Abstract: Provided here are methods of using a mutated patatin-like phospholipase II? (“pPLAII?,” renamed here MATRILINEAL) to induce haploid induction in plants, cloning a pPLAII? to induce haploid induction in plants, and genetically engineering a plant to contain a mutated pPLAII?. Also provided are methods of applying topical and spray chemicals, lipids, and RNAi molecules to plants during pollination in order to induce haploid production. Further provided are methods of chemically treating plants during pollination to induce haploids while also reducing embryo abortion and increasing seed set.

Abstract: A shear pad assembly for use between a rail car side frame pedestal and the rail car roller bearing adapter includes an upper plate formed and adapted to seat the side frame pedestal and a lower plate, spaced from the upper plate, and formed and adapted to seat on the roller bearing adapter. There is an elastomer positioned in the space between the upper plate and the lower plate, with the elastomer having a generally uniform thickness throughout a substantial portion of the space between the plates. There are a pair of spaced metal shims, each extending parallel to a side frame, being adjacent an edge of the elastomer, and being located generally intermediate the upper and lower plates.

Abstract: A shear pad assembly for use between a rail car side frame pedestal and the rail car roller bearing adapter includes an upper plate formed and adapted to seat the side frame pedestal and a lower plate, spaced from the upper plate, and formed and adapted to seat on the roller bearing adapter. There is an elastomer positioned in the space between the upper plate and the lower plate, with the elastomer having a generally uniform thickness throughout a substantial portion of the space between the plates. There are a pair of spaced metal shims, each extending parallel to a side frame, being adjacent an edge of the elastomer, and being located generally intermediate the upper and lower plates.

Abstract: A three-piece rail car truck has a pair of side frames, a pair of wheelsets and a roller bearing adapter seated on each end of each wheelset. Each side frame has pedestal jaws formed and adapted to seat upon each roller bearing adapter. The improvement comprises a stabilizer bar connected between each roller bearing adapter and adjacent portions of a side frame, with the stabilizer bars resisting unsquaring relative movement between the wheelsets and side frames.

Abstract: A bridge plate assembly for use in moving vehicles between rail cars for loading and unloading has sufficient length to span the space between adjacent rail cars and has sufficient width to accommodate vehicles of varying wheelbase. The plate assembly includes two relatively movable telescoping load bearing members, each of which includes a plurality of spaced tubular members and a support member at each end of each plate member joining the tubular members together.

Abstract: A three piece rail car truck has a pair of side frames, a pair of wheelsets and a roller bearing adapter seated on each end of each wheelset. Each side frame has pedestal jaws formed and adapted to seat upon each roller bearing adapter. The improvement comprises a stabilizer bar connected between each roller bearing adapter and an adjacent portion of a side frame, with the stabilizer bars resisting unsquaring relative movement between the wheelsets and side frames.

Abstract: A bridge plate assembly for use in moving vehicles between rail cars for loading and unloading has sufficient length to span the space between adjacent rail cars and has sufficient width to accommodate vehicles of varying wheelbase. The plate assembly includes two relatively movable telescoping load bearing members, each of which includes a plurality of spaced tubular members and a support member at each end of each plate member joining the tubular members together.

Abstract: A friction wedge for use in damping relative movement between the bolster and the side frame of a railroad car truck includes a body formed and adapted to be positioned in a pocket of one of the bolster and side frame. The body has spaced body portions integrally joined by an intermediate connecting portion. Each of the spaced body portions has a friction surface formed and adapted during normal use to be in frictional contact with a wear resistant surface on the other of the bolster and side frame. The spaced friction surfaces on the wedge body are effective to increase the resistance to bolster/side frame warp movement over and above the resistance provided by a continuous friction surface which is equal in width to the distance between the outside of each of the spaced friction surfaces.

Abstract: A bridge plate assembly for use in moving vehicles between rail cars for unloading and loading has a sufficient length to span the space between adjacent rail cars and has sufficient width to accommodate vehicles of varying wheelbase. The plate assembly includes two load bearing plate members, positioned one on top of another, with one end of each plate member being formed and adapted to be attached to the end of a rail car. Each plate member has top and bottom face layers bonded to an intermediate low density core.

Abstract: A friction wedge for use in damping relative movement between the bolster and the side frame of a railroad car truck includes a body formed and adapted to be positioned in a pocket of one of the bolster and side frame. The body has spaced body portions integrally joined by an intermediate connecting portion. Each of the spaced body portions has a friction surface formed and adapted during normal use to be in frictional contact with a wear resistant surface on the other of the bolster and side frame. The spaced friction surfaces on the wedge body are effective to increase the resistance to bolster/side frame warp movement over and above the resistance provided by a continuous friction surface which is equal in width to the distance between the outside of each of the spaced friction surfaces.

Abstract: A wheel chock for restraining a motor vehicle in a transportable carrier such as a railway car, which is adapted to be selectively connected to a rail fastened to the floor of the carrier and which is made of a flexible copolymer material capable of withstanding the loads incurred by chock restrained vehicles, and further which is user friendly in that it can be maintained in a wheel-restraining position together with a wheel harness and removed from that position without the use of any tools. The wheel chock includes a torque tube for winding up a wheel harness strap to tighten the wheel harness on a vehicle wheel, a strap take-up device for quickly removing the slack in the strap, and a foot-operated actuating lever for rotating the torque tube and operating a pawl and ratchet mechanism controlling rotation of the torque tube.

