A method for making a metal-based nano-composite material is disclosed. In the method, a semi-solid state metal-based material is provided. The semi-solid state metal-based material is stirred and nano-sized reinforcements are added into the semi-solid state metal-based material to obtain a semi-solid state mixture. The semi-solid state mixture is heated to a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the metal-based material, to achieve a liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture. The liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture is ultrasonically processed at a temperature above the liquidus temperature by conducting ultrasonic vibrations to the liquid-metal-nano-sized reinforcement mixture along different directions at the same time.

An apparatus for seating a bead of a tire adjacent a bead seat of a wheel is disclosed.

The method for surface inclusions detection, enhancement of endothelial and osteoblast cells adhesion and proliferation and sterilization of electropolished and magnetoelectropolished Nitinol implantable medical device surfaces uses an aqueous solution of chemical compounds containing halogenous oxyanions as hypochlorite (ClO−) and hypobromite (BrO−) preferentially 6% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO).

[Object] To provide a method of manufacturing a sputtering target and a sputtering target that are capable of achieving refinement and uniformity of crystal grains. [Solving Means] A method of manufacturing a sputtering target according to an embodiment of the present invention includes forging an ingot formed of metal by applying a stress in a first axis direction (z-axis direction) and a plane direction (xy-plane direction) orthogonal to the first axis direction. The ingot is additionally forged by applying a stress in a second axis direction (axial directions c11, c12, c21, c22) obliquely intersecting with a direction parallel to the first axis direction. The ingot is heat-treated at a temperature equal to or higher than a recrystallization temperature thereof. In such a manner, since slip deformation can be caused not only in the first axis direction and the plane direction orthogonal thereto but also in the second axis direction, the high density and uniformity of an internal stress can be achieved.

In various embodiments, planar sputtering targets are produced by forming a billet at least by pressing molybdenum powder in a mold and sintering the pressed powder, working the billet to form a worked billet, heat treating the worked billet, working the worked billet to form a final billet, and heat treating the final billet.

A method of forming a wrought material having a refined grain structure is provided. The method comprises providing a metal alloy material having a depressed solidus temperature and a low temperature eutectic phase transformation. The metal alloy material is molded and rapidly solidified to form a fine grain precursor that has fine grains surrounded by a eutectic phase with fine dendritic arm spacing. The fine grain precursor is plastic deformed at a high strain rate to cause recrystallization without substantial shear banding to form a fine grain structural wrought form. The wrought form is then thermally treated to precipitate the eutectic phase into nanometer sized dispersoids within the fine grains and grain boundaries and to define a thermally treated fine grain structure wrought form having grains finer than the fine grains and the fine dendritic arm spacing of the fine grain precursor.

A steel material superior in high temperature characteristics and toughness is provided, that is, a steel material containing, by mass %, C: 0.005% to 0.03%, Si: 0.05% to 0.40%, Mn: 0.40% to 1.70%, Nb: 0.02% to 0.25%, Ti: 0.005% to 0.025%, N: 0.0008% to 0.0045%, B: 0.0003% to 0.0030%, restricting P: 0.030% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Al: 0.03% or less, and having a balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities, where the contents of C and Nb satisfy C—Nb/7.74≦0.02 and Ti-based oxides of a grain size of 0.05 to 10 μm are present in a density of 30 to 300/mm2.

Provided is a NdFeB sintered magnet which can be used in the grain boundary diffusion method as a base material in which RH can be easily diffused through the rare-earth rich phase and which itself has a high coercive force, a high maximum energy product and a high squareness ratio, as well as a method for producing such a magnet. A NdFeB system sintered has an average grain size of the main-phase grains magnet is equal to or smaller than 4.5 μm, the carbon content of the entire NdFeB system sintered magnet is equal to or lower than 1000 ppm, and the percentage of the total volume of a carbon rich phase in a rare-earth rich phase at a grain-boundary triple point in the NdFeB system sintered magnet to the total volume of the rare-earth rich phase is equal to or lower than 50%.

A metal material is contacted with a treatment solution containing zirconium and/or titanium compound, and a polyamine compound having a number average molecular weight from 150 to 500,000 and containing from 0.1 mmol to 17 mmol of primary and/or secondary amino group per 1 g of solid content and at least one siloxane unit. Concentration of zirconium and/or titanium compound in the metal surface treatment composition is from 10 ppm to 10,000 ppm with respect to the metal element, and mass ratio of the zirconium and/or titanium element is from 0.1 to 100 with respect to the polyamine compound. The metal material is washed with water after contacted by the treatment solution.

