Abstract: A cutter for cutting, in stages, irradiated bundles of nuclear fuel rods, pecially from pressurized-water or boiling-water reactors. The cutter includes a feed channel associated with transverse and longitudinal feed devices for the rod bundle. A cutter housing is arranged at the mouth of the channel. A cutter carriage can be moved at right angles to the feed channel and is provided with a cutter blade; a fixed counter-blade cooperates with this cutter blade; a rod bundle clamping mechanism is located ahead of the cutting plane and is provided with two alternately actuatable clamping jaws. The cutter carriages, the cutting blade, the counter-blade, and the two clamping jaws can be removed and replaced. The transporting, clamping, and cutting devices are respectively provided with their own drive unit.

Abstract: A brake arrangement is disclosed for rail vehicles which include two track wheel sets having two wheels connected by a shaft. A multi-stage reduction gear is connected to each track wheel shaft. The two multi-stage reduction gears are connected to an electric motor which has an armature shaft extending in the direction of movement of the rail vehicle. Each multi-stage reduction gear has at least one intermediate power transmission shaft which extends out of a housing of the reduction gear. At least one disc brake is connected to each intermediate shaft at a position outside the reduction gear housing. A caliper arrangement with calipers and caliper actuators is rigidly connected to the housing and engages the disc so that there is no relative movement between the disc and the housing during operation of the rail vehicle.

Abstract: A hydride storage for hydrogen comprises a preferably tubular solid casing for the storage material. In the interior of the casing, the storage material is bounded by a wall of a fabric, particularly metallic fabric, through which the hydrogen penetrates into, and out of, the material. Preferably, a highly elastic conduit (tubular body) permeable to gas and made of a metallic fabric is embedded in the storage material.

Abstract: A method of cooling hot bulk material using a reactor comprises passing a cooling gas in heat exchange relationship with the bulk material, contacting the cooling gas and the bulk material with a water vaporizing heat exchanger surface to remove a part of the heat content of the bulk material and the cooling gases which are heated by the bulk material, and directing the cooling gases after the contact, to an additional water vaporizing heat exchange surface to cool the contacted gases for reuse. The cooling gases after they are heated are directed preferably to a waste heat boiler where they are cooled and after separation returned back to be again circulated to the reacting vessel for cooling the bulk material. The cooling reactor for cooling the hot bulk material comprises a vertically elongated vessel defining a cooling chamber which has a top charging inlet for the bulk material and a bottom charge discharge for the cooled bulk material.

Abstract: A bogie for a rail vehicle comprises a hollow jacket having opposite open end faces forming an electric motor housing. A stator winding assembly is press fit into the hollow jacket and receives a rotatably mounted motor shaft which has an axis extending parallel to the direction of travel of the rail vehicle. A cross-beam having side parts is connected directly, for example, by welding to the hollow jacket. A motor bearing bracket is connected and closes the opposite end faces of the hollow jacket and carries a bearing through which the motor shaft is mounted. The motor shaft is connected to a miter gear, a differential gear, Cardan shafts and couplings, to bogie wheels. Double linkages may be connected to axles of the wheels with wheels on opposite sides of the bogie and at either end of the bogie having linkages which are connected to each other.

Abstract: A device for transporting ammunition, especially cartridges and the like, from a fixed magazine to a top-mounted gun is disclosed. The ammunition is brought to a charging position, in which it is substantially coaxial to the axis of bore of the gun, by utilization of a lift mechanism which is swingable about a horizontal axis by being pivotally mounted at one end to a part which is rotatable about the lateral alignment axis of the gun, while the other end of the lift mechanism includes a cartridge holder. The gun itself is adjustable as to elevation and is operatively connectible to an armored dome of a protective armor, with the dome being adapted to rotate about its vertical axis. The ammunition is stored parallel to one another and to the axis of bore of the gun in the fixed magazine beneath the protective armor. The device includes a stand-by magazine locatable between the fixed magazine and the gun, with the stand-by magazine being connectible to the dome at the rear thereof.

