Other

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Rockwell International Corporation

James R Fenwick

Yi M Chang

James C Fletcher

George H Karigan

A ball bearing assembly comprising first and second race members 4 and 6 formed with concave ball engaging surfaces 22 and 24 cooperating to define a path of movement 26 for balls 16, 18 and 20 located therebetween and a cage member 8 interposed between said race members 4 and 6 having a plurality of apertures 42, 44 and 46 formed therein, each containing a respective one of said balls 16, 18 and 20 and configured to engage said balls 16, 18 and 20 at an angle to said path of movement 26.

Self-adjusting ball bearing cage

Devices for protecting an edge weld of a thin metal bladder, which is positioned within a rigid walled tank, against a cavitation-induced collapse where the configuration of the interior surface of the bladder at the edge weld is in the structural form of a cavity which is horn-like in shape. One such device is a backing made of hard and ductile material which is interposed between and is in contact with the exterior surface of the bladder and the interior surface of the rigid walled tank at a location adjacent to the edge weld of the bladder. Another is a T-shaped ring disposed internal of the bladder, with the normally vertical leg of the T-shaped ring inserted into the horn-like cavity, and with the normally horizontal leg of the T-shaped ring positioned across the cavity ad in contact with the interior surface of the bladder at a location adjacent to the cavity. Even further, a hard material is fixedly positioned in the horn-like shaped cavity, thereby filling the cavity. Finally, a portion of the bladder is formed with a void at the innermost terminus of the edge weld, and a passageway interconnects the void and the liquid in the bladder.

Liquid tank weld cavitation protection

A controllable fluid damper 14 for a fluid-containing tank 10 in a space vehicle comprising a hollow sphere 14. The wall of the sphere 14 is a honeycomb structure of six-sided cells 24 arranged with respect to the sphere 14 so that the open ends of the cells 24 lie along the radii of the sphere 14. The flat sides of the cells 24 contain small holes 26 which present some resistance to the flow of fluid therethrough. The outer surface of the sphere 14 lies adjacent the inner surface of the tank wall 12. A number of spaced brake pads are located in the tank wall 12 so that the surfaces of the pads are co-planar with the inner surface of the tank wall 12. One of the brake pads, 16, is radially movable in the inward direction; the remainder, 18, are fixed in position. The sphere 10 can rotate with the fluid when a maneuver of the vehicle is started and, then, rotation of the damper 14 can be arrested by moving the movable brake pad 16 into pressure contact with the outer surface of the damper 14. The pressure also forces the surface of the damper 14 into contact with the fixed brake pads 18.

Controllable fluid damper for fluid-containing tank

Apparatus for detecting failure of a surface tension screen disposed between a holding chamber and a main chamber of a tank includes a fixture for supporting the tank in desired test orientations, a drive mechanism on the fixture for rotating the tank and an ultrasonic transducer used in making a measurement with respect to the position of an interface between liquid and gas contained in the holding chamber of the tank. The holding and main chambers are tandemly arranged along a longitudinal axis of the tank and are each substantially filled by a liquid propellant with respective volumes of gas contained in each chamber. The fixture supports the tank in a first orientation with a nose of the tank pointing downwardly and tank longitudinal axis extending approximately 60.degree. above horizontal and to the right of vertical and in a second orientation with the tank nose pointing upwardly and tank longitudinal axis extending approximately 60.degree. above horizontal and to the left of vertical. Separate measurements are made after rotation of the tank in each of these orientations. These measurements are indicative of the volumes of gas in the holding chamber at the respective orientations. Comparison of the measurements provides an assessment of the integrity of the surface tension screen. If the measurements are significantly different, then this indicates that gas leakage has taken place across the screen and that the screen has therefore failed.

Surface tension screen failure detection method and apparatus

Methods of protecting an edge weld of a thin metal bladder, which is positioned within a rigid walled tank, against a cavitation-induced collapse where the configuration of the interior surface of the bladder at the edge weld is in the structural form of a cavity which is horn-like in shape. One of the inventive devices is a backing made of hard and ductile material (such as an epoxy, or a brazing compound, or the like) which is interposed between and is in contact with the exterior surface of the bladder and the interior surface of the rigid walled tank in which the bladder is positioned, at a location adjacent to the edge weld of the bladder. Another of the inventive devices is a T-shaped ring disposed internal of the bladder, with the normally vertical leg of the T-shaped ring inserted into the horn-like cavity, and with the normally horizontal leg of the T-shaped ring positioned across the cavity and in contact with the interior surface of the bladder at a location adjacent to the cavity. The T-shaped ring can, but need not be, welded to and integrated with the edge weld; and, if the T-shaped ring is not welded to the edgeweld, a soft material (such as metallic wool, or open cell sponge, or closed cell foam, or the like) can, but need not be, disposed in the horn-like shaped cavity between the legs of the T-shaped ring. Still another of the inventive devices is a hard material (such as a brazing compound or the like) which is fixedly positioned in the horn-like shaped cavity, thereby filling the cavity. Yet another of the inventive devices is a portion of the bladder having a void at the innermost terminus of the edge weld, and also having a passageway which interconnects the void and the liquid in the bladder.

An improved accumulator particularly adapted for use in controlling the pressure of a stream of fluid in its liquid phase utilizing the fluid in its gaseous phase. The accumulator is characterized by a shell defining a pressure chamber having an entry throat for a liquid and adapted to be connected in contiguous relation with a selected conduit having a stream of fluid flowing through the conduit in its liquid phase. A pressure and volume stabilization tube, including an array of pressure-relief perforations is projected into the chamber with the perforations disposed adjacent to the entry throat for accommodating a discharge of the fluid, in either gaseous or liquid phases, while a gas inlet and liquid to gas conversion system is provided for the chamber and connected with a source of the fluid for continuously pressurizing the chamber for controlling the pressure of the stream of liquid.

Growing community of inventors

Chatsworth, CA, United States of America

James R Fenwick