Abstract: Lanthanide components are recovered from a fluorine-containing material by a method which comprises mixing the material with silica and sulfuric acid, heating the mixture to induce a reaction and volatilize fluorine compounds, and dissolving lanthanides from the reacted mixture with an aqueous medium. The silica is an acid-insoluble form, such as sand or diatomaceous earth. Heating should be to temperatures at least about 150.degree. C. The method is particularly useful for recovering cerium from roasted, acid-leached bastnasite flotation concentrates.

Abstract: An automated shopping order entry system has particularly advantageous features for use in a supermarket having a delicatessen station. A processor subsystem, a customer subsystem, and an employee subsystem are provided. The customer subsystem can be located in the view of customers entering at a customer entrance that is typically remote from the delicatessen station. The customer can select delicatessen items and gets a printout of item selection and of estimated waiting time based on an accumulated variable workload that depends on items ordered by customers. Shopping efficiency is increased by making automated shopping available to the customer at an advantageous place and time in the shopping pattern, and by handling waiting time in an advantageous manner.

Abstract: 5. A pulse doppler proximity fuze comprising a self-pulsing oscillator for eveloping a series of radio frequency electromagnetic energy impulses, an antenna electrically connected to said oscillator for radiating said impulses into space and for intercepting reflected impulses thereby to effect a variation in the amplitude of said impulses, a pair of detectors electrically connected to the said oscillator circuit for developing an output signal in proportion to the energy of the said reflected signal during the peak amplitude of said impulse, a thyratron firing circuit said detectors having means for detecting spurious signals and target signals but utilizing only the target signals for firing the thyratron firing circuit; and an electroresponsive ignition device electrically coupled to the thyratron firing circuit, said device being ignitable upon actuation of the thyratron firing circuit by said target signal.