is also disposed in that chamber and is fixed to the metallic plate. The conductor is disposed on the insulator. The diaphragm and the conductor are characterized by a capacitance. The capacitance is representative of a difference between the pressures in the first and second chambers.

Abstract: A single fluid-pressure transducer unit, of the type in which sensed electrical capacitance is varied in accordance with electrode deflections induced by pressure changes, is rendered capable of characterizing a wide range of pressures extending from near-vacuum to atmospheric levels, with the aid of a distinctive composite-electrode capsule which interacts uniquely with a conventional type of sheet-metal diaphragm. While sensing relatively low pressures, the exhibited capacitance of the transducer is essentially that appearing between the diaphragm and a nearby electrode carried by the capsule, but, at or near atmospheric pressure, the diaphragm physically engages and deflects that electrode, which is elastically deformable, causing it to vary a further capacitance appearing between that deformable electrode and a companion stationary electrode which is also part of the capsule.

Abstract: There is described a method of and apparatus for regulating the output power of lasers of the type utilizing a heated high velocity flowing gas. The method and apparatus comprise a plurality of separate sources of the gas in combination with a segmented diffuser section wherein at least one but not all of the diffuser sections can be blocked to selectively permit use of all or less than all of the gas sources, thereby permitting regulation of output power by regulating the mass flow through the optically resonant cavity disposed between the sources of gas and the diffuser.