Abstract: A self-setting switch-actuating assembly includes a pair of cam members and a rotational motion transmitting shaft. The cam members are mounted on the shaft. The shaft is rotatably mounted between a pair of switches and is connected to a rotatable device whose rotational movement will cause rotation of the shaft and will stop in response to reaching angularly-displaced limits. The cam members are mounted on the shaft one above the other with each cam member aligned with only one of the switches and movable along a rotational path toward and away from a predetermined actuating position relative to its aligned one of the switches in response to rotation of the shaft. Also, each cam member is mounted on the shaft so as to be capable of stopping movement in response to reaching its predetermined actuating position and relative to continuing rotation of the shaft thereby permitting a predetermined degree of overtravel of the shaft relative to each of the cam members at their respective actuating positions.

Abstract: A simulated brick wall in new or renovated construction utilizes the wallboard normally applied or already in place in such cases in combination with a plurality of birck-simulating boards and a material which simulates mortar. Each of the brick-simulating boards is elongated and has a pair of opposite front and rear surfaces, a pair of opposite end surfaces and a pair of laterally-spaced longtudinal opposite side surfaces extending between and interconnecting the front and rear surfaces and the opposite end surfaces. The side surfaces extend in opposite inclined relationship to the front and rear surfaces so as to provide the board in cross-section with a trapezoidal configuration wherein the front surface is wider than the rear surface. Each brick-simulating board has a plurality of spaced apart grooves defined in its front surface and extending between its side surfaces such that the front surface simulates the appearance of a row of spaced bricks.

Abstract: A device for dampening vibrations in a sports racket having a strung striking surface includes an elongated elastic flexible hollow tubular member disposable in interweaved relation with a plurality of strings on the racket striking surface, and inelastic end members on the opposite ends of the tubular member for securing the tubular member in a stretched condition between its opposite ends to a pair of spaced strings and for retaining the member in the interweaved relation with the plurality of strings. The hollow tubular member defines a central bore having opposite openings at the opposite ends of the member. Each inelastic end member includes an inner element having a stem portion inserted within one opposite end opening for attachment in frictional interfitting relation with one end of the elastic tubular member, and an outer hook-like element for anchoring the one opposite end of the elastic member to one of the pair of strings.

Abstract: A racket frame, such as for a tennis racket, has a head portion, a handle portion and a throat portion extending between and interconnecting the head and handle portions. The head portion encompasses an open region and has a first plurality of stringing holes for attaching stringing to the head portion and across the open region. The throat portion is in the form of a pair of legs in a generally V-shaped configuration. The frame also includes a second plurality of non-stringing holes defined in one or both of the head and throat portions for forming voids in the material thereof to reduce the weight and tailor the stiffness thereof in a manner which reduces axial and torsional deflections of the head portion upon striking a ball by the stringing across the open region of the head portion.

Abstract: In a ladder tower having multiple telescoping sections, each section includes a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally spaced apart truss members and a plurality of longitudinally spaced ladder rungs interconnecting the truss members. Each truss member includes an upper elongated hand rail, a lower elongated rung rail being spaced below and lying in a common plane with the upper hand rail, and a plurality of braces extending between and interconnecting the upper hand rail and lower rung rail of each truss member. The ladder rungs of each section extend between and interconnect the rung rails of the truss members thereof. Pretensioning structure is connected to the hand rail of each truss member so as to load the hand rail in compression and the rung rail in tension and thereby substantially offset the dead load of each section due to its weight and permit an increase in the live load capacity of each section. Further, the hand rail of each truss member of each ladder tower section is hollow.

Abstract: A lifting and towing unit mountable on a fifth wheel of a towing vehicle has an anchoring frame assembly with a king pin for coupling to the towing vehicle fifth wheel and a lifting frame assembly adapted to support a portion of a mobile load and to be releasably attached thereto and to the anchoring frame assembly in a fixed relation thereto. The unit also includes an arrangement in the form of a four-bar linkage interconnecting and mounting the lifting frame assembly rearwardly of and to the anchoring frame assembly for pivotal movement relative to the frame of the towing vehicle between lowered and raised positions.

