Abstract: A retractable device for mounting a length of high speed coaxial cable is taught. The device allows for easy connection of coaxial cable to various electronic devices while also being readily disconnected and stored as needed. The device comprises a compact housing containing a thin coaxial cable having connectors at each end. The cable can be dispensed from the housing as needed and then drawn back into the housing using an actuator, such as a crank handle, following use. The device is particularly effective for establishing temporary electronic signal connections, such as connecting a television to a cable television signal source or a computer to a computer network. The coaxial cable used in the present invention is capable of high speed signal transmission, such as accurately transmitting a primary signal frequency in excess of 40,000 Hz.

Abstract: A self-unloading vehicle having a pivotable material containment vessel and an auger discharge device structurally coupled to the vessel to discharge the contents of the vessel. The material containment vessel includes a convex rear wall with an opening therein. The auger discharge device includes an auger and a tubular shell structurally coupled to the material containment vessel. The tubular shell encases the auger on both sides of the vessel opening and includes first and second longitudinal ends, and an opening between the first and second ends. The opening in the tubular support is in fluid communication with the opening in the material containment vessel. The auger extends partially through the opening in the rear wall of the material containment vessel and into the interior of the material containment vessel in a manner which eliminates all inaccessible regions inside the material containment vessel such that all of the material in the vessel can be discharged.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving an object, such as a wheelchair, between an upper position and a lower position. The upper position is typically adjacent to the floor surface of a vehicle while the lower position is typically at ground level. The apparatus preferably includes a platform including at least three pivotally connected sections. The sections are selectively moveable between an unfolded orientation in which the sections are substantially co-planar and a folded orientation in which the sections form a compact configuration. The apparatus also preferably includes a folding assembly for selectively moving the sections of the platform between the folded orientation and the unfolded orientation, a deployment assembly for selectively deploying and stowing the platform and a lift assembly for selectively moving the platform vertically between the upper position and the lower position.

Abstract: A panel distribution system includes a plurality of panel delivery units disposed on a panel conveyance line for forcing out panels in a lateral direction from the conveyance line. The delivery units are all operative to allow the passage of the panels through them except one located closer to a downstream end of the conveyance line. A plurality of loading conveyor units having a two-storied construction composed of a pair of overlapping upper and lower loading conveyors can be disposed on the same side of the conveyance line and held in alignment with the corresponding delivery units. This concentrated high-density arrangement of the loading conveyors can make considerable reductions in floor space of the entire system with a minimum dead space involved. In one preferred form, the panel conveyance line extending from a transfer press and the upper and lower loading conveyors are aligned with each other, so that a further reduction in size of the entire system is possible.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking sheets on pallets has a conveyor belt having horizontally extending upper and lower reaches extending through a stacking station with the upper reach defining a horizontal support plane and extending in an outfeed direction. Two sets of deflectors spaced apart in the outfeed direction engage the upper reach to form therein respective upwardly open U-shaped loops below the plane. A lift has a pair of support beams extending transverse to the direction and jointly displaceable between a lower position received in the respective loops and below the plane and an upper position above the plane. A succession of sheets is fed to the station to form on a pallet supported on the beams in the upper position thereof a stack of the sheets. The lift can be raised and lowered to displace it from the upper position to the lower position to deposit on the belt the pallet and stack of sheets on the beams.

Abstract: An article hold-up assembly for use with an article handling apparatus to maintain at least one article defining a trailing end of a group of articles in an abutting orientation with a group as the group is moved by a conveyor along an elongated lane. The article handling apparatus includes an elongated lane defining an axis of elongation for merging a finite series of articles defining a group of articles with a generally continuous series of articles defining an outfeed stream of articles. The article handling apparatus includes a conveyor for moving articles through at least a portion of the lane. The article hold-up assembly includes an air supply device, a plenum chamber communicating with the air supply device, and a plurality of apertures in the plenum chamber. The air supply device provides positive air flow into the plenum chamber. The plenum chamber and the apertures therein are positioned spaced away from the axis of elongation.

