Abstract: A burner is provided and includes a cylindrical burner head housed in a combustion chamber of a heating apparatus, on which an air and gas mixture is burnt, the head including a cylindrical shell with through apertures, fixed at a first axial end by a connecting flange to a shutter element intended to seal the combustion chamber, while its opposite axial end has a solid end wall which seals the head, an element for distributing the air and gas mixture, positioned inside the burner head and intended to distribute the flow of combustible mixture reaching the burner on to the burner head. The distributor element includes a plate-like portion extending as a continuation of the connecting flange and extending substantially in an orthogonal direction to the axial direction of extension of the cylindrical head, the plate-like portion having through apertures for distributing the mixture to the burner head.

Abstract: A device for regulating the delivery pressure of gases includes a valve unit having at least one valve seat and a respective closure element displaceable along an axis with respect to the valve seat which is controlled by a diaphragm. The device further includes a first spring which acts on the diaphragm in order to subject it to a preselected resilient load. A second spring is selectively activated to exert an additional resilient load on the diaphragm. The device includes a handle associated with the first and second springs in order to impose selectively the desired delivery pressure value, between a minimum value and a maximum value of pre-calibration, the pressure value being proportionally correlated with a predetermined resilient load exerted on the diaphragm.

Abstract: A device for controlling the delivery of a combustible gas to a burner apparatus is provided including a main gas-delivery duct in which there is at least one servo-assisted diaphragm valve including a valve seat associated with a corresponding closure member with diaphragm control for opening the seat against the action of a resilient biasing member. The diaphragm valve includes a respective control solenoid valve with an electromagnetic operator for controlling the corresponding valve, the solenoid valve being arranged to bring about the opening/closure of a duct of a respective servo-assisted control circuit so as to operate the closure member of the valve indirectly, by the diaphragm control. The duct of the control circuit putting a portion of the main duct that is disposed upstream of the valve seat with respect to the direction of the gas-flow into flow communication with a respective control chamber of the diaphragm valve.

Abstract: The invention is generally but not exclusively concerned with problems associated with production of interactive television, particularly an interactive televised auction, where input must be obtained from a plurality of users and broadcast output must be provided based on live user input. However, solutions provided by aspects of the invention are not limited to such a use and may be more generally applied.

Abstract: A device for regulating the air/gas mixture supplied to a gas burner appliance of a decorative fire is provided. The device includes a duct for supplying the air/gas fuel mixture to the burner and a choke of the flow of primary air taken into the duct and adapted to be mixed with the flow of gas or the flow of the air/gas mixture, in which heat-sensitive actuator acting directly on the choke is provided so that the choking of the flow is regulated automatically as a function of the heat level reached in the heat-sensitive actuator.

Abstract: The invention is generally, but not exclusively, related to the area of interactive auctions, particularly interactive Internet-based auctions that may be simultaneously televised and where bidders may input bids over channels other than the Internet.

Abstract: A communication device for encrypted transmission of information via unencrypted transmission paths has at least one loudspeaker, one microphone, one audio processing facility, one encryption facility, and one transmission facility. Information is encrypted by the encryption facility and transmitted via unencrypted transmission paths by the transmission facility by further communication instruments. Thus, flexible use on the basis of the various communication instruments which can be used for encrypted transmission is made possible.

Abstract: Automatic device for the ignition and control of a gas apparatus comprising at least one burner for regulating the flow of gas from a main pipe towards a nozzle associated with the burner; a spark circuit suitable for generating a pilot flame upon receipt a electric start signal; electrically controlled valve means associated to said at least one burner; at least one supply voltage provided by the electricity main and/or by battery means, to supply said automatic device; an electrical microprocessor unit in said automatic device to drive and to control both said valve means and said spark circuit; at least one actuator circuit activated by said electrical microprocessor unit through an activation signal having a pulse train to dynamically bias said valve means and to regulate its charge state according to the duty cycle of the pulse train. The present invention also concerns a method for driving the automatic device for the ignition and control of a gas apparatus.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are generally, but not exclusively, related to the area of interactive auctions, particularly to interactive Internet-based auctions that may be simultaneously televised and where bidders may input bids over channels other than the Internet. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: An approach is provided for operating a radio network, wherein the operating frequency is varied systematically according to an enciphered sudden-frequency-change scheme and retained only during a hop. Several hops are combined to form a service interval, a service window being arranged at a variable position within the service interval. Given hops for different functionalities (late traffic entry, break-in, hailing, late network entry) of the radio network are specified in the service window.

