In a capacitance circuit having a capacitance element which exhibits a breakdown characteristic and which generates noises at breakdown, the improvement comprising a constant-voltage element, which has a lower breakdown voltage than the capacitance element and a lower noise level than the capacitance element in the state of breakdown, connected in parallel with the capacitance element. The voltage across the capacitance element is clamped at the breakdown voltage of the constant-voltage element,...

1. A proximity fuze comprising: A. a first conducting body and a second conducting body, said first condung body separated from said second conducting body, said first and second conducting bodies lying substantially in an edgewise relation on the outer surface of a projectile, B. a source of direct current potential connected between said first conducting body and said second conducting body, said source of direct current potential establishing an electric field between said bodies with a posit...

A unknown value of capacitance is determined by the repeated transfer of quantities of charge from a potential store in amounts proportional to the value of the unknown capacitance. Transfer is accomplished during at least two distinct periods of a measurement cycle so that capacitance may be expressed as a ratio of a known and an unknown capacitance in order to eliminate certain circuit related errors.

There is disclosed a capacitance probe and sealing gland assembly of an improved construction which permits facile manufacture, applicable to a variety of capacitance probe rod diameters. The construction employs a continuously insulation-coated probe rod which is received in a gland housng and which has an intermediate portion having non-coincident sidewall surfaces mounted in an interior cavity of the gland housing to provide axial and rotational restraint of the probe rod. The assembly includ...

Capacitance measuring device for measuring a physical quantity proportional or inversely proportional to the capacitance X of a first capacitor. A oscillating circuit includes a second capacitor having a reference capacitance X.sub.E or the first capacitor during successive reference and measuring phases under control switching network respectively. A counter counts a predetermined oscillation pulse number N.sub.E during the reference phase and a oscillation pulse number N.sub.X during the measu...

An integrated circuit using interconnection of opposite plates of multiple capacitors formed therein to stabilize composite capacitor parameters.

A capacitance transducer construction for borehole pressure measurements where the support for one of the capacitor plates sets is mounted in an independent structure which is attached through a temperature compensating means to the support for the other capacitor plates for eliminating stress effects. Electron bonding of materials having graduated coefficients of friction is utilized to minimize stress effects.

A variable area capacitance transducer for measurement of length and displacement is disclosed. The preferred embodiment uses three concentric cylinders. The innermost cylinder acts as a working electrode, the middle cylinder acts as a common electrode, and the outer cylinder, a reference electrode. A movable concentric cylinder acts as a shield and is guided for movement between the working and common electrodes. The capacitance of the transducer is related to the displacement of the shield.

A thermometer having a sensor formed by a three-terminal capacitor with a suitable temperature-sensitive dielectric interposed between the sensing electrodes, with the sensor being connected to a suitable measuring means, such as a transformer bridge, capable of measuring the direct capacitance of a three-terminal capacitor.

A capacitance probe for passing a center conductor into a sealed container including a shoulder washer engaging the conductor intermediate the ends thereof and insulative washers sandwiching the shoulder washer between a press fit compression plug and a gland fitting threadably inserted into the wall of the container. The center conductor is enclosed by insulative shields, distal of the insulative washers, where the shields are sealed by wedge seals conformed to mate with respective sealing surf...