Abstract: A kraft black liquor recovery system utilizing three separate reactors for liquor pyrolysis, sulfate reduction and carbon plus organics combustion, respectively. Oxidized black liquor is pyrolyzed in a fluid bed reactor. The temperature in the fluid bed reactor is 600.degree. C. or lower. The resulting char, containing Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and a significant amount of carbon, is separated from the pyrolysis gases and introduced in an indirect heated reactor where reduction of Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 to Na.sub.2 S takes place in the solid state under an atmosphere generated by the reduction. The reduced char is cooled and leached to produce green liquor. The leached char and gases from the pyrolysis and reduction reactors are burned in a fluid bed combustion unit operating below the melting point of mixtures of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4. The fluid bed particles, consisting mainly of Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Na.sub.2 SO.sub.

Abstract: A method for making a shaped product comprising exploded bark. Preferably the shaped product comprises exploded softwood bark having at least 23% cellulose and at least 18% lignin and polyphenols content, based upon the dry weight basis of the bark. One of the methods to make the shaped product comprises exploding softwood bark to obtain exploded softwood bark having at least 23% cellulose and at least 18% lignin and polyphenols content, compressing that exploded bark into a shaped product, while removing in part water, and drying the shaped product to remove the remaining water.

Abstract: The improved distributor for gobs of molten glass is self-actuated by means of a brushless motor having continuous current with microprocessor logic. The distributor permits to modify electronically the schedule of delivery and carry out small corrections of the angles of delivery. The motor is connected to the scoops via a toothed belt and a rack and pinion device.

Abstract: An improved method preheating cullet and glass batch together for use as feedstock for a glass furnace. The method uses a preheater including a separator and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is a direct contact raining bed in which large particles in the feedstock are heated by hot gases as the particles flow down by gravity and fine particles become entrained with the hot gas flow. The separator removes the fine particles entrained in the hot gases and remixes preheated the fine particles with the preheated cullet. Preheater systems are described in which the hot gasses are provided by the glass furnace exhaust, by a separately fired heater, by a separately fired heater combined with the glass furnace exhaust and by a separately fired heater with exhaust gas recirculation.

Abstract: A discharging device is provided at the bottom of a glass melting furnace. The device includes an inductively heated outlet unit including a compression flange having an inlet opening and an outlet pipe extending from the compression flange to form therewith a unit having a T-shaped cross section. The outlet pipe is penetrated by an outlet channel communicating with the inlet opening. The outlet pipe projects downwardly out of an opening in the furnace. An outlet block is seated on the compression flange and has an outlet channel flush with the inlet opening of the compression flange. An annular supporting flange supports the outlet unit from the bottom against the compression flange, with the annular supporting flange being supported by a bottom carrier plate of the furnace and the outlet pipe of the outlet unit projecting through an opening in the annular supporting flange.

Abstract: A mold for use in producing a lens comprises a pair of first and second mold portions which are arranged in opposed relation to each other. At least one of the first and second mold portions is movable toward and away from the other. Molding surfaces of the respective first and second mold portions have their respective areas which are located radially outwardly of an effective aperture of the lens. A plurality of recesses are formed in the molding surface of at least one of the first and second mold portions and are located in the area of the molding surface of the at least one mold portion. These recesses separate the lens from the molds.

Abstract: An apparatus for chemical treatment of lignocellulosic materials comprises two concentric compartments, the inner one is used for chemical reaction whereas the outer is used for generation of hot water or steam. The top and the bottom of the outer compartment is closed and connected to the inner one. These two are interconnected by two steam conduits. The inner compartment is also connected to a circulation pump and a heat exchanger. The bottom of this inner compartment is equipped with a quick-release valve which may be used to execute explosive discharge of the treated lignocellulosic material. On top of said apparatus is a cover which allows experiments to be performed under pressurized conditions. For experimentation, lignocellulosic material in form of chips (large particles) may be treated either with heated chemical solution or steam. Materials in form of fibers (fine particles) may be treated by means of vapor or by heat conduction furnished by the outer compartment.

Abstract: A bottom outlet device is provided for a glass melting furnace, with heating of a glass melt being effected to within the temperature range of the electrical conductivity of the melt by way of electrodes disposed in the interior of the furnace and projecting into the melt. An inductively heatable and metallic outlet unit projects from the bottom of the furnace and includes an outlet opening and an interior outlet channel communicating with the outlet opening. An outlet block comprised of ceramic bricks is disposed above the outlet unit and includes a throughgoing channel which opens toward the interior of the furnace and which is flush with the interior outlet channel of the outlet unit. A bottom electrode comprised of metal is disposed at a lowermost portion of the interior of the furnace. The bottom electrode is penetrated by a further channel which is flush with the throughgoing channel in the outlet block and is thereby in communication with the outlet opening of the outlet unit.

