Abstract: A molded refractory slab for positioning in a barbecue grill between the burner unit and the heat-supporting grate has a plurality of uniformly spaced bosses simulating coals projecting upwardly from its top surface and integral dam means connecting adjacent bosses near the periphery of the slab to form a parapet for containing grease and rendered meat juices on the slab and preventing their dripping off the sides of the slab into the fire. The mold in which the slab is formed is of light-weight disposable material and is used as a protective container for shipping unfired slabs, which can then be fired during initial use of the slabs in barbecue grills.

Abstract: A hopper discharge unit for attachment to the bottom of a hopper has upright side and sloping end walls all terminating in horizontally inwardly directed flanges defining between them a rectangular outlet opening, with the side walls extended rearwardly beyond the sloping rear end wall to form a support for a sliding gate, which is perforated along its sides to form racks engaged by pinions on a transverse operating shaft journaled in the side wall extensions above the gate. To provide a tight seal the flange on the rear end wall is spaced above the side wall flanges to overlie the gate and a second longitudinal flange co-planar with the rear end wall flange is similarly spaced above the side wall flanges to overlie and cover the rack perforations in the gate when the gate is closed.

Abstract: A camper has a rigid roof structure mountable for travel atop a vehicle, legs pivoted at their upper ends to the roof structure and swingable from horizontal traveling positions along the sides of the roof structure to generally upright positions supporting the roof structure from the ground, the roof structure mounting vertically movable floor structure and collapsible intermediate structure stored in collapsed travel position between said roof and floor structures, and selectively controlled power driven means operatively connecting the floor and roof structures for lowering the floor structure from the roof structure and extending the collapsible intermediate structure to operative condition and raising the floor structure to the roof structure and collapsing the intermediate structure into traveling position.

Abstract: Climbing apparatus includes a pole which may be positioned vertically or inclined, an element axially slidably, but non-rotatably, mounted on the pole for supporting the feet of a climber and a second element non-rotatably but axially slidably mounted on the pole for supporting the hands of a climber. Both the hand and foot supporting elements include selectively actuable brake shoes engageable with the pole. The non-rotatable mountings of both elements on the pole permit the pole to be positioned either vertically or inclined from the vertical as desired.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for sliding doors, particularly of railway freight cars, has a hasp pivotally connected to a member defining an edge of the door opening, the pivotal connection being resiliently mounted on the edge defining member so as to keep the hasp under tension when the door is locked, the other end of the hasp being removably connected to the door by a manually actuable element pivoted on the door and manually swingable by means of a movable handle from locked position, in which the hasp is held in tension by a resilient connection to the door edge defining member, to an over-center unlocking position, movement of the hasp between locking and unlocking position being accommodated by the resiliency of the mounting of the hasp pivotal connection to the relatively movable member. An improved seal latch is also provided.

Abstract: A two-cycle internal combustion engine has a plurality of parallel cylinders supporting a central drive shaft, a piston in each cylinder having an outer extension connected to a swash plate rotatably mounted on an inclined portion of the drive shaft. The swash plate adjacent portions of the drive shaft and the connection of the piston rods to the swash plate are in sealed oil-filled chambers at opposite ends of the cylinders. Ball and socket joints by which the pistons are connected to the swash plates are slidable radially of the swash plate to function as pumps forcing oil from the swash plate chamber through central tubes in hollow extensions into the pistons for lubricating and cooling the pistons and cylinders, after which the oil returns through the hollow piston rods to the oil chamber. Preferably the invention is embodied in an opposed piston engine having swash plates adjacent both ends of the cylinder.

Abstract: A molded refractory slab for positioning in a barbecue grill between the burner unit and the heat-supporting grate has a plurality of uniformly spaced bosses simulating coals projecting upwardly from its top surface and integral dam means connecting adjacent bosses near the periphery of the slab to form a parapet for containing grease and rendered meat juices on the slab and preventing their dripping off the sides of the slab into the fire. The mold in which the slab is formed is of light-weight disposable material and is used as a protective container for shipping unfired slabs, which can then be fired during initial use of the slabs in barbecue grills.

