Abstract: A safety throttle is provided for a hand held pneumatic tool in which a pivotable intermediate member must be manually moved, by a prior secondary movement, into a slotted throttle lever before the later primary movement of the throttle lever will allow the intermediate member to activate a throttle valve to actuate the pneumatic tool.

Abstract: In a high pressure compressor stage of a gas turbine engine an array of rotor blades is mounted on a rotatable disk or drum and a static shroud is made up of a number of shroud segments. Each segment is provided with two hook portions which each locate through a respective slot or aperture formed in a generally tubular casing structure. The hook portions engage the outer surface of the casing whilst the ends of the shroud members press upon the inner surface of the casing to create an assembly strain which holds each shroud member firmly in position. Cooling air holes are provided in the casing and the shroud segment.

Abstract: Dual-plant blade construction for wind turbine rotors having a horizontal shaft having a rotor hub adapted to be mounted on the horizontal shaft and having a horizontal axis. First and second sets of straight blades are secured to said rotor hub in circumferentially equally spaced apart positions on the rotor hub. Each of said sets of blades include first and second blades having tip and root portions with the root portions of the blades being secured to the rotor hub at spaced apart positions along the axis of the rotor hub and the tip portions of the blades being secured to each other whereby there is generated substantially equal and opposite cyclic spanwise forces and minimal cyclic flatwise moments in the first and second blades in response to non-steady aerodynamic normal forces acting on these blades in non-uniform turbulent winds.

Abstract: A slewing control device for a hydraulic slewing crane adapted to supply a discharge oil from a hydraulic pump through a slewing control valve to a slewing motor and control a rotational direction and a rotational speed of the slewing motor. The slewing control device includes a brake pressure control valve for variably controlling a discharge pressure of the slewing motor, an acceleration pressure control valve for variably controlling a suction pressure of the slewing motor, and a controller for outputting to both pressure control valves a pressure control signal to be determined according to an operational condition of the crane upon braking of a slewing body and controlling both the discharge pressure and the suction pressure of the slewing motor to control a pressure differential therebetween. Accordingly, even when a braking torque is small, the slewing body can be smoothly braked to be stopped at a target position accurately with no oscillation of a suspended load remaining.

Abstract: A piston having a head with ring grooves, a skirt having hub bores, and a pin, with the following dimensions:L/D=0.45-0.8H/D=0.25-0.5A/D=0.3-0.5T/D=0.45-0.8whereL=maxium length of the pistonD=maximum diameter of the pistonH=compression heightA=maximum skirt height below the bottom ring groove in a peripheral area having the approximate same skirt height of at least 45 degrees on the major thrust face of the piston with approximately symmetrical division of this area on both sides of a plane extending perpendicular to the pin axis and passing through the longitudinal axis of the piston,T=diametrically opposite distance between the hub bore ends located radially on the outside.The skirt bulges along the axis of the piston and has an oval cross-section. An axis of the hub bores is offset slightly towards the major thrust face. The piston includes a horizontal slit, which separates the head from the skirt. In a polar plane perpendicular to the piston axis the skirt has a greater ovality on the minor thrust face.

Abstract: The invention relates to a propeller assembly, particularly suitable for use with axial flow pumps. The propeller assembly is provided with a cam-operated rotatable propeller blade compression shaft which rotates in response to a detected increase load on the propeller blade. An elongated rod connected to a power source transmits movement to a spring which, in turn, transmits the movement to the cam. To accommodate tilting of the propeller blade during changing of the pitch, a hub outer surface is formed convex and the inner surface of the enclosing shroud is formed concave. The radii of curvature of the hub and the shroud are generally complementary to the radius of curvature of the inner and outer surfaces of the propeller blade, respectively.

Abstract: An actuator includes an elastic member extensible in axial directions when a pressurized fluid is supplied into the elastic member, and guiding device arranged outwardly of the elastic member and permitting the elastic member to move in the axial directions, but restraining the elastic member from moving in directions intersecting the axial directions. As the actuator is of an air-bag type so that energy of the pressurized fluid can be converted into mechanical movement with high efficiency. The actuator moves only in axial directions without expanding in radial directions, so that the actuator takes up little space in operation.

Abstract: Impellers and impeller systems are described which enable liquids and liquid suspensions to be mixed and blended where the size of the impeller and the viscosity of the liquid may require operation in the turbulent and laminar flow regimes, as well as in the transitional flow regime therebetween. The impellers have a plurality of fluidfoil blades and have camber and twist. The angle at the tip of two diametrically disposed blades of a four blade impeller may have a different blade angle at the tip than the other pair of blades. A pair of impellers may be used. These impellers may be of different diameter and disposed in close proximity so that they are in dependent relationship (preferably spaced apart by less than the diameter of the larger impeller).

Abstract: A main helicopter rotor has a number of blades, and a drift shaft supporting at its top end, a hub consisting of a rigid annular body integral and coaxial with the drive shaft. An elastically deformable torodial body surrounds and is connected to the annular body for defining, with the same, a closed-section torodial assembly. Each blade is connected to the hub by a connecting element extending at least partially through the annular body and the torodial body, and connected respectively to the same by a first and second spherical elastomeric bearing.

