Abstract: A collapsible void filler is provided which, when in an expanded state, prevents relative movement between cargo during transit. The void filler is formed as a pair of side panels, a pair of bases secured to the side panels, and at least one beam structure located in the interior defined by the side panels and the two bases. The side panels include side panel portions which fold about a longitudinal axis when the void filler is collapsed. The bases, which may be formed from one or more base panels, extend transversely between the side panels and move toward and way from one another when the void filler is collapsed and expanded. The beam structures may have several different configurations, each of which has a pair of beam panels hingedly connected to the bases and foldable with respect to one another. The beam structures operate to support the side panels against transverse compression when the void filler is expanded. The void filler is preferably made from a unitary piece of material.

Abstract: A paper money recognition and transmission system including a housing with a paper money slot, an upper mainframe and a lower mainframe detachably connected together and mounted inside the housing, a transmission unit mounted on the lower mainframe and consisting of a step motor, a belt transmission mechanism, a gear transmission mechanism, a plurality of caps, and two rubber rollers, a paper money recognition circuit, the paper money recognition circuit including sensors controlled to detect and recognize inserted paper money and to turn the step motor forwards, when a true paper money is recognized, causing the inserted paper money to be delivered forwards, the step motor being turned reversely when a counterfeit paper money is detected, causing the counterfeit paper money to be delivered backwards out of the system.

Abstract: An extendable lifting apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus includes a support bracket secured to the floor of the vehicle. A tube is mounted to the support bracket perpendicularly to the axis of the vehicle frame. The tube receives a boom which is used to support a cable used to lift heavy objects. The tube is substantially rectangular and has an axial slot extending along the bottom to form an axial opening that allows the cable to be suspended therein when the boom is in the fully retracted position. The slotted wall of the tube also acts as a floor opposite an inner ceiling. A winch is coupled to the boom for successively winding and unwinding the cable. A motor is coupled to the tube for moving the boom from a retracted position wholly within the tube to an advanced position. A second motor is coupled to the winch for controlling the winding and unwinding of the cable. Control of the two motors is provided by a remote control.

Abstract: A separation system tears apart trash bags in a manner that will ensure that the trash and recyclable material inside the bag will fall out onto a conveyer while at the same time maintaining the bag in substantially one piece. The bag is dropped onto two cylinders that rotate in opposite directions. The first cylinder hooks the container with a set of fins and then presents the bag to a second set of fins protruding from the second cylinder. The second set of fins have relatively dull tips that pull the bag apart allowing the contents inside the bag to drop down onto a conveyer. A set of steel fingers are attached between adjacent fins to prevent small bags from slipping though the system without first being broken. The fins automatically push the empty bags out of the system in substantially one piece.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting and transporting recyclable waste material which includes a body for receiving material mountable to a vehicle. The body has separate upper and lower material-receiving compartments. Two longitudinally-spaced loaded openings are at the top of the body. One opening is in continuous communication with only the lower compartment, and the second opening, positioned rearward of the first opening, is in continuous communication with only the upper compartment. Separate doors close the rear of each compartment; the second door, when closed, overlies and is spaced from the first door. A bucket, associated with the front of the body, can be raised, lowered and tipped, and has separate bins for receiving material. The bins are aligned with the loaded openings when the bucket is in the tipped, discharge position so that each bin can dump material into a corresponding compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus for overturning a long-web roll comprises chucks for holding the long-web roll, which is placed on a first resting surface, by nipping an outer circumference of the long-web roll from both sides in the radial direction, and stop plates capable of being set at supporting positions that stand facing a front end face of the long-web roll, which is held by the chucks, the front end face being directed towards the side of a second resting surface. A rotating transfer device rotates the stop plates and the chucks together with each other by an angle of approximately 90.degree. and thereby places the long-web roll, which is held by the chucks, on the second resting surface such that the front end face may rest on the second resting surface.

Abstract: A void filler device for use in staggering paper rolls during shipment includes a housing member which generally surrounds an inner core. The housing member has a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls which are attached to the core, and is octagonally shaped. The top and bottom walls of the housing include fold lines around which the walls are folded to collapse the void filler device. The inner core member includes a plurality of flat boards made of laminated paperboard, corrugated cardboard, plastic or other like suitable material. Each of the boards has spaced notches along its length and the boards are interconnected with each other along the notches to form an open cell construction that is expandable and collapsible. The top and bottom walls can include apertures therein for ensuring that the paper rolls are properly aligned.

Abstract: An intermediate container which may be attached to a lift assembly of a refuse collection vehicle, and having a side arm assembly attached thereto for emptying refuse containers. The side arm assembly includes an extendable arm coupled to the intermediate container, terminating in a tilt assembly and a grabber assembly. The grabber assembly engages a refuse container, which is drawn to the intermediate container where the tilt assembly empties the refuse container.

Abstract: A clamping device for a sheet clamping machine comprises a pair of horizontal bars with tongues engaging on opposite sides of a sheet stack and drawn together to generate the clamping action by a piston-and-cylinder unit mounted on the back of the lower bar and having a piston connected to a cable which passes through the lower bar and then is guided vertically upwardly to the upper bar where that cable is attached. The cable thus applies a clamp closing force perpendicular to the bars.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for self-assembling and self-disassembling a large capacity crawler crane. The method uses the load hoist line of a crane to remove the equalizer from the boom. The method also uses a hydraulic cylinder to support, raise and lower the boom after the equalizer has been removed from the boom. Finally, the boom butt can be disassembled into several parts.

