Abstract: Tubes of thermoplastic material having an elastic memory are assembled with radiating plates of a heat exchanger by:Longitudinally drawing the tubes at a first temperature in the neighborhood of the softening point of said material so as to reduce their transverse dimensions;Cooling said tubes to the ordinary temperature while maintaining the drawing force;Putting the tubes and the plates in their desired relative positions;Bringing the assembly to said first temperature so that the tubes can resume their initial transverse dimensions.

Abstract: Method for constructing a bore lining comprising pre-assembling in the factory voussoirs into a panel in a jig having the required outside dimensions for the panel by means of a connecting material which fills the gaps between the voussoirs. Each panel has at least two voussoirs which are juxtaposed in at least one of circumferential and axial directions of the panel. The pre-assembled panels are then transferred to the construction site and laid directly in the bore so as to form the lining.A voussoir for the panel and a jig for assembling the voussoirs into a panel are described.

Abstract: A process of employing a substance for nodularizing graphite in molten cast iron which cast iron contains iron and a nodularizing agent, wherein the substance comprises pure iron and pure nodularizing agent which are in a powdered state and agglomerated together the process comprising pouring the molten cast iron into a mould and contacting the cast iron with the substance inside the mould.

Abstract: A meter to be read which has indicator drums and an exterior connector and, on the other hand, a reading apparatus for making a reading of the indications of the drums detachably connected to the connector. A coding unit in the meter comprises for each drum a stepped cam connected to rotate with the corresponding drum. A movable follower is elastically biased against the stepped cam. A smooth cam driven by drive means is capable of maintaining the follower spaced away from the stepped cam outside periods in which the reading apparatus makes said reading. A device detects the movement of the follower.The smooth cam has, in part, a camming surface whose radius increases regularly between values corresponding to the bearing of the follower on end sectors of the stepped cam. A substantially radially extending surface interconnects the maximum and minimum radius parts of the camming surface.

Abstract: A flow regulating valve comprising a body of revolution provided with an inner annular seat and a closure member cooperative with the seat and having a spherical valving surface and movable in the body by an element mounted in the body to rotate about an axis which extends through the closure member and is perpendicular to the axis of the body and offset relative to the axis of the body. The element is connected to rotate with the closure member. The latter has the shape of two domes united on their limit circles which are located in a plane parallel to the seat in the valve closing position of the closure member.

Abstract: Method for constructing a bore lining comprising pre-assembling in the factory voussoirs into a panel in a jig having the required outside dimensions for the panel by means of a connecting material which fills the gaps between the voussoirs. Each panel has at least two voussoirs which are juxtaposed in at least one of circumferential and axial directions of the panel. The pre-assembled panels are then transferred to the construction site and laid directly in the bore so as to form the lining.A voussoir for the panel and a jig for assembling the voussoirs into a panel are described.

Abstract: The assembly is of the type in which the disc has a braking surface for cooperation with a brake pad and the wheel has a radially-extending web and an axial annular surface. A centering device centers the disc relative to the axial annular surface. The disc has on the side thereof opposed to the braking surface a second surface which frictionally engages a third surface defined by the wheel of the web. The second or third surface is constituted by a material having a coefficient of friction on the third or second surface which is higher than that of the braking surface of the disc on the brake pad so that, upon braking, the disc does not slip relative to the wheel.