Abstract: A method for reinforcing a panel according to its thickness, including: a step a) of providing a reinforcing element which is elongated, flexible, with two longitudinal ends having a length strictly greater than twice the thickness of the panel; a step b) of positioning and holding the reinforcing element on one side of the panel, called the insertion side; a step c) of gripping the reinforcing element, in its middle, on the insertion side, an insertion step d) wherein the reinforcing element gripped by its middle is pulled through a bore passing through the panel, by folding the reinforcing element back on itself, and to a final position, wherein the two longitudinal ends project or not from the bore on the insertion side, a loop of the reinforcing element projecting or not from the bore on the side of the panel opposite to the insertion side.

Abstract: A method for reinforcing a panel according to its thickness, including: a step a) of providing a reinforcing element which is elongated, flexible, with two longitudinal ends having a length strictly greater than twice the thickness of the panel; a step b) of positioning and holding the reinforcing element on one side of the panel, called the insertion side; a step c) of gripping the reinforcing element, in its middle, on the insertion side, an insertion step d) wherein the reinforcing element gripped by its middle is pulled through a bore passing through the panel, by folding the reinforcing element back on itself, and to a final position, wherein the two longitudinal ends project or not from the bore on the insertion side, a loop of the reinforcing element projecting or not from the bore on the side of the panel opposite to the insertion side.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spherical bearing having high mechanical strength, and its method of manufacture. This spherical bearing includes a cage (3) containing an internal articulation element (1) and slit along a radius, the edges of the slit (5) of which are connected together, for example by welding, in their final position, at least one of the elements, the cage or the articulation element, being made of an austenitic manganese steel and the other having a treatment to a very high hardness on the articulation surface region.

Abstract: This invention relates to corrugated roofing sheets for building, made of a mixture of cement and inert materials, reinforced with synthetic fibers in fibrillated mesh form, characterized by having a rough outer surface due to the presence of surface granular material. The granular material is applied to the sheets during their finishing but before the cement has started to set, by simply strewing it over the sheet surface.

Abstract: A time accounting system for accounting parking subject to charge periods which includes a card having an electronic memory in which each memory location can be individually and irreversibly written in order to represent a time unit credit allocated to the holder of the card. The system also includes a portable case in which the card can be inserted and which has an internal clock circuit and a coupling circuit, as well as a writing circuit. The case is designed with means for temporary storage of a time unit credit which is activable if the time credit remaining in the inserted card is less than the parking time of the holder.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new process for preparing active esters or carboyxlic acids, which consists in reacting a carboxylic acid, in the presence of an agent for binding hydrohalic acid, with a carbonate of formula: ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 denotes either a radical of formula ##STR2## in which R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, which may be identical or different, are not hydrogen atoms and denote organic radicals which may be substituted or unsubstituted and saturated or unsaturated, and may or may not be bound to a polymer, and which can be joined together to form a hetero-cyclic system with the nitrogen, atom,or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl radical which may or may not be bound to a polymer,R.sup.2 denotes a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical which may be substituted or unsubstituted and saturated or unsaturated, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic radical,and X denotes a halogen atom.This process is especially useful for the synthesis of active esters of N-protected amino acids.

Abstract: A device for controlling the selective switching on and off of the supply of current to an electric appliance of a premises, particularly a hotel room, includes a door lock having a bolt and a keeper to be mounted in a door and a door frame of an entrance to the premises such that the bolt is movable between first and second locked positions extending into the keeper and an unlocked position withdrawn from the keeper. An electric circuit connects a source of electric current to the electric appliance, and the circuit includes a switch normally closed to allow current to be supplied from the source to the appliance and operable to be opened to interrupt the supply of current from the source to the appliance. The switch is disposed in the keeper.

Abstract: A machine for producing pile fabric comprises a sonotrode (1) , a matrix (4) of tubes (5) bringing threads (10) onto a support sheet (7) for the purpose of welding rows of loops to the surface of this sheet. The matrix (4) is guided between slides (6) which are parallel to the longitudinal axes of the tubes (5) and perpendicularly to the surface of application of the sonotrode (1) vibrations. A driving mechanism (13, 14, 15) periodically brings the extremities of the tubes (5) from which the threads leave against the sonotrode (1) by pressing the base of a row of loops and the support sheet (7) against the sonotrode in order to cause them to be welded together.

Abstract: This machine comprises a sonotrode (1), a matrix (4) of tubes (5) bringing threads (10) onto a support sheet (7) for the purpose of welding rows of loops to the surface of this sheet. The matrix (4) is guided between slides (6) which are parallel to the longitudinal axes of the tubes (5) and perpendicularly to the surface of application of the sonotrode (1) vibrations. A driving mechanism (13, 14, 15) periodically brings the extremities of the tubes (5) from which the threads leave against the sonotrode (1) by pressing the base of a row of loops and the support sheet (7) against the sonotrode in order to cause them to be welded together.

