Abstract: A method and mechanism for controlling the operation of a centrifugal separator having a relatively rotating drum and screw conveyor whereby the speed of each is measured and the torque for driving the screw is measured and the speed differential control is in a predetermined functional relationship to the torque and at a particular maximum and minimum value of torque, the speed differential being changed independently of torque and when a predetermined change in torque is obtained, the predetermined functional relationship between the torque and speed differential being changed to a different characteristic step-wise with the characteristic or relationship being shifted step-wise.

Abstract: A means for operating a washing machine transmission in a neutral state is provided which includes a reversible drive gear for driving the transmission in a first agitate direction and an opposite spin direction. A drive pawl is pivotally mounted on the drive gear. Pawl pivoting means, being a circular control spring with an outwardly extending tang is selectively rotatable against either side of the pivoted pawl and a latching pawl selectively captures the tang when the drive gear is rotating in the spin direction to operate the transmission in a neutral state until the rotation of the spin gear is interrupted. Means are provided on the latch pawl to prevent relatching of the control spring if the rotation of the drive gear is subsequently interrupted.

Abstract: Ports are disposed in steam turbine blade discs to control the environment adjacent the bore of the disc to inhibit stress corrosion.

Abstract: In a single screw extruder mixer head for mixing high viscosity linear polyolefins materials employing a plurality of alternate longitudinal mixing and wiping barriers, the improvement of providing longitudinal radially-stepped regions on the opened bevelled leading edge portions of the outer surface of the wiping barriers to act as hydrodynamic wedges to the passage of polyolefin material passing between the surfaces and the inner walls of the extruder barrel; and radially-stepped opened bevelled leading edge portions of the outer surfaces of the wiping barriers and the outer circumferential surfaces of full diameter of the mixer head supporting an outer coating of gall-resistant material.

Abstract: For the raking and otherwise disaggregation of powdery material in a reservoir chamber, there is provided an agitator unit comprising a laterally extending shaft disposed for rotation in the reservoir on which is mounted a pair of laterally spaced disks with strip lengths or cables stretched between the disks. The cables serve to provide a raking surface which prevents the powdery material from clumping and the agitator unit is rotated in the reservoir. The opposed ends of the cables are connected to the disks by means of clamping devices which are interchangeably disposed in corresponding bores formed along the outer edges of the disks. Each clamping device comprises a bush part having a lateral passage for receiving therethrough a corresponding free end of the cable. The bush is rigidly connected to the free end of the cable by means of a compressed or pinched fit and the bush is secured in the disk bore as the result of suitable stop surface means.

Abstract: The advantages of a twin-screw extruder, especially the good plasticizing and homogenizing effect, are to be retained in the present invention with a simultaneous, above-average degassing output of the extruder. This object is achieved by dividing the twin-screw extruder into two stages (a) the plasticizing and homogenizing stage with a high screw torque and (b) the degassing and discharging stage in which a large, free degassing volume is achieved by a reduction in the screw core, by an enlargement of the screw housing and by adapting the screw diameter to the respective housing diameters in the degassing and discharging stage.

Abstract: A washing apparatus which comprises a casing in the form of a rectangular tube open at both ends, a water reservoir in the casing, a rotary tub in the water reservoir, an agitator in the rotary tub, driving device attached to the water reservoir and located inside the casing to selectively drive the rotary tub and agitator, suspending device elastically suspending the water reservoir and the driving device in the casing, and a pair of end members equal in size and shape and attached individually to both ends of the casing. Each end member has a rectangular ring-shaped frame attached to the peripheral edge portion at each corresponding end of the casing, and protrusions formed individually in the four corners of the frame. The protrusions of one end member constitute a support member supporting the suspending device, while the protrusions of the other end member constitute the legs of the casing.

Abstract: An apparatus which can continuously produce highly-stable emulsified liquid is substantially characterized in that a casing is provided with a plurality of stators mounted on the inner surface of the casing and a plurality of agitator blade rotors which are concentrically and rotatably disposed relative to the stators and that several minute gaps are defined between the stators and rotors. By making at least two different kinds of liquid pass through such minute gaps from one end of the casing to the other, an emulsified liquid having high stability can be obtained from the other end without increasing flow resistance.

Abstract: A dyeing method and system for coloring the pile yarns of a carpet web provides for the reuse of gum used in the dyeing process and the reuse of water used for rinsing the carpet. The gum, which is extracted hot from the carpet web as it exits the steamer where the dye is set in the face yarns and prior to the rinsing of the carpet is filtered and passed through a heat exchanger into a gum storage tank for reuse. The heat exchanger is used to recover latent heat from the gum and preheat water on its way to a boiler used in the dyeing system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramic turbine blade having a ceramic root flange and a metallic compliant layer which is electroformed to the ceramic root flange and then machine-formed to the geometry required for attachment to the turbine disk. Because of its intimate bond to the surface of the ceramic root flange and because of its compliant nature, the metallic compliant layer serves to uniformly distribute stresses induced by the attachment of the blade to the turbine disk. The present invention also envisions the attachment and use of a fir tree root section to an otherwise complete ceramic blade without risk of stress fracture or modification of the turbine disk.