Provided a build-up welding material which contains C: 0.2 to 1.5 mass %, Si: 0.5 to 2 mass %, Mn: 0.5 to 2 mass %, Cr: 20 to 40 mass %, Mo: 2 to 6 mass %, Ni: 0.5 to 6 mass %, V: 1 to 5 mass % and W: 0.5 to 5 mass %, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.

A timepiece barrel assembly, including a barrel mainspring mounted between a barrel drum and a receiving surface of a barrel core coaxial to the drum. The spring is made of a multiphase, cobalt-nickel-chromium based alloy, having a Young's modulus of between 200 and 240 GPa and a shear modulus of between 80 and 100 GPa, and having a width to thickness ratio of between 9 and 21, and the maximum radius of the steel or stainless steel core relative to its pivot axis is less than nine times the maximum thickness of the spring, and the barrel assembly includes, on the spring or the drum, a mechanism limiting longitudinal clearance, towards the pivot axis, between the drum and the mainspring.

A composition to decommission firearms is presented. The composition comprises a monomer, a quantity of calcium chloride; and sulfur-containing compound. The sulfur containing compound includes sodium persulfate and/or sodium thiosulfate.

A component composition contains, by % by mass, 0.0016 to 0.01% of C, 0.05 to 0.60% of Mn, and 0.020 to 0.080% of Nb so that the C and Nb contents satisfy the expression, 0.4≦(Nb/C)×(12/93)≦2.5. In addition, the amount of Nb-based precipitates is 20 to 500 ppm by mass, the average grain diameter of the Nb-based precipitates is 10 to 100 nm, and the average crystal grain diameter of ferrite is 6 to 10 μm. Nb is added to ultra-low-carbon steel used as a base, and the amount and grain diameter of the Nb-based precipitates are controlled to optimize the pinning effect. Grain refinement of ferrite is achieved by specifying the Mn amount, thereby achieving softening and excellent resistance to surface roughness of steel.

Provided is bearing steel excellent in workability after spheroidizing-annealing and in hydrogen fatigue resistance property after quenching and tempering. The bearing steel has a chemical composition containing, by mass %: 0.85% to 1.10% C; 0.30% to 0.80% Si; 0.90% to 2.00% Mn; 0.025% or less P; 0.02% or less S; 0.05% or less Al; 1.8% to 2.5% Cr; 0.15% to 0.4% Mo; 0.0080% or less N; and 0.0020% or less O, which further contains more than 0.0015% to 0.0050% or less Sb, with the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, to thereby effectively suppress the generation of WEA even in environment where hydrogen penetrates into the steel, so as to improve the roiling contact fatigue life and also the workability such as cuttability and forgeability of the material.

A low alloy steel ingot contains from 0.15 to 0.30% of C, from 0.03 to 0.2% of Si, from 0.5 to 2.0% of Mn, from 0.1 to 1.3% of Ni, from 1.5 to 3.5% of Cr, from 0.1 to 1.0% of Mo, and more than 0.15 to 0.35% of V, and optionally Ni, with a balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. Performing quality heat treatment including a quenching step and a tempering step to the low alloy steel ingot to obtain a material, which has a grain size number of from 3 to 7 and is free from pro-eutectoid ferrite in a metallographic structure thereof, and which has a tensile strength of from 760 to 860 MPa and a fracture appearance transition temperature of not higher than 40° C.

This invention provides a copper alloy sheet material containing, in mass %, Ni: 0.7%-4.2% and Si: 0.2%-1.0%, optionally containing one or more of Sn: 1.2% or less, Zn: 2.0% or less, Mg: 1.0% or less, Co: 2.0% or less, and Fe: 1.0% or less, and a total of 3% or less of one or more of Cr, B, P, Zr, Ti, Mn and V, the balance being substantially Cu, and having a crystal orientation satisfying Expression (1): I{420}/I0{420}>1.0 (1), where I{420} is the x-ray diffraction intensity from the {420} crystal plane in the sheet plane of the copper alloy sheet material and I0{420} is the x-ray diffraction intensity from the {420} crystal plane of standard pure copper powder. The copper alloy sheet material has highly improved strength, post-notching bending workability, and stress relaxation resistance property.

