Abstract: A process for producing a shaped article from a bonded, non-woven, fibrous batt of fibers comprising a number of steps. There is first provided (A) a dry, solid, heat-responsive fiber-binder; and (B) a moisture-responsive fiber-binder which is a dry, solid, particulate, raw, ungelled starch which swells and becomes sticky upon contact with moisture. The heat-responsive fiber-binder is contacted with the fibers to form a raw batt with the heat-responsive fiber-binder loosely adhering to the fibers of the batt. The moisture-responsive fiber-binder is contacted with the fibers to form a raw batt with the moisture-responsive fiber-binder loosely adhering to the fibers of the batt.

Abstract: A thermally insulating jacket under reversible vacuum, having an inner wall, an outer wall and an hollow space between these walls. The hollow space is in fluid communication with an outer housing containing a reversible non-evaporable hydrogen getter loaded with hydrogen. The reversible hydrogen getter has a certain hydrogen equilibrium pressure. The hollow space contains a non-evaporable promoter getter having a certain hydrogen equilibrium pressure. These jackets can be employed with heat accumulators, batteries, cryogenic vessels, cryogenic pipes, catalytic silencers and solar panels.

Abstract: A fishing system for carrying a fishing line away from the wake of a vessel employing an improved float. The float has mating female and male halves in the form of a tube. Each half has an integral eccentric weight and a passage to receive a fishing line. The ends are tilted. The integral eccentric weight is carried by the inside of the tube. The passage passes from the tilted surface of the female half through to the tilted surface of the male half. The float is wholly of thermoplastic resin. The open end of the male half mates in a water-tight manner with the open end of the female half with the integral eccentric weight of the female half juxtaposed from the integral eccentric weight of the male half. Rotational displacement of the integral eccentric weight from the downwardmost position causes the weight to exert a righting moment on the float. The float can be manufactured by injection molding techniques.

Abstract: A device for the removal of hydrogen from a vacuum enclosure at cryogenic temperatures, especially high energy particle accelerators which comprises a metal support preferably in the form of a strip of aluminium and a composition able to sorb hydrogen adherent to the support in particular on at least one surface of the strip. The composition comprises a porous absorber of H.sub.2 O, preferably powdered aluminium oxide and in contact with palladium oxide which preferably covers, at least partially, the water absorber.

Abstract: A process for making these magazines includes the steps of providing mold halves forming a cavity with an insert-receiving core, and a number of inserts each having a projection-producing depression a distance from the top of the magazine equal to that occupied by the given number of cartridges. After selecting an insert it is secured to the core; the mold halves are mated; and a melted hot plastic composition is injected into the cavity to form a hot casting of the shell of the magazine. The mold is opened, the hot casting removed and cooled to form a shell which is then assembled.

Abstract: An apparatus for accurately measuring the water content of a moist gas containing less than 50 parts per million (ppm) of water comprises an isothermal heat-sink (14), a radiator (20), a Peltier heater-cooler (24) thermally arranged between the isothermal heat-sink (14) and the radiator (20). The heater-cooler (24) is transferring heat from the isothermal heat-sink (14) to the radiator (20) and vice versa. A phosphoric acid moisture cell (32) is in thermal contact with the isothermal heat-sink (14). Upon passing the moist gas through the cell (32) the amount of moisture in the moist gas is measured as variation of electrical current throughout the cell.

Abstract: A magazine for holding and for reliably and rapidly feeding cartridges to the chamber of a bolt-equipped firearm. Each cartridge to be fed has a rim and a shoulder. The magazine has lips, guides, and a follower. The lips are cartridge-retaining lips, which are uniformly forwardly outwardly angled substantially the entire length of the cartridge from the rim to the neck. The guides guide two parallel rows of cartridges toward the lips. The follower and a spring upwardly bias the two rows of cartridges such that the uppermost cartridge in one row contacts the lip above that row and the uppermost cartridge in the other row contacts the lip above the other row. The walls of the magazine have outwardly flared parallel skirt guides. These skirt guides retain a skirt which has certain features preventing its accidental removal.

Abstract: An improved high-capacity getter pump, suitable for creating and maintaining the vacuum, comprising a plurality of porous sintered blades made from a non-evaporable getter material and having a first main surface; a second main surface, parallel to said first surface and spaced therefrom by a thickness of 0.5-5.0 mm; wherein said blades are arranged in a housing and are separated from each other by a gas conductance, with the adjacent surfaces of adjacent blades being spaced from each other by a distance of 0.5-10 mm.

Abstract: An improved high-capacity getter pump, comprising a plurality of porous sintered piled-up annuli made from a non-evaporable getter material and having: i) a first planar surface having a central hole; ii) a second planar surface, having a broader central hole, parallel to said first surface and spaced therefrom by a distance "d" of 1-10.5 mm; iii) a third intermediate planar surface, interposed between said first and second surfaces, spaced from said first surface by a thickness "t" of 0.5-5.0 mm and having a hole coincident with the hole of said first surface; wherein the first surface of a subsequent annulus is in contact with the second surface of a preceding annulus and wherein the first surface of a subsequent annulus is spaced from the third surface of a preceding annulus by a gas conductance having a height "c" of 0.5-10 mm.

