Abstract: A cardiac synchronized ventilator includes a balloon, a balloon pump arranged to inflate and deflate the balloon in synchrony with cardiac function, and a conversion unit. The conversion unit includes a chamber which is fillable with a ventilation medium and which contains the balloon and one or more conduction lines arranged to carry ventilation medium from the chamber to the patient's lungs and from the patient's lungs. Inflation of the balloon is synchronized to occur during systole and pressurizes the conduction line to deliver ventilation medium to the patient's lungs. Deflation of the balloon is synchronized to occur during diastole and negatively pressurizes the conduction line to remove ventilation medium from the patient's lungs. The pump is an intraaortic balloon pump. A conduit attached to a source of ventilation medium is in fluid communication with the conduction line. The ventilation medium may be a liquid or gas.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a bearing is described, the method comprising the steps of preparing a flat blank having a steel backing layer and a bearing alloy lining, the blank having an area corresponding to the projected surface area of the bearing, the flat blank also having required bearing features such as oil holes, grooves, and end-face chamfers and forming the flat blank directly into an associated bearing housing. The thickness of the flat blank should lie in the range from 0.25 to 0.75 mm. The blank may correspond in major dimension to a half bearing or to a full cylindrical bush.

Abstract: A method of forming a flanged bearing from a strip having a steel backing and a lining of bearing metal. Firstly, an aperture is formed in the backing, then a collar is punched out of the strip material surrounding the aperture. Finally, the collar is blanked out of the strip leaving a flange.

Abstract: Method of reducing metal oxide on the surface of a bath of molten metal, wherein the geometry and the heat source in the bath are arranged so as to create a temperature difference on the surface of the bath comprising a first hotter region A and a second cooler region B, with a temperature difference between regions A and B of about 500.degree.-700.degree. C. which comprises supplying metal oxide to the hotter region A, circulating the molten metal bath by means of convection currents so that the surface of the bath moves continuously from region A to region B, thereby carrying the metal oxide continuously on the surface of the bath from region A to region B, contacting the surface of the bath with a reducing atmosphere, thereby reducing the continuously moving metal oxide to metal, and removing metal at the region B by means of a lip present in the bath.