Abstract: Apparatus for ionizing air, for example for feeding to a boiler to act as a catalyst, comprises a closed container (15) which is divided into two chambers (17, 18). Water is fed under pressure to atomizing jets (21,22) which produce a mist inside each chamber. Air is fed by a pump (28) into the first chamber and passes upwards through the mist in that chamber, through an aperture (20) near the top of a partition wall (19) and downwards through the mist in the second chamber. The thus-ionized air leaves the second chamber via an outlet pipe (30) and passes through a demoisturizing coil (31). The water for feeding to the jets is contained in a reservoir (2) at the bottom of a casing (1) in which the container is mounted.

Abstract: This invention relates to hydraulic master cylinder assemblies having a hydraulic master cylinder and an actuating mechanism and in particular to a hydraulic master cylinder assembly in which it is possible to alter the travel ratio between a driver operable actuating lever and a piston of the hydraulic master cylinder. The actuating mechanism includes a lever mechanism interposed between the actuating lever and the piston the effective lever arm length of which can be altered by means of an adjustable member forming part of the lever mechanism.

Abstract: Three burners are supplied with pulverized fuel entrained in air from a splitter and are brought to combustion under optimum conditions by adjustment of the secondary air flow to each. The rates of flow of primary and secondary air are determined and signals from these, and a representation of the total fuel supply are supplied to a computer by which the amount of fuel flowing to each burner is deduced from the ratio of the air supplied to the burners.

Abstract: The clutch comprises a clutch plate which can be retracted by a release mechanism to release a driven plate. The release mechanism includes first and second members and an intermediate detent. The detent is located between the members by urging the first member in one direction relative to the second member. To separate the first and second members, the first member is initially urged further in said one direction to release the detent.

Abstract: A liquid heating system, for example a central heating system, including a heat store in the form of a stack of bricks heated to a relatively high temperature by electric heating elements embedded in the bricks and energized by off-peak electricity is thermally connected to a vessel containing the liquid to be heated by a controllable heat pipe. The heat pipe includes an evaporator zone in thermal contact with the heat store and a condenser zone in thermal contact with the vessel, which could be a water tank. The zones are joined by at least one duct to form a hermetically sealed unit containing a small quantity of a volatile liquid which, in use, is a totally evaporated in the evaporator zone so that the rate of heat transfer to the condenser zone from the evaporator zone is determined by the return flow rate of condensed volatile liquid to the evaporator zone.

Abstract: A selector mechanism has an operating member for connecting to a control cable of a gear box, and a gear stick for controlling the movements of the operating member. The mechanism is arranged so that movement of the gear stick around a U-shaped gate produces uni-directional movement of the operating member whereby gears PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL and DRIVE can be selected on one leg of the gate and the gear DRIVE, THIRD and SECOND can be selected on the other leg of the gate.

Abstract: A friction clutch comprises a cover member, a pressure plate mounted to the cover member by drive straps and a diaphragm spring interposed between the cover member and pressure plate so as to urge the pressure plate towards and into frictional engagement with a driven plate. The diaphragm spring has the usual outer belville portion and inwardly projecting fingers. The outer parts of the fingers themselves and particularly the junctions with the belville portion are stiffened by stiffening ribs which resist finger bending and thus reduce release travel. The ribs extend into and terminate within the belville portion without reaching its outer periphery. Fulcrum rings such as 17 incorporate raised bridge portions to provide clearance for the ribs.

Abstract: A transmission comprises gear trains which provide increasing speed ratios and two clutches which are operable independently to provide alternative paths through the gear trains between an input and an output. The gear trains provide alternate ratios driven respectively through one and the other clutch. The input comprises a first shaft drivable by one clutch and a shaft drivable by the other clutch. A layshaft is provided through which drive in a selected ratio is transmitted from one of the first and second shafts to the other to drive the output which is also a shaft. One of the first and second shafts has a gear thereon which meshes with a gear on the output shaft.

Abstract: A duo-servo brake comprising a pair of arcuate brake shoes within a brake drum, automatic operating means being located between opposed shoe ends for adjusting the clearance between shoes and drum characterized by the provision of a pair of pivotable adjuster plates having pawls each pawl being engageable with a ratchet toothed adjuster wheel whereby when the shoes are moved by drag from the drum upon brake actuation the automatically operated means enables pivotable movement of one or other adjuster plate to cause its pawl to ride over a ratchet wheel tooth, springs subsequently causing the wheel to rotate a screw-threaded means to automatically adjust the clearance between one or other of the shoes and the drum.

