Abstract: A foldable and swivelable screw conveyor mounted on a transportable storage hopper is disclosed. The storage hopper typically contains particulate material such as grain, fertilizer and the like. The present invention is directed to a spatially-compact hopper-loading screw conveyor which can be folded onto a frame portion of the storage hopper, and which can be secured thereto. The conveyor is foldable along a hinge joint and swivelable along a swivel joint. The screw conveyor has an inlet chute which can be placed on the ground. The foldability and swivelability features allow the screw conveyor to be carried in a spatially-compact fashion on the storage-hopper frame when not in use and further allow the inlet chute to be placed on the ground and extended away from the storage hopper, to convey particulate material into the storage hopper, as desired.

Abstract: A workpiece charging unit for a walking beam furnace has an entry table and a charging conveyor positioned exteriorly and interiorly of the entry end opening of the furnace. The charging conveyor can undergo a movement along a generally rectangular path for the receipt of the workpiece from the entry table and for the subsequent transfer of the workpiece onto the fixed beams or rails within the heating chamber where it can be picked up by the walking beam conveyor unit for the passage through the heating chamber. The charging conveyor includes charging beams, a plurality of support posts for the support of the charging beams and frame structure coupled with the horizontal and vertical drive mechanisms.

Abstract: The present invention resides in a device comprising a package stock truck moved in the row direction of warper creels, a package feeding conveyor for feeding yarn supply packages to the position of the stock truck, a first package transfer mechanism for transferring the packages on the package feeding conveyor onto the stock truck, and a second package transfer mechanism for transferring the packages on the stock truck to each of pegs of the warper creels.

Abstract: A tow basket for use in towing a vehicle. The wheels of the vehicle to be towed are lifted onto the tow basket as the basket approaches and contacts the vehicle wheels. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle wheel is lifted by a conveyor belt onto a first roller and thus carried upwards and into the tow basket, the first roller being operatively connected to the supporting wheels of the tow basket, and the belt being superposed around and upon a plurality of rollers including the first roller. As the vehicle is lifted, a pivoting structure within the tow basket pivots with the shifting weight of the vehicle from an initial position to a final position where the wheel is securely retained. In an alternative embodiment, a novel connection is provided between the tow truck boom and a cross bar having a tow basket slidably mounted on either end; the connection provides for some degree of lateral movement during loading and unloading so that the vehicle may be loaded from or unloaded onto an uneven surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate transport system includes a semiconductor substrate holder for holding semiconductor substrates to be transported, a linear pulse motor for driving and reciprocating the semiconductor substrate holder, a pulse oscillator connected to the linear pulse motor, an arrangement for holding a clearance of the linear pulse motor, and guide for guiding the reciprocating motion of the linear pulse motor. The semiconductor substrate holder, the linear pulse motor, the clearance holding arrangement and the guide are installed in a chamber which is brought into a vacuum atmosphere, whereby the appearance of dust during the transport of the semiconductor substrates can be suppressed, and the available percentage and throughput of the semiconductor substrates processed or to be processed by a semiconductor production apparatus can be enhanced.

Abstract: A trailer assembly is disclosed for receiving, transporting and discharging flowable bulk material. The trailer assembly includes a pair of opposing generally vertical side walls which are secured to a frame member and converge downwardly and inwardly. The side walls are joined by a front end wall and a rear wall to define a bin having an open floor. A conveyor is provided as a floor for the bin with the conveyor extending beneath the side walls and having a width greater than the distance between bottom edges of the side walls and positioned closely adjacent to the bottom edges of the side walls. The conveyor includes a pair of opposing endless chains which are mounted about sprockets with the chains connected by cross members. Flexible conveyor belt sections are provided secured to the cross members at a leading edge of the belt sections with trailing edges of the belt sections free to overlap leading edges of successive belt sections.

Abstract: A restraining device for securing a parked vehicle to an adjacent structure. The device comprises a base plate having a first and a second end, the base plate being adapted to be rigidly secured to the adjacent structure so as to have its longitudinal axis oriented in a substantially vertical plane. A carriage plate slidably engages the base plate for longitudinal travel therealong between the first and second ends of the base plate. A drive cylinder is attached to the base plate and to the carriage plate for effecting the longitudinal travel of the carriage plate. A hooking member is pivotally mounted on the carriage plate so as to be movable between a stored orientation substantially parallel to the base plate and an operative orientation substantially perpendicular to the base plate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for orienting semiconductor wafers of the type that have a generally circular peripheral shape and a flat, chordally extending edge on the periphery. In fabricating the wafers the chordally extending portion is formed in fixed relation to the crysatallographic axes of the material of which the wafer is formed. All subsequent processes are precisely orientated with respect to the chordally extending edge and the present invention affords orientation of such edge to virtually any position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for lifting a wheel-chair into and out from a vehicle, having a lifting arm which may be connected to the wheel-chair. According to the invention the apparatus comprises a substantially Z-shaped stand (4) having a lower support and mounting plate (5) intended to be attached to the vehicle floor at the place for the driver's seat by means of a number, suitably three, of bolts (6), and a substantially vertical middle portion (7) an an upper support plate (8) intended to be positioned on top of the back seat of the vehicle, a lifting mechanism (25-45) and a swinging equipment (36-45) for the lifting arm (3) whereby the lifting arm (3) and the lifting mechanism (25-34) and the swinging equipment (36-45) are carried by the upper support plate (8) of the stand (4). The invention also relates to a collapsible wheel-chair especially adapted for use together with the lifting apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying bar-like members such as cigarettes and filter plugs, in which a bar-like member containing box is lifted at a supplying position which supports the containing box in an inverted condition; and a pusher is operated to feed the bar-like members instead of a conventional hopper construction which stores bar-like members and allows them to drop from same, whereby the speed of the supplying operation is increased and a smooth supplying operation is assured without causing disordered orientation of the bar-like members.

