Abstract: A stacking apparatus for articles, especially printed products, comprising a stacking chute or channel which can be loaded from its top end with the printed products and at least one pair of press or contact elements which can be driven to-and-fro in the lengthwise direction of the stack chute and arranged at one side thereof. These press or contact elements periodically engage into the confines of the stack chute, in order to exert a pressure force upon the momentarily uppermost located printed product of the printed product stack. To obtain an uninterrupted action of the pressure or contact force, the press elements, which preferably have the shape of pawls, are arranged almost above one another. The one press element of the pair is driven in counter cycle, i.e., out-of-phase in relation to the other press element.

Abstract: A palletizer for picking up a group of stacked cans from a first pick-up position on a conveyor, transporting the cans to a second deposit position and depositing the cans onto a pallet. The stacks of cans are accumulated on the conveyor by an exit gate prior to being picked up. The cans are also aligned on the conveyor by means of a retractable can guide adjacent the conveyor. The palletizer further includes a transport carriage movably mounted on a track of a frame. The carriage includes both a lift mechanism for lifting the cans off of the conveyor and a hold-down mechanism to steady the cans while they are being lifted and transported to the pallet. Finally a push bar unloading mechanism disengages the cans from the lift mechanism and snugs them against the other cans on the pallet.

Abstract: A bale unroller for unrolling cylindrical bales of hay. A boxlike container has a side door for insertion of a bale of hay onto an elevated and inclined floor. A plurality of angle irons extends transversely across a floor and are connected at ends by chains which are in turn driven by sprockets. As the sprockets are driven, the angle irons slidably move along the floor to impart rotative movement to the bale. A plurality of rollers, horizontally disposed above the floor at the discharge end of the unroller, limit forward movement of the bale. A pair of wheels, which are pivotally supported by a framework, urge the bale forward to keep it in contact with the rollers. The sheet of hay, which is removed from the bale, is fed from the unroller by a lower roller and by a paddle conveyor. Methods of unrolling a cylindrical bale are also provided.

Abstract: A dump body for handling bulk material in which the tail gate is located inside the body walls sufficiently forward of the rear end to provide a delivery chute. The body is adapted to be mounted with the tail gate essentially over the rear wheels and the discharge chute extending back therefrom. Body configuration may be elliptical or rectangular and the sidewalls continuously diverge from bottom to top. The gate is hinged by overhead relatively close-tolerance bearings and trunnions by which the gate is hung and a space is provided between the gate edge and body wall even when fully closed, the space being filled with a flexible seal mounted on the gate perimeter. Specially shaped stops are located on the inner sidewall against which the gate butts on closing. A remotely actuated latch mounted on the body extends through the body wall extension to engage and lock the gate.

Abstract: A device for picking up semirigid sheet-like elements from a magazine comprises a rotating body supported by a horizontal and fixed shaft supporting a radial cam and at least one arm oscillating in a plane normal to the shaft and serving as a radial guide for a gripping member and gears effective to displace the gripping member between a position spaced from the magazine and a position near to it for picking up sheet-like elements.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing a layer of predetermined thickness from a bale of fiber material including an array of rigidly secured, juxtaposed, vertically oriented tines and carriers for moving the tines downwardly to a selected depth in the bale and then horizontally to remove a top layer from the bale.

Abstract: A stepped platform is arranged to traverse the down-facing tubesheet of a nuclear steam generator with a rotating, circular work table attached to the platform to position a plurality of tools, in sequence, at a common area of the tubesheet for required work.

Abstract: Flat goods such as sheets of cardboard are destacked or removed from a stack for the purpose of further processing, especially in stamping, cutting, or break-out devices. A carrier is introduced into the stack. The carrier has a surface which remains stationary relative to that portion of the stack which is being removed when the carrier is withdrawn from the stack. For this purpose the carrier which is supported in a frame, is provided with a surface which is movable relative to the carrier. The movable surface is guided at least around the leading edge of the carrier.

Abstract: A stacking arrangement for rod-like or board-shaped products, in which stacking carts travel vertically on upright stands. There are provided horizontally traveling support arms and parallel-guided revolving engaging members which have fixed stops and which receive the goods at the rear side of the upright stands and deposit them on the storage area located on top of the upright stands. The storage area extends at least by the width of a stack row to be formed beyond the stretch traversed by the fixed stop on the top side of the upright stands. The stacking carts, with retracted support arms projecting over the upper edge of the stacking carts for lifting the stack row can be vertically moved underneath the storage area and can be lowered with the stacked row after extending the support arms in order to deposit the stacked row by retracting the support arms.

Abstract: A double-topping type derrick crane is operable continuously throughout 300 degrees of azimuth turning of its boom to serve two loading areas forward and aft of the crane. This is made possible by a multiple-swivel, universal coupling mechanism between the two topping tackles and the boom top, this mechanism permitting one topping tackle to flip over the other, whereby the relative positions of the tackles are automatically inverted without mutual contacting or entwinement of the topping tackles.

