Abstract: Solar energy concentrating apparatus having an array of lenses to receive and concentrate the solar radiation towards a plurality of stationary targets. The lenses are supported on a moveable structure to enable the lenses to move laterally in the east-west and north-south directions. Each lens of the array is also configured to rotate about an axis extending in the north-south direction. Drive means is coupled to a plurality of lateral and rotational movements mechanisms to orientate the lenses towards the target as the sun moves throughout the day and year.

Abstract: Apparatus to collect solar radiation using a series of lenses or mirrors that concentrate the solar energy onto targets. A gaseous working fluid flowing through the targets is heated and optionally supplied to a heat store having an internal walled labyrinth of a suitable material to store heat energy. A heat exchanger, turbine and electricity generator are coupled to the collection and storage apparatus so as to provide a power plant for the conversion of solar energy to electricity.

Abstract: A method of carding a fibrous feedstock to form a carded sliver uses a carding engine (10) having a main toothed wire cylinder (11), a taker-in (12), a doffer (13), and a series of flats (14) movable along a closed loop (15) having a working path (16) arranged alongside the outer periphery of the cylinder (11) between the taker-in (12) and the doffer (13) in order to carry out a carding operation on the feedstock in cooperation with the teeth of the rotating cylinder (11) and to remove waste or trash particles and short fibers from the feedstock, in which the cylinder (11) is driven to run at normal production speed giving a circumferential speed Y of e.g. 60,000 inches per minute whereas the linear speed X of the flats (14) is a substantially increased speed compared to normal running speeds e.g. at least 16 inches per minute, thereby to produce a sliver with surprisingly improved quality which can approach that of a carded, and subsequently semi-combed (scratch-combed) or combed sliver.

Abstract: A carding engine guard arrangement includes carding engine (10) having a longitudinal axis, and respective guards (11) arranged along each side of the carding engine (10), in which at least one of the guards includes a support structure (25) arranged along one side of the carding engine (10), and a door arrangement (12) pivotally mounted on the support structure (25) to pivot about a substantially horizontal hinge axis (13, 17, 20) at or near to the upper edge of the door arrangement between a closed position guarding the side of the carding engine and a raised position allowing full access to the carding engine throughout its length, when the latter is inoperative. In a preferred arrangement, the door arrangement includes upper and lower door panels (14 and 15) in which lower panel (15) is first hinged upwardly about its upper edge (16), and thereafter the overlapping door panels (14 and 15) are hinged together upwardly as a unit about the upper hinge axis (13, 17, 20) to the raised access position.

Abstract: This is disclosed a yarn re-structuring method and apparatus for modifying the structure of a spun yarn in order to improve its properties, in which the yarn is subjected to the action of successive false twisters in order to impart a permanent modification to the structure of the yarn, in which there is a tandem arrangement of first and second oppositely acting false twisters, with the first false twister acting to at least partially unwind the origianl twist in the yarn and the second false twister acting at least partly to restore or to increase the original twist in the yarn. This action on the spun yarn improves the properties of softness and bulkiness, while retaining acceptable performance of the yarn in other characteristics.

Abstract: In a duo-card engine, a novel arrangement of crush rolls and toothed roller are used to break up the fibre web into individual fibres and fibre groups to free them from dirt, after which the fibres are reassembled on the surface of a perforated vacuum cage adjacent to and downstream of the toothed roller. This sequence of operations produces a yarn, not only of more regular texture but yarn in which the amount of trash, dust and small fibres can be reduced substantially by one half.

Abstract: A gas compressor or blower comprising a cylinder having air intake and exhaust ports; a piston which is rotatably and reciprocably movable in the cylinder; valve means for admitting air into and exhausting air from at least one chamber lying to one side of the piston; a piston shaft to which the piston is secured, the piston shaft passing through seals at the axial ends of the cylinder; means for applying a rotary drive to the piston rod; and a cam arrangement for causing reciprocation of the piston rod as this rotates; the arrangement of ports and valve means being such that as the piston rotates and reciprocates air is induced into the chamber, is compressed in the chamber and then exhausted from the chamber.

Abstract: .Iadd.A method and apparatus for the production of cotton yarns by the cotton system treats cotton fibers in a sequence of steps comprising carding the fibers and forming them into a thin carded web, passing the web through crushing rollers to crush small impurities in the web, subjecting the web on leaving the crushing rollers to a longitudinal drafting action sufficient to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement therein, condensing the web into a sliver, and drafting and spinning and fibers of said silver into yarn..Iaddend.

Abstract: A gas compressor or blower comprising a cylinder having air intake and exhaust ports; a piston which is rotatably and reciprocably movable in the cylinder; valve means for admitting air into and exhausting air from at least one chamber lying to one side of the piston; a piston shaft to which the piston is secured, the piston shaft passing through seals at the axial ends of the cylinder; means for applying a rotary drive to the piston rod; and a cam arrangement for causing reciprocation of the piston rod as this rotates; the arrangement of ports and valve means being such that as the piston rotates and reciprocates air is induced into the chamber, is compressed in the chamber and then exhausted from the chamber.