Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering concrete returned to the plant by delivery truck empties the delivery trucks into hoppers that dispense the so delivered left over concrete into molds designed to produce blocks of concrete suitable for regrinding into aggregate. The molded blocks are held in the molds for sufficient time to set the concrete for grinding before the blocks are separated from the molds. The molded blocks are then delivered to a grinding station where they are ground into aggregate of selected size for return to the concrete mixing operation. Any water that separates during the molding operation is subject to a settling operation to settle fine particles and the decanted water is then stored in a suitable reservoir for reuse, for example, in washing out the trucks.

Abstract: In a stretch wrapping system, the film is punctured about half way across its width to form a small hole which is expanded in the prestretch station and the film finally broken by abruptly increasing film tension at the end of a wrapping operation.

Abstract: The orientation of strands relative to a selected axis is determined by analyzing a digitized grey scale image to select edge pixels therefrom that may define the edges of strands segmenting the image into a plurality of subimages and processing one of the subimages by defining pixel lines merging the pixel lines to form lines and culling selected one of the lines in the subimage. The subimage is then combined to co-terminus other of the subimages to form a combined subimage which is processed in the same manner by merging pixel lines to form lines and culling selected line in the combined subimage. This process is repeated by combining further subimages and processing until substantially all of the image has been processed to provide the plurality of strand lines defining strand edges and then determining the orientation of the strand lines relative to the axis.

Abstract: A pilot coater for applying a coating on a moving web sample is formed by a backup roll, a transfer roll and a coating flow metering system metering coating flow onto the transfer roll. A pneumatic actuating system holds the transfer roll in a ready position until a sensor detects a specific portion of the web is moving into a nip found between the backing roll and transfer roll and triggers movement of the transfer roll and coating metering system to move to a coating position with the transfer roll pressed onto the paper supported on the backing roll. After a preselected period of time, the transfer roll is moved from the paper to terminate the coating operation.

Abstract: Consolidated composite wood products are produced by waferizing wet wood to produce wet green strands and processing the wet green strands by application of adhesive and formation of a lay-up mat for consolidation prior to drying. The lay-up mat is dried in mat form under conditions that maintain the applied adhesive to condition it for the subsequent consolidation step wherein heat and pressure are applied to form a consolidated composite wood product. Preferably, the mat will be formed by orienting the strands to have their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the product and then the product will be remaned to produce lumber products with the longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the product.

Abstract: A loader such as a front end loader is provided with dam shell type bucket having a blade section, and collecting section pivoted thereon. The collecting section has a separating section having a separating surface curved on an are centered on pivotal axis of the collecting section and positioned relative to the leading edge of the blade section so that it tends to wipe clean the separating surface as it passes thereby when the relevant bucket sections are relatively pivoted from a screening position to a closed position. When the clam shell is in the screening position, the separating section forms at least a portion of the bottom of the bucket. A sifting screen for sifting finer material may also be provided as a dam at the free end of the collecting section.

Abstract: Strand lay-up system produces a layered strand lay-up from separate feed bins and then deposits incremental lengths of the so formed layered lay-up over discrete selected area to form a more homogenous lay-up.

Abstract: A tape applicator having a displaceable front contact roller movable from an extended position to a retracted position and a detector positioned on the tape applicator so that movement of the tape with the front roller relatively positions the detector and tape in sensing position wherein the detector may detect the presence or absence of a tape along a tape path leading to the front roller. The detector is only activated when the tape and detector are in the sensing positions permitting detection of the tape. This is preferably accomplished in a conventional tape applicator with a cutoff knife by mounting the detector on the cutoff mechanism so that both the detector and the tape are moved toward each other to assume the required relative positions wherein the detector can detect the tape and activate a warning system in the event no tape is detected. Also disclosed is a tape applicator having a detector to sense when the tape cutter has failed to cut the tape.

Abstract: A tape applying mechanism employs a puller having a gripper that grips the free end of a tape and then pulls it from a pickup position along a path into an extended position. A pressure bar then moves across the path and forces the tape against the surface of an article, preferably the pressure bar will include a pair of end wipers to wipe end sections of the tape along a pair of sides of the article in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first or major surface of the article. The device is particularly suited for applying a sealing tape to a carton wherein the side of the tape facing the article or carton has an adhesive surface.

