Abstract: A rotary irrigation system moves continuously across relatively large areas of land while the areas are being sprinkled. One end of a relatively long length of horizontal tubing is pivotally mounted to a vertical pipe containing water under pressure and the other end of the tubing is connected to a power mover. The tubing is provided with a plurality of sprinkling heads spaced throughout its length and is supported above the ground by a plurality of carriages so that the tubing can be used to irrigate an area of ground which is not completely flat. Each of the carriages is supported by a single wheel. A cable connected between the vertical pipe and the front end of the power mover causes the power mover to travel in a circle around the vertical pipe with the power mover providing an outward tension on both the cable and the tubing.

Abstract: A conventional refrigeration vault has cooling coils and air-moving fans for freezing confections that are conveyed therethrough. An endless conveyor belt describes a tortuous path through the vault and carries the confections in a spaced single-file arrangement. One wall of the refrigeration vault has openings therein, and one reach of the endless conveyor belt extends through the openings to pass by a discharge point, at which finished (hard frozen) confections are removed, as well as a pickup point at which soft frozen confections having a predetermined shape are received. The soft frozen confections are introduced through one of the openings into the refrigeration vault and travel along the tortuous path for a relatively short distance (as compared with the total length of the conveyor within the vault).

Abstract: An optical sensing head is provided for immersion in a solution carrying suspended solids and includes a chamber exposed to the solution and defining asample path which extends through the solution. A spray mechanism is provided which forcefully removes light attenuating deposits which may accumulate on the surfaces of the chamber structure forming the sample path. A light beam is directed along an optical path (which includes as a portion thereof the sample path), and a light sensor is disposed at the other end of the optical path providing a signal indicative of the intensity of the received light. Plumbing is provided through which the exposed chamber may be flooded with clear water to thereby provide a low level suspended solids concentration for use as a reference. A light absorbing member is provided which is selectively positioned across the optical path to provide a high level suspended solids concentration reference when so positioned.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically labelling articles, such as fruit, has a chute for guiding fruit into contact with an upstanding label, the engagement of the fruit with the label being effective to transfer the label to the fruit and to cause the movement of a new label into transfer position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an endless conveyor which has a plurality of individual conveying elements which are slidably movable to an extended position laterally of the conveying direction during a conveying run of the conveyor. When the conveyor is mounted on a harvester for harvesting the crop of a row of bushes, vines or canes, the individual elements in their extended position extend below crop dislodging means of the harvester and catch the crop and convey it to a collecting station and this avoids waste. In order to prevent the conveyor from fouling obstacles such as a plant or post during harvesting, there is a device for maintaining the linear speed of the conveyor zero relative to the ground.

Abstract: An improved oscillatory separator for a tomato harvester includes an agitator assembly for decompacting the vines carried by a plurality of parallel conveyor chains of the separator to thereby permit loose tomatoes to penetrate the vines and fall between the chains and also for transmitting additional shaking forces to the vines to thereby shake more tomatoes loose from the vines than are shaken loose by the receiprocating conveyor chains alone. The agitator assembly includes a tubular member which is adjustably mounted between the reciprocatable side frame members of the separator to extend transversely below the upper reaches of the conveyor chains. A number of agitator bars are fixed in parallel relationship to the tubular member to extend upwardly at spacings thereon such that the bars are positioned between every other chain.

Abstract: A curved cup juice extractor wherein the cup is composed of two matching sections of curved interdigitating fingers which move together arcuately to enclose and squeeze the whole fruit, during which the movement and release of the cup sections is controlled by a cam and a torsional spring, and a rapid fruit feeder system works on a principle of throwing the fruit into the curved cup as the cup opens.

