Abstract: Apparatus for packing articles, particularly bottles, in units each consisting of a plurality of parallel rows of articles, each row comprising a plurality of articles, in side-by-side contact, and with the rows in contact, comprising means for collating articles into said units and sleeve-wrapping the units. Each unit of articles, as formed, is deposited on a conveyor and conveyed thereby through a sealing station, means being provided for supplying webs of heat-sealable wrapping material to lie under and over each unit, and for sealing the webs together at the sealing station to form a sleeve of the material around each unit. In collating cylindrical bottles (or other cylindrical articles), the rows are staggered for nesting of the bottles to reduce the voids in the units.

Abstract: An automobile bicycle carrier including a pair of upwardly opening channels for receiving the wheels of a bicycle and mounted in relatively parallel relation on a pair of cross-frame members and having a pair of bicycle support members mounted at their lower ends on respective ones of the cross-frame members and extending upwardly and relatively crossing relationship and having lateral arms at the upper ends for engaging a portion of the frame of a bicycle resting in a respective one of the channels to support the latter. The carrier including the channels, cross-frame members and bicycle support members can be disassembled to enable compact packaging for shipment or storage.

Abstract: A drill apparatus including a stationary support frame, a drill carriage mounted on the stationary support frame for movement relative thereto along a generally horizontal path, a drill head mounted on the carriage and having a drill rotatable about an axis paralleling the horizontal path, a work engaging head mounted on the drill head for movement relative thereto along a feed path paralleling the horizontal path of movement of the carriage, and feed mechanism connected to the drill head and to the work engaging head for selectively moving the latter toward and away from the drill head. The drill head and work engaging head are adjustable as a unit in a vertical direction relative to the carriage to vertically position the drill and work engaging head. The relative positions of the work engaging head and drill head are sensed to control the direction and speed of relative movement of the work engaging head relative to the drill head.

Abstract: A coin responsive mechanism for controlling operation of a dispensing machine including a coin chute adapted to receive coins of several different denominations to provide a gravity drop for coins from a coin receiving slot to a coin stop, the coin chute having slots at opposite sides with a first gauging pawl mounted for movement through the slot in one side to block upward movement of a first combination of coins in the chute and a second gaugingpawl mounted for movement to the slot in the other side of the chute to block upward movement of the second combination of coins in the chute. The gauging pawls are adjustable along the chute to adapt the mechanism to respond to a wide variety of combination of coins of different sizes and different denominations.

Abstract: There is herein disclosed an aqueous plating bath for electroless or catalytic deposition of chromium upon the surface of a substrate capable of accepting such deposition or which has been treated to provide a surface capable of accepting such deposition. The solution is characterized by the presence of chromium as an organic chromium compound such as chromium acetate or the equivalent in relatively high concentration, the presence of nickel as a nickel compound, such as nickel acetate or its equivalent in relatively low concentration only sufficient to render the deposit catalytic, together with the usual reducing and buffering compounds to which may be added a complexing reagent comprising the salts of oxalic acid all of which cooperate to produce a deposit substantially higher in chromium content than has heretofore been possible.

Abstract: A platform type weighing scale including a base, a scale platform, and a unitary weigh frame having spaced parallel torque members and an elongated bendable load sensing beam extending between and ridgidly attached to the torque members. Four frame suspensions engage the torque members to support the weigh frame on the base and four platform suspensions engage the torque members to support the platform on the weigh frame and apply forces to the first and second torque members correlative with the load on the platform and to produce a bending moment in the beam correlative with the sum of the forces applied to the first and second torque members. Electrical transducer means senses bending of the sensing beam as an indication of the weight applied to the scale platform.

Abstract: A trailer hitch particularly for recreational vehicles of the type having a rear cross frame member, a vehicle bumper spaced rearwardly from the cross frame member and a holding tank dump tube with its outlet at a location intermediate the ends of the rear cross frame member. The trailer hitch has mounting plates attached to the rear frame member at opposite sides of the dump tube outlet and the trailer hitch has a generally U-shaped bracket that extends downwardly and rearwardly from the mounting plates to a level below the vehicle bumper and a panel member that extends rearwardly from the U-shaped hitch bracket with trailer coupling means at the rear end thereof.

