Abstract: Low-cost and very effective retaining walls are constructed with stacked, generally rectangular, trays of steel wire fabric sheets, each with one end bent up to form a portion of the wall face. In constructing a wall, a first course of trays is set in place and filled, with filtering rocks and/or mats being placed toward the front and against the bent-up face section and fill soil being placed to the rear of the tray. A second course of trays is then placed on top of the first course and the corner of the face bend of the second course is securely fastened to the top of the lower course. Thus, the top of each face is supported and each course is anchored by the next course, thereby resulting in a strong monolithic and permeable wall that will readily conform to irregularities and settling of the foundation surface.

Abstract: A mine roof support plate having a rigid sheet steel body of uniform thickness wherein a ribbed domed section reinforces the plate against distortion. The domed section is of generally frusto-conical configuration and defines a central section having an opening therein surrounded by a generally planar surface. The periphery of the plate is of planar rectangular configuration and disposed in spaced parallel relationship to the central section. Reinforcing ribs are formed in and extend radially across the domed section to merging intersection with the planar periphery of the plate.

Abstract: Game apparatus is provided with a transparent cylinder containing a dice support platform. The platform is movable by a manually operable lever to toss the dice. At the top of the cylinder there is removably mounted a slot-fed coin or chip container which is secured in a closed, locked condition by each of a multiple of key-operated locks. Removably fitted into the cylinder so as to be accessible to the players is a number of keys, two or so, for each of the key-operated locks, to be selectively tried by preliminary winners to determine the final winner, the one who opens the last of the key-operated locks.

Abstract: Manometers with a tube spring metering element are provided with multiple range measurement capability by means of a stop element which is adjustable and yieldable so as to convert non-linear movement of the associated part of the tube spring metering element to linear movement.

Abstract: A simulated bacon is made of two separate components, one a mixture of various pork and bacon components and added ingredients having appearance, flavor and texture properties somewhat like the lean meat in bacon, and the other being a mixture of high-fat pork items and added ingredients having appearance, flavor and texture properties somewhat like the fat in bacon. The two components are fed together into molds, the fat-like component serving as a binder for the meat-like component. Then follows cooking, smoking, tempering and cooling. The end product appears and tastes somewhat like bacon and can be sliced and packaged like bacon.

Abstract: A mobile sprinkler irrigation system comprising an elongate sprinkler supply pipe supported at one end by a self-propelled pace carriage and along the length thereof by a plurality of spaced self-propelled follower carriages. A tower on the pace carriage supports a laser projection system that projects a laser plane parallel to and along the length of the sprinkler supply pipe. The follower carriages carry laser sensor units deposed to intercept the laser plane whenever a follower carriage falls out of alignment with the pace carriage. Control circuitry operates in response to the sensors to control the propulsion wheels for the follower carriages so that the carriages follow the laser plane. Thus, the follower carriages follow the path of the laser plane, as defined by the pace carriage, whether the path be curvilinear, or rectilinear.

Abstract: A one-hand bat for baseball practice and related usage in other sports is provided with a short length, a greater ball-contacting area, and a pair of parallel, adjacently disposed, double ended, flexible straps extending lengthwise of the grip portion of the bat, each strap being fastened at each of its ends to the grip portion through which the hand is inserted and by which the hand is connected against accidental disengagement from the grip of the bat. An adjustable slide is carried by both of the straps intermediate the fastened ends thereof and enabling the straps to be adjustably disposed in enclosing and entrapping relation to the user's hand when it is inserted between the straps and positioned beneath the straps in gripping relation to the grip portion of the bat.

Abstract: An improved tool is provided for the removal of tubes from heat exchangers. First a mandrel is threaded into the end of a tube. The present tool is then fitted over the mandrel and is responsive to trigger-actuated hydraulic and/or pneumatic control means to automatically cause the tool to grip the mandrel and thereafter move the mandrel with its attached tube away from the tube sheet of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A pool cover in sheet form is provided with tie members which are connectable to tie-anchoring members which are secured to the side walls of the pool just below the coping. The cover is provided with depending skirt portions around its edges which extend downwardly into the water and serve to prevent the wind from getting beneath the cover to blow it out of position.

Abstract: A turntable with olive cups is advanced stepwise by a suitable Geneva movement. At a feed station unpitted olives are delivered into the cups. Between the feed station and the pitting station the cups are vibrated to properly orient the olives for pitting. After pitting, the olives are stuffed with pimento, the pimento feed system including toothed drive means for a continuous pimento strip, a feed chute which serves to fold the strip in half along its lengthwise centerline, and cut-off knives to sever the strip into sections for stuffing.

