Abstract: A pallet sensing system, for a low lift pallet-type fork truck having load wheels extendible downwardly away from and retractable upwardly toward the forks to raise and lower the forks, is characterized by sensors for detecting proper alignment of the fork load wheels with respect to an opening in a bottom deck of a pallet. Upon the forks being extended into the pallet, the sensors disable lift controls of the truck to prevent the wheels from being extended away from the forks to lift the pallet until the sensors detect that the wheels are aligned for unobstructed passage through the bottom deck opening, whereupon the sensors enable the lift controls. The system prevents the pallet bottom deck from being broken by the wheels should an attempt be made to lift the pallet when the wheels are not positioned to pass freely through the opening, but would instead strike and break the bottom deck.

Abstract: A sampler for communicating with the interior of a vessel containing a liquid extracts a liquid sample of predetermined volume from the vessel and conveys the same to a point of collection. The sampler includes a body having a bore, the forward end of which is in communication with the interior of the vessel, along with front and rear plungers reciprocable within the bore under positive independent control. The plungers are movable away from and toward each other to establish and collapse a sample chamber therebetween. To obtain a liquid sample, the plungers are removed forwardly to project the front plunger out of the bore and place the sample chamber into communication with the vessel interior, whereupon the sample chamber is established for being filled with liquid.

Abstract: Icemakers are characterized by a plurality of vertical evaporator tubes arranged in parallel and in a circle within the interior of a cylindrical ice making section. During an ice making cycle, water is supplied to the exterior surfaces of the evaporator tubes and refrigerant is supplied to the interiors of the tubes, to cause tubes of ice to freeze on the evaporator tubes. At the end of the ice making cycle and during a harvest cycle, the evaporator tubes are heated to free the ice tubes from their bond to the evaporator tubes, and a driver is actuated to move the ice tubes slidably along and off of the evaporator tubes and to fracture the leading ends of the ice tubes into smaller pieces of ice as they leave the evaporator tubes. In one embodiment, the driver comprises a piston for pushing the ice tubes off of the evaporator tubes. In another embodiment, a helical driver moves the ice tubes off of the evaporator tubes.

Abstract: A nonblocking switching system for communications systems is characterized by two identical blocking networks, each for being connected in series between sources and destinations to be selectively interconnected. One network actively establishes paths between the sources and destinations while the other, although conditioned to be able to provide such paths, remains inactive in a standby mode for establishing the paths should the active network fail. If a blocking state occurs in the active network before its maximum realizable capacity is reached, a nonblocking condition of the system is established by eliminating all of the paths in the inactive network, and then reestablishing the paths in accordance with a relatively simple algorithm that loads the network without a blocking state being reached before the network is completely full.

Abstract: A paint spray booth water washed subfloor system, including distribution piping for supplying water to only one portion thereof. The distribution piping has only one main pipe to supply water to the one portion of the subfloor. The water supplied to the one portion of the subfloor is then transferred from that portion through a trough extending across and forming part of the subfloor to provide water to the other portions of the subfloor. Preferably, at least a part of the subfloor's other portions are sloped downwardly from both sides toward a center slot or opening for generating a fall of water to mix with paint overspray laden air descending through the center opening. The distribution piping is provided with special valves for throttling the flow of water onto the subfloor, but yet permitting maximum flow, and assisting the flow of water into the trough portion, and hence, to the other portions of the subfloor.

Abstract: An adjustable system is described for control of a genoa sheet on a sailboat. The sheet is passed through a pulley or lead block carried by a car which is slidably mounted on a track. The block and car have complementary interfitting parts to enable the block to be removed from one car and secured to another car on a second track.

Abstract: A resilient support is provided for maintaining a pivotally mounted yacht fitting in an upright position. The support is in the form of a conical section made from a resilient polymeric material.