N75-12968* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. AUTOMATICALLY OPERABLE SELF-LEVELING LOAD TABLE Patent John L. Burch, inventor (to NASA) Issued 10 Dec. 1974 9 p Filed 8 Aug. 1973 (NASA-Case-MFS-22039-1; US-Patent-3,853,075; US-Patent-Appi-SN-386790; US-Patent-Class-108-136) Avail: US Patent Office CSCL 14B A self-leveling load table is described which is automatically maintained level by selectively opening and closing solenoid valves for inserting and removing air from chambers under the table. The table is floated in a fluid by nine air chambers beneath the top of the table. These chambers are open at the bottom and four oppositely located chambers are used for leveling the table by having the air increased or decreased by means of a flexible hose. Air bearing pendulums are used for selectively energizing solenoid valves which either apply pressurized air to the chamber or evacuate air from the chamber by means of a vacuum source. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office N75-15662* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Langley Research Center, Langley Station, Va. KINESTHETIC CONTROL SIMULATOR Patent Paul R. Hill and David F. Thomas, Jr., inventors (to NASA) Issued 14 Jan. 1975 7 p Filed 20 Apr. 1970 (NASA-Case-LAR-10276-1; US-Patent-3,859,736; A kinesthetic control simulator is reported that has a flat base upon which rests a support structure having a lower spherical surface for rotation on the base plate with columns which support a platform above the support structure at a desired location with respect to the center of curvature of the spherical surface. A handrail is at approximately the elevation of the hips of the operator above the platform with a ring attached to the support structure which may be used to limit the angle of tilt. Five degree freedom-of-motion can be obtained by utilizing an air pad structure for support of the control simulator. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office A flow generation section for a wind tunnel test facility is described which provides a uniform flow for the wind tunnel test section over a range of different flow velocities. The throat of the flow generation section includes a pair of opposed boundary walls which are porous to the flowing medium in order to provide an increase of velocity by expansion. A plenum chamber is associated with the exterior side of each of such porous walls to separate the same from ambient pressure. A suction manifold is connected by suction lines with each one of the chambers. Valves are positioned in each of the lines to enable the suction manifold to be independently varied. 30 28 26 20 52 22 50 14 18 58 16 12 N75-24758* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. LOW SPEED PHASELOCK SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM Patent Robert W. Fulcher and John Sudey, inventors (to NASA) Issued 13 May 1975 10 p Filed 27 Sep. 1973 (NASA-Case-GSC-11127-1; US-Patent-3.883.785; A motor speed control system for an electronically commutated brushless dc motor is provided which includes a phaselock loop with bidirectional torque control for locking the frequency output of a high density encoder, responsive to actual speed conditions, to a reference frequency signal, corresponding to the desired speed. The system includes a phase comparator, which produces an output in accordance with the difference in phase between the reference and encoder frequency signals, and an integrator-digital-to-analog converter unit, which converts the comparator output into an analog error signal voltage. Compensation circuitry, including a biasing means, is provided to convert the analog error signal voltage to a bidirectional error signal N76-10148*# National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. FULL COLOR HYBRID DISPLAY FOR AIRCRAFT SIMULATORS Patent Application Wendell D. Chase, inventor (to NASA) Filed 17 Oct. 1975 26 P (NASA-Case-ARC-10903-1; US-Patent-Appl-SN-623536) Avail: NTIS HC $3.75 CSCL 14B A display for an aircraft simulator is described that produces an image of an air strip accurate in color and in relative light intensity. Components of the system include: a television camera supported over a terrain model simulating an aircraft landing zone; a full spectrum color monitor connected to the camera; lens system for projecting the monitor image onto a lens or screen visually accessible to a trainee in the simulator; a monochromatic calligraphic display: a digital computer for producing a pattern on the display that corresponds to the lights associated with the landing strip on the terrain model; an optical system for projecting the calligraphic image onto same lens so that it is superimposed on the video representation of the landing field; and a servo feedback system responsive to the position and velocity of the servo motors on the gantry frame for producing an input to the computer so that the calligraphically generated signal corresponds in shape, size, and N76-24280* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. VEHICLE SIMULATOR BINOCULAR MULTIPLANAR VISUAL