Abstract: A valve for controlling the flow of particulate solid material, especially a hot, friable, granular material. The valve comprises a fixed vertical feed tube and a concavo-convex valve member mounted for rotation about an axis forming an obtuse angle with the axis of the feed tube. The rotatable valve member is positioned so that its dished inner surface confronts the lower end of the feed tube and is essentially perpendicular thereto to block flow of material through the valve when it is in its closed position. The rotatable member has one or more openings therein that can be positioned in registry with the bottom of the feed tube to open the valve and permit the solid material to flow therethrough.

Abstract: A process for the gaseous reduction of iron ore to sponge iron in a vertical shaft, moving bed reactor wherein a hot gaseous mixture of hydrogen and a carbon monoxide is used to reduce the ore. It has been found unnecessary to use the external catalytic reformer of prior art processes to reform the methane and other hydrocarbon constituents of the natural gas commonly used as a source of gaseous reductants. By establishing a reducing gas recycle loop to which make-up natural gas and steam are fed in the proper proportions, the product sponge iron in the reactor can be used to catalyze hydrocarbon reformation, provided that the carbon content of the recycled gas is maintained low by removing carbon dioxide therefrom. Where pure methane is employed, steam/methane molar ratios within the preferred range of 1.4:1 to 2.2:1 are used.

Abstract: A method for overcoming snoring is disclosed. A composition is used containing a surface active substance, a preserving agent and/or a substance acting bactericidally or fungicidally on the mucous membranes and optionally a substance for softening the mucous membranes in physiological common salt solution as well as optionally further additives which are compatible with the mucous membranes.

Abstract: A water cooling panel forms a part of or substitute for the wall of a metallurgical furnace, such as an electric arc furnace. The panel can be formed alternately as a tube type cooler formed of parallel pipes connected at its ends in headers, with the latter having internal baffles to define a serpentine path, or as a box type cooler formed of steel plates or sheet and having internal baffle plates defining a serpentine path for the cooling fluid. In either case, fluid orificies are provided to permit a minor amount of flow through the baffles or baffle plates where there is a direction change in the serpentine flow path. This serves to prevent stagnation, and prevent the problems of hot spots and steam bubbles where there is a change of direction in the cooling flow. Projections welded along the furnace-facing side of the panel permit the panel to be covered with a layer of refractory material or solidified slag.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is adapted to pass ink drops jetted from a nozzle of an ink head through a gap defined between parallel electrodes and to impart charges to these ink drops in the gap in response to video signals. Then, these ink drops are directed towards a record medium and their trajectories are deflected by passing the charged ink drops through a spacing defined between deflection electrodes, the ink drops being deflected in response to the quantity of electricity involved in the respective ink drops, whereby the ink drops impinge onto and adhere to the record medium at prescribed positions. The serial adhesions of the charged ink drops at suitable positions on the record medium, result in a desired image being recorded thereon. In this case, the parallel electrodes have a parallel distance related to the spacing .lambda.

Abstract: Magnetic recording arrangement, for example, in a thermomagnetographic plain-paper printer, produces a latent magnetic image on a magnetic recording medium which is composed of a ferromagnetic layer, first magnetized along a predetermined direction before forming the latent magnetic image, and a magnetic layer of high permeability to be converted into a paramagnetic layer by being subjected to the heat from a heating head until the layer is heated to its Curie point or above. The magnetic layers are respectively laminated to opposite sides of a base layer, the heating head being placed at the opposite side of the base layer from the ferromagnetic layer so as to remain out of contact with the ferromagnetic layer, thus making the cleaning of the heating head substantially unnecessary while keeping the latent magnetic image of high quality.

Abstract: The invention encompasses an electric cable which is made up of a metallic shield, a semiconducting polymer sheath surrounding a cable conductor and a moistureproofing layer in the form of a semiconducting hydrophobic gel. This construction assures an effective moisture barrier between the metallic shield and the semiconducting polymer layer by providing a semiconducting gel fully compatible with both.

Abstract: Since the single polarization optical fiber according to the present invention comprises a core which does not substantially contain a dopant such as Ge, P or the like as well as a transition metal such as Fe, Cu or the like, the fiber has favorable radiation resistance, besides there is no decrease in refractive index at the central portion of the core, when the fiber is fabricated in accordance with an inner CVD method. It is also possible to decrease a vapor deposition temperature in the inner, CVD method by causing trace amounts of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 to be present in the core. Further since the cladding of the optical fiber is constituted of high-purity SiO.sub.2 containing fluorine or a mixture of fluorine and B.sub.2 O.sub.3, the total thickness of the cladding and the inner jacket can be reduced in the case where high-purity SiO.sub.2 is utilized as the core so that the fabrication thereof can easily be effected. Since the optical fiber is constituted so as to satisfy the relationship n.sub.1 >n.sub.

Abstract: A fluid fuel mixture is formed of a suspension of a pulverized solid fuel and of at least one aqueous phase representing from 15 to 40 percent of the mixture before an optional incorporation of an additive. The mixture can comprise, as a supplement to particle-size fractions of the pulverized solid fuel, or as a replacement for some of these fractions, additional particle-size fractions produced from heavy petroleum residues of a natural or synthetic origin which are solid at the temperature at which the invention is practiced. The fluid fuel mixture may be used, for example, in boilers, industrial furnaces, or gasification reactors.

Abstract: A method for the desulfurization of sour natural gas containing sulfur contaminants wherein the natural gas is first heated to a temperature in the range of 250.degree. C. to 450.degree. C. and then contacted with a bed of sponge iron to remove at least a portion of the sulfur contaminants to form a sweet natural gas.

Abstract: The improvement of the preferred Pt-Sn on alumina bimetallic catalyst (and similar catalysts) for hydrotreatment of hydrocarbons, comprising the catalyst further containing silicon in combined form.