Abstract: A method for the automatic operation of a centrifugal drier comprising a rotary cylindrical screening basket and which is operated cyclically in successive cycles whose rhythm is a function of the flow of the product to be dried and each of which includes the stages of charging the basket with the product containing a particulate solid material, accelerating the rotary basket for centrifugally separating liquid from the solid mataerial to obtain the solid material in predried form, washing the predried solid material with a washing liquid, maintaining the basket at a constant rotary speed until the solid material has been completely dried, decelerating the rotary basket and discharging the dried solid material from the basket at a low rotary speed, which comprises, at the end of each cycle, the steps of fixing the duration of the stage of completely drying the solid material as a function of the time available for the following cycle to reduce the time interval between two successive cycles to a minimum, and

Abstract: There is provided a method of metering monocalcium saccharate into a sugared juice. The process includes taking a sample of the juice to be analyzed, diluting the sample with alcohol in order to form a precipitate, separating the precipitate by filtration, dissolving the precipitate in deionized water, acidifying the solution obtained by the addition of phosphoric acid and metering the saccharose into the said solution. The method is usable, in particular, in sugar refining in the production of sugared juices by the alkaline diffusion process.

Abstract: An apparatus for milling particulate mineral material comprises two cylinders rotatable in opposite directions about parallel axes defining a plane while being yieldingly pressed towards each other, the cylinders defining therebetween a milling compression space having an inlet for the particulate material above the plane and an outlet for the milled material below the plane. To reduce the formation of agglomerates and prevent circumferential and/or lateral flushing of the material, the outlet space is closed by respective lateral flanges at the opposite cylinder end faces and a barrier including a scraping bar extending across the outlet space below the plane into contact with the flanges and having one edge in contact with the peripheral surface of one of the cylinders while an opposite edge defines a milled material output of reduced cross sectional area with the peripheral surface of the other cylinder.

Abstract: A high-intensity magnetic separator for separating paramagnetic particles from non-magnetic particles comprises a rotor including a shaft and a stack of alternating ring-shaped pole pieces and permanent magnets arranged on the shaft, the pole pieces and the permanent magnets having substantially equal diameters. To increase the service life of the rotor without noticeably reducing its performance, the permanent magnet is peripherally covered by a layer of ceramic material having a thickness of less than 50 .mu.m.

Abstract: A method for the automatic operation of a centrifugal drier comprising a rotary screening basket having a cylindrical wall and which is operated cyclically in successive cycles, each cycle comprising the steps of rotating the basket to generate a centrifugal force, charging a product to be dried into the rotating basket through an open valve, the centrifugal force causing the product to form a layer of increasing thickness along the cylindrical wall, closing the valve to discontinue charging the product when the layer thickness has attained a first control value lower than that of the layer thickness corresponding to an imposed value of the charge in the basket, then measuring the maximum thickness of the layer, comparing said measured maximum layer thickness with a second control value corresponding to said imposed value of the charge in the basket, and generating a new value for the first control value as a function of the difference between the measured maximum layer thickness and the second control value.

Abstract: To enable the operation of a cement manufacturing installation to be controlled by taking into account changes in essential operating parameters as soon as they appear, the quantity of the total theoretical heat (QT) required to convert the raw material to clinker is calculated by applying correcting coefficients to the quantity of a predetermined total nominal heat (QTO) corresponding to nominal values imposed by parameters (K1, K2, . . . Kn) characteristic of the raw material, of the fuel, of the clinker and of the operation of the installation, the correcting coefficients taking into account differences between the nominal values and measured values of said parameters. The quantity of the theoretical heat (QF) to be supplied to the kiln is calculated by deducting the quantity of heat (QP) supplied to the precalcination chamber from the quantity of total theoretical heat (QT).

