Abstract: A system utilizing a rocket plenum design which is of a form to reduce and control combustion therein. The plenum is provided with two oppositely and upwardly extending exhaust ducts. Provision is made to eliminate blind pockets and stagnation passages in order to prevent possible explosions in the plenum during rocket firing.

Abstract: A gear shaving machine employing plunge cut (radial infeed with no lateral traverse) in which the rate of relative infeed between a meshed gear-like tool and a work gear is controlled by hydraulic escapement mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus for holding the flaps of a carton to allow the glue to set and seal the flaps in the closed position. After glue has been applied and the flaps are folded to the closed position, there is a short time period that the flaps must be maintained closed by an external force. Because of the uneven contour of the flaps, the subject invention is provided to apply this force in a firm yet yieldable manner to allow for the uneven carton contours while not exerting unneeded force on the carton contents as it moves through the apparatus.

Abstract: A paper web is unwound and conveyed through an envelope making machine where a side flap cutting device forms side flaps in the side edges of the web. Scorer rollers form longitudinal scores in the side flaps and the side flaps are thereafter folded along the score lines. Other scorer rollers form transverse score lines for the top and bottom flaps of the envelope. Envelope blanks having the folded side flaps are thereafter severed from the web and separated from each other. After the blanks are severed from the web, gum is applied to the upper surface of the side flaps of the severed envelope blanks and the bottom flap is folded into overlying relation with the folded side flaps to form the pocket in the envelope. The so formed envelopes are thereafter collated into overlying relation with the edges of the top flap exposed. Gum is applied to the top flaps and dried. The top flap is then folded into overlying relation with the bottom flap.

Abstract: An insulated metal chimney lining, having constant loading spring suspension from the chimney column, is provided at the lower portion of a brick chimney lining to form the breeching entry. To provide additional thermal expansion capacity, an expansion joint may be incorporated in the metal liner.

Abstract: A paint spray booth which includes a system for supplying air thereto under controlled conditions, with a heat pump operated to produce cooling or heating adjustments to incoming air as required under summer or winter operating conditions. Heat is transferred into or out of filtered air exhausted from the booth into the evaporator or out of the condenser by various heat exchanger arrangements to improve the operating efficiency of the heat pump during heating or cooling, respectively. Dehumidification is achieved by cooling the incoming air to an appropriate dew point temperature and then reheating to achieve the proper supply temperature, which process is improved in efficiency by either an air-to-air heat exchanger which utilizes incoming air to reheat the air, or alternatively, by a pair of secondary air-to-liquid heat exchangers positioned on either side of the main heat exchanger to transfer heat from the incoming air to the dehumidified air.

Abstract: A heated, variable tilt, rotating container or pot for making possible automatic, continuous mixing or tumbling, with or without simultaneous heating, of a plurality of foods or substances. The device consists of an outer non-rotating shell pivoting on a fixed base. Inside the shell is a pot rotated by a motor attached to the bottom of the shell. A cover is secured over the pot to prevent the contents from spilling out. The shell and its pot are tiltable as a unit to any angular position from vertical to horizontal. Compartments, dividers, ridges, projections or other shapes are inside the rotating pot or on the pot wall and/or bottom, to separate, move, mix and tumble the contents when the tilt angle of the pot is other than at the vertical position. The shell contains a suitable heating system for raising the temperature of the pot. The device is provided with an automatic temperature control, motor speed control and automatic time cycle and function indicators.

Abstract: A holder for forming and cooking a tortilla into a pie shell. The holder includes nestable apertured pans which are initially vertically separated to receive a tortilla to be cooked. The holder is then dipped into hot oil and the pans moved towards each other to form the pliable tortilla into a pie shell shape. Thereafter, the holder remains within such frying pan until the tortilla is cooked to a firm consistency. The holder may also be utilized with regular pie crust dough rather than a tortilla.

Abstract: A printing device in which a roll having a plurality of characters disposed thereon is displaceable with respect to at least one printing hammer. The printing hammer cooperates with a coil which, when excited, generates a field which by cooperation with a stationary field, puts the hammer into motion and drives it against the character on the roll to be printed. The hammer is arranged to be movable in the device so that the distance between the hammer and the roll is adjustable. A control device is provided which measures the hammer flying time and compares this time with a nominal flying time and which, in the case of a difference, displaces the hammer relative to the roll and also changes the driving force of the hammer.

