Abstract: A mobile scaffold has a carriage for traversing longitudinally a first track and a second track. The carriage is suspended from the first track. Lateral support for one side of the carriage is provided by the second track, and this track is spaced vertically from the first track. A parallel arm type crane has one end mounted to the carriage on a side that is opposite from the side adjacent the second track. Attached to the end of the crane extended outwardly from the carriage is an operator's platform. The crane can swing to position the platform both in elevation and in a direction lateral of the carriage. The carriage has a vertical drive shaft with a horizontal wheel mounted thereon for contacting the second track. Bearings fit about the vertical drive shaft and the end of the crane is attached to the bearings so as to swing about the drive shaft.

Abstract: An extensible boom has a base section that is pivotally connected to a machinery platform and at least one section that is movable axially relative to the base section. A cable system is provided for extending and for retracting the movable sections. The boom sections can be jammed together in either an extended position or a retracted position to resist compression axially of the boom, and to resist bending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the boom in a generally vertical plane. A live mast is offset from the base end of the boom in a vertical plane. Boom carrying ropes extend between the distal end of the base section and the live mast, while a boom pendant extends between the live mast and the distal end of the tip section of the boom. Support of the boom can be transferred by alternately tensioning and slackening the boom carrying ropes and the boom pendant.

Abstract: A plurality of troughing rolls, that are suspended in a chain-like manner between opposite side frame members of a conveyor, support a conveyor belt so that the transverse cross-section of the belt defines a trough. The troughing rolls that are located adjacent each side of the conveyor belt are axially inclined in opposite directions. At least one arm is pivotally mounted on the frame and attached to the adjacent end of an inclined troughing roll. A locking pin is provided for retaining the arm in a first position where the troughing rolls support the conveyor belt. The locking pin can be readily moved to release the arm for pivoting to a second position where the troughing rolls are clear of the belt. The arm is mounted to pivot in a plane that is generally parallel to the adjacent inclined side edge of the belt. This plane is substantially the same plane in which extends the line of force that is applied to the arm by the troughing rolls in a belt supporting position.

Abstract: A two mass vibratory material handling apparatus has a first mass that includes a vibration exciter of the rotary eccentric weight type and a second mass that includes an object to be vibrated. The two masses are interconnected by resilient elements designed to permit a desired vibration amplification from the vibration exciter to the object to be vibrated. The vibration exciter has a drive with an adjustable drive ratio located between a fixed r.p.m. at full voltage motor drive shaft and a shaft that rotatably supports eccentric weights. Variable pitch pulleys or a set of pulleys having various pitch diameters and provided so that pitch diameters can be selected therefrom for mounting one pulley on each shaft with a drive belt trained about the pulleys and thus, provide a drive ratio enabling the fixed frequency motor to drive the eccentric weights at a selected operating frequency.

Abstract: A roller chain that includes a series of alternately arranged roller links and pin links is manufactured by welding side bars to separately formed bushings and pins. Each roller link has a pair of laterally spaced side bars extending in a direction longitudinally of the chain. A pair of bushings extend transversely of the chain between the side bars and a pair of rollers are rotatably mounted on the bushings. Welds fuse each end portion of each bushing to an adjacent side bar end portion. Each pin link has a pair of laterally spaced side bars extending in a direction longitudinally of the chain, with one side bar being located on one side of an adjacent pair of roller links and the other side bar being located on the opposite side of the roller links. A pair of pins extend transversely between the side bars, through bore openings in the bushings of each roller link. Welds fuse each end portion of each pin to an adjacent side bar end portion.

Abstract: An auxiliary speed reducer unit can be detachably mounted upon a main speed reducer unit to form a compound speed reducer. The main unit includes a housing and a worm shaft rotatably journalled therein with an end portion of the worm shaft extending from the housing. The auxiliary unit has a housing with an opening therein for receiving the end portion of the main unit worm shaft. An input worm shaft is rotatably journalled within the auxiliary housing and has a worm thereon that meshes with a worm gear. Within the worm gear is a central bore of a size to receive and key with the end portion of the main unit worm shaft. Annular grooves on opposite faces of the worm gear receive annular projections having a radial width less than said grooves. The projections extend from opposite sides of the auxiliary unit housing to support the worm gear in a loosely rotatable manner for limited play in the plane of the gear while the gear is in mesh with the input worm.