DISPLAY SYSTEM Patent Wendell D. Chase, inventor (to NASA) Issued 18 May 1976 32 p Filed 13 Sep. 1974 (NASA-Case-ARC-10808-1; US-Patent-3.956.833; An aircraft simulator is described for practice landing maneuvers. A cathode ray tube (CRT) produces an image corresponding to the runway which changes in response to the trainee's manipulation of controls. The CRT image is projected along an optical path to a screen that is visually accessible to the trainee. Interposed in the optical path are optical elements such as mirrors which are spaced from one another along the optical path so as to create virtual images on the screen that appear to be at different distances from the trainee. The optical elements are sequentially interposed in the path and circuits are provided for synchronizing the production of the CRT image with one of the optical elements so that the image on the screen appears to have a range corresponding to the environment being simulated. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office N76-26224*# National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (NASA-Case-ARC-10971-1; US-Patent-Appl-SN-694402) Avail: NTIS HC $3.50 CSCL 14E An invention relating generally to a system for rendering visible a phase object such as a density gradient whose index of refraction differs from that of its surroundings was described. The system described employs a reflector in the forward direction which offsets and reflects rays of light passing through a test region in which the phase object is located so that they are returned in an antiparallel direction spaced from the test region toward a receiving system proximate to a light, source. Since the source is positioned proximate to the optical receiver. ANNULAR ARC ACCELERATOR SHOCK TUBE Patent Lewis P. Leibowitz, inventor (to NASA) (JPL) Issued 5 Oct. 1976 9 p Filed 6 Nov. 1974 Published under the second Trial Voluntary Protest Program as B521,620, 27 Jan. 1976 Sponsored by NASA (NASA-Case-NPO-13528-1; US-Patent-3,983,749; US-Patent-Appl-SN-521620; US-Patent-Class-73-147) US Patent Office CSCL 14B Avail: An annular arc accelerator shock tube employs a cold gas driver to flow a stream of gas from an expansion section through a high voltage electrode section to a test section, thus driving a shock wave in front of it. A glow discharge detects the shock wave and actuates a trigger generator which in turn fires spark-gap switches to discharge a bank of capacitors across a centered cathode and an annular anode in tandem electrode sections. The initial shock wave passes uough the anode section from the cathode section thereby depositing energy into the flow gas without the necessity of any diaphragm opening in the gas flow from the expansion section through the electrode sections. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office N77-19076* FURNACE HOUSING SUPPORT FLOW RATE CONTROL ORIFICE National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Thomas J. Gregory, inventor (to NASA) Issued 2 Nov. 1976 6 p Filed 28 Aug. 1975 (NASA-Case-ARC-10979-1; US-Patent-3,989,206; US-Patent-Appl-SN-608483; US-Patent-Class-244-63; US-Patent-Class-124-6) Avail: US Patent Office CSCL 01E A method and apparatus for launching a remotely piloted aircraft is disclosed, wherein the aircraft is revolved about a fixed pivot point until a predetermined speed is reached whereupon the vehicle is released from the launching apparatus. The vehicle is attached to one end of a rotatable arm, the imbalance on the arm being counteracted by a counter weight attached to the opposite end. The counter weight is released from the arm at the same time as the aircraft so as to avoid structural damage to the apparatus caused by rotation in the unbalanced condition. The arm is oriented such that it rotates in a plane inclined obliquely to the local gravitational field of the launch site. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office N77-12070*# National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. GENERAL PURPOSE ROCKET FURNACE Patent Application Billy R. Aldrich and William D. Whitt, inventors (to NASA) Filed 30 Nov. 1976 35 p (NASA-Case-MFS-23460-1; US-Patent-Appl-SN-746578) Avail: NTIS HC A03/MF A01 CSCL 14B A multi-purpose furnace for space vehicles used for material processing experiments in an outer space environment. The furnace contains three separate cavities designed to process samples of the widest possible range of materials and thermal requirements. Each cavity contains three heating elements capable of independent function under the direction of an automatic and programmable control system. A heat removable mechanism is also provided for each cavity which operates in conjunction with N77-19077*# National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Henry S. Dresser (Rockwell Intern. Corp, Downey, Calif.) and Downey, Calif.) Filed 11 Feb. 1977 14 p (Contract NAS9-14000) (NASA-Case-MSC-19706-1; US-Patent-Appl-SN-767911) Avail: NTIS HC A02/MF A01 CSCL 14B A reaction control system nozzle block is provided for testing the response characteristics of space vehicles to a