Abstract: A printing station includes a printing screen and an endless gas-permeable carrier band of screen material is provided which has a workpiece supporting run extending beneath the printing screen and on which a sheet-material workpiece to be printed is transported. A suction device is arranged below the supporting run for drawing printing ink into the workpiece on the same.

Abstract: An anti-fold apparatus for high speed printers to prevent the folding or creasing of a printer ribbon riding over rollers. The rollers each have spiral angular serrations thereon, and are mounted in two pairs with each roller in a pair having one end abutting the end of the other, and each being mounted at an angle to the elongated center axis of the other, so that a printer ribbon rolling thereon is directed away from the abutting ends of each pair of rollers to prevent creasing therein. A linkage connects the two pairs of rollers at their abutting ends for shifting the angular position of each pair simultaneously between first slanted positions, when the ribbon is moving in one direction, and second slanted positions, when the ribbon is moving in the reverse direction. The linkage is actuated by solenoids, actuated by the reversing of the ribbon.

Abstract: Dimpled shotgun pellets for use in a standard shotshell load (hunting or target; factory load or reloaded) in which the pellets are generally spherical in configuration with a plurality of concave dimples arranged on the outer surfaces thereof. The dimples may be arranged either symmetrically or asymmetrically on the outer pellet surfaces and result in an improvement in the aerodynamics of the individual dimpled pellets once they have left the muzzle of the shotgun.

Abstract: An incendiary warhead comprises a destructible body carrying a plurality of stacked incendiaries. Each incendiary comprises a housing containing a compressed three-part icendiary filling. The filling comprises a flame substance for forming an intense flame, a thermit unit for forming a red-hot slag, and a combustion transfer substance which projects into both the flame substance and the thermit substance to be ignited by the former and ignite the latter. A tail unit is mounted at a top end of the housing to control the rate of descent of the incendiary. The tail comprises a hook, a pair of chains connected to the hook, and a vane connected to the free end of each chain. An anchor point extends from a bottom end of the housing and is in the shape of an arrowhead having barbed side edges.

Abstract: A safety shutter for use in ordnance fuzes and the like consisting of two more metal plates in contact, with each region of contact shaped so that the plates are touching, or nearly touching, only at isolated points or small regions over the confronting faces so that there are six spaces between and intermingled with the areas of contact of the plates such that the broken interfaces between the plates interrupt the transmission of a shock wave capable of inducing spalling from the surface of the shutter which faces the secondary explosive thereby preventing accidental initiation of a propagating detonation. The broken interfaces also absorb the energy of an inadvertently functioned detonator by local crushing and shearing of the metal protuberances on each of the confronting faces of the plates.

Abstract: A bogie with a torsion-soft corner-stiff frame for high speed rail vehicles with a wear-resistant means interconnecting the central areas of the longitudinal beams of the bogie together with one wear-resistant means each interconnecting the longitudinal beam ends. Of the wear-resistant means, that means which is located within the region of the vertical transverse plane is designed as an intermediate joint permitting movements solely about the y-axis, whereas the wear-resistant means at the ends form components of horizontal spring leaves which form head pieces of the bogie. The ends of said spring leaves are in a corner-stiff manner connected to stiff corner pieces arranged at the ends of the longitudinal beams.

Abstract: The specification discloses a vertical framework structure extendable in both lateral and longitudinal directions. The structure comprises a plurality of vertical columns which are tubular members having a rectangular cross-section. At least two vertical opposing faces of the column are provided with a series of pairs of vertically and horizontally aligned spaced mounting slots. The structure further includes at least one lateral bracing member adapted to support a shelf, and extending between a pair of front and rear vertical columns. Each end of said lateral bracing member is formed with a pair of mounting lugs projecting at right angles to the plane of the bracing member, arranged in vertical alignment and spaced apart vertically a distance equal to the vertical spacing of the mounting slots on the column. At least one mounting lug has a locking means at the lower portion thereof. The horizontal bracing member has at a side surface thereof one or more upwardly extending shelf support flanges.

Abstract: A barge or scow for transferring refuse from a collection site to a disposal site has an elongated open hold or cavity with a flat bottom sloping downward from a shallow end of the cavity to a deep end where a cargo-discharge gate is located. A number of spaced water-feed nozzles positioned at the shallow end of the cavity are used to direct water at the sides and bottom of the cavity in order to wash through the discharge gate any refuse which has stuck to the sides and bottom of the cavity during a cargo-discharge operation.

