Abstract: A furnace for burning biomass such as crop residues like cornstalks and other combustibles. The furnace includes a combustion chamber and many chimney stacks extending upwardly therefrom. Loading doors are provided into the combustion chamber to permit massive batches of combustibles to be deposited in the chamber. Centrifugal combustion air draft fans are positioned to deliver forced combustion air from the atmosphere into a lower part of the chamber when needed. A heat exchanger jacket encompasses major parts of the chamber and of the stacks and is provided with an upper opening adjacent the top of the stacks and a lower opening adjacent the bottom of the chamber. Drying air to be heated enters one of the openings and heated drying air discharges from the other. Fan means adjacent the lower opening moves the drying air through the heat exchange jacket and into a crop dryer or other location for use.

Abstract: A powered step for use with large construction equipment such as large crawler-type tractors, mining trucks and similar vehicles that have an operator's platform located a substantial distance off the ground, and which require storage of any ladder or step within the frame perimeter and above the operator's platform to avoid damage to the step during use. The operator step, as shown, comprises a step member or operator basket mounted on a parallel linkage that is hydraulically operated, for raising and lowering. The step support surface of course remains oriented in space (horizontal), as it is raised and lowered with respect to a horizontal plane.

Abstract: A hair cutting appliance includes a hair handling and vacuuming device having a hair passageway extending through the device from a forward intake portion to a rearward exhaust portion thereof. A barber's shear is positioned fixedly with respect to the device to have its cutting teeth disposed transversely of an intermediate portion of the hair passageway. A vacuum cleaner hose is attached to the rearward portion of the hair handling device. The hair handling device includes a first inclined hair ramp disposed between a forward edge of the forward portion of the device and the barber's shear cutting teeth, the interior end of this ramp terminating adjacent to but forwardly of the shear cutting teeth.

Abstract: An amusement device comprising a boat, for a rider, which is formed of lightweight material, and permits the rider to stand on the boat much like on a surf board and by rolling the boat about its longitudinal axis causing provided fins to flex and form propulsion apparatus for the boat.

Abstract: A management data system is used in conjunction with a photographic print cutting and sorting system. First and second storage means store two sets of data for each of a plurality of operators and printers. The two sets of data are independently resettable so that they reflect totals or percentages over two different time periods (for example, daily and monthly totals or percentages). A portable data retrieval device selects the particular operator or printer data from the two sets of data and displays operator totals, operator rates, printer totals or printer percentages based upon either the first or second set of data.

Abstract: A flat plate solar collector includes a light transmissive member which is adapted to receive solar heat energy therethrough. The light transmissive member is mounted adjacent but in spaced relation to a wall to thereby define a chamber between the plate and the wall. The heat absorber comprises a fibrous heat material positioned within the volumetric space defining said chamber, which not only effectively absorbs solar heat transmitted through the light transmissive member, but also serves as a heat insulator and minimizes the escape of heat therefrom at all times.

Abstract: A plant support and compost enclosure, comprising rigid panels of fencing wherein the spacing of the horizontal rods in the lower portion of each panel is much smaller than the spacing in the upper portion in order to better contain the compost. The rigid panels are connected by rings, thereby enabling the apparatus to stand without any support and have the ability of being folded flat for easy storage. A minimum of three rigid panels is needed for the apparatus to stand unsupported. The upper portion of one of the rigid panels does not contain any vertical or horizontal rods, so as to form an opening to facilitate the loading of composting material for compost production. The composting material is innoculated with micro-organisms and watered from time to time to produce compost.

Abstract: A special safety device prevents two fluid lines from being connected if the fluid in the first line can not be safely received by the second line. The danger of connecting the two lines may be, for example, because the fluid carried by the first line presents a safety hazard if received by the second line, or because the fluid in the first line is at too high a pressure or temperature to be safely received by the second line. The safety device includes first and second cams which are connected to the two lines. The first cam has cam keys in a first pattern which is indicative of characteristics of the fluid transmitted by the first fluid line, while the second cam has cam keys in a second, complimentary pattern which is indicative of characteristics of the fluid which may be safely received by the second fluid line.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to data input system keyboards that are designed in accordance with human engineering principles for use in conjunction with a specific data input activity. Each keyboard has a plurality of keys adapted for actuation in response to minimum movement of the fingers of an operator and each having a substantially smooth upper surface to facilitate sliding movement of the fingers of the operator between the keys of the keyboard. The keys of each keyboard are arranged such that the most often used keys are situated in the most readily accessible locations with respect to the fingers of the operator, and with keys which are frequently utilized in sequence. That is, the keys that comprise digraphs & trigrams as well as keys carrying individual words or characters used frequently in sequence are positioned adjacent one another. The keys may be arranged along arcuate paths corresponding to the natural movement of the fingers, hands, and arms of the operator.

Abstract: A fence surveillance and security system includes a plurality of sections of relatively rigid electrical conduit which are supported by a fence. A plurality of housings are provided at spaced intervals between two adjacent sections of the conduit. Within each housing is mounted both a vibration sensor and an ultrasonic intrusion sensor. The vibration sensor produces a vibratory electrical signal in response to vibration transmitted to the housing by the conduit. The ultrasonic intrusion sensor transmits ultrasonic waves and senses changes in the ultrasonic waves resulting from movement of an object in a zone proximate the fence. The system, therefore, provides detection of persons climbing, lifting, or cutting the fence itself, as well as setting up a zone of protection to detect any movement within a predetermined distance of the fence.

