Abstract: An animal feed proportioning device having a feed holding bin and an inlet channel that are separated by a vertical array of sliding gates. Each gate permits the bin to be filled to a predetermined level for later discharge by a discharge gate. Additionally, divider panels selectively block off portions of either the bin or inlet channel from the inflow of feed in order to reduce the amount of feed being metered through the device.

Abstract: A hydraulically actuated die clamp is capable of adjustably engaging die assemblies having a wide range of thicknesses. The clamp includes a pivotally mounted clamp lever having a first end which is vertically displaced upward by use of a hydraulic piston and a second end vertically displaced downward in response thereto for securely engaging the die assembly. The second end of the lever includes a first plurality of horizontally aligned, vertically arranged notches directed downward. Coupled to the aforementioned second end of the lever by use of a spring retaining mechanism is an adjustable striker bar having a complementary arrangement of a second plurality of notches directed upward for engaging the first plurality of notches in maintaining the striker bar fixedly positioned on the second end of the lever. A die assembly is maintained in a fixed position on a die clamp base, or table, by the hydraulically actuated downward displacement of the striker bar.

Abstract: A wheel assembly for movable bolster assemblies adapted to ride on bolster track includes a piston housing vertically oriented above the track. A cylinder piston including a wheel clevis is received within the piston housing. A wheel is rotatably mounted to the clevis and powered by hydraulic pressure to raise or lower the bolster assembly. The cylinder piston is rotatable within the piston housing to allow the axial alignment of the wheel to be changed for orthogonal travel.

Abstract: A hangar device for holding a recessed lighting fixture to a pair of beams utilizing a pair of elongated members movable in relation to one another. Each of the elongated members includes a shaft and an end piece angularly disposed in relation to the shaft. The end piece includes a lip fixed at an angle to the same and an end portion for fastening the pair of elongated members to each of the beams.

Abstract: An upper jaw and tool assembly for a machine for attaching snap fastener components to fabric is operable to safely receive and advance upper fastener component halves for the assembly thereof with lower component halves. A stationary housing of the assembly is mountable on an attaching machine so that the lower end of the housing is spaced only slightly above the guide plate of the machine to minimize operator risks from internal moving components of the assembly. Fingers mounted on the housing receive and position successively fed upper component halves therein and an upper tool continuously advances the halves downwardly to assemble them with lower component halves. The assembly operates without conventional vertically reciprocating jaw components and hence can be operated with a minimum of operator risks.

Abstract: An improved poultry broiler cage comprising a plurality of stacked cage tiers. Each cage tier in turn comprises an elongated confinement area and a poultry-supporting floor movable longitudinally with respect to the confinement area between an operative position and an inverted, lower, inoperative position whereby poultry can be loaded and unloaded into and out of the confinement areas. Each floor is selectively responsive to a driven axle and comprises rails (preferably low friction) secured to opposite sides of the confinement area, a tension pulling member (preferably a chain) rides and is movable longitudinally along each rail. A plurality of spaced support bars extend between and are secured to the pulling members and a flexible floor material extends between the pulling members and preferably are supported in trampoline-like fasion on the support bars.

Abstract: An array of vertically spaced rows of poultry cages are mounted on opposite sides of A-frame end supports with the uppermost rows engaged and secured to one another along a corner to provide additional stability to the frame. Feed troughs extend along and are secured to the front of the poultry cages so arranged to provide additional strength to the cages while providing feed for the chickens. The feed trough is suspended from and supported by the cage by a plurality of spaced cage clip supports mounting one edge of the generally U-shaped trough to the front of the cages. In order to maintain the feed troughs in a horizontal position, stabilizing rods are provided at spaced intervals along the troughs and include a hook at one end extending over the top corner of the trough remote from the cage.

Abstract: A recessed lighting unit for supporting an energizing lamp adapted to fit into an electrical socket using a housing. The electrical socket and lamp are mounted in the housing. The housing includes an opening for the passage of light from the lamp to the area to be illuminated. A source of power runs to the socket through a wireway. A heat protection mechanism interrupts the flow of electrical power to the lamp and socket upon the generation of excess heat in the vicinity of the housing. The heat protection mechanism is mounted immediately adjacent the housing in the wireway and forms a structural unit with the housing and a junction box.

Abstract: A feed gate arrangement is provided for the feeder units of automated poultry feed systems and the like, of the type having at least one feed conveyor with a moving feed carrier, such as an endless drag chain, conveyor belt, or similar structure. The feeder unit includes a housing through which the conveyor chain translates, and a mechanism to add fresh, make-up feed to the conveyor chain. The feed gate comprises a valve plate slidably mounted for vertical movement in an outlet trough of the housing, and meters the flow of feed onto the underpassing conveyor chain. The valve plate includes a laterally extending adjustment tab, which overlies an exterior surface of the housing, and is detachably anchored thereto at various vertical positions for adjusting the conveyor feed level from the exterior of the feeder unit.

Abstract: A feeder unit is provided for automated, multi-tier animal feed systems, such as for poultry and the like, of the type having a plurality of conveyors to which feed is supplied from a remote storage bin. The feeder unit has a low profile housing, and a mounting bracket which positions the conveyor drive motor alongside the housing to minimize the overall height of the feeder unit, so that the feeder units can be vertically stacked closely together for substantial space savings and efficiency. The housings include a passageway through a sidewall and a base thereof, in which a feed supply conduit is inserted to transport feed from a remote storage bin into a hopper portion of the feeder units.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus for manually locking a pilot valve in an in-service position, independent of an actuating, or pilot, fluid pressure, so long as such pilot fluid pressure is below a predetermined amount. The device includes a valve manipulating knob attached to the exterior end of the valving element for manually shifting the element from a normally closed position to the in-service position. The knob includes an L-shaped member which conforms to the contour of the knob, and is adapted to pivot toward the valve body and lock the valving element out in the "in-service" position, or the pilot "bypass" position. This pivotal member includes an indicating surface visible from the front when the valving element is locked in the "bypass" position. The knob locking member is to be used in conjunction with a frontfacing pressure gauge having a multi-colored face and a rotating disc thereon to indicate specific pressure ranges by displaying various colors through an aperture in the disc.