Abstract: A friction casting for use in a railroad car truck between a side frame column and a bolster pocket slanted wall has a slanted wall to face and be in contact with the bolster pocket slanted wall and a vertical face in contact with the side frame column. The friction casting has a hollow interior, except for a support rib which is perpendicular to the slanted wall of the casting and supports the slanted wall of the casting generally at the zone of contact with the bolster pocket slanted wall. The support rib transfers the load from the slanted face of the friction casting to the vertical face of the friction casting generally at the center of pressure thereof.

Abstract: A wheel chock for a motor vehicle container made of composite material which is adapted to be selectively connected to a pair of rails fastened to the container floor, and which is made of a flexible copolymer material capable of withstanding the loads incurred by vehicles restrained by the chocks, and which is constructed to be easily connected to and disconnected from the rails and be supported above the container floor to prevent damage to the floor.

Abstract: A wheel restraining cleat and strap for use with a pair of wheel chocks to anchor a vehicle wheel to a supporting surface such as a floor of a railway car for transporting vehicles, which includes a strap of flexible material for overlying the tire of the vehicle wheel and carrying thereon a cleat formed of a material having both flexibility and resiliency so that it grabs the tire to retain the strap in overlying relation with the wheel. The cleat includes protuberances on the tire-engaging side to prevent slippage between the tire and the cleat, thereby maintaining the strap in overlying tie-down relation to the wheel. The cleat is sufficiently bendable to conform to surfaces of tires of different diameters.

Abstract: A frameless self-steering radial wheeled support vehicle for a railroad car body includes:(a) a pair of wheelsets,(b) a support at opposite ends of each wheelset for independently mounting a railroad car body on each end of the wheelset,(c) resilient shear pads for mounting each support upon an end of a wheelset, which pads permit both lateral and yaw movement of a wheelset relative to its supports, and(d) a linkage connecting adjacent ends of each wheelset constraining the wheelsets to yaw in opposite sense and permitting lateral movement of one wheelset relative to the other.

Abstract: A railroad truck includes a pair of side frames with wheeled axles mounted there between. A roller bearing adaptor is mounted upon a roller bearing at each end of each axle with the side frames being mounted upon a shear pad mounted on the roller bearing adaptors. There is a subframe for interconnecting the wheeled axles by connecting opposite corner adaptors and there is a rigid connection between each adaptor and the subframe. Each rigid connection includes an adaptor portion and a subframe portion, with said portions being relatively vertically disposed. There are vertical fastening means connecting said vertically disposed adaptor and subframe portions. The vertically disposed portions have cooperating means thereon which substantially eliminate horizontal shear forces upon the fastening means.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge is provided to be used in a high speed impact printer having means for driving only one reel in the ribbon cartridge, the take-up reel. The ribbon cartridge comprises a cartridge housing having an open end, and supply and take-up reels rotatably mounted in said housing. The supply reel supports an inventory of unused ribbon web which runs from the supply reel to the take-up reel. The rib is mounted in the cartridge housing facing the open end in a position closer to the supply reel than to the take-up reel.The printer into which the ribbon cartridge is to be inserted contains driving means for driving only the take-up reel. The printer receiving means into which the cartridge is to be inserted includes a stop element disposed so as to block the rib to stop the engagement of the cartridge and the receiving means when the cartridge is being inserted in a direction towards the undesirable engagement of the drive means with the supply reel rather than with the take-up reel.

Abstract: A friction member for use in the bolster pocket of a stabilized railroad car truck having a bolster positioned within a side frame window has a slanted friction surface adapted to bear against a slanted wear surface within the bolster pocket and a vertical friction surface adapted to bear against a side frame wear surface. The slanted friction surface has a profile in a generally horizontal plane consisting of a central flat portion and adjoining outside arcuate portions. The flat portion has a width equal to twice the distance between the side frame center line and the point of rotation of the side frame relative to the bolster, with said point of rotation being selected such that, during side frame rotation, the distance from the side frame center line to the point of intersection of the plane of the vertical friction surface and the plane of the side frame wear surface is no greater than one half of said friction member horizontal thickness.

Abstract: A railroad car truck bolster has a centrally disposed vertically arranged longitudinally extending web. The web has spaced reinforcing means with the spacing of the reinforcing means being sufficient to cause certain fractures in the web propagating along lines of maximum shear stress at approximately 45 degrees to lines of principal stress to reach a reinforcing means at a point closer to the neutral axis of the web than the next adjacent external surface of the web. The bolster side walls have openings with the above-described spaced web reinforcing means being generally in alignment with the bolster side wall openings.

Abstract: A railroad car truck has a pair of wheelsets and means for providing relative restraint between wheelsets. A pair of side frames are supported on the wheelsets through resilient pads with the resilient pads providing greater shear resistance in a lateral direction than in a longitudinal direction.