Abstract: A method of sealing a sheet of woven ribbons of heat sealable plastics material to an article which may be another sheet of said plastics material comprises applying a regular pattern of ultrasonic spot welds between said sheet and said other article. The pattern of ultrasonic spot welds comprises at least two rows of welds offset with respect to one another so that the welds fall on different parallel ribbons of the sheet and in one preferred embodiment welds or adjacent rows are sequentially staggered by the breadth of one ribbon so that welds of each row form repeating diagonal lines, the diagonal lines extending between the top and the bottom row. The method is especially suitable for use with woven oriented plastics material. The invention includes a bag at least one of whose seams is formed by this ultrasonic spot welding method. A particular bag is a gussetted bag in which seams along at least the bottom edges of the gussets are formed by the ultrasonic spot welding technique.

Abstract: The invention provides a new fence system permitting the construction of privacy fences; perimeter fences; boundary fences and rail fences using a small number of different fence elements. These elements consist of a hollow elongated post/rail element of semi-octagonal transverse cross-section; an end cap for the element when used as a post; an L-shaped connecting bracket; a panel element and an end cap therefor; a clip for fastening panel elements to the rails; closure elements for the rails and posts that also locate and hold the panels when they are engaged in slots therein. The panels are provided near to their center with a plurality of spaced stiffening walls to resist buckling under heavy loads.

Abstract: A parachute dropping kite comprises at least one holding means, e.g. a pocket, preferably located on a keel guide of the kite. The, or each, pocket is to releasably secure a parachute unit associated with the kite and is open upwardly and is generally aligned with a kite string extending between an operator and the flying kite. A jerk on the kite string will tend to lower the flying kite slightly allowing the parachute unit or units to exit from the pocket by inertial force.

Abstract: A safety device for a banking vehicle includes a pair of cylinders which extend to hold the superstructure in an upright position. The cylinders are hydraulically connected to an accumulator which provides a pressurized fluid reservoir. A valve controls flow from the accumulator to the cylinders. Upon detection of a failure in one of the vehicle systems the valve moves to a position in which fluid flows from the accumulator to extend the cylinders. A pilot operated check valve is positioned between the accumulator and the cylinders to hold the cylinders in the extended position until the failure is rectified.

Abstract: The invention provides a protective casing for a cube-shaped modular ceramic heat exchanger core, in which the core can easily be installed without danger of leakage between the fluid paths of the core, either while the device is new as its temperature changes, and subsequently as it is in use subjected to drastically altering operating temperature. Moreover, the core can easily be replaced by a core of different heat transfer ability without diminishing the ability to prevent such leakage. To this end the core rests in the casing with the edges of one face engaged with a suitable ceramic fibre composition gasket; the opposite face of the same flow path as engaged by another such gasket and the gasket is in turn engaged by a gasket compression member. The compression member is urged into this engagement by strong springs which thereby hold the gaskets in the necessary sealing engagement.

Abstract: A housing for a humidifer is provided which facilitates assembly of the humidifier with the inlet duct positioned either to the left or to the right of the humidifier housing. This assembly is made possible by providing the housing with similar first and second walls and a pair of end walls which extend between the first and second walls. A back defines a first opening and one of the ends defines a second opening midway between the first and second walls so that air can be humidified by passing the air through the housing between the first and second openings. The other of the ends is adapted to receive drive means for driving a humidifier from inside the chamber and one of the ends provides means adapted to receive a water inlet assembly so that the housing can be assembled with one or the other of the first and second walls uppermost depending upon the desired location of the second opening.

Abstract: A back pack consists of a wire frame and belt and shoulder harnesses attached thereto. The frame is made solely from solid drawn wire members and consists of a wire perimeter frame with a wire grid extending between the perimeter frame sides. Preferably the perimeter frame is two closely spaced parallel wires, while the grid is two pluralities of parallel wires at right angles to one another and fastened to one another, e.g. by welding or adhesive, wherever they cross and touch. The perimeter slot formed by the spaced wires is subdivided into a plurality of slot portions. The harnesses are fastened to the frame by belts with buckles that can only be passed through the slots in edgewise attitude. A pack is fastened by headed pins the shanks only of which can pass through the slot portions, the pins shanks passing through grometted holes in the pack edges and being retained by a pin passing through a hole in the shank.

Abstract: A new silicon based semiconductor device comprises a layer of amorphous silicon in which the density of energy states in the energy gap has been reduced by hydrogenation; this layer is deposited on a layer of a hydrogen-containing substrate material that can supply hydrogen in atomic form to the amorphous silicon. In processes of the invention the silicon layer and a substrate layer are hydrogenated separately to permit optimum hydrogenation; the silicon layer may be deposited without hydrogenation and hydrogenated subsequently with hydrogen from the substrate material. A specific example consists of a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon of about 1 micrometer thickness deposited on a hydrogen-containing chromium layer which is itself deposited on a carrier, the silicon then forming the active element of a photovoltaic cell particularly functional as a solar cell.

Abstract: A sliding door employing a runner wheel assembly of the invention typically comprises a frame of hollow extruded frame elements. The hollow section of the bottom frame element is provided with two such wheel assemblies, one at each end, supporting the door for sliding movement, each assembly comprising a wheel retainer member and a wheel carrier or support member releasably secured to the retainer member. In normal use the wheel carried by the wheel support member projects through an opening of the bottom frame element to cooperate with a track. When the door is lifted from the track the wheel support member can be pivoted relative to the retainer member to a position from which it can be removed and replaced through the opening.