Abstract: A fire-safe valve actuator which cooperates with a bolted bonnet type valve to define a bolt chamber with an exterior shroud supporting the actuator housing and providing a substantially imperfect barrier to prevent an external fire from coming into direct contact with the bolts or studs and nuts that connect the bonnet to the valve body. The bolt chamber may also be filled with an insulation material. The actuator may have a return spring connected to the actuator stem through a bearing so that the winding and unwinding of the spring does not result in any substantial torque being applied to the actuator stem. Similarly, any diaphragm in the actuator can be connected to the actuator stem by a bearing so that rotation of the stem will not impart torque to the diaphragm.

Abstract: A gate valve is provided having a recess formed in the upstream portion of the gate and in intersecting relation with the gate port. The gate recess cooperates with a registering recess formed in the downstream portion of the upstream seat to develop a large flow passage as compared to a small flow passage defined by the interrelationship of the gate port with the downstream seat. Fluid laden with erosive material will flow through the larger dimension gate/seat opening between the gate and upstream seat at low velocity, as compared to high velocity flow through the opening defined between the gate and the downstream seat. This low velocity flow, impinging upon the downstream seat, results in minimized erosion of the downstream seat during opening and closing movement of the valve.

Abstract: A movable chick guard adapted for use with a conveyor feeder of the type having a conveying chain movable in a feed trough, includes a bracket, an elongated kicker member having an upturned forward end, and a depending leg member secured at the rear end of the kicker member to the bracket. The kicker member is pivotally secured to the bracket for movement between a first position at which it rides on the conveying chain to kick small chicks off the conveying chain and a second position at which it lies on a conveyor corner housing. When in the second position, the kicker member tends to keep mature chickens from sitting on the housing and the depending leg member blocks the opening to the housing.

Abstract: An egg transporting system having a plurality of egg belt conveyors leading from cages of a poultry installation includes a transition mechanism for dividing and orienting the eggs at the output end of each of the egg belt conveyors into a plurality of separate rows and depositing the eggs on an elevator. The elevator includes a plurality of endless loop belts on which there is attached egg transporting cradles for receiving eggs from the transition mechanism at vertically and horizontally-spaced input locations at the input side of the elevator and for transporting the eggs to the opposite side of the elevator and releasing them onto a main conveyor which extends in communication with several egg elevators for accumulating and collecting eggs from the poultry installation. The transition and elevator mechanism cooperate to provide a minimum of egg breakage and a maximum conveying speed for transferring eggs from the egg belt conveyors onto the main conveyor.

Abstract: A manure shield is provided for multi-tier poultry cages, and the like, wherein the lower tiers of cages have an exposed area positioned directly below the adjacent upper cage tier. The shield comprises a substantially continuous, rigid support panel, having its lower edge attached to the uppermost edge of one of the lower cage tiers, and extends upwardly and laterally therefrom at an acute angle to a position adjacent the bottom of the upper cage tier. A sheet of flexible, substantially imperforate material is positioned over the upper side of the support panel to prevent manure droppings from entering the lower tier of cages. The flexible sheet is mounted over the support panel, such that vibrations and other movements in the cages are transmitted by the support panel to the flexible sheet, whereby manure droppings stuck to the flexible sheet are disjoined therefrom by the vibrations, and in turn slide off of the shield into a collection pit.

Abstract: Corner units for automated animal feed conveyors and the like include a wheel about which a feed carrier, such as an endless chain or belt, is guided. A wear plate and wheel mounting arrangement for such corner units comprises a wear plate having a generally regular shape with a geometric center supported on the base of the unit housing adjacent the corner thereof. A spindle rotatably mounts the wheel thereon, and is attached to the wear plate at a location eccentric to the geometric center of the wear plate, whereby rotation of the wear plate about its geometric center with respect to the housing base shifts the wheel between a first position wherein a narrow feed carrier is centered in the housing and a second position wherein a wider feed carrier is centered in the housing. Fasteners rigidly attach the wear plate to the housing base in one of the positions selected in accordance with the width of the feed carrier, thereby adapting the housing for conversion to use either narrow or wide feed conveyors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a safety valve system to maintain the flow of fluid through a flow line when the line pressure is less than a predetermined maximum and greater than a predetermined minimum which includes a hydraulically actuated safety valve inserted in the flow line. A control system is adapted to supply control pressure from a pump to the actuator. A pair of sensors are included to sense line pressure and vent the control system to close the safety valve when the line pressure is greater than the predetermined maximum or less than the predetermined minimum. A ratio accumulator is included to maintain the control pressure at a level proportional to the line pressure and to accommodate changes in the volume of control fluid in the control system due to changes in ambient temperature and leakage.

Abstract: A fire-safe valve actuator which cooperates with a bolted bonnet type valve to define a bolt chamber with an exterior shroud supporting the actuator housing and providing a substantially imperfect barrier to prevent an external fire from coming into direct contact with the bolts or studs and nuts that connect the bonnet to the valve body. The bolt chamber may also be filled with an insulation material. The actuator may have a return spring connected to the actuator stem through a bearing so that the winding and unwinding of the spring does not result in any substantial torque being applied to the actuator stem. Similiarly, any diaphragm in the actuator can be connected to the actuator stem by a bearing so that rotation of the stem will not impart torque to the diaphragm.