Abstract: A device for selectably positioning an invalid's mobility aid appliance onto an automobile comprising support apparatus mountable onto the roof of the automobile; transfer apparatus, mounted onto the support apparatus for selectably transporting a mobility aid appliance between a storage position and a utilization position adjacent to the automobile; and a cover member articulately mounted onto the support apparatus so as to assume a raised orientation during the transport of the mobility aid appliance between storage and utilization positions and a lowered orientation when the mobility aid appliance is stored therebelow.

Abstract: A manipulator comprises a carriage on which is mounted a peel having jaws for gripping a workpiece. The peel can move relative to the carriage longitudinally vertically and in tilt. Detectors give signals representing parameters on which the position of the peel depend and a circuit derives from those signals an indication of the position of the jaws, taking into account the angular attitude of the peel. The position indication can be used to control the peel jaws to a required position relative to the carriage.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a plurality of aligned containers from a conveyor and positioning them in spaced rows upon a supporting platform in a tiered arrangement. The containers are removed from the platform in the tiered arrangement and enveloped within a protective bag or like for storage purposes. The containers may be subsequently removed from the protective envelope and positioned upon the supporting platform from where they may be delivered in rows to a conveyor.

Abstract: An air pressure counterbalance system is provided for an X Y Z orthogonal manipulator wherein the effect of gravity on a manipulator arm joint is counterbalanced both while hydraulic pressure is supplied to the hydraulic motors and also when the motive power is suspended. The air pressure counterbalance force is produced by a piston operating in an air cylinder in the direction of the gravity axis as the manipulator hand is raised or lowered. A selected constant air pressure is supplied to the counterbalance cylinder through an air pressure regulating system. In a preferred embodiment, a program-controlled counterbalance system is provided wherein the weights of various tools to be grasped by the manipulator fingers during a program are stored in CPU memory. The manipulator program selects the appropriate counterbalancing force to compensate for the predetermined tool weight and adjusts an air pressure regulator accordingly.

Abstract: A coupler for connecting a manipulator arm of a remote manipulator device to a tool body and its associated tool anchor linkage constructed according to the present invention comprises a tool holder adapted to be secured to the manipulator arm and a tool actuator piston mounted in a cylinder in the tool holder. The tool holder has a first latching mechanism for releasably securing a tool body with respect to the tool holder. The tool actuator piston has a second latching mechanism at one end thereof for releasably securing a tool actuator arm thereto. The second latching mechanism is located at an end of the tool holder inwardly from the first latching mechanism.

Abstract: A retractable wheel flap-mounting assembly for dump trucks which includes a rigid supporting member fixed to the rear edge of the bottom of the dump truck body and having a pair of flap-mounting slides slidably mounted on said supporting member with means for moving the slides inwardly into retracted position when the dump body is to be dumped.

Abstract: An improved two way side dump bucket attachment for an otherwise conventional front end loader having an arrangement for conventional bucket movement longitudinally of the loader. Unlatching of the bucket and lateral movement of the bucket to a selected side are accomplished simultaneously by activation of a single control.

Abstract: A robot comprising a chain of members connected in pairs and mobile with respect to one another under the action of drive device controlled by a computer, each of the members being operative to drive a terminal member of the chain in a movement determined by a monitoring device controlling the computer, a single motor for selectively actuating, via a selection device controlled by the computer, each of the mobile members separately, and a single monitoring coder for selectively determining the movement of the mobile members.

Abstract: A protection device is provided for a machine which works sheet shaped material to stop the displacement of the machine when the protection device encounters an obstacle. The machine includes clamps which are displaced by the machine and which hold the material. The protection device includes two blades arranged parallel to each other and disposed on the machine in a loop shape surrounding each clamp. The two blades form a pair of normally open contacts of which at least the outer blade is flexible and resiliently deformable to allow the blades to be brought into contact with each other and close the contacts when the outer blade encounters the obstacle. A stop device is coupled to the normally open contacts to stop the displacement of the machine when the contacts are closed.

Abstract: A load-lifting mechanism at the front of a lift truck carries an upright boom with a pair of parallel spaced-apart forwardly cantilevered boom portions rotatably supporting a horizontal pivot tube between their forward ends. A vertical pivot shaft rotatably carried by the pivot tube suspends a grapple beneath the cantilevered boom portions. The grapple includes a yoke mounting and a pair of grapple arms opened and closed by single or dual hydraulic cylinders. A mechanical link interconnects the grapple arms so that they open and close together and to the same extent. A pair of fluid cylinders on the cantilever boom portions pivot the pivot tube to swing the shaft and grapple fore and aft. A rotation mechanism between the cantilever boom portions and their cylinders rotates the pivot shaft and connected grapple about the axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A roll, such as a cloth bolt, loader for a roll manipulating machine, such as a cloth spreader, which includes a pair of horizontally spaced lifting arms mounted to a frame and adapted to receive a shaft supporting a roll for elevation. The lifting arms are raised in unison such that the roll is elevated until the support shaft thereof engages a pair of horizontally spaced guide rails. The guide rails terminate on a down slope such that the roll and roll support shaft are transferred from the elevating lifting arms for free movement down the guide rails. The guide rails terminate in bridge tracks which yield downwardly under the weight of the roll and its support shaft for transfer of the roll support shaft down onto an underlying roll support of a roll manipulating machine.

