Abstract: Apparatus for connecting a plurality of integrated circuit components to a circuit board positioned within and held by a frame supported on a flat working table, in which the components are held within a magazine and are moved from the magazine into engagement with the circuit board, means being provided for vibrating the table and circuit board to facilitate movement of the components from the magazines to the board and for connecting the components to the board.

Abstract: A master cylinder assembly comprising two separate master cylinders is disclosed. Pressure spaces of the master cylinders are interconnected through outlet passages and a transfer passage, and a transfer valve is housed within each outlet passage. When the master cylinders are inoperative both transfer valves are retained by yieldable spacers in intermediate positions in which a limited flow can take place through both valves in both directions. This prevents hydraulic fluid from being trapped in the transfer passage which otherwise might cause a fracture to occur upon expansion with temperature of the fluid. Each transfer valve comprises a valve member which is engageable with a seating. The yieldable spacers by which the valve members may be held away from the seatings may be the thickness of a film of hydraulic fluid therebetween.

Abstract: A passenger-carrying vehicle (for example a bus) in a passenger transport system is equipped with a ticket reader (18) capable of optically reading information printed on a ticket (10) in bar-code and determining whether or not the ticket is valid. A ticket-printer (16) is provided for issuing bar-coded tickets, and both the reader (18) and the printer (16) are microprocessor-based and associated with a memory (14). Fare-table data is stored in the memory (14a), for reference by the ticket-issuing means, data is stored in the memory (14b) for reference by the ticket-checking means, and both the issuing means and the checking means can communicate information to the memory (14c) and (14d) to enable data concerning tickets handled to be stored for subsequent retrieval for management purposes.

Abstract: A live axle is combined with a brake which is disposed outboard of bearings on which a hub is journalled for rotation. The bearings are mounted on a relatively stationary axle tube, and a drive shaft is mounted within the axle tube for limited movement in an axial direction in order to transmit a brake-applying force to the brake from an actuator housed within a relatively stationary part of the axle.

Abstract: A window assembly for controlling light and ventilation and preventing undesired passage through the window opening has spaced horizontal fixed slats, spaced horizontal movable slats which may be moved vertically to partially or wholly close the spaces between the fixed slats, and vertically spaced tool steel bars extending across the window opening and anchored at their ends in the building structure in which the window assembly is mounted.

Abstract: A sensor is associated with each suspension unit for adjusting the ride height of a vehicle, and each sensor gives an output that varies progressively with ride height. A control circuit, preferably microprocessor based, is arranged to(i) read each of the outputs at least once, preferably in sequence,(ii) select the output which corresponds to the sensed ride height that differs most from the desired ride height, and(iii) apply a correction to the suspension unit associated with the selected output to adjust it towards the desired ride height.The control circuit repeats (i) to (iii) until all the sensed ride heights are within acceptable limits of the desired height whereupon the system enters a so-called trim mode. In this mode corrections are based on a calculated ride height at a conceptual center of height where height variations due to pitch and roll are minimal.

Abstract: A box is provided with an opening in its top for receiving the blade-holding head of a safety razor with the end of the handle of the razor resting on the surface supporting the box. Means within the box directs heated air onto the head of the razor within the opening in the top of the box.

Abstract: A spacer bar for double glazing is made as a hollow extrusion of polycarbonate, preferably incorporating about 20% of glass fibre reinforcement.

Abstract: A machine for producing crab bodies ready for meat removal comprises means for transporting cooked hard crabs to a first station at which the carapace is centrally cut and the claws, walking legs and swimming legs are removed, then to a station at which the parts of the carapace are loosened and then removed laterally of the crab body as trash, and then to a final processing station at which the crab body is held and cleaned by water jets and specially formed brushes.

Abstract: An anti-inflammatory agent comprising as an active component an inhibitor specifically inhibiting a thiol protease, which is obtained from human urine by extraction and purification. This agent has an action of inhibiting a disease caused by a thiol protease. This anti-inflammatory agent is prepared by a process in which a thiol protease inhibitor is extracted and purified from human urine by adopting in combination at least two treatments selected from a treatment with a molecular filter, a treatment with an ion exchanger, a treatment with an adsorber and an affinity chromatographic treatment.

