Abstract: A plurality of sheet-bundle piling lanes are disposed in perpendicular relation with respect to a common sheet-bundle feed lane for gradually feeding sheet-bundles. At a communicating portion between the sheet-bundle feed lane and each sheet-bundle piling lane, a sheet-bundle take-in lever for taking the sheet-bundles from the former lane to the latter lane, is disposed. Blocks of bundles of sheet that are piled up are formed at each sheet-bundle piling lane.

Abstract: Sheets are stacked in a container substantially open at its front, and which has a pair of sidewalls and an upright back wall having a pair of edges each secured to a respective adjacent edge of the sidewalls. After a stack of sheets is formed within the container by depositing them through the open front of the container, the bottom of the stack or container is supported, and the supported stack and the container are lifted and moved from a first location to a second location. Because of the open front, the container can be slipped from around the stack to leave the stack standing at the second location free of the container.

Abstract: A non-palletized unit of cargo is formed of multiple bales of hay bound together as a unit by an elongated sheet of a polymer film pre-stretched and wrapped in multiple layers around and in direct engagement with the peripheral sides of the bales so that it can be handled by direct engagement of the bottom surface thereof by the tines of a forklift truck, includes attaching member attached to at least one of the plurality of bales and extending from a side thereof for towing the unit of cargo laterally for positioning it for unloading from a cargo space.

Abstract: A light-sensitive film feeding magazine (1), for use in a day-light automatic film handling apparatus, includes a device for centering the films of a stack inserted in the magazine (1). Such a device includes a sliding tray (7) guided on a bottom wall (2) of the magazine (1), a side buffer (15) provided oil the tray (7), perpendicular to the bottom wall (2) and parallel to the axis (X) of the magazine (1), a pushing device means for pushing the stack of films on the tray (7) against the buffer. and a shifting device for shifting the tray (&) on the bottom wall (2) toward a position in which films resting against the buffer have axes coincident with the axis (X) of the magazine (1). With this magazine (1) it is possible to center the films at a central location of the magazine (1) without loosing space in the transverse direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to automatically orient golf balls for milling comprising a plurality of aligned cups. Each cup has a generally hemispherical recess to receive a golf ball. A first component is provided to move the golf balls from cup to cup. A second component is provided to detect the height of the golf ball in the cup as a function of whether excess circumferential material is in the cup or resting on the upper surface of the cup. A third component is provided to initiate blasts of air when excess material is in the recess. A fourth component is provided to terminate the blasts of air at subsequent cups if there is no excess material in the recess.

Abstract: Containing and dumping apparatus for releasable connection to a motorized utility vehicle having forward and rearward ends and a rack secured generally at one of the ends. The rack has a generally horizontal rail extending transversely relative to the vehicle. The apparatus comprises a bin and a connector for releasably and pivotably connecting the bin to the rack for movement of the bin about a generally horizontal axis between a cargo holding position in which the top of the bin faces generally upward for receiving a load of cargo and holding the load as it is transported by the vehicle, and a dumping position in which the top of the bin faces generally rearwardly relative to the vehicle for dumping the load from the bin.

Abstract: A pipe hauling trailer is described for hauling and dispensing individual sections of elongated pipe for joining in end-to-end relation to form a pipeline. The trailer also includes structure for mounting pipe section end joining machinery, so the pipeline may be assembled directly from the trailer. The trailer includes racks for supporting the stack of pipe sections. Escapement cams are positioned at a bottom corner of the rack and are manually movable to engage individual pipe sections from the bottom of the stack, and to deliver the individual pipe sections to a dispensing station, where the pipe sections are supported by rollers for longitudinal movement rearward of the frame. A movable support is provided for a conventional pipe end joining machine on the trailer frame, so the successive pipe sections moving longitudinally from the frame may be joined end to end, thereby forming the pipeline directly from the present trailer.

