Abstract: A system of monitoring operation for a conveyor belt installation includes a conveyor belt having steel or other relatively magnetically permeable reinforcing material, the system including, in proximity to the conveyor belt, a magnetic field generator, and a sensor unit at a position downstream from the field generator, the sensor unit sensing the magnetic field emanating from the passing conveyor belt, and a monitoring unit to receive data related to the magnetic field properties sensed by the sensor unit during a plurality of passages of each part of the length of the conveyor belt past the sensor unit, the monitoring unit incorporating comparison elements to compare a received set of data with an earlier received set of data, and output elements to provide an output signal representative of reinforcement damage or deterioration when subsequently received data has departed from earlier received data by more than a prescribed extent.

Abstract: A system of monitoring operation for a conveyor belt installation includes a conveyor belt having steel or other relatively magnetically permeable reinforcing material, the system including, in proximity to the conveyor belt, a magnetic field generator, and a sensor unit at a position downstream from the field generator, the sensor unit sensing the magnetic field emanating from the passing conveyor belt, and a monitoring unit to receive data related to the magnetic field properties sensed by the sensor unit during a plurality of passages of each part of the length of the conveyor belt past the sensor unit, the monitoring unit incorporation comparison elements to compare a received set of data with an earlier received set of data, and output elements to provide an output signal representative of reinforcement damage or deterioration when subsequently received data has departed from earlier received data by more than a prescribed extent.

Abstract: An aircraft braking system for a main undercarriage or undercarriages incorporates at least two brakes, which may be carbon type brakes, and a control unit for selectively disabling at least one brake during taxiing only, the control unit being arranged to ensure that the disabling of the brake or brakes does not affect the directional stability of the aircraft when the braking system is operated.

Abstract: At least one layer of fibers of a material susceptible to heating by electromagnetic radiation is incorporated in a porous structure. The structure is subjected to the radiation to heat up the body which is contacted with hydrocarbon gas to cause the gas to deposit carbon within the porous structure and thereby cause densification.

Abstract: In a multi-disc torque transmission device such as an aircraft brake assembly in which stator discs are carried by a torque tube and rotor discs are rotatable with a wheel carried by a bearing mounted on an axle, a spacer member provides radial support between the axle and torque tube and said spacer member has a non-rigid, non-cylindrical radially outer surface region which is deformable to bear resiliently against the inner surface of the torque tube.

Abstract: In a multi-disc torque transmission device such as an aircraft brake assembly in which stator discs are carried by a torque tube and rotor discs are rotatable with a wheel carried by a bearing mounted on an axle, a spacer member provides radial support between the axle and torque tube and spring provides a resilient force for axial location of the spacer member relative to abutment surfaces defined by at least one of the axle and torque tube or at least one component carried by the axle or torque tube.

Abstract: A method for the densification of a porous structure comprises providing the structure with a body of material (13, 14) which includes a susceptor element foil (14) which is more susceptible to heating by electromagnetic radiation than the other material (13) of the body, exposing said porous structure to hydrocarbon gas and simultaneously applying an electromagnetic field to said porous structure whereby said susceptor element (14) at least in part causes heating of the porous structure to a temperature at which the gas infiltrating the porous structure deposits carbon within the porous structure.

Abstract: A method for the densification of an annular body having a porous structure and comprising layers of fabric, which includes locating a susceptor element within the porous body, the amount of the susceptor element occupying less than 5% of the volume of the porous body, the susceptor element being in the form of a layer comprising one of a foil and a fiber and having plural holes therein through which adjacent layers of fabric of the porous body contact each other, said susceptor element being made of a material which is more susceptible to heating by electromagnetic radiation than the material of the porous body, and exposing the porous body to hydrocarbon gas and simultaneously applying an electromagnetic field to the porous body, the susceptor element within the porous body at least in part causing heating of the porous body to a temperature at which the gas infiltrating the porous body deposits carbon within the porous body.

Abstract: A bulk material handling wear mat of elastomeric/polymeric material having good wear and impact resistance is disclosed and is suitable for use as a wear lining in an off road haulage vehicle in which the mat is formed as a substantially planar mat having first and second opposing surfaces one of the opposing surfaces forming an exposed wear surface when in use in which the surface is under compression. There is also disclosed an adjustable rope support with apertures and a fabric reinforcement for the wear mat .

