Abstract: A slew drive comprises a worm gear which is integrated with a reducer assembly. One end of the worm gear operates as a carrier which engages a plurality of planetary gears which are part of the reducer assembly. The carrier may be a separate component that is coupled with the worm gear. Alternatively, one end of the worm gear can be machined to operate as the carrier. The carrier engages a plurality of planetary gears via a plurality of holes.

Abstract: A slew drive comprises a slew drive housing which includes a first distal housing section and a second distal housing section. The first distal housing section includes a threaded section, operative to receive a threaded plug and the second distal housing section includes a groove operative to receive a retaining ring. A worm gear is secured to the slew drive housing by a first tapered roller bearing and a second tapered roller bearing. The worm gear comprises a central threaded section, a first distal shaft section having a first shoulder, and a second distal shaft section having a second shoulder. The central threaded section engages the teeth of a worm wheel, the first tapered roller bearing is seated on the first distal shaft section, abutting the first shoulder and the plug, and the second tapered roller bearing is seated on the second distal shaft section, abutting the second shoulder and the retaining ring.

Abstract: An acoustic system is disclosed. The acoustic system includes a sound absorptive substrate, and a rigid polyester shell configured to be positioned over the sound absorptive substrate. The rigid polyester shell is configured to be mounted on an interior surface of a building such that at least some sound waves pass through the rigid polyester shell. The shell is configured to provide aesthetic features to the acoustic system.

Abstract: A single axis driving system includes a housing with a central portion defining a cavity and a pair of parallel spaced apart flanges formed as an integral part. Coaxial openings are formed through the flanges to define a mounting structure for an axel rotatably mounted in the coaxial openings. An opening is formed between the flanges in the surface of the central portion extending into the cavity. A gear plate is affixed to the axle and positioned to extend through the opening into the cavity for limited rotation with the axle. The gear plate has an arcuate set of gear teeth positioned along a periphery thereof. A driving gear is rotatably mounted in the housing so as to mesh with the arcuate set of gear teeth and a drive motor is mounted on the housing and attached to the driving gear for rotation of the driving gear.

Abstract: A single axis tracker system including at least one photovoltaic panel, a mounting structure, and a tracker control system. The tracker control system being attached to the at least one photovoltaic panel and to the mounting structure so as to apply torque to the at least one photovoltaic panel to rotate the at least one photovoltaic panel into an allowable orientation. A wind tracking device is coupled to the single axis tracker system and connected to the tracker control system. The wind tracking device determines current wind speed and direction information and couples the wind speed and direction information to an algorithm in the tracker control system. The algorithm uses the wind speed and direction information to calculate an allowable photovoltaic panel orientation for the current conditions.

Abstract: A single axis slew driving system with integrated sensors and transducers including a housing defining a cavity, a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within the cavity supporting an axle with a gear plate affixed thereto and gear teeth positioned along a periphery thereof, a driving gear rotatably mounted in the housing meshing with the gear teeth, and a drive motor attached to the driving gear for rotation of the driving gear and one of: a thermocouple embedded in the housing to provide an indication of the temperature adjacent the driving gear; an absolute position sensing system including a movement tracking device mounted in the housing and extending into the cavity of the housing; limit switches mounted on the outer periphery of the housing; an integrated accelerometer and communication assembly; and an integrated torque routing solenoid mounted on an outer periphery of the housing.

Abstract: An acoustic system is disclosed. The acoustic system includes a sound absorptive substrate, and a rigid polyester shell configured to be positioned over the sound absorptive substrate. The rigid polyester shell is configured to be mounted on an interior surface of a building such that at least some sound waves pass through the rigid polyester shell. The shell is configured to provide aesthetic features to the acoustic system.

Abstract: A distributed torque, single axis solar tracking system includes a plurality of spaced apart mounting posts with selected posts having an electrically controlled actuator mounted thereon. A torque structure extends between the actuators to distribute rotational torque on the torque structure. A plurality of solar panels is connected to the torque structure. Electrical apparatus is coupled to each actuator and designed to be coupled to a power source so that when the electrical apparatus is coupled to the power source, the plurality of actuators is energized to rotate simultaneously a desired amount. Whereby the plurality of solar panels is rotated the desired amount as the plurality of actuators rotates.