Abstract: A lubricating device for railway car center plates comprises an annular disc of hardened steel plate having a maximum diameter slightly less than the diameter of the truck center plate and an inside diameter substantially greater than the center plate center pin holes, the annular disc being of substantially harder steel than the opposed surfaces of conventional truck and body center plates. The plate is enveloped in a viscous lubricant and is formed with a plurality of holes distributed generally uniformly throughout its surface area and these holes are also filled with lubricant, such that upon relative rotation between the truck and body center plates and during relative radial movements of the annular disc with respect to the truck and body center plates accommodated by horizontal clearance between the periphery of the annular disc and the truck center plate side walls, lubricant is distributed between the top and bottom surfaces of the plate respectively and the body and truck center plate surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus for preventing road vehicles from slipping sideways and going out of control while operating on snow or ice-covered roads comprising a pair of small steel discs mounted on a common shaft journaled on an arm pivoted to an axle of the vehicle and having mechanism for selectively lowering them from a normal raised position into a road-engaging position when snow or ice conditions are encountered.

Abstract: A radial axle railway truck of the rigid frame type has an improved primary suspension for resiliently supporting the truck frame from the axles while permitting arcuate movements of the ends of the axles required to allow the axles to assume radial positions on curved track and an improved disc brake system arranged to minimize interference with wheel-induced steering movements of the axles. The primary suspension comprises journal bearing structures with fore and aft wings, a yoke supported on the wings by flat elastomeric pads yieldable horizontally to accommodate steering movements of the axles and chevron-shaped elastomeric springs carried on the yokes fore and aft of the respective journal boxes and acting in parallel with metal coil springs carried by the yokes.

Abstract: A radial axle railway truck is provided with a disc brake system compatible with the radial axles comprising a single disc at the center of each axle adapted to be frictionally engaged by opposing shoes of a disc brake mechanism, the disc brake mechanism associated with each axle being supported by a yoke anti-rotatably mounted solely on truck framing supporting adaptors mounted on the axle bearings to take braking torque while accommodating free pivoting movement of the brake mechanism in the horizontal plane in accordance with movements of the axles from their tangent track positions to their curved track radial positions, such that no forces are applied by the disc brake mechanisms to the respective axles in opposition to the steering forces acting on the respective axles.

Abstract: A railway truck has a pair of radial axles with journal bearings at their ends and an adaptor mounted on each journal bearing and arranged to support the truck framing for steering movements of the respective axles with respect thereto, rigid links connecting the diagonally opposite axle bearing adaptors via bifurcated yokes to accommodate horizontal turning movements in opposite senses of the respective axles, the adaptors being mounted on the axle bearings to permit limited relative movement of the axle bearings and of the respective axles transversely of the truck with respect to the adaptors, whereby to permit the respective axles, while held in parallelism by the diagonal links, to move transversely of the truck with respect to each other sufficiently to follow transverse offsets in the track rails such as may occur at turnouts and the like without placing excessive strains on the bearing adaptors and linkages.

Abstract: A railway locomotive has three power trucks with the end trucks each having a bolster resiliently supported on the truck frame and connected to the underframe by cooperating vertical axis pivot-forming means, the middle truck bolster being connected to the underframe by a Watts linkage arranged to directly transmit longitudinal forces from the bolster to the underframe while accommodating substantial excursions of the bolster and middle truck frame transversely of the locomotive underframe for operation of the locomotive on the curved track.

Abstract: An outlet gate arrangement for a hopper having sloping side walls converging toward each other and defining between their lower edges a discharge opening communicating with a pneumatic discharge tube comprises a gate having an upper surface abuttingly engageable with the lower edges of the side walls, a gate operating mechanism having a part movable transversely of the discharge opening, the gate being pivotally connected to the transversely movable part such that, upon movement of the transversely movable part and the gate from a closed position, a portion of the gate slidably follows the bottom surface of one of the side walls permitting the gate to pivot about its pivotal connection to the transversely movable part and thereby move the gate out of sealing engagement with the lower edge of the other side wall and away therefrom to permit discharge of lading through the discharge opening.

