Abstract: A railroad tie cover of a substantially rectangular configuration composed of an elastomer material with or without an optional pad is provided for increasing the resiliency of rail fastening track systems in railroad track beds with and without ballast to prolong the service life of timber and concrete railroad ties. The railroad tie cover has a center and two side portions which utilize a plurality of grooves that are designed to prolong the operational life of wooden and concrete ties by increasing the resiliency of the rail fastening system and in the case of the wooden timber ties prolong the life of the tie by channeling and transporting water and moisture away from the railroad timber tie. The number, depth and disposition of the grooves with or without the pad in the alternative embodiment fosters the circulation of air around the timber tie during the loading and unloading of the track as occurs during train passage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new-type, easy-to-clean pan of compact, attractive form with divided useful surface, namely a frying surface and a depositing surface, which are distinguished from one another by a temperature gradient.

Abstract: A combined method for mining and reclaiming land is provided for non arable saline and saline seep lands by utilizing subterranean drain pipe along with normal precipitation and irrigation waters to dissolve water soluble salts and minerals for collection in subterranean drain pipe and subsequently removing minerals and salts and thereafter purifying the water before discharging the water into rivers or returning the water back to the land for further circulation and percolation through the land to be mined and reclaimed.

Abstract: A device for incorporating the leading edge of material such as threads or stitches in the initial stitches of a workpiece is provided by the utilization of a pneumatically activated clamp and cutting knife mounted forward of the throat plate and presser foot assembly of a sewing or stitching machine. The device for clamping, cutting and incorporating the leading edge of threads or chain stitches in the initial stitches of the workpiece is achieved by clamping, severing and thereafter adjustably releasing the threads or stitches after a predetermined number of needle penetrations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for turning and pre-forming gloves is provided wherein the 5 fingers of a glove are mounted on a plurality of spaced members having resilient ends adapted for individually receiving a plurality of correspondingly spaced rods and a packer mechanism for disposition between at least two of said spaced tubular members for stretching the fingers of the gloves around the resilient ends of said tubular members and thereafter inserting said rods in the resilient ends of the tubular members to tension all of the fingers into the tubular members and thereafter releasing the packing device from between the fingers and further forming the fingers of the glove into the tubular members to a predetermined depth at which time a shuck element is activated to turn the palm and cuff of the glove over the plurality of rods of the turning rod assembly.

Abstract: A pneumatic needle positioner for positioning a needle of sewing and stitching machines in a predetermined position in the sewing or stitching cycle is provided by utilizing a handwheel sensing device in cooperation with a pneumatically powered positioning motor engageably disposed relative to a drive V-belt which engages the V-belt with a V-belt pulley of the pneumatic needle positioning motor at the end of the sewing cycle, by the actuation of a biasing piston having a roller to tension the V-belt toward the pulley disposed on the pneumatically powered positioning motor. Preferably the biasing piston and roller for the pneumatically powered positioning motor is disposed slightly above or below an axially adjacent position to the air motor pulley to provide a sinesoidal shaped bias against the pnematically powered positioning motor pulley to more effectively cooperate with the positioning device to achieve a more reliable and accurate positioning of the needle.

Abstract: A railroad timber tie cover of a substantially rectangular configuration composed of an elastomer material is provided for increasing the resiliency of rail fastening track systems in railroad track beds with and without ballast to prolong the service life of timber and concrete railroad ties. The railroad tie cover has a center and two side portions which utilize a plurality of grooves that are designed to prolong the operational life of wooden timber ties by increasing the resiliency of the rail fastening system and in the case of the wooden timber ties prolong the life of the tie by channeling and transporting water and moisture away from the railroad timber tie. The number, depth and disposition of the grooves foster the circulation of air around the timber tie during the loading and unloading of the track as occurs during train passage. The railroad tie cover is designed to be manufactured and shipped in a flat configuration which is installed as a three dimensional cover at the work site.

Abstract: An automatic placket shirt front forming machine and method for sewing placket shirt fronts is provided which utilizes an apparatus and method to automatically position, sew, mitre cut and remove a sewn placket shirt front and stack the placket shirt front. The method and apparatus requires the operator to only master the task of properly layering the material which may be facilitated by utilizing a set of guides. Once the material is layered and aligned, the operator has only to activate a start or reset button to clamp, transfer and position the placket shirt front and automatically start the sequential operation of sewing and mitre cutting, thread cutting and stacking of the finished placket shirt front.

Abstract: A method and control system for gear cutting machines such as hobbing equipment, shaper cutters and bevel-cutting equipment for achieving greater accuracy, productivity, and gears of increased quality while eliminating error, tedious calculations, labor and product variation is provided by employing a control system and utilizing a method of hobbing wherein optimum hob cutter efficiency is maintained by electronically monitoring and controlling hob input power, hob shift and workpiece feed to produce gears approaching the optimum theoretical calculated configuration. The method of cutting gears and the control system provides for the production of more accurate gears by eliminating the use of cams in shaper cutters and the use of change gears in hobbing machines and by properly controlling hob shift to result in an increased hob cutter life and provide higher production of optimally designed gears.

