Abstract: A heavy lift transi-crane supported on a substantially flat surface is disclosed which includes a boom supporting unit having a rigid annular foot, with the boom supporting unit being connected to a propelling unit by an elongated rigid connecting link. A substantial portion of the weight acting on the boom supporting unit is carried by fluid under pressure contacting a large area of the flat surface within the rigid annular foot but with the force being insufficient to raise the annular foot from the surface thereby greatly reducing frictional forces between the foot and the surface and the power requirements to move the transi-crane. The propelling unit is preferably a multi-directional walking beam vehicle which is capable of moving the transi-crane along a linear path or around a vertical pivot axis of the boom supporting unit.

Abstract: A hydrostatically operated vehicle, such as a street sweeper, includes an engine driven reversible hydrostatic pump coupled to a single hydrostatic pump driving wheels of the vehicle. The pump is shiftable from neutral to reverse and forward, low and high speed positions, and the hydrostatic motor is controlled between low and high speed positions with a metering valve automatically adjusting the motor speed in response to variation in reaction torque between the drive wheels and the ground. The vehicle also includes a reversible hydrostatic component drive system for powering motors which drive an elevator, pick-up broom and two gutter brooms in a forward working direction and which may be reversed for clearing debris jams by reversing the pump. The component drive system includes valve means for selectively driving the gutter brooms and for holding the gutter brooms inactive when the pump is driven in reverse.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture is disclosed which involves capturing portions of thermosealing packaging material such as film, stretching the film portions over the article to define isolated annuluses of contacting film, and severing the captured film portions together in isolated areas of the film for providing an annular seal about the article thereby providing a packaged article with the film and the annular seal tightly stretched over and conforming to the shape of the article. If the article is a living article such as a grapefruit, the packaging material is a gas permeable film which minimizes moisture migration from the article and from the package while permitting gases to diffuse into and out of the package slowing down the catabolistic destruction of the living article and resulting in greatly extended shelf life of the article.

Abstract: A speed control mechanism for a hydrostatically driven vehicle such as a street sweeper is disclosed which includes a selector lever. When the lever is in a variable engine speed position, depression of an accelerator pedal progressively opens the engine throttle from idle speed to high engine speed and progressively closes an inching valve thereby enabling the operator to comfortably drive the vehicle through stop and go traffic. When the lever is in a governor controlled high speed position, the engine throttle is opened and the engine is driven at high speed under control of the governor, and progressive depression of the throttle progressively closes the inching valve thereby providing optimum power while the vehicle is working, such as sweeping streets, with the speed of the vehicle being controlled by the position of the throttle and the position of the inching valve.

Abstract: A variable-frequency feeder control using a single oscillator to develop signals for moving materials in either one of two directions. An output signal from the oscillator is applied to a first timing circuit which develops signal pulses for driving a horizontal electromagnetic drive coil. The first timing circuit controls the duration of the signal pulses which determine the amplitude of power to drive the horizontal coil. The output signal from the oscillator is applied to a second timing circuit which developes a phase shifted signal to control the phase between the power applied to the horizontal coil and the power applied to a vertical drive coil. A third timing circuit uses the phase shifted signal to develop signal pulses for driving the vertical coil and controls the duration of the drive pulses.

Abstract: Structure for mounting a load cell enclosure on a bending beam is disclosed, wherein the load cell enclosure has a pair of mounting flanges extending from the enclosure and the flanges each have opposed mounting and exposed surfaces. A swivel footed clamp is provided for contacting each flange exposed surface and a beam surface in a manner to firmly secure the flange mounting surfaces to the beam.

