Abstract: A solar heat collector made up of several metal plates, each bent to provide a first planar portion and a second planar portion at substantially 90.degree., with a flanged hole through each first portion. One or more metal tubes passes through the holes of the plates to position the plates with their second portions forming a substantially continuous sheet. Spacers maintain the plate spacing so that the plate second portions do not overlap. The tubes and flanges are sized so that the tubes are squeezed as they pass through the plate holes, assuring good thermal contact between the tubes and the plates.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a process for the microbiological modification of hardwood in that a microorganism, or an enzymatically active preparation thereof, specially selected for the hardwood in question, is supplied to the surface of the wood for attack thereof under carefully regulated conditions as regards temperature, relative moisture content, O.sub.2 content and CO.sub.2 content. Thereafter, the process is discontinued in a suitable manner, for example by treatment with steam or hot water, followed by drying; or by drying only.

Abstract: A tumbling apparatus for use in drum blast machines has a first endless belt defining a pocket for receiving workpieces to be tumbled and blast cleaned by abrasive projected at high speed against the workpieces. As the workpieces are tumbled by the belt, they fall onto a portion of the pocket called the cascade zone. A second endless belt is provided underneath the cascade zone of the pocket to give support to the first belt while preventing any anvil pinching of the first belt.

Abstract: A flight director type of aircraft control or guidance display and mechanism for pilot reference which provides a composite integrated display of roll, pitch and heading with a sensing relationship approximating what the pilot sees through the windshield in the real world environment. The visual cue relationship is retained when the display is viewed during flight in obscure visibility with resulting elimination of vertigo and disorientation. The display is remote from its sensors of aircraft control and guidance and may be positioned in a head erect location in the instrument panel. The electro-mechanical display of roll, pitch and heading embodies a roll symbol which is positioned in front of a rotating dial displaying heading that enables control coordination during turns. An associated horizon bar remains parallel to the display base while rising and falling past the roll symbol to indicate a glide or climb respectively.

Abstract: An aerosol can having a super-fine atomization valve, a process for its manufacture, and a process for introducing a filling which contains a propellant into the can. The can imparts a suitable fine division of droplets to the propellant medium which is to be sprayed. The can is suitable for the spraying of homogeneous mediums which do not contain chlorofluorinated hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon propellant gases.

Abstract: Dimensional stability of an electron discharge heating device having electrodes for focussing the discharge current is improved by providing one or more heat pipes for transferring heat from an electrode to cooling fins outside the vacuum chamber. In one embodiment, a second electrode is water-cooled. The improved cooling not only permits of use of a structure which takes a short time to reach thermally stable conditions due to the small heat capacity of the solid material but also permits of different parts of the gun assembly being operated at different temperatures.

Abstract: A fused short circuit and grounding switch for interconnection in a main circuit, the switch having a switch member operable in one position thereof as a part of the main circuit and operable in another position out of and breaking the normal continuity of the main circuit therethrough and to provide a solid bolted fault, and including an alternate circuit interconnected to and operable to be in parallel with the main circuit, the alternate circuit being fused, the switch being operable to short circuit the alternate circuit and clear the fusing thereof and to thereby interrupt the main circuit on operation of the switch member to the position thereof providing a solid bolted fault.

Abstract: A process for neutralizing a static electric charge on a surface consists essentially of contacting an atmosphere with at least one aqueous static charge composition by spraying an effective amount of the composition into the atmosphere, and then contacting the resulting treated atmosphere with a surface having static electric charge thereon to thereby neutralize at least a portion of the charge. The static charge composition is prepared from substantially deionized water to thereby increase the rate at which the static charge is neutralized.

Abstract: A method of separating the components of a non-Newtonian fluid. Movement of the fluid is effected, the non-linearity of the shear stress/shear rate property of at least one component of the fluid is utilized to separate the fluid components, and at least one of the separated components is passed to a point of use through a passage which does not vary as a result of the movement of the fluid.

Abstract: A process for producing a citric acid soluble potassium silicate fertilizer comprises a step for kneading a mixture consisting essentially of potassium carbonate, fly ash, pulverized coal, other necessary starting materials and a caustic potash solution as a binder and then granulating the kneaded mixture, a step for drying the granulated product to a nearly absolutely dry state, and a step for calcining the dried granular product, whereby a chemical reaction takes place between the potassium and the silicon present in fly ash to convert them into a citric acid soluble potassium silicate.

Abstract: In a belt sanding machine comprising an elongated member (4) fastened at one end to the frame (5,8) of said machine and carrying the rollers thereof, the invention relates to a stabilizing device for fixing and stabilizing the elongated member, particularly the outer portion thereof, without obstructing exchange of sanding belt (3). The stabilizing device is characterized by a support member (7) pivotably fastened to the frame of said machine the elongated member being pressed against this support member substantially in the direction of the main operative load by deformation of the elongated member and/or the frame such deformation being achieved by a cylinder (15) mounted on the elongated member.

