Abstract: When a flaring punch 2 is pressed into a pipe P from an end thereof to form a concentric or eccentric flared portion Pa, the taper angle &thgr; of the flaring punch is adjusted to apply axial compressive forces to the flared portion Pa thereby to maintain the wall thickness of the flared portion Pa at 70% or greater of the wall thickness of the blank pipe. If the flared portion is formed by a plurality of flaring punches 2A, 2B, 2C having different maximum diameters at a plurality stages, then regions where the elongation is maximum are not localized, preventing the wall thickness from being locally reduced. If an eccentric highly flared pipe where the center of the flared portion Pa and the center of the pipe P are displaced from each other is formed, then a seam-welded region s of the pipe P is aligned with the direction in which the amount &egr; of eccentricity is maximum, making the flared pipe resistant to being ruptured.

Abstract: In an apparatus and a method for forming threaded portions around a metal pipe with accuracy and ease, a preliminary forming is performed so as to recess portions of the metal pipe a little bit inwardly in the radial direction thereof by advancing auxiliary forming punches while keeping main forming punches as they are. Thereafter, by receding the auxiliary forming punches back, while advancing the main forming punches, simultaneously, the threaded portions are formed on outer periphery of the metal pipe 3 shifted by 180° in phase thereof.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a program memory (4, 40) and circuitry for switching mapping schemes so as to deal with both direct and bank mapping schemes without alteration of programs. The program memory (4) includes a first memory area (14, 15) formed of a plurality of memory blocks for storing a first program (100) for the bank mapping and a second memory area (16, 17) utilized as a memory block for storing a second program for direct mapping. In the bank mapping, each memory block is mapped into a same address area of an address space of the processor. In the direct mapping, the first and second memory areas are mapped in one-to-one correspondence into the address space. Alternative program memory (40) includes a first memory block (50) storing a first program and a second memory block (60) storing a second program. A predetermined identification information ("JA") is stored in a predetermined memory location of the second memory block.

Abstract: A system for treating waste water using a particulate body formed by covering and fixing nitrifying bacteria. In the system, the particulate body is inserted in a nitrifying vessel which including therein an air diffusion device for supplying oxygen to the nitrifying bacteria and a particulate body separation device for preventing the outflow of the particulate body. The nitrifying vessel and the particulate body contained therein are used as a nitrifying vessel unit and one or more such nitrifying vessel units are arranged within a treating tank. Waste water is circulated between the nitrifying vessel and the other portions of the treating tank than the nitrifying vessel by means of the air lift effect of the air diffused from the air diffusion device.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypropylene resin pre-expanded beads formed by shrinking polypropylene resin pre-expanded beads originally having a bulk density of not higher than 0.0930 g/cc to give them a bulk volume ratio of 10-75% at normal temperature and normal pressure, a manufacturing method thereof and an expansion-molding method with the aforementioned pre-expanded beads. According to this invention, it is possible to greatly reduce storing and transporting costs per unit weight of pre-expanded beads.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for coloring expandable beads of polystyrene resins which comprises suspending expandable beads of a polystyrene resin and a dye in water in a closed vessel and heating this aqueous suspension at a temperature above the softening point of the expandable beads, wherein the closed vessel is filled up almost completely with the aqueous suspension and heating is conducted without further addition of any blowing agent, whereby the expandable beads are impregnated uniformly with the dye. According to this process, uniformly colored expandable beads of polystyrene resins are obtained at a high efficiency of dye impregnation without using any impregnation aid or the like, the expandable beads being capable of forming beautiful molded foams of uniform color.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypropylene resin pre-expanded beads formed by shrinking polypropylene resin pre-expanded beads originally having a bulk density of not higher than 0.0930 g/cc to give then a bulk volume ratio of 10-75% at the normal temperature and the normal pressure, a manufacturing method thereof and an expansion-molding method with the aforementioned pre-expanded beads. According to this invention, it is possible to greatly reduce storing and transporting costs per unit weight of pre-expanded beads.