Abstract: A method of treating a pulp suspension in a screening plant of a pulp mill wherein reject impurities are separated from defibered pulp by screening and/or cleaning, the cleaned pulp is thickened to a consistency of from about 10 to about 20%, the impurities are further treated in the screening plant by screening and defibering the accept fiber material for further screening and thickening and further reject impurities are removed from the screening plant after various screening stages, the method including effecting one or both of the pulp screening and cleaning stages in a closed, pressurized space in the screening plant and preventing the access of air to the pulp treated by effecting the thickening stages in a pressurized state and at the initial pressure of one or both of the preceding screening and cleaning stages.

Abstract: A doctor blade is made from an elongated strip of reinforced composite material which material forms fibrillated protrusions when cut. A plurality of cuts are made in the material which form recesses or tabs. The recesses are offset to increase the effective thickness of the strip so that it can be inserted longitudinally or transversely into a doctor blade holder. The fibrillated protrusions maintain the recesses in an offset position.

Abstract: In a flame hydrolysis method for depositing glass soot used ultimately to make optical fiber, a reactant that forms the glassy soot stream is delivered to the torch (20) in liquid form and an ultrasonic nozzle (34) in the torch atomizes the reactant or breaks the reactant into a fine mist without the use of a gas.

Abstract: A neck ring mechanism of an H-28 glass forming machine is operated by a neck ring lever which is pivotally supported and controlled by a cam roller which is displaced along a timing cam. To precisely define the timing of the lever, the lever is displaceable relative to a sleeve which is secured to the shaft and a control knob operating through an adjuster plate assembly adjusts the axial location of the lever.

Abstract: A method is provided for dispensing viscous materials which first requires the step of providing a dispensing device for holding a quantity of a viscous material to be dispensed through a tip thereof. Next, the dispensing device is coupled to a dispensing control so that a metered amount of viscous material will be dispensed in response to a dispensing control signal. Next, the dispensing device is moved along an axis to selectively position the tip a predetermined distance away from the surface of a workpiece positioned adjacent thereto in response to an applied height control signal. The height control signal is generated by processing output signals from a camera which is moved along the axis with the dispensing device to determine when an image of the workpiece surface is maximally in focus.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning within a window framework to protect abutment portions of a window pane relative to the framework during a painting procedure. The apparatus includes an upper and lower longitudinally aligned plate member arranged parallel to one another including a plurality of biasing cylinders orthogonally arranged between the plates to extend the plates exteriorly relative to one another for interfitting within the aforenoted window framework. A positioning plate is securable to side end portions of the plates to fixedly position the plates once mounted between the aforenoted window framework. A modification of the instant invention includes the plates formed of telescoping members to permit accommodation of window frameworks of varying widths.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating seeds includes a seed supply portion having a rotating drum with a small aperture for attracting a seed by vacuum created inside the drum and which is broken at a predetermined rotational position, and a gel-coating portion having a cylindrical cutting plunger disposed inside of a nozzle body for opening and closing a gel flow channel and forming a gel-coating layer. A curing vessel having a curing agent flow channel and a spray nozzle for washing the coated seeds are also provided.

Abstract: A method for foming glass articles of substantial thickness from unstable glass compositions which normally devitrify when formed by conventional casting or molding processes, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of quench-cooling the glass to form a crystal-free glass feedstock material, and then pressure-consolidating the feedstock at a temperature between the transition temperature and the crystallization temperature of the glass.

Abstract: A bonded fibrous sheet material for use in the manufacture of food casings having fibrous base web containing a 10% weight or less bonding system and the bonding system having a composition which includes polyvinyl alcohol (degree of hydrolysis of greater than 95%).

Abstract: In the manufacture of preforms for optical fibres, the materials of the core (.alpha.) and of the light-conducting cladding layer (.beta..sub.1) are previously deposited from the gaseous phase. Deposition time is here considerably reduced in that only the materials of the core (.alpha.) and a part of the light-conducting cladding layer (.beta..sub.1) are deposited from the gaseous phase and the remaining light-conducting cladding material (.beta..sub.2 +.beta..sub.3) is supplied as pre-formed tubes of cladding material.

Abstract: A plurality of injector elements are mounted on a frame and within a nozzle above a subjacent support for depositing a layer of pulverulent product on the support. In order to change the predetermined spacing of the injectors, they are selectively connected to a shuttle which is moved by a digitally controlled stepping motor to a predetermined position, after which they are separated from the shuttle. A solenoid mounted on each of the injectors can be activated to frictionally hold the injector at its predetermined position.

Abstract: A glass deposition viscoelastic flow process for forming planar and semi-planar insulator structures on semiconductor devices, which comprises feeding vaporized reactants into a reaction chamber at a reaction temperature between 750.degree.-950.degree. C. and subjecting the surface of the semiconductor devices to a high reactant velocity. The high reactant velocity allows the formation of a high quality, uniform glass layer at temperatures compatible with the fusion temperature, so that deposition occurs simultaneously with the viscoelastic flow of the glass. The simultaneous deposition and flow provides for topographical planarization substantially free of voids and other layer inconsistencies.