Abstract: Mechanism for changing anode blocks in electric furnaces for making aluminum and performing related tasks including charging the furnaces with alumina is disclosed. The mechanism includes a rotatable operator's cab carrying remotely controlled tools and alumina charging reservoirs. Both the cab and the reservoirs are translatable on the main support so as to align properly with any furnace of plural rows of furnaces.

Abstract: A fastening device for a rail to a cross tie comprising a resilient, double C-clip and an appropriate holder having a passage in which the loop-like portion of the clip can be supported for producing the fastening force, wherein the clip portion bearing on the rail foot extends by at least one free end beyond the edges of the rail foot and wherein on the side facing the rail the holder has faces located in the path of at least one free end of the clip, when the latter is bent too far outwardly for releasing the foot of the rail and a holder and a clip for use in said fastening device.

Abstract: An automated process of making reinforced roof and wall sheets for trucks and trailers employs step-by-step advancement of the sheet rock and lateral infeed of the structural reinforcing members. As the reinforcing members are sequentially fed into registry with the sheet stock, two kinds of adhesive are applied to them, one being a hot melt adhesive and the other being a catalyzed room temperature curing adhesive. The hot melt adhesive sets to provide an initial bonding which allows normal handling while the room temperature curing adhesive cures in the joint ultimately to augment the hot melt and provide a high strength joint.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for producing a compact strand of tobacco leaves in which the stems of the leaves are oriented predominantly longitudinally of the strand. Tobacco leaves distributed onto a horizontal conveyor in loose, randomly distributed fashion are subjected to progressive lateral crowding as they pass into a narrow channel section. The crowding effects displacement and/or deformation of leaves to achieve the desired orientation and the formation of the compacted strand. The crowding effect and the narrow channel section are afforded by upstanding endless conveyor flight portions overlying the horizontal conveyor and driven in the same direction and substantially the same speed as the horizontal conveyor.

Abstract: In a mowing implement, wherein mowing members are rotatably journalled above a housing accommodating a driving gear, stones may be jammed between the mowing members and the housing.Damage of the mowing implement through stones is avoided in that each mowing member mainly comprises two cutter supports adapted to turn upwardly with respect to the driving member each about a horizontal axis, which is located near the upright rotary axis of the associated driving member.

Abstract: Silver is recovered from silver-containing solutions such as waste waters from the photographic and electroplating industries, by treating such solutions with a cation exchanger in the presence of thiourea or thiourea derivatives. The cation exchanger may be selected from tectosilicates, phyllosilicates and organic cation exchangers.

Abstract: A mowing device comprising a housing extending transversely of the direction of movement of said device, a plurality of freely cutting cutting members rotatably journalled on said housing and a driving gear arranged in said housing and formed by a series of gears for driving the cutting members, has the problem that through deformation of the cover of the housing to which the gears are journalled, the relative position of the cutting members and the accurate relative position of the gears may be disturbed.In order to avoid this problem, the cutting members are rotatably journalled with the aid of lower rolling bearing means with respect to the bottom and with the aid of upper rolling bearing means with respect to the cover of the housing.

Abstract: Method of collecting light-weight substance floating on a liquid surface, for example, oil floating on water, said light-weight substance being carried into a collecting reservoir, in that on the outer side of a wall of the collecting reservoir extending below the liquid surface, away from the liquid surface, a down-stream is produced by which the light-weight substance with liquid is passed beneath an edge of the wall located beneath the liquid surface and into the collecting reservoir, after which the light-weight substance rises up in the reservoir to the liquid surface, where it is collected, while the liquid is conducted away through at least one outlet near the bottom side of the collecting reservoir.

Abstract: In order to reduce the CO-content in exhaust gases of combustion engines, the atomization is improved by coupling the displacer body of a fuel pump with the armature of an electro-magnet, which armature is arranged so as to be movable between two electro-magnets and is adapted to move each time to one of the two electro-magnets at the alternating energization of the latter.

Abstract: Articles of aluminium or aluminium alloys are pickled by placing them as anodes into a sulfuric acid bath containing no chromic acid or bichromate and connecting them by an electrical circuit including a D.C. potential source to a suitable cathode placed in the same bath, then imposing a certain control voltage from the potential source onto the anode and maintaining the resulting anode voltage at a substantially constant level during the whole pickling period. Means may be provided for continuously measuring the anode voltage and re-adjusting it to keep the voltage constant.

