Abstract: An electric vehicle of adequate performance and range and of low cost uses a long tray of batteries easily rolled into or from a housing which also comprises a structural backbone of the car. The body provides useful space, such as a passenger compartment on both sides of the backbone, extending down to about the level of the bottom of the backbone, thereby keeping a low center of gravity, and compactness for low wind resistance. The steering wheel is on a swing-arm standing out laterally from the backbone, the backbone supporting the steering shaft in a position not "aimed" at the driver. The steering arm swings out of the way to facilitate access, and in one form of the invention the body top swings open and there are no side doors. Separate V belt drives from the motor through automatic speed-changing pulleys for each side minimize current draw on start-up and acceleration, maximize performance, ensure driving both drive wheels in slippery weather, and permit differential wheel speed on turns.

Abstract: When connected to an ordinary A.C. power source, the apparatus has a power supply in which a circuit ground oscillates in voltage with respect to the earth ground, no matter with which polarity the apparatus is connected to the power source. A person's capacitative coupling to earth ground is employed to create a circuit in one or the other of two sensing heads (depending upon which the person approaches) to use that pulsating voltage to charge a capacitor in the respective sensing head. From one head the capacitor charge is applied to a memory in the sense to increase a potential stored in the memory while from the other head the charge is applied in the sense of decreasing the potential. The potential in the memory is employed as one component of the total voltage required to initiate the firing of a triac, whereby the phase angle of the firing will be determined by the magnitude of the stored potential.

Abstract: A subatmospheric air pressure is applied to the bottom of a grain bin so that the air flows down through the grain from a top opening in the bin. Heated air, at atmospheric pressure or above, is introduced into the bin above the top of the grain. This air may be distributed above the grain to flow down through it.

Abstract: A supplemental frame is used with a conventional carpet stretcher to transmit the rearward force from the carpet stretching operation to the tacking strip forwardly of the carpet stretcher as a pulling force. The supplemental frame has a blade which fits between the carpet engaging strip and the wall and a pressure member which is rearwardly of the carpet stretcher for the tailpiece of the carpet stretcher to abut.

Abstract: A tank for oil or other hydraulic fluid is improved both for cooling the fluid during normal operation and for heating it up preliminarily at start-up time by an internal curtain spaced a narrow distance from the side walls and providing a cooling channel through which, during operation, the oil may be passed in immediate contact with the outer side walls of the tank to be cooled before flowing into the main storage chamber, a flap valve being turned at start-up time to a position to direct returning oil directly into the main storage chamber where it is relatively insulated from the outer side walls by the stagnant oil in the cooling channel, so that the heat developed by power-circulation of the oil is conserved and in cold weather the oil is more quickly brought up to satisfactory operating temperature. The peripheral cooling channel normally used also settles foreign particles from the hydraulic fluid, and dissipates any entrained air at its surface.

Abstract: The rear cover of a switch housing is removble and supports a plurality of individual switch units. Each switch unit has an axially positioned switch actuating plunger. The housing has a push-button mechanism positioned to contact the switch plungers. On the exterior of the switch unit are spring contacts which engage spring contacts on the housing. The housing has wiring connectors electrically connected to the housing spring contacts. By removal of the rear cover the switch units are withdrawn from the housing without the necessity for disconnecting the wires. The switch units and housing components can be stacked so as to increase the number of switches actuated by the push-button mechanism.

Abstract: A guard barrier in front of the exposed portion of the blade of a band saw is raised or lowered responsive to the elevation of the portion of the non-planar workpiece which is approaching the blade to be cut so that the varying length of exposed blade is continuously guarded without interfering with the cutting operation. A pneumatic cylinder controls the position of the guard barrier. Cam followers at the bottom end of the barrier ride along the uneven surface of the workpiece acting as a cam and follower movements operate a throttle valve which controls the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder to cause the barrier to move to and hover at its guarding location. An auxiliary valve is provided for rapid raising of the barrier to accommodate a steep rise on the workpiece, to broaden the range of useful operation in relation to workpiece profiles, and for manually controlled lifting of the guard.An electric system is coordinated with the pneumatic system to provide control and safety features.

Abstract: An emergency sump pump is employed in a sump from which the liquid is normally removed by a main pump. The main pump turns on when the liquid rises to an upper level and turns off when the liquid drops to a lower level. The emergency pump has a vertical intake conduit which opens at the bottom below the lower level. This conduit is surrounded by a tube which has openings in areas below the lower level and above the upper level. The tube is solid between those two levels and also is solid above the upper area of openings.