Abstract: A contact shoe assembly for a train movable along a support track having an electrically-energized power rail extending substantially parallel with the support track. The contact shoe assembly includes a support member with two spaced-apart guide channels. A bracket arm is positioned between the guide channels and equipped with ball bearings that roll within the guide channels. A contact shoe is connected to a lower outwardly-extending portion of the bracket arm for contacting the power rail. A spring mounted between the support member and the bracket arm biases the contact shoe into a yielding engagement with the power rail. Vertical movement of the bracket arm responsive to a varying height of the power rail maintains the contact surface of the contact shoe horizontal and parallel to the power rail. This parallel arrangement reduces wear to the equipment and ensures the effective transmission of power to the train.

Abstract: A trailer wire recoil device including a housing that has a plurality of mounting holes within a front wall. Each mounting hole receives a screw that extends through a rear wall for mounting the housing behind a vehicle's license plate. A receptacle has an internal wire positioned within a connector block of the housing. The receptacle is positioned within a slot of a left side edge of the housing. Also, a rotatable member is provided. An axle rod is vertically positioned within the housing between the front wall and the rear wall. The axle rod has a disc member with a plurality of contact points that are in connection with the connector block. The rotatable member is positioned over the axle rod and in contact with the disc. A trailer wire is wrapped around the rotatable member positioned within the housing and extends from a right side edge of the housing. A spring member is attached to the axle rod and the rotatable member.

Abstract: A bumper system for a movable deck in an intermodal auto carrier or trailer wherein the bumper system is mounted on the deck and is foldable against the deck or opened to a position for protecting the auto doors against damage when opening the doors for ingress and egress of a driver during loading and unloading operations.

Abstract: A process for handling products comprising the steps of providing a product handling system having a storage structure comprising a plurality of product pallet lanes having product pallets therein, simultaneously replenishing pairs of juxtaposed pallet lanes with corresponding pairs of pallets, determining if there is a product pallet lane depleted of product pallets such that the quantity of product pallets therein is below a first predetermined quantity; and automatically suspending the simultaneous replenishment of pairs of juxtaposed lanes if it is determined that there is a depleted lane, and replenishing only the depleted lane until the quantity of product pallets therein increases to a second predetermined quantity.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for collecting plates from two rows of plates travelling side-by-side on a moving conveyor comprising inverting plates sequentially in one row of plates and merging said two rows of plates by depositing a plate from one row onto a plate in the other row to form a single row of double plates each having an inverted plate, and assembling a single row of said double plates into stacks. The double plates are assembled into stacks preferably by shingling the double plates to assemble a plurality of overlapped double plates, stacking shingled double plates to form horizontal stacks, turning each horizontal stack onto a side or end of the stack to form a vertically-stacked bundle, and rocking the vertically-stacked bundle on the side or end to align the plates on the side or end, rotating the bundle vertically through 90.degree.

Abstract: A veneer hoisting apparatus in which even a top veneer of piled veneers is inclined, a piercing unit is adapted to the inclination to pierce and hoist the veneer by piercing members. The veneer hoisting apparatus comprises: a piercing unit with a sharp piercing member; an elevating member for vertically moving the piercing unit fixed thereto; a device for supporting the elevating member, the supporting device having an angle adjusting mechanism for adjusting an angle between the piercing unit and the top veneer when the piercing member contacts the top veneer; and a controller for controlling motion of the elevating member.