Abstract: A sliding roof for use on a building, particularly a sports hall, a swimming pool, the yard of a school or a shopping center, wherein in a supporting structure a plurality of parallel beams are slidably supported, two successive beams are interconnected by two layers of gas-tight cloth, the chambers formed by two beams and two layers of cloth are closed in a gas-tight manner near the ends of the beams, each chamber communicates with a compressor for the supply of a gas, particularly air, to said chamber and means are provided for securing in place the outermost beams with respect to the rims of the opening to be covered.

Abstract: A device for mowing and subsequently crushing crop comprises cutting members and a pair of relatively deflectable crushing rollers, at least one of which rollers is driven through a pivotable driving shaft, which passes through an ample opening in one side face and into the hollow roller.

Abstract: In a vehicle comprising on each side one substantially horizontal jointed cross-shaft axle, a cradle frame pivotally journalled on said cross-shaft axle and consisting of one central section and two arms and two wheels supporting the cross-shaft axle and journalled each on one arm of the cradle frame, the wheels skid in bends. Consequently, the tyres are subject to heavy wear. When the vehicle is being used for agriculture, the structure of the soil is deteriorated by the skidding movement of the wheels. In order to prevent the skidding movement of the wheels, the arms are connected with the central section of the cradle frame so as to be pivotable about an upright axis.

Abstract: Escape device comprising a reel having a cable wound on it, said reel being coupled with a rotatable shaft on which the outer end of a spiral spring wound on a rotatable shaft is wound with a curve opposite the curve in the rest position when the cable is winding off the reel, and said cable being coupled slip-free with a wheel carrying projecting wind blades when it is winding off the reel.

Abstract: Self-supporting structures and panels of diverse shapes are disclosed in which basic assemblies of crossed rod elements are employed to achieve the desired shape. Further, the crossing points of crossed rod elements in the structure involved may include limited sliding connections which effect transfer of collapsing force to other crossing points which are pivotally joined. An improved hub structure for pivotally joining ends of the rod elements at the outer and inner apical points is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of making a resilient double C-shaped clip for securing a rail on a support, wherein in advance of the heat treatment the ends adapted to cooperate with the support and with the foot of the rail are bent towards one another in the direction of the fastening force to such an extend that they are offset with respect with one another over a certain distance in relation to their position when the ready clip is free of load and wherein after the heat treatment the clip is subjected to a series of permanent deformations, each effected by imposing a permanent deformation force on one end of the clip while the other end is held in fixed position, such that upon a continued deformation there would be no increase or only a very small increase of the load, and the clip being relieved of load after each deformation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an internal combustion engine having a turbine-compressor combination connected with the outlet duct for pressure filling by the thrust system; the invention has for its object to improve the shape of the high and steep peak of the exhaust pulse occurring particularly in engines having a high mean effective pressure so that the abrupt gas pulse is smoothed down so that the turbine is capable of operating with higher efficiency, and provides a combustion engine with pressure filling by the thrust system, the exhaust duct of which includes at least one restriction narrowing the passage area.

Abstract: A device for straining substances suspended in liquid having a hollow straining member in the form of a stationary body of revolution having a diameter continuously decreasing on the feed side, wherein inside the straining member a rotatable body of rotation is disposed whose outer wall is spaced at a short distance from the inner wall of the straining member in order to achieve that the layer of material to be strained is clogged at overloaded places on the strainer.

Abstract: A method and a plug to seal a defective tube of a heat exchanger in the place, where said tube extends in a tube plate, said plug being inserted in the tube plate and having two coaxial cavities, each of which is open at one end and contains an explosive charge and firing means, and said plug being jammed in the tube plate in a gas and liquid tight manner by its radial expansion due to the explosion of its charges -- and a heat exchanger, of which at least one of its tubes has been plugged by means of the described plugs.

Abstract: A pump and pump system employs electromagnetic actuation during discrete, periodic time periods, imparting rapid strokes covering small distances. Each stroke is delineated by stop members at least one of which is of wedge-like form and is controllably shifted to vary the stroke.