Abstract: A processing machine for washing, scrubbing, or peeling products, such as vegetables or fruit, comprises a plurality of elongated rotatable processing rollers (with brushes or abrading elements thereon) arranged to define a U-shaped trough through which the products pass for processing. A rotatable waste discharging auger is located below the trough. A rotatable product mobilizer apparatus, comprising a drive shaft, helical rods arranged around and supported on the drive shaft and located in the trough, and augers on the drive shaft at the opposite ends of the helical rods, operates to raise the product layer next to the processing rollers thereby creating a tumbling action, to positively move the products toward the discharge end of the processing rollers, and to control product load level in the trough as a function of the rotational speed of the product mobilizer apparatus.

Abstract: A smoke diffusing device for distributing aromatic smoke from burning material, such as tobacco, incense, or the like, throughout a room comprises a housing having a receptacle thereon for holding burning material, a fan chamber within the housing into which the smoke is drawn from the receptacle through an inlet passage and from which it is forcibly expelled to atmosphere through an outlet passage by a small switch-operated battery-powered motor-driven fan located in the fan chamber. The fan motor, battery, switch, and necessary electric wiring are removably mounted and detachably interconnected in a main chamber in the housing. The main chamber, fan chamber, inlet passage and receptacle are defined by a cylindrical bore extending inwardly of the housing, and one end of the bore is closed by a removable end cap on which the switch is mounted.

Abstract: A crawler tractor has an engine-driven fluid power shifted transmission for supplying motive power to left and right crawler tracks through spring-applied fluid-released left and right steering clutches and also has spring-applied fluid-released brake actuators for the track brakes. A hydraulic control system for steering and braking the tractor includes a combined steering and braking valve having a pair of lever operated valve spools, a shuttle valve, and a supplemental brake control valve operated by a single brake pedal. The combined steering and braking valve, which includes a flow divider, directs fluid from a pump to the brake actuators to maintain the brakes released when the valve spools are in neutral. When a lever operated valve spool is moved from neutral to some other position, the combined steering and braking valve directs fluid to disengage a clutch and causes the brake for the associated track to be applied.

Abstract: A crawler tractor has an engine-driven transmission for supplying motive power to the left and right crawler tracks through spring-applied fluid-released left and right steering clutches and also has spring-applied fluid-released track brakes. A hydraulic steering clutch and brake control system is provided and includes left and right manually operable steering levers for the clutches and a single foot-operated brake pedal. The control system further includes a single pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to the steering clutches and to the brake actuators for the brakes. A steering valve, having a flow divider therein, receives fluid from the pump and is responsive to actuation of the steering levers to supply fluid to release the steering clutches. The steering valve also continually directs fluid to a pilot operated shuttle valve which is responsive to operation of the steering clutches to direct operating fluid to the brake actuators to effect brake release for that track whose clutch is engaged.

Abstract: A master link assembly in a continuous flexible track assembly for a crawler tractor comprises two laterally spaced apart (left and right) parallel master links and each master link comprises two overlapping half-links held in alignment by a pin extending into registering pin holes in the half-links. The overlapping half-links are mechanically secured together in fixed relationship by track shoe capscrews which extend through holes in a master link track shoe which overlies both half-links and screw into tapped capscrew holes in the half-links. Besides aligning the overlapping half-links, each pin also serves as a safety connection in case the capscrews break and also enables removal of the capscrews and replacement of the track shoe without breaking the track assembly.

Abstract: A master link assembly in a continuous flexible track assembly for a crawler tractor comprises two laterally spaced apart (left and right) parallel master links and each master link comprises two overlapping half-links held in alignment and mechanically secured together in fixed relationship by track shoe capscrews which extend through holes in a master link track shoe which overlies both half-links and screw into tapped capscrew holes in the half-links.