Abstract: In a sample holding apparatus including a main body, a holding body movably provided to the main body, a spring disposed to urge the main body and the holding body toward one another, pins fixed to the main body and the holding body for holding a sample, holding and releasing of the sample are effected by action of a moving stroke of the sample holding apparatus itself and a support member fixed to the sample holding apparatus without requirement for special drive components.

Abstract: A releasable, modular, multi-use fastener which has a post unit of non-circular cross-section which is rigidly secured to a vehicle. The post unit has a frusto-pyramidically shaped top portion in which an axially disposed a cavity is adapted to receive the widened portion of a locking bayonet. A catch unit having a cavity, which is matingly shaped relative to the post unit, can be mounted on the post unit via a lateral opening. The top wall of the catch unit has a blind bore in which the locking bayonet is slidably mounted. A member can be attached to the vehicle by extending the post unit through an opening in the member and then laterally positioning the catch unit on the post unit in such a way that the lower, widened portion of the locking bayonet can be slidably inserted into the cavity in the pyramidically-shaped top portion of the post unit.

Abstract: An elevator device adapted to fill the seed box or boxes of a grain seeder, grain drill or other distribution device for similar particulate material. The elevator mechanism is pivotally mounted on the main device so that the delivery end can be raised to a use position or lowered to a non-use position for transport either in the field or on the road. Because of a pivotal motion, the hopper end moves in an opposite directions. The mounting is unique in providing a simple power device operating in a single direction for movement of the elevator from a transport position to a use position.

Abstract: A frame apparatus is constructed to be mounted on and conformed to the trunk of a tree for use by arborists in handling loads involved in an arbor rigging procedure. The frame apparatus engages a curved surface of the trunk of the tree at three triangularly disposed locations. In one embodiment an angled spike structure at one lower end of the frame structure penetrates the trunk at an angle which utilizes circumferential shifting and inward pulling of the frame apparatus on the tree to secure the frame apparatus to the tree. In another embodiment resilient pads are mounted at each of the three triangularly disposed locations for resiliently gripping the opposed portion of the trunk to minimize damage to the tree.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, a self-launching superstructure for a vessel, the superstructure including: a floatable hull having a forward bottom portion sloping downwardly from near a waterline near a bow end of the superstructure to a point near a stern end of the superstructure; the forward bottom portion being engagable with a corresponding sloped floor on the vessel when the superstructure is mounted on the vessel, the sloped floor terminating at an edge of the vessel, such that the superstructure, under gravitational force, may slide from the vessel into water in which the vessel is floating; and apparatus to releasably secure the superstructure on the vessel with the forward bottom portion of the hull engaging the sloped floor.

Abstract: A catalog stacker and loader having a conveyor, a cage assembly associated with the conveyor, and a loader for unloading catalogs from the cage assembly and loading them into shipping containers. The cage assembly has a first cage and a second cage, each of which is movable between a loading position adjacent the conveyor and an unloading position adjacent the loader. Each cage is dimensioned to receive two stacks of catalogs and comprises means for holding the two stacks in a first relative orientation when the cage is in a first position and for holding the two stacks in a second relative orientation when the cage is in a second position.

Abstract: A lifting device makes it possible to manipulate loads within a tight enclosure with an operator remaining outside the enclosure. The device includes a main arm fitted so as to slide in an opening of a wall surrounding the enclosure, by way of a hose or sleeve. An articulated beam is mounted so as to pivot at the end of the main arm. This pivoting action can be controlled by two parallel rods mounted within the arm. The device is applicable to, for example, the handling of heavy loads within tight enclosures in the nuclear field.

Abstract: The invention consists of an improvement to a four-wheel device used to lift drums with compressed air stored in an on-board storage tank without special straps, tools or clamps that allows the operator to lift the drum with no physical stress and to roll the drum to another location with minimum effort and allows force measuring (weighing) of the drum.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the sequential separation of individual members from a generally, axially aligned stack of members, in which the apparatus has a stack supporting structure along with a first engaging means that holds at least the penultimate individual member of the stack. A second engaging means contacts and engages the first individual member at the end of the stack adjacent the first engaging means. The second engaging means is movable between a position proximate and distal the first engaging means. The individual member, as held by the second engaging means, is axially separated from said stack of individual members and released.

Abstract: An automated drive-up vending facility (10) and method utilizes a plurality of automatic transaction machines (12) located around the periphery of a storage building (14), whereby customers can drive their vehicles along side the building, insert an account/debit card into a card reader (16), and make product selections via a touch screen display terminal (18). The products are stocked within building (14), and an automated picking/sorting subsystem (20) retrieves the selected products for deposit into a dispensing chute (22). Selection and product information is provided at the display terminals (18) via an interactive menu driven program. Selection of products subject to sales restrictions automatically actives video conferencing equipment (26) so that a sales attendant can confirm customer authorization to purchase the selected product.