Abstract: A light regulation system is provided wherein the light output of a second, fluorescent lamp fixture is regulated in accordance with the light output of a first or preceeding fluorescent lamp fixture. Each fixture includes a lamp or lamps, a ballast or ballasts and a control or regulating device which controls the ballasting of the lamp(s) of the fixture and hence the light output thereof. The system provides for monitoring the light output of the master fixture and optically coupling a corresponding signal to a photocell in the control device of the following fixture so as to control the output of the lamp(s) of the following fixture. Additional fixtures can be optically coupled in like manner to either the master or a follower fixture to provide additional controlled following fixtures.

Abstract: A marine structure includes a base which is to be founded upon the sea bed. An elastic pre-stressed column is rigidly fixed to and extends upwardly from the base. A buoyant, rigid structure is fixed to the upper end of the upstanding elastic column. The buoyant, rigid structure includes a submerged part and a part projecting up above the sea level to support a deck superstructure. The pre-stressed elastic column is designed to deflect in a curved manner when the buoyant, rigid structure is subjected to environmental forces. In particular, the first nautral period of the installed structure is longer than the significant exciting wave periods. Accordingly, the main structure will oscillate about its vertical equilibrium when subjected to waves and wind thereby behaving as an articulated column.

Abstract: A sample of mineral fibers is dispersed in a liquid and viscosity of the dispersion is measured. The viscosity value provides a rapid measure of the length of the fibers. The measurement is sufficiently rapid that adjustments can be made to operating conditions during a production run to ensure the production of fibers of uniform length characteristics.

Abstract: A tray for microfiche or other flat articles includes a flat rectangular base, with side and end wall extending upwardly and slightly outwardly therefrom, the side walls having vertical upper ends and shoulders for receiving side bars. The side bars are provided with vertical and inclined, parallel slots for receiving partitions, whereby the microfiche can be stored vertically in parallel relationship to each other or fan-like, i.e. with the bottom ends of the microfiche closer together than their top ends for easier inspection.

Abstract: In a lamp shade of the type comprising a plurality of panels, preferably glass panels, held together by a support system having stiff collars at the corners of the panels and connecting members connecting together groups of said collars, some of the connecting members are formed as elastic members, as a result of which the support system holds the panels together into a lamp shade of a desired polyhedral configuration under the tension of the elastic members. The support system may be preassembled and compacted to a small size for storage, packing or shipping in such state together with a stacked pack of the panels to be used therewith, permitting final assembly of the panels to the support system by the ultimate consumer in a very short time without the need for tools. There results a decrease in space and fragility during storage, shipping and handling, with attendant cost savings.

Abstract: A numerically controlled stitching machine tool comprises a head and a ta movable in relation to each other along two coordinate axes. The head is provided with a stitching needle and an optical follower placed in an invariable position in relation to the needle and receives the image of a drawing of the pattern when the drawing is placed on the table. The machine comprises, for each coordinate axis, a motor for moving the head and the table in relation to each other along that axis, transducer means for supplying an electrical signal whose amplitude depends on the movement along this axis, for A/D conversion and non-volatile storage, means for controlling the motor from the stored signals bringing into action said transducer and conversion means.

Abstract: A controller is provided which includes a control unit for controlling the start of a climatization procedure in a building. The system includes a pulse generator which times the operations of the control unit and an equivalent electrical circuit which controls the operations of the control unit. The latter simulates thermal properties of the building during temperature conditioning operations, i.e., heating or cooling, and receives voltages representative of the inside and outside temperature of the building. The discharging, charging or equalization of voltages on condensors contained within the equivalent electrical circuit are used to determine the time for conditioning the temperature of the building after the conditioning system has been out of service for a given period of time and thus in calculation of the correct instant for starting the conditioning procedure by the control unit.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with helicopter rotor control systems which hitherto have tended to comprise complex assemblies which are costly to manufacture and maintain and which are vulnerable to external damage.A helicopter rotor is disclosed in which each of a plurality of radially extending rotor blades is attached to the outer end of an individual spindle 19 having its inner end protruding into the interior of a hollow rotor hub structure 12 and supported by bearing means 21 arranged to permit rotational movement of the spindle 19 about its axis. A pitch control lever 22 is attached to the inner end of each spindle 19 and is articulated, through a universal joint, to the upper end of an individual connecting rod 38, 39, 40 and 41, the lower ends of the connecting rods being attached to a common housing 42 having independently rotatable means for connection to helicopter flying controls.

Abstract: A dispensing valve comprising: a first tubular member closed at one end by a wall; a second tubular member telescopically housed in said first tubular member and closed at the opposite end by a wall; said second tubular member being slidable with respect to said first member from a rest position in which it is housed inside said first tubular member into abutment against its end wall, to a position in which it projects out of said first tubular member; a piston like member secured to the closure wall of said first tubular member and capable of slidingly penetrating with a close fit into the tubular passage of said second tubular member for a distance shorter than the maximum sliding stroke of said second tubular member with respect to said first tubular member; a first radial inlet port in said first tubular member at a position near its closed end, and a second radial outlet port in said second tubular member at a position in which said outlet port is wholly housed inside said first tubular member in the sai

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the preparation of dispersions and particularly with the preparation of dispersions of cerium compounds.The invention provides for the preparation of an aqueous dispersion of ceria or hydrated ceria by a process which includes acid treatment of cerium IV hydroxide.Aqueous dispersions in accordance with the present invention find application in a number of technical fields (e.g. in the preparation of dense ceria coatings for use in catalysis and protective coatings, for example, for metals and alloys).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement in or relating to a valve comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet whose interconnection is closable by means of a differential piston slidably arranged in a cylinder in the housing, said differential piston being equipped with a bore interconnecting its large and small sides, said valve further comprising a conduit or the like leading from the chamber in the housing on the large side of the differential piston to the outlet, said conduit or the like being equipped with a pilot valve for closing and opening of the conduit. Valves of this type may be used for irrigation purposes in agriculture. By controlling the pilot valve of the valve by means of for instance a timer, the valve may automatically be brought to open for the water supply to the spreaders at a predetermined time and again to close the water supply when the irrigation has lasted for a sufficient length of time.

