Abstract: An apparatus for producing elongated rolled products contains a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal having at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The apparatus further contains a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.

Abstract: A method for producing elongated rolled products uses a steelmaking station for producing liquid metal at a first production rate, a rolling mill having a second production rate, and a continuous casting station located between the steelmaking station and the rolling mill. The continuous casting station contains at least two casting lines, each line being operable to produce elongated intermediate products. A first casting line is directly aligned with the rolling mill to feed the rolling mill with casted products, and at least one second casting line not aligned with the rolling mill and not feeding the rolling mill. The method further uses a varying device for varying simultaneously the production rate of the first casting line and the production rate of the at least one second casting line depending on a difference between the steelmaking station production rate and the rolling mill production rate.

Abstract: A machine for winding a wire coming from a rolling mill into a coil, includes first means for locking a tail end of the wire and second means for containing, lifting and moving a formed coil to a binding station. The first means for locking the tail end of the wire and the second means for containing, lifting and moving the formed coil are built into a single operating unit.

Abstract: A system for channeling and unloading hot-rolled materials downstream of a unit for cutting to size and upstream of a cooling bed, includes feeding a rolled material at high speed inside at least one channeling unit and unloading the rolled material with the channeling unit onto the cooling bed. The channeling unit has a supporting structure with at least one travel channel which is open downwards and with which at least one electromagnet element is associated. Preferably, the at least one travel channel is shaped in the manner of an inverted U. Preferably, the system has at least one pair of adjacent and parallel travel channels.

Abstract: Requests of resources of uplink flows towards a base station (BS) and/or downlink flows towards end nodes are computed by each requesting node on an end-to-end basis. Each requesting node issues a cumulative request given by summing up the same request for each link separating the node from the BS plus each link separating the BS from the destination node, enabling the centralized node to perform connection based scheduling. The BS in response to all cumulative requests grants uplink and/or downlink resources for each link. The profile of grants is equal to the profile of requests when the amount of resources requested is below the maximum net throughput on MAC layer. When not below the maximum net through-put on MAC layer, the ideal profile of grants is normalized with respect to a ratio between the maximum net throughput on MAC layer and the amount of the overall requested resources.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus, magnetic resonance data are acquired (an examination subject) using a zoomed method, and reconstruction of the image of the examination subject is undertaken using a parallel imaging reconstruction method.

Abstract: The so-called M2M solutions for the remote management of a machine or a process by users of a telecommunication network are addressed using an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem platform by equipping both authorized users and a machine to be controlled with IMS clients supporting presence and messaging services as minimum requirements. The client of an authorized user sees the client of the machine as a buddy of its contact list, and interaction between the users and the machine takes place by publishing presence information by the apparatus and via instant messaging between the users and the apparatus.

Abstract: Requests of resources of uplink flows towards a base station (BS) and/or downlink flows towards end nodes are computed by each requesting node on an end-to-end basis. Each requesting node issues a cumulative request given by summing up the same request for each link separating the node from the BS plus each link separating the BS from the destination node, enabling the centralized node to perform connection based scheduling. The BS in response to all cumulative requests grants uplink and/or downlink resources for each link. The profile of grants is equal to the profile of requests when the amount of resources requested is below the maximum net throughput on MAC layer. When not below the maximum net through-put on MAC layer, the ideal profile of grants is normalized with respect to a ratio between the maximum net throughput on MAC layer and the amount of the overall requested resources.

Abstract: A method for minimizing the access delay in wireless communication systems, e.g. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) networks, which includes at least a base station system and at least a mobile terminal having a communication context with the GPRS network. The above mentioned mobile terminal is also adapted to open a communication with the radio access network of said base station system to initiate a Temporary Block Flow or TBF establishment each time has to transmit data packets to the network and the TBF is released when the transmission of the packet has been completed. The TBF establishment is requested by means of a Radio Link Control message or RLC called Packet Channel Request or PCR sent on one of the Control Channel of the GPRS radio access and in particular on the Packet Random Access Channel or PRACH. The GPRS data packets and messages are organized in frame with a predetermined number of TDMA slots and in multiframe.

Abstract: The anode cavity of a power magnetron is connected through a coupling slot to a reactively terminated waveguide structure containing one or more selectively magnetizable ferrite elements acting as adjustable differential phase shifters for two microwave components circulating in opposite directions through the structure or traversing a guide portion in the same direction but with opposite circular polarization. In the first instance the structure comprises two parallel rectangular-section waveguides with a common lateral wall having a proximal and a remote opening serving as directional couplers therebetween; in the second instance the structure is a circular-section waveguide with a main portion occupied by the ferrite element and transition portions separating that main portion from the coupling aperture and from the reactive termination.

Abstract: A carrier oscillation in the microwave range is stabilized by a sequence of timing pulses produced by a crystal-controlled reference oscillator whose cadence is an aliquot fraction of the nominal carrier frequency. The pulses are used to obtain two phase-representing amplitude samples of the carrier wave from a pair of mutually phase-shifted pilot oscillations of the same frequency in each of a succession of nonconsecutive cycles thereof; a control voltage derived from these amplitude samples is fed back to the microwave oscillator via a frequency-correcting or phase-locking loop.