Abstract: An articulated boom assembly is mounted on a vehicle for swinging movement about a vertical axis. A shear-grapple unit is pivotally attached to the free end of the boom assembly so that after a standing tree has been cut, it may be tilted from a vertical position to a horizontal position. When the cut tree is positioned horizontally above the vehicle, it can be lowered into a stationary delimbing head and also at the same time to a clamping mechanism that travels longitudinally of the vehicle for the purpose of feeding the tree toward a shear mechanism, the delimbing of the tree taking place as this is done. When advanced to a predetermined distance beyond the shear mechanism, the shear mechanism is actuated to sever the first bolt which drops onto an inclined annular plate that has a U-shaped yoke projecting upwardly through its central opening. When the yoke is rotated through 90.degree., a spring yields under the weight of the bolt so that the bolt is free to roll into a collector.

Abstract: A method is provided for rapidly producing a treated waste mixture separable into a disposable mass of solids and a hygenic effluent of relatively low coliform count. The method of treating aqueous mediums involves steps wherein a mixture of aqueous medium and four chemical additives, plus, if desired, a pH control agent, are established as a mixture in a holding zone, the solids of the mixture having a particle size resulting from recirculation between the holding zone and a zone adapted to effect coarse disintegration of any solids exceeding a predetermined size, passing the mixture thru an airtight liquid flow system under conditions to maintain solids in suspension and then separating the liquid portion thereof from the solids associated therewith for disposal as a hygenic effluent.

Abstract: A steam stripping process particularly useful for separating the volatile components of immiscible materials. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention peel oil emulsion, e.g., from a citrus juice extractor, is heated under pressure by the injection of steam while the emulsion is flowing. The major portion of the pressure on the flowing emulsion is then dropped through a back pressure valve, and the resultant vapor-liquid mixture is passed through a long turbulent passage under a slowly decreasing pressure where thorough mixing is provided and d-limonene, the volatile component of the peel oil emulsion, is stripped from the emulsion by the ad-mixed steam. The mixture is discharged at atmospheric pressure into a vapor collecting tank where the spent liquor is separated and drained off. The collected vapors are passed to a condenser, and the condensate therefrom is directed to a decant tank where the d-limonene is decanted off.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure, tubular thermoplastic material is intermittently fed between opposed transversely extending seal bars operating in timed relation with the intermittent feeding of the web to sequentially perform cutting and sealing of the web during its period of repose. To insure a clean straight transverse cut, which occurs momentarily before transverse sealing, the web is held under tension between longitudinally spaced draw and feed rolls. Immediately after the web is transversely severed, the seal bars are brought into pressure engagement transversely sealing the web along a margin which will define the bottom of the bag. Before the web is fed an additional increment, it is momentarily fed rearwardly to avoid the possibility of adherence to the seal bars.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure a method is provided wherein tubular thermoplastic material is intermittently fed between opposed transversely extending seal bars operating in timed relation with the intermittent feeding of the web to sequentially perform cutting and sealing of the web during its period of repose. To insure a clean straight transverse cut, which occurs momentarily before transverse sealing, the web is held under tension between longitudinally spaced draw and feed rolls. Immediately after the web is transversely severed, the seal bars are brought into pressure engagement transversely sealing the web along a margin which will define the bottom of the bag. While the sealed portion of the web is at the sealing station, cooling air is discharged along the sealed portion of the web to effect cooling. Before the web is fed an additional increment, it is momentarily fed rearwardly to avoid the possibility of adherence to the seal bars.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for carbonated beverages including a filling valve connected to a beverage source under pressure and including a measuring cylinder movable into and out of a container to be filled. The measuring cylinder has a foot valve on its lower end and is telescopically associated with an inlet valve. The measuring cylinder defines a chamber between the foot valve and the inlet valve. The measuring cylinder is filled with a predetermined amount of beverage at superatmospheric pressure by moving the cylinder down into an empty container when the foot valve is closed and the inlet valve is open. The inlet valve is then closed. The cylinder and foot valve can then be moved down a slight amount or the foot valve can be moved down a slight amount relative to the cylinder while retaining sealing contact with the cylinder to increase the volume in the chamber thus reducing the pressure of the measured volume of beverage to atmospheric pressure.