Abstract: A tap for a bottle of compressed or liquified gas has fitted therein a flow limiter in the form of a cartridge internally comprising a first, upstream chamber receiving the gas coming from the bottle, a second, downstream chamber opening into a supply line and a calibrated passage connecting the first and second chambers. A flow control assembly comprising a valve associated with a calibrated control element and an expansion chamber is preferably arranged to control the flow between the first and second chambers. The tap has particular utility in bottles for transfer of toxic and/or spontaneously inflammable gases, since it prevents major leaks from such bottles or from supply lines fed therefrom.

Abstract: An arc welding kit comprising a torch head, a combined source of electric current and of fluid for welding and a composite cable connectible between the fluid/current source and the torch head by means of coupling connectors.The upstream extremity of the composite cable has a coupling connector identical to that of the torch head whereas its downstream extremity has a coupling connector identical to that of the combined source. This enables two or more such cables to be connected in series to extend the range of the torch. Furthermore, an elbow comprising the same coupling connectors may be placed between the torch head and the composite cable, to turn the torch head through a desired angle.The invention is particularly applicable to plasma cutting torches ignited by short-circuiting.

Abstract: A band-type well obstructor for obstructing the well of the hub of a wheel rim, particularly for a pneumatic tire. The well obstructor has an inextensible band with integral circular protrustions mechanically extruded onto the band. The circular protrusions extend radially inwardly to abut against the base of the well to retain the band in position surrounding the well, and to resist crushing under the weight of the vehicle in the event of deflation of the tire. The well obstructor has a fastener assembly utilizing a screw with a groove adapted to receive a locking ring. The fastener assembly further has two transverse beams, one of which is adapted to fit over the end of the screw and abut against a locking washer placed between the transverse beam and the head of the screw. The locking ring is then snapped into place to hold this transverse beam in position. The second transverse beam is placed over the threaded end of the screw.

Abstract: Process of casting steel from a ladle into a tundish, in which the metal which is in the tundish is protected against oxidation and nitridation. The process comprises two consecutive steps: a first step which includes flushing the tundish before the start of the casting of the liquid metal during which a high flow of dry ice or liquid argon is introduced until the oxygen concentration in the vicinity of the zone corresponding to the base of the jet of liquid metal at the start of the casting is lower than about 0.5%; and a second step for the upkeep of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the base of the jet which begins when the liquid metal starts to flow in the tundish, during which dry ice or liquid argon is injected as an upkeep flow which is less than the flushing flow, so as to maintain an oxygen concentration lower than about 0.5% in the vicinity of the base of the jet.

Abstract: In a gas flow regulating valve, the needle (37) axially shifted by a rod (40) includes a recess (70) which is of variable depth and cooperates with an expanding sealing element (43). The valve is provided with a safety closure means comprising a valve member (33) which has a spring (35) and whose displacements are controlled by a free connection tube (30).

Abstract: An overhead projector having a stationary main body including a Fresnel plate, a projection unit, and a swingable member for supporting the projection unit and swingably secured to the main body. The overhead projector comprises one way clutch means through which the swingable member is secured to the main body and which is adapted to limit the swinging motion of the swingable member towards the main body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a slide damper system used for a vertical type of furnace for continuously heat-treating charged solid matters. This slide damper system comprises at least two slide damper means disposed vertically apart from each other in the furnace. The slide damper means is provided with means for preventing clogging with foreign matter and/or means for heat-resisting as well as means for preventing two or more slide damper means from opening simultaneously.

Abstract: Process in which there are injected a carrier gas and a hydrocarbon capable of producing, at conventional carburizing temperatures, an atmosphere of predetermined composition having a nominal concentration of carbon monoxide, a door of the furnace being opened with a given periodicity to permit the passage of a charge to be carburized, the opening of this door resulting in particular in an increase in the concentration of the oxidizing species in the atmosphere of the furnace. According to the invention, the concentration of carbon monoxide of the atmosphere injected into the furnace is increased with the same periodicity so as to compensate for the increase in the concentration of the oxidizing species of the furnace and thus maintain the carbon potential of the carburizing atmosphere of the furnace substantially constant throughout the duration of the carburization of the workpieces of the charge.

Abstract: Process for controlling the flow of a fluid through a valve having a given section and a movable valve member, in which the pressures of the fluid which are upstream P.sub.upstream and downstream P.sub.downstream of the valve and the position d of the valve member are measured, then the real flow Q.sub.real of the fluid is calculated and compared with a set value Q.sub.0, the difference signal Q.sub.real -Q.sub.0 commanding the displacement of the valve member in the desired direction, said process comprising effecting the real flow calculation by measuring the ratio R=P.sub.upstream /P.sub.downstream which is compared with a predetermined value R and calculating the product Q.sub.sonic =k.times.P.sub.upstream .times.d so that when R>R.sub.0, the product Q.sub.sonic is directly compared with a set value Q.sub.0, the difference signal Q.sub.sonic -Q.sub.0 commanding the displacement of the valve member in the desired direction whereas, when R<R.sub.

