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Torrington

(Encyclopedia)Torrington, city (1990 pop. 33,687), Litchfield co., NW Conn., on the Naugatuck River; inc. 1740. It is the industrial and commercial hub of NW Connecticut and is known for its metal (especially brass...

Vincennes, town, France

(Encyclopedia)Vincennes văNsĕnˈ [key], town (1990 pop. 42,651), Val-de-Marne dept., N central France, an industrial and residential suburb E of Paris. Radio, electrical, and photographic equipment, machinery, an...

Changzhou

(Encyclopedia)Changzhou or Changchow both: chängˈjōˈ [key], city, S Jiangsu prov., E central China,...

Goldberg, Rube

(Encyclopedia)Goldberg, Rube (Reuben Lucius Goldberg), 1883–1970, American cartoonist and sculptor, b. San Francisco. After drawing cartoons for San Francisco newspapers, he moved to New York City. There he worke...

Deventer

(Encyclopedia)Deventer, city, Overijssel prov., E central Netherlands, on the IJssel River. It is an industrial center with machine shops and foundries; important man...

fleece

(Encyclopedia)fleece, mat of wool formed by shearing a sheep in one continuous operation. The average fleece weighs from 5 to 10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg); in highbred wool sheep such as the American Merinos a ram's fleece...

Hounsfield, Sir Godfrey Newbold

(Encyclopedia)Hounsfield, Sir Godfrey Newbold, 1919–2004, British electrical engineer. A radar expert for the Royal Air Force during World War II, in the 1950s Hounsfield began developing computer and X-ray techn...

jack, mechanical device

(Encyclopedia)jack, mechanical device used to multiply a relatively small applied force so that it can lift and support heavy loads, or sometimes, move massive objects into a desired position. The lever jack, often...

Guericke, Otto von

(Encyclopedia)Guericke, Otto von ôˈtō fən gāˈrĭkə [key], 1602–86, German physicist, noted for his study of pneumatics. He carried out his most important researches while burgomaster (1646–81) of Magdebu...

Kaiserslautern

(Encyclopedia)Kaiserslautern kīˌzərslouˈtərn [key], city (1994 pop. 102,370), Rhineland-Palatinate, W Germany, on the Lauter River. It is a commercial, industrial, and cultural center, and a center for banking...