Abstract: The invention relates to a friction device for a clutch, particularly of a motor vehicle. The inventive friction device comprises first and second axially-spaced coaxial friction lining members which are defined by opposing friction faces. The device also comprises means for linking the two friction lining members which are solidly connected to one another. The first friction lining member is essentially ring shaped. The aforementioned linking means comprise linking tongue elements which are each equipped with a first end for solidly connecting to an inner edge of the first friction lining member and a second end for solidly connecting to the second friction lining member. Moreover, a deviation angle is provided between said first and second connecting ends, which can vary according to the axial spacing of the two friction lining member.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring at least the pressure of a fluid present in a chamber (16), comprising a sensitive element (36) arranged in a housing (38), supported by a joint (10) inserted between two elements (12, 14) which form said chamber. According to the invention, the housing (38) is open in the direction of the chamber (16) and the sensitive element (36) is enclosed in a material (67) filling said housing.

Abstract: An ATM routing switch has a buffer circuit for holding cells located on queues at output ports, the buffer having a first reserve buffer capacity for cells of a first type requiring integrity of cell transmission and a first designation for use in determining a permitted path through the network, a second reserve buffer capacity for cells of the first type having a second designation for use in determining a different permitted path in the network and a third reserve buffer capacity for cells of a second type accepting some loss of cells in transmission, flow control circuitry operating to limit input of cells of either the first or second type if predetermined thresholds for the first, second or third buffer capacities are reached.

Abstract: A method for the control of flows of digital information between a source and a destination linked by a network of intermediate switching entities consists in carrying out a control of flows without the participation of the intermediate switching entities in estimating a state of load of the intermediate switching entities and in estimating a state of congestion of the destination to control a number of cells that may be transmitted by the source to the destination. Application to the control of flows in an ATM switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for translating an ATM cell header for the routing thereof over a transmission highway of a communication network via an ATM switch, consisting in having the switch translate the pair (VPI, VCI) contained in the cell header, the first field VPI identifying a virtual path number and the second field VCI selecting a specified virtual channel within the virtual path.

Abstract: An ATM routing switch has a plurality of output ports for handling digital signal cells on a first type requiring integrity of cell transmission and a second type accepting some loss of cells in transmission, the output ports having control circuitry to provide a plurality of queues of cells at each output port, each queue comprising only cells of a single type while each port outputs a mixture of cells of both types on a common output path flow control indicators on incoming cells being used to inhibit output of cells along any path to a destination for which a flow control indicator has indicated congestion.

Abstract: An ATM routing switch for bidirectional transmission of at least two types of cell, one type accepting variable bit rate of transmission and a second type accepting some loss of cells in transmission, includes first reserve buffer capacity for cells of the first type, a second reserve buffer capacity for cells of said second type and control circuitry for generating a flow control signal (FCT) if a predetermined threshold for the first buffer capacity is reached by input of cells of said first type, and discarding input cells of said second type if a predetermined threshold for said second buffer capacity has been reached by input of cells of said second type.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for specific pollutants contained in diluted exhaust gases from thermal combustion engines, comprising a first module (1) which samples aldehyde and ketone emissions and a second module (2) which samples hydrocarbon emissions. The system according to the invention further comprises a control which coordinates the sampling(s) with predetermined working phases of the thermal engine. The first module (1) comprises a circuit (3) for trapping the aldehydes and the ketones contained in the diluted exhaust gases and a dilution air sampling circuit (4).

Abstract: An ATM routing switch has a plurality of input and output ports and a buffer for holding a plurality of ATM cells, the cells being held in the buffer as a plurality of queues (F0-F7), each formed as a chained list of addresses with front and back pointers identifying ends of each queue.

Abstract: A process for spacing ATM cells traveling through an ATM switch and emitted by ATM sources multiplexing diverse profiles destined for one or more networks of specified bit rate. First, the sources emitting cells destined for the same network are aggregated and given a standardized global CBR or VBR profile, the sources being assigned a specified priority. Next, the priorities of each of the sources are taken into account so as to allow specified qualities of service, and the sources are combined by multiplexing CBR and VBR profiles so as to obtain a source having a globally VBR or CBR profile, whilst also preserving the characteristics of the sources with CBR profile in the case of a globally VBR profile. Sharing the passband of the physical link supporting the streams of outgoing cells, between the VBR and CBR profiles, then takes place, and the remainder of the passband which is not used up by the above VBR and CBR profiles is allotted to so-called complementary sources of UBR profile.

