Abstract: The invention relates to an element of a vehicle which is part of a continuously moving train of similar vehicles, the element consisting, on the one hand, of two axles carrying wheels with solid tires and inner tubes and, on the other, of an on-board shunting device essentially consisting of a bistable rocking assembly operated by fixed ramps in relation to the track. The element of the vehicle also comprises pivoting bearings (6,6') which are part of the bistable rocking assembly (7) and are located in the vicinity of the axles (3,3'). The bistable rocking assembly (7) is operated and locked through an eccentric (13). Shunting wheels (8,8') are carried by the bistable rocking assembly (7) and cooperate with the external surfaces of the rails along which the element of the vehicle travels or with counter-rails arranged against the external surfaces.

Abstract: In a container capping machine a continuously moving horizontal conveyor is spaced below a vertically reciprocable rotary chuck for holding a screw cap in its lower end. Extending along one side of the conveyor is a continuously rotating horizontal positioning screw provided with a helical trough between the screw flights for receiving containers on the conveyor and controlling their forward movement through the machine. The portion of the trough beside the chuck has side walls extending partway around the screw for engaging opposite sides of a container in the trough, and these side walls are disposed in radial planes of the screw in order to stop temporarily the forward movement of a container when it reaches correct position for receiving a cap from the chuck. The container is held momentarily by gripping means while the cap is being applied to it.

Abstract: Apparatus for drawing side folded tube over objects piled on a base, the apparatus being provided with a welding and separating device and an opening device for opening and drawing over the tube fed in flatly pressed form. The opening device is in the form of four pairs of rotatably supported members each acting on a respective side fold of the tube.

Abstract: A pair of sliding window sashes have overlapping ends, each of which includes a vertical sash rail to which a vertical metal bar is joined between the rail and the other sash. Each bar has a pair of vertical slots in it separated by a vertical flange and facing the opposite end of the sash that carries the bar with the outer side wall of the outer slot forming a tongue extending into the outer slot in the other bar to interlock the two bars while the window is closed. The inner side wall of each groove extends outwardly beyond that groove toward the opposite end of the sash to form a vertical flange. A vertical sealing weather strip is connected to the side of each bar opposite its slots and engages the flange on the other bar to form a seal.

Abstract: On a support for attachment to a ski there is at least one ski-boot clamp that is movable from a boot-clamping to a boot-releasing position. A leaf spring has one end disposed in the clamp while means on the support hold the other end of the spring. The spring normally holds the clamp in clamping position but yields to a force sufficient to cause the spring to bend to permit the clamp to be moved out to boot-releasing position. The spring is curved transversely, with its concave side facing in the direction of the counter force that the spring exerts on the clamp while resisting movement of the clamp toward releasing position.

Abstract: An electric motor frame has a brush-receiving recess beside the commutator. The recess has top and bottom walls and an insulating brush housing is disposed in the recess where it is held in fixed position. Slidable lengthwise in the housing is a brush, between one side of which and the housing there is a stationary metal strip that extends substantially full length of the housing and has an outer end portion extending transversely of the brush. Compressed between this end portion of the strip and the brush is a coil spring that holds the brush against the commutator. An electrical conductor engages the strip, while a flexible wire electrically connects the strip with the brush. The brush housing is provided with at least one exterior rib extending lengthwise of it, and one of the walls of the frame recess has a groove in it that snugly receives the rib to accurately position the housing in the frame.

Abstract: This invention relates to the fritting of ceramic products, in particular ceramic products of small or of very small dimensions, for example those intended for use in the electronics industry.A process for fritting ceramic products wherein the products to be fritted which have been preheated to a given temperature are directly exposed to a hyperfrequential electro-magnetic field to raise the products to a temperature which causes fritting.

Abstract: Extending into the open end of a cylindrical container is the stem of an earplug inserter that has an enlarged portion outside of the container forming a shoulder spaced from the open end of the container. Enclosing the stem between it and the encircling side wall of the container is a thin sound-attenuating mat of fibers, the marginal portion of which extends out of the container and flares outwardly across the inserter shoulder. This mat forms an earplug that is removable with the inserter from the container to permit insertion of the earplug in an ear by means of the inserter, which is then withdrawn from the plug. The earplug is made by placing a flat fibrous mat against the open end of the container and then pushing it into the container by means of the inserter stem.