Abstract: A crawler tractor has an engine-driven transmission for supplying motive power to the left and right crawler tracks through spring-applied fluid-released left and right steering clutches and also has spring-applied fluid-released track brakes. A hydraulic steering clutch and brake control system is provided and includes left and right manually operable steering levers for the clutches and a single foot-operated brake pedal. The control system further includes a single pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to the steering clutches and to the brake actuators for the brakes. A steering valve, having a flow divider therein, receives fluid from the pump and is responsive to actuation of the steering levers to supply fluid to release the steering clutches. The steering valve also continually directs fluid to a pilot operated shuttle valve which is responsive to operation of the steering clutches to direct operating fluid to the brake actuators to effect brake release for that track whose clutch is engaged.

Abstract: A one-piece bimetallic electrical connector comprises a cylindrical aluminum portion having a neck of reduced diameter extending therefrom and a cylindrical copper portion welded to the neck in a solid state bond. A wire receiving opening extends axially inwardly from the free end of the aluminum portion and electrical connection means, such as a threaded hole, are formed near the free end of the copper portion. Internal tool engaging recess means are provided within the opening in the aluminum portion for tool engagement purposes during welding and for accurately indexing the connector during other subsequent manufacturing operations such as machining and drilling of the threaded hole. External bosses are provided on the exterior of the aluminum portion near the neck for tool engagement purposes during welding.

Abstract: A crawler tractor has an engine-driven fluid power shifted transmission for supplying motive power to left and right crawler tracks through spring-applied fluid-released left and right steering clutches and also has spring-applied fluid-released brake actuators for the track brakes. A hydraulic control system for steering and braking the tractor includes a combined steering and braking valve having a pair of lever operated valve spools, a shuttle valve, and a supplemental brake control valve operated by a single brake pedal. The combined steering and braking valve, which includes a flow divider, directs fluid from a pump to the brake actuators to maintain the brakes released when the valve spools are in neutral. When a lever operated valve spool is moved from neutral to some other position, the combined steering and braking valve directs fluid to disengage a clutch and causes the brake for the associated track to be applied.

Abstract: A roller for a continuous track on a crawler tractor or the like comprises two sections welded together to define an interior lubrication cavity which communicates by means of lubrication passages to spaces containing bearings and to an exterior lubrication port. Liquid plastic material capable of in situ foaming to form an open cell plastic mass is injected into the cavity and passages wherein it sets into an open cell plastic mass. Subsequently, lubricating oil or grease is injected under pressure through the lubrication port to fill the open cells of the plastic mass for storage and subsequent supply to the bearings through the lubrication passages. The open cell plastic mass also provides a barrier or filter for particles of contaminants disposed in the cavity as a result of welding and other manufacturing steps and prevents circulating of such particles with the lubricant and damage to the bearings and seals.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for reclaiming strip-mined land. The apparatus generally comprises a leading tractor and a trailing tractor and an elongated adjustable side casting blade angularly disposed between and connected to the tractors. Control of both tractors and blade adjustment is carried out by an operator on the leading tractor. The method generally comprises the steps of driving the apparatus along a spoil bank crest near one side thereof in one direction to make one pass to effect side casting of material down one repose slope of the spoil bank and then driving the apparatus along the spoil bank crest near the other side thereof in the opposite direction to make another pass to effect side casting of material down the other repose slope of the spoil bank. Two such passes constitute one complete cycle and blade angle; blade tilt and depth of cut are changed for each pass.

