Abstract: An overcurrent protection switch having one or more thermal and/or magnetic trips (14,21) and a mechanical switch latch which essentially consists of an actuating element and a latching lever (6) which acts in conjunction with the former and which with its first end acts upon a plunger (8) which is guided in the longitudinal direction of the housing (69) under an initial spring tension and which drives the switching contacts, and which latching lever rests with its other end in the latching position under an initial spring tension on a support area (13) of a trip lever (9), wherein, for improving the switching-off characteristics and the handling characteristics of the switch, the trip lever (9) is constructed as an essentially L-shaped angle lever which in the area of its angle is rotationally supported on a shaft (75) which is stationary with respect to the housing, which lever is subjected to an initial spring tension with respect to the thermal and/or magnetic trip (14,21) and which engages with the swive

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor solar cell in which a layer of semiconductor material is applied to a substrate by means of plasma spraying. The energy density in the plasma zone is maintained sufficiently high that the semiconductor vaporizes and is brought out of the plasma zone in the form of a vapor jet, which is condensed on the substrate in the form of a semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A thyristor comprises two semiconductor plates, discs or chips, one n-doped and one p-doped, each having a structure of parallel ridges on one major surface and an opposite conducting type layer on the other major surface, two plates, discs or chips being assembled together under pressure with the structured surfaces facing and rotated relative to each other so that the ridges cross and touch to form pn junctions produced by plastic deformation of the crystal lattice and pnpn layer sequences. The invention also includes a method of manufacturing such thyristors.

Abstract: A flat sealing gasket, such as a cylinder head gasket, for an internal combustion engine, has at least one opening, a cross-sectionally generally U-shaped armor framing the opening. The armor has legs straddling marginal edge zones of the gasket defining the opening. Each armor leg has an inner face in engagement with the gasket and an outer face oriented away from the gasket. A low-friction coating is provided on the outer face of at least one of the armor legs. Those sealing faces of the gasket which are externally of the armor are substantially free from the low-friction coating.

Abstract: A hard alloy including at least one hard phase and a binary or multicomponent binder metal alloy, in which the hard substance comprises a finely dispersed, homogeneous distribution in the binder metal. The hard phase comprises a carbide of a Group IVb, Vb or VIb transition metal, and the binder metal alloy comprises a solid alloy of a Group IVb, Vb or VIb transition metal, with Re, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, or Pt.

Abstract: In an overvoltage protection circuit for an amplifier inserted in series between lengths of a signal transmission line, the line including a ground path and the amplifier being supplied with operating power via the transmission line and including power supply inputs conductively connected to the transmission line lengths via a current supply filter, there is provided: one single overvoltage arrester for providing coarse overvoltage protection connected between the ground path and one of the power supply inputs, and lowpass filters connected between the arrester and each transmission line length.

Abstract: A centrifugal caster comprising a motor driven centrifuge arm connected to a weight arm, both of which are rotatable about a vertical axis. A casting chamber is connected to the centrifuge arm and has a melting crucible disposed therein, and a counterweight is fixedly attached to the weight arm. The casting chamber is provided with a region for mounting a muffle set comprising a casting muffle inserted into an exchangeable muffle cage which is associated with the casting muffle according to size and weight, whereby the total weight of the muffle set is of such magnitude that upon rotation, the centrifuge arm is in balance with the weight arm and its fixedly attached counterweight.

Abstract: An epitaxial reactor comprises an enclosed evacuable container, a heating tube in the container in the wall of which there is a heat source and a temperature control system which is sealed at one end, a feed line for reaction gas, which line passes along the heating tube so as to provide an outlet for reaction gas adjacent the seal, and means for accommodating the elements to be treated on the inside of the heating tube.