Abstract: A diesel pile hammer housing is seated upon a pile and a ram moves alternately up and down within the housing, striking an anvil and driving the pile. The ram and the housing cooperate to define a power chamber and a separate scavenging chamber that are interconnected for gases to flow from the power chamber to the scavenging chamber. During the diesel operating cycle, upward movement of the ram creates a sub-atmospheric pressure in the scavenging chamber and gases are drawn from the power chamber into the scavenging chamber. During starting operation, the ram is elevated by a generally cylindrical push rod that fits through a circular guide bushing in the housing to contact the ram within the scavenging chamber. An intermediate portion of the push rod is deformed from its generally cylindrical shape by removal of a segment thereof to form a flat surface along one side of the rod.

Abstract: A blank, having a pair of parallel bushing forming strips that are intermediately connected by a web, is formed from stock. The blank is bent and curled in a progressive die to form a bushing link that includes a pair of cylindrical bushings integral with the web. Rollers can be slipped longitudinally over the bushing ends opposite from the web and an inside plate is welded to the bushing ends to form a roller link. Such roller links are alternately arranged with pin-links to form a roller chain. A bushing chain can be formed in essentially the same manner as the roller chain by omitting the rollers from the bushing links.

Abstract: A heavy duty truck carrier has a machinery platform mounted thereon for rotation in a generally horizontal plane about a substantially vertical axis. Material handling equipment, such as a crane or an excavator, is mounted upon the machinery platform in a position over the vertical axis of rotation. An operator's cab is offset from the axis of rotation and mounted upon an elevating mechanism attached to the machinery platform. The elevating mechanism has a pair of hydraulic cylinders mounted within a support frame and actuating arms extending upward from the cylinders and frame to support a bracket attached to the upper portion of the operator's cab. A pair of guide brackets project from the lower portion of the operator's cab and are slidably mounted for vertical movement about the outside surfaces of the hydraulic cylinders.

Abstract: An extensible cantilever boom assembly, for a mobile crane, has telescopically interfitting box-like boom sections, that include web or side plates of uniform thickness. These plates are shaped to provide increased stiffness, and openings are provided within some of the plates to reduce the plate weight, so that the load carrying capacity of the boom is increased. A plurality of shaped portions are formed within the plates, at locations intermediate the top edges and the bottom edges of the plates. These plate portions are spaced laterally from the parallel planes that define the side surfaces of the plates, at the junctures of the side surfaces with the top and bottom edges. The shaped portions, located at longitudinally spaced intervals, are aligned in a row that extends longitudinally of the plate. Each shaped portion has a regular geometrical pattern that forms a laterally projecting protuberance on one side of the plate and a corresponding depression on the opposite side of the plate.

Abstract: A hydraulic jack, suitable for use as an outrigger support for a mobile crane, has a cylinder with a piston slidably received therein. Projecting from the piston is a rod that extends axially outward of the cylinder for supporting a load. The rod is externally threaded and a worm wheel nut is internally threaded to fit upon the rod. The nut is held in a fixed, axial position relative to the cylinder, and this nut must rotate on the rod to enable the rod to travel inwardly or outwardly of the cylinder. A rotatable worm is threaded to mesh with worm engaging gear teeth on the periphery of the worm wheel nut. Preferably, the thread on the worm has a helix angle with a self-locking characteristic, but the helix angle of the threads between the worm wheel nut and the piston rod is greater than the angle of friction so that there are no self-locking characteristics.

Abstract: A vibratory parts feeder has a feeder bowl with a helical track originating at the bottom of the bowl and extending upwardly along the inner periphery of the bowl wall to an exit station at the top of the bowl. Articles can be progressively fed from the lower portion of the bowl along the helical track to the exit station at a given feed rate by vibratory energy. The feeder bowl and its mounting frame form a feeder bowl mass that is supported above a base mass by a plurality of inclined leaf springs. One end of each spring is connected to the feeder bowl mass and an opposite end of the spring is connected to the base mass. The leaf springs are arranged to move one of the masses vertically in response to rotational twisting of one of the masses relative to the other mass about a central vertical axis of the feeder.

Abstract: A lifting crane has a boom of box lattice type construction, and a steel wire rope hoist line extending adjacent to the boom is alternately slackened and tensioned during a cyclical work period as to slap, pound or rub against some of the lattice members. This makes such lattice members vulnerable to damage by contact with the hoist line and subjects the hoist line to abrasive wear by contact with the lattice members. An elongate, rigid connector extends longitudinally of a lattice member vulnerable to damage by hoist line contact and defines a mounting base receiving slot therein. A strip of expendable material softer than the hoist line has a mounting base portion shaped to fit within the slot in the connector for securing the strip thereto and has an enlarged head portion that is positioned between the connector and the hoist line when the strip is secured to the connector to form a shock absorbing cushion that is non-abrasive to the hoist line.