Abstract: A roadway-powered electric vehicle system includes: (1) an all-electric vehicle; and (2) a roadway network over which the vehicle travels. The all-electric vehicle has one or more onboard energy storage elements or devices that can be rapidly charged or energized with energy obtained from an electrical current, such as a network of electromechanical batteries. The electric vehicle further includes an on-board controller that extracts energy from the energy storage elements, as needed, and converts such extracted energy to electrical energy used to propel the electric vehicle. The energy storage elements may be charged while the vehicle is in operation. The charging occurs through a network of power coupling elements, e.g., coils, embedded in the roadway. As the vehicle passes over such power coupling elements as it is driven on the roadway network, electrical current is inductively coupled to corresponding onboard power coupling elements, e.g., coils, and used to charge the onboard energy storage devices.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer pre-aligning apparatus includes a wafer transfer unit for transferring a semiconductor wafer, and a wafer stopping unit for stopping and disposing the transferred semiconductor wafer on a predetermined position of a transferring path. The wafer stopping unit includes a stop elevatably disposed on the wafer transferring path and having a plurality of stepped and arc-shaped walls whose radii are different from one another but whose curvature centers coincide, and a device for elevating the wafer stopping unit. Thus, changes in wafer size can be dealt with easily and a clean work environment for wafer treatment can be maintained.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the problem of decollating the lowest card 3 of a stack 2 of cards guided in a shaft 1 without giving rise to a considerable friction between the card surfaces. This problem, which arises especially in the case of plastic cards designed as printed data storage media, is solved by the present invention by the lowermost card 3 being located with its front 4 and rear 5 edges between two push-off members 6, 7, which are mounted rotatably around two mutually parallel axes 12, 13. The lowermost card 3 is first pushed off to the rear 8 by a small amount, and it is at the same time spaced from the card located above it, after which the front edge 4 of the card is released and is freely movable in the downward direction. The lowermost card 3 is then pushed off in the opposite direction 9, and it reaches a conveyer in an oblique free fall.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously unloading bulk material from a bulk container has a carriage displaceable longitudinally adjacent the bulk container and an outrigger having an inner end pivotable about longitudinal and vertical axes on the carriage and an outer end. A conveyor extends between the ends of the outrigger. An arm has an upper end pivoted about a horizontal axis on the outer outrigger end and a lower end engageable in the container and contains a bucket conveyor. A pair of augers of opposite hand are mounted on the lower arm end and rotate to draw in the bulk material and pass it to the bucket conveyor.

Abstract: A device for positioning and clamping a board includes a plurality of clamping devices for clamping an edge portion of the board. Each clamping device includes positioning members for positioning the board with respect thereto, and a dragging device disposed between the clamping devices for dragging the board into contact with the positioning members. The dragging device is provided with a board clamping portion including a lower claw and an upper claw having rotating disks rotatably installed thereon for swivably clamping the board, and a reciprocating mechanism connected with the board clamping portion for reciprocating the board clamping portion. A board is first clamped by the dragging device and is dragged into contact with the positioning members of the clamping devices.

Abstract: A robot system includes a support assembly and a robot arm. The robot arm includes a platform and a carriage movable back and forth along the platform. A shuttle is movable back and forth along the carriage. A first belt and pulley system is provided for moving the carriage back and forth along the platform and a second belt and pulley system is provided for moving the shuttle back and forth along the carriage. Each belt and pulley system includes a belt and a first pulley. The diameter of the pulley on the first belt and pulley system is one half the diameter of the pulley on the second belt and pulley system. The first pulley on the first belt and pulley system and the first pulley on the second belt and pulley system are fixedly coupled relative to each other so that rotational movement of one of the first pulleys will cause the same amount of rotational movement of the other one of said first pulleys.

Abstract: A roller for use in a roller guide for sliding elevator doors may include a resilient element for effecting quieter elevator operation. The resilient element may form a roller body with a bowl shaped annular casing of sheet steel to run along a carrier section including a preferably greased rail running surface. The roller body may be dimensioned such that the spring effect of the resilient element is stressed only within the elastic range or limit of the sheet steel. To obtain optimum spring effect, a radius of the rail running surface may be slightly greater than a radius of the roller body. Also, the roller body may include an open side.

Abstract: A cargo tie down device includes a winch having a mounting bracket, a winch shaft support and a winch shaft. The mounting bracket is secured to a vehicle, and the winch shaft support is rotatably mounted to the mounting bracket. The winch shaft is rotatable within the winch shaft support and is connected to a flexible member which is either attached to or extends over the cargo on the trailer. Tightening of the belt by the winch causes the winch to align relative to the belt in a position wherein the axis of the winch shaft is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the belt, regardless of the angle at which the belt is disposed.