Abstract: A poultry watering system includes a fluid conduit integrally formed with a pair of depending flanges. Each flange has a retention ledge depending therefrom and extending toward the other flange. A plurality of openings are provided in the fluid conduit. A flat sealing surface is disposed about the openings. A plurality of poultry drinkers including securement arms are provided. An O-ring is disposed about the top of each drinker. The drinkers are positioned between the flanges such that the inlet of the drinker extends through the opening and the O-ring is adjacent the sealing surface. The drinker is then rotated such that the retention arms are disposed above the ledges. In this manner, the drinker is secured to the fluid conduit and the contact between the O-ring and the sealing surface forms a water-tight seal around the opening.

Abstract: An expandable room structure is provided having relatively movable room portions supported by telescopically sliding tubes, at least one of those tubes being movable also laterally to pivot as the room portion floors slide into the same horizontal plane when the room structure is moving into expanded positions. In retracted positions the room portion floors are vertically spaced to permit one room portion to nest within the other. A rack and pinion drive arrangement is provided to cause relative movement between the tubes. Selective lateral movement of one of the tubes is permitted by engagement with an adjustably inclined surface extending out of the other tube such that the laterally moving tube pivots about the pinion to a desired degree. A ramp surface is formed on the abutting edge of the floor of one room portion, and the abutting edge of the floor of the other room portion moves up and down that ramp portion when transitioning between expanded and retracted positions.

Abstract: A counterbalancing mechanism for counterbalancing the weight of a door securing an opening in an enclosure. The mechanism has a pair of bearing plates mounted on the wall of the enclosure which rotatably supports a tubular shaft extending therebetween. A pair of spools, each having a cable wound thereon which is attached to the door, are mounted at the ends of the tubular shaft for rotation therewith. A pair of springs, each attached at one end to the tubular shaft and at the other end to a respective bearing plate, extend coaxially about the tubular shaft between the bearing plates to exert a counterbalancing force on the tubular shaft opposing the weight of the door which is transferred to the tubular shaft through the cables and spools. Since each of the springs generates approximately one-half of the necessary counterbalancing force, the door will remain partially counterbalanced even if one of the springs fails.

Abstract: A hydraulic start system is provided having separate, sequentially started hydraulic motors for the controller PMG and for the gas turbine engine starter. Fluid pressure is provided by a hydraulic accumulator to both motors through separating valves. The PMG motor is supplied with fluid first and that drives the PMG to power up and initialize the controller before the starter motor is utilized. The engine itself is coupled to both the starter motor and the PMG through overrunning clutches such that starting the PMG does not start the engine. Once the controller is initialized, fluid is provided to the starter motor and the engine is accelerated through the light-off window and up to a self sustaining speed. As the engine accelerates, it couples with and drives the PMG, decoupling the PMG from its hydraulic motor and shutting off the fluid flow to that motor.

Abstract: An underlying frame structure is provided for mounting a rigid tonneau to the cargo bed of a vehicle, such as a pick up truck. The frame structure includes a plurality of rails having an integral "t" slot extruded therein to receive mating clamping elements as well as conventional fasteners. The tonneau completely overlays the frame structure and is held in a close, spaced relation from the vehicle by the frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing a padmount transformer using a buried support frame is provided wherein the transformer is mounted adjacent a trench about the underground cable, the frame includes a pair of telescopically extendable legs which rest on the trench bottom. Each of those legs reaches to the top of the trench and is removably attached at that upper end to one of a pair of arms that rest on the surface of the ground under where the floater pad is to be placed. A stabilizing bar is removably attached to each of the legs to secure them in a desired relative position. The position of each of these frame elements can be adjusted to permit the top of the frame to be made level. The relatively compact ground at the bottom of the trench and the surface adjacent the trench secures the frame against significant or uneven changes in vertical position over time.

Abstract: An endless conveyor system is provided, particularly for poultry feeding systems, having a single strand wire core coated by a plastic material with integrally formed disks along the length of the wire to engage and transport fluidized or granular material. The disks have projections on their periphery to reduce sliding friction in the channel or trough of usage. A chain drive arrangement is provided to supply linear motive force to the conveyor by simultaneously engaging a plurality of the disks along the same line of travel. A feed input agitator is provided which is driven by conveyor motion. The conveyor can include a shear pin connection at the wire ends.

Abstract: A breakaway connection device is provided which is particularly suited for use with residential electric service cables. This device is mounted between the service cable and the service pole and serves to disconnect the cable from the pole upon the application of a predetermined level of tension or force to the cable. That level of force is selected so that the service cable breaks away from the pole and de-energizes the conductive wires before the service cable would pull away from and damage the dwelling. This device includes an insulated sheath having therein two hollow wire receiving elements which are separably joined by a conductive insert, formed as a solid rod or threaded member.

Abstract: A material handling system is provided having a plurality of separately actuatable flow gates disposed between the storage bin and the unloading conveyor which are sequentially opened and closed by a sliding zipper-type cam member to carefully control the amount of material applied to the conveyor. A compact screw drive assembly is mounted within a hollow of the screw at one end and enables the screw to be initially operable at a low speed to provide a higher break away torque when starting the screw and to be then operable at a higher speed and lower torque during constant running of the screw. The drive assembly includes a reversible motor coupled to a speed reducing gear arrangement in the reverse direction such that the motor is run in reverse when starting the screw and then run in forward during constant running of the screw.