Abstract: The incineration system consists of a sludge dryer, a cyclone separator unit, an incomplete combustion incinerator, a complete combustion incinerator with a heat exchanger, a heat exchanger and so forth and comprises gas circulation passage involving the units above in order to burn sewage sludge economically without any additional fuel except for starting up thereof, with stable heat balancing in spite of change in fed sludge rate and with reduced NOx in the exhaust gas from the incineration system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of the dyestuff Direct Yellow 11 directly in the form of stable concentrated solutions, in which caustic soda in aqueous solution is reacted, at a temperature from 40.degree. to 90.degree. C., with a solution containing 4-nitro-toluene-2-sulfonic acid, one or more alkanolamines, one or more alcohols containing an etheroxide function or a second alcohol function, then the caustic soda is neutralized by addition of sulfuric acid and the sodium sulfate thus formed is separated by filtration. The solutions obtained by the process according to the invention are particularly suitable for dyeing cellulosic materials and leather.

Abstract: A linear-moving type displacement detector has a movable electrode disposed between a pair of stationary electrodes such a manner that the electrodes are in parallel with one another, thus forming a pair of variable capacitors. The movable electrode is movable in a direction forming an angle with the stationary electrodes while being kept parallel with the stationary electrodes, so that one of the capacitances of the two capacitors is increased with the movement of the movable electrode, while the other is decreased, and vice versa. The capacitors are coupled to oscillators, the output frequencies of the oscillators are mixed in a mixer, to provide the difference frequency therebetween, or some analogous signal which is responsive to the difference frequency. The difference frequency or the analogous signal is utilized for displacement measurement.

Abstract: A golf club grip is formed of a bendable material and has a bore with a plurality of longitudinally extending portions which are angularly offset relative to each other. Due to this angulation, the insertion of a straight golf club shaft into the bore will straighten the bore and skew the axis of the hand-held outer surface of the grip toward the sweet spot on the face of the club.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for achieving interference-free fluid velocity distributions in the plane of the walls of a subsonic wind tunnel. Adjustable slats having longitudinal baffles therebetween make up the test section walls, excluding the ground plane, and extend upstream and downstream of the vehicle to be tested. Static pressure measurements along the centerline of each slat provide information that enables calculation of the slat contour required to achieve close matching of the streamlines within the tunnel to those occurring on the road.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new .alpha.-hydrazono .alpha.-phenyl acetonitriles, which can be used in particular as disperse dye-stuffs for the coloration of artificial or synthetic materials. They may be represented by the general formula: ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom or a nitro, trifluoromethyl, alkyl or alkoxy group, R.sub.2 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom or a cyano group, and the benzene nucleus A carries 1 to 3 identical or different substituents selected from halogen atoms and the trifluoromethyl, alkyl, alkoxy and --NR.sub.3 R.sub.4 groups, R.sub.3 representing a possibly substituted alkyl group and R.sub.4 representing a hydrogen atom or a possibly substituted alkyl group. These compounds provide colorations which are very fast to light on polyester fibers.

Abstract: An ice cream dispenser having a barrel for forming a bar of ice cream therewithin on insertion thereof into bulk ice cream, keeper means for receiving and positioning a stick within the barrel thereof for formation of a bar of ice cream thereabout and with such stick extendant outwardly from one of such ice cream bar, and a plunger for ejection of a bar of ice cream on a stick from the barrel.

Abstract: A longitudinally mounted drive train for an automotive vehicle usable with either a manual transmission or an automatic transmission. A housing encloses a clutch in the manual drive train or a torque converter in the automatic drive train. The housing is fastened, in the manual drive train, directly onto the housing of the manual transmission or, in the automatic drive train, by means of a bearing support housing to the housing of the automatic transmission. The housing can be formed of two parts. In both drive trains a shaft having a differential bevel pinion can be provided to couple the transmission to a differential to permit front wheel drive or four wheel drive. The use of common components for the manual drive train and for the automatic drive train results in greatly reduced production costs and lower parts inventory.

Abstract: Safety belt buckle comprising a locking part arranged in a buckle housing and a clasp which can be inserted and latched into the locking part and which can be unlocked by means of an operating mechanism, wherein there is a clasp comprising a plate-like blank with engagement recesses constructed in the vicinity of its lateral edges and with a circular guide surface in the front buckle end area and a locking part comprising two single-armed levers arranged in scissor-like manner about a common pivot point in the buckle housing and which are under the action of a locking or tension spring, said levers having at their free ends locking elements which engage in the engagement recesses of the clasp, said locking elements being in operative connection with an operating slide guided on the buckle housing and opening the levers in scissors-like manner for disengaging the clasp.