Abstract: An eductor with a jet ring assembly for generating a low pressure region for detaching and removing residual drilling fluid solids from the internal walls of the eductor is disclosed. The eductor can include: induction ports, liquid induction ports, a mixing chamber, a diffuser, and a jet ring adaptor that can generate the low pressure region. Also disclosed is a method for removing residual drilling fluid solids (wall cake) from internal walls of the eductor. The method can include: stopping the flow of a first pressurized fluid to the eductor, stopping discharge from a diffuser of the eductor, and pressurizing a jet ring assembly using a second pressurized fluid to detach and remove the wall cake from the internal walls of the eductor.

Abstract: An eductor apparatus has an inlet nozzle section with a primary inlet and a nozzle, a mixing chamber connected to the inlet nozzle section and in fluid communication with a narrow diameter opening of the nozzle, and a diffuser section connected to the mixing chamber opposite the inlet nozzle section. The diffuser section has throat formed therein. The throat has a plurality of lobes formed thereon. The plurality of lobes extend longitudinally along the throat. The lobes are generally equally circumferentially spaced from each other around the throat. The narrow diameter opening of the nozzle has another plurality of lobes formed therearound and extending in longitudinally alignment with the plurality of lobes of the throat.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mixing a static fluid with another component, such as a particulate material, a liquid, a compressible liquid or gas, or combinations thereof, using a motive fluid stream, producing a low pressure region within the static fluid using radial eductors in a tank. The invention further relates to a method for separating oil form an oil and water mixture using a motive fluid stream and air, producing a low pressure region in a tank with entrained air bubbles, wherein the oil attaches to the air bubbles and rises to the surface.

Abstract: A method for dust-free low pressure mixing for conveying and mixing secondary dry and secondary liquid components into a primary liquid component with a hermetically sealed system, the method comprising: using a cyclone separator to capture dust from a surge tank and form a recovered product, using a flow promoter to prevent bridging an rat-holing, pressurizing an eductor to draw dry components into a mixing chamber, fluidizing the dry component, and expelling the fluidized dry component.

Abstract: A dust-free mixing system for use with drilling fluids having a jet ring adapter. The dust-free mixing system can have an eductor. The eductor can have a housing with an axial bore for receiving a first suction induction port. The first suction induction port is for receiving a first dry component. The eductor can have a second suction induction port for receiving a second dry component. The eductor can further have a third suction induction port for receiving a third dry component.

Abstract: A device for the formation of croissants made of puff pastry or the like, said croissants being initially shaped into pastry rolls (12) starting from flat puff pastry, wherein there are at least two gripping or clasping and folding elements (13, 14, 15), connected by an articulated joint (16, 17) and suitable for being transferred, aligned with each other, onto portions of a puff pastry roll (12), withholding the roll (12) and being moved to a folded position thus causing the firmly held pastry roll to take on the form of a U- or crescent shape, there also being driving systems (25, 26) for the reciprocal movement between the at least two gripping or clasping and folding elements (13, 14, 15).

Abstract: An apparatus for the folding of croissants comprising, in series, downstream of at least one preparation station of rolls of pastry, obtained from triangles of pastry rolled up with one pointed central external end, and fed one after another, a positioning station with a pre-determined pitch distance of the rolls in a central position with respect to underlying conveying devices, an oriented positioning station of the pointed end on the underlying conveying devices and a U-folding station of the rolls, in which the folding station comprises front and rear gages for each roll and rotating side gages for the folding of opposite ends of each roll, the oriented positioning station and the folding station being movable alternately forwards and backwards.

Abstract: Equipment for feeding product groups to a conveyor for their packaging, wherein the groups of products (13), are divided and spaced, for transfer onto the conveyor (12). The equipment includes a transport unit (15) that is moveable in the direction of the conveyor (12) and may be lowered and lifted towards the conveyor. The transport unit (15) receives the divided and spaced product groups (13) and releases the divided and spaced product groups on belts (45) that continuously advance in the direction of a pusher tug conveyor (40, 41). The pusher tug conveyor is associated with and is a part of said conveyor (12). Motors (43, 25) for the pusher tug conveyor (40, 41), for the belts (45) and for the transport unit (15) are controllable in phase, by means of a common processor (49).