Abstract: A bearing assembly has a load supporting segment that is made of a good bearing material supportive of the load thereon. The load supporting segment is positioned transversely of a shaft in a location to support the shaft. A shaft retaining segment that is made of a different material is positioned transversely of the shaft on a shaft side opposite from the load supporting segment for holding the shaft rotatably therebetween to bear upon the load supporting segment. A plurality of such bearing assemblies are manufactured by machine finishing the interior surfaces of an annular metal shape, separating the shape into a plurality of load supporting segments, molding a plastic material into a plurality of shaft retaining segments, and assembling each shaft retaining segment with a complementary load supporting segment.

Abstract: Empty cartons are automatically fed by a conveying system to a plurality of packing machines in accordance with the carton demand of each machine. The packing machines operate to fill the cartons with a product such as bulk fruit for example. An accumulation conveyor receives open-topped empty cartons which have been formed either by hand or by a carton set-up machine. The cartons can accumulate upon the conveyor in a single file series and are fed in order to a singulator. The singulator discharges an empty carton only upon demand by one of the packing machines. Such a carton is carried by a feed conveyor along a path to a plurality of feed units one of which will be programmed to stop the movement of the carton along the feed conveyor path and shift it laterally toward the appropriate packing machine. Control means sense the need for cartons at each packing machine and direct the singulator and feed units to feed a single empty carton to the packing machine which requires it.

Abstract: A method of feeding material to a belt to preclude the belt from lifting off its support in vertical concave curves, both when the belt motor is driving the belt and when the belt motor is acting as a brake, is disclosed. When the belt motor is driving the belt, the material is initially fed at a reduced rate to deposit a reduced layer of material on the belt until the leading edge of the reduced layer has entered the most downstream vertical curve of the belt, at which time the rate of feed is increased. The feed rate is increased, in two or more increments, until a full load is carried by the belt. When the belt motor is acting as a brake, the feed rate is initially reduced partially, to deposit a reduced layer of material on the belt, which will remain in the most upstream vertical concave curve until the trailing edge of the full load has been discharged from the belt. Thereafter, the rate of deposit of material on the belt is diminished further, to a lower value or to zero.

Abstract: A completely enclosed operator's cab for a crane, or the like, is disclosed with a hinged expansion wall section which pivots outwardly when the operator is running the machine to provide additional room for the operator's comfort and accessibility to the controls of the machine. When in an expanded cab position, the expansion wall section maintains the enclosed feature of the cab and when in a retracted cab position, the compactness of the cab meets clearance requirements for transportation of the machine.

Abstract: Pitted olives are stuffed with an edible food that has been dried to facilitate its handling, and the dried food is reconstituted within the pitted olives by packing the stuffed olives in an aqueous solution. Drying an edible food, such as pimiento, is carried out to cause an increase in stiffness and a drying of the surface texture to permit gripping of the food without slipping. Also, a reduction in size will accompany the drying of the food particularly if air drying is used. With this reduced size condition of the food, greater clearance can be allowed between the walls of the olive pit cavity and the sides of the food to be inserted since the food will swell to a tight fit within the pit cavity upon subsequent reconstitution. The stiffness of the dried food will be greater than that of the olive adjacent the walls of the pit cavity so that the walls of the pit cavity will deflect outwardly to receive the dried food if the dried food is somewhat oversized or slightly out of alignment.

Abstract: A conveyor advances an egg carton to an egg receiving station located beneath an egg delivery conveyor which is arranged to individually drop eggs into the carton pockets until one row of pockets in the carton is filled. The conveyor then indexes the carton forward, allowing the succeeding row or a succeeding carton to be filled in a similar manner. The conveyor is arranged to carry cartons made of thin plastic material, such material being very flexible and resilient and requiring special support upon the conveyor in order to absorb the shock of an egg dropped into a carton pocket. The conveyor includes a plurality of spaced carriers with each carrier supporting one egg carton and with each carrier including a plurality of support posts projecting upwardly from the body of the carrier for supporting the carton so that each egg pocket in the carton is suspended above the carrier by a distance that exceeds the downward deflection of the pocket when an egg is dropped therein.

Abstract: A supply of hose-shaped wrapping material is pleated axially and fits telescopically about the outer surface of a forming tube. A portion of the wrapping material extends over the upper rim of the tube and downwardly through the tube bore to a position below the lower rim of the tube where it is fastened in a tightly gathered together manner. A gate, positioned below the lower rim of the tube, supports articles fed into the wrapping material in the tube bore. This gate is movable to a position which allows the articles and wrapping material to drop downwardly through the bore to a position below the gate. Such downward movement of the wrapping material draws another portion of wrapping material into the bore of the forming tube.