Abstract: A puzzle board comprises a board having a recess opening at the top side thereof, a plate mounted in the recess and having a plurality of playing piece bearing regions arranged in adjacent rows, playing pieces superimposed slideably on the regions except for one of the regions being left empty to allow the playing pieces to slide on the plate for rearrangement, each of the playing pieces having a groove with an outlet and an inlet. By rearranging the playing pieces, the outlet or inlet of one of the playing pieces can be communicated selectively with the other playing pieces, and a rolling piece received in one of the grooves for moving to a target piece through the intercommunicated grooves.

Abstract: An apparatus for gas wet-treatment which includes at least one perforated plate having a unique arrangement of round holes. The holes are provided with a cross-sectional area larger than about 1 cm.sup.2 and a length of between 2 and 10 cm. The central axes of least some of the round holes have portions which meet the perforated plate at an acute angle. Gas is directed upwardly through the plate, while liquid proceeds in a downward direction to provide countercurrent contacting of the gas and the liquid.

Abstract: Mechanical pulp is bleached by a treatment with hydrogen peroxide wherein prior to or simultaneously with said treatment the mechanical pulp is subject to an oxygen pressure.

Abstract: Retroreflective materials are made by coating glass particles with both hydrophobic polymers and coupling agents or with siloxane compounds which have both hydrophobic side chains and coupling-type side chains capable of chemically bonding to, or of forming loose associations with, a wide variety of materials.

Abstract: A two phase stepper motor having a rotor shaft with a multi-pole rotor and a stator assembly in magnetic flux relationship with the rotor. The stator assembly includes a plurality of sequentially stacked laminations which are each provided with eight stator poles with each immediately successive stator pole having an opposite phase and each being at a 45.degree. index spacing from the immediately adjacent lamination. The stepper motor also contains a multi-phase winding for energizing the stator poles to operate the rotor in successive discrete steps. The stepper motor housing includes first and second end pieces having a pair of triangular cross-section members forming notches therebetween on a first pair of oppositely disposed corners which receive and retain an abutment post on a second pair of oppositely disposed corners from the opposite end piece thereby interlocking the first and second end pieces relative to one another.

Abstract: The invention concerns the surface cooling of food products.Nozzles project particles of carbon dioxide snow in the direction of a conveyor. The nozzles have sufficiently fine sections (0.2 sq mm / 1.13 sq mm) to create fine particles having sizes of less than 300 microns.

Abstract: An apparatus for spheridizing irregularly shaped minute particles, and the spheres produced thereby, in which a thin carbonaceous coating is applied to the particles in a unique manner, and in a preferred embodiment the particles are then advanced through successive fluidizing beds. The first bed has an inert atmosphere and is maintained at an elevated temperature sufficiently high to allow surface tension to shape the particles into spherical form while in a fluidized condition in the first bed. The spherical particles are then advanced through successive additional beds where they are cooled to an intermediate temperature sufficient to solidify the particles, are subjected to an oxidizing atmosphere which completely removes the coating, and are then further cooled while being maintained in a fluidized condition. The inert gaseous atmosphere within the first bed is continuously withdrawn and recycled through the system.

Abstract: The process comprises creating a screen of non-reactive or inert gas at least at one of the two ends of the heat treating zone or cooling zone of a furnace, the screen being substantially homogeneous and laminar throughout its height. The use of this process permits, on the one hand, a reduction in the flows of gas necessary for the heat treating and, on the other hand, the division of the heat treating furnace into precise zones. The invention is particularly applicable to heat treating furnaces.

Abstract: A worshipping system comprises a worshipping room having an altar, an area for storing a number of cinerary urns, visible means provided in said worshipping room for visually suggesting the movement of the spirits from the cinerary urns to the altar, and control means for actuating said visible means. When necessary codes such as the number of the family or the deceased concerned are inputted into the input unit of the control means, the visible means simulates the transfer of the spirit of the deceased from the cinerary urn to the worshipped object. This causes the worshippers of their ancestors to feel that the spirit in the cinerary urn has been united to the worshipped object through the visible means.

Abstract: A retractable, roller-mounted fabric awning enclosed in a box-type assembly, which together with a releasable front bar, to which a front end of the awning is attached, thus forming a fully-enclosed housing for the awning, is provided for mounting on recreational vehicles and the like. A security lock mechanism to secure the front bar which contains a pair of pivotally mounted articulated folding support arms and a pair of pivotally mounted telescoping support legs, when the awning is in a retracted position, is provided to prevent the inadvertent detachment of the front bar from its releasably interlocking relationship with the awning box assembly while the awning is in a retracted position, and particularly when the vehicle to which the awning box assembly is mounted is being driven.