Abstract: There is described a method for preparing a cation exchanger to remove metals from liquids they are contained in, which comprises adding to a silicic acid medium with a molecular weight which is preferably lower than 50,000, such a base which brings said medium at least to pH 8, preferably about pH 10, and forming a precipitate that comprises said cation exchanger.

Abstract: An artificial turf consists of a pile of filaments or strips of propylene or like weather-resistant material bonded to a support which can be doubled and which is provided on its reverse with an array of synthetic resin material projections disposed discontinuously along the underside. These projections are in the form of truncated pyramids with substantially rectangular bases and prevent migration of the covering because of walking on the ground covering.

Abstract: Process for the irreversible treatment of toxic waste by means of a silicate, in the presence of water, in such a way as to form a solid aggregate includes treatment of the silicate in an acid medium, for the purpose of obtaining silicic acid of low molecular weight; mixing the silicic acid with the waste to be treated, in the presence of water and controlling the pH between 0 and 4 in a sufficiently acid medium to cause the waste to undergo at least partial solution; precipitation of a gel of high molecular weight from the resultant aqueous mixture; addition thereto of a mixture which reacts with the gel of high molecular weight to form a silicate, possibly in the presence of a cementation agent, in such a way as to produce a sludge, and the hardening of the sludge into a solid aggregate which can not be changed physically so as to release again the harmful or toxic waste into the environment.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump, of the type comprising a body, a shaft rotatable in the body via a bearing, an impeller fixed on the shaft and, between the impeller and the bearing, a mechanical seal assembly comprising a pair of engaging slide rings and an inner sleeve made of elastomeric material, fitted on the shaft, the said sleeve comprising a portion adjacent the impeller on which is fixed one of the slide rings and, at the end on the bearing side, a radial flare for holding the seal assembly in the assembled state prior to its mounting, said sleeve being extended axially, beyond said radial flare, by a lip member arranged to rub on the adjacent surface of the bearing.

Abstract: An odometer for displaying the speed of a vehicle and the distance travelled, comprising an input shaft driven at a speed proportional to that of the vehicle, a speedometer unit connected to the input shaft, a mileage recording unit comprising a plurality of graduated drums mounted side by side on a common shaft and driven from the input shaft, a plurality of radially projecting stop lugs, and a frame for supporting said unit in rotation, the frame comprising two parallel walls provided with recesses for receiving the respective ends of the shaft of the mileage recording unit.The frame comprises a bar extending between said walls parallel to said common shaft and providing stop means for the projecting stop lugs. There is associated with the bar a locking element for immobilizing the stop lugs in their stop position, which element is force-fitted in recesses formed in the walls of the frame substantially in the plane of the bar.

Abstract: A fluid seal assembly to be mounted between a fixed part and a rotary shaft, comprising a slide ring secured to a resilient sealing member attached to the shaft and urged by a spring into engagement with a counter-ring secured to the fixed part, said slide ring having an axial extension embracing the resilient sealing member, wherein the slide ring has a smooth external surface which tapers inwardly in the direction remote from the sliding surface thereof.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in a bore of the housing, a wheel fixed to a hub secured to the shaft and comprising a plurality of angularly distributed openings, a seal assembly comprising a counter-ring, a friction ring secured to a flexible member and resilient means for urging the ring into contact with the counter-ring, the counter-ring and flexible member being secured to respective connection members, of which one is fitted in a recess of the housing and comprises a radial thrust surface facing said openings of the wheel while the other is fixed to the hub and is made of elastomer material, further comprising a sleeve surrounding the shaft, said sleeve being secured to the hub at one end thereof and being provided at its other end with a radially enlarged abutment portion to retain said one connection member or the respective one of said counter-ring and said flexible member before its mounting inside said housing.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump of the type comprising a housing, a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing via a bearing, a wheel having a hub fixed to the shaft, a seal assembly comprising on the one hand a counter-ring and on the other a seal including a friction ring secured to a flexible member and resiliently urged against said counter-ring, the counter-ring and the flexible member being secured to respective connection members, of which the first one is drive-fitted in a recess in the housing and abuts against a shoulder of said recess and the second one is fixed to the wheel hub, wherein the wheel has a plurality of angularly distributed openings and said first connection member of the side remote from said shoulder has a radial thrust surface facing said openings, and a retainer, whose axial position relative to the shaft is fixed, is provided to keep the seal assembly assembled prior to its mounting in the housing.

Abstract: An installation for storing and handling a granular or pulverulent product, comprising a vessel for storing the product, which may be extracted by means of at least one handling apparatus comprising a raking scoop which causes, during its active travel, the product to pour over the upper edge of an upwardly divergent wall of the vessel. The storage vessel is disposed in a store protected from the exterior medium. The handling apparatus, or each handling apparatus is constituted by a dragline the raking scoop of which is carried by a rigid boom which is mounted on a movable frame located outside the vessel in a high position adjacent the divergent wall of the vessel. A device is provided for filling the vessel and adapted to pour the product in the vicinity of the path described by the end of the dragline boom opposed to the frame.