Abstract: A cable cutting member is adapted to be driven forward in a cable holder to cut a cable therein. For driving the cutting member, an explosive charge is detonated by a spring pressed firing pin slidably mounted in the holder behind the charge. A firing pin retractor slidably mounted in the cable holder behind the firing pin is detachably connected with the pin for retracting it a predetermined distance to compress the firing pin spring, the connection being such that when the pin has been retracted a given distance, it will be released automatically. A considerable distance behind the retractor there is a cylinder having a front end and a closed rear end and containing a piston spaced from both ends and mechanically connected with the firing pin retractor. The cylinder has an opening for water between its front end and the piston so that an increase in water pressure in the cylinder will move the piston rearwardly therein to pull the retractor far enough to release the firing pin.

Abstract: An extruded plastic housing of indefinite length contains an electrical conductor bar in a slot extending lengthwise of the housing. The bar is retained in the slot by a pair of ribs integral with the side walls of the slot and extending lengthwise thereof and projecting toward each other. The width of the bar is greater than the space between the ribs, but the housing is so formed that in assembling it and the bar the distance between the ribs can be increased temporarily by pressure of the bar against them to permit it to be moved rearwardly past the ribs, whereby the bar can be inserted from the front or outer side of the slot, thus permitting the use of a single conductor bar regardless of the number of housing units that may be disposed end to end to form the housing.

Abstract: A stationary main cylinder, spaced behind a billet-receiving container located behind an extrusion die, contains a ram projecting from the front end of the cylinder. Piercer cylinders are mounted on the opposite sides of the main cylinder and have open front ends from which piston rods extend forward and carry coupling cylinders. A piercer crosshead in front of the ram is rigidly connected to the coupling cylinders behind an extrusion crosshead connected to the ram by means extending past the piercer crosshead. Plungers disposed in the coupling cylinders are rigidly connected with the extrusion crosshead, from which a hollow stem extends forward. A mandrel holder carried by the piercer crosshead extends forward through an opening in the extrusion crosshead for supporting a mandrel in the stem. Means are provided for supplying hydraulic fluid to the cylinders in a predetermined sequence to move the crossheads in unison and also relative to each other during piercing and extruding of a billet.

Abstract: One of a pair of hinge leaves has an integral open outer loop extending along one edge and the other leaf has an integral inner loop extending along one edge and disposed inside the outer loop. The inner loop is mounted on a hinge pin extending through it and provided with longitudinally spaced exposed areas encircled and engaged by spacing members rigidly mounted in the outer loop to hold the pin in predetermined position in that loop. The opposed surfaces of the two loops are held apart by the pin and spacing members to prevent the loops from rubbing together when the hinge is opened and closed. By making the hinge pin hollow and extending a torsion rod through it, with one end of the rod attached to the inner loop and the opposite end connected to the outer loop, the rod will be twisted when the hinge is opened and will close the hinge when it is released.

Abstract: A control system maintains a predetermined volumetric ratio between fine-particle fuel and a gasification agent which are fed separately into a reactor wherein the fuel is gasified under pressure. The control system includes a first measuring means responsive to the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the fine-particle fuel in a fuel-feed line for producing a fuel-feed signal corresponding to the volumetric amount of fuel conducted by the line. A vehicle gas-feed signal is produced by a second measuring means in response to the volumetric amount of vehicle gas conducted by a line into the fuel-feed line for admixture with the fuel therein. Computing means is responsive to the fuel-feed signal and the vehicle gas-feed signal to produce a control signal according the expression:U.sub.1 . (U.sub.2 - U.sub.v)for all values of U.sub.2 greater than U.sub.v where U.sub.1 corresponds to the reciprocal of the fuel-feed signal, U.sub.2 corresponds to the vehicle gas-feed signal and U.sub.

Abstract: The high temperature gasification of solid fuel or mixtures of solid and liquid fuels is carried out by a method and apparatus wherein the gasified product from a high temperature gasification chamber having a slag bath therein is fed into a first dust collector. Gases, including vapors or aerosols, are fed from the dust collector into a waste heat boiler to reduce the temperature of the gases down to about 250.degree. C. The solids which essentially include flue coke are discharged from the dust collector into a separate heat exchanger wherein the temperature of the solids is reduced down to about 200.degree. C. The cooled solids and the cooled gases are fed into an absorption chamber wherein for a period of 1 to 10 seconds, the aerosols are absorbed into the flue coke. The absorption chamber is connected to a second dust collector that separates the gases from the flue coke having the absorbed aerosols.