Abstract: A sheet block inverter is described in which successive blocks of sheets received along an infeed plane are successively inverted prior to being received on a discharge conveyor. A sheet block receiving magazine receives a sheet block along the infeed plane. A magazine pivot driver then pivots the sheet block through an angle about a second axis of less than 180.degree., leaving the block nearly inverted and upwardly inclined. The magazine is mounted to a magazine inverter yoke, which in turn is pivotably mounted to a discharge conveyor. The inverter yoke and magazine are then pivoted by an inverter yoke pivot driver about a first axis to a discharge station where the discharge conveyor receives the block. The discharge conveyor is mounted for elevational adjustment about an axis that is coaxial with the first axis.

Abstract: A conveying mechanism for a press having sucker fingers which lift horizontally positioned items. The mechanism having two conveying sections for supporting imbricately arranged items, the first conveying section delivering to the second and the second section having components which rearrange the items into a vertical stack and lift it by wedging the items one under the other to a position where the fingers pick off the uppermost item of the stack.

Abstract: A boat launching apparatus for pick-up trucks including a trailer framework unit pivotally disposed on the rear bumper of the truck and having automatic control for raising and lowering the trailer framework unit relative to the bed of the truck.

Abstract: Apparatus for restraining and transporting dies in punch press operations is provided. A floatation platen for supporting a die on the platen's upper surface has a plurality of recessed gas exhaust ports on the platen's lower surface. A source of pressurized gas delivers gas to a platen manifold, for delivery to orifices located in the gas exhaust ports. The flow of gas is controlled by a first valve adjacent the gas source and a second valve adjacent the manifold, with the second valve being used to control the gas flow during movement of the die. In this fashion, a die may be moved on a cushion of air from one workstation to a selected second workstation. A moveable hydraulically operated restraining fixture is also provided, for clamping the die in position during the compacting phase, and for releasing the die after completion of the compacting phase by releasing the hydraulic pressure on the restraining fixture.

Abstract: An apparatus for lifting a sheet from a stack of sheets including a frame, a suction plate for engaging a sheet from the stack, a lifter connected to the suction plate so as to move the suction plate in a vertical direction, a setting member pivotally connected to the suction plate, and a ramp member connected to the frame and positioned along a length of the setting member. The lifter serves to move the suction plate between a first sheet-engaging position and a second sheet-releasing position. The suction plate is pivotally connected to the lifter so as to align parallel to the surface of a sheet. The setting member extends upwardly from the suction plate The ramp member is in cooperative relationship with the setting member. The setting member causes the ramp member to be positioned in parallel relationship to the suction plate when the suction plate is in the first position. The ramp member is stationary during a movement of the suction plate between the first and second positions.

Abstract: An automatic stick laying apparatus having retainer arm assemblies for retaining spacing sticks in position on stacked tiers of lumber. The automatic stick laying apparatus is designed to successively position the spacing sticks on stacks of lumber for spacing the lumber. In a preferred embodiment the stick laying apparatus includes a fixed frame designed for positioning over the lumber, a spacing stick accumulator mounted on the fixed frame and a carriage assembly attached to the fixed frame in vertically movable relationship. The accumulator includes a pair of spaced, horizontal accumulator chains fitted with accumulator chain cleats located above spaced drop gates for receiving and deploying the spacing sticks in a continuous loop. The carriage assembly is fitted with parallel chain channels supporting horizontal positioner chains having positioner chain cleats for receiving the spacing sticks from the accumulator through the drop gates and positioning the spacing sticks over respective layers of lumber.

Abstract: An apparatus for stowing or extending for loading and unloading a towing dolly. The invention comprises a vertical support stand upon which rotate a pair of spaced apart pivot arms connected to a bracket into which is placed the towing dolly. The apparatus utilizes a novel self-locking flange which rotates so as to secure the dolly within the mounting bracket when it is pivoted into the storage position, and rotates so as to release the dolly from the bracket when the device is pivoted into the load/unload position. The apparatus may be secured into the storage position by means of a spring operated latch arm and latch pin. Further, the invention provides a locking lug for locking the towing dolly into the dolly mount to prevent theft of the towing dolly.