A welding method for welding workpieces made of highly heat-resistant superalloys is provided. The method includes generating a heat input zone on the workpiece surface by means of a heat source, feeding welding filler material into the heat input zone by means of a feeding device, and generating a relative motion between the heat source and the feeding device on one hand and the workpiece surface on the other hand by means of a conveying device. Furthermore, according to the welding method, the mass feed rate is ≦350 mg/min.

An aluminum alloy forging material of the present invention is constituted by an aluminum alloy cast product obtained by subjecting an aluminum alloy ingot having a structure in which a secondary dentrite arm spacing (DAS) is 40 μm or less and an average grain diameter of crystallized substances is 8 μm or less to homogenization treatment for holding the ingot for one hour or more under temperature conditions of 450 to 510° C., wherein the ingot is obtained by continuously casting a molten aluminum alloy having an alloy composition consisting of: Si: 0.80 to 1.15 mass %; Fe: 0.2 to 0.5 mass %; Cu: 3.8 to 5 mass %; Mn: 0.8 to 1.15 mass %; Mg: 0.5 to 0.8 mass %; Zr: 0.05 to 0.13 mass %; and Ti contained in such an amount that a sum of Ti and Zr is 0.2 mass % or less, and the balance being Al and inevitable impurities, wherein the alloy composition satisfies a Cu/Mg ratio of 8 or less, Ti is added in a form of an Al master alloy (5Ti-1B mother alloy) in which Ti and B are contained at a ratio of 5:1, and a Ti/Zr ratio satisfies 0.3 or higher.

A steel for an induction hardening including, by mass %, C: more than 0.75% to 1.20%, Si: 0.002 to 3.00%, Mn: 0.20 to 2.00%, S: 0.002 to 0.100%, Al: more than 0.050% to 3.00%, P: limited to 0.050% or less, N: limited to 0.0200% or less, O: limited to: 0.0030% or less, and the balance composing of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein an Al content and a N content satisfy, by mass %, Al−(27/14)×N>0.050%.

The galvannealed steel sheet includes: a galvannealed layer formed on at least one surface of a steel sheet and contains includes an amount of 0.05 mass % to 0.5 mass % of Al, an amount of 6 mass % of 12 mass % of Fe, and the balance composed of Zn and inevitable impurities; and a mixed layer formed on a surface of the galvannealed layer and includes a composite oxide of Mn, Zn, and P and an aqueous P compound, wherein the composite oxide includes 0.1 mg/m2 to 100 mg/m2 of Mn, an amount of 1 mg/m2 to 100 mg/m2 of P, and Zn, and a P/Mn ratio is 0.3 to 50, and wherein the total size of an area of the mixed layer in which an attached amount of P is equal to or more than 20 mg/m2 is 20% to 80% of a surface area of the mixed layer.

A biometric monitoring device and multiple carrying cases for same are provided. In some implementations, the case may be made from a flexible viscoelastic material and the biometric monitoring device may be slipped into a receptacle in the case through an opening in the case; the opening may become distended during the insertion of the biometric monitoring device. In some implementations, the case may feature a display window that, in combination with materials of the biometric monitoring device, may mask a display of the biometric monitoring device from view when the display is off and may allow the display to be seen when the display is displaying content.

A head cover for a golf club includes a first surface having a removable cleaning pad thereon, and a second surface on which at least one golf accessory constructed of a ferrous metal is removably attached thereto. The second surface is part of a tri-layer construction with magnets forming the second middle layer so as to so retain the golf accessory thereon. The cleaning pad is removed by the golfer from the first surface and includes a scrubbing area to remove grit and/or debris from one of a golf ball and a golf club face.

A carrying bag (10) with a shoulder-strap (22) and a zipper (14) with zipper-rider (16) for closing/opening the bag. The shoulder-strap (22) is provided with a loop (24) at one end and a key-operated locking device (26) at the other end thereof. Means (36) are provided for fastening the loop (24) to an inside wall of the bag. Means (48) are provided for securing the zipper-rider (16) by the locking device (26) to an outside wall of the bag (10) for preventing the un-zipping of the bag.