Abstract: To test the performance of an analog/digital converter, used for translating bipolar message signals into 8-bit words, the analog input of the converter is connected across a voltmeter while its digital output works into a buffer register distributing the seven amplitude bits of an emitted code word to one set of stage inputs of a comparator having another set of stage inputs connected to a manually operable word simulator; the sign bit of the code word is entered in a separate store. A logic network with inputs connected to the sign-bit store, the comparator and the word simulator controls two reversible counters which, upon manual operation of the word simulator, emit selected numerical values translated by associated digital/analog converters into output signals fed to the analog/digital converter to be tested.

Abstract: Two variable-frequency microwave generators, i.e. a coaxial magnetron producing outgoing waves and a voltage-controlled oscillator emitting a heterodyning signal for incoming waves of a radar transceiver, are continuously tuned by a pilot signal modifying their operating frequencies with a predetermined constant separation. To maintain this correlation, the tuning circuit of at least one microwave generator responds to the pilot signal through the intermediary of a read-only memory which, on being directly or indirectly addressed by that signal, emits stored setting instructions for the respective generator.

Abstract: An interface unit inserted between a subscriber line of a telecommunication system and a generator of dial pulses, including a signal converter associated with a pushbutton selector and a memory for the temporary storage of selected digits, comprises a rectifier bridge in series with an impedance network which includes a shunt branch with two complementary transistors interconnected in a positive-feedback circuit and a low-threshold Zener diode in series with one of these transistors across which a reduced supply voltage for the pulse generator remains available when the shunt branch becomes conductive with saturation of the transistors upon a closure of the subscriber's hook switch. An enabling signal for the pulse generator is emitted from the shunt branch upon such conduction. An ancillary transistor, with an input connection across a small series resistor of the network, and a further Zener diode in parallel with the shunt path protect the components thereof against overcurrents and overvoltages.

Abstract: A prismatic frame designed to hold a multiplicity of flat articles such as printed-circuit boards has two generally rectangular end walls interconnected by two coplanar pairs of cross-members each having a narrow face with a row of perforations receiving locator pins of guide elements spanning each pair of cross-members, the guide elements being provided with longitudinal channels accommodating respective boards. The guide elements are held in position by retaining bars confronting the perforated faces of one cross-member of each pair, at least one of these bars forming a guidetrack for a locking rod which has teeth alignable with the boards in a blocking position and is shiftable into an unblocking position facilitating their withdrawal.

Abstract: A frequency discriminator designed to respond to a selected incoming tone frequency comprises a pulse generator connected via an adjustable frequency divider to a binary 8-stage counter which generates eight relatively staggered pulse trains whose cadence varies with the setting of the divider. This setting can be varied, e.g. in a programmed manner according to a pattern of tone frequencies to be recognized, while incoming signals are applied to an eight-path filter driven by the staggered pulse trains. When the cadence of the pulse trains matches an incoming tone frequency, the filter emits an output exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A receiving station of a data-transmission system decodes an incoming pulse train in the shape of a differentially biphase-coded carrier wave whose cycles represent rspective message bits; the wave undergoes a phase reversal at the beginning of every cycle in which the transmitted binary signal has the logical value "1" but does not change in phase when that value is "0". The received pulse train is differentiated to yield either one or two spikes during each cycle, one such spike invariably occurring in the middle of a cycle. Since only these periodically recurring spikes determine the instants at which the carrier wave must be sampled during decoding, a gate in the differentiator output is blocked during part of each cycle by a locally generated square wave which also controls the sampling.

Abstract: A telephone exchange communicates with a number of scattered local stations via radio links extending from a central terminal to respective peripheral installations each comprising a radio transceiver coupled via a repeater to the line loop of an associated local station. The repeater includes a constant-current generator, combined with a polarity inverter, which is controlled via a logic network in response to signals from the exchange and from the local station (detected by a sensor in the line loop) to reverse the flow of direct current for the transmission of binary pulses to the local station. In the case of a private subscriber, these pulses may be an intermittent square wave generating a ringing signal; in the case of a public pay station they may constitute commands for the collection of tokens or coins.

Abstract: A load, such as a logic network of the TTL type, is connected in parallel across a plurality of direct-current sources designed to maintain a substantially constant operating voltage. Each source includes a control unit which compares the load voltage with a reference level in order to stabilize the output voltage of an associated current generator at that level. If the generator current drops below a certain minimum value, however, a threshold sensor in the control unit raises the reference level up to an amount equaling about twice the maximum divergence possible between the reference levels of different control units, thereby ensuring that all sources contribute simultaneously to the load current.

Abstract: Data pertaining to the operation of a signal-processing system are written in zones of a central read/write memory which are either permanently or temporarily allocated to respective peripheral units to be monitored and which are each divided into a plurality of phases accommodating multibit words. An interface unit, designed to read out the contents of one or more phases of a memory zone allocated to a chosen peripheral unit and to transfer them to a kinescope or a printer for visualization, includes a buffer store connected to the memory and controlled by a command circuit which responds to several selectors receiving the output signals of an address counter identifying the several memory zones and phases. In the case of temporary allocation, each peripheral unit has a three-word code entered in predetermined phases of the allocated zone which can thus be identified by one of the selectors of the interface unit.