Abstract: A telescopic joint for repairing underwater pipelines laid at a great depth in which an annular sheath of steel having a yield point of not more than one half that of an outer sleeve of the joint is welded onto an inner cylinder, to create with the inner cylinder an annular chamber or interspace, the cylinder-sheath-sleeve assembly being guided in its telescopic movement by an inner tube welded coaxially to an end of the outer sleeve. The interspace is connected to an oil pump which under adequate pressure can cause the steel sheath to expand, to the extent that it yields, to interlock with the outer sleeve.

Abstract: An overhead travelling crane incorporated into a power gas turbine bay, consisting of a first main load-bearing trolley of length equal to the bay width, which is guided at its ends over the entire length of the bay by two runways fixed to the top of said bay, and a second trolley provided with a winch and slidably supported in a third trolley which is also of length equal to the bay length and is slidably supported by the overlying said first main load-bearing trolley. This latter trolley is provided with cantilever hooking means.

Abstract: Process for the formation of a tucked selvedge in a terry cloth piece, as obtained with the procedure using an articulated reed having two beating-up positions, using a selvedge-forming device which comprises a movable grasping and severing member as well as a second movable member in the form of a takeup hook or the like, characterized by the additional step of keeping said movable members through the entire time during which the weft threads inserted in the shed and beaten up by the reed up to the blind beat position are, in their turn, beaten by the comb against the fell of the fabric being woven.

Abstract: Method for tightly jointing a sleeve to a submarine pipe laid on a very deep sea-bottom, characterized by the preliminary stages of providing a series of grooves on the inside surface of the sleeve, and of filling each one of said grooves with two half-rings made of a material collapsible under high pressures up to a 70% variation of its volume. A type of such a material is moreover described.

Abstract: A seal system for a spherical joint in which the metal seal ring is sandwiched coaxially between two wedge-shaped metal compression rings which are inserted into corresponding cavities in the front surfaces of the seal ring and are pressed against a metal stop ring by a series of flat springs which become preloaded as a result of forcing the female part of the joint onto the male part.

Abstract: An improved ball valve is disclosed, which is particularly adapted for use with pipelines of large diameter, possibly of the kind intended to convey toxic or dangerous fluids and for which a virtually perfect seal is required, said valve having a control mechanism which comprises sequentially acting linkages and preloaded resilient means in order that the valve shutter is always in an accurate central position as to its axis of rotation and the approach of the shutter to the seat takes place only once that the rotation of 90.degree. has been completed, in order that a uniform and intense pressural action of the shutter on the seat may be obtained. Alternative embodiments within the scope of the invention are shown and described.

Abstract: A heald control system for a multi-phase or travelling wave shedding loom in which each heald is upperly connected elastically, by way of an elastic traction element, to a single support plate which is removably locked to the fixed part of the loom, and the healds of each section are lowerly locked to a single connection block which is connected by a spring catch connector to a flexible element, which is itself connected to the end of a cam-controlled operating lever.

Abstract: A gas turbine, in which the rotor (9) of the power stage (5) is supported by a hollow shaft (10) in a cantilever fashion. The hollow shaft (10) has a pair of forged hollow frustoconical ends (11, 12) made of case-hardened and milled steel supported by bearings (19, 20, 20') and connected together by a hollow central tube (13). A stud (15) extends through and from the hollow shaft (10) and has threaded ends (15', 15"). The threaded end (15') releasably secures one end of the hollow shaft (20) into a correspondingly threaded portion (16) of the rotor (9) and the threaded end (15") is threaded into a nut (17) which cooperates with the other end of the hollow shaft (10) to releasably tighten the one end of the hollow shaft (10) to the rotor (9) and place the stud (15) under tension.

Abstract: In an air-cooled steam condenser (2, 2'), each tube of a bundle (8, 8') of finned heat exchange tubes, arranged parallel to each other and horizontally, and connecting a steam dispensing manifold (4, 4') to an outlet manifold (5, 5'), is in the form of a coil including three finned elements (12, 13, 14) which are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other in consecutive rows relative to the direction of the cooling air flow (11, 11'), and which are connected together by two elbow fittings (15, 16) positioned at an angle with a positive slope so as to facilitate the drainage of the condensate.

Abstract: A gas turbine power unit is disclosed in which the arrangement and configuration of parts is such as to save space and weight in order to provide a compact and self-contained assembly. An air-intake casing (2) supports the upstream end of a gas generator (3), the downstream end of which is integral with a power turbine (4). The stator casing (5) of the turbine (4) is connected to a cone (6) thermally insulated and completely inserted into any exhaust casing (7) having a vertical outlet, wherein the turbine exhaust is conveyed into the exhaust casing (7) by an annular diffusing cone (8). The turbine casing is supported on four legs (15, 16). In addition, the turbine rotor (10) and thus the turbine shaft (11) are overhangingly supported by an independent structure (12), the weight of which bears on the machine base (1) outside the exhaust casing (7) and away of the power turbine space.