Abstract: A support system is provided for a tank for the storage of fluid media under pressure which tank has its top, bottom and side walls each made up of a series of parallel outwardly convex lobes. The bottom supports of the support system comprise A-frame cradles that are secured to external structure, and have traylike saddles at their apices in which rest blocks of load-bearing heat-insulating material shaped at their tops to fit into interlobe nodal recesses of the tank bottom. When each heat-insulating block is in correct positional relationship with the respective tank bottom recess, the tray in which it rests is filled with synthetic plastics material which sets to anchor the block in place. The support system also comprises top and bottom locating keys which likewise are located at interlobe nodes of the tank top and bottom walls, each consisting of an extension piece or tongue projecting from an interlobe node to engage external support structure.

Abstract: Simple and inexpensive steering mechanism for marine craft wherein motion from a manually-operated steering wheel controls a remotely disposed rudder or other steering member. The present invention is characterized by an absence of gear mechanisms after the steering wheel for "stepping-up" the number of revolutions from the steering wheel in order that the steering member may be moved into steering position without requiring an excessive number of steering wheel revolutions. In lieu of such gear mechanism, a pulley-belt device is employed. As in the prior art, the stepped-up revolutions are conventionally fed into a rotatable flexible shaft assembly; and a ball screw cylinder or the like converts the rotary motion of the stepped-up revolutions into linear motion of a member which controls the steering.

Abstract: The anchoring system comprises a combination of two types of anchors. One anchor comprises an anchoring element of the plough type and a shank. The plough has the shape of a dihedral having lateral edges contained in a common plane perpendicular to the bisecting plane of the dihedral. The corner edge of the dihedral is inclined toward the common plane from one end of the corner edge in the vicinity of which end the shank is fixed to the plough. The other anchor comprises an anchoring element of the "sheet" type and a coupling device for coupling the element to pulling apparatus. The element has a part-cylindrical surface whose concavity faces the coupling device and is curved in the direction of the span of the surface so that any tangent to the part-cylindrical surface in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the part-cylindrical surface is orthogonal to the direction of the pull exerted on the anchor in service.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device incorporating a two-speed transmission including a first drive gear which is mounted for common rotation with an input shaft drivingly connected to an engine and which meshes with a first driven gear mounted for rotation coaxially with a drive shaft drivingly connected to the propeller shaft and further including a second drive gear which is mounted for rotation coaxially with and independently of the input shaft and which meshes with a second driven gear mounted for common rotation with the drive shaft. The drive shaft is drivingly connected to the first driven gear by a one-way, overrunning clutch and is driven by the input shaft through the first drive and driven gears at low and moderate engine speeds.

Abstract: A response tracer audio equalizer booster amplifier unit having graphic display of frequency response characteristics for variably boosting the power of output signals from an audio frequency signal source to speakers of a stereo sound system or the like, having a cabinet enclosing audio amplifier circuitry for variably boosting the audio signal at plural frequency bands in the audio spectrum, a manually adjustable slide control for each band adjustable along horizontal fore-and-aft paths for varying the signal boosting at the frequency bands, and a graphic display window having markings for the frequency bands and a continuous flexible curve indicator wire variably shaped to simulate a frequency response curve. Motion translating flexible coupling members are moved by the slide to shape the wire to indicate the frequency response curve.

Abstract: The automatic production of excellent pizza upon short order is assured with the continuous stirring of pizza sauce of controlled consistency, thick and thin, and mechanically applying and spreading it to a professionally uniform thickness upon sheets of pizza dough that are ready for receiving the filling ingredients and then baking to provide high quality pizza both in short order runs as well as long production runs of professionally handled pizza production.

Abstract: A device for moistening a blood serum bearing film before it is wetted with a buffer solution comprises a conveyor roller assembly including a first roller having its surface layer formed of sponge and partly maintained in immersion in a buffer solution and a second roller disposed above and in abutting relationship with the first roller, wetting means for passing a blood serum bearing film between the rollers to supply a buffer solution thereto from the surface layer, and a vapor ejection tube disposed adjacent to the both rollers for spraying a vapor to the film before it is wetted.