Abstract: A roof drain system in which an air duct is mounted on a building to extend along the lower edge of the roof to have the water from the roof flow thereover, a blower communicates with the air duct to supply air under above atomspheric pressure thereto, and the duct has apertures along the length thereof for passing air in jets directed laterally outwardly of the building to substantially disrupt the water into droplets as it flows across the air duct and thereby distribute the droplets in a wide band outwardly of the roof line of the building. Apparatus for automatically operating the blower means when it rains, is advantageously provided.

Abstract: A machine for wrapping articles in an elongated strip of wrapping material of the type in which the machine forms the strip into a channel as the strip is advanced past the loading station, articles are deposited in the strip at the loading station, and the strip is folded into a tube around the articles and longitudinally sealed as the strip is advanced past a longitudinal sealing station, and the strip is thereafter transversely sealed between the articles and severed to form separate packages. The machine has endless type upper and lower jaw conveyors which are operated to grip and advance the strip through a selectively adjustable distance and seal and sever the strip to form packages of selectively adjustable lengths. The machine also includes an improved endless type of inlet conveyor which is operative to grip the enfolded strip of wrapping material at opposite sides of the article to hold the articles in position in the wrapping material as it is advanced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling stock tension as it is withdrawn from a coil in which a coil support is mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the direction of withdrawal of stock from the coil and also for limited shifting movement along a path lengthwise of the direction of stock withdrawal. Shifting movement of the coil support in the direction of stock withdrawal is yieldably opposed with a generally uniform biasing force and the rotation of the coil about its axis is variably braked in response to shifting of the coil along said path to maintain the exiting tension on the stock substantially equal to the biasing force.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling vehicles in a train of such vehicles including first and second coupler plates pivotally interconnected by a coupler pin for relative movement about an upright axis and having brake means frictionally retarding relative rotation between the coupler plates and a cam type latch means mounted on one plate and engageable in a depression in the other plate when the first and second plates are in a preselected angular position for releasably restraining relative movement between the coupler plates out of the preset angular position until the forces tending to cause relative angular movement substantially exceed the frictional force of the friction brake means.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing semi-frozen beverages containing water, a flavoring syrup and carbon dioxide in which the water and flavoring syrup are delivered under a pre-set substantially constant pressure through respective water and syrup flow restrictors to a mixed beverage delivery line so that the proportions of the water and syrup in the mixed beverage are controlled by the water and beverage flow restrictors. The apparatus includes mechanism for selectively passing water under the gas pressure in a reverse direction through the syrup flow restrictor to back flush and clean the same. The apparatus also includes mechanism for automatically controlling the flow of mixed beverage to the freezing chamber and the venting of gas from the freezing chamber to maintain the liquid in the chamber at a preselected level and pressure.

Abstract: A bicycle display rack including a pair of generally horizontal frame members mounted on legs in spaced parallel relation above the ground to support a bicycle in an upwardly inclined position with one wheel resting crosswise of the frame members and having wheel engaging units at spaced locations along the frame members for engaging relatively opposite sides of a bicycle wheel resting on the frame members to laterally stabilize the bicycle. The rack is arranged so that bicycles can be mounted on the rack from or both sides of the rack.

Abstract: An automobile bicycle carrier of the type including a pair of upwardly opening channels for receiving the wheels of a bicycle and a support frame for mounting the channels in spaced parallel relation on a vehicle and for engaging the frames of the bicycles resting in each of the channels to support the same in upright position. The support frame is formed of a plurality of separate and detachably connected frame members and includes a pair of front frame members that are attached to the channels and which are detachably interconnected to each other intermediate the channels and a corresponding pair of rear frame members which are connected to the channels and detachably interconnected intermediate the channels to support the channels in spaced parallel relation. One of the front and rear frame members each have a leg that extends upwardly with a laterally extending arm at its upper end for engaging and supporting the frame of the bicycle in a respective one of the channels.