variety of reaction control thruster configurations. A pressurized air system is connected with the supply lines which lead to the individual jet nozzles. Each supply line terminates in a compact cylindrical plenum volume, axially perpendicular and adjacent to the throat of the jet nozzle. The volume of the cylindrical plenum is sized to provide uniform thrust characteristics from each jet nozzle irrespective of the angle of approach of the supply line to the plenum. NASA 12 ASTRONAUTICS (GENERAL) For extraterrestrial exploration see 91 Lunar and Planetary Exploration. N75-24774* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Pasadena Office, Calif. MATERIAL SUSPENSION WITHIN AN ACOUSTICALLY Taylor G. Wang (JPL), Melvin M. Saffren (JPL), and Daniel D. (NASA-Case-NPO-13263-1; US-Patent-3,882,732; Avail: A method is described for positioning an object within a chamber, which is especially useful in performing manufacturing operations under zero gravity conditions. Sound waves are applied within the chamber in different directions and at a frequency for each direction that establishes a standing wave pattern so that the object is automatically urged towards the intersections of the nodes, or locations of minimum pressure. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office Apparatus is described for directly measuring the quantity square root of pck of a test specimen such as a wind tunnel model where p is density, c is the specific heat and k is the thermal conductivity of the specimen. The test specimen and a reference specimen are simultaneously subjected to the heat from a heat source. A thermocouple is attached to the reference specimen for producing a first electrical analog signal proportional to the heat rate Q that the test specimen is subjected to and an infrared radiometer that is aimed at the test specimen produces a second electrical analog signal proportional to the surface temperature T of the test specimen. An analog-to-digital converter converts the first and second electrical analog signals to digital signals. These digital signals are applied to a computer for determining the quantity. N. 2 20 28 42 22 OSC. 2 16 N76-15189* National Aeronautics and Space Administration. David E. Pitts, inventor (to NASA) Issued 16 Dec. 1975 11 p (NASA-Case-MSC-12611-1; US-Patent-3,927,227; US-Patent-Appl-SN-446560; US-Paterit-Class-427-162; 20F A system for forming large mirror surfaces in zero gravity space environments was described and illustrated. In particular, it relates to methods and apparatus for coating a curved surface in a zero gravity environment with a vaporizable metal to form a mirror. The technique consists in locating a shaped surface in a space orbit, orienting the central axis of the section toward the sun and vaporizing a finite amount of vaporizable metal (in amount calculated to provide a thin layer of metal) onto the A system for tethering one orbiting space vehicle to another in which a tetherline between the vehicles is controlled by a motorized reel is discussed. The reel is controlled to deploy. retrieve, or maintain a constant line length while effecting a stabilizing influence on the line. This is accomplished by applying a tension to the line which takes into account the instantaneous length of the line, rate of change of the length of the line, and certain constants which vary depending upon the mode of operation, deployment, retrieval, or station keeping. NASA N77-31213*# National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING SPACE STRUCTURE James D. Johnston, Richard N. Tuggle, John L. Burch, and Keith An apparatus is described for constructing a space platform by continuously unrolling prepunched ribbon on sheet material after one end is attached to an involute core. The prepunched ribbon material is fed through the apparatus and is shaped into a predetermined channel-shaped configuration. Trusses are punched out of the ribbon and are bent downwardly and attached to a track which normally is a previously laid sheet of material. The size of the overall space structure may be increased by merely attaching an additional roll of sheet material to the apparatus. NASA 13 ASTRODYNAMICS Includes powered and free-flight trajectories; and orbit and launching dynamics. The indicator is characterized by an elongated elastic body having extended from the opposite ends of threaded shanks adapted to selected tension members. A pair of external shoulders, one of which is axially displaceable relative to the other, and a rigid tubular sleeve interposed between said shoulders are included. Tension is applied to the elastic body for imparting strain. The movable shoulder can be advanced into abutting engagement with the sleeve, whereby the sleeve is placed in compression once the tensile forces are removed from the shanks. A reapplication of tensile forces equal to the initially applied tensile forces removes the sleeve from compression, whereby the sleeve is freed for rotation for thus indicating the magnitude of the applied tensile forces. Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office |