Abstract: A device for continuous conveying and turning of workpieces has a drivable, endless, flexible troughed belt (12) with a plurality of bars, parallel in the direction of conveyance (F) and articulated to each other. In order to form the trough, each of the ends of the troughed belt is guided around a ring (14) or a circular disk 13 parallel to a reference plane (S.sub.6 .beta.), respectively, as well as two guide rollers (10, 10', 11, 11') which are paraxial to the circular disk and the ring. For disturbance-free conveyance of large and small workpieces, the reference plane (S.sub.6 .beta.) forms a line of intersection (S.sub.6), inclined (angle .alpha.

Abstract: A dumping apparatus for a bag filled with molten substance wherein a tippler and a driving apparatus therefor are simplified and miniaturized in structure and a bag can be pulled out smoothly from within a carrying can with a minimized impact and without the possibility of break and can be transferred safely to a pallet. The tippler is mounted for pivotal motion around a stationary axis, and when it is pivoted from a first transfer position, fork prongs thereof are moved from between adjacent rollers of a roller conveyor to take up carrying cans from the roller conveyor. The carrying cans are thereafter held and moved by a side frame of the tippler, and when the tippler is pivoted to a second transfer position at which the side frame thereof is inclined downwardly, bags filled with molten substance slip somewhat from the carrying cans due to their own weight so that they are partially received on a pallet on a pallet conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for installing and retrieving road signs has a conveyor for conveying a group of road signs, a pair of group of signs-conveying members for conveying the group of road signs while supporting both sides of a bottom portion of the group of road signs, a driving device for changing over the road sign to a support-releasing condition, a pair of sign-receiving elements arranged at sign-separating positions, a moving device for causing the pair of sign-receiving elements to approach and separate, a sign-ascending and descending device for supporting and causing the road sign to ascend and descend, a device for correcting the posture of the road sign, a sign-holding device for releasably holding the road sign, a position-changing device for shifting the sign-holding device from a position where the sign is separated to a position where the sign is installed and retrieved, and a holding device-ascending and descending mechanism for causing the sign-holding device to ascend and descend at the position whe

Abstract: A device for straightening one edge DA of the four side edges AB, BC, CD and DA of a flexible sheet such as a crumpled bed sheet disclosed. One corner A of the sheet and a portion of the edge AB are held by a pair of laterally spaced apart, left and right holders mounted on a movable member so that the sheet is displaced on an elongated plate along the longitudinal direction thereof by the movement of the movable member. One or more laterally extending endless conveyers belts are provided on the plate to laterally move the sheet on the plate. A detector is provided to determine the direction of the movement of each of the conveyors, so that the edge DA is made in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the plate.

Abstract: Apparatus for surface treatment of workpieces has a rotary horizontal cage with inclined end walls and a set of elongated rod-shaped or bar-shaped components between the end walls. The end walls are rotatable in inclined carriers which cause them to act not unlike swash plates and to cause the components to reciprocate in response to rotation of the cage about its axis. The end portions of the components are tensionsed by springs which react against the end walls and bear against axially adjustable nuts at the free ends of the components at the outer sides of the end walls. The end walls have relatively large holes to ensure that the components are not flexed during reciprocation in response to rotation of the cage. Workpieces to be treated, e.g., by sprays of solid particles, are introduced through one of the end walls and advance toward the other end wall at a speed which is determined by the extent of reciprocatory movement of the components and the rotational speed of the cage.

Abstract: Apparatus for surface treatment of workpieces has a rotary horizontal cage with inclined end walls and a set of elongated rod-shaped or bar-shaped components between the end walls. The end walls are rotatable in inclined carriers which cause them to act not unlike swash plates and to cause the components to reciprocate in response to rotation of the cage about its axis. The end portions of the components are tensioned by springs which react against the end walls and bear against axially adjustable nuts at the free ends of the components at the outer sides of the end walls. The end walls have relatively large holes to ensure that the components are not flexed during reciprocation in response to rotation of the cage. Workpieces to be treated, e.g., by sprays of solid particles, are introduced through one of the end walls and advance toward the other end wall at a speed which is determined by the extent of reciprocatory movement of the components and the rotational speed of the cage.

