A conveyor system for conveying relatively planar articles, e.g. biscuits, comprises a first conveyor comprising a pair of runs of endless belts having operative surfaces defining a first path for biscuits. The operative surfaces of the belts face one another and are symmetrically inclined to the vertical, biscuits being conveyed thereby contacting the belts by their peripheries, and, when at least two biscuits are in contact, assuming an inclined attitude with the upper part of each biscuit lea...

A telecommunication system of the kind having a telephone handset connected to an exchange via a line incorporates a beacon (22) in the line for receiving a question signal from test equipment associated with the exchange and for sending an answer signal to the test equipment. The beacon (22) senses voltages in the two wires making up the line but is otherwise isolated from the line via a diode bridge (20) and a protection circuit (21) and high value resistor R.sub.p. Previously known beacons we...

A conveyor system comprises a plurality of article carriers 5 interconnected for movement in succession along a predetermined path 1, and weight sensing means 7a, 7b positioned at two or more weighing stations in the path such that each article carrier passes through one weighing station, the weight of the article carrier, together with that of any article carried thereby, being applied to the weight sensing means. The use of two weighing stations, to which articles can be diverted alternatively...

A wingsail arrangement comprises a thrust wing having an upright leading airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge and an upright trailing airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The leading edge of the trailing airfoil is positioned closely behind the trailing edge of the leading airfoil. The trailing airfoil is mounted for pivoting movement about an upright axis relative to the leading airfoil from an aligned position in which the trailing airfoil is aligned with the leading...

Aiming system for firearms of the type for use when a target is obscured for example by darkness or camouflage include a sighting arrangement which comprises an imaging device of sufficiently small size to be carried on the firearm. These imaging devices consequently have small apertures and low resolution and are therefore of limited value. The aiming system disclosed herein has an imaging device remote from the firearm which forms a background image of a given field-of-view, the image being di...

A system for guarding against the leakage of fluid from a hydraulic system, particularly an aircraft braking system, which employs a flow control valve under the control of an electronic processor. The electronic processor integrates with respect to time a function of the input signal to the flow control valve and the pressure of the output of fluid, compares the value of the integrated function with a predetermined value, and effects closure of the control valve if the comparison indicates a su...

A sensing system for sensing acoustic waves, the sensing system comprises one or more sensor elements for use underwater, a reference sensor, and compensation means for compensating noise generated in the sensing system in dependence upon signals provided by the sensor elements and the reference sensor.

An illumination system usable in a display cabinet includes a plurality of spaced apart, low-voltage lamps. The lamps are supported by a reflector off-set from a shell or housing. The air space created between the reflector and the shell or housing provides thermal insulation such that the system will not excessively heat the display cabinet.

An inspection system for detecting leakage from for example the primary vessel (11) of a nuclear reactor includes a camera (29) carried by an umbilical cable (28) which can be fed through a duct assembly (22) comprising a series of tubular sections (23) connected endwise by flexible bellow (24). A guide track (18) extends around the top of the vessel (11) and each duct section (23) is provided with wheels (25) which engage the track (18). A curved guide tube (17) feeds the duct sections (23) fro...

An endoscope system makes it possible to substantially unify the flow rates of fluid supply in each of a variety of endoscopes even when they are connected to means for fluid supply source common thereto.