Abstract: Air from a source of pressurized air, acting through a ball-type vibrator and a resilient mounting, serves to form a cloud of abrasive material within a reservoir of such material. Air from the same source serves to aspirate a continuous charge of the cloud of material and to discharge it from a nozzle.

Abstract: An hydraulic press for the simultaneous removal of all the brake lining rivets from a brake shoe. The shoe is magnetically retained between the bottom surface of a curved punch retainer and an anvil until the hydraulic system forces the anvil up to clamp the shoe. Hydraulic pressure then automatically forces a curved press against the top ends of spring-loaded drive punches appropriately positioned in the punch retainer so that they move to force the brake lining rivets from the shoe and through the anvil.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the ignition timing in an internal combustion engine. The angular position of peak cylinder pressure is measured and to the extent such angular position deviates from a preselected set point, the time of spark ignition is advanced or retarded to restore the position of peak cylinder pressure to the set point.

Abstract: A new type of swivel connection is used to rotatably relate a pair of concentric tubes to minimize friction forces and enable fool-proof operation of automatic swimming pool cleaners and swivel-joint hoses therefor which employ such concentric tubes.

Abstract: An hydraulic mining apparatus and method wherein the mined aggregate is separated into dry, relatively large aggregate pieces for dry conveyance and wet, relatively small aggregate pieces for wet conveyance. In the preferred embodiment, the method and apparatus provides for reducing any oversized large aggregate pieces in size so that the large pieces do not exceed a predetermined maximum size. Size reduction is provided by a mechanical breaker and wet, relatively small aggregate is separated out of the mined product prior to the breaking step. The apparatus is embodied in a feeder-breaker mechanism wherein a conveyor running lengthwise of the mechanism first subjects the total mined product to size separation or classification, then directs the larger aggregate pieces through the breaker and, finally, discharges the breaker treated pieces to a dry conveyor. The separated wet, relatively small aggregate pieces are collected within the mechanism and pumped away.

Abstract: Freight is shipped from a production center to a railhead by loading the freight at the production center onto railroad boxcars which are water-borne, i.e. carried by railroad barges or railroad ferries. The track-carrying vessel which carries the boxcars is provided with a loading platform onto which forklift trucks carrying palletized freight can drive from a dockside warehouse facility and from which the forklift trucks can move via removable runways into boxcars arranged in multiple rows.

Abstract: Precast concrete footings, stretchers, road slabs, and curbing in conveniently transportable sizes are used to construct road bridges and supporting abutments with a minimum of heavy equipment at the construction site. Each stretcher module comprises an elongated concrete body having at least two support heads with flat upper and lower surfaces for stacking one on another. All support heads are equally spaced and each contains a vertical hole for receiving a steel tie rod that extends from the footing to the top surface of the abutment for tying together the stacked stretchers. Anchor rods to deadmen and lateral tie rods interconnecting the wing walls of the abutment are connected to the vertical tie rods to form a rigid interlocked retaining structure for supporting the prestressed concrete road slabs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for hydraulic mining wherein the mined product is reduced to a pumpable form. The apparatus includes a jet monitor for dislodging the mined product from its in situ state, a feeder-breaker for receiving the mined product, preliminarily separating the pumpable constituent of the product and then subjecting the remaining product to successive breaking and separating steps until the entire product is in a pumpable state. The feeder-breaker is also provided with a sump to collect the pumpable product and pump means to convey the product from the sump under pressure, whereby transport of the product is not dependent on gravity. In the preferred embodiment, the feeder-breaker is provided with a secondary jet monitor to reduce oversized constituents of the mined product to a size suited for the successive separating and breaking steps.

Abstract: A method of constructing pre-tested concrete pilings and pile caps particularly for use in supporting structures, such as transmission line towers that are subjected to large overturning moments. One or more pile holes are bored, a small diameter sheathing containing one or more steel tendons is inserted and a concrete mixture is poured in the pile hole exterior of the tendon sheathing with the tendons anchored in the bottom of the pile. When the concrete has obtained sufficient strength, the tendon is stressed, thereby testing the tension-carrying capacity of the pile and its surrounding foundation soil. A concrete pile cap is thereafter joined to the pile, the tendons are again stressed and anchored to the pile cap and the tendon sheathing is filled with concrete grout to form a solid post-tensioned foundation that has been pre-tested at a force in excess of its design load.

Abstract: An orifice plate for use in a drawing assembly of the type wherein the plate has a flat undersurface devoid of nozzles, and bulk gas is directed toward the undersurface to cool fibers being drawn through the plate. The plate is characterized in that the orifices therein are arranged in sets with the orifices in the respective sets so spaced relative to one another that, in the event of the breakage of a fiber being drawn from one of the orifices of a set, the glass supplied to the orifice will flood to and join the other of the orifices in the set prior to flooding to the orifices of other sets.