Abstract: Apparatus is provided for readily converting a conventional pull-type implement such as a chisel plow into an effective planter. The conversion assembly includes a furrow opener such as a narrow shoe located adjacent the lower end of the chisel shank, along with a trailing seed delivery tube and a pivotal furrow-closing press wheel or the like. A four-bar adjustable linkage assembly serves to operably couple the shank and press wheel so that the wheel is shifted downwardly in response to limited upward shifting of the shank, whereby the wheel is maintained in operative contact with the earth during use. The wheel also serves as a gauge stop for maintaining proper furrow depth, and the linkage adjustment permits selective setting of the wheel for different furrow depths. The conventional curvilinear chisel shank acts as one of the arms of the linkage assembly, together with the shank assembly bracket and a pair of links provided as a part of the conversion apparatus.

Abstract: The reciprocating plunger of the baler has needle slots in its crop-engaging face from which accumulating crop materials are ejected during each retraction stroke of the plunger by stationary, horizontally extending probes telestationary, horizontally extending probes telescopically received by the plunger. Consequently, the slots are maintained clear of any debris which would otherwise interfere with the smooth, trouble-free operation of tying needles of the baler as they periodically sweep across the bale chamber and through the needle slots at certain, preselected intervals in the baling cycle. The crop expelling probes are hollow and open along their lowermost extremities to permit the admission thereinto without interference of crop feeding fingers which introduce successive charges of crop materials up into the bale chamber from a loading duct below the latter in timed relationship with reciprocation of the plunger.

Abstract: An improved hand tool is provided which permits easy field removal and replacement of connecting rivets employed with agricultural implement sickle sections, and is especially designed for use with relatively new so-called double sickle sections which present only very limited working clearance. The tool preferably includes a pair of jaw sets respectively extending from each end of a handle. The handle is contoured to allow pivotal adjustment between various sickle section spacings. The jaw sets carry structure for either removing or replacing a rivet on a damaged sickle section without removing the sickle section mounting bar from the cutter bar. A removable anvil is included as a component of the rivet-replacing jaw set to permit replacement of different types of rivets through the simple expedient of reversing the anvil position.

Abstract: An inexpensive, portable device for filleting fish is provided which has a pair of flexible, side-by-side rollers that bow outwardly in opposite directions to engage the sides of a fish therebetween. The rollers have a plurality of spaced protuberances that firmly grip the fish, yet the rollers have sufficient resiliency to maintain the vertebral column or "backbone" of the fish in perfect alignment with an elongated opening between a pair of downstream, side-by-side, elongated blades. As the rollers are turned to advance the fish, two opposite fillet portions are cut by the blades as well as a narrow, bony, vertebral portion, and the blades are closely adjacent the rollers such that guide means or manual positioning is unnecessary. Preferably, the blades either reciprocate as the rollers turn or, in another embodiment, are mounted on an endless belt similar in nature to a band saw.

Abstract: A battery charging system for rectangular, 9-volt batteries has inclined holders with mesh contacts engageable with the terminals of an inserted battery. Reflective tape is affixed to one side of the battery, and an optoelectronic assembly presents a sensing signal whenever the battery is received in one orientation in the holder. The sensing signal reinitializes a pulse counter which then counts a predetermined number of timing reference pulses from a pulse generator. Simultaneously, a control means coupled to the sensing signal renders a charging circuit conductive to charge the battery. Once the pulse counter has received a predetermined number of pulses, the charging circuit is interrupted. If the battery is incorrectly inserted, the charging circuits will not charge the battery, and also a reverse polarity alarm audibly indicates the error. Consequently, the charging system is foolproof, simple to use and can simultaneously charge a multitude of batteries without manual intervention.

Abstract: A compact, safety, control assembly for lawnmowers having electrically started engines is provided which includes a "dead man" function and which requires two distinct steps for starting the lawnmower engine. The control assembly preferably includes a shiftable bail, a movable lever, a cable connected to the lawnmower ignition assembly and shiftable between positions corresponding to the off, on and start position of the ignition assembly, a rotatable operating mechanism connected to the cable and operable by the bail, a fitting attached to the cable and engageable by the lever, and a spring biasing the cable to the off position. A second embodiment of the invention is provided that does not include a lever or cable fitting and which is applicable to so-called zone restart lawnmower controls. In operation, the operating mechanism is rotated by the operation of the bail thereby shifting the cable into the on position.