Abstract: An apparatus for agitating and pumping a liquid slurry, such as liquid manure slurry. The apparatus includes a pump which is adapted to be positioned within the lower end of a pit that contains the slurry, and the pump is operably connected to a motor which is located above the pit. The motor-pump unit is mounted for sliding vertical movement on a fixed column and can also be rotated horizontally relative to the column to vary the position of the outlet of the pump during agitation of the slurry. The apparatus also includes a means for tilting the motor-pump unit with respect to the fixed column. When the pump is raised to a location adjacent the top of the pit, the motor-pump unit can be tilted in a vertical plane to move the pump out of the pit to a position where it can be repaired or maintained.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for deashing an effluent slurry from a coal liquefaction process is provided. A mixture of relatively coarse coal-derived solids and a precipitating solvent is stirred with the effluent slurry to form hard, discrete agglomerate pellets of improved settling rates.

Abstract: Film cooling of the blades of an expander is achieved by supplying steam generated at the outlet of the expander to a plurality of discharge points. In one embodiment, a plurality of passages are formed in the hub of the expander and underlie each of the vanes. Tubes are located at the inlet end of each vane and form a fluid path with the associated underlying passage and discharge steam over the entire height of the inlet end of the vane. Additional passages provide fluid communication between the underlying passages and the base of the associated vane so that film cooling is supplied to the entire inducer section of the expander.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the production of a solid-forming or a foam-forming reaction mixture from at least two flowable components, the apparatus comprising a mixing head, at the outlet opening of which is connected at an angle a filling tube in which an ejection piston which is designed as a piston head and having a piston rod of a smaller diameter is positioned, the rear neutral position of the piston head being located upstream of the outlet opening of the mixing chamber, characterized in that an introduction slit is provided in the filling tube between the rear neutral position of the piston head of the ejection piston and the outlet opening of the mixing chamber and a delivery device for cleaning platelets is associated with the introduction slit.

Abstract: A multi-stage hydraulic machine comprises a rotatable shaft; a plurality of runners fixed to the shaft and arranged from a highest-pressure stage to a lowest-pressure stage; runner chambers in which are respectively housing the runners; a return channel for connecting adjacent ones of said runner chambers with each other; movable wicket gates provided at least in the highest-pressure stage and capable of moving between a position in which the movable wicket gates block the channel and a position in which the movable wicket gates open the channel; and a casing connected to the highest-pressure stage. In a control method for the hydraulic machine, the wicket gates are closed and highly pressurized water is fed through a feed pipe in an outer circumferential portion of the runner chamber of the highest-pressure stage defined inside of the movable wicket gates, said water sequentially reaching the lower pressure stages through the return channels.

Abstract: A power turbine employs a plurality of turbine blades each having a normal lip mounted at the free ends thereof. The plurality of turbine blades are mounted in a paddle wheel type configuration about the turbine power shaft. The paddle wheel blade configuration is interposed between the pressurized fluid inlet and outlet ports for efficient response to the pressurized fluid moving therebetween. Directional fans mounted about the rotating shaft maintain the fluid flow through the turbine so as to assure an optimum power as offered by the rotating turbine shaft. A home power generation system utilizing the turbine is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An automatic clothes washing appliance of the type incorporating a stationary tub, a clothes receiving basket movably supported in the tub, a spray system for distributing fill water over the articles received in the basket, and a drive motor which selectively drives the basket for wash and spin cycle operation. The control system for the appliance includes an arrangement for detecting the existence of an oversuds condition in the tub and basket which is operative upon detection of an oversuds condition to interrupt appliance operation and initiate a corrective cycle which includes actuation of the spray system to spray water over the clothes in the basket. Upon completion of the corrective cycle, normal appliance operation is resumed from the point of interruption. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the detection arrangement monitors motor speed to detect a change indicative of an increased load on the motor.

Abstract: A high speed fuel pump for a gas turnbine engine has a positively-driven shroud (28) positioned between a main impeller (14) and the wall of a pumping cavity (12) to reduce impeller drag. The shroud is formed by a first disc (30) having a boost impeller (36) connected to its central hub portion 30a and a second disc (32) having a gear (32b) carried by its central hub portion (32a). The main drive shaft assembly (24), to which the main impeller is connected, carries a gear (64) which meshes with gear (62) mounted upon a shaft (58). The shaft (58) also carries a gear (56) which meshes with the gear 32b. The gears are sized so that the shroud is driven at one-half the speed of the main impeller in order to maximize impeller drag reduction and enhance pumping capability when severe inlet conditions are present at the pump inlet (10).

Abstract: A method for continuously treating strand-like textile material which is transported horizontally in vertical loops, by way of transverse rods or bars, through a treatment liquid, particularly a hot mixture of liquids; the formation of the loops occurs by way of vertical flow. The loop formation, the maintaining of the formed loop, the form or shape stability thereof, as well as the horizontal movement thereof are effected by transverse rods or bars, which are arranged in the lower loop bends and in the vicinity of the container bottom move from the textile strand inlet or entry side of the textile strand outlet or discharge side, and by a flow directed upwardly between the transverse rods or bars; the horizontal movement is aided by a horizontal transverse flow of the treatment liquid.

Abstract: Apparatus for increasing the homogeneity of the mixture of fluids, e.g. petroleum products flowing together in a pipe. The apparatus operates by dividing the flow into multiple converging jets and comprises a tubular body (10) for insertion in the pipe. The tubular body (10) houses a cylindrical sheath (9) inside which two plates (21, 22) provided with perforations (23) define two inlet chambers (25, 26) between which the flow is distributed. The space (33) between the plates is partitioned by a plurality of partitions (36) which are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the sheath so as to constitute outlet cells in which jets from the perforations of the plates converge. Said outlet cells have openings (38) formed in the sheath for the lateral removal of the fluids which mix therein.