Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a valve needle which is slidable within a bore and engageable with a seating to control fuel delivery through first and second outlet openings. The valve needle is moveable between a closed position and first and second fuel injecting positions. The fuel injector further comprises a fuel supply passage for supplying fuel under pressure to the bore and a control chamber which is arranged to receive fuel from the fuel passage, in use. The valve needle is acted upon in use by a force due to fuel pressure within the control chamber. An actuator arrangement controls fuel pressure within the control chamber, and a damping means are provided for damping movement of the valve needle away from the seating into the first or second fuel injecting position. The supply passage for fuel may be provided with a restricted flow passage which serves to limit the amplitude of pressure waves within the supply passage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel injector comprising a nozzle body within which first and second valve needles are slidable. The first valve needle is engagable with a first seating to control fuel injection from a first outlet opening provided in the nozzle body and the second valve needle is engagable with a second seating to control fuel injection from a second outlet opening provided in the nozzle body. The fuel injector further comprises first and second control chambers for fuel, whereby fuel pressure within the first and second control chambers controls movement of the first and second valve needles away from their respective seatings so as to permit fuel delivery from a selected outlet opening. The first and second valve needles being arranged adjacent to one another.

Abstract: A piezoelectrically actuable fuel injector comprising an accumulator volume within which a piezoelectric stack is arranged, the accumulator volume being arranged to receive fuel from a source of pressurized fuel, in use. The piezoelectric stack carrying an end member which engages a surface associated with a piston member so as to apply a retracting force to the piston member upon a reduction in the axial length of the piezoelectric stack, the piston member being operable to control fuel pressure within a control chamber. A volume is defined between the end member and the surface associated with the piston member. The volume is provided with a vent arrangement to permit fuel within the volume to flow to a low pressure drain.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a nozzle body defining a bore within which an outer valve member is slidable, the outer valve member being engageable with a first seating to control fuel injection from a first outlet opening provided in a nozzle body. The outer valve member is provided with a through bore within which an inner valve member is slidable, the inner valve member being engageable with a second seating to control fuel injection through a second outlet opening provided in the nozzle body. The fuel injector further comprises first and second control chambers for fuel whereby, in use, movement of the inner and outer valve members away from their respective seatings is controlled by controlling fuel pressure within the first and second control chambers so as to permit fuel delivery from a selected outlet opening.

Abstract: An outwardly opening fuel injector comprises a valve needle movable within a bore provided in a nozzle body and engageable with a seating to control the supply of fuel from the bore. The valve needle is biased towards its seating and is moveable outwardly of the bore to move the valve needle away from its seating. The fuel injector comprises a sleeve member which is moveable with the valve needle, the valve needle and the sleeve member together defining a chamber for fuel such that, in use, fuel pressure within the chamber serves to dilate the sleeve member to reduce fuel leakage from the injector. A surface associated with the valve needle may be engageable with an additional seating defined by the bore to limit outward movement of the valve needle within the bore.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a nozzle body defining a first bore and an inwardly opening valve member slidable within the first bore, the valve member being engageable with a first seating to control fuel delivery through a first outlet opening provided in the nozzle body. The valve member is provided with a second bore within which an outwardly opening valve needle is slidable, the valve needle being engageable with a second seating to control fuel delivery through a second outlet opening provided in the valve needle. The fuel injector also comprises first and second control chambers for fuel, whereby fuel pressure within the first and second control chambers controls movement of the valve member and the valve needle away from their respective seatings so as to permit fuel delivery through a selected outlet opening.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a nozzle body having a first bore defining first and second seatings, an outer valve needle being slidable within the first bore and engageable with the first seating to control fuel flow from a first outlet opening. The outer valve needle is provided with a second bore within which an inner valve needle is slidable, the inner valve needle being engageable with the second seating to control fuel delivery through a second outlet opening. The outer valve needle includes a deformable region which is shaped such that, in use, when the outer valve needle is urged against the first seating, the outer valve needle deforms. The deformable region may be shaped such that, in use, when the outer valve needle is urged against the first seating, the outer valve needle deforms to close the first outlet opening.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprises a first needle, and a second needle slidably within a passage formed in the first needle. The needles are engageable with respective seatings to control fuel delivery through respective groups of outlet openings. Load transmitting means are provided whereby movement of the first needle can be transmitted to the second needle. Also described is an injector in which a second needle is provided with formations defining an integral resilient biasing arrangement.

Abstract: A fuel injector for delivering fuel to a combustion space comprises a valve needle which is movable within a bore provided in a nozzle body and which is engageable with a seating to control the supply of fuel from the bore. The injector further comprises means for permitting fuel to escape from the bore to a low pressure drain upon initial movement of the valve needle away from its seating. The injector may include a cover member which defines, together with the nozzle body, a part of a return passage for fuel through which fuel flows, in use, to reduce the temperature of the nozzle body.