Abstract: A device for measuring axial force in a shaft journalled or mounted with two roller bearings arranged side by side in a housing, such measuring occurring by means of wire strain gauges or the like. The inner ring of the roller bearing on the shaft side engages a shaft shoulder, and the end faces of the roller bodies of the roller body row facing the bearing cover are supported by the flangeless inner ring of the adjoining roller bearing against a flanged ring or angle ring which is disengageably arranged on the shaft. This device is especially intended for wheel-set shafts of rail vehicles during travelling operation. Those end faces of the roller bodies of the two roller body rows facing each other are supported on a central flanged ring which transfers force and is movable in the direction of force when force is applied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of manufacturing a metal casing, particularly for accessories, such as steel casings, and preferably gate valves which can be employed in installations requiring high safety measures and testing with testing heads, the casings having large nominal widths and particularly usable in nuclear reactors and the like, comprising, permanently deforming a bloom into a tubular body having one open end and an opposite closed end, deforming at least a portion of the tubular body to form at least two diametrically opposed sides thereof which are planar on their interior and exterior surfaces, forming a port in at least one of the planar ends having a diameter less than that of the diametrically opposed sides to leave an approach area around the port and connecting a pipe connection to the port by a single welding seam which can be tested with a testing head which can approach the seam in the approach area. A casing made in accordance with the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for welding bodies made of very hard or highly refined armor steel, particularly objects to be armored against the penetration of projectiles, flying bodies, splinters or the like, wherein armor steel bodies arranged in juxtaposition with a gap therebetween are provided, in the region of the root of the joint, with preferably one bar each, and/or a filler body of, in particular, an unalloyed steel is arranged in the joint so as to cover the joint gap. The armor steel bodies are welded together without preheating with a suitable ferritic welding material, of like base, under a protective gas atmosphere and after cooling of the weld seam from the welding heat to not less than 100.degree. C., the weld seam is heated locally and progressively without any holding period to at least 450.degree. C. and subsequently, without maintaining a certain ambient temperature and/or period of time, the weld seam is cooled to ambient temperature in air.

Abstract: A wax cylinder for a wax spraying machine is disclosed. The wax cylinder includes a housing, an ejection cylinder having a chamber mounted in the housing. An elongated piston is slidably mounted in the chamber and includes a pressure face for pressurizing and urging wax in the chamber out through an ejection opening. The chamber is maintained in constant fluid communication with a feed line for feeding wax into the chamber throughout the stroke of the piston. A check valve is utilized to prevent back flow of wax through the feed line. Air is prevented from flowing into the chamber during the return stroke of the piston.

Abstract: A planetary gear assembly comprises, a housing with an input shaft rotatably mounted in the housing and being advantageously hollow so as to provide a means for rotatably supporting a central gear. The central gear includes two axially spaced helical gear portions which mesh with oppositely helically geared rotatable planetary gears having respective shafts supported on planet carriers which are selectively connected either to the input shaft or to an output shaft which is rotatably mounted adjacent the input shaft. A planetary gear is also meshed with outer central gears or internal gears which are affixed to the housing. The inner central gears are mounted so that they may be displaced axially to absorb stressing during operation. In addition, the internal gear advantageously includes a hub portion which provides a mounting for a planetary gearing of another faster running planetary stage.

Abstract: A horizontal in-ground heat exchanger is disclosed which comprises an input line, a return line and a plurality of heat exchanger pipes connected between the input and return lines. The heat exchanger pipes are divided into a plurality of groups, each including several pipes. An input manifold is connected to at least some pipes in each group and a return manifold is also connected to at least some pipes in each group. The cross-sectional dimension of each manifold is selected to be substantially smaller than a crosswise dimension of each pipe group lying in a horizontal plane. Each pipe has a curved end portion connected to its respective input and return manifold.

