Abstract: Mail items (3) are supplied individually to, through, and away from a device (1) for franking and/or printing images on flat mail items (3) by a franking system (2) which indicates a franking unit (4) for franking and/or printing images on the mail items (3). Conveyor system (7) is assigned to the franking system (2), the end of the conveyor system leading to a transport system (10), installed underneath the franking system (2) for receiving the mail items (3) for further transport and driven in a transport direction opposite to that in which the mail items (3) to be franked are conveyed in the franking system (2).

Abstract: A method and a system for shipping objects and/or goods which are transferred from a drop-off point (4) constructed as an organized franking system for the application of at least partially coded labels to a delivery service (7-10) for transport of the objects to a remote destination, wherein the delivery or transport of the objects is determined or handled by the franking system or franking machine (3), which is equipped with control functions. In the system for shipping objects and/or goods, which are provided with at least partially coded labels and are sent from a drop-off point (4) equipped with a franking machine (3) to a remote destination by a delivery service (7-10), the franking machine (3) can be connected to an information system (6) which processes the data of a delivery service (7-10) and generates shipping data for the franking machine (3), so that the shipping order can be handled.

Abstract: A voltaic element including at least one lithium intercalating electrode and a housing including flexible film material through which diverters connected to positive and negative electrodes of the element are conducted exteriorly, wherein the diverter connected to the collector of the negative electrode and conducted to the exterior includes nickel-coated copper foil.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrochemical element having at least one lithium-intercollating electrode and an organic electrolyte, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode and at least one separator are joined together to form an element, with the separator being a porous matrix composed of at least about 60% by weight of a ceramic material A, which contains lithium ions, and a polymer as a binding agent. The resulting element is then introduced into a housing and impregnated with a liquid organic electrolyte B, whose conductive salt contains lithium ions, so that the ionic total conductivity of the separator is formed by adding the ion conductivities of A and B and the reciprocal of the specific contact resistance of the phase boundary between A and B, and is then closed such that it is sealed. A copolymer composed of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene is used as the binder polymer. Material A is a naturally occurring mineral.

Abstract: A method for fault tracing in automatically operating electronic measurement and test arrangements for a large number of electrochemical elements, wherein holders for the electrochemical elements are provided on the measurement and test arrangements and wherein cell simulators are provided with an external shape and size, including electrical connections, which approximately simulate one of the electrochemical elements to be tested, and contain test electronics, with a behaviour of the cell simulators with inverse polarity differing to a major extent from a behaviour with polarity based on the application, including the steps of inserting of the cell simulators into the holders, activating one of the cell simulators and applying a measurement current applied to it, measuring the voltage on the cell simulator and comparing the voltage with the nominal voltage predetermined for the cell simulator.

Abstract: Improved actuation assemblies are used with variable geometry turbochargers comprising a plurality of movable aerodynamic vanes attached to a movable unison ring that is coupled to an actuator. The actuation assembly includes a crank arm that is attached at a first end to the actuator, and at a second end to the unison ring. A first gear member is attached to the crank arm second end and includes teeth. The unison ring includes a second gear member attached thereto that also comprises teeth. The teeth of the first and second gear-members are cooperatively engaged with one another. The second gear member is movably attached to the unison ring to maintain predetermined distance between the first and second gear members during operation of the turbocharger and related thermal movement of the unison ring.

Abstract: In a method for fault tracing in automatically operating electronic measurement and test arrangements for a large number of electrochemical elements, cell simulators are inserted into the holders which are provided for the electrochemical elements. The external shape and size, including the electrical connections, of these cell simulators simulate an electrochemical element. They contain test electronics, whose behaviour with inverse polarity differs to a major extent from the behaviour with polarity based on the application. One cell simulator is activated and has a measurement current applied to it. The voltage and/or the voltage response on the cell simulator are/is then measured and are/is compared with the nominal voltage value predetermined for this cell simulator. The test electronics comprise at least a resistor and a diode connected in parallel.

Abstract: In a method for leak testing of electrochemical elements which have a thin flexible housing that is composed of a metal sheet or a metal/plastic composite sheet, after assembly and if necessary after formation in a closed container, the electrochemical element is subjected to an increased pressure and then to a reduced pressure, and any change in thickness that occurs is measured. Alternatively, after assembly, formation and storage in a closed container, the electrochemical element is subjected to a reduced pressure, and any change in thickness that occurs is measured.