An improved interactive learning board cover is provided. The improved interactive learning board cover may provide protection to the learning board, whereby the cover may stretch over the entire surface of a whiteboard and may be secured at each of the four corners of the board with a sewn pocket thereby allowing securement of the board without the need for additional handles, straps and/or padding.

Liquid consumption counter devices are described herein. One liquid consumption counter device can comprise a body having a number of indicator points, and a counter coupled to the body, wherein the counter rotates around the body to each of the number of indicator points and wherein rotation of the counter to each of the consecutive indicator points indicates consumption of a volume of liquid.

Towel tags to permit minimizing the use of water and detergent during washing and minimizing wear and tear of towels, the spread of germs and diseases between towel users, and minimizing the use of energy, and saving money. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. Any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

A water lamp comprises a main body, a rotary unit, and a base. The main body includes a transparent housing and a transparent bottom plate. The transparent housing is filled with slightly-viscous flowable liquid and sealed by the transparent bottom plate. The rotary unit is located within the transparent housing and includes an aesthetic object, a fixing block, a passive disk, and a central part. The passive disk is rotatably fitted over the central part and provided with a magnet. The base is provided with a lighting component, an active disk having one magnet corresponding to the magnet of the passive disk, and a driving device. The lighting component can emit light into the transparent housing. The driving device can rotate the active disk, which in turn can rotate the passive disk by using mutual attraction between the magnet of the active disk and the magnet of the passive disk.

The present invention relates to a poster holder (10,10',10″,10'″,1000) comprising a support (3,3',3″,3*, 3000) intended to be suspended on a wall and provided with at least one engagement seat (6, 600,6″,6*,6'″) and with a bar (4,4',4″) comprising in turn a fixed length lower portion (18, 18',18″) comprising a gripping device for engaging an edge of a poster (5) and at least one slider (11,11',11″,11'″,1100) slidably associated to said lower portion (18, 18',18″), said slider (11,11',11″,11'″,1100) being insertable into said engagement seat (6, 600,6″,6*,6'″) such to make a connection between said support (3,3',3″,3*) and said bar (4, 4',4″).

A road sign, for viewing by primary traffic and right-angled traffic comprises a sign plate having a first indicia representative of the sign's message directed to the primary traffic and a lateral member having a second indicia. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral member has suitable dimensions, is suitably positioned relative to the sign plate and has suitable second indicia so as to give the appearance, when viewed by right-angled traffic, that a portion of the sign plate was bent substantially perpendicular to the sign's normal orientation along substantially the vertical axis of the sign. Additional embodiments are also provided.

A method of internally restoring a pipe preferably includes the steps of isolating a leaking pipe from a system of pipes; drying an interior of a leaking pipe; measuring the airflow through the leak; cleaning the interior of the leaking pipe; presealing a leak with a leak sealing media, measuring the leak flow rate after the pre-sealing; applying an internal protective coating process; and pressure testing the leaking pipe for leaks. The pipe restoration method preferably uses a control box, a media injection system, an air compressor and a coating dispensing system at an inlet of the leaking pipe. The pipe restoration method preferably uses a coating overflow receiver, a muffler and a dust collector at an exit of the leaking pipe. After the treatments, the leaking pipe becomes a restored pipe. The restored pipe is pressure tested for leaks at a working pressure rating of the pipe.

A gravity and flow operated diverter valve diverts liquid flow from one source to either of two output destinations. The valve includes a housing, an inlet opening, a first outlet opening and a second outlet opening. A valve member is located coaxially in the housing interior, the valve member having at least one flow path extending axially therethough, an exterior edge of the valve member and an interior surface of the side wall having a cooperating cam follower structure defining a cyclic path, the path having at least two no flow positions in which the valve member is spaced from the upper wall, and at least two flow positions in which the flow path in the disc selectively allows communication with one or both of the first and second outlet openings, the cyclic path arranged so that on successive liquid flows into the inlet opening the valve member cycles between the at least two flow positions to selectively direct flow out of one or both of the first and second outlet openings. Related dishwasher designs are also disclosed.