Abstract: A network of ATM routing switches transmits digital signal cells of a first type requiring integrity of transmission and a second type accepting some loss in transmission, each switch has buffer circuitry. a plurality of output ports each having a plurality of queues of cells awaiting output, each output port having control circuitry to provide in an output frame control bits indicating the type of cell, a path identifier and the existence of flow congestion at the routing switch which it outputting the frame, thereby inhibiting transmission of further frames to that location until a frame is received from that location indicating that the congestion is cleared.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of testing electronic components in parallel employs instructions which are contained in a memory. The instructions include information relating to test to be performed on a plurality of components to be tested in parallel after the components have been matched using a matching sequence. The method makes it possible to eliminate the matching sequence for matching a component after its matching sequence has not succeeded after a predetermined time period, while allowing the other components to be matched.

Abstract: An ATM routing switch for bidirectional transmission of digital signal cells some requiring integrity of transmission while others accept some loss of cells in transmission, has a plurality of output ports each handling a plurality of cell queues and control circuitry for decoding control bits in each input cell to determine which output port is to be used, which queue is required and whether flow congestions exists at the source of the input cell.

Abstract: The multi-fiber optical cross-coupler includes N peripheral fibers and a central fiber that are coupled together optically. The method of the invention for manufacturing such a cross-coupler consists in forming a multi-waveguide conductor by drawing a composite primary preform, the waveguides of the conductor being cylindrical elementary fibers embedded so that they are mutually parallel in mechanical and optical coupling cladding, said waveguides defining the fibers of the cross-coupler, and having opto-geometrical characteristics so that they are optically coupled over a defined length of said conductor, which length is cut off accordingly. Application to an optical coupler.

Abstract: The method according to the invention consists of a first step in which messages sent by the sending subscriber are segmented into cells, a second step in which initial processing is carried out on each cell in order to space them uniformly at a minimum time interval at least equal to a determined resolution time, a third step in which a second processing succeeding the initial processing is carried out in order to space groups of cells with the same throughput by a minimum time interval determined as a function of the throughput allocated to each network subscriber, and a fourth step in which cells thus spaced are transmitted in a determined virtual circuit on the network.

Abstract: The method of manufacturing a multiferrule for optical fibers, the method consisting in fiber drawing a preform of silica that includes a plurality of mutually parallel channels, the method being characterized by the fact that said preform is made from a rod (1) of silica having a plurality of longitudinal grooves (3) uniformly distributed about an axis (2) and closed by at least one piece of silica (4) for defining said plurality of channels.

Abstract: A method of making a preform for an optical fiber, in which method a plurality of layers of fluoride glass are deposited inside a support tube (10); said layers (14) are deposited by laser ablation in a controlled atmosphere using a target (12) having the composition of said glass, which target is moved back-and-forth parallel to the axis of said tube, the temperature of the enclosure (1) in which said ablation is performed being not greater than the vitreous transition temperature Tg of said glass.

Abstract: A multi-waveguide cylindrical optical conductor for telecommunications cable, the conductor comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each of which is a unit cylindrical fiber constituted by a core and by cladding, the unit fibers are all connected together by silica after a fiber-drawing operation, wherein said core of said unit cylindrical fiber has a diameter of about 8 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m, wherein said cladding has an outside diameter lying in the range 25 .mu.m to 35 .mu.m, and wherein all of the cores of said unit fibers are either situated regularly on generator lines of a cylinder having the same axis as said conductor, or else are parallel with one another and are coplanar. An optical conductor can thus be obtained having an outside diameter of 125 .mu.m and containing six waveguides each having a diameter of about 25 .mu.m to 35 .mu.m.

Abstract: A liquid surfactant composition mobile at a temperature within the range of 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. comprising: (a) up to 70% by weight of a sodium or potassium salt of an alkyl benzene sulphonate or alkyl sulphate; (b) up to 80% by weight of an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant; (c) water in an amount not exceeding 20% by weight; and (d) 0.5 to 80% by weight of a fatty acid having 8 to 22 carbon atoms. The liquid may be sprayed onto a solid particulate material at a temperature within the range of 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. to provide a particulate detergent composition having bulk density of at least 500 g/l and good dispensing properties.

Abstract: A method of splicing two optical fiber cables uses a glass multi-ferrule having a series of parallel axis internal capillary channels opening onto respective end surfaces of the multi-ferrule and two exterior reference surfaces. An adhesive that is polymerized by ultraviolet light is introduced into these channels. The multi-ferrule is cut into three sections. The splicing is achieved by jointing the outermost two sections.