Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for receiving sucker rods as they emerge from an electric-induction normalizing furnace and conveying them to a cooling bed while both suitably supporting and suitably rotating them to prevent warpage.

Abstract: A cutter drum for longwall mining machines and the like of the type comprising a rotatable member having cutting bits disposed on its outer periphery and arranged to rotate about an axis extending parallel to a mine floor, the drum being movable along a longitudinal face to produce a cut extending back into the face as the drum rotates and advances. Nozzles are carried on the end of the drum at the back of the cut for spraying high-pressure liquid into the material being mined to loosen and dislodge the same. This has the advantage of eliminating cutter picks at the back of the cut and materially reduces the generation of fines and dust in this area.

Abstract: Printing on a cylindrical or conical surface of a container is carried out by a method and apparatus wherein the container is supported against rotation about a support axis. A squeegee is positioned at one side of a decorating screen to establish line contact between the opposite side of the screen and the surface of a container. The decorating screen is rolled along a tangential path about the surface of the container and concurrently the squeegee is moved along an orbital path about the support axis to force printing medium through the screen onto the surface of the container at the line of contact therewith.

Abstract: A fluid coupling for interconnecting a liquid-conveying duct in a shaft element to a duct in a hub element, the two elements being rotatable relative to each other. The shaft element has a central passageway subjected to fluid under high pressure and has an enlarged-diameter end communicating with a smaller-diameter portion. The end of the large diameter portion of the shaft element remote from its small diameter portion is subjected to fluid under high pressure in said passageway; while the opposite end of the large diameter shaft portion is subjected to a sealing fluid. The pressure of the sealing fluid is always greater than that of the high-pressure fluid, with the result that the high-pressure fluid will not enter the chamber filled with sealing fluid to decompose it and form an emulsion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring tension imposed on a cable by a pull line in a conduit includes a tension meter coupled between the cable and the pull line. The meter includes a load cell connected to an electronic circuit to operate an audio transmitter in one embodiment, or to generate an electromagnetic field parallel to the conduit according to a second embodiment. The electromagnetic field induces a tension signal in a metallic conductor extending parallel to the conduit. In a further embodiment, electrical conductors form two of many warp threads of a pull line that also includes a weft thread. The audio or electrical signal is transmitted for detection and for operating a display. An operator uses the display to control tension in the pull line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring tension imposed on a cable by a pull line in a conduit includes a tension meter coupled between the cable and the pull line. The meter includes a load cell connected to an electronic circuit to operate an audio transmitter in one embodiment, or to generate an electromagnetic field parallel to the conduit according to a second embodiment. The electromagnetic field induces a tension signal in a metallic conductor extending parallel to the conduit. The audio or electrical signal is transmitted for detection and for operating a display. An operator uses the display to control tension in the pull line.

Abstract: A carrier for a percussion instrument includes a belly plate with an instrument carrier extending outwardly therefrom to supply an instrument in an overhanging position from a person. A rigid band extends along one or both sides of the person at the waistline area from the belly plate to the back of the person. In one embodiment, a back-plate riser arm angles upwardly to traverse the spine of a person at an angle at the thoracic region generally below the scapula region. In a second embodiment, the same area of a person's back is traversed by a back-plate riser arm extending from a back section of the rigid band. A pad assembly is adjustably positioned on the riser arms to engage the person's back.

Abstract: The invention is particularly adapted for use with a longwall mining machine of the type having a rack extending along a track for the mining machine, a gear wheel on the machine engageable with the rack for moving the machine along a track, at least two shearer drums carried by the machine, at least one driving motor on the machine, and gear train means connecting the driving motor to the shearer drums to rotate the same. Two inductive clutches having a common armature are connected through reduction gearing to the aforesaid driving gear wheel; while separate rotors connect the respective clutches to the gear train such that one rotor will rotate in a direction opposite to the other. A magnetically-actuated, spring-biased friction brake is disposed between the two inductive clutches for braking the clutches when the machine is at rest.

Abstract: A positive planetary drive having zero backlash interconnects coaxial input and output shafts in a drive unit. A plurality of rollers orbiting about the input shaft is always entrapped in rolling contact with a plurality of wedges supported by the output shaft. Cams in the drive unit provide cam surfaces contacted by orbiting rollers on the input shaft to provide a continuous constant velocity output motion at a speed which is less than the input motion. Intermittent motion is provided by cam surfaces engaged by the same rollers which contact the wedges. A gear drive engaged with a cam plate used to form the various cams provides a variable angular relationship between the input shaft and the output shaft. Protection against a torque overload at the output shaft is provided by permitting plungers to rotate with the cam plate when disengaged from seats supported by the housing.

Abstract: A coal-mining machine is advanced along a face conveyor by providing a rack extending along the conveyor and a plurality of advancing units. Each advancing unit includes a hydraulic motor to rotate a drive wheel while meshing with the teeth of the gear rack. The advancing units arranged side-by-side along the mining machine have curved end faces to abut against one another. Runners are provided on the advancing units at the opposite ends of the mining machine which extend partially around the rack for guiding and maintaining the drive wheel engaged with the teeth of the rack.

Abstract: A track and gear rack disposed on one side of a face conveyor for a longwall mining machine and adapted to be engaged by a driving gear and guide wheels on the mining machine, the track and gear rack being of generally L-shaped cross-sectional configuration and having a horizontal arm resting on the mine floor and a vertical arm secured to the face wall of the conveyor. Driving pin extensions extend outwardly from the vertical arm in cantilever beam relationship near the upper edge of the vertical arm and have vertical widths less than the height of the vertical arm. One of the arms of the L-shaped configuration is provided with studs which engage guide block means on the mining machine for guiding it along the track and gear rack. The invention facilitates good guidance of the mining machine along the track and gear rack without impeding the flow of mined material onto the face conveyor.

