Abstract: In a process for the removal of fines from a bed of oil bearing shale in a travelling grate retort, a fluid such as air, inert gas or process gas is drafted through the bed in order to entrain in the fluid substantially all of the fines in the bed. The fines are then evacuated from the bed thus increasing the permeability of the bed and substantially decreasing the fines in the retorted shale oil.

Abstract: An opposed-piston compressor has a rigid yoke which interconnects the pistons, and a drive comprising a crankshaft and balance weights within the yoke, enabling the shaft bearings to be placed close to the center line of the pistons.

Abstract: Fragile agglomerates with crushed rock fragments, such as fines which are subsequently agglomerated and which result in the crushing of rock fragments, such as oil shale prepared for retorting are mixed and delivered onto conveying means, such as a travelling grate by charging the rock fragments into a bin which delivers through a choke-feed onto the conveyor or travelling grate by introducing the agglomerates through a series of space conducts or tubes terminating inside the bin below the level of the lump material or fragments in the bin where the rock fragments have a downward travel such as to enable the aggregates to defuse from the ends of the spaced pipes into and through the fragments and while so separated and diffused through the fragments move with the fragments onto the grate.

Abstract: A fish-plate comprises two sections which can be fitted, by way of a toothed surface, against corresponding toothed surfaces of two adjacent electrically conductive rails of a railway using bolts to tighten the sections towards each other. The teeth extend longitudinally, and the sections are vertically adjustable relatively to the rails to allow the fish-plate to be clamped to the rails at various heights.

Abstract: An automatic rail clamp is provided with an indicator for visibly showing the extent of wear of the replaceable clamping jaw inserts together with a fulcrum shaft having opposed eccentrics about which the jaws rock. As wear of the inserts develops, rotation of the fulcrum shaft is effected in measured increments which, in turn, progressively shifts the eccentrics relative to the axis of rotation of the fulcrum shaft to thereby move the centers about which the jaws pivot. This operates to maintain the arc through which the jaws rock within a constant range, thus allowing the rail clamp mechanism to operate at smaller, more efficient toggle angles by keeping the toggle angle safe. A differential hand screw is provided for moving the jaws in the event of failure of the automatic mechanism for opening and closing the jaws to ease the manual effort required to turn the hand screw, particularly to release the jaws when the clamp is set by spring pressure into clamping engagement with the rail.

Abstract: An improved process for heat-treating pellets in a pelletizing machine in which hot gases are generated and passed through a bed of pellets includes charging solid carbonaceous fuel onto the surface of the pellet bed and burning the carbonaceous fuel to generate at least a portion of the hot gases.

Abstract: A horizontal furnace for converting nonferrous metal sulfide concentrates to a molten matte has a plurality of vertically disposed burners along the longitudinal axis of the furnace roof, the burners spaced from each other, means for introducing oxygen-rich gas to said burners, and means for introducing metal sulfide concentrates and flux into the furnace, with the spaced burners introducing the same into the hot atmosphere of the furnace as a plurality of paraboloidal suspensions whereby substantially uniform heat and mass distribution is effected over a major portion of the horizontal furnace.

Abstract: A pressure operated hinge for swingably mounting a door on a frame behind their exposed front portions is of three parts involving a box having pressure elements to be mounted within a back-positioned cavity in the door, a swing arm part that carries a rounded, pin-like guide surface provided with at least one contoured slot therein, and a frame mounting plate part that is adapted to be adjustably secured by a set screw and a tongue and groove connection to the swing arm part. The operating relation between the pressure elements and the guide surface is designed to minimize friction therebetween, and the swing arm is adapted to move into the box to provide a substantially flush positioning when the door is fully closed.

Abstract: A market basket is provided with a U-shaped handle having outwardly projecting locking tabs. The locking tabs, each comprised of a support bar and a locking bar, are slidably and rotatably received in vertical slots in the side walls of the basket. With the locking tab at the bottom of the side wall slots, the handle is freely rotatable. When the handle is lifted upwardly while in the vertical position, each of the locking bar enters into and engages a second vertical slot provided by a locking block to prevent the handle from rotating, the locking block being located on a flange which depends downwardly from an outwardly extending lateral rim on the upper edge of the basket. In an alternate embodiment, the support bar has cross arms forming a cruciform cross sectional shape which engage the correspondingly shaped top of the sidewall slot providing three support points and additional handle locking action.

Abstract: A feed pipe for conveying sticky bulk material from a bunker outlet vertically downward to a conveyor apparatus wherein the feed pipe is comprised of a plurality of truncated conical sections tapering downwards, the axial length and the diameter of the tubular sections being dimensioned such that arching of the bulk material is avoided.

Abstract: An electrical supply line for the supply of current to railway vehicles comprises at least one wire conductor forming a current supply line for a current pick-up device. A rigid body, which may be electrically conducting or otherwise and which is covered with an insulating covering, is constituted by rails and supports the wire conductor. The rails are located in an end-to-end relationship support the wire conductor at spaced intervals by means of attachment members.