Abstract: An apparatus for the combustion of a poorly combustible fuel in a fluidized bed comprises a vertical front wall through which the poorly combustible fuel is delivered in particulate form and two lateral walls extending rearwardly from the front wall. A fixed grate extends from a front input end towards a rear discharge end between the lateral walls, and the two sides and the front input end of the grate define spaces with the lateral walls and the front wall, respectively. The fixed grate is upwardly inclined over at least a portion of its length from the input end to the discharge end whereby the discharge end is disposed above the input end, and the particulate fuel is delivered to the input end for forming a fluidized bed on the grate.

Abstract: A mechanism for transforming a reciprocating rectilinear motion into an intermittent rotary motion comprises a first element having a longitudinal axis and being reciprocable in a direction parallel to said axis, and a second element coaxially surrounding the first element and being rotatable about the axis. The first element carries a set of two cams circumferentially and axially spaced from each other, each cam having, in plan view, the shape of a rectangular part having two opposite sides extending parallel to the axis and a triangular part having a base adjoining the rectangular part, the triangular part projecting from the rectangular part in the direction of the axis, and the triangular parts of the cams pointing in opposite directions.

Abstract: To optimize the operation of an installation for the manufacture of clinker, which installation comprises a rotary tubular kiln having an open discharge end for the clinker produced in the kiln, a cooler for the clinker connected to the discharge end, a hood covering the open discharge end and the cooler, hot clinker falling from the open discharge end into the cooler in a downward direction and cooling air passing in the cooler through the hot clinker and heated by the hot clinker, and a burner mounted in the hood and extending into the open discharge end of the rotary tubular kiln, the calorific energy radiated by the falling hot clinker is measured across the atmosphere of the hood to establish a control value, the measured control value is compared with a predetermined reference value for the radiated calorific energy, and at least one operating parameter of the installation is controlled in response to the difference between the control and reference values.

Abstract: To reduce the cost of the mold, the mold of a continuous casting machine has no frame and the machine comprises an oscillating table constituted by a rectangular frame having large sides and small sides defining an opening, a mold carried by the oscillating table in this opening and comprised of two opposing large plates and two opposing small plates held tightly between the large plates. Supports for the small plates are integral with devices for adjusting the position of the small plates and jacks are provided for exerting a pressing force upon the large plates for pressing them tightly against the small plates. The large plates, the position adjusting devices and the jacks for exerting the pressing force are mounted on the oscillating table.

Abstract: The invention concerns devices serving to load ammunition in a cannon consisting of a tube comprising a housing and a rotor in which are arranged several recesses distributed uniformly about its axis and each intended to receive a shell, a door which when closed prevents a shell from exiting the tube, a rammer driven by springs cocked by the recoil of the breech and a lock serving to maintain the springs in the cocked position. To enable the automatic sequence of all the shell loading operations at a single command, the device of the invention comprises motors (16, 18, 20) serving to rotate the tube (10) step by step, to open the door of the tube and to lock it in the closed position, and to release the bolt of the rammer (12), means for controlling these motors in a given sequence at a loading order given by the operator and means for detecting a shell exiting the tube and for detecting the closing of the door.

Abstract: Pulverized mineral material is calcined by suspending it in a current of gas constituted by a combustive gas and a fuel whose combustion furnishes the necessary calories for the calcination. To enable solid fuels rich in ash, substantially inert and difficult to condition to be used, the fuel is gasified in a fluidized bed hearth by blowing air from below through the bed whereby a gaseous fuel is disengaged from the bed and flows upwardly with the very finest particles of the solid fuel suspended therein. This is mixed with air and the mineral material to calcine the same.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for controlling the oscillations of a continuous pour ingot mold which comprises at least one eccentric having a sleeve with an eccentric boring mounted to rotate on an off-center portion of a shaft. In order to eliminate the drawbacks resulting from the existence of a play between the sleeve and the shaft, the sleeve is so clamped on an off-centered shaft portion as to cancel the clamping constraints to allow the rotation of the sleeve on the shaft when the eccentricity is to be adjusted.

