Abstract: A toroidal hybrid transformer includes a primary winding (2), which is superconducting in operation and a secondary winding (10) which is non-superconducting, separated by thermal and electrical insulation. A strength member (1) withstanding the centripetal forces exerted on the primary winding supports the primary winding (2) and is disposed inside the conductor turns (20, 21; 26, 27, 28) constituting the primary winding. Anchoring wedges (3, 12) mechanically couple the strength member to at least that portion of each of said conductor turns which is adjacent to the axis of symmetry (14) of the toroidal transformer, thereby transmitting the centripetal forces exerted on the primary winding to the strength member.

Abstract: A system for transmitting broadband data signals between a mobile element and a fixed control station utilizes a fixed hollow tube forming a fixed waveguide for microwaves provided with a continuous longitudinal center slot and a movable hollow tube carrying the moving element and forming a moving waveguide for microwaves. The movable hollow tube has a longitudinal axis which forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the fixed hollow tube and is equipped with an electric antenna penetrating into the center slot of the fixed hollow tube and coupled to the movable hollow tube via a coaxial cable-to-waveguide transition. The movable hollow tube is also provided with an elongated center slot parallel to its longitudinal axis and cooperates with a transmit and/or receive antenna for transmitting the microwave radiation to the mobile element linked thereby with the fixed control station.

Abstract: A method of extracting packets of blades (1) insertable radially into a disk (5) of a steam turbine rotor, for the purpose of being fixed therein. The flat situated above the feet of the blades are clamped and then pulled out radially. Apparatus for performing the method comprises two levers (15) hinged to each other such that moving the rear arms (18) apart causes the front arms (17) fitted with jaws (20) to clamp against the flats of the blades. Actuators (23) move the entire apparatus (14) radially away from the disk (5). The packets of blades (1) are extracted without being damaged and they may be reused after the disk (5) has been repaired.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle having steerable axles. A track guide icle comprises at least one pair of independent wheel axles, and at least two members (14, 15) for measuring the transverse position of the vehicle relative to the track, and it is characterized in that it includes at least one measuring member (20) for measuring the angle of the axles relative to references related to portions of the vehicle, and at least two actuator members (21) for correcting said angles by bearing against said axles, and a servo-control circuit receiving the signals from said measuring members and generating control signals for said actuator members.

Abstract: Apparatus including a magnet (10) having at least one degree of freedom w respect to a first member, tangent to the direction of measurement and cooperating with a magnetic portion associated with a second member, and a sensor (11) for picking up the position of the magnet relative to the first member. Such apparatus is employed in steerable railway vehicles.

Abstract: Information is transmitted at microwave frequencies, the ground station being connected to a waveguide (25) and the station aboard a railway vehicle being connected to an antenna (26). Each station comprises a microwave generator (19) supplying a carrier, transmitters (3 through 7) supplying subcarriers, receivers (28 through 32) and a pilot generator (1). The carrier and subcarrier frequencies are multiples of the pilot frequency and the frequency difference between adjacent subcarriers equals the pilot frequency. A transmitter mixer (MTX) receives the carrier and the subcarriers and is connected to a circulator (24), itself linked to the waveguide (25) in the ground station and to the vehicle station antenna. A receiver mixer (MRX) is connected via a filter (23) to the circulator (24) and receives the carrier from the microwave generator; the latter mixer is connected to the receivers (28 through 32) to which it sends the subcarriers transmitted by the other station.

Abstract: Connector consists of a male connector part (40) linked to the tension line (6) and operable to penetrate a female receptacle part (1) being part of the anchoring point and having an upper necked portion (.phi..sub.2) forming an internal circular shoulder (3). The connector comprising a cylindrical body (5) connected to the line and an internal cavity (10) whose cylindrical wall (16) is provided with a circular series of openings (11) to the outside. Each opening receives a dog (12) operable to assume a first, extended position projecting radially beyond the connector wall (16), radially abutting said wall and bearing upon the bottom surface of the opening (11) under the urging of a spring (14) and a second, retracted position during descent of the male connector part due to the pushing of the inclined bottom face (18) of the end of the dog against the mouth (4) of the female receptacle part.

Abstract: The optical fiber interferometer system is used either in a gyroscope or else for measuring electrical current by the Faraday effect. It includes an optical board (100) which is connected to the two ends of a monomode optical fiber (200) constituting an interferometer ring, said optical board including a photodetector (103) which is colinear with the light source which is coupled by both its front and its rear faces. The two counter-propagating beams travelling round the interferometer ring have their relative phase difference modulated by phase modulation and their light power modulated by amplitude modulation. An electronics board (300) generates these modulations and, from the photodetector signal (103), it extracts a component at the lower beat frequency between said two modulation frequencies, thereby making it possible to measure the relative phase difference between the two beams.

Abstract: A commutator for a rotary electric machine, and a method of manufacturing said commutator.The commutator comprises a ceramic support and metal segments, the support constituted by a plurality of parts (1, 2) which are mutually separated by respective axial gaps (8) and bonded to the ceramic by a copper oxide eutectic surface.The invention is applicable to electric machines including commutators.

Abstract: A zero latching force energy storage device has a first rod (10) sliding along an axis X and subjected to axial thrust from a first spring (17), with the first rod (10) being fixed at a first end to latching means and being coupled at a second end to energy storage means. The latching means include a rod (18) provided with a transverse bore (19) which, when in the set position, receives a latching member (100) controlled by an electromagnet (121). The energy storage means include a second rod (20) slidable along the same axis X and subjected to axial force from a second spring (34), with the free end of the second rod facing the free end of the first rod and being coupling to the first rod (10) and for locking it when the latching member (100) is in its set position.