Abstract: A brace is provided for positioning on the top of a dog's head after ear cropping surgery and has side walls having the shape of the cropped ears to which the cropped ears are connected until healed. The brace may be provided with stationary nylon self-gripping tape on each side wall or an adhesive such as cattle glue may be used to attach the ears to the side walls of the brace.

Abstract: An automatic plate freezer comprises a plurality of freezer plates which rest on a lower support connected by ties to an upper support. Each plate rests on the plate below via adjustable spacers and the upper support may be raised and lowered by jacks. In use, product to be frozen is loaded on the plate located at a loading level determined by sensors and the spacers associated with that plate are set to a value appropriate to the product in question. The jacks are then extended to lift the stack of plates until the plate just loaded is engaged by latches. The stack is then lowered, and the latches support all plates at and above the level of the latches. Lowering of the remaining plates continues until the sensors detect that the plate below that just loaded is at the loading level whereupon the cycle repeats.

Abstract: A pedal-operated booster incorporates a valve mechanism for controlling pressurization of a boost chamber. The valve mechanism comprises a pedal-operated piston and a pressure-responsive valve spool which is coupled to the piston for limited relative movement in a longitudinal direction within a working chamber in the piston. The spool is movable with the piston in an initial brake-applying direction in which the spool is operative to isolate the boost chamber from an exhaust port and the piston is operative to place an inlet port in communication with the working chamber. This causes the spool to move relatively away from the piston in response to pressure fluid in the working chamber which is admitted to the boost chamber.

Abstract: In an hydraulic anti-skid braking system for a vehicle a supply of fluid from a master cylinder is modulated by a modulator assembly in accordance with skid signals from a skid sensing means device, and an hydraulic pump incorporating at least one plunger has a working chamber in communication with the modulator assembly to control brake re-application following skid correction. The modulator assembly incorporates a piston which is normally urged into an advanced inoperative position against a stop by a spring, in which position the piston holds a spring-loaded valve in an open position to place the master cylinder in communication with the brake. Support and expander chambers on opposite sides of the piston are interconnected at all times by a restricted passage with the support chamber defined in a bore in which the piston is guided to slide, between the piston and normally closed dump valve.

Abstract: A device is attached to the human hand and has parts extending along and attached to each finger and extending beyond the outer end of each finger to provide a tool for digging in the ground. The device is formed of a flat sheet material having a central part which covers the outer part of the palm of the hand and from which the parts attached to each finger extend radially outwardly. Bendable tabs extend outwardly from each side of each finger part to be bent behind the finger of the hand to attach the tool to the hand.

Abstract: A metal heating furnace for heating slabs, billets or blooms prior to their hot rolling. Full use to thermal energy can be ensured and the workpieces can be uniformly heated to a desired rolling temperature.

Abstract: An hydraulic booster has a housing provided with a bore, an inlet connected to a source of high pressure fluid, an outlet connected to a reservoir and a boost piston working in the bore. The boost piston is advanced in response to pressurization of a boost chamber by fluid from the source, under the control of a valve mechanism operated by an input member. The diameters of the bore and the boost piston are arranged to provide an annular chamber round the boost piston connected to the inlet, with the sealing diameter at the rearward end greater than that at the forward end of the chamber, where the boost piston is spaced from the bore. The forward end is sealed by a seal mounted in the bore so that it is radially deformable and able to tolerate the radial clearance between the piston and the bore. The seal is preferably a P.T.F.E. ring backed by an O-ring.

Abstract: A self-pumping strut comprises radially inner and outer cylinders extending between closure members to define a reservoir space between the cylinders which is partitioned by a cylindrical elastomeric membrane into an hydraulic reservoir space and a gas space.A piston connected by a piston rod to a wheel slides in the inner cylinder to define a pump chamber and a first working chamber within the inner cylinder. Each chamber communicates with the hydraulic reservoir space by means of a respective solenoid-operated valve. A pump outlet valve incorporated into the piston controls flow of hydraulic fluid between the chambers. The first working chamber is in communication with a second working chamber by means of flap valves, the second working chamber being separated from a gas spring chamber by a diaphragm.An electronic control unit operates the solenoid-operated valves to adjust the height of the strut, which is detected by a sensor.