Abstract: The invention includes a rechargeable galvanic element with at least one lithium-intercalating electrode and a sealed thin flexible casing having two metal or composite metal/plastic sheets joined to each other by an adhesive or sealing layer. Inside the element, a PTC element is connected in series into one of the terminal leads. The PTC element is embedded inside the cell or into the edge of the element in the region of an adhesive or a sealing layer and is provided with a plastic coating resistant to organic electrolytes.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrochemical element having at least one lithium-intercollating electrode and an organic electrolyte, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode and at least one separator are joined together to form an element, with the separator being a porous matrix composed of at least about 60% by weight of a ceramic material A, which contains lithium ions, and a polymer as a binding agent. The resulting element is then introduced into a housing and impregnated with a liquid organic electrolyte B, whose conductive salt contains lithium ions, so that the ionic total conductivity of the separator is formed by adding the ion conductivities of A and B and the reciprocal of the specific contact resistance of the phase boundary between A and B, and is then closed such that it is sealed. A copolymer composed of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene is used as the binder polymer. Material A is a naturally occurring mineral.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a galvanic element including forming individual cells including electrode films laminated to a separator, wherein at least one of the electrodes is a lithium intercalating electrode with a polymer matrix in which electrochemically active materials are finely dispersed, wherein the electrochemically active materials are insoluble in the polymer, verifying the function of the individual cells by measuring impedance of the individual cells, and introducing an organic electrolyte into the cells to form the element.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing electrode-separator assemblies for galvanic elements includes hot-lamination at temperatures close to the melting point or softening point of at least a portion of the surface of an electrode or separator to a separator or electrode, respectively.

Abstract: A wet-chemical method of fabricating electrode foils for galvanic elements including dissolving at least two different fluorinated polymers in a solvent, mixing a highly conductive carbon black, whose BET surface area is between that of surface-minimized graphite and activated carbon and an electrochemically active material having a two-dimensional layer structure and an electronic conductivity of at least about 10−4 S/cm into which lithium can be reversibly incorporated and be reversibly removed therefrom with the least two polymers dissolved in the solvent, without additions of plasticizers, swelling agents or electrolyte, applying paste composition thus obtained to an electrode collector or a support foil, and drying the paste composition.

Abstract: In a galvanic element having at least one lithium-intercalating electrode, whose electrochemically active material is applied onto a metallic output conductor, in the form of foil, the metallic output conductor is provided on its surface with electrochemically deposited crystallites of a second or identical metal, which enlarge the contact area and reduce the contact resistance to the active material. The substrate material is chosen from Al, Cu, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co or alloys of these metals, or from a corrosion-resistant stainless steel, and the deposited metal is chosen from Cu, Vi, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, Sn, In, Sb, Bi, Ag or alloys of these metals. The crystallite size of the electrochemically deposited material is between 1 and 25 &mgr;m, preferably between 1 and 10 &mgr;m, and a maximum of 10 crystallite layers, preferably 1 to 3 cyrstallite layers, are deposited on the substrate sheet.

Abstract: A turbocharger for internal combustion engines having a valve mount cast or machined integral with the compressor housing and disposed along a compressor housing outside surface, the valve including a first air port in communication, through a restriction orifice, with the compressor volute and at least one of a second air port in communication with the first port, and a third port in communication with the compressor air intake. The mount includes attachments for a solenoid valve to the valve mount and a means for forming a leak-tight seal between the solenoid valve and the second and third air ports. A control system for actuating the solenoid allows venting of pressure from the second air port to the third air port for application in controlling a wastegate actuator or disengaging the wategate actuator by venting pressure from the first port to the second port.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of welding together articles made of a thermoplastic plastic material by means of a butt welding process, whereby the two articles to be welded together are held in place in coaxial relationship by means of clamping devices. Then, the two articles are heated up by means of a heating device that can be placed between the two articles to create a molten up welding zone in the region of each of the free ends of the two articles. As soon as the welding zone has reached the proper temperature, the two articles to be welded together are pressed together to create a bulge. Finally, the temperature of that bulge is continuously monitored and the temperature of the material in the interior of the afore mentioned welding zone is calculated according to the formula ##EQU1## until such a temperature is reached at which the articles can be removed from the clamping devices.

Abstract: An arrangement for butt-welding tubular plastic components includes two chucking devices for holding the components in coaxial positions relative to each other and a heating device for heating the ends of the components without contact. The heating device includes a heating element which can be swung between the two chucking devices. The heating element heats the ends of the components without contact by heat rays. The heating element includes a metal plate which is coated with a ceramic coating and which is electrically heatable by heating cartridges.

Abstract: A magnetic-inductive flowmeter is disclosed operating with an alternating field but supplied from a source of direct voltage. The inversion is executed with the aid of the excitation coils of the pickup as well as with the aid of a control circuit. In an advantageous embodiment, an oscillator circuit is formed with the aid of the excitation coils and a capacitor so that the power supplied by the source of direct voltage represents only a small portion of the apparent output of the excitation coil. Besides, the provision is made to keep the current through the control circuit and/or its amplitude, or the amplitude of the voltage at the excitation coil, at a constant value, so that the measuring signal is not subject to possible fluctuations of the direct voltage source.