Abstract:
A PROCESS OF PRODUCTING A SOLUBLE FUSIBLE PRE-POLYMER IS DESCRIBED IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE OF TOLUENE AND XYLENE IS REACTED WITH P-XYLYLENEGLYCOL DIMETHYL ETHER IN THE PRESENCE OF A MILD FRIEDEL-CRAFTS TYPE CATALYST SO THAT THE TOLUENE AND/OR XYLENE REACT WITH THE P-XYLYLENEGLYCOL DIMETHYL ETHER WITH THE ELIMINATION OF METHANOL, THE REACTION BEING ALLOWED TO PROCEED ALMOST TO THE GELATION POINT. THE PRE-POLYMERS PRODUCED ARE PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR MAKING CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED PLASTICS MATERIALS.
Abstract:
In the fractionation of liquid proteins, an increased rate of producton without denaturing is obtained by use of apparatus including (A) A HEAT-EXCHANGER FOR THROUGHFLOW OF A COOLING FLUID WHEREBY THE HEAT-EXCHANGER PRESENTS COOLING SURFACING FOR CONTACT BY A THROUGHFLOWING LIQUID; AND (B) A PAIR OF NOZZLES FOR DISCHARGING RESPECTIVELY JETS OF PROTEINACEOUS SOLUTION AND LIQUID PRECIPITANT, THE NOZZLES BEING SO DISPOSED THAT THE JET LIQUIDS CONVERGINGLY MERGE TO FORM A COMPOSITE STREAM WHICH IMPINGES ON THE COOLING SURFACING OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER AND INSTANTLY ON IMPINGEMENT BECOMES A REACTION MIXTURE CONTAINING THE PRECIPITATED PROTEIN FRACTION WHICH REACTION MIXTURE THEN FLOWS OVER THE COOLING SURFACING AND FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER.
Abstract:
A ticket system for public transport vehicles based on the use of tickets which require to be of a predetermined length when presented for checking as the passenger leaves the vehicle, this length being determined on issue of the ticket by mechanism which allows for the issue point in relation to the complete journey and also in accordance with the fare paid: thus all tickets checked at any particular point should be of the same length irrespective of their several issue points, and any short ticket indicates short payment.
Abstract:
Apparatus and methods for comparing the conductivities of liquid streams by induction are described. Such apparatus and methods have particular application in detecting mastitis in milk animals where differences in the conductivities of milk streams from different teats of the same animal may indicate the presence of mastitis. The apparatus described is specially suited for use with milking machinery in that it is economical to manufacture and is easy to keep clean. In one embodiment four coils are provided one for each of four conductivity measuring cells in a hemispherical chamber in the claw piece of milking apparatus.
Abstract:
A band clip includes a rotatably mounted screw which meshes wormwise with a threaded portion of the band. The screw is provided with a frusto-conical portion and the mounting for the screw presents an inclined surface which co-operates with the frusto-conical portion in such a way that, when the band is in an operative condition, co-action between the frusto-conical portion and the inclined surface biases the screw into engagement with the threaded portion of the band.
Abstract:
Electrostatic charge is detected in a turbulently flowing material by arranging an electrode so that there is induced on it a potential dependent on the charge concentration in the material, and sensing the magnitude of the alternating component of the induced potential due to the turbulence.
Abstract:
When electromagnetic radiation is passed through a heterogeneous material such as a slurry or suspension, part of the radiation will be scattered by the suspending medium and part by the solid particles contained in said medium. If, for example, the radiation used is X-radiation, and if the suspending medium consists of a relatively low atomic number material while the particles consist of a relatively high atomic number material, then due to the fundamental properties of scattered X-rays the bulk of the Compton or modified scattered X-rays will come from the suspending medium, and the Rayleigh or unmodified scattering will come both from the particles and the suspending medium. If the X-ray energy is suitable, the Rayleigh scattering will be independent of the size of the particles, but the Compton scattering will be markedly dependent on the size of the particles. Comparison of the Compton scattering or of the Rayleigh and Compton scattering provides a measure of the size of the solid particles.
Abstract:
Apparatus for the treatment of ores and other solid materials containing fractions of different density comprises a conveyor surface for conveying a suspension of the material upwardly against a downward flow of wash liquid, and shaking means for imparting a shaking motion to the surface to facilitate separation of the fractions contained in the material. In different embodiments, the apparatus comprises (a) washing means for supplying wash liquid to the surface in a dropwise fashion from above the surface at a series of positions spaced across the surface transversely to the direction in which the material is conveyed by the surface, (b) means for feeding the material on to the surface along each of those two sides thereof which are disposed in the general direction in which the material is conveyed by the surface (c) means for imparting a first orbital shaking motion to the surface to facilitate the initial separation of the fractions contained in the material and means for imparting a second orbital shaking motion to the surface of higher amplitude and/or lower frequency than the first to facilitate discharge of the lighter fractions from the surface.
Abstract:
A device for injecting electric charge into fluids consists of a p-n junction diode having the junctions so positioned that an active region of the semi-conductor is in contact with the fluid. A reverse electric field of a magnitude sufficient to release charge carriers having energies greater than the potential barrier at the surface of the semi-conductor is applied to the junction so that charge carriers are emitted from the active region. An electrode is also immersed in the fluid to enable a drift field to be established to attract charge carriers in the fluid away from the surface of the semi-conductor.
Abstract:
The recognition of signals having specific periods is described particularly in relation to recognising vowels. Characteristic frequencies in vowels are recognised by circuits which delay the input signals for an interval related to a frequency to be recognised, correlate the delayed signals with undelayed input signals and integrate the resultant over a short period comparable with the duration of the vowel sound. The magnitude and sign of the integrated signal indicates whether the required signal is present. In order to deal with speech an incoming signal is first passed to a special form of AGC circuit and then divided into low and high frequency components. The presence of characteristic frequencies in these components is determined by the technique described above, and logic circuits indicate what combinations of frequencies and thus what vowels are present.