Abstract: A device that may utilize radiant energy emitted from a process to formulate heat flux information about the process. The light emitted from the process may be transmitted by a low loss light conveyance component to a heat flux sensing component situated remotely from the process. The process light energy may then be converted into heat energy by a high emissivity material coupled to the heat flux sensing component. The light conveyance component may further include an angular sensitivity corrector to increase the efficiency of light absorption.

Abstract: A sensor designed for measurement of conducted heat flux passing through a solid object consists of a thin film thermopile deposited on a planar substrate whose thermal properties match those of the solid object. The thermopile is protected by a thin rectangular plate made of the same material as the substrate. The sensor is imbedded in the solid object and measures the vector of heat flux along the thermopile axis with minimal distortion of the heat flow pattern. Applications include measurement of heat flux in casting molds, boiler tubes, well surveying instruments and laser weapons testing.

Abstract: Analog electric signals representing convective and total heat transfer into or out of a surface are produced by opposed thermocouple pairs in a laminated assembly comprising a layer of infrared transparent material and a layer of infrared absorbing material. The laminated assembly is attached to the surface with the infrared absorbing layer in thermal contact with the surface. A voltage produced by a first opposed thermocouple pair represents the temperature difference across the infrared transparent layer. A voltage produced by a second opposed thermocouple pair represents the temperature difference across the infrared absorbing layer. Using the known value for thermal resistance of the infrared transparent layer, the temperature difference across this layer is used to calculate convective heat transfer. Using the known value for thermal resistance of the infrared absorbing layer, the temperature difference across this layer is used to calculate the total heat transfer by radiation and convection combined.

Abstract: A sensor designed for measurement of conducted heat flux passing through a solid object consists of a thin film thermopile deposited on a planar substrate whose thermal properties match those of the solid object. The thermopile is protected by a thin rectangular plate made of the same material as the substrate. The sensor is imbedded in the solid object and measures the vector of heat flux along the thermopile axis with minimal distortion of the heat flow pattern. Applications include measurement of heat flux in casting molds, boiler tubes, well surveying instruments and laser weapons testing.

Abstract: An improved Schmidt-Boelter heat flux gage is disclosed in which the heat absorbed by the top windings of the gage is removed from the ends of the thermally resistive wafer instead of through the bottom windings. This arrangement results in greatly improved transient response with little or no loss of sensitivity. The thermally resistive wafer is formed of an electrically insulating material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum nitride.

Abstract: The invention is a circular airplane with an oblately spheroidal body which derives lift from a wall or ribbon jet exhausting over its upper surface. The jet is produced by a mixed flow fan driven by an internal combustion or gas turbine engine within the body. A fixed guide van assembly removes the swirl from the outlet flow of the mixed flow fan. The jet exiting from the fixed guide vane assembly follows the curved surface of the body, exhausting downward, and produces lift. The magnitude of lift produced in each quadrant of the airplane may be reduced for thrust vectoring by flow control gates which partially block the flow of air from the fixed guide vane assembly. Rotation control vanes introduce a controlled swirl into the flow of air from the fixed guide vane assembly to effect rotation of the airplane. Actuators for flow control gates and rotation control vanes, and a flight control system, are provided.

Abstract: A system combining a transducer and a signal processing circuit measures the clearance distance from the transducer to an electrically conductive moving part of a machine. The transducer contains a magnet and a coil, both coupled magnetically to a region traversed by the machine part. Eddy currents are induced in the part as it passes through the magnetic field of the transducer. These currents produce a field which moves with the part and generates a characteristic signal in the transducer coil. Amplitude and timing attributes of the signal are measured by the signal processing circuit. An experimentally derived mathematical function which relates the amplitude and timing of this signal to the clearance distance between the transducer and the moving part is used to compute the clearance distance. During this calculation useful information is also developed about the speed and transit time of the moving part. The system is adapted to turbomachinery blade condition monitoring.

Abstract: A system combining a transducer and a signal processing circuit measures the clearance distance from the transducer to an electrically conductive moving part of a machine. The transducer contains a magnet and a coil, both coupled magnetically to a region traversed by the machine part. Eddy currents are induced in the part as it passes through the magnetic field of the transducer. These currents produce a field which moves with the part and generates a characteristic signal in the transducer coil. Amplitude and timing attributes of the signal are measured by the signal processing circuit. An experimentally derived mathematical function which relates the amplitude and timing of this signal to the clearance distance between the transducer and the moving part is used to compute the clearance distance. During this calculation useful information is also developed about the speed and transit time of the moving part. The system is adapted to turbomachinery blade condition monitoring.

