Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a low carbon steel having good formability and good resistance to indentation. In this method, an ingot of low carbon steel is first hot-rolled, followed by a cold rolling of the resulting hot-rolled sheet. The cold-rolled sheet is then subjected to a first high temperature annealing to cause recrystallization and dissolution of some of the carbon contained in the steel. Next, the sheet is subjected to a second low temperature annealing to cause to dissolved carbon to precipitate as iron carbide. Finally, the sheet is work-hardened by a minor cold-rolling operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a furnace (1) for melting metal-bearing substances and/or production of liquid metal (4) of the type in which said metal (4) has above it a layer of slag (5) liable to be affected by a "foaming" phenomenon, in which a side wall of said furnace comprises an orifice (17) opening into an adjacent tank (22) capped with a vault (25), said tank (22) being capable of collecting a proportion of said slag (5) by overflowing through said orifice (17) when said foaming phenomenon takes on proportions that risk causing damage to said furnace (1).The invention also relates to a process for the production of liquid metal employing such a furnace.

Abstract: To prevent a collision between first and second mobiles, such as travelling cranes, on a common movement path, a method implemented in the first mobile entails measuring a first distance between the first mobile and an origin in a fixed system of axes and a second distance between the first and second mobiles. The method comprises the steps of determining a first speed of the first mobile in the system of axes and a second speed of the first mobile relative to the second mobile in order to deduce a third speed of the second mobile in the system of axes, then of estimating a safety margin between the first and second mobiles, then of comparing the safety margin with a threshold to generate a collision risk factor, and finally of deciding on an action at drive motors of the first mobile as a function of the sign of the first, second and third speeds and the collision risk factor.

Abstract: A reinforcement member including a reelable steel tape intended to be incorporated into concrete. The faces of the steel tape each include substantially rectilinear ribs arranged in at least one longitudinal row, these being substantially parallel to each other and inclined in relation to the longitudinal direction of the tape. The ribs of one of the faces of the tape are symmetrical with the ribs of the other of the faces of the tape in relation to the mid-plane of the tape, parallel to the faces of this tape.

Abstract: An installation for positioning edge to edge and welding by means of a laser beam at least two sheet blanks comprises means for supporting and positioning a first sheet blank in a horizontal reference plane, means for positioning the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank on the axis of the laser beam, means for maintaining the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank, means for clamping the first sheet blank, means for supporting and positioning at least one second sheet blank, means for maintaining the edge to be welded of the second sheet blank against the edge to be welded of the first sheet blank, means for clamping with a sectorized pressure the second sheet blank, means for exerting a lateral and sectorized pressure on the edges to be welded of the sheet blanks, and a welding unit employing a laser beam movable along the joint plane of the sheet blanks to be welded.

Abstract: A three-dimensional measurement method and device are intended for fast and accurate measurement of large objects such as vehicles. The method includes the steps of determining approximate measurement positions of a shape measurement sensor; positioning the sensor at successive approximate measurement positions to read off the shape of surface portions of the object represented by points on the object whose co-ordinates are expressed in a system of axes fixed relative to the sensor; identifying accurate positions of the sensor at the approximate measurement positions relative to a predetermined fixed system of axes; and converting the co-ordinates of the points of the surface portions expressed in the system of axes fixed relative to the sensor into co-ordinates expressed in the fixed system of axes on the basis of the identified accurate positions of the sensor.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method for regulating the level of the meniscus (13) of the liquid metal in a mold (5) of a machine for the continuous casting of metals, according to which method the electrical signals supplied by at least one pair of sensors (17, 18) overhanging said meniscus are picked up, said signals being a function of the respective distances (h.sub.1, h.sub.2) between said sensors and said meniscus, these two signals are combined so as to obtain a single signal representing an imaginary level of said meniscus and said signal is sent to means (15, 24) for controlling a device (14) for regulating the flow rate of metal penetrating the mold, so that said control means actuate said device so as to bring said imaginary level of said meniscus back to a predetermined set value (h), wherein each signal coming from said sensors is conditioned, eliminating therefrom the oscillations having both a frequency greater than a threshold (F) and an amplitude less than a threshold (D).

Abstract: The invention provides a device for press forming a sheet blank (5) of the type including a die formed by a pad (2) composed of an elastic material disposed in a retaining box (1), a lower blank holder (3) which rests on the upper part of the box (1) and on which the sheet blank (5) rests, structure for preforming the sheet blank (5) constituted by an outer slide (6) carrying an upper blank holder (6a), structure for forming the sheet blank (5) constituted by a central slide acting on a plunger (7) and, in the region of heating zones of the elastic pad (2), structure (20) for regulating the temperature of the elastic pad (2) in the course of the press forming of the sheet blank (5).

Abstract: The rear set of wheels of a motor vehicle comprises a U- or H-shaped axle, formed by two suspension arms (2) interconnected by an omega-section beam (7). Each suspension arm is constituted by at least one metal plate (1) and a lateral flange (8) welded together and to the beam (7), the plate (1) having, in at least a part of its length, a width which varies by increasing from the rear toward the front in accordance with a substantially parabolic function.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a cooling agent containing iron for refining steel in a steel-making converter. The cooling agent is formed from ovoids produced from fatty slurries from rolling mills.The present invention also relates to a cooling agent which contains iron and is obtained by this process.