Abstract: A bogie for rail cars comprises a traverse which has a portion at each side which extends forwardly and rearwardly and includes a central pin which is engaged in a support box of a half bogie. Each side of the traverse carries a pin which engages in the support box of an associated bogie and the bogie is capable of some vertical and horizontal rotation in respect to the pin. The traverse is supported on springs which extend between the overlying traverse and the underlying bogie at a longitudinally spaced location from the pin. Forward and rear wheel sets are supported in the associated bogies at respective ends thereof and they carry a driving motor therebetween having a planetary gearing which is connected to drive the associated wheels of each set. The bogies are advantageously interconnected by transversely extending tie rods arranged at spaced longitudinal locations in respect to the support pin.

Abstract: A vibrator roller frame for supporting a vibrator roller on a horizontal axis of rotation and for transferring static and dynamic forces, comprises, a closed annular one-piece frame member, preferably made of cast steel, having side, end and corner parts, connected to the vibrator roller and annularly surrounding it. The side, end and corner parts are shaped in accordance with the static or dynamic forces they will receive. The corner parts have inside and outside relatively large radii of curvature and connect the side and end parts. The side and end parts have increasing width from a median axis toward the corner portions.

Abstract: An improved control for an underground mining working support unit arrangement of the type having an adjacent support unit arrangement hydraulically connectable to the working support unit arrangement in which a plurality of hydraulic supports support load points, it is disclosed wherein the hydraulic supports are successively connectable to several of the load points with a reversing valve operable to alternately connect control valves to selected hydraulic supports.

Abstract: An improved valve in use for underground mining in connection with a piston cylinder unit, such as a hydraulic prop, is disclosed. The valve includes a piston member within a control chamber which is operative to terminate fluid communication between the hydraulic prop and a hydraulic fluid source. The piston is pressure-equalized in a neutral position when the hydraulic prop is set.

Abstract: A brake for rail vehicles comprises a working cylinder defining an accumulator chamber and a counter pressure chamber. A differential piston is movably mounted in the working cylinder and has a first piston surface communicating with the accumulator chamber and a second piston surface communicating with the counter pressure chamber. A restraining device in the form of an additional pressurized chamber communicates with another surface of the differential piston to hold the differential piston motionless. When brakes which are connected to and actuated by the differential piston, are to be activated to slow movement of the vehicle, the restraining device is partially or fully released which permits movement of the differential piston.

Abstract: A gear clutch comprises an annular clutch casing with a plurality of internal teeth and a clutch hub having a plurality of external teeth meshed with the internal teeth. The clutch is coaxial with the clutch casing and the external teeth have a load bearing part and a root. The clutch hub has an annular axially extending groove extending into the root from one side of the external teeth and ending below the external teeth and an annular radially extending groove on an opposite side of the external teeth and defining with the axially extending groove a cylindrical annular break section of a size smaller than that of the load bearing part, whereby the break section breaks before the load bearing part breaks when the gear clutch is overloaded.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing metal casings, particularly gate valve casings, comprises, forming two casing shell half portions from a plate by holding the plate and forming a valve port in at least one of the plates with a forming tool, forming wall portions of the plate bounding the port into axially inwardly and axially outwardly extending collars bounding the opening and joining the two casing shell half portions together by a longitudinal weld which is accessible to ultrasonic and radiographic inspection to form a fluid- and pressure-tight casing. A device for carrying out the method comprises forming tools for imparting a shell, shaped to the plates and upper and lower dies which are provided with recesses for holding fast and forming or overforming flange-like collars.

Abstract: A ring rolling mill is disclosed which has a rolling mill frame, a rolling platform mounted to the frame, a main roll movably mounted on the frame, a plurality of elongated mandrel rolls mounted laterally of the main roll, and a plurality of mandrel roll bearing housings each supporting oppositely disposed ends of each mandrel roll. Each mandrel roll and one bearing associated therewith is axially displaceable.