Abstract: An automated apparatus for manipulating a protective tube for a jet of a molten metal discharged from a tap hole of a casting ladle for selective movement of the protective tube under the tap hole and retraction therefrom, uses a first carriage displaceable along a horizontal track, a vertical shaft connected to the first carriage for displacement therewith and rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and a second carriage vertically displaceable along the shaft. A carrier arm for the tube is supported on the second carriage and a support case connects the carrier arm to the second carriage to allow horizontal movements of the carrier arm with respect to the second carriage. The carrier arm can be locked in a predetermined position with respect to the second carriage and is capable of gripping the tube.

Abstract: A method of changing the width of a continuous metal casting of rectangular cross section without interrupting the casting, wherein a length of the continuous casting is cast through a mold defining a cavity of rectangular cross section having a longitudinal axis, the mold having two small side walls determining therebetween the width of the continuous casting, at least one of the side walls being displaceable with respect to the longitudinal axis to change the width, which comprises the improvement of so controlling the displacement of the one side wall in response to the length of the continuous casting cast since the beginning of the width changing operation that a transition zone of changing width of the continuous casting has a predetermined length regardless of any change in the casting speed of the continuous casting during said operation.

Abstract: Pulverized mineral material is calcined by suspending it in a current of gas constituted by a combustive gas and a fuel whose combustion furnishes the necessary calories for the calcination. To enable solid fuels rich in ash, substantially inert and difficult to condition to be used, the fuel is gasified in a fluidized bed hearth by blowing air from below through the bed whereby a gaseous fuel is disengaged from the bed and flows upwardly with the very finest particles of the solid fuel suspended therein. This is mixed with air and the mineral material to calcine the same.

Abstract: There is provided an automatic shirt cuff manufacturing unit comprising an overcast stitching machine, a buttonhole forming machine and a button sewing machine. The unit includes means for conveying the cuff to the overcast stitching machine, means for removing the cuff from the overcast stitching machine, means for positioning at least one of the ends of the cuff with respect to one of the working heads of the buttonhole forming and button sewing machines, the working heads of said machines being arranged opposite one another, means for orienting the cuff so that it assumes the proper orientation, or an orientation at 180.degree. from it, under the working heads, means for bringing the cuff under said heads while maintaining it in correct position, and means for removing the cuff from the machines.

Abstract: A process for the calcination of a solid pulverulent material comprises the steps of gasifying a solid fuel in a fluidized bed to produce an ascending current of gaseous fuel, and injecting the material in an oxidizing carrier gas into the ascending gaseous fuel current above the fluidized bed of solid fuel to disperse the pulverulent material in the gaseous fuel current, the flow velocity of the gases in the zone of injection of the material into the current being sufficient to entrain the material in the gases and to prevent them from falling into the fluidized bed.

Abstract: The manufacture of a cylinder, particularly for use in sugar mills, which has an exterior surface defining circular grooves of a cross section having the shape of a triangle, each triangle having an apex at a bottom of the groove in a respective transverse plane extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the cylinder, and the bottom of each groove being in communication with longitudinal channels extending substantially parallel to the axis in the cylinder, is simplified by inserting plugs into radial channels in the cylinder in a plurality of the transverse planes before making the circular grooves which are cut into the plugs into the inner ends of which are formed circular slots of sufficient length to connect the grooves to the longitudinal channels.

Abstract: An installation for gasifying coal in a fluidized bed under high pressure has a vessel resistant to the high pressure and a reactor disposed in the interior of the vessel and having a principal chamber constituting a gasification chamber which permits the establishment of a principal fluidized bed of substantial depth and an auxiliary fluidized bed of a smaller depth. An inclined traveling grate forms the bottom of the gasification chamber and has a lower grate portion supporting the principal fluidized bed and an upper grate portion supporting the auxiliary bed situated in a space between the vessel walls and the gasification chamber. The principal and auxiliary fluidized beds are maintained in hydrostatic equilibrium.