Abstract: An apparatus for the adsorptive cleaning of gases comprises a rigid hermetically sealed housing provided internally with an inner vessel connected with the outer housing by a fluid carrying duct which is yieldable along the axis of the inner housing. The inner housing rests upon a grate and can be surrounded by a layer of thermal insulation. A filling of the adsorbent is provided in the inner vessel which is free from the usual bottoms carrying beds of adsorbent.

Abstract: A method for the recovery of a methane-rich natural gas from a natural gas containing, apart from methane, also hydrogen sulfide, carbondioxide, higher hydrocarbons and, in most cases, organosulfur compounds. According to the invention a hydrocarbon fraction of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and higher is naturally removed from the natural gas which is then subjected to a selective scrubbing for the removal of hydrogen sulfide with a regeneratable extraction, of scrubbing liquid. Next a C.sub.3 fraction is removed, the remaining gas being scrubbed with a second regeneratable washing agent, for the removal of carbondioxide to leave the methane-rich gas.

Abstract: Strongly exothermic, catalytically induced or promoted chemical reactions, e.g. the production of methane by the reaction of hydrogen with carbon oxides, are carried out by passing the reactants through an isothermically operated reactor in addition to an adiabatic reactor.

Abstract: A thermally insulated storage or transport vessel for low-boiling point liquefied gases comprises a rigid self-supporting inner receptacle or tank and a nonself-supporting outer container. The outer container is formed from a pair of longitudinally spaced opposing rigid end shells interconnected by an intermediate shell provided with stiffening formations extending peripherally of the intermediate shell. The intermediate shell is longitudinally expansible or contractile and may be formed with angular-section on curved-section corrugations.

Abstract: Plates of a plate heat exchanger, defining between them a space adapted to be traversed by a heat-exchange fluid, are held together and are soldered in a chamber in which the plates are heated by passing a heating fluid, generally an inert gas, directly through the passages between the plates.

Abstract: An axial-piston machine such as an axial-piston motor or, preferably, an axial-piston pump, has a cylinder drum rotatable in a chamber defined by the machine housing, the cylinder bores at low pressure communicating with the interior of the housing. Only part of the end of the cylinder drum turned toward a displacing slide covers the surface of this slide which is provided with an arcuate groove for communication with the cylinder bores under elevated pressure while the control surface of this slide only covers the high-pressure portion of the surface of the cylinder drum so that the latter overhangs the slide.

Abstract: A hollow piston for a hydrostatic piston machine and especially for a swash-plate-type axial-piston pump or motor, comprises a hollow outer cylinder member which is formed at one end with a ball head and at the other end with a cover. Extending centrally through this hollow piston is a central post having its opposite ends secured to or engaging the opposite ends of the outer piston member and formed with a central bore communicating between a passage in the cover and a passage in the ball head. At least one of these ends of the central post is juxtaposed with a respective end of the piston and the juxtaposed ends are formed with a conical surface and an edge engaging this surface to seal the post to the outer member.

Abstract: A hydrostatic transmission having an inclined-disk variable-displacement pump and a drive-flange hydrostatic motor on a common support which includes a body having a cylindrically concave surface turned toward the motor. Between the motor drum and the surface, there is provided an intermediate disk having a convex cylindrical surface adapted to ride upon the concave surface. Means is provided in the body for displacing the drum of the motor about a pivot axis which coincides with the axis of curvature of the two surfaces. The motor and pump are both axial-piston machines.

Abstract: A steering assembly for a floor-type industrial vehicle, for example, a fork-lift truck, which comprises an elongated axle body to which the steerable wheel axles are affixed by pivotal axle carriers at the ends of the axle body and a steering linkage is mounted on the axle body for displacing the wheels. The axle assembly is at least limitedly swingable on the vehicle frame by a mounting assembly which comprises a pair of ball joints whose centers lie in the vertical median plane of the vehicle and transverse to the axle assembly.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of a cast-iron melt with oxygen, e.g. for raising the temperature thereof or otherwise modifying the composition of the melt in which the oxygen is introduced directly into the liquid cast iron at a rate (quantity per unit time) so controlled that there is no smoke development above the melt. The control is effected by feeding oxygen into the melt at progressively increasing rates until incipient smoke formation is observed above the melt and then stepping back the oxygen feed until the smoke evolution ceases.

Abstract: An apparatus for the cooling of objects comprises an upright cylindrical housing having thermally insulated walls and a helical ramp surrounding a column in the housing and along which the objects pass downwardly from an inlet to an outlet. During movement along the ramp, which may be vibrated or oscillated to promote the downward movement of the objects, the latter are chilled to embrittlement temperatures. When the objects are vehicle tires, the pitch of the helical ramp is slightly greater than the diameter of the largest tires to be processed. At the bottom of the ramp the objects may pass into a bath of liquified gas serving as the cooling medium and nozzles can be provided along the lower third of the column for directing jets of the liquefied gas at the objects to be cooled.

Abstract: Articles such as vehicle tires, synthetic-resin scraps and other objects, which can be embrittled at low temperatures for subsequent cold-milling, are cooled with a circulated cooling gas which is itself cooled by the injection of an expandable coolant in liquid form therein. The liquid, prior to injection into the cooling-gas stream, is subjected to heat exchange therewith whereby the enthalpy of vaporization is supplied to the liquid before it is sprayed into the circulated gas.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has at least two cylindrical shells defining annular chambers lying one within the other. One of the annular chambers receives a tube bundle consisting of straight tubes while the other annular chamber receives a tube bundle of coiled tubes. The heat exchanger is particularly suitable for the heating of feed water (traversing the tubes) with steam (traversing the annular chambers) in a power plant in which the heat exchanger is disposed directly beneath the turbine on the turbine mount.