Abstract: The single-toothed blade is pivoted at its rear end and driven at its middle section in arcuate reciprocation over the teeth of a fixed base plate by an electric motor. The blade and the slide of the crank-slide blade drive mechanism comprise the wear parts of the sickle-shear and as a subassembly is readily detachable from the crankpin for rapid replacement without the use of tools.

Abstract: A Venturi is formed in a portion of the passage of a metal tube by drilling an opening in the downstream part of the tube wall at that portion and deforming the metal at the upstream part of the wall inwardly by a cold flow of the metal so as to define a step in that portion with the opening at the downstream end of that step.

Abstract: A piston rod having a variable volume auxiliary chamber extends into a primary chamber in a casing. Normally open valve means are arranged between the primary and auxiliary chambers which are filled with a compressible medium and which are in communication when the shock absorber is at rest. The variable volume auxiliary chamber accommodates changes in volume of the compressible medium resulting from changes in temperature of the medium. When impact forces are imposed on the piston rod, initial movement of the piston rod closes the valve means and subsequent movement of the piston rod into the primary chamber reduces the volume of the compressible medium therein thereby effecting energy absorption.

Abstract: Air heated to between 500.degree. and 800.degree. F. is blown into a smoke generation chamber and simultaneously liquid smoke is sprayed into the chamber. The heated air vaporizes the liquid smoke and the smoke vapor is conducted into a smokehouse where food is being processed.

Abstract: Thin slices of dough or other food which slices are apt to become distorted as a result of normal deep fat frying are precooked to give them a stiffness before they are deep fat fried. The precooking takes place on a foraminous screen which passes through a bath of hot oil at a depth such that the thin food slices resting on the screen are immersed to such a limited extent that they do not float but remain firmly resting on the screen. While in the bath hot oil is applied to the top of the food pieces.

Abstract: An integral casing has a main body portion with an opening formed in one side thereof, a rear end closure wall, and a constricted front end section. Arranged within the casing are force transmitting means, a pad follower, and a stacked series of elastomeric resilient pad units. During assembly of the mechanism, a group of the resilient pad units are compressed and moved through the side opening into the body portion.

Abstract: Pivoted lock means for selectively blocking rotation of an operating shaft associated with a slide gate in a hopper outlet assembly whereby to prevent opening of the gate.

Abstract: A platform positioned in a swimming pool has a slave hydraulic ram at each corner which raise and lower the platform. Each ram has a barrel attached to the platform and a piston rod which is supported on the bottom of the pool. There is a hydraulic motor for each slave ram. The hydraulic fluid in this system is water. Each hydraulic motor comprises a cylinder with a piston therein. Each time that the pistons of the motor cylinders are retracted make-up water flows into the system from a tank. The pistons of the motor cylinders are actuated in unison by a single main cylinder. The main cylinder is operated by hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump through a control valve.

Abstract: A roller type applicator has a plurality of spaced air pockets which project outwardly in the form of nodules. These air pockets are defined by a thin plastic film.

Abstract: Diffusers on the bottom of a submerged header each include coarse bubble orifices which discharge a stream of air to form a bubble or film on the underside of a horizontal spreader at the edges of which the bubble is sheared by flowing water into multitudinous tiny bubblets rising in the surrounding liquid as a cloud. A second horizontal spreader, slightly above the first, has a similar action, shearing into fine bubblets any larger bubbles which escape from the first spreader to the second. Edges are staggered to supply air to different parts of the water flow. The rising bubblets set up a conventional rolling action in the body of liquid. It is this rolling action which produces the flow of water past the spreaders to shear the bubbles at their edges. A snap-in screw-tightened band secures each diffuser to the header.

Abstract: A sheet metal base has three integral legs extending in one direction therefrom. Two of the legs are at sides adjacent one end of the base while the third leg is at the other end of the base. Projecting in the other direction from the base and adjacent said other end are pairs of ears at each side of the base. Each of these pairs of ears define a conduit receiving saddle. In a modified embodiment, the side legs are split to define a saddle for a conduit of another size whereby the clampback may be used one side up for one size of conduit and another side up for another size of conduit.

Abstract: A large area reflector of the type having a plurality of triples is assembled from a plurality of individual units of identical configuration, each unit having a plurality of triples thereon. The borders of each of the units correspond to edges of triples and each border is complementary to the opposite border of the unit.