Abstract: A compact three-leaf combination book prop and notepad. The three leaves are hinged end-to-end and fold closed in a flat "Z" orientation so as to be suitable for insertion in a breast pocket. Two of the leaves may be fixed in an inverted "V" orientation to give vertical support to a book. The third leaf includes a paper pad clip which also serves as a book catch for preventing horizontal slippage of the propped book. The front face of the center leaf includes a thin electronic computer and a holder for a flattened writing utensil.

Abstract: A pipe coupling for joining abutting sections of pipe particularly adapted for connecting corrugated plastic drain pipe to provide a strong yet flexible coupling having a relatively smooth external surface thereby avoiding entanglement of the coupling in the guide of a trencher for the subterranean laying of the pipe. The pipe coupling consists of a substantially flexible rectangular shaped sleeve having at least two rows of teeth disposed along the length of the sleeve and means for fastening the ends of the sleeve around two sections of pipe to allow each row of teeth to engage at least one corrugated groove disposed at or near the end of each section of pipe to provide a coupling having a wide range of applicability for connecting a variety of corrugated pipe configurations.

Abstract: A tractor hitch mounted combination stone rake and ground conditioning machine including a frame and rotary member having mounted thereon a plurality of resilient tines in combination with a means for raising and lowering the rotary member with respect to the ground to allow a penetration of said resilient tines into the ground from about 1/8 of an inch to 3 inches to provide a resilient stone raking and ground preparing action which removes small stones, sticks and other materials that would otherwise interfere with a finished landscape for planting of lawn seed or other crop. The novel combination stone rake and ground conditioning machine not only removes stones at or near the surface of the ground, but also breaks up and aerates the soil while removing weeds and other plant growth that might otherwise interfere with planting operations.

Abstract: A resilient rail clip or fastener formed in a generally trapezoidal configuration from springsteel is provided for securing rail track to railroad ties that may be constructed from a variety of materials. The trapezoidal shaped resilient rail clip has a long edge for gripping the rail which when untensioned forms a type of sine shaped curve and which when tensioned to the rail, utilizing two spikes or screws per clip, transforms the sine shaped curve into a linear line that is biased flat against the foot of the rail.

Abstract: A commodity dryer for removing or providing moisture and controlling atmosphere which surrounds stored commodities such as grain is provided which reduces the growth of bacteria, fungus and minimizes other deleterious conditions encountered such as in the storage of moist commodities which generally render them unfit for subsequent consumption. The commodity dryer maintains the integrity of stored commodities by creating a controlled atmosphere conducive to the removal or the addition of water by capillary action from the pores of the commodity and for controlling the moisture and temperature around the skin of the grain to achieve optimum storage conditions for the specific commodity stored.

Abstract: An attitude control system for controlling a pitch angle in relation to a horizontal pitch reference in systems wherein the components of pitch angle and horizontal pitch combine to determine a parallel path of travel with respect to a horizontal reference plane. The attitude control system consists of a slope sensor for measuring and compensating for pitch attitude changes in conjunction with a grade control system for monitoring horizontal reference. The present attitude control system is applicable to trenching machines whereby soil conditions affecting pitch angle are compensated in conjunction with horizontal pitch to control a predetermined grade or the pitch angle can be utilized alone to control slope of an excavation line.

Abstract: The pipe flange tool for tightening or removing threaded pipe flanges which includes a base having at least three engaging pins laterally extending from one side of the base and means for rotationally engaging the base. The engaging pins are positioned on the base such that at least two of the pins cooperate to tighten or remove various threaded pipe flanges as are commonly used for forming circulating pumps to pipes. The tool base may be provided with a bore in the base itself or have a laterally extending hub having a bore sized to receive a conventional socket wrench. The base may also be provided with pins having various configurations including cylindrical or frusto-conical.

Abstract: A plurality of individual, isolatable storage bins carrying a desiccant such as silicon gel are selectively placed in communication with a heat reclaim/solar collector within a gas circulation loop to permit the desiccant material to be dried and to store heat almost indefinitely in its dry state. The bins may be selectively connected within a second circulation loop, including a room to be conditioned such that a second gas circulated over the desiccant and to the room varies the moisture content of the desiccant to release heat and to thereby effect controlled heating or cooling of the air within the room, as needed, and irrespective operation of the heat reclaim/solar collector.

Abstract: A .[.pair of.]. cylindrical .[.rotors are.]. .Iadd.rotor is .Iaddend.mounted for rotation within a stator and .[.each rotor including.]. .Iadd.the rotor includes .Iaddend.a plurality of cylindrical bores annularly around the axis thereof and parallel to the stator bore. Pistons reciprocate within these bores and connecting rods or links of the pistons engage within the profile of a .[.pair of annular cams.]. .Iadd.an annular cam .Iaddend.secured to the stator .[.at opposite ends thereof.]. so that as the .[.rotors rotate,.]. .Iadd.rotor rotates, .Iaddend.the pistons reciprocate due to the cam profile. By providing a set of pistons and cylinders, on each side of a central common cylinder head at each end, a pair of rotors and a pair of cams one at each end of the stator, balance is achieved. A common combustion chamber is provided in the cylinder head for the pistons on the opposite sides of the cylinder head.