Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing hydraulic cements such as portland cement utilizing electrical energy as the heat source is described. The electrical heat source includes a plasma arc torch operating in the transferred mode. A feature of the apparatus and process is in utilizing a liner within the furnace composed of a material having substantially the same chemical composition of the cement that is to be produced in the furnace. Preferably the feed materials properly proportioned to have the desired constituency of cement are fed below the melt of the furnace. The process is compact and efficient relative to the conventional rotary kiln used for producing cement.

Abstract: A flat blank of a metal which becomes superplastic at elevated temperatures is transformed into a part of the desired configuration in an apparatus that is utilized in connection with a hydraulic press, the apparatus having a lower section that is mounted on the press bed and an upper section that moves with the press ram. The lower section includes a forming tool having a contoured surface, the configuration of which corresponds to that which is to be imparted to the blank, and a cooling passage that surrounds the tool. The blank is positioned over the tool and cooling passage of the lower section. The upper section includes a chamber enclosed by walls and a bulkhead, another cooling passage at the lower end of the chamber walls, an infrared emitter within the chamber, and infrared optical sensors that are located outside of the chamber but view the blank through tubes that extend through the bulkhead and the emitter.

Abstract: Independently operable head and foot adjusting mechanisms are provided in an adjustable motorized hospital bed in order to facilitate independent height adjustment of the head and foot ends of the bed's movable frame, on which is mounted a mattress supporting structure. Logic circuitry controls the actuation of the adjusting mechanisms to manipulate the movable frame to any level or tilted position desired. When the frame is to be lowered to its lowermost level, a latching system may be latched in a down operating mode, merely by momentarily actuating a switch, to cause the head and foot adjusting mechanisms to lower each end of the movable frame directly to its lowermost limit regardless of the frame's position, and even though the frame may be tilted, at the time the switch is actuated. With such direct and immediate access to the lowermost level position, considerable time can be saved by the nurse or attendant.

Abstract: Different hospital bed functions or adjustments (such as high-low, back and knee adjustments) may be made by employing a single reversible motor to drive selected ones of a series of adjusting mechanisms. The adjusting mechanisms may be clutched, individually or simultaneously, to the motor drive in a transmission and the motor may be run in a selected direction in order to position the hospital bed as desired. Momentarily reversing the direction of motor rotation ensures that all of the clutches in the transmission will be disengaged except those that have been actuated. The motor is momentarily reversed upon the initial operation of any function or functions, and is again momentarily reversed upon the reactivation of any function while other functions continue to operate. With this arrangement, if any deactuated clutch has locked or latched into an engaged position, it will be quickly released or unlocked so only the desired bed functions will operate.

Abstract: A head scarf construction embodying the cooperation of a ply of fabric in a triangulated shape and a stiffened triangulated component connected in positions to bring the base margins of the triangles into alignment, the addition of surface decorations for the triangulated shapes to develop simulations of birds or animals, and tie elements for securing the scarf to the wearer's head.

Abstract: A polymer cage for a tapered roller bearing has the usual large and small end rings and bridges which connect the end rings to form pockets which receive the tapered rollers, so that the rollers are spaced properly and further will be held against the cone when the cone is removed from the cup. The cage, however, is constructed such that when it and the rollers are subjected to a jet of high velocity air, the cage and the roller set will not spin rapidly around the cone. This is achieved by detaching one of the bridges from one of the end rings so that the bridge and the rollers adjacent to the bridge will move outwardly during rotation or by providing at least one of the bridges with an outwardly directed rib. In either case, the balance of the cage is disrupted and its wind resistance is increased. As a result, the cage will not revolve at a high velocity when subjected to a jet of air.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing coarse and fine products from a common source of material and for avoiding the presence of substantial quantities of fines in the coarse product by introducing the common material ahead of the mill and establishing a flow of air or gas counter to the travel of the material through the mill so the fines are swept out of the coarse material and become the second product, or can be used as a source of fuel for producing the heat for drying the material as it is being processed in the mill apparatus.

Abstract: A wood I-beam consists of a web and a pair of parallel flange pieces which are joined to opposite edges of the web. The web has a kerf cut into each of its opposite edges, thereby dividing each edge into a pair of legs. Each flange piece, on the other hand, has a tapered groove cut into it. After glue is applied to the tapered side walls of the grooves for the flange pieces, the opposite edges of the web are inserted into the grooves and then the two flange pieces are forced together. The taper and width of the grooves in the flange pieces is such that the side walls of the grooves bend the legs on the end edges of the web together against the natural resiliency of the wood. As a result, the web edges are urged against the side walls of the groove with sufficient force to enable the glue to set-up into an extremely strong bond.

Abstract: A cooling tower has a circular cooling section, the top of which is a hot water distribution basin to which hot water is pumped while the bottom is a collecting basin. Within the cooling section is a fill comprised of a multitude of slats and wire grids through which the slats project so that the slats are carried by wire grids. The grids in turn are supported at several levels on a framework that rests on the collecting basin and extends upwardly to the distribution basin, but the framework is not suspended from that basin, so the distribution basin carries only its own weight and the weight of the pool of hot water within it. That water flows into the fill from nozzles in the distribution basin and cascades through the multitude of slats in the fill, thereby becoming quite finely divided. Air, on the other hand, passes transversely through the fill and absorbs heat from the water so as to lower the temperature of the water.