Abstract: Described is a data entry keyboard having a small number of keys, each key being a ternary device having three possible positions. In the preferred embodiment, each key is adapted to move towards or away from the operator, and has a central "off" position. A spring detent makes the key return to the central position in the absence of pressure from the finger. The three positions of each key are indicated electrically by switches which produce distinctive signals for each of the three states. The top of each key is formed to provide a secure grip. The preferred embodiment comprises eight ternary keys in two sets of four. The two sets are arranged so that the fingers of the operator's right hand rest on the keys of a rightmost set, and the fingers of the operator's left hand rest on the keys of the leftmost set. The only key combinations which represent valid characters are those in which one finger of the right hand operates its key, and one finger of the left hand operates its key.

Abstract: The invention is a force compensation device for use in a spring balanced sash holder for a jamb liner extruded from a durable resin such as polyvinyl chloride, and having a vertical track for containing the sash. Within the vertical track in the sash plow region and running the entire length of the jamb liner is a vertical slotted channel. The lower half of the slotted channel is used to develop frictional force for compensation of spring balance forces. The invention produces its compensating force by frictionally engaging the surfaces of the slotted channel. It comprises two parts, a carrier and a clapper. The carrier supports the weight of the sash, and is supported by the balance spring. The clapper is attached to the carrier. Both the carrier and clapper have braking elements which frictionally engage the surfaces of the slotted channel of the jamb liner track. The carrier and clapper are fastened together at their lower ends but their upper ends are free to move relative to each other.

Abstract: An electromechanical energy conversion system comprising a brushless motor and a stored program controller for controlling motor operation in a plurality of modes in accordance with internally generated and/or external commands.

Abstract: A linear DC permanent magnet motor comprising a wound member having a plurality of windings wound on a slotted magnetic structure and a field member movable relative to said wound member, the field comprising permanent magnet means for developing a magnetic field and means for energizing with DC current at least some of the windings, the magnetic field of said permanent magnet means interacting with the energized windings causing said field member to move relative to said wound member. The motor also comprises support means for maintaining air gaps between the wound member and the field member.

Abstract: A high speed DC brushless motor in which the stator is toroidal and the stator core does not include winding slots. In the preferred embodiment the core material for the stator is an amorphous metal alloy which provides high speed motor efficiency. For some applications core materials like ferrite or low silicon-alloys can be used. According to one embodiment of the invention a ferrite shielding ring can be added surrounding the motor to further improve high speed efficiency.

Abstract: A computer controlled apparatus and method for winding electro-magnetic members such as stators comprising a stator holder, motor means for rotating the stator holder, a wire dispensing cylinder, motor means for moving the dispensing means longitudinal of the member to be wound, motor means for feeding wire to the wire dispensing cylinder and means for controlling the wire feed speed of the wire feeding motor means relative to the speeds of the motors for rotating the stator holder and longitudinally moving the wire dispensing cylinder, respectively.

Abstract: A servo motor system including a position sensor located within the motor air gap to virtually eliminate mechanical compliance in the servo loop. The transducer is of a capacitive type including interleaved capacitive plates and is designed to be substantially insensitive to the magnetic field of the motor.

Abstract: An electric motor is wound with redundant sets of windings which are energized by independent electric circuits to enable operation of the motor even in the presence of a failure of a winding and a failure of an energization circuit. The motor may be of the permanent magnet form with electronic switching of the winding currents in lieu of switching via a commutator, known as a brushless DC motor, in which case separate sensing devices, such as Hall effect devices, are employed with each winding set and energization circuit for sensing the relative position between the moving and stationary members of the motor. The sets of windings, when placed on the stator, are physically spaced apart so as to minimize magnetic coupling therebetween.

Abstract: A linear DC permanent magnet motor comprising a wound member having a plurality of windings wound on a slotted magnetic structure and a field member movable relative to said wound member, the field comprising permanent magnet means for developing a magnetic field and means for energizing with DC current at least some of the windings, the magnetic field of said permanent magnet means interacting with the energized windings causing said field member to move relative to said wound member. The motor also comprises support means for maintaining air gaps between the wound member and the field member.

Abstract: A variable reluctance stepper motor including cooperating fixed and moving structures having tooth-like patterns of equal pitch but with the fixed and moving teeth having different lengths, measured in the direction of movement. The smaller teeth are divided into groups which are offset from one another by fractions of a tooth pitch to provide a bi-directional motor capable of being stepped from one position to the next with the teeth tending to produce force in the desired direction carrying essentially all of the flux and the teeth tending to produce force in the opposite direction carrying essentially no flux. Methods and techniques are also disclosed for fabricating tooth structures and bearing systems.

Abstract: A closed loop control system for variable reluctance stepper motors which senses a voltage indicative of motion on the driven windings, uses this voltage to confirm that motion has occurred, compares this voltage with one modeled after a waveform indicative of no motion and effects successive changes in the winding drive states at optimum times.