Abstract: A shaft sealing means for use in a hydraulic pump/motor having a rotary shaft rotating within its body, an oil seal fitted in the gap between the rotary shaft and the body for sealing therebetween and between the high and low pressure sides, and a spacer fixed in the gap. The shaft sealing means comprises anti-protrusion means fitted relatively tightly in the gap with its high pressure side surface in close contact with the low pressure side surface of the oil seal for preventing protrusion of the oil seal toward the low pressure side, and anti-friction means inserted in the gap between the anti-protrusion means and the spacer for providing a sliding motion between the anti-protrusion means and the spacer thereby reducing the generation of frictional forces therebetween.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the continuous casting of a liquid polymerizable composition comprising feeding the liquid polymerizable composition together with a pair of continuous gaskets into a spacing between a pair of moving endless belts arranged such that the lower run of the upper belt is disposed above the upper run of the lower belt and said runs are driven concurrently in the same direction at substantially the same speed, said gaskets being fed such that they circumscribe both side end portions of the spacing to form a cavity, while moving together with the moving belts and keeping in contact with the opposing surfaces of the belts.

Abstract: A flow control valve for hot pitch or other viscous material, wherein a valve rod is guided by a guide member which has radial indentations in its center aperture to define a number of narrow axial ridges around the circumference of the valve rod to provide stabilized guidance by linear sliding contact with the valve rod.

Abstract: An improved method for determining the liquid level in a petroleum thermal cracking reactor by injecting oil into the reactor at a predetermined rate not less than 5 cm/sec and measuring the liquid pressure at the point of injection and calculating the liquid level from the measured pressure.

Abstract: A continuous casting process and apparatus for a liquid polymerizable composition comprising a pair of endless belts which are arranged such that the lower run of the upper belt is disposed above the upper run of the lower belt and said runs are caused to move in the same direction at substantially the same speed; feeding a liquid polymerizable composition into a space defined between said runs; feeding at least one continuous gasket into said space, together with said composition, in such a manner that said gasket is passed between and in contact with the opposing surfaces of each of the opposite edges of said belts to provide a pair of seals which circumscribe said edges of the moving belts; subjecting said composition to partial polymerization to such an extent that the viscosity of said composition in terms of poise is within the range of 2 to 5 determined by a common logarithm of said viscosity at the temperature of polymerization; leading said partially polymerized composition in a path which is arrange