Abstract: In a device and process for the deposition of pure semiconductor materials, specially silicon, by thermal decomposition of gaseous compounds of said semiconductor materials on carrier bodies heated to decomposition temperature, wherein the device consists of a silver plated base plate, mounting means and electrical connections thereon for heating the carrier bodies, as well as pipe connections for supply and exhaust of said gaseous compounds, and a bell-shaped cover slipped onto the base plate and forming a gas-tight seal therewith, the improvement that the area of the bell-shaped cover facing the reaction space consists of silver or silverplated steel.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing machine of the type having means for applying fluid toner material to a surface of a web of print material includes a toner fountain and pump for pumping toner into the fountain from a body of toner. A vacuum channel member extends transversely of the path of movement of the web for removing toner from the surface. The vacuum channel member is formed with an upwardly directed open cavity surrounded by walls which terminate at their upper end edges in substantially a common plane for supporting the web thereacross substantially sealing the cavity when the web is so located.

Abstract: A milking cup having a sleeve-like cup and a rubber teat holder inserted therein. The rubber teat holder has a suction sleeve portion which is connected at the lower end to a milk discharge pipe connected to a vacuum source. An underpressure relief valve is provided on the milking cup. A tube is connected to and extends between the underpressure relief valve and either the suction sleeve or a member which is connected to and is positioned between the lower end of the suction sleeve and the milk discharge pipe. The end of the tube projects into a passageway defined by the suction sleeve or the member and terminates approximately at the midpoint of the passageway.

Abstract: An efficient and highly productive method for rearing pigs wherein successive litters of pigs are placed in an enclosed building within a series of cages following weaning, the cages having floors of openwork construction to allow animal waste to pass therethrough and to keep the pigs in a dry condition. The animal waste passing through the floors of the cages is collected in an underlying trough where it is readily accessible for periodic inspection to locate any unhealthy pigs and thereby facilitate segregating them from the healthy pigs. Several times a day a sweeping flow of water is directed along the trough to flush away the animal waste from below the cage.The cages are arranged in the building end-to-end in vertically aligned tiered relation to form respective upper and lower elongate series of cages, with each cage comprising a floor of openwork construction and an open-bottomed enclosure also of openwork construction restingly positioned on and supported by the floor.

Abstract: Adjustable apparatus is disclosed for holding a hog watering pipe with a depending nipple valve thereon. The apparatus includes a pair of elongated angle irons with a frictional lock on one end thereof for engagement with the pipe. A pipe holding bracket is slidably mounted on the angle irons such that the co-operation between the lock and the bracket allows selective positioning of the nipple valve.

Abstract: An improved arrangement for preheating feedwater in a steam boiler system prior to the feedwater entering a fuel economizer in order to prevent corrosion due to condensation of flue gas in the fuel economizer and in the exhaust of the boiler system. The feedwater, prior to entering the fuel economizer, is heated in a preheater with a portion of steam from a boiler. The amount of steam entering the preheater is regulated by two temperature control valves. A first temperature control valve is regulated by the temperature of the feedwater prior to entering the fuel economizer. A second temperature control valve is regulated by the temperature of the flue gas in the boiler exhaust stack.

Abstract: A fluidized bed for the burning of pulverized fuel having a specific waterwall arrangement that comprises a structurally reinforced framework of wall tubes. The wall tubes are reversely bent from opposite sides and then bonded together to form tie rods that extend across the bed to support the lateral walls thereof.

Abstract: A power plant for simultaneously generating electric power and pneumatic pressure which comprises an engine, dynamo and compressor all juxtaposed, and wherein the crankshaft of the engine is disposed on the axis of a common shaft to the dynamo and compressor to be drivingly coupled to the common shaft and jointly rotated with the common shaft, thereby simultaneously generating electric power and pneumatic pressure.

Abstract: A closed-loop control system for an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust composition sensor, a control unit for generating a control signal in response to the detected exhaust composition to maintain the mixture at a predetermined value, and a sensor for idling condition. The amplitude of the control signal is reduced by a predetermined amount in response to the detected idling condition so that the time required for the mixture to approach the predetermined value is thereby reduced.

Abstract: A circuit for use in conjunction with the fuel injection controller of an internal combustion engine in which fuel injection valve control pulses are generated on the basis of engine information, for example, engine speed and air flow rate. When the engine is being operated at negative torque (downhill operation, engine braking) the valve control pulses are suppressed. This condition is detected by comparing the length of preliminary control pulses with a reference pulse generated by a monostable multivibrator which is triggered by pulses synchronous with engine speed. A first comparator circuit sets a bistable multivibrator when the preliminary pulses are shorter than the reference pulse and a second comparator circuit resets the bistable multivibrator in the opposite case. The bistable multivibrator controls an output elemet which can suppress the valve control pulses in one of the two states.