Abstract: The powdery coating composition of the present invention comprises:(i) 10 to 40% by weight of a solid cross-linking agent prepared by heating polyester and alkoxyaminotriazine, and(ii) 90 to 60% by weight of a base resin.An object of the present invention is to provide a powdery coating composition which will not pose any environmental pollution and has an outstanding property against bubbling.The above object can be fulfilled by using the solid cross-linking agent in combination with a base resin.

Abstract: An adjustable flooring structure for swimming pools is formed by a series of large, flat, panel-like modules interconnected to form a floor. The structure includes ballasting means formed by serially connected pipes in the modules which pipes can be filled with water or air to alter the buoyancy of the structure as desired. The structure is supported from the pool floor on adjustable legs and without the legs has a low overall height so that it can be settled to the bottom of the pool when not required for use.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process is disclosed for controlled mixing of a mixable material in a high intensity mixer. The system enables instantaneous, precise and continual monitoring of a batch in a high intensity mixer which heretofore could not be achieved. The process comprises the steps of feeding a batch of material into a high intensity mixer, agitating the batch in the mixer, monitoring batch temperature separately from mixer temperature and discharging the batch from the mixer when the batch temperature reaches a final predetermined level. The apparatus includes means for monitoring batch temperature in a high intensity mixer separately from mixer temperature, and means responsive to the batch temperature to discharge the batch when the batch temperature reaches a final predetermined level.

Abstract: Holding members for engaging the corners of base plates of nail plates while wooden beams are force down on the upwardly projecting nails to form a truss are made of resilient plastics material of about the same thickness as the base plate and provided with a self-adhesive surface for fixing them relatively to a preparation table. Each holding member is formed at one side so as to lie against the edge of the base plate at at least two points respectively on both sides of the the associated corner. A comparatively thin supporting layer of harder material may be secured on the upper face or between or on both faces of the resilient material.

Abstract: Certain alloys of iron, chromium, aluminium and yttrium are known e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,252 and from U.K. Pat. No. 1,045,993 and are stated to be high temperature, oxidation resistant alloys.The invention relates to alloys of iron, chromium, aluminium and yttrium containing additionally certain proportions of silicon. Thus, the alloys of the invention comprise from 15 to 25% Cr, 4 to 5.5% Al, 0.01 to 3% Y, 0.3 to 5% Si and the balance Fe, where all proportions are by weight. The corrosion resistance of the alloys increases as the percentage of Si increases to reach a peak at about 1% Si. The preferred range of Si is 0.5 to 2%. All proportions are by weight.

Abstract: An image represented by samples N.sub.o,o, N.sub.2,o, . . . , N.sub.2p,o, . . . , N.sub.o,2, . . . , N.sub.o,2q, . . . , N.sub.2p,2q, . . . , distributed over a two-dimensional pattern and each represented by a quantified signal, generally at two levels, is restored. From samples such as N.sub.2p,2q, are reconstituted samples such as m.sub.2p,2q, m.sub.2p+1,2q, m.sub.2p,2q+1, m.sub.2p+1,2q+1, quadruple in number. The values of the four samples are generated according to the expansion relationships: ##EQU1## The samples N are typically obtained by a compression process.

Abstract: In order to produce core yarn wrapped with at least two separate wrapper yarns of the same or opposite hands, core material is passed in succession through a pair of rotary hollow spindles, each carrying a package of wrapper yarn whereby the core material is wrapped and which are relatively displaced so that the path of the material between a point just before the entrance of the first spindle and a point just after the exit of the second spindle deviates from a straight line so as to cause the core material or the resultant yarn to engage a rotary end of at least one of the spindles so as to apply false twist. The spindles may be supported so that their axes are displaced or displaceable in relation to one another for which purpose each spindle may be carried by a mounting capable of angular displacement about a support shaft and capable of being secured in any one of a range of angular positions.

Abstract: During the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel by solvent extraction techniques a primary separation to give a uranium containing product stream and a plutonium containing product stream occurs. The plutonium in the plutonium containing stream is separated from neptunium and uranium by bringing a solution containing plutonium, neptunium and uranium in an organic solvent into contact first with an aqueous solution of a hydroxylamine and/or a hydrazine salt at 30.degree. to 35.degree. C. to preferentially reduce the neptunium and to extract it into the aqueous phase and then bringing the organic solution containing plutonium and uranium into contact with an aqueous phase containing a hydroxylamine and a hydrazine salt at about 50.degree. C. to preferentially reduce the plutonium and to extract it into the aqueous phase leaving the uranium in the organic solvent.

Abstract: In a process according to the present invention uranium is extracted into solution from its ore by leaching with an aqueous solution containing peroxomonosulphuric acid, the peroxoacid oxidizing the uranium through to its hexavalent state. Preferably the leaching is carried out at a temperature in the range of 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. The leach liquor can initially contain additional amounts of sulphuric acid or merely that present by virtue of the method of making the peroxomonosulphuric acid. In a preferred method of operation, the peroxoacid is introduced progressively into the leach liquor during the course of the leaching so as to maintain an electrochemical potential in the range of 450 to 650 mV.By use of the process, uranium is cleanly extracted into solution.