Abstract: A vibration damper is disposed between each adjacent pair of turbine buckets of a gas turbine engine to act in a V-shaped groove defined by bevelled platform surfaces of the adjacent buckets. The damper is wedge-shaped in cross section and is provided with a pad on one side and two pads on another side. When the damper is propelled into the groove by centrifugal force, it assumes a consistent equilibrium position with the raised surface of the one pad slidingly engaging one of the platform bevelled surfaces and the raised surfaces of the other two pads slidingly engaging the other bevelled platform surface to dissipate vibrational energy in the buckets.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a piston for transferring an output force to another member in response to pressurized fluid being communicated to a bore in a housing. The piston has a cylinder body made of a plurality of triaxial braided layers of carbon fibers which are placed on a mandrel with spacers located between the layers to form an annular projection of a first end and a taper of a second end. The carbon fibers are impregnated with a thermoset resin and cured to define a unitary solid structure. A cone and collar is attached to the second end to form a unitary piston. The piston is inserted in the bore and moved by the pressurized fluid to provide the output force for the other member.

Abstract: The assembly comprises a brake-booster and a master cylinder having, in an outer casing (10), a space divided in leakproof fashion into a front chamber (12) and a rear chamber (14) by a movable partition (16), at least a first resilient mechanism (18) tending to displace the movable partition towards the rear chamber. The front chamber is connected to a vacuum source, and a pressure difference is established between the front and rear chambers by a valve mechanism (20) capable of connecting the rear chamber to the atmosphere upon actuation of a control rod (22) in order to displace the movable partition towards the front chamber. A master cylinder (30) is fixed on the front wall of the casing and has a bore (40) in which a tappet (42) integral with the movable partition and delimiting an enclosed space (28) in the master cylinder slides in leakproof fashion. This tappet has a bore (32) in which a reaction piston (24) subjected to the pressure of the enclosed space (28) slides in leakproof fashion.

Abstract: A method for forming a torque converter flow path defined by an impeller, a turbine and a stator comprising initiating a meanline design path having an outer radius R1 and an inner radius R2 connected by a tangent line, wherein the outer radius is initially set equal to maximum meanline design offset so as to extend to a meanline design path point at a radius R3 equalling .sqroot.(R8).sup.2 -A/2.pi., and the inner radius is set equal to the outer radius so as to extend to a meanline design path point at R4 equaling .sqroot.(R7).sup.2 +A/2.pi., wherein (R8) and (R7) are the maximum and minimum radial distances, respectively, from the flow path to the torque axis.

Abstract: An in-line hydraulic dashpot is disclosed that effectively decelerates the iston of a power cylinder by controllably choking off the oil which is providing pressure to the piston. The in-line hydraulic dashpot of the invention includes a valve spool member movable between an open and closed position along a fluid flow path that supplies oil to the power cylinder. An actuator rod is cooperative with the valve spool member and the piston shaft of the power cylinder to move the valve spool member between its open and closed positions. The in-line hydraulic dashpot eliminates the clashing of mechanical parts and therewith eliminates the noise that would otherwise be generated thereby. The in-line hydraulic dashpot of the present invention makes possible the adaptation of a fixed stroke power cylinder to applications that call for a variable stroke length.

Abstract: A hydraulic drive system comprising a prime mover (21), a hydraulic pump (22) driven by the prime mover, a plurality of hydraulic actuators (23-28) driven by hydraulic fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump, a plurality of flow control valves (29-34) for controlling flow of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the actuators, and a plurality of pressure compensating valve (35-40) for controlling respective differential pressures across the respective flow control valves, in which each of the pressure compensating valves applies a control force (f-F.sub.c) in a valve opening direction for setting a target value of the differential pressure across the flow control valve. There are provided a first detector (60) for detecting the target rotational speed (N.sub.0) of the prime mover (21), and controllers (61, 62, 63) for controlling the control force on the basis of the target rotational speed detected by at least the first detector such that the control force (f-F.sub.

Abstract: A rotor disk 18 and rotor blade 26 assembly is disclosed having a blade lock 66 which retains the rotor blade against axial movement in an axially extending blade retention slot 58. Various construction details are developed which shield the dead rim region D.sub.d and shift at least a portion of the loads associated with the locking device from the dead rim. In one detailed embodiment, a projection 68 from the live rim D.sub.1 of the disk 18 is adapted by slots 86 to receive blade locks 66.

Abstract: The HP-MP steam turbine body has a single internal stator surrounding both the HP and the MP portions of the rotor. The internal stator co-operates with the external stator to define axial positioning means for the internal stator and to define a thermal screen for an inter-stator space which is swept with steam taken from one of the last stages of the HP stream. The portions of the internal stator which surround all of the expansion of the HP stream and the hot stages of the MP stream are steam-conditioned in optimum manner, thereby making it possible to reduce the temperature gradient which the internal stator has to withstand, and also the temperature of the fastenings for both of the stators. The internal stator is simple in structure, the dimensioning of the HP-MP body is optimized, as are the fastenings, and the temperature control of the stators.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic retarder has a stationary element and a rotary element, each of which has a semi-toroidal cavity with a plurality of blade members disposed therein. The semi-toroidal cavities are presented in facing relation with the blade curvatures being oppositely directed. The blade members each have a fluid flow profile that accommodates constant acceleration of the fluid from entrance to exit.

Abstract: A loading/unloading control apparatus for a industrial vehicle control the discharge capacity of a variable displacement type hydraulic pump in accordance with the detected result of the amount of load applied to a loading/unloading hydraulic actuator or with a manual setting by an operator, thereby to obtain the most suitable working speed of the actuator for loading/unloading operations.

Abstract: A manifold is disclosed for converting a manual hydraulic steering signal into a proportional electrical signal. The manifold is connectable between a hydraulic fluid supply, such a helm pump, and a hydraulic steering cylinder and includes a rotary actuator responsive to variations in the flow of hydraulic fluid from the fluid supply. The manifold is useful for converting small marine vessels from manual to power steering and for providing emergency manual steering in large tankers and the like.