Abstract: A moving slat conveyor in which the slats are reciprocally mounted on cross beams and wherein the slats are provided with depressed areas above the respective beams so that the slats fall and rise during their reciprocal movement. All of the slats are moved in unison to carry the goods thereon to an advanced position and in sequence groups of slats are retuned to their home position. During the return the slats lower whereby their upper surface is below the plane of the remaining slats that are supporting the goods.

Abstract: A compact fuel fired steam generating type humidifier. The apparatus uses a gaseous fuel as the prime source of heat to generate steam used to humidify air in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning of buildings. The humidifier may be a stand alone unit that disperses the steam into the space or the steam generated by the apparatus may be dispersed in forced air flow of the building heating system. The steam generating unit includes a water tank in which there is located a combustion chamber and a heat exchanger chamber for transferring the heat from the products of combustion to the water.

Abstract: A flap valve vent hood for discharging air to atmosphere from clothes dryers and bathroom vents is provided freeze-free by a secondary valve that is mounted on the principal flap valve and covering an open area that provides a secondary air flow path through the principal flap valve. The principal flap valve and the secondary valve are normally closed and the principal flap valve is biased to its closed position by gravity. A lip along an edge of the open area may be provided to minimize accumulation of moisture where the two valves are in contact with one another. A soffit vent hood of particular construction is provided in which there are two members detachably interconnected one being a downwardly directed hood and the other an insert therefor which carries the valves for respective ones of a pair of outlet discharge openings.

Abstract: A holder for jigsaw puzzles, game pieces, pictures or the like that includes a stiff rectangular panel having an upper flat surface on which the pieces can be assembled, a flexible cover sheet that removably overlies the pieces on such upper flat surface of said member and a pouch for the panel. Each of the pouch and panel have a carrying handle and these are aligned with one another when the panel is fully inserted into the pouch. The handles are an integral part of the respective members associated therewith. The panel's side edges taper inwardly toward one another in a direction toward the bottom edge thereof and the pouch side edges have a corresponding taper. The upper surface of the panel has a matt non-slip surface as does also the flexible cover sheet.

Abstract: A flexible spine binder with an open pocket extending the length of the spine and a stiff elongate member insertable into such pocket transforming the flexible spine into a stiff spine and also providing means for labelling the binder. The binder is made of film vinyl, polypropylene or the like.

Abstract: A ground source heat pump system including an indoor fan coil, a high torque compressor, a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), a suction gas distributor, an accumulator with an internal heat exchanger and an arrangement of check valves to permit a single direction of refrigerant flow in both the heating and cooling modes. Only one TX valve is required providing simplicity for the system. A backflooding control valve is used in the system to control condenser pressures to assure proper refrigerant quantity and pressure at the TX valve. The heat pump also uses a head pressure control valve to maintain a pre-set refrigerant pressure in the ground coil on air conditioning mode. The system charge is the same for heating and cooling and the ground coil consists of a plurality of three pipe units--one pipe for inflow and two for out flow.

Abstract: Apparatus for a fully automated magnesium melt system. Raw magnesium ingots are moved through and controllably heated in a preheater chamber before they are introduced into a melt cell. A probe monitors the metal level and a control unit causes ingot charging as determined by a process level set point or temperature overshoot. There are two zones of heating in the melt cell with each zone supplied by its own 3 phase zero cross fired silicon controlled rectifier and firing board which is gated by a gating signal. This controls how much the SCR's are allowed to conduct. The amount of error between the metal bath set point and the actual metal bath temperature automatically determines how much of the 4-20 mA gating signal is required to maintain the set metal bath temperature. Liquid magnesium is transferred from the melt cell to a die cast machine by a siphon transfer tube which has two sets of electrical heating elements.

Abstract: A garden hand tool having a tubular outer member terminating at its bottom end in an elliptically shaped peripheral edge with such end being open, a plunger reciprocally mounted in the tubular member and a spring that resiliently biases the plunger upwardly in a direction away from the elliptically shaped open bottom end. The elliptically shaped peripheral edge is preferably in a plane disposed at an angle in a range of 15.degree. to 22.degree.1/2 to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member so as to be readily forced by hand into the earth to remove a weed or plant. The plunger projects upwardly beyond the upper end of the tubular outer member providing a portion that can be readily grasped to push the plunger downwardly to remove any earth associated with the plant that might be stuck in the bottom end of the outer tubular member.

Abstract: A base unit for supporting an infant carrier seat comprising a housing member having a bottom curved surface for rocking on a generally flat support surface, an upper central portion on which an infant carrier seat is removably mountable, an endless pathway that circumscribes said central portion, a weight and a motor to move along the weight in a closed loop at a selected predetermined rate of travel. The weight in the preferred form is a toy train unit with open topped box cars that removably hold a supply of weights. A sound generator on the train provides music and/or train whistle simulation. An infant can be entertained by the train travelling around the infant, by sounds generated by the train and the infant is rocked, all at the same time. The motion of the train travelling around the infant can be used to check responses of the infant as can also the movement of sound relative to the infant.

