Abstract: An apparatus for the disposal of solid rocket motors which produce exhaust ases containing flammable and/or explosive products. The solid rocket motor to be burned is first detachably connected to and inserted in one end of an elongated mixing chamber which has, at an opposite end, a multi-step expansion nozzle. The rocket motor is then ignited and the exhaust gas is passed into the mixing chamber, which is sufficiently large to reduce the velocity of exhaust gases from supersonic to subsonic. Air is injected into the mixing chamber to react with flammable and/or explosive products in the exhaust gases and the resultant mixture is then discharged from the mixing chamber through a multi-step expansion nozzle to expand the gaseous mixture and, at the same time, produce substantial turbulence within the gas mixture which is about six times higher than the turbulence levels produced by a constant area circular nozzle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric valve capable of producing podic mass-flow modulation of a gaseous, liquid, or mixed-phase medium over wide ranges of frequencies, pressure, and flow rates. Such mass-flow modulation can be used to periodically shed large-scale vortices at the outlet and to manipulate their dynamics allowing the user to actively control fluid mixing and transport further downstream. The device has a piezoelectric wafer that in a relaxed state abuts the upstream end of the outlet tube separating the pressurized fluid in the plenum with the outlet. The device has an apparatus for applying electric field to the wafer, which distorts the wafer and ruptures the seal forming a throat area that controls the fluid mass flux. Due to the fast response of the piezoelectric material to an electric field, the throat area can be modulated rapidly in time making the device operable even at high frequencies.

Abstract: A press brake tool holder having a horizontally elongated body having a support plate, and a horizontally elongated clamp having upper and lower portions and pivotally attached to the body between the upper and lower portions so as to capture between it and the support plate the upwardly extending shank of a brake press tool. A handle-operated cam shaft is carried by the body and is linked to the upper portion of the clamp by cam follower elements which provide a rigid linkage. Clamps may be thus mounted to both sides of the body, and each can be independently operated when the other is removed. The clamp is mounted to the body by means of mounting pins having articulating heads that are slidingly received in slots in the body, the slots having enlarged entryways enabling the clamp to be removed from or attached to the body by sliding the clamp with respect to the body to align the articulating heads with the slot entryways.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the purification of proteins, to the products of such purification, and to DNA probes constructed therefrom. More specifically, the invention relates to the purification and sequencing of murine and human colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1).

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for actively controlling a combustion process such as a waste incinerator by means of a spatial and temporal synchronized injection of fuel. The improved method and apparatus employs an active control system which controls the intentional formation of large scale, coherent vortices and the synchronized injection of the fuel supply at various locations relative to the formation of the vortices. The preferred apparatus comprises an actuator or similar structure that is adapted for producing and stabilizing discrete, large scale vortices in a combustion device. In addition, another device controls or modulates the injection of the fuel into the vortices at the optimal location and timing relative to the vortex cycle. As applied to an incinerator, this method can be optimized to ensures that the fuel and waste are introduced into the highest temperature locations, were extended residence times are obtained by trapping the fuel and waste inside the vortices.

Abstract: The oscillations found to occur in the cavities of an structural frame moving through a fluid are substantially eliminated by the adoption of perturbation elements located at the leading edge of the cavity and reflecting any remaining oscillations out of the cavity at the trailing edge. The perturbation elements may take the form of multiple pins of various shape and geometrical arrangement which prevents the generation and growth of vortices causing acoustic oscillations. The reflection of remaining oscillations out of the cavity may be accomplished by ramping the trailing edge of the cavity.

Abstract: A regenerative liquid propellant gun and pertains includes a modified contional fixed bolt extending into a conventional combustion chamber of the regenerative liquid propellant gun. The modified fixed bolt of this invention provides for improved operation of the otherwise conventional regenerative liquid propellant gun and has modified end portion embodiments and internal propellant injection passages, all for the purpose of creating turbulent propellant flow.

Abstract: A punch has a punch tip with a shank and a punch pad with an orifice for receiving the shank. The punch pad includes a hole positioned closely adjacent the orifice to define a thin wall between the hole and the orifice. The thin wall has a slot which extends through its thickness to define at least one, and preferably two, tabs. An insert, which may be a pin, is provided for insertion into the hole and deforming the tab into supportive, retaining contact with the shank of the punch tip within the orifice. The shank of the punch tip may be provided with a shoulder for abutting the inwardly deformed tab or tabs to restrain withdrawal of the punch tip from the punch pad during operation.