Abstract: A vertical conveyor comprises a driving drum; a tensioning drum spaced vertically from the driving drum and supported shiftably for varying its distance from the driving drum; a vertically oriented endless carrier trained about the driving drum and the tensioning drum; a tensioning weight situated spaced from and in vertical alignment with the tensioning drum; and coupling elements situated between and in vertical alignment with the tensioning weight and the tensioning drum. The coupling elements are secured to the tensioning weight and to the tensioning drum for directly transmitting forces from the tensioning weight to the tensioning drum urging the tensioning drum vertically away from the driving drum, whereby the endless carrier is tensioned.

Abstract: The analog output from a local DAC comprising an LDAC and an MDAC, in which the full scale of the LDAC is always larger than the quantized level of the MDAC, is compared with an input analog signal which is sampled and held. A digital code obtained by successive approximation in accordance with the result of the comparison is stored in a successive approximation register. A shift code for calibrating the D/A conversion in the local DAC by shifting the digital code which is previously allotted to each digital code is stored in a shift code generating circuit (ROM). The digital code from the successive approximation register is digitally shifted in accordance with the shift code by a code shift circuit such as a digital adder/subtractor to obtain an A/D conversion output. An analog to digital converter with a high accuracy and an improved conversion speed is inexpensively fabricated in the form of a one chip LSI by a usual CMOS process.

Abstract: A superconducting electron beam generator comprising a cavity resonator situated in a refrigerator and containing a superconductive metal member fixed on the cavity end plate, a tip of which member is disposed at the strongest point of a high frequency electric field formed in the cavity. A high quality and high energy coherent electron beam is emitted by the electric field from the tip of the metal member along an axis of the cavity and derived through a minute hole formed through the opposite end plate. This superconducting electron beam generator is particularly suitable for a high resolution electron microscope, a high quality X-ray generator, a crystallographic electron beam apparatus and the like.

Abstract: In an electromagnetic transducer including a member producing a magnetic field and presenting an air gap traversed by the field, a mass of magnetic liquid extending across the air gap, and a moving coil mounted on a moving coil carrier supported for movement through the air gap, the carrier is provided with at least one passage located to communicate with the magnetic liquid during at least part of the movement of the coil carrier through the air gap for permitting flow of magnetic liquid from one side to the other of the carrier in the direction of the air gap.

Abstract: A method for compensating nonlinearities of a transmission member in a radio relay transmission system by means of a linear converter having a linear gain characteristic and a harmonic generator converter having a nonlinear characteristic, in which an intermediate frequency signal modulated a useful signal is converted by a local oscillator signal into a radio frequency signal and the output signals of the two converters are linked together by a network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically operating a semi-continuous passenger transport system using non-motorized vehicles. Fault conditions corresponding to passengers or articles carried by passengers projecting beyond a surface limiting access to the vehicles in stations are detected. Detection of such fault conditions initiates progressive implementation of fault condition signalling, and slowing and stopping of the tracks which drive the vehicles. These measures are progressively cancelled on clearance of the fault condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in selective plating a component, which apparatus comprises an electroplating zone, a series of movable selective plating heads in an endless chain configuration, wherein each plating head comprises an electrolyte opening, means for indexing the plating head to a component, means for engaging the component so as to expose an area to be selectively plated to electrolyte, means for releasably sealing the rear of the component in the region of the area to be plated, means for fastening the sealing means prior to the entry of the plating head into the electroplating zone and means for releasing the sealing means after the plating head leaves the electroplating zone, resilient or slidable couplings provided between the plating heads and means provided in the electroplating zone for supplying electrolyte to the area to be selectively plated, as well as a method of selective plating a component, which method comprises: providing an electroplating zone and moving through the electroplating zone a

Abstract: In order to control the thickness of a metal or metal compound coating which is formed on a face of a freshly formed ribbon of hot glass during its travel from a flat glass forming installation by contacting such face at a coating station with a fluid medium or fluid media comprising a substance or substances from which the coating is formed, preparatory to being coated, the glass (4) is thermally conditioned (e.g. selectively or differentially heated) at a thermal conditioning station between the flat glass forming installation and the coating station, so as to eliminate or reduce temperature gradients across the ribbon width to be coated.