Abstract: Electroplating cell comprising an electrolysis tank (2) containing a plating solution (S), at least one immersed anode (3), means for making a strip run through the solution (S) in front of said anode (3), from one of its edges (3A) to the opposite edge (3B), and electrically insulating masks (4A, 4B) arranged along said edges (3A, 3B).Said masks overhang said edges by an amount at least equal to the distance separating said anode (3) from said strip and overlap them by an amount less than the same distance.Application to coating with an alloy, especially a zinc-based alloy, especially in installations having several successive cells.The quality of the coating is improved, something which facilitates the subsequent forming and painting of the coated sheet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a corrosion inhibitor for a metal material such as steel, of the type consisting of an aqueous solution containing an alkali metal nitrite, wherein said solution contains 0.01 to 0.3 mol/l of an alkali metal nitrite, 0.01 to 0.3 mol/l of an alkali metal phosphate, and phosphoric acid in a proportion of a quantity sufficient to maintain the pH of said solution, measured at ambient temperature, between 6.9 and 7.2.

Abstract: Both a method and apparatus for producing molten steel are provided wherein ferrous materials rich in carbonaceous materials are fused in a first vessel of a single electric furnace having separate first and second vessels. The carbonized molten metal thus obtained is then pretreated in a separate pretreatment facility to remove contaminants and the pretreated molten metal is then decarburized in the second vessel of the electric furnace. The decarburization of the pretreated metal in the second vessel of the furnace avoids reintroducing contaminants into the steel by avoiding contact between the pretreated metal and the slag produced when the initial carbonaceous materials are fused. Preferably, the first and second vessels are two vessels of a single electric furnace having a single electric power source.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method for coating a metallurgical product, especially a steel product, in which said product is dipped into a bath of metallic alloy containing solid impurities, wherein said bath of alloy is exposed to sound vibration so as to accelerate the decantation of said impurities.The subject of the invention is also an installation for coating metallurgical products (3), especially steel products, of the type comprising a tank (1) containing a bath (2) of metallic alloy and means (4, 5) for dipping said products (3) into said bath of alloy, wherein it also comprises means (13, 14) for exposing said bath of alloy to sound vibration.

Abstract: A roller is rotatably mounted about its axis and comprises a hollow, cylindrical roll face, a ring and two hollow shafts. The roller is provided with a force measuring fiber optical device which uses the double refraction in an optical fiber subjected to a lateral force. The optical fibers of the measuring device form coils, each having at least one turn and the cylindrical roll face.

Abstract: The invention provides a device for putting et least two sheet blanks (2 and 3) in register edge to edge in a plant for welding these sheet blanks by means of a high energy density beam (1). The device comprises a longitudinal stop element (92) movable, on one hand, by the action of a first control means (100), between a retracted horizontal first position and a retracted vertical intermediate second position and, on the other hand, by the action of a second control means (110), between said intermediate second position and a vertical third position for putting in register the first sheet blank (2), in which position a lower part of the stop element (92) is gripped between the means for positioning and clamping the sheet blanks and an upper end part of the stop element (92) extends above a horizontal reference plane for positioning the edge to be welded (2a) of the first sheet blank (2) on the axis of the high energy density beam (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for depositing a thin adhesive coating of polypyrrole on the surface of an article made of oxidizable metal, by electropolymerization of an aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic electrolytic solution of pyrrole and/or of one or more substituted pyrroles, in which the anode of the electropolymerization device consists of the article made of oxidizable metal, in which the solution contains ions selected from the ions of formula: ##STR1## in which X is selected from O, S and NH,R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are selected, independently of each other, from --H, --Cl, --Br, --F, --I, --OH, --SH, --NH.sub.2, --CHO, --COOH, --SO.sub.3 H and derivatives thereof, aryl groups, C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 alkyl groups, aralkyl groups and alkylaryl groups, these groups possibly being substituted with one or more groups selected from --OH, --SH, --NH.sub.2, --CHO, --COOH, .dbd.O, --CONH.sub.2, --N(X,X',X").sup.+, epoxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkoxy, or together possibly forming a ring structure.

Abstract: The machine for removing burrs from slabs (1) issuing from a continuous casting installation and cut to the desired length by oxygen cutting, is of the type comprising a rotor (10) carrying on its periphery self-retractable hammers (11). The rotor (10) comprises a hub (12) on which are fixed, at each end, an end flange (13) in the form of a circular collar and, between these two end flanges (13), pairs (14) of semi-flanges (15) which are in the form of semi-circular collars and are adjacent and opposed. Each pair (14) of semi-flanges (15) is evenly spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the hub (12) and one of the semi-flanges (15) of each pair (14) is offset in this longitudinal direction relative to the other of the semi-flanges (15) of this pair (14). The invention also provides a rotor employed in this type of burr-removing machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the measurement of the thickness profile of a metal product in the form of a moving strip or a moving plate, of the type composed of an X-ray source emitting in the direction of the said product, an X-ray detection unit (21) located on the other side of the product with respect to the said source, means (22) for processing the signals emitted by the detection unit enabling the thickness profile of the said product to be measured, and means (23, 24) for cooling the detection unit and means for processing its signals, wherein the detection unit and the means for processing its signals are arranged on a support plate (18) fitted with a closure plate (19), the closure plate including electrical (27) and fluid (25, 26) connections necessary for the operation of the detection unit and of the means for processing its signals, in that the support plate is inserted into a box of which one of the side faces has an opening, means (20) for the attachment of the closure plate and mean

Abstract: A device for detecting longitudinal cracks on slabs, in particular on steel slabs, issuing from a continuous casting, by way of eddy current measuring probes fed with an alternating voltage, and device for detecting variations in the voltage indicating the presence of a crack. The device for detecting longitudinal cracks includes on each side of upper and lower faces of the slab, a crack detection unit each including a measuring probe which undergoes a transverse reciprocating motion relative to the direction of travel of the slab, and a device for maintaining the measuring probe of each detection unit at a constant distance relative to the corresponding main face of the slab.