Abstract: An insert moulding system in which a movably mounted tool head loads inserts into the mould and unloads moulded articles from the mould. The tool head has sensors and an article position and retaining structure on a load face thereof for each of a number of insert pieces to be incorporated in the moulded articles. The operation is computer controlled and the sensors on the tool head sense at least one characteristic of each insert piece thereon, e.g. flatness and generate a signal in response to such characteristic being outside of specification which renders inoperative the moulding process until the offending insert piece is replaced by one meeting specification. Position locators have inter-engageable portions respectively on the tool head and the fixed in position mould positively to locate the movable head and fixed mould in a predetermined fixed relation relative to one another during cycle after cycle of operation providing precision injection moulding.

Abstract: A chock and chock anchor for restraining a massive piece of cargo on the load carrying platform of a transport vehicle and a transport vehicle trailer incorporating the same. The chock anchor is secured to the platform and the chock is detachably mounted thereon. Downwardly extending projections on at least one of the chock anchor and chock cause structural damage to the vehicle platform and platform support structure in the event of a sudden stop. The damaged area provides a recess that the cargo piece projects into thereby confining the cargo, such as a multi-ton coil of steel, to the vehicle.

Abstract: A well pump sucker rod scraper arrangement that includes a sucker rod, scrapers fixed to said rod and a scraper at spaced apart positions movably mounted on said rod, between adjacent pairs of the fixed scrapers. The movable and fixed scrapers each have surfaces at respective opposite ends thereof and an outer fluted surface. The fluted surface is defined by spaced apart ribs and the ribs on the movable scraper are angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the rod. The movable scraper has a slot lengthwise thereof with a throat portion whose width is narrower than the diameter of the rod and through which the rod passes when pressing such movable scraper onto the rod. A lug on the fixed scrapers project therefrom in a direction toward an adjacent movable scraper and the lugs are so positioned so as to project into said slot of a movable scraper associated therewith as the latter approaches the fixed scraper and prior to engagement of the abutting planar end surfaces on the respective scrapers.

Abstract: A wood-cutting method is disclosed using a tool having a cutting part heated by electric current wherein the temperature of the cutting part of the tool, in proximity of the wood, is maintained at a predetermined level. Also disclosed is a wood-cutting tool that has a carrying part and a cutting part in which the cutting part is heated by electric current. The cutting part is blunt and projects beyond the side surfaces of the carrying part. In order that the temperature of the cutting part be maintained at a predetermined level, the tool is provided with a temperature regulator with at least one temperature-sensitive element arranged in thermal communication with the cutting part. The blunt cutting part is formed as a bulbous rigid member selectively coated with an electrically insulative coating that supports a film electric resistance heating element which in turn is covered by an outer protective covering.

Abstract: A folding blade propeller for a power vessel wherein the blades are synchronized in their pivotal movement as they pivot from one position to the other by flexible links. The flexible links are connected at one end thereof to the base of one propeller blade and at the opposite to the base of another and act as pulling members. When one blade pivots the flexible link pulls on the base of the other blade to which it is attached to simultaneously pivot that blade. Slack in the links is minimized by having each link in rolling contact with rounded surfaces on the base of the respective propeller blades that are interconnected by that link.

Abstract: A head type current transformer having an aluminum head housing mounted on top of and supported by a porcelain insulator. The head housing and insulator together define an enclosure housing therein an, insulated, electrical component immersed in a liquid dielectric. The transformer unit is rendered explosion resistant by having a shock wave attenuator located at least partially in the liquid in the vicinity of the juncture of the housing and insulator to reduce the force of a shock wave originating in the head housing below that which would cause fracturing of the porcelain insulator. A selected area of the wall of the head housing is also patterned to facilitate its rupture in a predetermined area which is in the region of the highest voltage stress area. A filler material of felt is also used to displace a portion of the oil dielectric at the area of weakness.

Abstract: A load stabilizing means for elongated objects grasped at one end and held vertically comprising gravity induced signals to hydraulic power and control means to correct deviations of the axis of the longitudinal object from the vertical. The preferred embodiment applies the invention to felling heads on light carriers.

Abstract: Apparatus for central vein cannulation that includes a valved Y-connector for use between a conventional syringe and introducer needle. The valve is in an auxiliary arm and removably receives an end portion of a length of flexible tubing so that venous pressure can be visually observed during the medical procedure and then removed for insertion of a J-wire through the same valve by a conventional J-wire dispensing system.