Abstract: A device for controlling the delivery of a combustible gas to a burner apparatus is provided. The device includes a main pipe for delivery of the gas in which are disposed first and second servovalves in cascade with each other, with respect to the direction of flow of the gas. The servovalves include respective valve seats associated with corresponding shut-off means with diaphragm control for the opening of the seats. The first and second servovalves include respective first and second control solenoid valves with electromagnetic operating means to control the opening/closing of the corresponding servovalve. The solenoid valves are arranged to act to open/close the pipes of respective servo-assisted control circuits, so as to control indirectly, by way of the diaphragm control, the respective shut-off means of the corresponding servovalve the pipes of the control circuit placing the main pipe in fluid communication with respective control chambers of the servovalves.

Abstract: A ceramic burner plaque is described being of a predetermined thickness defined between first and second planar surfaces and through which a plurality of burner ports (6) pass from one surface to the other. The ports are arranged in offset rows and a plurality of polygonal channels (10) are cut into the second surface (8) of the plaque, said channels also being arranged in offset fashion rows and being of a depth less than the thickness of the plaque. The channels are ideally octogonal in shape and of a width which widens progressively from the narrow base of the channel within the thickness of the plaque towards the second surface. The width of the channels at their base is ideally similar or marginally greater to the dimensions of the burner ports and the shape and position of the channels is such that a plurality of burner ports are coincidental with the base thereof.

Abstract: A knob adjustment device particularly for adjusting the temperature in valve units for water-heating apparatus. The device comprises a geared transmission interposed between the knob and an operating member of the valve unit in order to transmit a rotary movement to the member about its own axis as a result of a rotation of the knob. The geared transmission includes a reduction mechanism with a variable transmission ratio such that, for a first angular portion and a second angular portion of the rotation of the knob, the member is rotated with respective different transmission ratios (T1,T2).

Abstract: A method of secure communication in which communication partners (A, B) in each case have a secret (S) and a public code (P), in which the communication partner (A) selects a random number (x) and the communication partner (B) selects a random number (y), in which a first partial code (Ax) is formed by the communication partner (A) and a second partial code (By) is formed by the communication partner (B) by using the public code (P) of the respective partner (B, A) and is transmitted to the respective other communication partner (B, A). A session code (gxy, gyx) is formed from the private random number (x, y), and the partial code (By, Ax) of the respective communication partner (B, A) while using the private secret code (S), the partial codes (Ax, By) and the session codes (gxy, gyx) being calculated in a fashion similar to the Diffie-Hellmann protocol.

Abstract: A valve unit for controlling the delivery of a fuel gas through a delivery duct (3) comprises a valve seat (6) in the duct, a closure member (5) associated with the seat, a motor-driven actuator (7) acting on the closure member in order to control it so as to open/close the valve seat, as well as an electromagnetic unit (22) with a first portion (23) carrying a magnetizing winding (24) and a second portion (25) which can be fixed firmly to the first position by magnetization.

Abstract: A burst protector for a turbocharger covers a first endangered segment of the housing. The burst protector includes insulation, a first sheet, and a second sheet. As a supplement, a casing is installed around the burst protector. The safety of a turbocharger in operation is increased by the invention.

Abstract: A burner manifold for one or a series of burners including a first chamber having at least one outlet leading to said one or more burners and gas supply means arranged to introduce gas to mix with the air. Air is introduced into the first chamber from a second chamber, which is supplied with air under pressure via an inlet and the first and second chambers are arranged to be in fluid communication via a plurality of apertures.