Abstract: A hydrostatically driven road roller having a swash plate pump controlling the supply of pressurized fluid to a drive motor, a dead man's handle or the like controlling pressurization of the fluid in the fluid system, a manual speed control lever connected to the swash plate pump, and a disconnectible device positioned in the connection between the control lever and the pump. The disconnectible device comprises a piston fixed to a swash plate control shaft, a cylinder movable on and lockable with the piston, and means for moving the cylinder into and out of locking engagement with the piston. Centralizing means are also provided to move automatically the swash plate into a neutral position.

Abstract: A container-handling spreader beam for use both with "Sealand" and I.S.O. containers which have differently spaced transversely disposed pairs of corner castings. The spreader beam has pairs of twistlock assemblies and each twistlock assembly is resiliently held on the spreader beam frame structure so that it is transversely movable on the frame structure to cater for the differently spaced corner castings of the two types of container.

Abstract: There is shown a safety control system for a self-propelled road roller having hydrostatic transmission, which includes a prime mover, an hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover and included in a main hydraulic circuit incorporating a motor with a power-off brake device, a check valve bridge with a ventable relief valve and a main control valve, and means for selecting automatically the speed and a predetermined operating speed, the speed selecting means comprise a secondary hydraulic circuit including means operatively connectible with the prime mover speed control means and controllable by the ventable relief valve in accordance with the operation of the main control valve.

Abstract: A crane having a hoist winch with a hoist cable connected to a link which parts at a predetermined tension, and a jib over which the hoist cable is reeved for connection to a load. A derricking system on the crane includes a derricking winch and a derricking cable for luffing the jib. It also includes an hydraulic ram connected to one or more preloaded hydropneumatic accumulators in which the gas pressure is set to cause the ram to react against a predetermined overload. The hoist winch is released by mechanism responsive to movement of the ram, due to exceeding said predetermined overload, so that the hoist winch, when released, pays out the hoist cable to enable parting of the link.