Abstract: A breathing apparatus for survival gear is provided by a head receiving hood that is sealed over the head of the user and has sufficient volume to provide breathing air for at least a selected period of time while submerged and is made of a material that prevents the ingress of liquid water while being permeable to the flow of gasses therethrough whereby the supply of oxygen in the hood may be replenished and the carbon dioxide concentration reduced. A suitable waterproof transparent window is formed in the hood in the position which permits the wearer to see out of the hood and a gas passage spacer pad prevents the hood from collapsing into the breathing apertures of the user and provides passages communicating with the inside of the hood remote from the breathing passage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a hydraulic manipulator defines a position error signal (.theta..sub.e), defining a first control signal (U.sub.P, U.sub.PD) based on the position error (.theta..sub.e) and generating an improved position error integral signal (.theta..sub.I) based on a product of the position error (.theta..sub.e) integral signal and a velocity factor F.sub.V. The velocity factor F.sub.V is based on a derivative of the position error (.theta..sub.e) and a nonlinear function. An integral control signal (U.sub.I) is produced based on the improved position error integral signal (.theta..sub.I) and is combined with the first signal (U.sub.P, U.sub.PD) to provide an output control signal U to control the manipulator. The invention also preferably includes a system to further reduce overshoot by further modifying the position error signal (.theta..sub.

Abstract: A system for coupling synthetic boomsticks having a pair of spaced parallel substantially horizontal coupling flanges projecting axially therefrom. The flanges form a loop receiving space therebetween and a coupling pin passes through this space between the flanges to lock a loop therein. The coupling pin is lockable in closed position to hold loop in place. A coupling pin and slot prevents rotation of the coupling pin except when the coupling pin is in retracted open position.

Abstract: A system for detecting web flutter of a web leaving a nip utilizes a proximity of sensor preferably a plurality of proximity sensors arranged transversely of the web to locally measure the distance between the web and the sensors at a distance no greater close to the nip so that the proximity sensor determines roll the web is following leaving the nip in each area sensed by each detector so that this information may be used to monitor or control the coating system.

Abstract: A parka is formed with a substantially rhomboid shaped beaver tail secured at the center and adjacent to the bottom of the back of the parka and is movable from a stored position to a deployed operative position wherein it extends between the legs and part way up the front of the parka, thereby to pull the bottom circumferential edge of the parka into close relationship with the top, the outside of the legs of the wearer while the beaver tail is in close contact with the inside of the legs in the crotch area to provide a better sealed garment.

Abstract: A fiber-cement trim board is formed by a fiber-cement core layer faced with a pair of fiber-cement surface layers of substantially equal thickness in the core layer and have a cement-to-wood ratio by weight of between 2 and 3.5 and at least 70% of the wood strands have a length longer than 10 min. Each of the surface layers is formed of a fiber-cement mixture containing wood strands, at least 80% of which have a length of less than 4 mm and a cement-to-wood ratio by weight of between 2 and 3.5. The board is covered at least on the two main faces by a water barrier coating.

Abstract: A new coated fibrous substrate is produced by applying a coating containing swelled super absorbent particles having a minimum dimension of at least 5 microns to obtain the desired porosity and roughness in the finished coating, applying the coating to the substrate at least partially setting the coating thereafter driving at least the majority of the carrier absorbed by the super absorbent particles from the particles to leave macro-voids in the coating and produce a coated surface having a roughness in the macro as opposed to the micro range.

Abstract: A case sealing system utilizes a parallel link mechanism with a built-in locking positioning system to support a case sealer such as a taper, gluer or stapler or the like at a selected height above a support table whereby the height of the sealer above the table may be readily adjusted to accommodate different height packages. Preferably, the system will also include a pair of easily adjusted side guides that are moveable to positions to center different width packages relative to the center line of the sealer so that the equipment may be quickly and accurately be positioned to accommodate different sized packages.

Abstract: A bleached pulp having a high viscosity for a given permanganate number is formed by pretreating never dried pulp with an organic solvent medium to produce a treated pulp composed of said never dried pulp in the medium and then bleaching that treated pulp using ozone at a pH of 1.5-5 to provide a bleached pulp while reducing the viscosity loss during the ozone bleaching step significantly compared to that what would occur if the medium used in the ozone bleaching were water.

Abstract: An impeller pump for moving large volumes of liquid against heads of up to 1 meteris formed by a substantial circular housing having its axis substantially vertical in which an impeller is mounted for rotation on the central axis. The impeller has an maximum diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the housing and is formed with a hub and the plurality of blades symmetrically positioned around the hub. Each blade extends radially outward of the hub from a root to a tip and has a foil shaped cross section with a lift to drag ratio at least 75 to 1 at a Reynolds number of under 10.sup.6. Each of the blades is skewed rearward in the direction of blade rotation so that the apparent aspect ratio of blade is increased and to reduce operating noise. Each blade has an angle of attack of between 2.degree. and 6.degree. and has a rake in the direction of flow through the impeller of between 3.degree. and 7.degree.. The impeller lifts water through the housing and directs it into the fish farm.

Abstract: A process of producing fat free chips cooks the chips and while at elevated temperature and containing sufficient moisture to form the desired pore structure in the chips subjects the chips to sub-atmospheric pressure to expand the moisture into stream and form small pores within the chip structure to provide a cooked fat free product have a similar texture and taste to that of convention deep fried chips.