Abstract: An apparatus and method for changing pallet cars on-the-fly in a traveling grate machine which includes spaced-apart drive sprockets positioned at one end of intermediate curved end portions for engaging and driving the supporting rollers of the pallet cars and for causing movement of the pallet cars along the top and bottom strands of the machine. The apparatus for changing pallet cars includes first hinged sections of outer guide rails located at the drive sprockets adjacent to the bottom strand of guide rails. The first sections of hinged guide rails are moved from a locked position to an open position whereby in the open position a selected pallet car requiring replacement is removed from the drive sprocket means and outer guide rails as the drive sprocket continues to turn. Second hinged sections of outer guide rails arc provided at the top of the drive sprocket adjacent to the upper strand of guide rails.

Abstract: The drain openings in movable and fixed platens in a press unit are wider than the largest praticle in a slurry to be dewatered and are formed by arcuate ribs dimensioned to resist the transverse forces developed as the granular particles from bridges across the slotted drain openings in rendom order. Liquid expressed through the movable platen is directed radially outward through a subplaten, passes back through the clearance between the piston carrying the movable platen and the mold wall and is discharged through a sealing and collecting ring having a series of annular grooves which communicate with longitudinal radially extending slots having longitudinal bores at the radial extremity thereof which direct the liquid to an annular passage for discharge.

Abstract: A roller adjustment apparatus provides for the independent adjustment of spacing between any two adjacent rigidly spaced apart rollers without affecting the spacing of any of the other rollers in a roller screen conveyor. A support block of the apparatus, which rotatably supports an end of the roller and is slidably mounted on the conveyor frame, has two oppositely extending threaded bores oriented normal to the axis of rotation of the roller and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. A threaded adjusting bolt, having oppositely threaded ends, is placed intermediate adjacent support blocks and engages the confronting threaded bores therein such that rotation of the adjusting bolt either increases or decreases the spacing between adjacent rollers. Threaded studs and a threaded adjusting sleeve are alternate corresponding forms for adjusting the roller spacing.

Abstract: The load carrying upper reach of a belt conveyor particularly useful for transporting large pieces of rock and other heavy bulk material dispenses with the usual idle troughing rollers and is supported by an endless succession of spaced transverse flexible cross members or hammocks each of which has a trolley at each end riding on endless rails extending along each side of the belt and around the rollers at the head and discharge ends of the belt conveyor. Along the return strand of the conveyor belt the hammocks are above the belt but rest on it. The side-to-side distance between rails is less than the width of the conveyor belt so that the weighed belt cradles itself in the hammocks. However, at the head end of the conveyor there is a decending traveling belt ramp and at the discharge end an upwardly sloping belt ramp to flatten the hammocks and the belt for passage around the head and tail pulleys respectively. In these areas, the rails spread apart to take up the slack in the hammocks.