Abstract: A fuel pumping apparatus for supplying fuel to an injection nozzle of an internal combustion engine comprises a pumping plunger housed in a bore and a piston connected to the plunger. Valve means constituted by a pair of sleeves is provided to control the application of fuel under pressure to the one or other side of the piston. The sleeve is movable and is connected to the output member of an electrically controlled actuating means. A spring is interposed between the piston and the output member so that during the return movement of the piston and plunger following delivery of fuel an increasing force will be applied by the spring to the output member to move the output member and sleeve in a direction to cut off the application of pressure to the piston. The final position of the piston and plunger will therefore depend on the force exerted by the actuating means which is a function of the magnitude of the electric current flowing therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for desorption of gas from a liquid comprises a chamber and a pump for circulating liquid from the chamber through an external system and returning this liquid to the chamber. A part of the liquid delivered by the pump is used to power an aspirator in the chamber, the aspirator recirculating liquid within the chamber, resulting in desorption of gas which collects within the chamber for removal by known means. The rate of recirculation through the aspirator, and hence the rate of gas desorption, is thus not limited to the rate of flow through the external apparatus.

Abstract: A gear pump has a pair of externally meshed gears, and an inlet port and an outlet port on respective sides of the zone of mesh of the gears. The teeth of the gears have their non-working flanks relieved so as to increase an inter-tooth volume lying between two adjacent contact areas of the gears, this inter-tooth volume first decreasing and then increasing as the gears rotate. The relief of the non-working flanks is such that each successive inter-tooth volume communicates with the inlet port before that volume increases from its minimum value.