Abstract: The process of the present invention provides for the sorption of unwanted gas in a vessel by means of a non-evaporated barium getter. It comprises the steps of reducing an alloy of Ba.sub.1-x A.sub.x Li.sub.4-y B.sub.y to a particle size of less than 5 mm, under vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere and then placing the reduced alloy in the vessel. Upon exposing the reduced alloy to the residual gas in the vessel at a temperature of less than 150.degree. C., the gas is sorbed. The metal A is a metal chosen from the group consisting of elements of Group IIa of the periodic table of elements, excluding barium. The metal B is chosen from the group consisting of elements of Group IIIa of the periodic table of elements. Preferably 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.5 and 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.3.5.

Abstract: The process of the present invention provides for the sorption of residual gas in a vessel by means of a non-activated, non-evaporated barium getter. It comprises the steps of reducing an alloy of Ba.sub.z +(Ba.sub.1-x A.sub.x).sub.n B.sub.m to a particle size of less than 5 mm, under vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere and then placing the particulate alloy in the vessel. Upon exposing the particulate alloy to the residual gas in the vessel at room temperature the gas is sorbed. The metal A is a metal selected from the group consisting of elements of Group IIa of the periodic table of elements, excluding barium. The metal B is selected from the group consisting of elements of Group Ib, IIb, IIIa, IVa and Va of the periodic table of elements. Furthermore n=1, 2, 3 or 4 and m=1, 2 or 5, whereas o.ltoreq..times..ltoreq.0.5 and z is a value from zero to such a value that the total barium in the alloy is less than 95% by weight of the alloy.

Abstract: A calibrating apparatus for isothermally introducing, into a stream of dry gas, amounts of moisture lower than 1000 ppb, said apparatus comprising:A. a moist gas generating unit, comprising in its turn:i) a cylindrical shell;ii) a permeation module, inside said cylindrical shell, containing water and comprising a peripheral membrane;iii) a thermal conditioner, arranged too inside said cylindrical shell, upstream of said permeation module;B. an isothermal heat sink, thermally connected to the outside surface of said cylindrical shell, wherein said moist gas generating unit, under item A), is lodged in a recess of said heat sink;C) a heat radiator;D) a Peltier heater-cooler, thermally arranged between said isothermal heat sink (under item B) and said heat radiator (under item C).

Abstract: A gas purifier for impure gas having an end of life detector. The purifier has:A. a housing; andB. an impurity-sorbing material packed within the housing. The impurity-sorbing material has the property of reacting with impurities in the impure gas. This reacting causes expansion of the impurity-sorbing material; andC. an impure gas inlet; andD. a pure gas outlet; andE. a pressure responsive electrical switch within the housing. The position of the switch is responsive to expansion of the impurity-sorbing material; andF. An indicator outside the housing to indicate the position of the switch.

Abstract: A magazine for reliably feeding cartridges to the chamber of a firearm without stovepiping. Each of the cartridges has a uniformly tapered casing holding a projectile which projects from the casing. The magazine has a pair of juxtaposed, cartridge-retaining lips; a spring for biasing the cartridges toward these lips; and a pair of juxtaposed cartridge guides adapted to contact the projectile. These guides preventing orthagonal rotation of the cartridge during feeding of the cartridge to the chamber and this prevent stovepiping.

Abstract: Described is a dual magazine assembly comprising a left magazine and a right magazine held together by a holder. The assembly permits either magazine to be received by a firearm even when the firearm has only a single magazine port. The holder comprises a female half, and a male half.The female half has a plate with left and right extensions for engaging the left and right magazines. The female half also has a tube perpendicular to the plate and integral with it. The tube has a hook-receiving surface.The male half also has a plate with left and right extensions for engaging the left and right magazines. It carries a prong adapted to mate with the tube of the female half. The prong has a manually releasable hook at its extremity. The hook overrides the ramp and engages the hook-receiving surface of the female half thereby holding the two halves together.

Abstract: A method is described for the electrophoretic deposition, in the form of a porous coating, of at least one getter material and simultaneously an antisintering agent on any form of support.The getter material may be a powder of a metal, of a metal alloy or of a hydride thereof, or a mixture of these components. The getter material powders have a particle size less than 100 .mu. and an average particle size less than 60 .mu. but preferably greater than about 20 .mu.. The antisintering agent has a particle size of the same order of magnitude. After a heat treatment under vacuum the getter devices produced have an open porous structure and have good gas sorption properties. The support for the getter material can be graphite or a metal or a metal coated with ceramic.

Abstract: A brushless electric motor is described whose rotor consists of a rotatable shaft and at least one metal permanent magnet, preferably porous, bond to the shaft by a thin layer of bonding metal. In this way an improved rotor is obtained which does not require other retaining means or glues. The magnets are thus permanently and safely fixed to the rotor with an increased magnetic surface. A process for producing this type of rotor is also described.

Abstract: A protective vessel is provided for a getter material which comprises a first sheet of thermally stable material attached to an adhesive, which in turn is attached to a second sheet of thermo-retractable organic plastic material, the first and second sheets enclosing the getter material.

Abstract: There is described a process for the recovery of deuterium and tritium from their oxides, such has heavy water and tritiated water, comprising the steps of reacting the oxides of deuterium and tritium with an intermetallic compound having a formula ZrM.sub.2, where M is a transition metal chosen from the group comprising Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni such that it sorbs oxygen and released deuterium and tritium. The reaction preferably occurs by contacting the impure gas with the ZrM.sub.2 alloy as defined above, in the form of a compressed powder. A preferred alloy is the intermetallic ternary compound ZrMnFe.

Abstract: A method, based on the measurement of electrical resistance, and an apparatus for performing the measurement, which indicates the moment in which a gas purifier is about to loose its purification efficiency. The gas purifier can therefore be substituted before the impurity levels in the purified gas output reach undesirably high values.