Abstract: A hammerhead type of crane has a structural tower with opposed structural cantilevers extending horizontally therefrom and there is a horizontal track along which a load carrying trolley may move through the tower between limits near the outer ends of the cantilevers and a second horizontal track along which a counterweight may travel at the same speed and distance but in the opposite direction and with the load trolley and counterweight passing each other as they move through the tower from one cantilever to the other. The counterweight is moved by means of a cable that has its opposite ends attached to the counterweight and which between its ends is wound about a reversible drum arranged to selectively move the counterweight in one direction or the other.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting a power chain saw into a boring tool is disclosed and consists of an adapter housing which is detachably mounted onto the free end of the saw's chain guide. The housing includes a rotatable shaft mounted therein and extending therethrough with a sprocket fixedly mounted onto the shaft within the housing. A chuck is mounted on the shaft for securing a boring tool thereon. The sprocket is driven by a chain which is in communication with the motor of the chain saw.

Abstract: Hot briquetting apparatus for ferrous or non-ferrous particles has a furnace having upper and lower chambers. The particles are supplied to the lower chamber and leave the lower chamber through a discharge tube to enter a briquetting press. A passage is performed between the lower and upper chambers and sensing means sense the constituents of the gases in that passage. Control means control the air-to-fuel ratio of a zone of the lower chamber. The control means are connected to the output of the sensing means so as to maintain the atmosphere within the zone as a reducing atmosphere, the whole of the lower chamber being a reducing atmosphere.

Abstract: An improved container cover locking assembly has a base member with a continuous peripheral skirt depending therefrom and a ridge parallel to yet spaced inwardly from the skirt along the underside of the base member. Tapered locking lips depend downwardly from the ridge, extend along a substantial portion thereof and curve outwardly toward, yet terminate short of, the skirt. At least one support rib is vertically disposed along each of the locking lips to stiffen the lips in the normal locking position. The locking assembly allows a simplified molding process for a container cover which is assembled with a container body of the type having a curved mounted seat formed from the upper edge of the containers's walls.

Abstract: A motor driven drive is provided for a press in the nature of a baling press which translates rotary motion into reciprocating pressing motion of a pressing plate. The translation of motion is through a drive system which is flexible and adjustably connected to the drive of the plate to assure minimized frictional operation of the plate by reason of a rotary and tilting type of drive screw mechanism. Electrical switch means is provided for controlling the actuation of the plate in accordance with the development of the bale which is being pressed.

Abstract: Metal annuli formed of chill cast metal for subsequent conversion into finished products are produced between at least one pair of inner and outer rollers forming between them a roll-pass, the outer one of which is driven and the inner one, of less diameter than the open central area of the annulus being formed and eccentrically positioned in said open central area, is free turning. Provision is made for moving the axis of rotation of the annulus being formd as the overall diameter increases in such manner that the relation between place of delivery of the hot strip with respect to the winding apparatus remains constant. Preferably the annulus forming apparatus is combined with a continuous casting apparatus whereby the formation of the strip and the forming of the annulus take place at the same speed.

Abstract: The load carrying upper reach of a belt conveyor particularly useful for transporting large pieces of rock and other heavy bulk material dispenses with the usual idle troughing rollers and is supported by an endless succession of spaced transverse flexible cross members or hammocks each of which has a trolley at each end riding on endless rails extending along each side of the belt and around the rollers at the head and discharge ends of the belt conveyor. Along the return strand of the conveyor belt the hammocks are above the belt but rest on it. The side-to-side distance between rails is less than the width of the conveyor belt so that the weighed belt cradles itself in the hammocks. However, at the head end of the conveyor there is a decending traveling belt ramp and at the discharge end an upwardly sloping belt ramp to flatten the hammocks and the belt for passage around the head and tail pulleys respectively. In these areas, the rails spread apart to take up the slack in the hammocks.

Abstract: A device for adjusting the butt-ends of two rails to be connected has a fixed frame for enclosing one of the two rails and two integral bars, parallel to the rails, and extending from the fixed frame toward the other rail. Two movable frames are slidable over a limited portion of the parallel bars in the vicinity of the other rail and can be selectively secured to the other rail so that only one of these two frames is slidably movable. Jacks are provided to effect relative movement between the two movable frames. Actuation of the jacks effects movement of the two movable frames relative to each other and, depending upon which of these frames is secured to the parallel bars, the gap between the two butt-ends will be either increased or decreased.

Abstract: A fluid lading clarifying apparatus and process is provided which utilizes an upright-positioned, fine mesh screen that separates an outer influent fluid lading containing chamber from an inner clarified effluent fluid receiving chamber, and which cooperates with an inside positioned transducer means to induce a continuous particulate removing action on the influent fluid lading and provide a clarified fluid that is continuously moved under capillary action and a slight gradient through the interstices of the screen into the effluent receiving chamber. Ultrasonic energy is used to agglomerate the particulate material, to maintain the screen in a clean condition and its interstices free from flow-blocking air bubbles and thereby assure a continuous flow of influent fluid into the effluent chamber.