Abstract: A fuel injector includes a first needle, and a second needle slidable within a passage formed in the first needle. The needles are engageable with respective seatings to control fuel delivery through respective groups of outlet openings. A load transmitter is provided whereby movement of the first needle can be transmitted to the second needle. An alternative injector includes a second needle provided with formations defining an integral resilient biasing arrangement.

Abstract: Alkali metal chlorite, particularly sodium chlorite, is produced with a low carbonate level by combining a chlorine dioxide generating system operating at subatmospheric pressure with a chlorite formation reactor in which the chlorine dioxide reacts with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of aqueous alkali metal hydroxide, particularly sodium hydroxide.

Abstract: An outwardly opening fuel injector comprises a valve needle movable within a bore and engageable with a seating to control the supply of fuel from the bore, the needle being moveable outwardly of the bore to move the needle away from its seating, the needle being biased towards its seating by a spring, the spring engaging a spring abutment arrangement associated with a part of the needle remote from the part thereof engageable with the seating, the spring abutment arrangement further acting to guide movement of the needle.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a valve needle slidable within a bore formed in a nozzle body, the valve needle including an axially extending fuel supply passage which communicates with at least one outlet opening provided in the valve needle, the end of the supply passage adjacent the at least one outlet opening being closed by a plug. The plug has an inner end region which is arranged to be located, in use, adjacent the, or at least one of the, outlet openings, and shaped to modify the flow characteristics of the fuel flow upstream of at least one of the outlet openings.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprises first and second housing parts, the first housing part being located within a bore or recess formed in the second housing part, the housing parts defining therebetween an inlet chamber, a delivery chamber axially spaced from the inlet chamber, and a filtration flow path interconnecting the inlet and delivery chambers to remove particulate contaminants from the flow of fuel therebetween.

Abstract: A fuel injector comprising a nozzle body provided with a first bore and defining a first seating, a valve member engageable with the first seating to control fuel flow from the first bore towards an outlet opening located downstream of the first seating, the valve member being provided with a second bore defining a second seating. A valve needle is slidable within the second bore and is engageable with the second seating to control fuel flow from the second bore towards a second outlet opening provided in the valve member. The fuel injector also includes a transmission arrangement whereby movement of the valve needle beyond a predetermined position is transmitted to the valve member.

Abstract: A fuel injector including a nozzle body having a bore defining a seating, a valve member having a plurality of passages providing fluid communication between the bore and a plurality of outlet openings, the outlet openings defining a first group of openings at a lower axial position on the valve member and a second group of openings at a higher axial position on the valve member. The valve member is slidable within the bore and is engageable with the seating to control fuel flow from the outlet openings. The outlet openings are shaped and orientated such that the sprays formed at the first and second groups of outlet openings do not interfere with one another.

Abstract: An injector is described which comprises a valve needle engageable with a seating and biased towards the seating by a spring. The spring is located within a spring chamber and engages a moveable stop. The spring chamber communicates through a restricted passage with a low pressure drain. The injector further includes valve means which, when open, permits fuel to escape from the spring chamber at a higher rate.

Abstract: A fuel pumping apparatus is disclosed which comprises a pumping plunger reciprocable within a bore. A spill valve communicates with the bore. A pilot piston is exposed to the fuel pressure within the bore, the pilot piston being arranged to move under the action of the fuel pressure to supply a pilot quantity of fuel to an injector. The pilot piston is arranged so that, in one position, only part of an end face thereof is exposed to the fuel pressure within the bore.

Abstract: An optical blue parametric generation relies upon a nonlinear optical cryl of lithium borate (LiB.sub.3 O.sub.5) properly oriented to generate blue light when appropriately located in a resonant optical cavity and pumped with high intensity light at 355 nm. Beam walk-off and beam pump divergence are greatly reduced due to a specific orientation of non-critical phase-matching so that the 355 nm pump source provides for a sufficient phase-match for output generation near the H Beta Fraunhofer wavelength at 486 nm and also provides for a temperature tuning of the lithium borate crystal to permit exact coincidence to a particular output wavelength so that optical parametric generation from 470 to 487 nm may be assured by the appropriately tuned lithium borate crystal.

Abstract: A process of forming biaxially oriented tubular articles by repeatedly performing a cycle of operations which includes engaging a thermoplastic tube by a first clamping member over a first region at a trailing end of the tube and engaging the tube by a second clamping mechanism over a second region at a spacing from the first region so as to define between the clamping mechanisms a portion of the tube to be longitudinally stretched and radially expanded; moving the clamping mechanisms apart to stretch the tube portion therebetween longitudinally; admitting pressure fluid into the tube portion to expand it radially and form a biaxially oriented bubble adjacent the leading end of the tube, and severing a substantial part, but not all, of the bubble from the tube to form the tube with a radially outwardly flared end as the leading end of the tube for the succeeding cycle of operations.