Abstract: Telescopic tunnel boring machine including a front shield (10) and a rear shield (16) with a cutting head (14) at the forward end of the front shield. Rearwardly extending shutters can be moved out hydraulically by auxillary cylinders (54) from the rear end of the rear shield to bridge the gap (34) between this rear end and tunnel lining elements (32). Additionally expandable cuffs (70) and (72) may be provided on the front and rear shields respectively behind the cutting head (14) and radial tunnel wall grippers (20).

Abstract: A filtering method and apparatus including a chamber having an inlet and an outlet and a mass of fibers interposed between the inlet and outlet and contained between a perforated base and piston. Structure is provided for reciprocating the piston relative to the base during backwash operation.

Abstract: A wind turbine operated electrical generator system, said system comprising a wind turbine of the axial flow type, the blades of the turbine including tip portions pivoted with respect to the remainder of the blade, a generator driven by the wind turbine and designed to operate within a given rotational speed range, said speed range being below the speed at which the wind turbine can develop its maximum power, a pin and socket connection on the outer end of at least some of said blades, and preferably each blade, for connecting the tip thereto and a cam track on the pin or socket, with a follower on the socket or pin, respectively, the cam track being shaped to cause the tip to pivot under centrifugal movement of the tip, so that a change in the torque produced by the pivoting at all times maintains the speed substantially within said given range, resilient means being provided to restore the position of the or each tip against centrifugal action.

Abstract: A gas circulator, e.g. for circulating a coolant gas in a nuclear power station, the circulator comprising a shaft (34) rotatable about its axis, circulation blades (54, 56) mounted adjacent one end of the shaft for rotation in the coolant gas, a first bearing, (32), in the form of an active magnetic bearing adjacent one end of the shaft, a seal mounted around the shaft between the first bearing and the blades to prevent the circulating fluid from entering the first bearing, a second bearing (32) in the form of a fluid lubricated bearing spaced from one end of the shaft and a motor to rotate the shaft, the second bearing having a journal bearing portion and an axial thrust bearing portion.

Abstract: A wind turbine for a wind turbine electrical generator set in which movable nose portions are located at or adjacent the leading edge of the blade and at or adjacent the tip of the blade but is dispaceable purely longitudinally of the blade, i.e. radially outwardly of the blade, from the normal retracted position, in which the portion contributes to the lift of the aerofoil section, to an advanced position in which drag is produced, to prevent unwanted increase in the speed of the rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A pipeline safety joint to provide a controlled weakness in a pipeline in which a pair of tubular mandrels are connectable to first and second pipe-ends. A portion of the first mandrel of a pair is insertable in a part of the other and a latch mechanism is provided on said portion engageable with the part of the other mandrel of the pair to hold the mandrels against axial separation. A retaining shoulder on the first mandrel retains the latch mechanism in engagement and a tubular sealing is positioned to seal the two mandrels.A fluid-tight pressure compensation chamber surrounds said portion of the first mandrel and is engageable directly or indirectly on said one mandrel and said other mandrel of the pair.

Abstract: A method of operating a metallurgical furnace, and a furnace apparatus capable of using this method, in which coal is pulverized in a pulverizer vessel by interparticle collisions in at least one stream of gaseous medium, to produce ultrafine pulverized coal and feeding a mixture of the ultrafine pulverized coal and gaseous medium directly and continuously from the pulverizer vessel to the metallurgical furnace.

Abstract: A wind turbine assembly includes a wind turbine 18 mounted in a head 16, the wind turbine driving, via a gear box 22, an air compressor 24, 25, the inlet 26 of which is arranged to withdraw air from the vicinity of the blades of the turbine 18 to improve the efficiency of the turbine. The compressed air may be fed via a duct 12 for example to a reservoir or to a motor or gas turbine, for example, to drive a generator.