Abstract: An operating device for a railroad switch, the device comprising a right drive rod (5) connected to a right point blade (1), a left drive rod (6) connected to a left point blade (2), and a moving carriage (7) driven by a motor between a right locking plate (12) and a left locking plate (13). The plate is held in position by a frame (36). The right drive rod (5) is situated between the right locking plate (12) and the carriage (7) and being received in a right groove (14) of the carriage. The left drive rod (6) is situated between the left locking plate (13) and the carriage (7) by being received in a left groove (15) of the carriage. Each drive rod (5, 6) is provided with two floating pegs (8 to 11) extending perpendicularly to the grooves and each is received in a corresponding notch (16 to 19) in the rod.

Abstract: Moving blading for a steam turbine, the blading comprising blades (1) having respective bodies (3) provided with caps or fins (4), said caps or fins (4) on adjacent blades coming into contact at least during rotation of the blading over a plane surface which is substantially parallel to the radial axis (Z'Z) of the blade and giving rise to blade body twisting by virtue of said contacts (7, 8), the blading being characterized in that, in addition to the contacts (7 and 8) between adjacent caps or fins (4), it includes a link which is provided by means of additional contacts (A, A') free to slide rectilinearly in a plane corresponding to the plane of each cap or fin (4) along an axis which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation OO' of the blading, said additional contacts (A, A') being situated at a relatively large distance from said contacts (7, 8) which give rise to twisting. The invention improves the vibration properties of the blades.

Abstract: A device for ventilating fluid radiators (5) and/or starting and braking rheostats (15) in a locomotive which is powered electrically, by means of an internal combustion engine, or by a combination thereof, said radiators and/or rheostats being disposed in a layer close to the locomotive roof (4). The device includes at least one tangential fan (8,9) having a horizontal axis which extends longitudinally relative to the locomotive and blowing air towards said radiators and/or said rheostats. The device further includes air intake openings (6,7) located in the side faces (2,3) of the locomotive.

Abstract: A method of laying a protective coating on a blade (1) made of a titanium alloy including vanadium. Vanadium powder is deposited on the portion of the blade (1) to be coated, the temperature of the powder is then raised to a temperature slightly greater than the melting point of vanadium. A powder of a cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy is then deposited on the layer of vanadium, and this powder is raised to a temperature greater than its melting temperature and less than the melting temperature of vanadium. A blade made of an alloy of titanium including vanadium is characterized in that the blade includes a coating layer (5) of cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy at its periphery, said layer being at least 1 mm thick and covering an underlayer of vanadium (6) which has a thickness lying in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. The resulting blade has very high resistance to abrasion by water droplets.

Abstract: The inductor comprises two portions each having its own casing (3, 4) and capable of pivoting about a hinge (7), thereby enabling the inductor to be opened and removed rear-wardly on a supporting carriage (8), as shown. The carriage is advanced when the inductor is to be closed around metal being cast (A) from a continuous casting mold (1).

Abstract: The portion of the blade (1) to be coated has pure vanadium powder deposited thereon and the temperature of the powder is raised to a temperature which is slightly higher than the melting point of vanadium. Thereafter, a powder mixture is deposited on the vanadium layer, said powder comprising about one third by weight of titanium carbides, titanium nitrides, or titanium borides, which are bonded by a martensitic or austenomartensitic stainless steel. The powder is then raised to a temperature which is greater than its melting temperature and less than the melting temperature of vanadium. A titanium alloy blade it includes, on its periphery, a coating layer (5) which is at least 1 mm thick and which includes about one third by weight titanium carbides, or titanium nitrides, or titanium borides bonded by a martensitic or austenomartensitic stainless steel, said coating layer covering an under layer (6) of vanadium having a thickness lying between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

Abstract: The covering is immersed in water (2). A viscoelastic substance (4) is disposed in ducts formed by rigid auxiliary walls (5) fixed to the base wall (1). The ends of these ducts (6) contain air. The invention is applicable, in particular, to providing protection against under-sea noise.

Abstract: A synchronous machine having a rotor fixed to a shaft carried by bearings (23), and having stator and rotor windings (1,2) which are superconducting and which are cooled by very low temperature helium, with each of the windings and the gap (5) therebetween being located in vacuum enclosure, the synchronous machine including the improvement whereby the stator windings are cooled by a bath of liquid helium (12), whereby the rotor windings are cooled by a flow of helium above its critical pressure (14, 15, 16), and whereby said flow of helium above its critical pressure and said liquid helium bath constitute parts of a circuit for cooling helium which is initially under high pressure, which is expanded (8) to a pressure slightly above its critical pressure, which is cooled in a heat exchanger (10) disposed in the liquid helium bath, which is heated by contact with the rotor windings, which is then liquified by further expansion (18), and which finally returned to the liquid helium bath (12).

Abstract: The electric rotating machine has a stator and a rotor with superconducting windings placed within separate cryogenic enclosures for the stator and the rotor. The cryogenic enclosures are in turn placed within evacuated thermal insulation enclosures separated by the annular clearance space which is at low pressure, thus considerably simplifying the arrangements required for dynamic sealing of motor bearings.

Abstract: The sluice oscillates about a shaft (16) in order to control the level of a downstream reach (4) to occupy a reference level as defined by the position of an opening (36) for connection to the atmosphere and suitable for being closed by a needle (38) carried on a float (40). The plate (6) is driven by a caisson (18) which is immersed in the upstream reach (2) and which contains a quantity of water (28) that is increased by sucking air via a hydraulic Venturi (50) driven by the flow of water between the two reaches. The displacements of the float (40) control the pressure reduction which is actually applied to said caisson in such a manner as to obtain the desired level control. The invention is applicable to controlling irrigation networks.