Abstract: Pedestal-type tables are joined together along two planar edges by using two pairs of alignable spaced-apart openings in the table tops. A sleeve member includes a resilient circumferential constriction closely spaced from the terminal of the sleeve wherein a fastener is used to secure the sleeve within the opening in the table top. Cylindrical connector elements each includes circumferential recesses spaced from the terminal ends to releasably receive the resilient constrictions in the sleeve member to form releasable interconnection elements in the aligned openings in the table tops when the planar edges are disposed in a juxtaposed relation.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously separating sulfur from an aqueous sulfur suspension which is heated above the melting point of sulfur. The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel having heating and stirring means in its upper part, the lower part of the vessel serving as a settling tank where sulfur is precipitated out of the aqueous solution and withdrawn through an outlet in the bottom of the vessel. Intermediate the upper and lower parts of the vessel is a substantially horizontal, shallow conical partition which has apertures or slots therein to permit the suspension to pass from the upper part to the lower part. A steam-heated jacket surrounds the vessel; while pressure sensing devices are utilized to maintain the level of the water in the top part and the boundary surface between the water phase and the sulfur phase in the bottom part at desired heights.

Abstract: A system for automatic cold-junction referencing of thermocouples in temperature controllers wherein a differential amplifier is used to amplify the thermocouple signal prior to establishing the cold-junction compensation and measuring range. This permits the use of command signals from any floating or single-ended source, making the controller compatible with existing traditional command generators and with computer systems with digital-to-analog converters. The amplifier isolates the thermocouple from the remainder of the circuitry such that it can be grounded on the heated part.

Abstract: A method is provided for preventing the accumulation of fatty deposits in mammalian livers due to ingestion of alcohol. The method consists of administering a suitable dosage of a mixture of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone to which riboflavin may also be added.

Abstract: A method for operating a battery of horizontal coke ovens which are connected to primary and secondary gas-collecting mains extending alongside the battery, wherein dust-laden gas which occurs during charging of an oven is caused to flow through the secondary main while the velocity of the gas in the secondary main is maintained at a level which will prevent settling of the dust and the temperature within the secondary main is maintained at a level which will prevent condensation of tars.

Abstract: A stream of hot primary gas rising from the gasification region in a slag bath generator passes through an after-gasification region and thence into a cooling region. The stream of hot gas is cooled in the cooling region by injecting purified and cooled primary gas through tangentially-arranged nozzles at an outlet velocity of between 1 and 8 meters per second. Below the tangentially-arranged nozzles, other gas-cooling nozzles inject cooled and purified primary gas into the hot gas stream upwardly at an angle within 10.degree.-60.degree. , preferably at 45.degree. and at an outlet velocity of between 10 and 160 meters per second. The upwardly-inclined gas injection nozzles are carried by the inner wall of an annular duct. The inner wall extends between a lining of cooling tubes surrounding the vertical gas flow space.

Abstract: The stuffing box chamber in a fitting, particularly a valve, contains a deformable stuffing box seal. The seal includes conventional sealing material and a constituent material such as zinc or aluminum having a standard potential that is less positive in the electrochemical potential series than the potential of the material defining the stuffing box chamber, i.e., the constituent material is less precious. Dust, granules or filaments of less precious material are mixed with the standard sealing material. Another embodiment includes alternating layers of discs made from the conventional and less precious materials. A further embodiment provides that the less precious material is an envelope or coating surrounding the conventional sealing material.

Abstract: Optical apparatus for measuring the amount of light reflected and/or scattered by particles suspended in a fluid, such as scrubber carryover appearing as a spray of dispersed water droplets. The amount of light reflected and/or scattered is an indication of the volume and mass of the suspended particles. A beam of light is caused to pass diagonally across a stream of purging gas used to keep the optical components clean and is directed onto the suspended particles at a point outside the purging gas stream. The light reflected back through the purging stream is then measured in intensity to determine the total volume of the particles from which mass may be determined. The invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art devices in which the purging gas can disrupt the environment in which particle density is to be measured.

Abstract: Drive gears with unique teeth profiles drivingly couple the output shaft of a drive on a drum-cutter mining machine to a rack extending along the course of travel of the mining machine. A prime mover on the mining machine is coupled to a drive gearwheel having gear teeth with tooth flanks defined by segments of a hypocycloid. These gear teeth mesh with a rack drive gearwheel having gear teeth with tooth flanks defined by segments of an epicycloid. The gear teeth of the rack drive gearwheel have a slender profile to penetrate into the spaces between pins forming part of a guide rail rack.

Abstract: A rack device consisting of movable and immovable rack segments extends along a face conveyor for a mining machine having a drive gear engageable with the rack device to propel the machine along the working face of a mine. Rack holders are fixedly connected to conveyor pan sections joined together for pivotal movement to form the face conveyor. The rack segments are coupled to spaced-apart rack holders by pivot shafts. The immovable rack segments extend along a single conveyor pan section while each movable rack segment bridges a joint between conveyor pan sections. Pivot shafts for the movable rack segments are received in elongated slots in the rack holders whereby the movable rack segments move through a gap distance formed by a clearance between the pivot shaft and the slot. This gap distance is greater in magnitude than the clearance between the joined conveyor pan sections.