Abstract: A fish bait box having a chamber therein and an access opening through the top of the box has a bottom wall surface on its exterior whereby it can rest in upright position and slanted wall surfaces whereby it can selectively rest in either of two tilted positions. The chamber receives live bait and a shiftable medium for the bait and tilting of the box causes shifting of the medium from one end of the chamber to the other thereby exposing the bait for easy removal through the opening. The chamber can accommodate bait in the form of worms in a particulate bedding and tilting of the box causes roll-over of the bedding and exposure of the worms for easy removal. In another embodiment of the invention, a porous screen is provided to divide the chamber into two compartments. The chamber can then accommodate bait in the form of minnows in water, and tilting of the box causes water to drain from one compartment into the other compartment, leaving the minnows in the said one compartment exposed for easy removal.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for reclaiming strip mined land. The apparatus generally comprises a leading tractor and a trailing tractor and an elongated adjustable side casting blade angularly disposed between and connected to the tractors. Control of both tractors and blade adjustment is carried out by an operator on the leading tractor. The method generally comprises the steps of driving the apparatus along a spoil bank crest near one side thereof in one direction to make one pass to effect side casting of material down one repose slope of the spoil bank and then driving the apparatus along the spoil bank crest near the other side thereof in the opposite direction to make another pass to effect side casting of material down the other repose slope of the spoil bank. Two such passes constitute one complete cycle and blade angle; blade tilt and depth of cut are changed for each pass.

Abstract: The power train of a crawler tractor comprises a hydraulically operated modulating main clutch (operated by a clutch control valve) for transmitting motive power from the tractor engine to a hydraulically operated reversible multi-speed range power shift transmission (operated by a shift selector valve) for varying the speed at the output shaft of the transmission. A control lever assembly at the tractor operator's station comprises a manually operable gear selector lever and a manually operable safety lever. The gear selector lever is pivotally mounted on an oscillatable shaft and movable laterally in opposite directions from a centered neutral position to rotate the oscillatable shaft and thereby operate the shift selector valve (connected to the oscillatable shaft) and shift the transmission to either first or second speed ranges in either forward or reverse direction.

Abstract: A track idler recoil assembly is mounted on a crawler tractor for resiliently resisting longitudinal movement of a yoke-mounted track idler caused by track deflection. The assembly comprises a spring housing, open at one end and closed at the other, rigidly secured to the tractor track frame; a coiled compression type recoil spring within the spring housing; and means, including a pushrod and a hydraulic ram, to transmit force between the track idler yoke and the spring and to enable installation and removal of the spring in uncompressed condition. The pushrod is detachably connected to the idler yoke and extends through a hole in a rigid portion of the track frame. The hydraulic ram is located between the pushrod and the spring and is slideably supported in a tubular spring restraining member which is mounted on the spring housing and movable axially into the open end thereof to fixed position to hold the spring in a precompressed condition.

Abstract: An elevating scraper comprises a bowl which can be hydraulically raised and lowered, a motor-driven elevator which can be hydraulically raised and lowered, an ejector hydraulically movable forwardly from an aft position to eject material from the bowl and a hydraulic control system for operating the aforesaid components.

Abstract: A track roller for a continuous track on a crawler tractor or the like comprises two sections welded together to define an interior lubrication cavity which communicates by means of lubrication passages to spaces containing bearings and to an exterior lubrication port. The track roller has a central cavity with a foam material holding a lubricant in its open cells. Axles extend from the track roller and through which a passage extends to communicate with the cavity. The axles are supported by bearings in the caps that are fixedly and non-rotatably mounted on the frame that supports the track roller. The passage in each axle permits lubricant to pass from the cavity to the bearings.

Abstract: A motor scraper has a dozer-type ejector blade which is forwardly movable to eject earth from the scraper bowl by an operating mechanism which includes a movable carriage having three hydraulic rams mounted thereon. The ram cylinders are rigidly connected in parallel physical arrangement on the carriage. The piston rods of two rams are pinned to the ejector blade and the rod of the remaining ram is pinned to the scraper frame. The blade and carriage are initially disposed in their rearward positions. To move the blade forward to eject earth from the bowl, pressurized hydraulic fluid is supplied simultaneously to all ram cylinders to initially cause the said two rams to extend fully and move the blade part way forward (while the said one ram causes the carriage to remain stationary) and to then subsequently cause the said one ram to extend fully and move the carriage forward and thereby cause the blade to move all the way forward.