Abstract: A rectangular steel key on the control stem for operating the cast iron ball of a ball valve, wherein the key is provided with two large cylindrical steel joint pieces which are idly fitted onto the two ends of the key, and which are inserted into corresponding cylindrical cavities in the seat present in the pivot of the ball.

Abstract: A pivoted segmental bearing in which leaf springs are disposed angularly equidistant between the outer surface of the annular shoe support member and the overlying inner surface of the outer support casing, and wherein the springs are immersed in the lubricating oil for the bearing. The annular shoe support member is also resiliently pressed axially against a wall of the outer support casing by helical springs.

Abstract: A weft transfer device having special configuration of leading and drawing pincers for inserting the weft in a shuttleless loom. The device includes a leading pincer having a boxlike body shaped to offer the entrance at high speed of the wefts and smooth sliding of the warp threads and a rigid and semi-rigid grasping surfaces, the semi-rigid surface being pressed toward the rigid surface by two independent leaf springs engaging the lateral edge of the semi-rigid surface blade. The drawing pincer includes a lower fixed grasping member and an upper hook-shaped member pivoted to the lower member and forced into engagement therewith by a leaf spring.

Abstract: Weft inserting and withdrawing grippers for a shuttleless weaving machine are disclosed, wherein the weft inserting gripper has a clamping member composed of pivoting blade-type foot biased by a spring and mounted in such a way that the foot bears against a horizontal gripping surface at an angle nearly equal to the complementary of the angle of friction between the yarn and the gripping surface. The gripping member of the withdrawing gripper has a hook with a wedge which can be axially slid towards and away from the hook to seize and hold the thread, or to clear it. The axial sliding motion of the wedge is controlled by a linkage which is resiliently biased by a spring.

Abstract: A pliable metallic joint for underwater pipelines laid at great depths, having a bellows-like section of a pliable metal or alloy, which is externally reinforced by a sturdy metal wire coiling positioned in the grooves of said bellows and which is internally reinforced by interlockingly arranged U-shaped rings and an axial undulated circular spring that allow a high degree of deformation and facilitate joining two pipes.

Abstract: In a textile loom, the invention comprises a device for varying the speed and the tension of unreeling the warp threads from the warp beam. The device essentially includes a set of interchangeable spur gears connected to the warp beam which cooperate with a system of variable-race sheaves so that when a sheave has its race becoming narrower, the other sheave has its race widened and vice versa. Proper linkages are also provided to ensure that there is always a constant balance between the tension of the warp threads and the speed of rotation of the warp beam. Consequently, as the diameter of warp threads on the beam is decreased and the speed of the warp threads is concurrently decreased, the device imparts a pull increase to the warp threads so that the unreeling speed of the threads from the warp beam is automatically brought back to a preselected constant value.

Abstract: Device for changing the reed beating position in looms for terry fabrics, in which the feet of the followers rigid with the reed are respectively connected by connecting rods to corresponding cams keyed on a shaft rotatably supported by the machine sley in proximity to the rotational axle of said sley.A gear is keyed on to said shaft and engages with a toothed sector supported by a member idly mounted on said rotational axle of the sley and is hinged to the lower end thereof by two arms hinged together, their common joint being inserted and guided in an aperture in the form of a circular arc formed in a vertical rocker arm hinged to a fixed part of the loom at the lower end of its aperture, and kept resting on a fixed shoulder of the loom by a spring, in which position said aperture constitutes an arc of a circle having its center on said rotational axle of the sley.

Abstract: Mechanical device disposed behind the heddle frames of a loom for increasing the weft density in cloth weave fabrics, constituted by three parallel rollers situated horizontally at the vertices of a triangle, of which the rear roller separates the two equal sets of warp yarns while the other two front rollers are located very close together and act as an outlet guide for said two equal sets of warp yarns. The three rollers are rigid at their ends with two lateral support plates which are made to reciprocate, by means of connecting rods connected eccentrically to the loom drive shaft, about a horizontal rotational axis which lies in the center plane of the shed formed by said two sets of warp yarns, and passes in proximity to the two front thread guide rollers and at an equal distance therefrom. The three rollers are connected rigidly together by intermediate support plates.

Abstract: A method for connecting in a sealtight manner a flanged sleeve to a pipe, especially for subsea gas and oil ducts, comprises the steps of introducing the free end of the pipe into the flanged sleeve with a clearance, expanding the pipe within the sleeve with the aid of a resilient expansible body which is axially compressed, releasing the axial compression and withdrawing the expansible body. The radial expansion is such as to expand the pipe at its plastic deformation condition and the sleeve within its elastic deformation limit, so that a union is achieved between the tube and the sleeve which is virtually indissoluble.

Abstract: A seal adapted for environments in which high temperatures are experienced and low pressure drops are met is made by coiling in plural spirals about itself a metallic work-hardened tape which has, in cross-section a shape in the form of an open V, a throat-like recess having a semicircumferential outline being formed in correspondence with the apex of the V. The terminal portions of the spirals are held together by rivets or by spot-welding. A machine is also provided to shape the seal, which comprises specially shaped roller pairs arranged in sequential order, so as to effect on the metal tape all the operations which are necessary to impart the expected final shape thereto.