- Email: [email protected]
Emergency call system
Nov., 1962.]
CURRENT TOPICS
the graphite form. Then our group found some years ago that if we combined high pressures with high temp e r a t u r e s - a n d if we used a catalyst to sort of trick the atoms into falling into the diamond structure--we could make diamond. Now, with the new process, we can actually push hard enough on this atomic spring--and simultaneously heat it hot e n o u g h - - t o make it turn directly into diamond and stay there. Frankly, the discovery came as something of a surprise, because there had been so many theories put forward that this kind of direct transition would never occur. But there is now no doubt that it is possible with carbon--and, of course, there are many substances other than carbon that can be and are being put into our new pressure chamber."
Emergency Call System.--Development of an emergency call system for use along the nation's highways and toll roads, in national parks and other remote areas open to the public has been announced by International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. The signalling system, known as Turn Call, was developed by the I T T Kellogg Communications Systems Division. The system is undergoing field evaluation tests on a 5-mile section of the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, one of the most heavily travelled highways in the U. S. Ten units underwent a summer-long test on the Parkway. The Turn Call system speeds rescue to the injured, or automobile service assistance to stranded drivers, reducing traffic tie-ups and resulting in substantial savings for the supervising agency charged with furnishing patrol forces for the area. The emergency system consists of a number of roadside transmitter units by which motorists may institute calls
42 3
for police or service trucks. Receiving equipment is located at 15-20 mile intervals to relay or directly connect the coded information to the communications center where the call is decoded, displayed and appropriate help started on its way. Ten Turn Call call boxes--similar in concept to fire alarm boxes--are placed at intervals along the New Jersey highway. A feature of the system is the use of a hand crank generator to provide electrical power and the activation of the code wheels, thus providing simple reliable transmission. The equipment has long life, freedom from atmospheric effects such as snow and dirt accumulation, and requires a minimum of maintenance. A system is composed of a number of transmitters, a receiver and the decoder-display unit. From the strategically placed, weatherproof transmitters, pre-set coded messages (for ambt~Jlance or service truck) may be sent to the receiver located at service plazas, maintenance garages or a toll booth where tie-in with the main toll road communication system is available. The received signals are relayed to central control for decoding and display. Visual display lights indicate the calling transmitter's location, the traffic lane and the type of service desired. With this information, also recorded on a printer mechanism, service units are dispatched, as needed, to the proper location. Coding mechanisms are arranged so that a few turns of the hand crank provide not only electrical power but also mechanical activation of the code wheels which key the transmitter and digitally encode the message. Type of service is selected by a front panel switch. Power output is approximately three watts into a directional antenna. FM receivers pick up, demodulate
424
CURRENT TOPICS
and pass the transmitted message on to the decoder-display unit using either existing communications or direct connection into the decoder-display unit. The message is retained on the visual display until reset by the operator. An audible alarm system also is sounded to alert the operator to the reception of a new message.
Analyzer for Measuring Surface Area.--A new analyzer, called Isorpta, used for rapid measurement of surface area and pore size distribution of porous materials, is being marketed by the Gas Equipment Section of Engelhard Industries, Inc. of Newark, N. J. The new Isorpta utilizes a continuous flow of a nitrogen-helium mixture (having a fixed composition) over a sample to determine adsorption isotherms from stepwise variations of the total gas pressure on the sample. With this adsorption data, a pore size distribution in the radius range from 10 A to 300 A is calculated. Isotherms can be developed with the new device in from six to eight hours, roughly one-fifth the time formerly required by a skilled operator using conventional methods for determining low temperature nitrogen adsorption. It is expected that Isorpta will find application in the fields of catalysis, absorbents, abrasives, pigments, ceramics, cosmetics and drugs inasmuch as these fields deal with porous materials.
Moon
Pressure
Gauges.--The
Geophysics Corporation of America has delivered a series of small lightweight vacuum gauges to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration which will be used to measure atmosphere conditions on the surface of the moon.
The rugged 3 ~ - l b . instruments are
[J.F.I.
the first gauges ever developed which are calibrated to measure a vacuum as low as 10 -12 m m of mercury pressure. This was described as an atmospheric condition where there are only approximately 30,000 molecules per cubic centimeter, as compared to a molecular density of 30 billion billion molecules per cubic-centimeter which prevails in the earth's atmosphere at sea level. The vacuum gauges have been developed for NASA's Surveyor spacecraft, which are being designed to soft-land instruments on the moon to obtain scientific data that will be telemetered back to earth. Plans call for the launching of seven Surveyor vehicles during the period 1964-66. Atmosphere pressure on the moon's surface is not believed to be as low as 10 12 m m of mercury pressure, but rather in the vicinity of 10 -1°, where molecular density is only down to about 3 million molecules per cubic centimeter.
Desk-Top Computer Simulates Nuclear Power P l a n t . - - D e v e l o p m e n t of two special plug-in components that permit a desk-top size computer to simulate a complete nuclear power plant and control system, has been announced by Electronic Associates, Inc., of Long Branch, N. J. The new components, called reactor kinetics network and transport delay simulator, enable the EAI TR-10 computer to perform the complicated computations in nuclear physics normally performed on a much larger computer. The TR-10 is a solid state general purpose analog computer about the size of a large cash register. The development enables educational institutions whose programs cannot justify large computers to broaden laboratory experiments in nuclear engineering courses by the use of the low-cost, versatile TR-10 components.