Abstract: A core blowing machine receives match plates on a mounting surface so that a sand and bonding agent mixture may be packed about the match plate and exposed to a catalytic gas for forming a mold component. A support surface is disposed beneath the mounting surface. An auxiliary assembly includes an auxiliary mounting surface and an auxiliary support surface in substantially the same spatial relationship as the mounting and support surfaces. A support jack is placed on the auxiliary support surface and is adjusted in length to extend between the auxiliary support surface and a match plate mounted in the auxiliary assembly. Then the suppot jack is placed in a position on the support surface which is similar to the position occupied on the auxiliary support surface and the matching plate is disposed on the mounting surface. Indicia are provided on both the auxiliary support surface and the support surface to aid in placing the support jack in the similar position on the latter surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for entering control points relative to a dynagraph of a well pumping unit using the position of a beam and a pen holder of an XY plotter. The beam and/or the pen holder is physically moved to a desired location and an "enter" button is pressed to enter a value corresponding to an X or a Y position and another button is used to enter the other corresponding position value. The entered point is used to control operation of the well.

Abstract: A fold control mechanism and method is provided in a foldable conduit system for accurately controlling the movement of a diagonal pipe section which extends above and below the pipes in the system. The fold control mechanism includes a first wheel rigidly secured to an extensible boom and a second wheel connected to the first wheel by a flexible connecting means. The second wheel is rigidly connected to the diagonal pipe section, rotates about its own axis, and rotates aproximately 180.degree. about the axis of the first wheel to maintain control of the several pipes in the conduit system during the folding and unfolding operations.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for maintaining a predetermined mast-boom working angle of a pendant supported boom substantially constant during extension and retraction of the boom. One embodiment of the invention includes control means connected between the boom and the mast for detecting slight angular changes and actuating power means for paying out or drawing in sufficient pendant to return the mast-boom angle to a predetermined angle. Another embodiment utilizes electrical controls having a first potentiometer capable of detecting linear changes in the effective boom supporting length of the pendant and another potentiometer for detecting linear changes in the length of the boom, said potentiometer sending output signal ratios which vary from a predetermined output signal ratio for actuating power means that takes up or pays out sufficient pendant to return the boom to the predetermined mast-boom working angle and returns the output signal ratio to said predetermined ratio.

Abstract: A "no-lift" container trailer is disclosed having a vertically movable roller tray with parallel rollers thereon which when tangent to the roll plane, and solely support a container thereon allow the container to be moved onto or off the trailer. A vertically movable caster tray of the trailer has fixed caster wheels thereon with their axes of rotation intersecting a vertical axis near the center of the trailer. When the wheels provide sole support for the container at the roll plane the container may be rotated about the vertical axis to any desired position. Manually operated cams are provided to sequentially move only the rollers tangent to the roll plane for supporting the container only on the rollers to move both the rollers and wheels tangent to the roll plane, and to move the rollers below the roll plane for supporting the container only on the wheels thus transferring the containers between the rollers and the wheel at the roll plane without lifting the container.

Abstract: A heavy duty travel crane is disclosed having two power driven mobile units each having an upper works pivotally supported by the lower works and interconnected by a spreader link. A boom and gantry are supported on one mobile unit and a plurality of winches and operator controls for both units are carried by the other unit with a counterweight supported on the spreader link immediately adjacent thereto. The winches are connected to hoists trained over the boom and gantry for supporting a load, and the counterweight is attached to the upper end of the gantry with the adjacent mobile power unit acting as an auxiliary counterweight if the load is of sufficient weight to lift the counterweight off the spreader link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for packaging articles in two portions of film which are fed between outer and inner annular film clamping mechanisms with the outer clamping mechanism firmly clamping the film portions while stretching the film over the article. The inner annular clamping mechanism then clamps the periphery of the film portions together immediately inward of the seal area, and the outer clamps release the film allowing an annular hot knife to seal and sever the film portions in a relaxed area. A low inertia film drive system is also provided with the film supply rolls on one side of the clamping mechanisms being continuously driven while brush rolls on the other side of the clamping mechanisms are intermittently driven. The low inertia film drive system also includes components for assuring that the film is stressed longitudinally and transversely to remove wrinkles therefrom, and to assure that the film portions are sealed and severed in a completely relaxed area.