Abstract: A method of rotating and transferring hollow cylindrical workpieces without causing the outer surfaces of such workpieces to come into contact with each other and a non-contact method of coating hollow cylindrical workpieces which are rotated and transferred, characterized in that flanges having bores in the central portions thereof are fitted over both end portions of each hollow cylindrical workpiece, a shaft being inserted through the bores in these flanges and supported horizontally together with the workpiece at each end on and rotated by a plurality of paired vertically movable rollers which are spaced by a distance not shorter than the length of the workpiece, a pusher for moving the workpiece being provided on a shaft, a coating mechanism being provided at an intermediate portion of the shaft in order to coat the workpiece with a material, a plurality of flanged workpieces being moved by the pusher toward a discharge end of the shaft and removed therefrom in order.

Abstract: An installation for the surface treatment of workpieces has a housing with a treatment chamber. The workpieces are conveyed through the chamber by an apparatus which continuously advances the workpieces while simultaneously tumbling the same. The apparatus includes an elongated, generally horizontal cage-like receptacle which extends through the chamber and a motor for rotating the receptacle on its longitudinal axis to thereby tumble the workpieces. The receptacle has an end wall to either side of the chamber and the end walls are joined to one another by a tubular shell made up of a series of elongated components such as rods or wires. The elongated components, which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle, are circumferentially spaced so that a medium for the surface treatment of workpieces being tumbled in the shell can penetrate the latter.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus in which the stack of sheets forming the load are fed onto a pivoting cradle whose pivot axis is at a height permitting substantially horizontal delivery of the sheets to the receiving conveyor. After each loading of the cradle, it is moved horizontally toward the receiving conveyor an amount sufficient to cover any feeding gap on the conveyor caused by the excursion of the cradle through its load position. A pivotable conveyor aft of the receiving conveyor includes a backstop gate assembly which is adjustable to control the thickness of flow of shingled sheets.

Abstract: Bricks (or other block-like articles) are automatically selectively set either "edgewise" or "flatwise" onto a platform such as a kiln car. The operational mode can be conveniently and automatically programmed to change from edge setting to flat setting and vice versa so that, for example, a hack of uncured bricks can be formed of flats (layers) alternating between edge and flat set as may be desired for subsequent curing operations in a kiln. In the flat setting mode, groups of bricks are turned by 90.degree. before they are grouped and transferred as a layer of "flat" oriented bricks for hacking. In the edge setting mode, such bricks are grouped and transferred as a layer of "edge" oriented bricks onto a hack. Special techniques are employed to facilitate changes between these two modes of operation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus in which the stack of sheets forming the load are fed onto a pivoting cradle whose pivot axis is at a height permitting substantially horizontal delivery of the sheets to the receiving conveyor. After each loading of the cradle, it is moved horizontally toward the receiving conveyor an amount sufficient to cover any feeding gap on the conveyor caused by the excursion of the cradle through its load position.

Abstract: A front feed system including powered roller means for feeding sheet metal into the front of a shear. Elevatable ball transfer means are provided for facilitating setting the sheet metal at various angles to the blade as desired by the operator.

Abstract: A tray washing system includes conveyors which transport compartmented food service trays from a tray receiving mechanism to inverting and scrapping mechanisms and through washing, rinsing and drying mechanisms to a stacking mechanism. The receiving mechanism restricts trays to insertion in a predetermined orientation in which the food receiving surfaces face upwardly, and the inverting mechanism inverts each tray so that the food receiving surface faces downwardly.

Abstract: Method employing serially positioned conveyors which are reorientable relative to one another at a common position in order to position an incoming stack of materials for transport and automatic stacking at an output position. The speeds of the conveyors are variable and reversible, and the motive power for both operating the conveyors and reorienting them and associated elements is supplied hydraulically. Transport to the output position is over an inclinable shingling conveyor and a retractable output conveyor.