Abstract: In a method for increasing the efficiency of a consist comprised of a plurality of linked diesel-electric driven vehicles, with each vehicle including a diesel assembly and an intermediate circuit which is operatively connected to the diesel assembly and a drive motor which is operatively connected to the intermediate circuit, the operation of the diesel assembly of a vehicle is deactivated, when the vehicle requires a reduced level of power, while the vehicle is in travel mode. The drive motor is hereby operated in a regenerative mode and solely responsible, when operating in the regenerative mode, to feed electric energy to the intermediate circuit of the deactivated diesel assembly and an auxiliary operating device, connected to the intermediate circuit.

Abstract: A device for covering an oblong housing opening (3), along which an element (5) extending with one portion of itself into the housing (1) is movable back and forth, which comprises a flexible band (4), which immovably is secured at each end of the housing opening (3). The band is guided via deflecting rollers (6, 7) and guide rollers (8, 9) secured on the element (5), so as to train about the proximate portion of the element (5), which extends within the housing (1). The deflecting rollers (6, 7) and the guide rollers (8, 9) enable a shifting of the element (5) in the longitudinal direction of the housing opening (3) and with respect to the band (4).

Abstract: A drawing pen exchanging device for transferring a drawing pen between a drawing head (4) and a drawing pen magazine (5) in a computer controlled drawing device. The drawing pen (7) is held against a stationary holding area in the drawing head (4) with the aid of a spring holding element (14) and against a stationary receptacle area (11, 12) in the drawing pen magazine (5) by means of a spring-pressure element (24). Through a sliding cooperation with a guide (25) provided to the side of the stationary holding area (21,22), the holding element (14) is swung out to transfer the drawing pen (7) from the drawing head (4) into the drawing pen magazine (5) and the drawing pen (7) then will be held back by the pressure element (24) in the drawing pen magazine (5). When the drawing pen (7) thereafter is to be removed from the drawing pen magazine (5) the holding element (14) is operable not to engage the guide (25) and thereby will pull the drawing pen (7) from the drawing pen magazine (5) (FIG. 2).

Abstract: In a device for exchanging objects, in particular writing instruments, two substantially identically embodied holders (5, 5') which are open at one side are provided. These holders are movable relative to one another in a plane extending substantially at right angles to there longitudinal axes (12, 12'). The object to be exchanged is held in a receptacle (20), which in cross section has substantially the shape of a regular, convex n-gon having an uneven number of sides. At each corner of the receptacle (20), there is an element of ferromagnetic material (22, 23, 24), and there is a permanent magnet (6, 6') on the inner face, located opposite the open side, of the receiving area of each holder (5, 5'). The receptacle (20) is positionally fixed in a holder (for instance, 5') by means of the aligned position of an element (23) of ferromagnetic material and of a permanent magnet (6', for example).

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for removing radionuclides from a radioactively contaminated liquid, especially water from the sump of a nuclear electric-power generating plant, in which the waste water is evaporated to produce a vapor phase containing radionuclides in the form of liquid or solid aerosol-dispersed particles which are collected by passing the vapor through an electric field. Preferably a plurality of such fields are traversed in succession by the aerosol.

Abstract: An electrostatic filter having a plurality of adjacent precipitating or separating fields in a box-shaped housing, each field being defined between at least one collector electrode and at least one corona-discharge electrode. A rapper arrangement is provided in the housing and comprises respective whipping or tumbling hammers which strike against anvils on the holders of the collector and/or corona discharge electrodes. According to the invention, the aligned hammer shafts for the corona discharge electrodes of adjacent separating fields are interconnected by insulating couplings and have a common drive.

Abstract: The overall effective volume of a horizontal gas flow electrostatic precipitator is divided into at least four electrostatic field units arranged in stages, there being at least upper and lower vertically aligned stages, the precipitator having a dust exit bunker which receives dust collected in each of the upper and lower stages. Below the collector electrodes of the upper stage are collection pockets which communicate with the dust exit bunker through downwardly extending dust passages located in the lower stage. These passages are internal passages within hollow collector electrodes of the lower stage. The electrostatic field units are, independently of one another, each connected to a respective separate controllable power supply means so that it is possible to generate, in each respective stage, a separate controllable high voltage.

Abstract: A horizontal-flow electrostatic filter for gas passing from a boiler to a chimney and having separate flow chambers lying horizontally side-by-side has inlet and outlet ducting arranged such that flue gases are divided to flow in opposite directions through the respective chambers, both directions of flow being at right angles to the direction of the shortest distance between the boiler house and the chimney. The flue gas output of the boiler is divided equally between the chambers. The size and hence capacity of the filter may be greater, in this disposition, for a given said distance than if a prior art parallel co-current flow arrangement (shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings) were used. Capacity for a given available floor space is further assisted by providing a plurality of arrays of collection and discharge electrodes separately electrically supplied and controlled.