Abstract: An inclined conveyor for lowering uniformly spaced, cylindrical articles comprises a pair of inclined rails, paired pivotal rockers and fingers disposed along the inclined rails, and a pair of drawbars for sequentially pivoting the inclined pairs of rockers and fingers. The paired pivotal rockers and fingers are so cooperably disposed as to define a series of article receiving pockets accommodating controlled gravitational movement of the articles along the rails, as the rockers and fingers are sequentially pivoted by the drawbars.

Abstract: A backhoe frame is attached to the main frame of a host tractor vehicle at four points. A pair of upper mounting pins each pass consecutively through an outboard restraining plate in the vehicle main frame, a backhoe mounting collar integral with the backhoe frame and an inboard restraining plate. The mounting pin is a tight fit in the restraining plates and a loose fit in the backhoe mounting collar.

Abstract: A coupling between a tool attachment adapted to be supported on a carrier and a tool mount fitting the tool attachment and adapted to support a tool, the tool mount carrying a fixed latch member and the tool attachment carrying a movable latch member which, when the tool attachment and the tool mount are in engagement, is movable into and out of locking engagement with the fixed latch member; a device for moving the latch member between locking and unlocking positions to thereby couple and decouple, respectively, the tool attachment and the tool mount; a hydraulic control circuit for supplying power to a tool supported on the tool mount, the circuit including a pair of two-part hose couplings, one part of each coupling being stationary on the tool mount and the other part carried on and movable relative to the tool attachment; and a device for moving the movable hose coupling parts relative to the tool attachment, in response to locking and unlocking movement of the movable latch member, in a manner such that

Abstract: In a lumber stacking method and apparatus a layer of lumber is conveyed to a lifting location where a pair of arms beneath the layer of lumber are tilted respectively about horizontal axes parallel to a horizontal plane in which the layer is located to engage beneath and raise the layer at the lifting location above the latter horizontal plane, with these arms then being advanced forwardly while supporting the raised layer. The arms are advanced forwardly to become situated over that part of the stack which has already been formed, and at this latter stacking location the arms are lowered by being tilted in a reverse direction so as to situate the transported layer at the top of the stack which is being formed, the arms then being retracted back to the position beneath the lifting location while the transported layer remains at the top of the stack.

Abstract: A machine tool wherein an annular gear is rotatable in a horizontal plane to carry a plurality of pallets between adjacent peripherally arranged machine stations. The gear is lowered as each machine station is attained by the entry of gear support bearings into recesses in the underside of the gear. The pallets are supported on the gear for limited vertical and horizontal movement, and lowering of the gear positions the pallet on an abutment surface in rough alignment with the machining station. As the gear is further lowered, it is spaced from the pallet so as not to interfere with independent positioning of the pallet by power actuated positioning means located at each machining station. Thus, the pallet can be adjusted independently of the gear when the gear is in its lowered position, yet is carried by the gear when the gear is in its elevated position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a storable hoisting gin or boom member attachment for bucket loaders which provides an arrangement for quickly and easily moving a boom member or gin pole into working relationship with respect to a bucket loader so that this type of construction vehicle may be used for lifting and lowering objeccts in construction work. The attachment consists of supports welded to the top side of the bucket, each support including a pivot flange and a retaining flange to which the boom or gin is attached. Each pivot flange permits pivoting of the boom member to a collapsed position on an opposite support on the top side of the bucket for storage purposes.

Abstract: A hopper gate and pneumatic actuating mechanism for controlled discharge of bulk materials from a bottom-unloading vehicle are described. The hopper gate comprises an arcuate closure plate pivotally mounted by wedge shaped end plates below a rectangular hopper opening, said hopper opening having one edge defining the end of a hopper end elevated higher than the opposed edge defining the other hopper end wall. The pneumatic actuating mechanism comprises a pair of opposed air bags selectively expanded by an air supply and operatively connected to the closure gate by a linkage system for opening and closing the gate.

Abstract: A machine for automatically handling thin tubular rubber articles such as prophylactic devices or the like including a vacuum pickup to retrieve randomly oriented articles and deliver such articles to a pneumatic conveyor. The pneumatic conveyor includes a tube with air blowing therethrough to transfer the articles to a delivery position. An orienter is provided in the conveyor tube so that the article is delivered closed end first at the delivery position. At the delivery position a mandrel is provided which includes a support adapted to loosely support the article in position to receive a mandrel. Grippers grip the open end of the article on the support and hold it against movement with the mandrel while the mandrel is inserted into the article.

Abstract: Lift mechanism adapted to receive a pallet containing a plurality of tiers of containers thereon and move said pallet vertically approximately the height of a tier of containers to be depalletized whereby a sweep arm engages the tier of containers between parallel, spaced apart guide rails and a removable restraining arm engages the tier of containers on the opposite side to substantially encircle the tier and urge it on to a conveyor belt. As the tier of containers is urged on to the conveyor belt the restraining arm is removed just prior to the mingling of the tier of containers with containers already present on the conveyor belt.