Abstract: A ceramic sintered body comprising from 90 to 99.8% by volume of cordierite and from 0.2 to 10% by volume of mullite based on 100% by weight of a total sum of the contents of the cordierite and the mullite, and having a density of 2.48 g/cm3 or more.

Abstract: A ceramic sintered body comprising from 90 to 99.8% by volume of cordierite and from 0.2 to 10% by volume of mullite based on 100% by weight of a total sum of the contents of the cordierite and the mullite, and having a density of 2.48 g/cm3 or more.

Abstract: A proportioning valve is interposed between a master cylinder and rear wheel cylinders and includes a housing within which are accommodated a piston with a valve head, an opposed valve seat thereby and a spring urging the piston to thereby remove the valve head from the valve seat. The valve head and the valve seat cooperate to open and close the fluid circuit between the master cylinder and the rear wheel cylinder to reduce the hydraulic pressure when the hydraulic pressure delivered from the master cylinder exceeds a set value. In order to supply hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder to the rear wheel cylinders when fluid leakage or the like occurs at the front wheel side, a sleeve enclosing the spring in the housing is brought into engagement with the piston to prevent engagement of the valve head and the valve seat.

Abstract: A fluid pressure control valve incorporated with dual hydraulic braking circuits connecting a tandem master cylinder to the left and right rear-wheel brake cylinders in a vehicle braking system. The control valve includes a pair of proportioning valves respectively disposed within the hydraulic braking circuits for modulating the hydraulic pressure applied to the rear-wheel brake cylinders, a pair of control plungers axially movable in response to fluid pressure in a hydraulic chamber to vary the spring load each acting on the proportioning valves, and a single inertia-controlled valve provided within an inlet pressure chamber of the control valve to interrupt the flow of fluid from one of the hydraulic braking circuits into the hydraulic chamber when a deceleration in excess of a predetermined value is attained.

Abstract: A hydraulic pressure control valve for a dual-circuit brake system of a vehicle. In this control valve a pair of valve pistons for controlling the braking hydraulic pressure delivered to each of rear wheel brakes are disposed in a housing parallelly and imparted with biasing force directed inwards of the housing by one biasing device. The biasing device is assembled or set within a cover of cup-shape such that the biasing device has been given a preload substantially equal to a biasing force necessary for the control valve before the cover is fixed to the valve housing. The biasing device includes a swingable guide rod attached at one end thereof to the cover with a pivot pin, a sliding member slidably fitted on the guide rod, and a compression spring disposed between the sliding member and a free end of the guide rod for biasing the sliding member toward the pivoted end of the guide rod.

Abstract: Vacuum distillation residue oil having a Conradson carbon value of 5 to 40% and a specific gravity of 0.9 to 1.10 is thermally cracked in the presence of iron ore particles in fluidized state in a thermal cracking reactor thereby to produce light oils and cracked gases and to form by-product carbon, which is caused to deposit on the iron ore particles, which are then transferred to and heated at 800.degree. C. to 1200.degree. C. in a reducing furnace to be reduced in a solid state reaction, into sponge iron. Thus, heavy oil is thermally cracked and sponge iron is produced by an economical, integrated process.