Abstract: The invention provides a heat pump system employing a refrigerant charged space and including at least two evaporators, one of which is an ambient air head absorber, and the other of which can be of the same type, or of the type obtaining heat from solar insolation, water, ground heat, etc. The coil or coils of an ambient air absorber must be defrosted periodically. In the system of the invention defrost heat is applied to the evaporator coil or coils while the compressor is operating, such defrost heat causing vaporization of the refrigerant therein. The system includes a pressure containment valve between the evaporator and the compressor that maintains the vapor pressure of the vaporizing liquid in the coil above the value at which the ice will readily melt, the valve releasing excess vapor to the compressor and then to the condenser which discharges the heat to the space to be heated. Thus, the only part of the defrost heat lost from the system is that required to melt the ice.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved map having the advantages of a book while at the same time providing a simple index system, and pages which are folded to provide a larger format than that normally found in a book. The folded pages are arranged so they cannot be readily damaged by incorrect folding and yet the pages can be inter-related imperfectly without damage and without affecting the index arrangement.

Abstract: The invention provides processes and apparatus for the mechanical separation of a combination of meat and bone into useful fractions, the combination being conveyed by a screw of new cross-section profile through a screen, which comprises a portion of an elongated cylindrical conduit, softer components, i.e. the meat, being expressed through the screen, while harder components, i.e. the bone, are contained by the screen and fed out of the conduit. The screen is constituted by alternate flat and configured annular discs, the latter providing the necessary large plurality of small apertures through which the softer components can be expressed. The screw is designed to develop a radially-outward pulsing action of the combination against the interior wall of the screen to produce the desired separation at a lower pressure than with prior art apparatus and minimization of shear of the combination against the screen interior wall.

Abstract: Apparatus for wetting divided solid material so that it can be sucked into a storage tank by an entraining air stream without danger of damaging the expensive heavy duty air pump consists of a cylindrical body providing a wetting chamber which tapers outwardly from an inlet and inwardly to an outlet. A plurality of spray nozzles, each mounted in a recess, are provided uniformly spaced circumferentially and longitudinally around the chamber, so as to provide minimum spray pattern interference. A deflector means is provided immediately after the inlet to distribute the air flow over the chamber, consisting of a plurality of uniformly circumferentially distributed inwardly-extending finger-like members and an axial barrier on the flow axis. Another spray nozzle is provided spraying onto the deflector and also serving as a by-pass for the liquid supply pump, so that the nozzles operate with optimum spray patterns while the pump is at optimum flow capacity.

Abstract: A machine for washing drinking glasses has a conveyor upon which the glasses are conveyed from a loading zone through wash and rinse zones to an unloading zone. The machine may be operated on a continuous basis or it may be operated on a timed cycle basis, or it may be operated intermittently, being stopped by detector mechanism sensing the arrival of a glass at the unloading zone.

Abstract: The invention provides a protective casing for a cube-shaped modular ceramic heat exchanger core, in which the core can easily be installed without danger of leakage between the fluid paths of the core. To this end the core rests in the casing with the edges of one face engaged with a suitable ceramic fibre composition gasket; the opposite face of the same flow path is engaged by another such gasket and the gasket is in turn engaged by a gasket compression member. The compression member is urged into this engagement by strong springs which thereby hold the gaskets in the necessary sealing engagement. In one aspect of the invention the casing is readily changed to provide single or multi-pass of one of the flow paths through the core; such a casing consists of a central portion of the thickness dimension of the core and replaceable end portions which provide the inlet, outlet and respective plenums.

Abstract: A cryoenucleating device is provided for freezing a melanoma tumor in an eyeball and for removing the eyeball. The device comprises a spoon, the bowl of which is formed of thermally insulating material to conform with the contours of an average eyeball. A refrigerating loop is provided, supported in the concavity of the spoon bowl to freeze the tumor while the thickness of the bowl insulates adjacent tissue from freezing.

Abstract: A new fluxed pellet for use in iron-making is obtained by mixing and indurating about 1 to about 20%, by weight of the pellet, of ground melt shop slag fines with similarly ground iron ore concentrate, so as to achieve particular ranges of silica content, CaO/SiO.sub.2 ratio, and MgO content. The melt shop slag fines have been considered a waste material, but contain significant slag and metal values. The slag is already in calcined form for an energy saving as compared to the use of limestone and dolomite, and is already somewhat divided for a saving in grinding energy. The resultant basic pellets have better furnace properties than the acid pellet produced without slag addition.

Abstract: A container for liquid comprises a substantially airtight body for storing liquid, a means for varying the pressure of gas above the level of liquid in the body of the container, e.g. resilient flexible container walls such as a squeeze bottle, an air pocket structure disposed at the lower end of the container, and in free liquid communication with the body of the container so as to allow entry of liquid from the body of the container into the air pocket structure. Air resides in the air pocket structure when the container is disposed with its lower end downwardly. An outlet passageway has an upper end which communicates near the top of the air pocket structure to be disposed in air in the air pocket and a lower end open to atmosphere exteriorly of the container and the air pocket. Such a container holds liquid therein without dripping. To discharge the liquid, the pressure on the body is increased, so as to cause liquid to rise through the air pocket structure, and issue liquid from the outlet passageway.

Abstract: Uranium or thorium cations are removed from aqueous suspension or solution by treatment of the aqueous material with the biomass derived from fermentation of a fungal microorganism of the genus Rhizopus, e.g. Rhizopus arrhizus. The process can be utilized to treat aqueous tailings from uranium ore extraction processes, to reduce the radioactive content of the tailings prior to disposal.