Abstract: Hot gases containing naphthalene and tar together with the possible inclusion of solids are contacted in a spray tower with water to cool the gases. A naphthalene extraction agent, such as tar, is vigorously admixed with water withdrawn from the spray tower. The admixture is separated in a settling tank from which water is obtained and recycled to the spray tower for cooling further quantities of gases. Solids, gas condensate and tar enriched with naphthalene are separately removed from the settling tank.

Abstract: A valve device for draining liquids from a tank and, more particularly, a valve device for draining lubricating oil from an engine crankcase. The valve of the invention is characterized in having a generally tubular valve casing, containing a valve element spring-biased into closed position, which is permanently threaded into an opening in a tank. To open the valve and drain the contents of the tank, a pressing sleeve is inserted into the valve casing, this pressing sleeve serving to engage the valve element and unseat it as the sleeve advances into the casing by turning a cap nut which threads onto the casing, whereupon liquid will flow through the now-open valve and the pressing sleeve to a sump or the like.

Abstract: A method for removing hydrogen sulfide from gases, particularly coke oven gas, and for obtaining elemental sulfur in a Claus plant, characterized in that sulfur dioxide and elemental sulfur in the residual gases from the Claus plant are hydrogenated to form hydrogen sulfide which is mixed with incoming coke oven gas or the like prior to passing into a hydrogen-sulfide scrubbing unit. In this manner, essentially no sulfur compounds escape into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A method for agglomerating particulate steel mill wastes such as roll scale and coke fines, and for utilizing the agglomerate in a metallurgical furnace. The wastes are mixed with Portland cement and cast into slabs which are thereafter broken and screened to a size which can be charged into a metallurgical furnace by automatic handling and weighing systems.

Abstract: A low reflectivity radome includes an enclosure wall made of foamed plastic material defining a dielectric constant of about 1.08. Stiffening ribs made from reinforced glass fibers with a dielectric constant of about 4.0 are arranged in an orthogonal manner along planes normal to a tangent to the air-side surface of the radome and at least partially embedded in the enclosure wall for compressive strengthening thereof. Different orthogonal arrangements include the ribs being totally embedded within the enclosure wall, the ribs projecting to uniform or different distances from the inside surface of the enclosure wall or the ribs are arranged in closely, spaced-apart pairs and project from the inside surface of the enclosure wall. When the ribs are totally embedded in the foamed plastic material, the distance between the ends of the ribs and each face surface of the enclosure is selected so that incident microwaves undergo identical phase shifts for all parallel paths through the enclosure wall.

Abstract: A feed horn mounted within a streamlined enclosure upon the top surface of a wing of an aircraft at an outwardly-spaced location to direct electromagnetic wave energy toward the face surface of a dielectric slim lens having a metallic reflector between the lens and the fuselage of the aircraft to effect a double-traversal of the incident wave energy. The metallic reflector is planar or parabolic to trim the aerodynamic cross section. When the metal skin of the fuselage is used as the reflector, the dielectric constant of the lens is modified by varying its thickness to produce a very sharp beam by compensating for the curvature of the fuselage at the lens support site.

Abstract: A support for a mine opening includes an elastic plate member with a preformed curvature across its length. Two props at each end of the plate member provide support after emplacement into a load-bearing contact with the roof stratum in a flattened or near flattened configuration to exert substantially uniform pressure against the roof stratum. Rectangular tubes form chock blocks connected to the ends of the plate member. Each chock block includes a clevis to retain the ends of the two props. A spacer maintains a small clearance between the roof and the terminal end portions of the plate member and an anchor pin connects each chock block to the plate member.

Abstract: An improvement in drum mixer asphalt plants comprising a combustion chamber which substantially completely surrounds an open flame projecting into the inlet end of the drum mixer and prevents the temperature at any point within the drum from reaching the level where it will burn asphaltic materials to produce pollutants which would otherwise be discharged into the atmosphere. At the same time, the combustion chamber will produce heated gases flowing into the drum at a sufficiently high and uniform temperature to melt the asphalt and permit entry of the asphalt and aggregate, including recycled asphalt paving materials, close to the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A novel core assembly is used in a sand mold for casting a hollow section in a coupler head extending beyond a horn line into a coupler shank of a coupler for a railway vehicle. The core assembly includes head and shank core members having face surfaces each including a recess surface and a projected surface arranged such that the recess surface in the head core receives the projected surface in the shank core. In a similar way, the recess surface in the shank core receives the projected surface in the head core to maintain the head and shank cores in an aligned abutting relation while supported in the sand mold. The face surfaces extend transversely to the coupler shank along a parting line spaced rearwardly of the plane containing the horn line of the coupler. The face surfaces are further characterized by a conically-shaped projection extending from one core member into a conically-shaped opening in the other core member to mechanically interconnect and align the two core members.

Abstract: A heat pump having an auxiliary outdoor coil equipped with heating means preventing the surface temperature during the heating cycle from falling below 32.degree. C. The heating means comprises an electrical resistance heater in thermal contact with the fins of the outdoor coil such that heat is transferred to the fins by conduction. The system incorporates means to permit functioning immediately upon return to the heating cycle from a cooling cycle even though the pressure in the receiver of the system initially exceeds that in the indoor coil. Additionally, the system incorporates means for protecting the compressor from liquid floodback when changeover occurs from heating to cooling.