The invention provides a bullet. The bullet includes a bullet-shaped body of a first metal composition, which body has a hollow cavity defined therein along the axis of the bullet with an opening at the point of the bullet shaped body. The bullet further includes a plunger of a second metal composition, which metal is harder than the first metal, and shaped generally complementary to the hollow cavity. Hollow cavities may preferably be provided between the plunger and the hollow.

A method of exploring and/or exploitation of carbonaceous deposits while mitigating damage to surface and overburden features and/or other adverse impacts accompanying carbonaceous deposit exploitation. The first step prepares the deposit for methane extraction, followed by extracting and utilising the released methane and other volatiles. An intermediate step evaluates information gained in the first step for a further step following synergistically on the first step and which uses the same infrastructure for in situ underground gasification, using thermochemical and/or microbiological gasification/vaporisation techniques. The gases from both steps are used locally or are piped elsewhere as a source of energy or as a chemical feedstock.

A non-detonatable base charge explosive formulation for use in a detonator which includes a solution containing a plurality of salts and a binder.

A lathe (10) for the machining of relatively hard materials includes a headstock (12), a tailstock (14) and supports, the tailstock actuator (16) is located at the rear of the headstock (12).

This invention relates to a turbine. More specifically, the invention relates to a variable geometry vertical axis turbine. The turbine includes a shaft, a plurality of aerofoil blades and a plurality of connecting arms, which arms are pivotally connected at a first end to the shaft and at a second end to at least one of the aerofoil blades. The aerofoil blades are movable between a retracted position, wherein the aerofoil blades lie against or in close proximity to the shaft, and an extended position, wherein the aerofoil blades are spaced away from the shaft. Furthermore, the aerofoil blades are configured into corresponding aerofoil blade pairs, wherein each of the aerofoil blades making up a corresponding aerofoil blade pair maintain a common radial location with respect to the shaft and maintain a location, with respect to one another, being on opposite sides of and equidistant from a plane being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft and located between first and second ends thereof. In this manner, the aerofoil blades are symmetrical about the perpendicular plane, whether in the retracted position, the extended position or any other position therebetween thereby placing the shaft of the turbine in balance.

The invention provides for a. bank note deposit machine, bank not deposit bag (A3) and a method for filling a bank note deposit machine. The bag (A3) for receiving bank notes (B5) in a deposit machine is elongate and configured to have a rectangular cross sectional profile, which is dimensioned to be slightly larger than the plan view dimensions of the bank notes (B5) to be received in the bag (A3) in a stacked manner.

A tradeable commodity or instrument, a trading system for a plurality of such commodities, a method of trading using such a system and security systems related thereto. The tradeable instrument comprises a secure container constituted by a transparent cover (12), a stone holder pad (14), a set of diamonds (15), a diamond or stone holder (16), a data card (18), a bottom cover (20) and a tamper evident band (22) interconnected into a secure, tamper-evident envelope. The data card (18) incorporates physical and digital security features. In addition, at least one externally readable programmable logic device is incorporated in the tradeable instrument card. The tamper evident band (22) is shrunk onto the tradeable instrument card and includes physical security features in the form of holographic foils incorporated in the band.

This invention relates to a protective shoe or boot, preferably a gumboot 10 that is integrally moulded from injection moulded plastics. An externally facing, resiliently deformable metatarsal impact absorption guard 28 is integrally moulded with the instep of the boot. The metatarsal guard band 28 is made up of a number of in-line, open-sided arches 28.1, 28.2, 28.3 extending across the instep of the boot upper. By virtue of being open-sided, the arches 28.1, 28.2, 28.3 can be formed integrally and simultaneously with the boot 10 in a single injection moulding process by means of appropriately shaped mould formations that are integral with the mould parts.

A system and method for determining an insurance need and its associated cost over time, whereby the change in the insurance need is independent of the change in premium over time.

The invention provides a support for a limb, the support comprising a block, at least one side of which includes a contoured recess for receiving a limb. The support block may comprise a variety of shapes depending on the particular limb it is required to support and / or the medical or injury to the patient in question.