Abstract: The machine dispenses a ready-made milk shake. A freezing chamber has a dispensing valve having porting and a valve element so arranged that flow of the semi-frozen comestible and the flavoring material occurs simultaneously. A beater mixes the two during dispensing. A conduit for the flavoring material has a unique coupling to the valve block and a quick-release coupling intermediate its ends. Upon release of the latter, a manually operable sampling valve may be connected to the conduit to selectively draw a sample of the flavoring. A pump is provided for sucking in a liquid comestible and gas in a preselected proportion and delivering them to the bottom of the freezing chamber. A vent is located in the valve block to vent air from the freezing chamber upon start-up of the machine. The vent has an inlet located at a level so that the liquid and gas volumes in the chamber are about equal to the respective proportions pumped.

Abstract: A sliding spool type valve and method of making the same in which a set of like valve plates and a set of like pot plates are interleaved in a stack to form a laminated valve body having a central valve bore with valve ports at spaced locations therealong and a plurality of lengthwise extending flow passages at uniform angularly spaced positions around the valve bore, the port plates each having a transfer passage extending outwardly from the valve bore and the port plates of the set being disposed at relatively different angular positions in the stack to have the transfer passage communicate with different ones of the lengthwise extending flow passages. The port and valve plates have flat side faces and the plates are clamped together in a stack by bolts extending through angularly spaced bolt openings in the port and valve plates. The valve bore is honed after the plates are assembled in a stack to receive a sliding spool type valve member.

Abstract: Adjustable cam actuated switch mechanism of the type in which the switch is operated by a rotating cam means on a timing shaft. The cam means includes a cam plate that is rotatable relative to the timing shaft and the cam plate is adjustably connected to the shaft through a differential gear mechanism including a pair of spur gears of like pitch diameter but having relatively different number of teeth, one of which is drivingly connected to the timing shaft and the other of which is drivingly connected to the cam plate and a pinion gear that meshes with both spur gears and is carried by a housing that encloses the spur gears and which is rotatable relative to the timing shaft to angularly adjust the cam relative to the shaft.

Abstract: An adjustable multiple container dispensing apparatus in which first and second sets of container dispensing cams are arranged in first and second rows to define a plurality of container dispensing throats with four cams arranged to engage and dispense containers in each dispensing throat and with the cams of the first and second sets adjustable toward and away from each other to vary the size of the dispensing throat for dispensing different size containers. First and second sets of stack guide members are mounted for adjustment with the first and second sets of container dispensing cams to adjust the size of the container magazines simultaneous with adjustment of the size of the container dispensing throats.

Abstract: A hollow drapery rod having a decorative face at the top, front and bottom, a trackway at the rear side, and a pulley housing inwardly of the end of the rod. The rod has bracket receiving openings in the top and bottom adjacent the pulley housing and the rod support bracket has a U-shaped saddle with one leg underlying the bottom of the rod and an upwardly extending leg extending through the bracket receiving opening of the bottom of the rod and through the rod and out through the bracket receiving opening in the top of the rod to firmly support and position the rod. The pulley housing has wall portions engaged by the upwardly extending leg on the support bracket to be anchored thereby and the wall portions of the pulley housing aid in guiding the upwardly extending leg on the bracket through the rod and out of the bracket receiving opening in the top of the rod to facilitate installation of the rod on the bracket.

Abstract: A traverse rod including a downwardly opening carrier channel having inwardly extending carrier support rails at its lower edge, a master carrier mounted on the rod for movement parallel to the carrier channel and having master drapery support means thereon, and an intermediate carrier system, including a lead carrier at the end of a flexible string and a plurality of auxiliary carriers at spaced locations along the string each having heads guidably mounted on the rails at the lower end of the channel. The master carrier is constructed and arranged with relation to the rails at the lower edge of the channel so that the lead carrier on the intermediate carrier system can slide along the rails to a preselected position relative to the master drapery support means on the master carrier, and clamp means are provided to engage the lead carrier and master carrier to detachably secure the lead carrier in said preselected position to the master carrier.