Abstract: A hopper trailer includes a mobile support frame and at least one gravity-flow hopper having an open-top upper box portion and a lower tapered portion. The support frame includes a pair of longitudinal channels laterally spaced from one another and a pair of front and rear channels extending transversely between and rigidly connected to the longitudinal channels at the opposite front and rear ends thereof. The longitudinal channels have respective planar structural portions directly engaged with opposites sides of the lower tapered portion of the hopper. The planar structural portions of the channels are disposed in respective planes which converge downwardly toward one another so as to thereby support the hopper in a cradled relationship therebetween. The support frame also includes a gooseneck towing tongue connected to the front end of the longitudinal channels of the support frame and a ground-supported wheel unit connected to and underlying and supporting the laterally-spaced longitudinal channels.

Abstract: A portable low-profile tipper for dumping the contents from a trailer containing a dumpable material, includes a towable elongated and angled frame having a portion resting on the ground during dumping for greater stability. A deck is pivotally attached at an elevated position to the frame back end. The deck has a backstop for positioning the trailer during dumping. Actuators raise and lower the deck to dump the trailer contents. The tipper has a chute with fixed and pivoting components cooperating to guide the dumpable material from the trailer past the frame back end. Front and back stabilizers extend outwardly from the frame. The front stabilizers lift and lower the frame front end between a low-profile dumping position and a raised towing position. A method of successively removing the contents from a plurality of trailers using the tipper is also provided.

Abstract: In a device for forming piles of articles, particularly for articles in an input flow which are diverted onto a certain number of superposed sliding planes. This is achieved by means of one or more wheels, the peripheries of which have segments which are spaced from the axis of rotation of the wheels by distances corresponding to the distances of the sliding planes from the axis of rotation. Each article is thus transferred towards a respective sliding plane by a gradual movement. An alignment conveyor located further downstream vertically aligns groups of articles on the superposed sliding planes to define the piles. The piles are formed as a result of the articles which are on the upper sliding planes falling onto the article below. The piles are preferably formed immediately before they are inserted in their packages.

Abstract: A device for dispersing sheet media comprising a storage location for storing sheet media to be dispensed; a receiving location accessible to a patron from which the sheet media may be received; a receptacle for retaining sheets of the media; a stacking assembly for stacking individual sheets of the sheet media into a stack; a transport assembly for transporting individual sheets from the storage assembly to the stacking assembly and for transporting sheets of the media from the receiving assembly to the receptacle; a transfer assembly for transferring a stack of sheets from the stacking assembly to the receiving location; and, a divert assembly associated with the transport assembly operable to cause sheets transported from the storage location to the stacking assembly to be diverted to the receptacle.

Abstract: A round bale handling apparatus is described for the lifting, transportation, and unloading of round bales in cooperation with a motor vehicle. The apparatus has an upper frame assembly attached pivotally to a lower frame assembly. A conveyor on the upper frame assembly adjusts the position of bales on the apparatus. Lift arm assemblies have two sections spaced apart to place bales on the trailer one at a time and stacked. A stack of three bales is moved rearward on the upper frame assembly by the conveyor to provide additional space for loading additional bales. Side rails are attached to the upper frame and are adjustable by eccentrics to adapt the trailer to the size of round bale being loaded and to move the side rails pivotally toward the center of the trailer to conform to public highway regulations governing trailer width.

Abstract: A scissor frame lift for pivotally moving a dump body hingedly secured to a truck frame comprising upper and lower frame assemblies having the rearward ends thereof pivotally secured together and which are pivotally moved relative to one another by a hydraulic cylinder operatively interconnecting the upper and lower frame assemblies. The lower frame assembly includes a pair of elongated frame members, the forward ends of which are operatively pivotally or rotatably secured to mounts secured to the frame members of the truck frame. The upper frame assembly includes a pair of frame members, the forward ends of which are operatively connected to mounts secured to the runsills of the truck body. The distance between the rearward ends of the frame members of the lower frame assembly is substantially less than the distance between the frame members of the truck frame and is substantially less than the distance between the forward ends of the frame members of the lower frame assembly.