Abstract: A drip-type coffee-maker includes a water reservoir (1) supplying a water-heater with continuous circulation (6), and a device (9) for treating the water in the reservoir with a water-soluble scale preventive agent. The water treating device (9) includes an element (10) for measuring out an amount of scale preventive agent (23) which is determined on the basis of the volume of water supplied to the water-heater (6) and which is injected into the water.

Abstract: An internal chuck for use in the butt welding of tubes 16, 17 aligning the tubes and for bringing them into abutment comprises a central tube 6, a sleeve 7 slidable on the central tube and carrying centering means 12 and welding backup means 8, the centering means and the welding backup means being longitudinally spaced from one another, gripping means 2, and jaws 33 for clamping against the tubes. The jaws are displaceable longitudinally relative to the gripping means and central tube to draw the two tubes together and a jack 27 is provided for displacing the sleeve longitudinally relative to the central tube so that either the centering means or the welding backup means can be aligned with the ends of the tubes.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a tubular element 24 to be butt joined horizontally at one of its ends to a tubular structure 27, comprises an upwardly acting, vertical hydraulic thrust jack 9 which compensates at least partly for the weight of the tubular element and which is placed towards the other end of the tubular element. The thrust jack is pivoted at its upper end on a slide 11 which is vertically movable and carries support members 23 for supporting the tubular element, and at its lower end on a base 6 mounted on a lower frame 2 provided with wheels 3 adapted to run on rails 4.

Abstract: An external apparatus for butting two tubular elements 1, 2 to be welded together comprises two frames 8, 9 provided with means for the external gripping of the elements and which are connected by jacks 10, 11 for bringing the elements together and by a plurality of connecting and aligning means 14-19 each comprising a pair of members 20, 21 engageable one in the other with the interposition of an elastic means 22. The gripping means comprise a plurality of radial jaws 55-64 for gripping the tubular elements and carried by support rings each comprising three jaw holders 23-25 each in the form of a segment of a circle.

Abstract: A machine for the internal butt welding of two tubes comprises a fixed axial electron gun, a rotary prism system for radially deflecting the electron beam and comprising a plurality of prisms and a deflection system for cyclically delivering the electron beam emitted by the electron gun successively to each of the prisms at a high frequency, the relative duration of utilization of each prism being modifiable in the course of the rotation of the rotary system.

Abstract: An electron beam welding chamber for butt joining elongate members 1,2 extending longitudinally at the center of the chamber. The chamber comprises an envelope 7 defining the welding enclosure 6 and which rests on a fixed structure 8. The electron gun equipment 13 is provided within the envelope and is mechanically connected, by a withdrawable connection means 18 or by elastic connection means 24, 25, to the enclosure, clamping means 15 being provided for clamping the electron gun equipment relative to one of the elongate members. This invention is particularly applicable to the welding of the sections of a pipe to be laid on the sea bed.

Abstract: A welding chamber in which a vacuum is created for welding, using an electron beam, elongate pieces extending centrally of the chamber. The welding chamber is divided into a central sub-enclosure 41 for receiving the pieces 1, 2 to be welded and which is evacuated during welding, and a peripheral sub-enclosure 42 in which the welding means are located and which is permanently evacuated, the two sub-enclosures being separated by retractable sealing gaskets 12, 26, 27 which are retracted during welding to place the two sub-enclosures in communication.

Abstract: In the positioning of an assembly of work tools which are required to operate in the plane of the end face of a tubular structure, which is not necessarily orthogonal to the axis of the structure, a theoretical end face is determined by three sensing arms spaced apart by 120.degree., which, by an axial translatory movement followed by two pivotal movements about axes parallel to lines joining pairs of the arms, is brought into coincidence with the actual end face of the structure, then the plane of operation of the tools is brought into coincidence with the plane of coincidence of the theoretical and actual end faces.The work tools may for example be electron beam welding guns for welding an additional tubular element to an existing tubular structure.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for regulating an electron-beam welding generator of the kind having three electrodes viz: a cathode, a Wehnelt electrode and an anode. The method is characterized by a suitable combination of two methods of regulating an electron beam welding gun. One of these methods includes varying and regulating the very high voltage while maintaining the voltage applied to the Wehnelt electrode at the potential of the cathode (operation of the "diode" kind). The other method includes holding the very high voltage constant while regulating or programming the welding current by means of the voltage to the Wehnelt electrode (operation of the "triode" kind). The variations in and regulation of the very high voltage are controlled by an induction regulator associated with a thyristorized regulator.