Abstract: A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The mobile carrier units may be automated guided vehicles and may include self-navigating software, and interactive communication with other guided vehicles to permit suitable routes to be chosen, or to permit obstacles to be avoided. The facility may include a workpiece retrieval apparatus used for transferring workpieces between the storage accommodations and the automated guided vehicles, or to other locations. The workpiece retrieval apparatus may be mounted on a bridge, and may include a multi-element raising and lowering array that is biased to oppose torsional deflection of the lifting member.

Abstract: A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The optimal packing density is such that supports for the accommodation units lies outside the lading envelope circle, but within the corner regions of the hexagons of the packing density pattern. The accommodation units have lifting fittings that are accessible from the corners of the hexagons, whether the same as those of the supports, or different ones. The mobile carrier units may be automated guided vehicles.

Abstract: A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The optimal packing density is such that supports for the accommodation units lies outside the lading envelope circle, but within the corner regions of the hexagons of the packing density pattern. The accommodation units have lifting fittings that are accessible from the corners of the hexagons, whether the same as those of the supports, or different ones.

Abstract: A manufacturing facility includes a storage facility and a production facility. Workpieces are located in the storage facility in temporary storage accommodations, and are moved between the storage facility and stations in the production facility by mobile carrier units. The temporary storage accommodations may be units having a generally circular lading envelope, and an hexagonal optimal packing density. The optimal packing density is such that supports for the accommodation units lies outside the lading envelope circle, but within the corner regions of the hexagons of the packing density pattern. The accommodation units have lifting fittings that are accessible from the corners of the hexagons, whether the same as those of the supports, or different ones. The mobile carrier units may be automated guided vehicles.

Abstract: An arrangement for gasification of fuels within the range from fine grain fuel to dust shaped fuels, in a dust cloud with gas comprises a gasification reactor provided with at least two burners, a supply container for accommodating a fuel, a distributor connected to the supply container for receiving the fuel from the supply container, and a plurality of conduits connected with the distributor and supplying the fuel from the latter to the burners, the conduits having a different geometrical parameter including at least one of a length and a direction.

Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring pressure pulses in gas/particulate material media flowing through pipelines and/or containers includes an annular metallic housing which surrounds a flow passage and has in its interior an annular chamber which extends around the flow passage and is separated therefrom by a barrier layer of a wear resistant and porous material. Connecting ports for connecting the annular chamber respectively to a pulse conduit leading to a pressure measuring device and to a source of a rinsing gas open into the annular chamber.

Abstract: A Venturi tube which is especially suited for the differential pressure measurement of flowing gas/particulate material media with high dust loading at temperatures exceeding 100.degree. C. and at elevated pressures includes a pressure-resistant metallic jacket and an inner lining of wear-resistant porous material which is accommodated in the jacket and bounds a flow-through passage with the Venturi configuration. Respective annular chambers are situated at the inlet region and at the smallest-diameter region of the flow-through passage, there annular chambers being separated from the flow-through passage by respective layers of wear-resistant porous material and being connected by respective pulse conduit with a differential pressure measuring device.