Abstract: A punch assembly for use in a punch press including a pair of elongated rods having mating respective male and female threaded ends, a head on one end of the female portion for being engaged by a ram of the press, a compression spring, a punch tip at the end of the male portion for action with a workpiece, a punch guide encompassing part of the punch assembly to act as a stripper in relation between the punch tip and the workpiece and a wire clip co-acting between the male and female threaded portions for adjustment of the overall punch length. After sharpening, the wire clip is disengaged and the male and female rods are axially rotated in oposite directions to compensate for the ground-off length. The wire clip is then reengaged and the punch assembly is reassembled for use.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a fluid mixing device in which a jet of first luid is passed through a nozzle having a conical inlet section and a noncircular, elongated, exit section. The jet of first fluid mixes with a second fluid located downstream of the device. In operation, the intersection of the conical and elongated sections produces axial rotation in the first fluid. Intense, three-dimensional, axial and circumferential vortical structures are created. These structures then interact with the high modes of azimuthal instabilities that are common to the elongated configuration. The jet of first fluid evolves into two secondary jets, generating a double shear layer inside the flow. Highly efficient mixing of the fluids, in both the outside and inside (core) segments of the jet, is achieved within a relatively small mixing space.

Abstract: A removeable stripper plate assembly. The assembly includes a punch guide sleeve with a stripper plate support means to aid in supporting a stripper plate within and at the end of the punch guide sleeve. A split locking ring having adjacent ends moveable toward and away from each other is received in a groove in the punch guide sleeve, and extends inwardly of the punch guide sleeve to lock the stripper plate in place. Locking means are provided to maintain the spacing between ends of the split locking ring to thereby maintain it in the groove.

Abstract: A punch assembly having a punch head adjustably connected to a punch drive. By manipulation of this adjustment and by measuring only the length of the punch unit from the punch head to the tip of the punch tip, the operator may guarantee that when the punch unit is placed within a punch guide in a nonpunching position, the punch tip will be properly recessed within the punch guide.

Abstract: A punch guide assembly having a removable stripper plate. The assembly includes clip tabs having stripper plate holding tabs formed on ends thereof for disposition through a hole provided in the punch guide and for reception within an appropriate recess in the stripper plate for retaining the stripper plate. The assembly also includes a grooved track disposed about the punch guide and a tool for insertion therein to urge the clip tabs outwardly of the punch guide, to facilitate insertion and removal of the stripper plate.

Abstract: A punching device for use in a fixed frame adapted to support punch means in alignment with a ram. An assembly of a punch, a guide and stripper plate and a stripping spring is removable as a unit. The assembly of this invention is characterized by means by which the assembly is retained together when removed from the frame of the punching machine. The assembly includes a quick release guide, a clip ring spring support retainer and a replaceable stripper plate.

Abstract: This invention involves an improved technique for the modulation of waste in an actively controlled compact waste incinerator afterburner. This improved technique utilizes acoustic driving to affect indirect modulation of waste flow velocities. The waste surrogate gases are modulated indirectly by periodic entrainment created by the roll-up of the main air vortex as well as indirect acoustic excitation of secondary air injection. One of the main advantages of this new configuration is the acoustic drivers used to phase inject the waste into the vortex for proper combustion are not in direct contact with the hot waste and therefore can be less expensive and more durable over the long term.

Abstract: In a solid fuel ramjet in which a fluid flow boundary layer extends along a urning fuel grain and receives combustible material liberated from the grain, exciting oscillations in air flowing toward the grain so that oscillations continue in the boundary layer and promote vortices in the layer to mix the air and the combustible material.

Abstract: In a combustor in which a flow area for fuel and air increases suddenly at dump so as to generate vortices which mix the fuel and air for combustion downstream of the dump, the improvement in which the flow cross section upstream of the dump is noncircular, as triangular or rectangular, causing flow downstream of the dump to be noncoherent so that mixing by the vortices is aperiodic with the result that heat release on mixing is uniform in time and does not drive oscillations in the combustor.

Abstract: This invention involves an improved technique for the modulation of waste an actively controlled compact waste incinerator afterburner. This improved technique utilizes acoustic driving to affect indirect modulation of waste flow velocities. The waste surrogate gases are modulated indirectly by periodic entrainment created by the roll-up of the main air vortex as well as indirect acoustic excitation of secondary air injection. One of the main advantages of this new configuration is the acoustic drivers used to phase inject the waste into the vortex for proper combustion are not in direct contact with the hot waste and therefore can be less expensive and more durable over the long term.