Abstract: An axial flow fan with adjustable blades 18 has a spindle 16 for each blade mounted in a hub rim 12. Each spindle has associated therewith a replaceable cartridge 58 having a thrust bearing 70 therein and spaced radial bearings 64, 70. In order to service the bearing, the cartridge can simply be disconnected, e.g. by unscrewing from the rim having removed the blade 18.

Abstract: A pulverizer for pulverizing solid material such as coal in which the chmaber of the pulverizer has jets of fluid projected thereinto at high speed to cause the particles to impact against one another to effect the pulverizing and in which a sleeve is mounted within the pulverizer chamber so that the coarser particles which pass upwardly through the sleeve flow downwardly in the annular space between the sleeve and the chamber side wall, to be re-entrained by the nozzles and projected again into the sleeve for further impacting.

Abstract: A reservoir for gravity feeding lubricant to a bearing, comprising a receptacle having a peripheral wall 11, a lower outlet 18 for the outflow of lubricant to the bearing, an annular weir 22 surrounding an inner space 32 around the lower outlet 18 an inlet 16 positioned to feed lubricant into the outer space 30 between the peripheral wall 11 and the weir 22 when the flow of lubricant is low and a bleed passage 28 in the annular weir permitting a limited amount of lubricant to flow between the outer space 30 and the inner space 32, a greater flow of lubricant taking place when the lubricant can pass over the weir either by being projected directly from the inlet 16 and/or by lubricant overflowing from the outer space 30 to the inner space 32. This arrangement effectively provides a variable outflow of lubricant depending on the inflow rate.

Abstract: Pulverizing apparatus comprising a generally cylindrical vessel (11), feed means (16) for feeding the material to be pulverized into said vessel, a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid injection nozzles (24) each angled between a radius of the cylindrical vessel passing through the nozzles and a direction perpendicular to said radius, to inject fluid into the vessel and induce an axially flowing vortex (25) in the vessel having its axis generally centrally of the vessel, transverse wall means (12) at a location remote from the nozzles to intercept the vortex and to deflect a portion (26) of the fluid medium and entrained particles of material to effect a recirculation of the fluid medium within the vessel and thus to form a curtain surrounding the vortex. The material is pulverized by interparticle collisions and the curtain reduces high speed particle contact with the cylindrical wall of the vessel.

Abstract: A scoop for picking up lubricant from the inner cylindrical surface of a peripheral ring of a disc or a shaft dipping into a sump of lubricant in which a deflector (32) is rockable between two positions. In the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the tip (37) of one arm of the deflector is adjacent the cylindrical surface (27) while the inner surface (38) of the other arm seals against the surface (28) on the body (14), a passage (44) being provided for the flow of lubricant. In the other position, for the opposite direction of rotation, the tip (35) is adjacent the surface (27) and the surfaces (30) and (40) provide a seal.

Abstract: A bearing, particularly a heavy duty bearing, in which lubrication is effected by lubricant being picked up on a disc (27,28) mounted on the bearing shaft (21), the disc having, at its periphery, an axially extending ring (35) on the inner and outer surface of which the lubricant forms a film. During start-up, lubricant on the outer surface is scraped off by an external scraper (57) and falls under gravity onto the bearing surface and as the speed increases, lubricant on the inner surface is picked up by a scoop (38,39) to produce a pressure head sufficient to pump the lubricant to a reservoir from which it flows to the bearing surface under gravity. The lubricant is pumped to the reservoir through an external cooler (62) and an external filter (66).

Abstract: In a centrifugal fan or the like including an impeller housed in a casing, recirculation means are provided to recycle a portion of the gas discharge back to the blades of the impeller. Specifically these means comprise a radial passage between an impeller shroud and a wall of the casing, and aperture means in the shroud. 15% to approximately 30% of the gas discharge may be recycled. This arrangement has the advantage of increasing the fan pressure at low discharge rates in comparison with previous fans with no gas recirculation, and this is advantageous in some fan installations where operation is at reduced rates for considerable periods.