Abstract: A control mechanism is provided which feathers the propeller blade pitch during stopping and stores restart energy in the blade pitch governor mechanism. Deceleration to the feathered mode is aided by the airstream. During restart, excess stored energy is used to increase reliability, but is then dissipated mechanically, as by a flywheel mechanism, to maintain low internal impact stresses. More specifically, where single governor spring is used for controlling the pitch of all propeller blades, a braked ball screw device is used to compress that spring during stoppage. Upon restart, the governor spring expands and causes blade pitch change. The ball screw arrangement then dissipates a large portion of the excess energy through torque transmission to mechanical components.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for creating heat by electromagnetic induction between relatively rotating components. In RAT applications, part of the nose cone (34) is formed from electrically conductive material (106) which is in thermally conductive relation to the nose cone exterior. A magnetic field is created by components (60) that are spaced apart from the electrically conductive material and relatively rotatable with respect to that material. The electrically conductive material intersects the magnetic field, at least in part, such that eddy currents are created in the electrically conductive material by relative rotation with respect to the magnetic field. These eddy currents create heat which is conducted to the exterior surface of the RAT nose cone. Preferably, the magnetic field is created by a pair of spaced-apart permanent magnets (60) mounted on a support plate (62) inside the RAT hub (28) and immediately behind the nose cone.

Abstract: An integrated APU is provided having a combined starter/generator device mounted within the gearbox housing so as to reduce the number of reduction gears, bearings and other redundant components sufficiently to eliminate the need for a separate lubrication oil scavenger pump as well. Further integration and savings can be achieved by de-coupling the fuel pump and lubrication pump from the gearbox and driving those pumps instead by an electric motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided wherein poultry nest pads are moved on a conveyor between a plurality of cleaning stations, involving first bending the pads prior to wetting in order to separate debris and dried manure by cracking and breaking from the projections of the pad and to further expose the internal pad recesses, then spraying the pads with a cleaning fluid at high pressure in a wiping motion across the bent pad, and then spraying with a sheet of cleaning fluid at low pressure across the top and bottom surfaces of the pad while it is in an inverted orientation over a tank or receptacle for receiving the debris, manure and spent cleaning fluid. That receptacle includes an auger for removing the settled manure and debris. A filtering and recirculation system is incorporated with the receptacle for reusing at least a portion of the spent cleaning fluid.

Abstract: The present invention provides for detecting rotor speed through the use of sense coils on the stator teeth. Voltage ripples caused by the rotor slots is detected by combining the signals of several such sense coils so that the fundamental voltage signal is cancelled or rejected and only the ripple voltages remain, a signal proportional to rotor speed. Several alternative methods for implementing that technique are discussed herein. At low induction motor speeds, the present invention filters out the voltage ripples and incident third harmonics and instead estimates rotor speed from the fundamental voltage. When the induction motor is already being driven by a prime mover, the present invention selects a proper initial frequency command for initial motor start by identifying rotor speed from the PWM inverter. Further, the present invention provides for using a generator to control voltage to the induction motor, with a PWM inverter to control frequency signals to the induction motor.

Abstract: A template is provided having an expandable base portion (12) with a plurality of raised side cavities (24) to receive and retain underground cables prior to, during and after trench backfilling. The base includes a pair of slidably mounted wings (14) to assist in bridging the trench and stabilizing the base on ground adjacent the trench. A removable back member (28) is attached to the base to bridge the cavities and secure the cables therein. A guide (36) is provided for receiving a grounding rod (38) and a central opening (40) is formed in the base as a hand hold and to permit backfilling under the base when needed. In use, the base is mounted over the trench at the desired location for the padmount transformer. The cables are then secured to the base, and the trench is backfilled with the base being grounded. Afterwards, the cables are released from the base and attached to the padmount transformer.

Abstract: An expandable room structure is provided having relatively movable room portions supported by telescopically sliding tubes, at least one of those tubes being movable also laterally to pivot as the room portion floors slide into the same horizontal plane when the room structure is moving into expanded positions. In retracted positions the room portion floors are vertically spaced to permit one room portion to nest within the other. A rack and pinion drive arrangement is provided to cause relative movement between the tubes. Lateral movement of one of the tubes is permitted by engagement with an inclined surface extending out of the other tube such that the laterally moving tube pivots about the pinion. A ramp surface is formed on the abutting edge of the floor of one room portion, and the abutting edge of the floor of the other room portion moves up and down that ramp portion when transitioning between expanded and retracted positions.

Abstract: An anchor bolt is provided having a shank which is retained within a recess via peak to peak reaction forces rather than a plurality of peak to base arrangements. This is accomplished through the use of one or more continuous "S" bends or undulations intermediate the shank ends. The "S" bends each create two peaks which extend outwardly from the shank surface with a continuous curve therebetween. That curve includes an inflection point, preferably on the longitudinal axis of the shank, but the slope of the curve at the inflection point is not parallel to that longitudinal axis. Thus, when the shank is inserted within the recess compressive pressure applied to one such peak is directly opposed by such forces applied to the other peak. These peaks can be disposed on opposite sides of the shank or, for example, disposed in a helical or other such pattern about three or more sides of the shank. Serration and/or an abrasive surface can also be provided on the shank to increase retention.

Abstract: An abradable coating is provided for use on a composite substrate which has a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially similar to that of the substrate and which is formed with a matrix resin of the same type of resin used to form the substrate. In particular, with a composite substrate formed from carbon or graphite fibers impregnated with a polyimide resin, an abradable coating formed from carbon or glass microballoons in a polyimide resin matrix has been found to avoid delamination as a result of thermal cycling between -65.degree. F. and 500.degree. F. Accordingly, that abradable coating is particularly suitable for use with composite compressor shrouds in gas turbine engines and aircraft auxiliary power units.