Abstract: A neat, finish quality trim joint is prepared between an upstanding dry wall partition and the ceiling to conceal a gap and ragged upper edge of the partition left during erection of the partition. An elongated, inverted, transversely L-shaped member of the joint is secured to the face of the partition along the upper marginal edge thereof in such a manner that the vertically extending leg of the member covers the gap while its other, horizontally extending leg lies up against the ceiling and projects outwardly from the partition generally into the roomspace. With the member secured in this manner, the finisher spreads a layer of mortar over the vertical leg and adjacent portions of the partition in order to provide a smooth transition from the partition to the member and to fully conceal the vertical leg. In applying the mortar, the finisher may advantageously run the edge of his trowel along and abutted against the horizontal leg which protectively masks the ceiling at this time.

Abstract: The atmospheric pressure-operated take-up piston of the dispenser is provided with releasable locking structure which retains the piston prior to first intentional actuation of the dispenser against jarring movements tending to pressurize the contents and promote leakage during shipment and storage. Once the piston has been intentionally unlocked from its starting position at one end of the dispenser, it is free to travel under the influence of atmospheric pressure to take up space left vacant by discharged product. Several different forms of structure means for the take-up piston are disclosed.

Abstract: A pair of circular, furrow-opening disks, supported by separate, angularly oriented axles, rotatable simultaneously as a unit and converging to a leading zone of interengagement within the ground for preventing soil buildup therebetween, have a wedge-shaped, trailing blade, rigidly supported therebetween immediately ahead of materials gravitating into the furrow, and following at a greater depth, for slicing the series of unplowed scallops at the bottom of the furrow, clearing the furrow bottom of loose soil and forming a truly V-shaped, ridgeless, material-receiving apex compressed into a smooth, firm sidewall formation.

Abstract: In a continuous, ongoing, pressure-cooking operation bones are first ground into particles and then combined with liquid to form a slurry which is pumped into the lower end of an upright cooking tower. As the slurry is forced upwardly through the tower, it is subjected to pressure from the head of liquid maintained in the tower and to high temperatures from a steam jacket surrounding the tower such that the bone particles become softened and further disintegrated. Those products of the cooking process having a lower specific density rise to the top and are drawn off for further processing, while heavier bone particles remain in the lower portion of the tower to be continuously subjected to a turbulent swirling action and to repeated impingements with stationary disintegrating structures whereby to further break up the particles and promote the formation of an emulsion.

Abstract: A punch ring apparatus particularly useful in a printing operating involving web fed paper is provided which is easily adapted for punching file holes, line holes, or a wide variety of hole patterns in the moving paper web, thereby substantially reducing makeready times and associated costs. The punch ring hereof preferably includes a plurality of radially-oriented, spaced-apart punches mounted in the punch ring and radially shiftable between an outermost punch position and a retracted position, with the punches being spring biased into the retracted position. The punch ring preferably includes an annular concentric groove in an axial face thereof, with the proximal ends of the punches extending into the groove when the punches are in the retracted position. One or more annular camming rings are received in the groove and configured such that axial rotation of a camming ring will outwardly shift one or more of the punches into the punch position to produce the desired hole punch pattern.

Abstract: A compact, easily manipulable measuring device is provided, particularly useful for properly positioning the feed horn of a parabolic reflector antenna, or the like, relative to the satellite reflecting dish of the antenna. When installing or maintaining an antenna, it is important for optimum signal reception to position the feed horn at or near the focal point of the satellite dish. Such feed horns typically present a central axis, which if aligned with the center point of the satellite dish approximately positions the feed horn at the focal point of the satellite dish. The device of the present invention presents a telescopic rod structure coupled to a support head. The support head presents structure for attachment to the feed horn such that the rod structure preferably lies along the feed horn central axis.

Abstract: Serrations on the upper end of the pump body are disposed for interlocking engagement with depending portions of the pump collar so that when the plunger is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to unlock the same from the collar in preparation for reciprocal operation, the collar is held securely by the body against rotation to assure unlocking. The serrations take the form of a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced ramps which are inclined in the direction of locking rotation of the plunger to thereby permit the collar to yieldably override the serrations when the locked plunger and collar are rotated as a unit in the locking direction relative to the body to orient a spout of the plunger in a desired location for factory packaging efficiency.

Abstract: An easily manipulable, high mechanical advantage latching-actuator apparatus for high pressure gas cylinders is provided which employs a single, bidirectionally rotatable operating collar for latching, on-off gas valve operation, and delatching, so as to facilitate gas therapy and cylinder replacement by patient users. In preferred forms, the apparatus includes a slotted valve body affixed to a gas cylinder, along with a separate actuating assembly including a rotatable operator and a reciprocable valve actuator; locking tabs are secured to the operator, and a cam mechanism is used to couple the operator and the valve actuator. Rotation of the operator in a latching direction serves to first move the tabs into latching engagement with the body slot, whereupon, after further rotation of the operator in the same direction past an intermediate "off" position, the valve actuator is cammed into an "on" position for opening the valve carried by the body, thus permitting gas flow from the cylinder.