Abstract: A multi-disc brake includes a plurality of stator discs, a plurality of rotor discs interleaved with the stator discs, a torque tube relative to which stator discs are axially slidably keyed, brake-actuating thrust members for applying an axial thrust to an end stator disc and a reaction member which provides an abutment for the other end stator disc. This other end stator disc includes an element of friction material having a first face which engages a rotor disc for dissipation of energy when axial thrust is applied to the assembly of rotor and stator discs and a second face supported by a substantially rigid backing member. The backing member is supported by the torque tube in an arrangement which prevents rotation of the backing member relative to the torque tube, and the backing member also includes location member which extends axially from that face of the backing member which supports the stator disc friction element.

Abstract: An apparatus for presenting a flexible article, longer than it is wider, in a predetermined orientation which has an orientation for tumbling the article generally about one direction while retaining the article so that it can rotate about another direction while it is being tumbled. The retention mechanism on the apparatus includes a retention face and is moveable between a first position in which the retention face is disposed to receive the article generally downwardly from the orientation head while it is being tumbled thereby, and a second position displaced from the first. Additionally, when the article is received on the retention face, it can be detected if it is correctly orientated on the retention face. In response to this detection, the retention mechanism moves to the second position and the article is received in a predetermined orientation from the retention face at the second position of the retention mechanism.

Abstract: In an aircraft braking system comprising a plurality of carbon brakes a brake control system is provided whereby the number and/or proportion of brakes that may be disabled at each stage of a flight spectrum (i.e. taxi-out, take-off, in-flight, landing, taxi-in or stationary on the ground) and also the number and/or proportion applicable during each stage is further adjusted in response to the specific conditions applicable to the aircraft status at any given time thereby to ensure that the overall safety of the aircraft is not hazarded. The operation of the brake control system may be controlled at least in part by an on-board brake control implementation device actuated by a remote, land-based signal. The brake control system providing for use of less than the total number of available brakes during the landing stage of the flight spectrum.

Abstract: An aircraft disc stack (1) comprises a plurality of interleaved stator and rotor discs (3,4) keyed respectively to a torque tube (5) and a wheel hub (not shown). The stack (1) further comprises bi-functional friction/load-transmitting discs in the form of end stator discs (10,13). These discs (10,13) are subject to uneven loading because the non-friction surfaces (12,15) are in use compressed on areas less than the load bearing areas of the opposing friction faces (11,14). This can lead to premature disc failure and in the past load spreader plates have been used to distribute loading over these areas to minimize the risk of failure. In this invention portions of the load bearing areas of non-friction surfaces (12,15) are toughened ie: material underlying these surfaces is toughened, to increase their resistance to deformation, fracture and/or wear thereby removing the need for additional load spreader plates which were hitherto required.

Abstract: An ice protection device for an airfoil comprises a plurality of discrete mat sections which are individually secured to the structural member by an adhesive.

Abstract: An elastomeric mounting comprising a pair of rigid members (2, 3), an annular element (4) of elastomeric material sandwiched between confronting surfaces (6,7) of said members and a pillar (5) which extends centrally through the annular elastomeric element (4) into association with each of said rigid members, said pillar (5) being non-rigidly associated with at least one (2) of the rigid members whereby it is operative to prevent unlimited free separation of the rigid members (2,3) but allows the rigid members to move one towards the other to compress the elastomeric element (4) therebetween when the mounting is subject to applied compression load.

Abstract: In a composite brake disc such as a carbon composite brake disc having reinforcement provided by layers of carbon fibre material, the drive region is provided with additional reinforcement to that of the friction region by laying or otherwise providing additional fibre reinforcement material substantially uniformly in the drive region.

Abstract: In a method of making a carbon fibre preform such as for use in the manufacture of a friction disc a compressible body of carbon fibre or carbon fibre precursor material is acted upon by compressing means to compress the body to a required thickness and then operated upon by means such as a barbed needle-punch needle for a stitching thread which penetrates substantially the whole thickness of the body whereby the compressed preform may be removed from action by the compressing means in a free-standing and compressed state. If the method uses carbon fibre precursor material, that is then subjected to carbonization.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a light-weight panel, e.g. for aircraft, comprising preparing a panel preform having a pair of surface members or skins (29, 30) separated and supported by an internal core (26-28) in which spaces or interconnected pores provide vents to an edge of the panel, the wall surface members and the core comprising fibrous material, which may be carbon fibre, and using a pyrolysis process such as CVD to form a pyrolyric matrix around the fibres within the fibrous material, there being a flow of gas through the vents during the pyrolysis process.

Abstract: A dimpled golf ball is provided with a regular repeating dimple pattern by projecting on to the surface of the ball the edges of a regular octahedron, thereby forming eight equilateral triangles on the surface. Each of the eight equilateral triangles can then be divided into sub-triangles so that there are four, six, seven or nine dimple-free great circles on the ball.