Abstract: Improved combustion of liquid fuel is achieved with a porous fiber burner by forming a mixture of the vaporized fuel and all of the desired combustion air sufficiently heated to prevent condensation of the vaporized fuel, and introducing the heated mixture into the porous fiber burner to effect flameless combustion on the outer surface of the burner. The resulting surface combustion produces a high proportion of radiant heat and increased thermal efficiency while suppressing the formation of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants in the flue gas. Periodically, fuel gas may be supplied to the same porous fiber burner.

Abstract: Conventional liquified natural gas (LNG) plants are designed to eliminate moisture and up to 1.0% by volume of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) present in gas delivered by pipelines. Pipelines can no longer be expected to supply gas with such a low CO.sub.2 content. The invention pretreates gas with as much as 1.5% to 3.5% by volume of CO.sub.2 so that it becomes acceptable to LNG plants. The pretreatment involves scrubbing natural gas with cold methanol at a temperature below -30.degree. F. and flashing absorbed CO.sub.2 from methanol withdrawn from the scrubber by passing it through a pressure-reducing valve, followed by two successive warming flashings of CO.sub.2. Then, the methanol can be recycled to the scrubber. Required refrigeration is supplied to the methanol entering or leaving the scrubber.

Abstract: An efficient gas-fired bayonet-type heater has been developed to challenge the dominant position long enjoyed by the electric bayonet-type heater. The new heater replaces the electric resistance element in the bayonet-type heat exchange shell with a tubular porous fiber burner having a high length-to-diameter ratio attached to a long feed tube for the gas-air mixture. An annular space around the burner and feed tube within the shell provides the path for the combustion gases to flow to a discharge opening near the entry point of the gas-air mixture.

Abstract: To replace conventional ball-cage strips for remote controls in which push-pull blades slide on ball bearings maintained properly spaced from one another by such strips, a linkable ball-cage element has been developed to form strips of such linked elements that overcome limitations of prior ball-cage strips. Each element has a head and neck at one end and a cavity and narrow entrance at the opposite end so that the head of one element can be inserted into the cavity of another element. Each element holding a ball is thus linked with other elements to provide a very flexible strip of any desired length.

Abstract: Improved combustion of liquid fuel is achieved with a porous fiber burner by forming a mixture of the vaporized fuel and all of the desired combustion air sufficiently heated to prevent condensation of the vaporized fuel, and introducing the heated mixture into the porous fiber burner to effect flameless combustion on the outer surface of the burner. The resulting surface combustion produces a high proportions of radiant heat and increased thermal efficiency while suppressing the formation of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants in the flue gas. Periodically, fuel gas may be supplied to the same porous fiber burner.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges in a sheet of fresh pasta comprises a pair of meshing but noncontacting identical gear-like elements mounted on rotatively driven parallel shafts. Each gear-like element is a pair of identical bevel-toothed disks abutted together so that the tips of the bevel teeth of one disk are opposite the grooves between the teeth of the other disk, the width of the bevel teeth being appreciably less than the width of the grooves. The novel pasta product of the apparatus features an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges.

Abstract: A chamber for keeping perishable material, either liquid or solid, under refrigeration is provided with a tubular metal container that can be filled with pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. When the pressure in the container holding liquid carbon dioxide is dropped to atmospheric pressure, approximately half of the liquid flashes off as vapor and half becomes solid. The container is disposed along the top of the chamber so that refrigeration from solid carbon dioxide therein flows through the chamber by convection currents. Carbon dioxide vapor may flow from the container into the chamber to provide a protective atmosphere for the material therein.

Abstract: A lubricated rotary seal mounted between a shoulder of a rotary shaft and a face plate through which the shaft end extends has a ring-shaped body that fits on the shaft end and partially overlaps the shaft shoulder. A porous bearing washer on the face of the seal spans a circular channel in the body which contains oil-soaked wadding. A cylindrical recess in the seal body fits over the shaft shoulder and houses several compression springs which press the seal with its lubricated bearing washer in contact with the face plate. Debris formed by erosion of the bearing washer can be accumulated in the seal body and periodically removed. Oil can be periodically injected into the wadding.

Abstract: In continuously cooking fresh pasta in ribbon form by transportation on a zigzag conveyor immersed in a cooking water bath, it has been found that two or more superimposed ribbons of pasta can be simultaneously cooked by transportation on the zigzag conveyor without the pasta ribbons sticking together if the pasta ribbons are separately exposed to steam or hot water for a brief period before the pasta ribbons are brought together in superimposed relation. By this simple pretreatment of each pasta ribbon, the cooking capacity of the conveyor is at least doubled.

Abstract: In refrigeration systems wherein the refrigerant compressor is driven by a prime mover powered by combustion of a fluid fuel, a notable saving in fuel consumption is achieved by utilizing waste heat in the hot exhaust gases from the prime mover in an absorption refrigeration unit that chills a coolant stream circulated to the condenser for the compressed refrigerant. Existing combustion-powered refrigeration systems can be improved by adding a lithium halide absorption unit to utilize heat in the exhaust gases to produce refrigeration that is used to condense the compressed refrigerant. A combustion turbine coupled to a centrifugal compressor is a preferred combination of prime mover and refrigerant compressor for economically producing tonnage refrigeration.