Abstract: An improved carrier to facilitate the loading and unloading of two-wheeled cycles from motor vehicle bumpers having an adjustable ramp assembly and mechanism for linear as well as rotational movement of the track assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus including a portable manipulator for the axial alignment of an inspection or repair device with a selected tube in a heat exchanger. The manipulator is angularly positionable about a center toward and away from an arbitrarily chosen axis and radially toward and away from the center by remotely controlled servomotors. Incorporated in the manipulator are position feedback devices whereby the manipulator is positioned to the predetermined polar coordinates of the selected tube.

Abstract: A quick-disconnect coupling for fixing tools or the like to a powered arm including a base, mounting structure on the base for affixing the same to an arm, a pair of hooks having oppositely facing openings, one of the hooks being immovably mounted on the base and the other being movably mounted on the base, and a latch movably mounted on the base and engageable with the movably mounted hook for preventing movement thereof. Interengaging cam surfaces are disposed on the movably mounted hook and the latch whereby the hook may cam the latch aside while moving to a latched position and there are also provided interengaging surfaces on the movably mounted hook and the latch so that forces applied to the latch by the hook, when the hook is latched, will not tend to move the latch to release the hook.

Abstract: A releasable lock for locking a boom that is pivoted on a horizontal pivot axis on a frame disclosed herein. The releasable lock includes a pin or first member on the frame and a second member pivotally supported on the boom about a common pivot axis with one end of a unit fluid ram that has its opposite end connected to a material handling unit which is pivoted on the outer end of the boom. A releasable linkage includes linkage between the unit fluid ram and the second member with the linkage having a portion pivotally supported on the boom and arranged so that pivotal movement of the unit fluid ram away from the boom during actuation thereof will automatically release the lock.

Abstract: A dual loading and stowage apparatus for handling a pair of cylindrical bes, such as a pair of missiles, torpedoes, or projectiles. The apparatus includes an elongated base, and a pair of elongated trays which are positioned in tandem above the base and parallel thereto for receiving the cylindrical bodies. A device slidably mounts the trays for lateral movement on the base so that each tray can be selectively centered above the base for off-loading purposes. Each of the trays is pivoted to the mounting device along an inner edge so as to be capable of pivoting between downward and upward positions. The lateral dimension of the pair of trays in their downward positions is greater than the lateral dimension of the base, however, when one of the trays is pivoted to its upward position the lateral dimension of the trays is less than the lateral dimension of the base.

Abstract: A truck vehicle carried boom and hopper system for lifting, transporting, and depositing a load of particulate material such as powder, granules or seeds into storage bins in material dispensing aicraft, including a hopper boom framework having spaced apart side bars pivotally mounted on the side bars on the front end of the vehicle mounted support structure. An extensible piston-cylinder hydraulic motor system is utilized to obtain various pivotal positions of the hopper boom. A manual hopper control valve is located in the bottom of the hopper, the hopper is pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis on the extended end of the boom and a safety bar is secured to a mid-portion of the boom to enable a safety block when the boom is in the aircraft loading position. Between the boom pivotal mounting on the truck frame and the truck frame is a trussed frame support construction which enables rigid pivotal support of the boom and hopper.

Abstract: A system particularly useful in trucks for manipulating a hydraulically operated work station comprising a network of four intercommunicating directional valves including a primary valve directing the flow to or from the work station and located between the work station, a hydraulic fluid pump and a fluid reservoir. The valve is designed so that when in the hold position fluid is continuously circulated from the reservoir through the pump and valve and movement of the work station is prohibited. The primary valve is normally biased to its hold position and is air actuated to its work or return position by an operational valve manipulated by a safety manual control. The operational valve directs air to the work or return side of the primary valve which is provided with free floating pistons for adjusting the primary valve spool in response to the flow of air in a surrounding chamber. The chambers and valve housing cooperate to fully seal the spool against contamination.

Abstract: Plant for handling cement tiles and similar articles that require a seasoning and subsequent workings.It includes: trays set up to be superimposed on one another and to slide along a track with a stripping station, a station to pile up the trays, an un-piling station of said trays and a station to pick up the tiles; the piles of trays are picked up beyond the piling station for the seasoning and are laid down again on the track before the un-piling station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a crane employing a fluid cylinder and piston assembly secured to the crane boom and operatively interconnected with the cable between the boom sheave and the load hook to vary the vertical distance between the boom sheave and the load hook in response to relative vertical movement between the crane boom and the platform to or from which a load is to be transferred. Sensors which generate a signal in response to vertical movement are associated with each platform which is movable with respect to a fixed horizontal position. Signals from the sensors are used to control the position of the piston in the cylinder and thereby vary the vertical separation between the hook and the boom in relation to relative vertical movement between the boom and the landing platform.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for blending flowable solid materials. These are conveyed in turn, conveniently over a belt weigher, to a tripper mounted above a hopper so as to build up a first charge consisting of a plurality of inclined contiguous bands each of a different material. A paddle feeder removes material in a series of passes along the bottom of the first charge, the material removed being conveyed again to the tripper for discharge into a second hopper adjacent the first, thereby to build up a second charge also consisting of a plurality of inclined contiguous bands each of a different material. A second paddle feeder then removes material in a series of passes along the second charge to form the final blend.