Abstract: A collapsible ball retriever and storage unit is in the form of a receptacle composed of a plurality of side grills pivotally hinged one to the next, and a top gate and a bottom grate being pivotally hinged to respective ones of the side grills. The side grills are pivotable relative to one another to convert them between erected and collapsed positions, whereas the top gate and bottom grate are pivotable relative to the side grills to convert the top gate and bottom grate between closed and retracted opened positions. The gate and grate are latchable to others of the side grills disposed opposite to the ones thereof to which the gate and grate are respectively hinged. The bottom grate is adapted to rigidly retain the side grills in their erected position when the bottom grate is disposed in the closed position.

Abstract: The machine has an inlet, multiple processing mechanisms for performing multiple feed material processing operations and a discharge mechanism disposed in flow communication with discharge sides of the respective processing mechanisms. The processing mechanisms include a hammermill, a sheller, and a roller mill. The machine also includes apparatus for selecting between which of the mechanisms is to be used. The apparatus comprises first and second diverter structures. The first diverter structure at its infeed side is disposed in communication with the machine inlet and at its discharge side is disposed in communication with an infeed side of the hammermill. The second diverter structure at its infeed side is disposed in communication with the discharge side of the first diverter structure and at its discharge side is disposed in communication with respective infeed sides of the sheller and roller mill.

Abstract: A feed mixing apparatus includes a tank, and bottom and upright augers. The tank has a top wall, front and rear end walls, side walls and a bottom wall. The bottom auger is rotatably mounted and overlies the bottom wall. Tubular housing portions are disposed adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom auger at an intermediate location therealong, and are connected to and protrude from the exteriors of the side and bottom walls. One housing portion has a horizontal bottom end wall connected to and extending generally tangentially from the tank bottom wall. The upright augers are disposed at the intermediate location adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom auger and extend within and upwardly from the tubular housing portions. One upright auger is rotatably mounted to the top wall and the housing portion bottom end wall. Hydraulic motors are provided for driving the bottom and upright augers. One hydraulic motor is disposed on the exterior of housing portion bottom end wall and coupled to the one upright auger.

Abstract: Whole ears of corn are converted to a desired particulate feed material in a machine which first preconditions the whole ear by breaking it into several smaller pieces before its cob and kernels are separated from one another and respectively ground and cracked in other operative units of the machine, and then recombined into the desired feed material composed of the parts of the whole ear.

Abstract: A portable feed material transferring and bagging apparatus includes a transfer conveyor and a bagging unit both mounted on a mobile frame. The transfer conveyor is mounted such that the positions of its opposite inlet and discharge ends can be vertically adjusted to elevations at which the bagging unit would not fit below its inlet end but will fit below its discharge end. The transfer conveyor is operable in a feed material transferring mode of operation to transfer feed material from its inlet to discharge end where it is received in the bagging unit. The bagging unit is mounted such that its position can be vertically adjusted to various elevations to accommodate filling bags of different sizes. The bagging unit is operable in a bag filling mode of operation to fill bags with feed material up to preset weights.

Abstract: Whole ears of corn are converted to a desired particulate feed material in a machine which first preconditions the whole ear by breaking it into several smaller pieces before its cob and kernels are separated from one another and respectively ground and cracked in other operative units of the machine, and then recombined into the desired feed material composed of the parts of the whole ear.

Abstract: An interdome enclosure system takes advantage of the latent heat of condensation for energy efficiency. The system includes, in combination with a humid environment, such as a heated pool and an outer enclosure housing the pool, an inner enclosure disposed within the outer enclosure and over the pool and a differntial fan operated heat exchanger for creating an atmospheric pressure within the space between the inner and outer enclosures which is positive relative to the atmospheric pressure within the inner enclosure. The heat exchanger includes a pair of conduits disposed in heat exchange relationship to one another. Assisted by an inlet fan, one conduit communicates dry, fresh cool air from the exterior of the outer enclosure into the space between the enclosures, while the other conduit, assisted by an exhaust fan, communicates moisture-laden, warm air from the inner enclosure directly to the exterior of the outer enclosure.

Abstract: Silage distributor apparatus has an upper annular stationary member disposed about a flowing silage stream, a silage distributing chute, and a lower annular member rotatably mounted to the upper annular member for disposing the chute in the path of the flowing silage stream. A drive track in the form of a row of apertures is defined on the lower annular member and a drive sprocket is rotatably mounted on the upper annular member and disposed in driving relation with the drive track. A drive motor is removably mounted on the upper annular member and has a rotary output shaft which when the motor is mounted on the upper member is drivingly interengaged with the drive sprocket and when the motor is dismounted therefrom becomes disengaged from the drive sprocket. A sensor is connected to the motor for removal with it and has a contact finger disposed across the path of a row of pins projecting from the lower annular member.