Abstract: A bench vise which incorporates a self locking fixed jaw operating with a pair of interlocking surfaces reacting as the fixed jaw is loaded. As the workpiece is tightened down, the jaw tends to be forced downwardly against the sliding portion of the vise to tightly lock the workpiece being held. The reaction of the load is carried directly into the support shaft for the fixed jaw, which also forms a swivel member for the vise.

Abstract: A two wire current transmitter for controlling total current in two wires in accordance with the value of a parameter to be sensed which provides for an improved voltage regulator which incorporates within the voltage regulator two separate paths for start-up current of the regulator, hence, providing improved start-up characteristics for both isolated and nonisolated two wire transmitters.

Abstract: A two wire current transmitter for controlling the total current in the two wires in accordance with a value of a parameter to be sensed, which provides for substantial linearization of the electrical characteristic representative of the value of the parameter to be sensed by adjusting the current from an adjustable current control to substantially compensate for the nonlinear relationship of the parameter to be sensed versus the electrical output of the sensor of said parameter. The circuit also provides for substantial compensation for sensor lead wire effects.

Abstract: A dirty or otherwise contaminated volatile solvent or other treatment fluid including relatively more volatile non-flammable and relatively less volatile flammable constituents is recovered or reclaimed by boiling it off from its impurities. As the remainder is concentrated, the evaporated vapor becomes increasingly flammable. In a work process, a treatment tank is used for chemically treating work pieces in a volatile treatment fluid which has a liquid phase and a relatively non-flammable heavier-than-air vapor phase. In this process, heat energy is added to the fluid to maintain the upper vapor phase surface at a substantial distance above the upper liquid phase surface in the tank. When the treatment fluid becomes sufficiently contaminated with dirt introduced by the work pieces or otherwise, it must be removed from the tank and replaced with clean treatment fluid.

Abstract: A horizontal water filled vaporizer chamber is heated through the instrumentality of a horizontal combustion chamber extending through a lower portion of the vaporizer chamber. A first plenum inside the vaporizer chamber at a first end thereof receives combustion products from the chamber, and horizontal flues open to this first plenum carry these combustion products from it through the vaporizer chamber to a second plenum outside of the boiler where they are discharged up a stack. A plurality of vaporizer coils, each consisting of vertically spaced horizontal runs of pipe, extend from end to end in an upper portion of the vaporizer chamber. Each pair of adjacent pipe runs in each coil lie in a plane forming an acute angle with respect to a horizontal plane. Every vaporizer coil is connected inside the vaporizer chamber at its lower end to a liquid propane inlet header and at its upper end to a gaseous propane outlet header.

Abstract: Adjustment of the individual camber and toe-in of tandem wheels is provided through apparatus including first and second shafts which are pivotally and rotatably connected to a frame. First and second axle support members are connected to the first and second shafts. First and second axles are connected to the first and second axle support members and define first and second axle axes about which the first and second wheels may rotate. Adjustment of the toe-in and camber is provided by first and second adjusting members which adjusts the orientation of the first and second shaft axes. This results in adjustment of the orientation of the first and second axle axes, respectively, and, therefore the toe-in and camber of the wheels attached to the axles.

Abstract: A vortex shedding flowmeter assembly which utilizes at least one vibrating body that is positioned in relation to an upstream facing vortex forming plate so that vibration of the body caused by vortices formed at the edges of the plate is enhanced. The body is separated from the plate so it will vibrate without causing vibration of the plate. The vibration body may be split transversely generally in the midsection of the body so that the body forms two cantilevered portions.

Abstract: An information locket includes an outer housing having substantially parallel front back walls and a partial side wall, and an inner member which is pivotally connected between the front and back walls. The inner member includes a magnifying lens portion and an inner member side wall. The inner member has a storage position in which it is held between the front and back walls of outer housing with a portion of the inner member side wall forming the remaining portion of the outer housing side wall. An information bearing card, which contains personal and medical information printed in substantially reduced form, is held in a compartment formed by one surface of the magnifying lens and the inner member side wall. When the inner member is pivoted to a viewing position, the information bearing card may be removed from the compartment and read by looking through the magnifying lens portion of the inner member.

Abstract: A linear indexing programming for cyclic operations, for example the programming of the cycle of care and feeding of a hog operation, which has the program steps represented adjacent to one side of an open topped receptacle in which cards representing the subjects of the program are stored. The cards are separated into desired periods such as weeks within desired compartments. Each of the divider compartments holds the cards for a week of operation in a daily sequence. The divider compartments are moved from the start toward the program end daily in sequence so that the cards for the individual subjects progress through the cycle of operation and from one end of the linear movable card file to the other. The indexed or programmed functions to be performed thus align sequentially with the cards as they are moved. Specifically as shown, the daily movement may be gauged by the use of spacers which are equal to one day on the program.

Abstract: An improved shim arrangement for adjusting the camber of a wheel in a steerable driving axle assembly, such as a front axle assembly of a four wheel drive vehicle. The shim arrangement involves a large number of tapered shims of resilient non-metallic material of high compressive strength at yield, each of which has a different maximum dimension and each of which preferably has a color corresponding to the maximum dimension of the shim. In use, a shim of the required thickness is inserted between two sections of the axle housing to adjust the angle between them and hence the camber of the wheel. Because the shims are colored, it is possible to identify the particular shim that has been used after the axle assembly has been reassembled after insertion of the shim. The shims are of a resilient plastic material such as 40% glass filled nylon. Each shim preferably has an annular rib adjacent its inner wall which engages the adjacent surfaces of the housing, or an adjacent shim, and acts as a seal.