Abstract: A simple, rapid anion-exchange column chromatographic technique is used to determine the presence of fractions of proteins and enzymes in human serum by separating the fractions on the basis of their net electrical charges. Samples of serum of unaltered ionic strength, layered on mini columns of an ion exchange agent previously equilibrated to a low ionic strength similar to blood serum with a buffer solution, are eluted stepwise with an appropriate buffer solution having different ionic strengths at each step. Elution of the samples is without previous dialysis or other ionization treatment. Column effluents are assayed for protein content or enzyme activity by conventional means, e.g., spectrophotometric analysis. Evaluation of sera from patients utilizing these methods reveals protein fractions or isoenzyme patterns which identify specific diseases associated with the protein or isoenzyme pattern.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the regeneration of washing oil which has been spent to recover naphthalene and/or benzol from coke oven gas. The spent washing oil is stripped by steam in a bubble column arranged as an integral part of a single main column that includes first, second and third exchange column sections disposed in a superimposed relation one above the other to receive the stripped vapors from the bubble column. The first exchange column section is fed with a mixture of toluene, xylene and naphthalene as a reflux, the second exchange column section is fed with water as the reflux and the third exchange column section is fed with benzol as the reflux. The head product from the column is condensed and passed through a first-phase separator to obtain a substantially anhydrous benzol fraction and a water fraction. These fractions are separately used as a reflux for the second and third exchange column sections.

Abstract: A burner for oil or gas is controlled by a thermocouple to maintain a predetermined minimum operating temperature within ignition chambers employed to incinerate partially-burned distillation products conducted from the space above a coal charge in a coke oven. Passageways in the side walls of the coke oven conduct the partially-burned distillation products from the space above the coal charge into sole heating flues located below the oven floor from where such distillation products are conducted into the ignition chambers. A stack is connected to the ignition chambers by a conduit which includes a recuperator used to reduce the temperature of the burned gases and provides a heated secondary air supply. This air supply is fed by separate pipes including control valves into one of the ignition chambers and into the passageways in the side walls of the coke oven. The stack includes a gas washer and a fan used to control the draw on the ignition chambers as well as the coke oven.

Abstract: Nozzles introduce jet streams of fine-grain fuel and a gasification medium downwardly toward the surface of a slag bath at the bottom of a cylindrical reactor shaft within a vessel to impinge upon the surface of liquid slag which is discharged through a centrally-arranged overflow in the bottom of the vessel. The nozzles are arranged at an angle within a range of 35.degree. to 40.degree. with respect to the horizontal and positioned so that the jet streams impinge upon the surface of the slag at points defined by a plurality of concentric circles with respect to the overflow to circulate and produce a resulting movement of the liquid slag toward the overflow while maintaining a high temperature and homogeneous slag bath. The nozzles are further positioned so that an angle of about 10.degree. is defined between each jet stream and a vertical tangential plane to the concentric circle at the point where the jet stream impinges.

Abstract: In an electric switch a slide containing a shorting contact is movable back and forth along a row of at least three fixed electric contacts. The shorting contact is formed from a spring metal strip having an elongated central body between a pair of end portions, the body having contact surface for sliding engagement with the fixed contacts and being long enough to bridge three of them simultaneously. The end portions of the shorting contact extend toward the back wall of the contact-receiving recess in the slide and toward each other to form inclined legs having free ends pressing against the slide to press the contact surface against the fixed contacts. The central body of the shorting contact is provided with at least one slot extending lengthwise of it and into its legs to separate the body into laterally spaced contact bands integrally connected at the free ends of the legs.

Abstract: The upper end of a railway car live brake lever between the axles of a car truck is pivotally connected to one end of a link that extends across the top of the adjacent axle and is pivotally connected to the lower end of a vertical fulcrum lever. The central portion of the fulcrum lever is provided with a circular opening, the wall of which is convex from side to side of the lever and forms an arc of a circle. A rigid supporting member for the fulcrum lever projects laterally from one side of the center sill of the car and has a hook at its outer end extending through the lever opening and curved away from the live lever. The hook forms an arc of a circle and has a circular cross section, the radius of the inside of the hook being substantially the same as the radius of the wall arc. The inside diameter of the lever opening is only slightly greater than the diameter of the hook in cross section, and the upper end of the fulcrum lever is formed for connection to a device for rocking that lever around the hook.