Abstract: A recovery unit for use by one truck tractor in towing another disabled truck tractor has an anchoring frame assembly with a king pin for coupling to a fifth wheel of the towing tractor and an attaching frame assembly with a king pin for coupling to a fifth wheel of the disabled tractor. The attaching frame assembly is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the anchoring frame assembly between stored and extended conditions. Actuating cylinders and an auxiliary frame assembly are selectively operable to pivot the attaching frame assembly relative to the anchoring frame assembly between the stored and extended conditions and to pivot the attaching frame assembly to and from an erected position relative to the anchoring frame assembly once the attaching frame assembly has been first moved to its extended condition and coupled to the fifth wheel of the disabled tractor.

Abstract: A dual mode hair vacuum and dryer unit includes a cabinet with separate upper and lower compartments. An air pump in the cabinet has its suction inlet in the lower compartment and pressure outlet in the upper compartment for creating airflow through the air pump from the lower to the upper compartment. An air filter is disposed across the suction inlet of the air pump. A vacuum attachment connects to an air inlet nozzle on the cabinet for communicating vacuum airflow from a vacuum nozzle to the suction inlet of the air pump, via the lower compartment, which entrains hair cuttings in the vacuum airflow. A dryer attachment connects to an air outlet nozzle on the cabinet for communicating positive pressure airflow from the pressure outlet of the air pump to a drying nozzle, via the upper compartment, to dry hair.

Abstract: An automatic ladder leveling apparatus includes a pair of extension members and a relatively stiff, cable-like semi-flexible elongated member. Each extension member is disposed adjacent to one side rail of the ladder for slidable movement equally freely in either direction therealong. The semi-flexible elongated member has a middle portion which makes only one pass across the ladder between its side rails. The middle portion of the elongated member extends through the lowest rung of the ladder. Opposite end portions of the elongated member extend in opposite directions from its middle portion and along the side rails of the ladder above its one lower rung where they attach to the respective extension members at locations between their opposite ends thereof. A block is disposed in the lowest rung of the ladder and has a portion between the middle portion of the elongated member and an upper portion of the rung.

Abstract: A grain roasting machine includes an elongated hollow roasting drum mounted for rotation about its fore-and-aft longitudinally-extending central axis and a burner for producing a roasting flame within the drum in a direction extending generally longitudinally of the drum from one end toward the other end of the drum. The flame is produced in the longitudinal direction but offset to one side of the central axis of the drum. Vanes disposed on the interior of the drum sidewall and extending longitudinally between the ends thereof carry grain placed in the drum along a first arcuate path which skirts the periphery of the flame and then drop the grain in a second linear path in which most of the grain falls across the drum and directly through the roasting flame before returning to the first path.

Abstract: An air inlet valve subassembly for use on a particle fuel burning furnace includes a manifold tube and a hollow spout mounted to an outer end of the manifold tube. The spout has an outer rim defining a valve opening and the manifold tube is adapted to be mounted at its inner end to the furnace to provide a passageway for communicating air from the valve opening into the furnace. A valve flap is mounted adjacent to the spout for pivotal movement toward and away from the spout between closed and open positions in which the manifold tube passageway is closed and opened to the communication of air. For sealing the valve opening, a generally planar, resiliently flexible disk with an annular ring of gasket material adhered thereon is provided. The disk, preferably made of stainless steel material, is removably mounted to the valve flap at the respective centers thereof with its outer side facing toward the flap and its inner side facing toward the spout rim.

Abstract: A hitch uncouple detecting and signaling apparatus, being applied to a trailer hitch ball member, includes a plunger rod reciprocally mounted vertically through the ball member. The rod is longer than the ball member, allowing the rod to extend either above or below opposite upper and lower ends of the ball member. The rod is composed of electrically nonconductive material capable of being trimmed to a length which will exceed the ball member height at least by a desired amount. An electrical circuit adapted for connection to a source of electrical power includes an operator signaling device and a pair of contacts. One contact is carried by a lower end of the rod and the other contact is defined on the lower end of the ball member, which preferably is composed of electrically conductive material.