Abstract: A rotary fluid coupling for conveying fluid from a stationary shaft to a hub rotatably mounted on the shaft, or vice versa. The coupling is characterized in having a shaft provided with an axial passageway extending therethrough, one end of the passageway being connected to a source of high pressure fluid and the other being connected to a source of high-viscosity sealing fluid (e.g., a lubricant). A piston in the passageway separates the high-viscosity sealing fluid from the high pressure fluid, the latter being conveyed to the surrounding hub through radial passageways formed in an enlarged diameter portion of the shaft. The high-viscosity sealing fluid is applied to both ends of the enlarged diameter portion of the shaft to form a seal which prevents escape of the high pressure fluid.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring electrical properties such as the resistance, capacitance and inductance includes two bridge branches each having at least two serially-connected components which can comprise resistors, capacitors and inductors or combinations thereof. One of the components is variable with respect to its resistance by means of a quantity which is under measurement. The bridge branches are connected to different voltage outputs of a common alternating current supply. The diagonal points between serially-connected components in each of the bridge branches serve as measuring points for a measurable signal. Each measuring point may be connected by a line having a rectifier followed by a capacitor forming an electronic store such that at the output of the stores there is a direct current potential forming the measurable signal.

Abstract: A long wall mining machine includes a drum cutter-loader and face conveyor wherein the drum cutter-loader is overhung and is supported by a support arm adjacent to the mine face. Nozzles direct high pressure liquid jets against the forward edge of the support arm to cut away the mining face and permit the face side support arm to advance as the mining machine advances. In one embodiment the nozzles are provided along an inclined cutting edge at the forward end of the support arm. Such nozzles may be fixed or oscillating. In an alternative embodiment the nozzles are provided in the cylindrical edge zone of the shearer drum and direct the high pressure fluid jets against the cutter edge at the forward end of the support arm.

Abstract: A striker for a railway vehicle comprises a casting having an endless rib projecting outwardly from each side wall to reinforce a key slot for a draft key. The endless ribs present continuous surfaces for welding the striker to a sill of a railway vehicle. Above and below the endless rib on each side wall are inwardly-displaced side wall sections to inwardly shift the neutral axes of the wall sections for resisting imposed loads. In a second embodiment, weld sites above and below the endless ribs are formed. High-strength load transfer for pull forces is achieved at weld sites at the rear portion of the casting. Load transfer is supplemented by lower-strength weld sites at the forward portion of the casting. Other weld sites are formed along vertical parts of front draft lugs.

Abstract: To convey particulate materials such as grain to a top central cavity of a large container such as an on-farm silo or bin, there are provided a first auger-containing flexible roof-mounted conveyer section having on its receiving end a guide, a cooperating ground-adjacent auger-containing conveying section, keys and dogs on the augers cause the auger in the second section to drive the auger in the first section, and hooks and pins for securing the two sections together. Preferably, the apparatus further includes carriage for the ground-adjacent conveyor section. By making the roof-mounted section of suitable length to accommodate the geometry of the silo or bin, any of a great variety of bin geometries may be accommodated with the use of a single standard length of ground-adjacent conveyor section, which affords considerable economies to the manufacturers, distributors, and users of such equipment.

Abstract: There is disclosed a heating system for regeneratively heating a coke oven battery having twin-heating flues extending side-by-side transversely of the length of the coke oven battery. Halves of the twin-heating flues are separated by a flue midfeather that forms a gas flow space at the top thereof. Between twin-heating flues, there is a heating wall midfeather extending up to the oven crown. Regenerators below the oven sole extend transversely to the coke oven battery with each regenerator coupled by three passageways to the heating flues. Two regenerators are associated with each twin-heating flue. A first passageway extends to the bottom part of one-half of one twin-heating flue, a second passageway extends to the bottom part of one-half of an adjacent twin-heating flue with these two flue halves separated by a heating wall midfeather.

Abstract: A railway coupler housing includes a bottom wall section with a thrower hole extending therethrough and spaced from a side wall diverging outwardly from the horn line at the knuckle side of the housing. The side wall continues vertically from the bottom wall section at a rearwardly-spaced relation from the thrower hole along a sufficient height to permit a generally vertical dropping of the thrower within the interior of the coupler head for engaging a trunnion of the thrower in the thrower hole. The thrower in one embodiment has an extended trunnion provided with a diametrically-extending bore to receive a cotter used to retain the thrower in the coupler head. In another embodiment, the end surface of the trunnion includes a tapped hole for receiving a threaded shank of a stop piece. The stop piece includes projecting wing portions that engage with the outer surface of the bottom wall to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the thrower in the coupler head.

Abstract: A light modulator for generating a beam of phase modulated light including a source of polarized light, at least one and preferably two liquid crystal cells having a thin layer of nematic liquid crystals of positive dielectric anisotropy through which the polarized light is directed to produce a beam of light having a phase shift corresponding to a modulating electrical signal which is applied to each of the liquid crystal cells. The liquid crystal cells in addition have a continuing electrical bias applied across the layers in order to achieve the rapid response times necessary to achieve modulation of the polarized light. Demodulation of the polarized light occurs by splitting the modulated light beam into its quadrature components and developing an electrical signal corresponding to the phase difference between the two quadrature components. A communication system involving its modulators and demodulators delivers communication through light as a transmission medium.

Abstract: An improvement upon the apparatus and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,202. To avoid loss of the drilling bit, a quick-change coupling apparatus is provided between the striking bar, on the one hand, and either the drill rod or poking bar, on the other.