A pattern or test signal generating system and method is disclosed that is particularly well suited for servicing of T.V. receivers and the like. The system provides a series of individually selectable outputs that are utilized to produce patterns on the image-producing device of a unit to be serviced, including a COLOR QUAD pattern, a GRAY QUAD pattern, and a HATCHDOTS pattern. The system is lightweight and portable yet provides the plurality of outputs which enhance out-of-shop servicing of T....

Disclosed is a method for generating steam from water containing high concentrations of particulate matter such as silt, clay, etc., without the need for filtering and otherwise treating the water prior to generation of steam therefrom, especially useful for use in a viscous oil recovery process. The method comprises introducing solid particulate materials such as coarse sand, etc., into a thermal cracking unit such as, for example, that is used in the Lurgi-Ruhrgas process. The solids are heate...

A bistable magnetic wire has an electrically conductive wire coiled thereabout as to form, generally, a magnetic wire assembly which is situated in spaced proximity to a magnet; the opposite ends of the conductive wire are electrically connected to related output or receiving apparatus; a shield or shutter arrangement operated generally between the magnetic wire assembly and the magnet serves to cause the magnetic wire to be at times placed under the influence of the magnetic field of the magnet...

A character display system which generates analog signals to write sequentially specified strokes forming a character on a display device is described. The character strokes are stored as digital words in a Read Only Memory (ROM) and are sequentially read out in response to instructions to write a specified character. The ROM also contains address words that specify a group of words elsewhere in the ROM that together constitute the instructions for writing the character designated. The address w...

A device for generating a thrust in a liquid utilizing rotating cylinders. The cylinders are mounted on a rotatable hub and rotate about their own axes relative to the hub. The relative rotation follows, preferably, a sinusoidal path for producing the thrust, and in particular, each cylinder undergoes a reversal in its direction of rotation after each half rotation of the hub. A common control bar is included which is connected to each cylinder and eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotat...

A high voltage generating device comprises an outer housing in which an abutment, a piezoelectric element and a receptacle member are housed, an inner housing slidably supported in a space within the outer housing and a hammer supported within the inner housing, said abutment being struck by said hammer to generate a high voltage. An inner peripheral surface of the outer housing is formed with a cam which is adapted to engage with and disengage from a pin mounted on the hammer in order to preven...

An apparatus comprises a pair of tanks, a pair of pistons, coupling means interconnecting the pair of pistons in balance, a closed chamber and a reservoir provided within each of the tanks and partitioned from each other by the piston, a nozzle disposed at one end of the closed chamber, a valve provided on each of the pistons, rotatable means and liquid feed channels. The nozzle, the rotatable means and the liquid feed channels are positioned substantially at the same level as or above the upper...

A power generating plant utilizes a refrigerant as a working medium to drive a turbine, the plant including means to compress and recycle the working medium to a storage vessel from which it is supplied to the turbine. The compressing means includes a reciprocating form of compressor operating with sources of hot and cold liquid derived from within the generating plant itself.

A collimated light source, preferably coherent, is directed at an optical system comprising a plurality of controllably rotatable mirrors, the source going from one to the next in seriatim, and each mirror being mounted a small number of degrees "off" the optical axis, so as to oscillate upon rotation. With the rotational speed of each mirror individually controllable, a substantially infinite number of patterns can be generated. Further variations in pattern generation can be achieved with a be...

A closed smoke generating apparatus isolated from the atmosphere is provided in which carrier gases from an associated closed air food processing system are introduced into a smoke collection chamber, mixed with smoke supplied from a separate distillation chamber mounted therebelow. Smoke and carrier gases are discharged through an outlet in the collection chamber directly into the closed air food processing system. Wood sawdust or other organic particulate materials are continuously fed into th...