Abstract: A gear assembly diagnostic system includes an electric motor attached to a gear assembly to be diagnosed, a motor controller coupled to the electric motor to control electric current applied to the electric motor, a test controller coupled to the motor controller to provide commands to the motor controller, and electrical current determining apparatus coupled to provide a measurement of current flow through the electric motor. A programmable data acquisition device is coupled to the electrical current determining apparatus and is programmable to determine current flow through the electrical motor at a predetermined frequency. Data storage is coupled to the data acquisition device for receiving and storing current flow determinations from the data acquisition device and a computer is coupled to, and may include, the data storage. The computer includes software designed to calculate one or more characteristics of the gear assembly to be diagnosed from the current flow determinations.

Abstract: A single beam frequency modulated continuous wave radar for clear air scatter (CAS) detection and method of monitoring clear air scatterers are provided. CAS monitoring capabilities, including the ability to estimate wind velocity and direction, are obtained using data from a single defined width beam of energy that instead of being averaged is sampled at discrete time steps over a range of altitudes.

Abstract: A document handler system and method includes timed operation functionality in which the manufacturer of the document handler may input coded information in the document handler to establish a timed operation of the document handler which may be contingent on continued payments for use of the document handler. Alternatively, or in addition, the timed operation may be used to establish an appropriate warranty period during which the manufacturer is obligated to provide repairs, modification and/or support for the document handler.

Abstract: Various configurations of a microphone shield are disclosed. Each of the microphone shields includes a number of panels configured to be positioned around a point in space at which a microphone may be positioned. Acoustic liners may be coupled to the panels. At least one of the panels and/or acoustic liners is configured to define an arc that is convex in shape relative to the point in space.

Abstract: Described herein are coformer salts of (2S,3S)-methyl 7-fluoro-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(1-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)-4-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-5-carboxylate optionally as a solvate and additionally optionally as a hydrate, including crystalline forms, and methods of preparing the (2S,3S)-methyl 7-fluoro-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(1-methyl-1H-1, 2,4-triazol-5-yl)-4-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-5-carboxylate optionally as a coformer salts.

Abstract: A document handler system and method includes timed operation functionality in which the manufacturer of the document handler may input coded information in the document handler to establish a timed operation of the document handler which may be contingent on continued payments for use of the document handler. Alternatively, or in addition, the timed operation may be used to establish an appropriate warranty period during which the manufacturer is obligated to provide repairs, modification and/or support for the document handler.

Abstract: Described are shoe uppers in which at least a portion thereof is formed of a multilayered material. The multilayered material includes at least one nonwoven fiber layer with unidirectionally oriented fibers and a matrix material, wherein the multilayered material has elastic properties that allow the multilayered material to deform when stretched over a three dimensional mold.

Abstract: An acoustic system is disclosed. The acoustic system includes a sound absorptive substrate, and a rigid polyester shell configured to be positioned over the sound absorptive substrate. The rigid polyester shell is configured to be mounted on an interior surface of a building such that at least some sound waves pass through the rigid polyester shell. The shell is configured to provide aesthetic features to the acoustic system.

Abstract: Various configurations of a microphone shield are disclosed. Each of the microphone shields includes a number of panels configured to be positioned around a point in space at which a microphone may be positioned. Acoustic liners may be coupled to the panels. At least one of the panels and/or acoustic liners is configured to define an arc that is convex in shape relative to the point in space.

Abstract: Described herein are compounds and methods of making such compounds useful in the synthesis of protected N-alkyl-triazolecarbaldehydes.

Abstract: A landing alert system and method for preventing runway excursions may include determining, during an approach of an aircraft to landing on a runway, a target touchdown point on the runway, determining a boundary descent path configured to permit safe approach and touchdown of the aircraft on the runway at or before the target touchdown point, and, in response to the aircraft crossing within a selected margin of the boundary path, alerting an operator of the aircraft.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring wind speed and direction in clear air conditions using a wide band Doppler radar in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a wide band Doppler radar system includes an antenna assembly includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna; a transceiver connected to the antenna assembly configured to transmit a radar beam includes a transmit signal on a Ka-band carrier frequency and receive a backscattered radar beam includes a carrier frequency that is frequency shifted relative to the transmitted Ka-band carrier frequency of the backscattered radar beam; a data acquisition system connected to the transceiver configured to estimate a wind velocity vector by calculating a Doppler shift between at least one transmitted radar beam and at least one received backscattered radar beam.