Abstract: A sealed and thermally insulating tank for storing a fluid, the tank being anchored in a load-bearing structure, the tank having a loading/unloading tower suspended from a ceiling wall of the load-bearing structure, the tank having a support foot that is fastened to the load-bearing structure in a zone of a bottom wall of the tank, the support foot being arranged to guide a vertical translational movement of the loading/unloading tower, the tank having at least one sump that is formed in the bottom wall of the tank, the bottom wall of the tank having a corrugated sealing membrane that is intended to be in contact with the fluid having at least first corrugations extending in a first direction and spaced apart from one another, the sump and the support foot are spaced apart by a distance at least three first corrugations pass between the sump and the support foot.

Abstract: A metastable ? titanium alloy is provided, which includes, by weight percent, between 24 and 45% niobium, between 0 and 20% zirconium, between 0 and 10% tantalum and/or between 0 and 1.5% silicon and/or less than 2% oxygen, said alloy having a crystallographic structure containing: a mix of austenitic phase and alpha phase; and a presence of omega phase precipitates the volume fraction of which is less than 10%. Also provided is a timepiece spring made from such an alloy and a method for producing such a spring.

Abstract: A tank includes a secondary insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane resting on the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier resting on the secondary sealing membrane, a primary sealing membrane resting on the primary insulation barrier, and a primary reinforcing member. The primary sealing membrane includes primary corrugations and the secondary sealing membrane includes secondary corrugations projecting toward the interior of the tank. The primary and secondary corrugations are superimposed along a thickness direction. The primary insulation barrier has passages, and the secondary corrugations are accommodated in the passages. A dimension of the primary insulation barrier is less than a dimension of the secondary corrugations along the thickness direction, so the secondary corrugations extend through the passages and are partially accommodated in the primary corrugations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid storage facility, the storage facility comprising a supporting structure (1) and a tank, the tank having at least one tank bottom wall fixed to the supporting structure (1), wherein the bottom wall has a structure with multiple layers superimposed in a direction of thickness, including at least one sealing membrane and at least one thermal insulation barrier arranged between the sealing membrane and the supporting structure (1), wherein the bottom wall has a sump structure (9) having a rigid container (10, 11) comprising a side wall (12), the container (10, 11) being arranged through the thickness of the bottom wall, and the sump structure (9) comprising at least one fixing means (15) designed to fix the rigid container (11) to the supporting structure (1) at a fixing point, and wherein the at least one fixing means (15) is configured to allow the relative movement of the side wall (12) of the container (11) with respect to the supporting structure (1) in a transverse directi

Abstract: A sealed and thermally insulating storage tank for a fluid that is anchored in a load-bearing structure built into a ship, the ship having a longitudinal direction, the tank having a loading/unloading tower suspended from a ceiling wall of the load-bearing structure, the loading/unloading tower including first, second and third vertical pylons defining a prism of triangular section, the loading/unloading tower carrying at least a first pump, the tank having a support foot that is fastened to the load-bearing structure, the tank having at least one sump, the first pump being arranged outside the triangular prism and being aligned with the support foot in a first transverse plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ship.

Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid storage facility, the storage facility comprising a supporting structure (1) and a tank, the tank having at least one tank bottom wall fixed to the supporting structure (1), wherein the bottom wall has a structure with multiple layers superimposed in a direction of thickness, including at least one sealing membrane and at least one thermal insulation barrier arranged between the sealing membrane and the supporting structure (1), wherein the bottom wall has a sump structure (9) having a rigid container (10, 11) comprising a side wall (12), the container (10, 11) being arranged through the thickness of the bottom wall, and the sump structure (9) comprising at least one fixing means (15) designed to fix the rigid container (11) to the supporting structure (1) at a fixing point, and wherein the at least one fixing means (15) is configured to allow the relative movement of the side wall (12) of the container (11) with respect to the supporting structure (1) in a transverse directi

Abstract: A tank includes a secondary insulation barrier, a secondary sealing membrane resting on the secondary insulation barrier, a primary insulation barrier resting on the secondary sealing membrane, a primary sealing membrane resting on the primary insulation barrier, and a primary reinforcing member. The primary sealing membrane includes primary corrugations and the secondary sealing membrane includes secondary corrugations projecting toward the interior of the tank. The primary and secondary corrugations are superimposed along a thickness direction. The primary insulation barrier has passages, and the secondary corrugations are accommodated in the passages. A dimension of the primary insulation barrier is less than a dimension of the secondary corrugations along the thickness direction, so the secondary corrugations extend through the passages and are partially accommodated in the primary corrugations.

Abstract: An inhaler for dispensing a plurality of doses of particulate material has means for receiving and retaining a container (20) having a plurality of compartments, each for holding a respective dose (or part thereof). The container is moved by an indexing mechanism so as to bring successive compartments into registry with an airway to enable the contents of each compartment to be dispensed through the airway (50). The indexing mechanism is operated by a control member (6) which is movable through a series of alternating advance and return strokes (preferably rotational movements), the inhaler including a non-return mechanism (112, 114, 116 and 104) for preventing movement of the member in the direction of each return stroke before the completion of the respective preceding advance stroke, thereby to help to ensure that the indexing mechanism is properly operated.