CURRENT TOPICS
the graphite form. Then our group found some years ago that if we combined high pressures with high temp e r a t u r e s - a n d if we used a catalyst to sort of trick the atoms into falling into the diamond structure--we could make diamond. Now, with the new process, we can actually push hard enough on this atomic spring--and simultaneously heat it hot e n o u g h - - t o make it turn directly into diamond and stay there. Frankly, the discovery came as something of a surprise, because there had been so many theories put forward that this kind of direct transition would never occur. But there is now no doubt that it is possible with carbon--and, of course, there are many substances other than carbon that can be and are being put into our new pressure chamber."
Emergency Call System.--Development of an emergency call system for use along the nation's highways and toll roads, in national parks and other remote areas open to the public has been announced by International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. The signalling system, known as Turn Call, was developed by the I T T Kellogg Communications Systems Division. The system is undergoing field evaluation tests on a 5-mile section of the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, one of the most heavily travelled highways in the U. S. Ten units underwent a summer-long test on the Parkway. The Turn Call system speeds rescue to the injured, or automobile service assistance to stranded drivers, reducing traffic tie-ups and resulting in substantial savings for the supervising agency charged with furnishing patrol forces for the area. The emergency system consists of a number of roadside transmitter units by which motorists may institute calls
42 3
for police or service trucks. Receiving equipment is located at 15-20 mile intervals to relay or directly connect the coded information to the communications center where the call is decoded, displayed and appropriate help started on its way. Ten Turn Call call boxes--similar in concept to fire alarm boxes--are placed at intervals along the New Jersey highway. A feature of the system is the use of a hand crank generator to provide electrical power and the activation of the code wheels, thus providing simple reliable transmission. The equipment has long life, freedom from atmospheric effects such as snow and dirt accumulation, and requires a minimum of maintenance. A system is composed of a number of transmitters, a receiver and the decoder-display unit. From the strategically placed, weatherproof transmitters, pre-set coded messages (for ambt~Jlance or service truck) may be sent to the receiver located at service plazas, maintenance garages or a toll booth where tie-in with the main toll road communication system is available. The received signals are relayed to central control for decoding and display. Visual display lights indicate the calling transmitter's location, the traffic lane and the type of service desired. With this information, also recorded on a printer mechanism, service units are dispatched, as needed, to the proper location. Coding mechanisms are arranged so that a few turns of the hand crank provide not only electrical power but also mechanical activation of the code wheels which key the transmitter and digitally encode the message. Type of service is selected by a front panel switch. Power output is approximately three watts into a directional antenna. FM receivers pick up, demodulate
424
CURRENT TOPICS
and pass the transmitted message on to the decoder-display unit using either existing communications or direct connection into the decoder-display unit. The message is retained on the visual display until reset by the operator. An audible alarm system also is sounded to alert the operator to the reception of a new message.
Analyzer for Measuring Surface Area.--A new analyzer, called Isorpta, used for rapid measurement of surface area and pore size distribution of porous materials, is being marketed by the Gas Equipment Section of Engelhard Industries, Inc. of Newark, N. J. The new Isorpta utilizes a continuous flow of a nitrogen-helium mixture (having a fixed composition) over a sample to determine adsorption isotherms from stepwise variations of the total gas pressure on the sample. With this adsorption data, a pore size distribution in the radius range from 10 A to 300 A is calculated. Isotherms can be developed with the new device in from six to eight hours, roughly one-fifth the time formerly required by a skilled operator using conventional methods for determining low temperature nitrogen adsorption. It is expected that Isorpta will find application in the fields of catalysis, absorbents, abrasives, pigments, ceramics, cosmetics and drugs inasmuch as these fields deal with porous materials.
Moon
Pressure
Gauges.--The
Geophysics Corporation of America has delivered a series of small lightweight vacuum gauges to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration which will be used to measure atmosphere conditions on the surface of the moon.
The rugged 3 ~ - l b . instruments are
[J.F.I.
the first gauges ever developed which are calibrated to measure a vacuum as low as 10 -12 m m of mercury pressure. This was described as an atmospheric condition where there are only approximately 30,000 molecules per cubic centimeter, as compared to a molecular density of 30 billion billion molecules per cubic-centimeter which prevails in the earth's atmosphere at sea level. The vacuum gauges have been developed for NASA's Surveyor spacecraft, which are being designed to soft-land instruments on the moon to obtain scientific data that will be telemetered back to earth. Plans call for the launching of seven Surveyor vehicles during the period 1964-66. Atmosphere pressure on the moon's surface is not believed to be as low as 10 12 m m of mercury pressure, but rather in the vicinity of 10 -1°, where molecular density is only down to about 3 million molecules per cubic centimeter.
Desk-Top Computer Simulates Nuclear Power P l a n t . - - D e v e l o p m e n t of two special plug-in components that permit a desk-top size computer to simulate a complete nuclear power plant and control system, has been announced by Electronic Associates, Inc., of Long Branch, N. J. The new components, called reactor kinetics network and transport delay simulator, enable the EAI TR-10 computer to perform the complicated computations in nuclear physics normally performed on a much larger computer. The TR-10 is a solid state general purpose analog computer about the size of a large cash register. The development enables educational institutions whose programs cannot justify large computers to broaden laboratory experiments in nuclear engineering courses by the use of the low-cost, versatile TR-10 components.