Abstract: A friction clutch driven plate comprises a hub with a small integral flange and an outer flange portion coupled to the hub through a lost motion connection associated with interengaging teeth. In addition to main torsional damping springing associated with springs in windows in the outer flange portion and side plates of a friction facing carrier, auxiliary circumferentially acting springing acts between the hub and the outer flange portion. The auxiliary springing comprises two springs, one to each side of the hub flange. The springs are circumferentially extending spring arms engaged in the hub and outer flange portion and together are much weaker than the main springs taken together and provide damping to prevent idle rattle while the main springs provide friction damping during transmission of torque through the driven plate.

Abstract: A boiler safety valve installation with a safety valve discharging relief steam through an upstand into a separately supported vent pipe. The upstand discharges through a belled nozzle approximately 30.degree. (0.5 steradian) included angle into the vent pipe thereby, on discharge of relief steam, inducing a sub-atmospheric pressure in the space intermediate the discharge nozzle and the vent pipe and lessening the risk of escape of steam at a sliding junction between the upstand and the vent pipe. In installation where the relief steam flow reaches supersonic velocity at discharge from the belled nozzle the vent pipe diameter is constricted by about 5%-10% at a zone downstream of the discharge nozzle to produce a shock front and reduce the velocity to sub-sonic, thereby reducing the frictional flow loss effects while economizing in vent pipe size without causing a build-up of back pressure in the space intermediate the discharge nozzle and the vent pipe.

Abstract: An improved industrial filter apparatus for separating particulate material from air and/or other gases is disclosed. A plurality of individual filter elements are enclosed in a housing which admits particulate laden gases to enter the top of the housing and flow downwardly, radially inwardly of the individual filter units so that particulates accumulate on the exterior of the filters. The interior of a plurality of filters communicate with a common clean air duct functioning as a plenum which is closed at one end and open at its opposite end to a clean air outlet fitting in the side wall of the housing. Also within the clean air duct are a plurality of venturis communicating with the duct and the interior of each filter. A compressed air source is arranged to fire pulses of air upwardly through the venturis to remove the particulates from the exterior filter surface.

Abstract: An arc splitter plate made of steel includes a pair of spaced parallel limbs which merge together at one end into a block forming a notch therebetween. Toward an end portion of the block remote from the notch is an insulated region which extends across a portion of a first face of the block, over a leading edge of the block, and onto a second face of the block. The insulated region is formed from an insulating means which is made from a tape including combined layers of an insulating material and an adhesive. The arc splitter plates are for use in arc chutes and more especially for use in cold cathode arc chutes.

Abstract: A friction clutch cover assembly comprises a cover and a pressure plate connected to the cover by flexible straps. An outer flange of the cover is deformed adjacent to each flexible strap to provide a respective abutment surface which in the event of excessive pressure plate movement away from the cover each flexible strap will contact to limit said movement.

Abstract: An electro-optical meter for indicating consistency of a liquid slurry, employs a light source and a detector of backscattered radiation. The light is caused to scan the slurry while holding the light intensity and the peak-to-peak value of the detected signal constant. The distribution of backscattered light is measured and the minimum to maximum intensity of backscattered light is controlled.

Abstract: A friction clutch driven plate comprises an inner hub and a sleeve mounted on the inner hub for limited relative angular movement thereto by means of splines having clearance therebetween. Side plates secured to the hub are coupled through main torsion damping springs to a friction facing carrier having friction facings. The relative angular movement between hub and sleeve is controlled by two circumferentially extending springs which are arranged to be loaded in bending during this movement. To this end seats on the hub and on the sleeve engage against abutments on the springs. The springs are located in grooves of the hub and bear against end faces of the sleeve and so act as circlips to provide axial location between the hub and the sleeve.

Abstract: A tool head assembly for use in preparing a tube for welding including a center pilot which is rotatable. The center pilot is adapted to enter a bore of a tube to center the tool head assembly by being provided with ball bearings which rotate around the internal surface of the bore of the tube. In addition, the ball bearings are moveable thereby enabling a required operative diameter to be selected which enables the center pilot to enter the bores of a batch of tubes having a range of internal bores. The center pilot is engageable with a tool holder which is connectable to a machine tool. The tool holder also supports a pair of bevelling tools and a facing tool.

Abstract: An electro-chemical cell has porous sensing and counter electrodes S, C mounted on porous PTFE tapes 4, 5 and contacting the electrolyte of the cell which is drawn from a reservoir by a wick 12. Gas passes directly to the electrode S at 14 and any gas which does not react passes through the electrode S to the electrode C, passing across the electrolyte space by way of a porous insulating separator 10 which is partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic, thus providing a path for gas while preserving the electrolyte path between the electrodes. The current flowing between the electrodes is measured in the usual way. The electrode C will not see any particular gas which reacts fully at the electrode S since it will be removed by this electrode first. The electrode C will, however, see any other gas which only partially reacts at the electrode S, thus achieving partial or even complete elimination of the effect of an interfering gas.