Abstract: An information processing system for consulting centralized information originating in operational applications including a server and a plurality of microcomputers that issue requests to the server. The server includes data stored in the form of files and a metadictionary developed around a plurality of tables specific to the documentation and the administration of the system. Notably, the data is organized in domains, subdomains and functions, and are analyzed by a logical process contained in the metadictionary, which includes axes and indicators that describe the applications. The logical process makes it possible, at the moment the data to be imported into the server is defined, to create tables that contain the data of complementary tables, called consolidation tables, to authorize a generic response to all the requests made of the data and to optimize access performance.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of metallurgy and to a method and a device for the extraction of zinc in solution in a liquid iron bath (2) held in a container (3), such as a crucible for the casting of foundry parts. It is characterized in that, before utilizing the bath for the casting of parts, in a first phase, the gas volume (7) situated in the container (3) is sealingly confined in the east iron bath (2) and, in a second phase, a variable partial vacuum is created in the confined atmosphere in a controlled way in order to constantly adjust it to a predetermined value as a function of the time evolution of the pressure of vapor saturating zinc in solution in the melt at the bath temperature; and said zinc is trapped.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for automatic feeding of one document at a time to a document processing machine. The apparatus (10) includes a movable horizontal turntable (12) on which bins (C1, C2, . . . , C8) are affixed, each containing a stack of documents. A drive device (15, 16, 28) controls the displacement of the turntable in order to move a preselected bin into an unloading position (90), facing the processing machine (11). The turntable is provided with bin identification (ME1, ME2, . . . , ME8), and the drive device is controlled by a control circuit (91) that excites the drive device in such a way that the displacement of the turntable to move a preselected bin into the position (90) is effected by the smallest possible rotation. The invention is applicable to sheet feeding to a printing machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing permeable mineral membranes.The method of the invention is characterized in that a thin layer of gel of peptised hydroxide of at least aluminum is deposited on a permeable perous substrate and the resulting membrane is dried and fired at a temperature between 500.degree. and 1100.degree. C.The resulting membranes can be used for isotopic separation of gases or for filtration and ultrafiltration.

Abstract: In a telephone with repertory dialling and redial (which includes repeat last number), when dialling out from a PABX, one emits an access code and then the wanted number. The access code causes the sender to pause for a second dial tone before continuing to send. When dialling manually the user pauses and listens for the second dial tone, so that in the redial case no access pause code appears in the redial store. In the present system of the first digit is an access code, the digit sender checks the repertory dialler for an access pause code, and if it finds one there, it inserts such a pause in the dialled out number.

Abstract: An optical element for location between a source of radiation and a detector (13) includes a first optical surface (10) have a central transmissive area (11) and a surrounding area (12) reflective to radiation from direction of the detector (13). A second optical surface (15) is spaced from the first surface (10) towards the detector (13) and has a central reflective area (16) arranged to reflect radiation passing through area 11 towards the reflective area 12. A transmissive area (18) of the second surface (15) surrounds the central area (16), and is itself surrounded by a reflecting area (17) concentric with the detector (13) and forming a reflective shield for the detector.