Abstract: A reaction engine, such as a ramjet engine, has a nozzle assembly which maintains acceptable combustion chamber pressures during both high thrust and low thrust modes of flight. To this end, the engine has a primary nozzle in which a swing disc is located, and the disc turns from an open position in which it lies parallel to the axis of the primary nozzle to a closed position in which it lies across and blocks the primary nozzle. The disc contains secondary nozzles which are considerably smaller than the primary nozzle and are only effective when the disc is in its open position. The secondary nozzles may initially be filled with a flow smoothing material to prevent turbulence when the swing disc is in its initial open position, but this material is dislodged when the disc moves to its closed position.

Abstract: Rotary shredding apparatus for processing materials of various sorts in which the hydraulic drive for the counterrotating cutter shafts comprises a reversible hydraulic motor supplied with pressure fluid under the directional control of a fluid flow reversing valve. The flow reversing valve is controlled by a zero speed responsive device for sensing jam conditions that could stop cutter shaft rotation, thereby placing the valve in a control system which is independent of the pressure conditions in the fluid pressure system so that the hydraulic motor will continue to be supplied with pressure fluid up to the limit set by the usual pressure relief means.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump is quickly and easily fitted with a cartridge-type replacement seal where its impeller shaft emerges from its casing, even though the casing is badly corroded in the region at which the seal is to fit against it. To this end, the impeller shaft is removed from the casing and stripped of its bearings, it being replaced by an arbor that carries a grinding wheel. This arbor is installed in the bearings with the grinding wheel presented toward the corroded surface of the casing. The arbor is rotated and at the same time an axially directed force is applied to it to force the grinding wheel against the corroded casing surface. The grinding wheel removes the corrosion, leaving the casing with a flat ground surface surrounding the bore through which the shaft normally extends out of the housing. The same procedure is repeated at the other end of the housing, if necessary.

Abstract: A method of fixturing a shoe component from a block of suitable material by forming a first cavity in the block to expose a first surface of the component, applying a release agent to the first surface of the component, placing a body of a rigid material in the first cavity so as to extend over the entire first surface and into the surfaces of the block for adherence thereof to the block of material, repositioning the block, forming a cavity in the repositioned block to initiate the shaping of the shoe component, attaching the shoe component in its unfinished state to the body of rigid material, continuing the formation of the shoe component to completion to free it from connection with the block of material, and releasing the thus completed shoe component from the body of rigid material.

Abstract: A seal for closing a bearing cavity that has a bore and a wear surface at its end includes an elastomeric retaining band that fits snugly against the wall of the bore, an elastomeric seal lip that contacts the wear surface and creates a barrier to the passage of fluid along that surface as the surface rotates relative to the seal or vice-versa, and an impervious connecting section that extends between the retaining band and the seal lip. The retaining band contains several axially directed channels that communicate with the bearing cavity and are normally closed and isolated from the ambient atmosphere by flaps which are formed integral with the band and are highly flexible. As a consequence, the flaps will flex when subjected to a slight increase in pressure within the bearing cavity so as to expose the channels to the ambient atmosphere and thereby vent the bearing cavity.

Abstract: This application relates to an articulated sofa bed construction in which a bar is pivotally attached to the frame at the location where the knees of the user are located when the sofa bed is in bed defining position so that the bar can be raised beneath the mattress to form a knee supporting hump in the bed. The application also relates to a spring tie down construction to prevent the mattress supporting fabric from exerting undue pressure on the head section of the frame when it is in its raised head supporting reading position.

Abstract: This application discloses a latch assembly for a fence gate or the like comprising a two piece relatively movable first assembly mountable on one wall of the fence and a second assembly having a flexible body fastened at one end to the gate and having a loop at the other end which is positioned over both pieces of the first assembly and is locked to the first assembly by a gravity forced movement of one of the pieces of said first assembly.

Abstract: A castor control assembly for an adjustable bed includes a linkage mechanism having rigid link elements, and a single pedal actuator. The pedal may be actuated from the control station to shift the linkage mechanism and operate individual castors for selection of swivel, locking and steering modes, as desired.

Abstract: A ceiling system for a small building includes panels that span the space between the side walls of the building and rest on end caps that extend over the upper edges of the walls for the building. The end caps have upwardly directed sections which, along with facia trim strips, obscure the peripheral surfaces of the panels. Each panel includes a surrounding metal frame having inwardly turned flanges and a composite filler member formed from an upper protective layer, a lower decorative layer, and an intermediate insulating layer. The sides of each frame are configured to interlock the panel of that frame with the frames of the adjacent panels, and are further configured to enable the panels to pivot into interlocking engagement.

Abstract: The mixer unit of a concrete transport vehicle has a loading hopper constructed in two sections which are connected together at a hinge joint. The one section is attached firmly to the frame of the mixer unit, and this section is located opposite to the opening at the elevated end of the mixer drum. The other section moves about the hinge axis from an extended position to a storage position. When in the extended position, the movable section forms an upward continuation of the fixed section, and the hopper has extended height to facilitate loading concrete mix into the drum. When in the storage position, the movable section is positioned to the rear of the fixed section and is carried entirely below the upper margin of the fixed section. This reduces the height of the mixer unit, enabling the transport vehicle to maneuver in areas where the overhead clearance is relatively low.

Abstract: A bearing having an outer race provided with end bores, inner races provided with wear surfaces located within the end bores, and rolling elements arranged in two rows between the races, is closed at its ends by seals which prevent excessive pressure from developing within the bearing during operation or relubrication. Each seal includes a metal case having an axial wall and pair of spaced apart radial walls. The axial wall is pressed into one of the end bores of the outer race, whereas the radial walls form a chamber that communicates with the interior of the bearing through apertures in the inner radial wall.