Abstract: A hydrostatic propulsion system and method of operation is disclosed for smoothly driving a vehicle, such as a street sweeper. The system includes a shift lever for selectively moving a pump stroking valve into reverse, neutral, low forward, and fast forward speed positions to prepare the system. After the shift lever has been placed in a forward or reverse position, an accelerator pedal must be depressed to partially or fully close an inching throttle valve before the pump swash plate moves from its zero piston displacement position and begins to pump fluid to the hydrostatic motors. Hydrostatic braking forces are applied when the accelerator pedal is released and also in response to initial depression of a brake pedal for providing normal braking to the vehicle. Further depression of the brake pedal operates a conventional brake system for panic stops.

Abstract: An accessory tool for use on a tire changing machine when operating on custom alloy wheels is disclosed which clamps onto the tongue portion of the usual tire changer rotatably driven center post which is normally used to rotationally drive a slotted tire tool. The accessory tool has the capability of positioning a tire mount/demount head radially and axially relative to the wheel rim and of securely clamping the mount/demount head in such selected position. Moreover, the clamping action for positioning the mount/demount head automatically lifts the head away from the rim surface to assure no contact between the head and the edge of the wheel rim when the accessory tool is rotated by rotation of the tire machine center post to mount or demount a tire bead over the edge of the rim.

Abstract: An overcenter, spring loaded linkage is disclosed for applying a lifting force to a pick-up broom of a street sweeper when the broom is new and heavy, and for applying a downward pressure on the broom when the broom is worn and light in weight. The linkage maintains a substantially constant pick-up broom pattern on the surface being swept throughout the useful life of the broom in spite of a substantial reduction in broom diameter due to wear.

Abstract: An improved method, and apparatus for performing the method, is disclosed for measuring and correcting the individual toe of pairs of steerable and non-steerable wheels of a vehicle relative to a longitudinal centerline passing through the midpoints of the wheel pairs. The improved methods utilize aimable alignment heads which are alternately mounted on the non-steerable wheels and the steerable wheels and are sighted only once on targets on the other wheels thereby eliminating the need for resighting after each toe adjustment is made. Optical cross-toe paths of each head operate in a continuous mode and provide a running display of incremental toe angle adjustments of one wheel while the toe display value associated with the other wheel of the pair is frozen, which other wheel is not being adjusted for toe.

Abstract: A reaction differential is disclosed which is preferably used in a hydrostatic steering differential for accurately steering a casemate vehicle at very low speeds for precise aiming of a gun which is aimed in azimuth by steering. The reaction differential is driven in selected direction by a hydrostatic motor only after the motor is rotated at an rpm which will provide smooth motor performance before sufficient torque is provided to initiate steering of the vehicle.

Abstract: A load supporting structure is disclosed for supporting and maintaining a heavy load stable when being moved on a substantially flat supporting surface by another vehicle. The structure includes a rigid annular foot, and a pressure chamber with one of its walls being a portion of the flat surface. A rigid load supporting platform is connected to the rigid foot and to the pressure chamber for supporting a heavy load. Air is directed into the pressure chamber at sufficient pressure to support substantially all the weight of the supporting structure and the load, but with insufficient pressure to lift the rigid annular foot from the flat surface. The air in the chamber is substantially prevented from flowing under the annular foot but will allow some air to escape in the event crevices or the like in the substantially flat surface provide air flow paths.

Abstract: An off-the-car wheel unbalance measuring system has a rotationally driven wheel mounting shaft supported in a pedestal together with a pair of force transducers mounted in the pedestal adjacent to and spaced along the shaft. The force transducers are coupled mechanically to the shaft and provide periodic electrical output signals indicative of unbalance forces transmitted through the shaft when the shaft is driven rotationally. The angular position of the shaft is monitored with respect to an angular reference position at a predetermined number of angular increments during each full revolution of the shaft. The transducer output signals are converted in electrical circuitry within the system to digital form, and a multiplication operation is performed on the digitized signals at each angular increment using sine and cosine representative factors corresponding to that particular angular increment.