Abstract: A product handling device having at least one carriage provided with at least one product engagement element and movable between different positions, and a drive element for driving the at least one carriage between the different positions. With the at least one carriage there is associated at least one locator element interacting with external elements arranged to determine the limits of a preselectable travel path. A handling apparatus integrates into one structure of a plurality of such devices, mounted in common to a carriage for vertical and horizontal movement.

Abstract: An automated apparatus for loading and unloading motor vehicles, to be positioned between a loading platform and a vehicle positioning region, includes a frame movable longitudinally to the loading platform, a manipulator-conveyor unit provided with lifting and/or gripping devices and arranged on a support element rotatable through at least 180.degree., the manipulator-conveyor unit being extendable so as to be movable to a position above the loading platform and to a position above the load floor of a vehicle, features being provided for correctly aligning the support element with the load floor, a central processor also being connected to the apparatus. Sensors are associated with the manipulator-conveyor unit for sensing its movement above the support element and are connected to the central processor and to an actuator which correctly positions at least one pair of motorized wheels supporting the manipulator-conveyor unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving any prior state of a computer system is provided. Upon installation of the system, a base image corresponding to the initial state of the computer system is established and stored on a storage device. The system monitors changes to the state of the host and subsequently stores at least some of these changes on the storage device. These changes are then mapped by location of the stored changes in an address table to enable subsequent retrieval of any selected changes. When the address table becomes full, at least one differential image of the state of the system is subsequently created by compiling all changes to the base image which occurred between creation of the base image and the selected time. A virtual image may thus be created of data stored on the storage device, as such data existed at a predetermined prior point in time, from which data and files may be retrieved and written to the host disk.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying, accumulating in succession and arranging products or ready-made articles in groups, with the products or ready-made articles being fed to the same apparatus on one or more rows of conveyors, wherein the individual packages or the individual ready-made articles are orderly positioned inside independent saddles, positioned in succession, and driven along the pathway of the apparatus. The saddles are moved by a continuous, closed-loop element, to which they can be selectively and elastically linked by friction elements, and are disengaged by simple engagement with stopping elements.

Abstract: In a boxing plant for cones and/or conoids which at its inlet are disposed in groups of a certain number each, an apparatus for feeding groups of cones in an orientated and ordered arrangement to boxes comprises a first section (A) in which groups of cones (11) positioned on a container tray (12) in an essentially horizontal plane are orientated in a predetermined manner on opposite sides so that they all lie with their tails pointing towards the center, and a second section (B) in which they are discharged from the container trays (12) onto racks (15) and the cones (11) on one side are offset relative to the cones on the other side, and then moved while offset onto a central region (16) which can be opened in the manner of a sliding door above boxes (17) and in which the cones (11) disposed side by side in a head-tail arrangement are compacted (18) into matrices (44) having the same dimensions as the boxes and are then allowed to fall into the boxes by opening the sliding door.

Abstract: An apparatus for the ordered arrangement and creation of a feed stock in boxing plants for cones and/or conoids, for positioning after first conveyors which feed a stream of individual cones one after another, comprising a splitter unit for splitting in two the stream of cones flowing from the first conveyors towards second conveyors which follow the splitter unit. An escapement mechanism disposed at the other end of the second conveyors and a pusher and positioning unit for transferring the cones towards containing devices, to provide good accumulation of cones and their regular downstream feed.

Abstract: In an automatic plant for the production of products, such as food products, in which modular supports carrying a determined number of products are used. A high-capacity physical and/or chemical treatment apparatus provides a temporary storage facility sufficient to ensure continuity of operation and production of the plants positioned downstream and upstream thereof, even if one or the other is momentarily at rest.