Abstract: A positively controlled ball valve for flowing fluids, in particular water, for instance for use in snow making machines. The valve includes a valve housing (1) having a flow passageway (3) for the water (7), a valve seat (9) arranged in the flow passageway (3), and a valve ball (10) which is movable towards and from the valve seat (9). A force actuation device (4) having a piston rod (20) positively acts on the valve ball (10), which is movable in a race (11) in the valve housing (1). The race extends from the valve seat (9) obliquely outwards-rearwards, upstream of the flow of water (7). The force actuation device (4) is formed with a piston rod (20) arranged for being able to force the valve ball (10) in the direction away from the valve seat (4) and into the race (11) for the ball. The piston rod (20) is arranged to act on the valve ball (10), in the first stage of the opening of the valve, so that the ball at least partly rolls out of the valve seat (9).

Abstract: A sorting apparatus includes a first grating of spaced parallel bars and a second grating of spaced parallel bars positioned parallel to the first grating. Relative lateral movement of the first grating and the second grating alters the lateral spacing between the parallel bars of the first grating in relation to the parallel bars of the second grating. This enables rocks to be sorted into three piles; a first pile of rocks that will pass through when openings in the first grating and second grating are out of register, a second pile of rocks that will pass through only when openings in the first grating and second grating are in register, and a third pile of rocks that will not pass through.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for making artificial snow with a snow-making machine having a funnel-shaped carrier. The carrier has, at the inlet end thereof, a fan adapted to provide rapid flow of air through the carrier, and at the outlet end thereof, both a ring of atomizing nozzles mounted close to a nose cone of the snow-making machine, and several (preferably three or more) rings of water distribution nozzles. The water nozzles are arranged to eject a curtain of water drops obliquely into the flow of air passing through the carrier. The method involves the steps of: (a) turning on the fan so that a rapid flow of air is moved through the snow-making machine, (b) pressing water under high pressure through the ring of atomizing nozzles, (c) then turning on pressurized water in a first ring of water distribution nozzles, and (d) thereafter, stepwise after each other, turning on pressurized water to the remaining rings of water distribution nozzles.

Abstract: A water atomizing nozzle adapted to be used in the type of snow making machines, in which water is disintegrated into very small water particles in a ring of atomizing nozzles surrounding an air channel through which air flows at high speed, and whereby the water droplets, which are carried by the air, freeze to snow or ice crystals and are allowed to fall to the ground some distance from the snow making machine.

Abstract: A method for artificial making of snow by a snow making machine (1) comprising a series of nozzles (8) arranged to provide a tubular flow (2) of bulk water drops which are moved along by an inner flow (3) of feeder air, and a series of atomizing nozzles (10) arranged to provide a flow of super cooled nuclei which are created at or adjacent the outer periphery (9) of the snow making machine (1) by a series of atomizing nozzles (1) which are distributed round the snow making machine and radially outside and preferably downstream the bulk water jet nozzles (8) as seen in the flow direction, whereby there is formed a shell (5) of super cooled nuclei extending circumferentially round the flow (2) of bulk water drops, which successively, and over a relatively long way of movement provides a freezing of the drops of water in the flow (2) of bulk water drops.