Abstract: A "hands-free" apparatus for loading and unloading piece parts from baskets containing a plurality of such parts on a ferris wheel or other type carrier for submersion into plating or cleaning tanks. The preferred embodiment is adapted for handling plurality of metallic disks to be plated for the purpose of magnetic recording of data. The system accepts a plurality of baskets transported to it on a conveyor mechanism. The baskets are simultaneously lifted up to a load/unload position at which a mandrel is threaded through the aperture in each metallic disk. The baskets are lowered back down to the conveyor. The mandrel carrying the disks is swung onto a slot on the ferris wheel which is adapted to carry approximately twelve such disk carrying mandrels. The ferris wheel is stepped to the next slot which is loaded the same way. After all slots on the ferris wheel are loaded, the entire ferris wheel is removed from engagement with the loader and transported through the fabrication cycle.

Abstract: A coil spring, mounted within a cylinder and axially coincident with the pivot axis between a trailer and a ramp pivotally attached thereto, exerts a force angularly proportional to angular deviation of the ramp from its upright position to reduce the apparent weight of the ramp during manual repositioning of the ramp.

Abstract: Vehicle towing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of being mounted on a pickup truck or van without losing the use of any substantial part of the truck or van body.

Abstract: In a canister handling system, a canister dumper has pentagonally arranged rows of holders on a structure which is rotatable about a horizontal axis for indexing the rows of holders from a vertical position, where the canisters are loaded, through two steps to a canister content unloading station where the contents are gravity unloaded, and then through a canister unloading station where the canisters are dropped from the holders. The canisters include vertical ribs defining an enlarged outside diameter which interlocks with curved carrier walls to retain the canisters on carriers.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling unitary loads, such as containers, concrete elements, plate-shaped objects and the like, include a prime mover, such as a power vehicle or the like, which is equipped with a mechanism for engaging and raising one end of the load from the surface to which it rests, and an auxiliary device equipped with wheels which is separate from the prime mover and which supports the load during the handling operation. The auxiliary device is self-propelled and is controlled by an operator who can be situated in a cab of the prime mover. In operation, one end of the unitary load is raised from the base surface on which it rests by means of the engagement members of the prime mover whereupon the auxiliary device is positioned beneath the load to engage the same. The auxiliary device is propelled towards the opposite end of the load so that the latter is raised from the base surface with the load being supported on its underside by the auxiliary device so that the load can then be moved.

Abstract: The invention describes a road trailer which functions in a way similar to a mobile slipway whereby a craft may be moved into and from a body of water along a ramp on a wheeled cradle.

Abstract: A conveyor system principally for use as a variable capacity reservoir for rod-like articles such as cigarettes in stack formation, comprises a series of partly overlapping wheels (202, 204, 206, 208) supporting a laterally flexible conveyor (200). The wheels define an inclined generally helical path for the conveyor and are partly inclined in the same direction as the conveyor. The inclination of each wheel is set by pairs of rollers (234, 236) which engage the periphery of each wheel.

Abstract: A system for transporting and erecting very large, very heavy construction equipment such as cranes, earth augers or the like. Basically, the system consists of three components. The first component is an on-site movable support which can mount the working component such as a crane, auger, or the like during the construction work and which is movable with the working component at low speeds off-road at the construction site and at higher highway speeds on-road when the working component is removed. The second or working component consists of a crane, earth auger or the like and associated control drives. The third component is a large highway qualified truck which includes a mechanism for mounting the working component. In use, the working component is mounted on a truck which is driven to the construction site. The first component is also driven to the construction site and is aligned with the truck. A transfer mechanism then slides the working component from the truck to the on-site movable support.

Abstract: A container loader and transport assembly is disclosed which includes a horizontal bed formed for support of a container thereon during transport of the container and loader formed for lifting the container onto the bed from a support surface and lowering the container from the bed to the support surface. The loader is movably mounted to the bed and preferably includes a movable carriage and a lifting mechanism mounted to the carriage. The loader is formed to lift the container and lower it while maintaining the container in substantially horizontal orientation and preferably the carriage is mounted for translation on a pair of extensible rails that can be extended and retracted from an end or from the sides of the container support bed. A method for employing the motor and transport assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: A vacuum transfer device includes a central processing chamber and a plurality of additional chambers radially positioned around the central chamber and in vacuum-tight connection therewith. A rotatable coulisse arrangement in the central chamber is extendable so as to reach into the additional chambers when correctly aligned. The device can transfer objects among several work stations without intermediate venting and re-evacuation of the system of chambers.