Abstract: Structure for closing and opening railway house car sliding doors comprises a rack member affixed to the door track, bracket structure mounted on the door and extending rearwardly therefrom and mounting a rack-engaging pinion on its lower portion, a handwheel on its upper portion at a level substantially above the door track, and a chain and sprocket drive connecting the handwheel and the pinion for selectively rotating the latter to move the door between opened and closed positions. The handwheel is provided with a pivoted handle movable from a flush inoperative position to a projecting operating position.

Abstract: A system for moving freight carriers including highway semi-trailers and receptacles such as demountable containers and merchandise racks in trains on railway tracks includes railway trucks, each slidably mounting a transversely centered fifth wheel support to permit its positioning at different locations longitudinally of the truck and swivelly mounting a pair of longitudinally disposed structures each including a pair of transversely spaced treadways for supporting semi-trailer highway wheels such that the highway wheels at the rear of one semi-trailer can be supported on one wheel supporting structure and the fifth wheel support can be positioned between the treadways of the other wheel supporting structure to support the front end of another semi-trailer, whereby a plurality of semi-trailer and railway trucks are linkable into a train with the front end of the leading semi-trailer supported on the fifth wheel support of a road-rail tractor.

Abstract: A radial axle railway truck has a pair of wheel and axle assemblies with profiled wheel treads of greater than conventional conicity to steer the assemblies by means of the differential effect of the inner and outer wheel diameters on curved track, the axle bearings are located inboard of the wheels, and the truck frame side members are correspondingly located inboard of the wheels and there supported on the axle bearings such that longitudinally acting resilient restraint means between the axle bearings and the truck frame resist substantial movements of the axles longitudinally of the truck frame while offering only limited resistance as a couple to steering movements of the axles with respect to the truck frame because of the relatively short transverse moment arm between the longitudinally acting resilient means.

Abstract: Self-contained simplified power apparatus for operating electric transmission line switches locally or remotely includes a rotary hydraulic actuator arranged for mechanical coupling to the line switch, a battery-powered reversible low voltage motor operating a reversible hydraulic pump, with the opposite ports of the pump connected respectively to the opposite ports of the hydraulic actuator for selectively producing closing and opening movements of the hydraulic actuator responsive directly to reversals in the direction of the motor and pump, means for selectively starting, stopping and reversing the motor either from a remote point or locally, and means for disengaging the operator from the line switch to permit manual operation of the latter. For line switches that require high speed closure, a modified embodiment of the invention provides electrically controlled hydraulic means to this end.

Abstract: Mechanism for moving plug type railway car doors transversely of the car side into and out of the door opening therein and longitudinally of the car side toward and away from the opening comprises a carriage adjacent the front of the door supporting the door directly on a mounting track and a mounting shaft adjacent the rear edge of the door supported via a crank on a track supported carriage, a longitudinal rack on the car side adjacent the door with manually actuated pinion means supported thereon and movable longitudinally thereof, operating means on the door actuable by longitudinal movement of the pinion means for unlatching the door and for rotating the door mounting shaft to move the door outwardly and inwardly, including means for automatically disconnecting the operating means from rotation-producing relation with the mounting shaft when the door is latched and when the door is being moved longitudinally of the car, and stiff resilient means for retaining the door in its selected outward and inward p

Abstract: A recoil reducer for guns, particularly shoulder-fired guns, comprises a sealed elongated cylinder partially filled with a heavy liquid such as mercury and divided into at least two chambers by partition structure formed with a restricted orifice through it so as to retard forward movement of the mercury from the rear to the forward chamber when the gun recoils, the reducer preferably being mounted in the gun with its rear end lower than its forward end so that the rear chamber is normally full of liquid and the forward chamber is only partially filled, the heavy liquid due to its inertia reacting against the forward wall of the cylinder and the rear surface of the partition in opposition to the rearward movement of the gun during recoil, combining with the retarded flow of liquid through the orifice connecting the rear chamber to the forward chamber, to absorb much of the energy of recoil.