A compressor wash system for compressor washing includes stages of fluid delivery lines coupled at one end to a pump output and at the other end to a corresponding nozzle set. A control valve is connected to the fluid delivery line between the pump and the nozzle set, selectively supplying fluid between the pump and the nozzle set. Each nozzle of a nozzle set is positioned on an inlet of the compressor to allow the stages to wash a portion of the compressor. Nozzle sets are positioned around a bellmouth assembly and/or around an inlet cone of the compressor inlet, with a nozzle spray tip of each nozzle extending into an inlet air flow path of the compressor. Fluid may be directed to one or more of the stages in a sequencing pattern determined and configured to wash the compressor. Templates and installation guides are utilized to position the nozzles.

An automatic dishwasher having a heater shared by the recirculation system and the air supply system to heat the liquid in the recirculation system and the air in the air supply system.

A dishwasher includes a shiftable rack provided with a washing agent dispersal system including a housing into which washing fluid is delivered. When the rack is shifted to a retracted position within a tub of the dishwasher, a tube feed system is employed to selectively distribute washing fluid from a pump assembly to each of multiple spray arms, the housing of the washing agent dispersal system and an auxiliary spray unit carried by the upper rack.

The invention meets the needs above by providing a surfactant system, mixture or blend that can be used as a part of a soaking composition. The surfactant system is capable of forming emulsions with, and thus removing, oily and greasy stains. In a preferred embodiment the surfactant compositions of the invention can remove non-trans fat and fatty acid stains. The invention involves foaming soaking compositions that have some or part of the anionic surfactant present in the same replaced with an extended chain anionic surfactant.

A detergent for cleaning media is provided. The detergent comprises deionized water, between about 1% and about 5% by weight of a nonionic surfactant having an hydrophile/lipophile balance (HLB) value between about 10 and about 20, and an ethoxylation level between about 5 and about 20, between about 1% and about 5% by weight of a dispersing agent, between about 3% and about 10% by weight of a chelating agent comprising phosphonic acid, and between about 2% and about 6% by weight of an inorganic salt.

Methods, wires, and apparatus for use in cutting (e.g., slicing) hard, brittle materials is provided. The wire can be a super-abrasive wire that includes a wire core and super-abrasive particles bonded to the wire core via a metal bonding layer. This wire, or another type of wire, can be used to slice workpieces useful for producing wafers. The workpieces can be aligned within a holder to produce wafers using the device and methods presently provided. The holder rotates about its central axis, which translates to workpieces moving in orbit around this axis. A single abrasive wire, or multiple turns of wire stretched tightly between wire guides, is then contacted with the rotating holder to slice the workpieces.

Methods, wires, and apparatus for use in cutting (e.g., slicing) hard, brittle materials is provided. The wire can be a super-abrasive wire that includes a wire core and super-abrasive particles bonded to the wire core via a metal bonding layer. This wire, or another type of wire, can be used to slice workpieces useful for producing wafers. The workpieces can be aligned within a holder to produce wafers using the device and methods presently provided. The holder rotates about its central axis, which translates to workpieces moving in orbit around this axis. A single abrasive wire, or multiple turns of wire stretched tightly between wire guides, is then contacted with the rotating holder to slice the workpieces.

A method for slicing a plurality of wafers from a crystal includes providing a crystal of semiconductor material having a longitudinal axis, a cross section and at least one pulling edge. The crystal is fixed on a table and guided through a wire gang defined by sawing wire so as to form the wafers. The guiding is provided by a relative movement between the table and the wire gang such that entry sawing or exit sawing using the sawing wire occurs in a vicinity of the at least one pulling edge of the crystal.

A handheld engine-driven cutter is provided with a disk blade and a main body that drives the disk blade by an engine. A guard surface for repelling chips of a workpiece that scatter from the disk blade to below the main body is formed on the main body. The guard surface has an asymmetric shape with respect to a boundary that is a rotating plane of the disk blade.

A hand-operated implement has a guide bar on which is fitted a cutting chain for cutting mineral and metal materials. The cutting chain is driven around the guide bar by a chain sprocket. The chain sprocket is arranged in a chain sprocket chamber which is delimited by a chain sprocket cover. A cutting element has an outer side facing a sidewall of the chain sprocket cover which lies in a first notional plane. The distance between the sidewall and the first notional plane measured perpendicular to the first notional plane and centrally between the top of the cutting element and the peripheral wall is less than approximately 0.8 cm over at least 30% of the section between a second notional plane containing the central axis of a fixing bolt on the guide bar and the exit opening at which the cutting chain leaves the chain sprocket chamber.