Abstract: In apparatus for treating a product in a liquid bath having two different temperature zones separated by a slotted wall and equipped with at least two continuous conveyor belts arranged to transport the product while captured between the belts through one zone, a slot in the wall and the other zone, a plurality of submerged nozzles are positioned with their orifices directed to eject pressurized fluid streams that contact the belts while passing through the slot. The nozzles promote the flow of liquid from one zone to the other and effect scrubbing of the belts. Baffles at the wall slot and parallel to the belts enhance the operational benefits of the nozzles.

Abstract: A device for indicating the level of carbon dioxide snow in the cold box of a refrigerated vehicle comprises three basic elements: a shaft, a disk mounted on an end of the shaft and a bearing to hold the shaft. The bearing is positioned so that the shaft extends vertically through the bottom of the cold box. The disk on the shaft moves up or down within the box by pushing or pulling the bottom end of the shaft. The distance that the shaft is pulled down at time intervals after the box is filled with carbon dioxide snow while the disk was against the top of the box indicates how much the snow level has fallen because of carbon dioxide sublimitation.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges in a sheet of fresh pasta comprises a pair of meshing but noncontacting identical gear-like elements mounted on rotatively driven parallel shafts. Each gear-like element is a pair of identical bevel-toothed disks abutted together so that the tips of the bevel teeth of one disk are opposite the grooves between the teeth of the other disk, the width of the bevel teeth being appreciably less than the width of the grooves. The novel pasta product of the apparatus features an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges.

Abstract: Cogeneration of electricity and saleable refrigeration is achieved by passing pipeline gas with added methanol through a turbo-expander coupled to an electrical generator so that moisture in the gas forms an aqueous methanol condensate separable from the cold, expanded gas. The condensate is distilled to separate discard water from recycle methanol. After recovering refrigeration therefrom, the expanded gas is warmed to a temperature above 32.degree. F. by adding all the required heat as reboiler heat for the distillation and passing the expanded gas in heat exchange with distilled methanol vapor which is liquefied and used partly as reflux and partly as recycle methanol.

Abstract: Land-fill and other gases containing principally methane and carbon dioxide have been separated into high BTU fuel gas and discard carbon dioxide containing appreciable methane. Such discard gas can now be simply fractionated into high-purity liquid carbon dioxide with recoveries in excess of 80% while using a single refrigerant at a single low temperature to satisfy all refrigeration requirements of fractionation. This novel fractionation is ideally combined with the process of separating land-fill gas into high BTU fuel gas because then the methane and carbon dioxide are recovered completely as two valuable products, high BTU fuel gas and pure liquid carbon dioxide.

Abstract: Refrigeration is produced while delivering transmission pipeline gas of elevated pressure to a branch pipeline of lower pressure by expanding the gas in a turbo-expander to a pressure below the branch pipeline pressure and recovering refrigeration from the expanded gas which is then compressed by a centrifugal compressor directly driven by the turbo-expander to the pressure required for delivery into the branch pipeline. Preferably, the gas is dehydrated by adding methanol and separating aqueous methanol condensate from the expanded gas, and the condensate is distilled with compression heat to recover methanol for reuse.

Abstract: A method of making a dental prosthesis includes providing an upper or a lower impression of the oral cavity of a patient; and filling such impression with a castable mixture comprising (1) a ceramic composition containing a major proportion of magnesia and a significant minor proportion of alumina and (2) an aqueous composition containing silica as the essential ingredient, the ratio of the aqueous silica composition to the ceramic composition being such as to render the latter flowable. The mixture is then permitted to harden in the impression, and the resulting hardened model is removed from the impression. Thereafter, a liquefied metal composition is spray-coated on to a selected portion of the model to form a metallic prosthetic base, which is separated from the selected portion of the model and provided with a porcelain coating on its exterior surface.

Abstract: The high pressure of pipeline gas is reduced to the low pressure of a distribution system with simultaneous generation of refrigeration by passing the gas through two successive centrifugal compressors driven by two turbo-expanders in which the compressed gas is expanded to successively lower pressures. Refrigeration is recovered from the gas as it leaves each turbo-expander. Methanol is injected into the pipeline gas before it is expanded to prevent ice formation. Aqueous methanol condensate separated from the expanded gas is distilled for the recovery and reuse of methanol.

Abstract: A conveyor with zigzag travel is formed by two continuous conveyor belts and is particularly useful for processing materials. Each belt has openings along its marginal portions and a set of driven belt sprockets meshing with those openings. Part of the length of each belt is maintained in parallel, spaced relation to part of the length of the other and together form a zigzag path with one or more U-turns. At each U-turn, one belt turns on sprockets and the other turns with its marginal portions sliding around curved guides. The remaining parts of the lengths of both belts are separated from one another and provide places for feeding material to, and removing it from, the conveyor.

Abstract: In each end fitting of a flexible remote control, improved anchoring of the outer ball races is achieved by attaching the end of one race to a fixed anchor which is at least partially cylindrical so that it can rotate in the fitting and by attaching the end of the other race to a slidable anchor which is in sliding contact with the race attached to the fixed anchor. The push-pull blade of the control passes through a slot in each of both anchors which help prevent bowing of the blade when subjected to a heavy push load.