Abstract: A limited rotation roller tappet having an aperture and a slot formed in it. A locking bar having a narrow end portion and a shoulder portion prevents rotation of the tappet. The end portion of the locking bar is adapted to pass through both the aperture and the slot while the shoulder portion will not pass through the aperture. The locking bar preferably has a second narrow end portion and is held in place by a second similar roller tappet adjacent to the first having a slot through which the second end portion passes and an aperture through which the shoulder portion will not pass.

Abstract: An exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) system for an internal-combustion engine comprises an EGR valve for controlling the amount of exhaust-gas recirculation installed midway in an EGR passage that establishes communication between the intake and exhaust pipes of the engine, and an exhaust-gas transducer valve for opening and closing by the exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas an atmospheric-releasing orifice formed midway in a vacuum conduit for introducing vacuum into the EGR valve. An acceleration control unit is connected to the exhaust-pressure transducer valve to prevent the entry of air from the atmospheric-releasing orifice into the vacuum conduit in the early stage of engine acceleration, even while the transducer valve is in operation, so as to control the generation of nitrous oxides during the acceleration.

Abstract: An engine operational condition detector detects a mode among several modes, such as an idling state, a steady state and an accelerating state, where a signal is utilized for selectively actuating one of several integrators, each of which has a predetermined time-constant. One of the integrators, when actuated, integrates an output signal of a P-I controller of a closed loop fuel control system, the integrated signal being stored in a capacitor connected across the integrator. Electromagnetic valves disposed in the openings of main air-bleeds of main and slow circuits of a carburetor are energized in accordance with the output signal of each integrator while other electromagnetic valves disposed in the openings of auxiliary air-bleeds of the same are energized in dependence on the output signal of the P-I controller.

Abstract: An additional air supply system for adjusting the air-fuel ratio of a mixture includes the improved control unit for actuating, at two different speeds, a drive motor of a bypass valve disposed in an additional air supply path. The control unit is provided with an air-fuel ratio discriminating circuit for generating high and low level signals by comparing a detected air-fuel ratio with the stoichiometric ratio, and an actuating circuit for producing pulse signals at each instant of inversion of the signal levels of the air-fuel ratio discriminating circuit in such that for a predetermined period from the instant of inversion a high frequency pulse signal is produced and then a low frequency pulse signal is produced for the remaining period until the next inversion.

Abstract: A carburetor in a fuel system in a motor vehicle including a fuel tank, a fuel pump for delivering fuel from the fuel tank to the carburetor under pressure and the return line which returns fuel from the carburetor to the fuel tank when an excess amount of fuel is delivered to the carburetor by the fuel pump. The carburetor further includes a check valve means in the return line for preventing the flow of fuel in the return line in a direction from the fuel tank to the carburetor whereby leaking out of fuel from the carburetor of fuel flowing backwards through the return line is prevented when the vehicle is turned upside down in an accident.

Abstract: A fuel injection pumping apparatus for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine includes an injection pump comprising a pair of reciprocable plungers located in a bore and moved inwardly in timed relationship by cam lobes formed on an annular cam ring. The bore containing the plungers is connected to a delivery passage whereby fuel is delivered in turn during successive inward movement of the plunger to a plurality of outlet ports. Fuel is supplied to the injection pump by way of valve means from a further pump, also incorporating a pair of reciprocable plungers movable inwardly by means of cam lobes on a cam ring. The displacement of the plungers of the further pumps is greater than that of the plungers of the injection pump and means is provided to alter the stroke of the plungers of the further pump during which fuel is supplied to the injection pump.

Abstract: An inductive pulse generator for producing control pulses for ignition timing is built into a conventional distributor designed for a mechanical circuit interruptor. The stator is mounted on a plate fastened to the interruptor carrier plate and consists of a pair of opposed coils on a common axis passing through the axis of the distributor shaft and a pair of opposed permanent magnets similarly mounted. The rotor has teeth of soft magnetic material in diametrically opposite pairs on rotor diameters forming equal angles between successive diameters. The rotor teeth pass by the coils and magnets with a small clearance and the symmetrical disposition of the coils and magnets provides immunity from much of the effect of vibrational forces which would otherwise disturb the constancy of the air gap width and consequently the regularity of the control pulses produced.