The motorized cutter with wheels (10) comprises a motorized cutter (20) and a carriage (30). The motorized cutter (20) is equipped with an engine (24), a blade (22) rotatably driven by the engine (24), and a light-emitting unit (50) that generates laser light (52) in the same plane as the plane of rotation of the blade (22). A roadbed (90) is then cut along a line (X) drawn on the roadbed (90) by operating the motorized cutter with wheels (10) so that the line (X) is irradiated with the laser light (52). It is possible to remove the motorized cutter (20) from the carriage (30) together with the light-emitting unit (50).

A method for cooling a cylindrical workpiece during wire sawing includes applying a liquid coolant to a surface of the workpiece. The workpiece is made of semiconductor material having a surface including two end faces and a lateral face. The method includes sawing the workpiece with a wire saw including a wire web having wire sections arranged in parallel by penetrating the wire sections into the workpiece by an oppositely directed relative movement of the wire sections and the workpiece. Wipers are disposed so as to bear on the surface of the workpiece. The temperature of the workpiece is controlled during the wire sawing using a liquid coolant applied onto the workpiece above the wipers so as to remove the liquid coolant with the wipers bearing on the workpiece surface.

An outer blade cutting wheel comprising an annular thin disc base of cemented carbide and a blade section of metal or alloy-bonded abrasive grains on the outer periphery of the base is provided. The abrasive grains are diamond and/or cBN grains having an average grain size of 45-310 μm and a TI of at least 150. The blade section includes overlays having a thickness tolerance (T3max−T3min) of 0.001 mm to 0.1×T2 mm. The blade section has a roundness (ODmax/2−ODmin/2) of 0.001 mm to 0.01×ODmax mm.

A method for manufacturing micrometer scale components comprises depositing a first metal on a substrate, depositing a second metal in a mold, and alloying the first and second metals together to form the component.

The embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for counter-gravity formation of BMG-containing hollow parts. In one embodiment, the BMG-containing hollow parts may be formed by first feeding a molten metal alloy in a counter-gravity direction into a mold cavity to deposit the molten metal alloy on a surface of the mold cavity and then solidifying the deposited molten metal alloy.

A method for interlocking structural steel components with a metal-filled interlock is disclosed herein. The method comprises placing a mold about aligned contoured portions of structural steel components and attaching a crucible and a spout to the mold. The crucible is charged with exothermic reactive metals which are ignited, forming a molten metal filler. The molten metal filler melts a metal plug in the crucible or spout and the molten metal filler flows into the mold and about the aligned contoured portions of the structural steel components. Cooling of the molten metal filler forms a metal-filled interlock. Molds for performing the disclosed method are also disclosed herein.

Described herein are systems and methods for producing a hardwearing or wear-resistant material. In one aspect, a first group of materials comprising zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and one or both of calcium oxide (CaO) and yttrium oxide (Y2O3) may be mixed, heated, and cooled to yield a first mixture. The first mixture may be used to generate granules that may then be mixed with a second group of materials comprising iron, nickel, manganese, titanium, carbon, chromium, and optionally, a paraffin, to yield a second mixture. The second mixture may then be compressed, cast, cooled, and heat treated to yield the hardwearing or wear-resistant material.

A method of forming a cast product (30) by providing a core (52) having a plurality of sections (54) and one or more gaps (55) there-between. The core further includes an insert member (60) spanning the gap (55) between adjacent sections (54). The core (52) is located within a mold (68) and a liquid phase material is introduced into gap (55) between the core sections. The liquid phase material is solidified in the gap so as to form a cast feature of a resulting solid product and the core sections (54) are removed from the solid product (30) such that the insert member (60) remains securely held within the feature (74).

The present invention features a center feed system in combination with a coking vessel of a delayed coking system, or any other similar system. The center feed system features an inlet sleeve which slidably engages a retractable nozzle, with inlet and outlet, in fluid connection with a feed source of residual byproduct, allowing residual byproduct to flow from the feed source into the interior of the vessel, thus effectuating or inducing even thermal distribution throughout the vessel. The retractable nozzle is structured to extend through an opening in the coking vessel while introducing the residual byproduct into the coking vessel and retract out of the coking vessel and cover the opening for at least a portion of a coking cycle.