Abstract: An inductive, solid-state, magneto ignition system utilizing solid-state switching and operable at low speeds to facilitate starting. Timing is controlled in response to current developed in the primary winding of the magneto coil, which automatically operates a solid-state switch to open the primary winding circuit of the magneto ignition when the current in the primary winding is at a predetermined level. The arrangement couples a high peak voltage and short rise time with a relatively long arc duration across an associated spark plug to increase the over-all performance of a magneto ignition system. In one embodiment, a spark advance is automatically provided as engine speed increases.

Abstract: To provide sufficient current flow to the ignition coil in an ignition system of an automotive-type internal combustion engine under high-speed conditions, without excessive current flow under other speed conditions, a memory is provided which is loaded in the time interval between successive signals in advance of the ignition instant, separated by a time which decreases as the speed of the engine increases, the memory accumulating a stored value which is representative of the time duration.

Abstract: An electronic magneto ignition for internal combustion engines has a permanent magnet mounted on the engine fly wheel and rotating therewith. A magnetic field coil has a primary winding and a secondary winding in which ignition current and ignition voltage, respectively, are produced during the passage of the permanent magnet. A switching transistor is connected in parallel with the primary winding and in parallel with a diode poled opposite to the emitter-collector path of the transistor. An electronic control circuit blocks the switching transistor at the desired ignition time so that the primary circuit is interrupted and the high voltage for the combustion of the fuel is produced in the secondary winding. In the electronic control circuit, a parallel circuit consisting of a first control coil, which has a resistor in series therewith, and a thyristor is connected from the base to the emitter of the switching transistor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a safety for the trigger mechanism of a gas powered gun including a safety lever, and a safety latch. The gun has a trigger mechanism including a trigger pivotably carrying a sear on a sear pivot pin, and a hammer engageable by the sear for opening a valve and releasing gas under pressure to propel a projectile from the gun barrel. The safety lever, safety latch, trigger and sear pivot pin have cooperating cam surfaces which return the safety latch to a safe position upon partial movement from its safe position toward a fire position; return the safety latch to its safe position upon partial squeezing and release of the trigger; return the safety latch and the safety lever to the safe position upon each firing of the gun whereby repeat firing is prevented; prevent repeat firing of the gun in the event the safety lever is continuously biased toward the fire position; and prevent firing of the gun when the safety lever is rigidly maintained in its fire position.

Abstract: A theftproof vehicle top container having a releasable fixture to attach to a vehicle top accessible for attachment or release only from within the container and adaptable to a wide variety of top configurations, the container being made of rigid materials with side and top hatch openings closable by hinged, lock covers.

Abstract: A self-contained heating apparatus adapted for mounting in a fireplace includes an air chamber surrounding a combustion chamber. An air mover is provided for circulating air through the air chamber and outwardly from air ducts which extend across the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A tray has an upturned flange at least on the front edge thereof, and support means to space the tray above the floor of a fireplace, such that an opening is provided under the front of the tray to permit air flow. A hollow, raised portion in the tray, or draft control, has orifices that permit a controlled flow of air to fuel in the tray. The tray is closely fitted to the walls of a fireplace; so that, substantially, the only source of oxygen for the fuel in the grate is through the orifices in the draft control. In a preferred embodiment, the draft control is removable and fits over an opening in the tray. Also, valve means may be included for closing the draft control to any desired extent.

Abstract: An articulated receiver particularly adapted to collect energy from a fixed, substantially spherical concave collector, the reciever being an elongated member having radiant energy absorbing means, and preferably a conduit therein for a heat transfer medium, and a radiation transparent enclosure in the form of a substantially elongated member having at least one enlarged cross sectional portion disposed preferably towards the end of the receiver most remote from the collector.

Abstract: A collector of solar energy comprises an array of contiguous transparent blocks, arranged in one or more layers or tiers, resting on a thermally conductive supporting plate which overlies a system of conduits for the circulation of a heat-carrying fluid such as water. Each block consists of a thin-walled hollow glass body of generally prismatic shape with a broad concave undersurface which, in the case of the lowest tier, makes only line contact with its supporting surface and is largely separated from that surface by an intervening dead-air space minimizing conductive heat transfer therebetween. A nipple at one end face, used for the blowing of the glass bodies, may be received in a complementary recess of a juxtaposed end face of an adjoining body.