Abstract: A simplified, economical and improved single control proportioning valve for liquids which is devoid of a conventional valve body and which responds accurately to actuation of the single control despite no requirement for close tolerances in the component parts.

Abstract: A thrust producing shoe sole and heel having fluid-proof cavities located in the heel portion and in the sole portion which underlies the metatarsal ball area of a foot for which the sole and heel is sized, the cavities being connected by restricted passageways. The material underlying the cavities at the bottom of the sole and heel is resilient and wear-resistant. Fluid is contained within the cavities and passageways in such pressure and amount as to cause bulges below the normal bottoms of the sole and heel, whereby at rest a foot on the sole and heel is cushioned comfortably on the fluid in the bulges, and in walking and running, fluid under bulge producing pressure alternates through the passageways between the cavities, producing shock absorption and an alternate lifting effect by the sole and heel bulges which provides forward thrust both in the heel portion and in the metatarsal ball area that facilitates walking and running.

Abstract: A knockdown arm chair comprising a pair of double leg members each including two legs, two seat assembly supports and a connecting spacer all disposed in a generally common plane; the pair of double leg members interfit rigidly at right angles with the spacers in alignment to provide a rigid construction for a seat assembly including a seat, a back and a pair of arms pivoted at the free ends respectively to the sides of the seat and the back. Pins rigidly connect the rear of the seat to the back when the back is pivoted by the arms to the operative position, and spaced friction clips are provided at the bottom of the seat for engagement of adjacent seat assembly supports. The seat and the back are moveable into substantial alignment and the double leg members when separated may lie on the seat and back below the level of the arms, thereby minimizing space required for packaging and storage.

Abstract: A stacker/unstacker for receptacles such as bread pans or baskets or the like includes a pair of laterally spaced-apart endless chains having receptacle carriers mounted therebetween for conveying receptacles between an infeed-outfeed conveyor and the top of a receptacle stack. The conveyor chains are horizontally spaced-apart in a direction perpendicular to the lateral direction with the carriers mounted for rotation about two spaced-apart axes which are respectively fixed with respect to the chains so that the carriers are stably held in a predetermined orientation and undergo only translational movement along the conveyor path. The path has a transfer portion at the top of the stack wherein the carriers and carried receptacles remain stationary for a time during which the carriers are moved between support and release conditions to pick up or deposit receptacles at the top of the stack. Indexing mechanism moves the transfer portion vertically to keep it at the top of the stack as the stack height changes.

Abstract: An insulated container with a double wall construction having a removable partition centrally located within the container dividing the container into two compartments. A top is pivotally mounted on the partition and is constructed to close one of the compartments at a time. Liquid in one compartment flows to the other compartment through a connection provided at the bottom of the partition. The container, the partition and the top are all thermally insulated.

Abstract: A pickup probe for engine timing which is responsive electrically to an indicator on a rotating engine part. The free end of the probe is adapted to extend through an access opening in an engine member into proximity with the indicator on the rotating engine part. A sensor is contained within the free end portion of the probe. The probe includes a mounting means adapted to be detachably secured to the engine member adjacent the aforesaid access opening.

Abstract: A floating roof storage tank having an upstanding tank shell for containing liquid to be stored and having therein a floating roof floating on the surface of the stored liquid, a metal shoe carried by the floating roof and extending around the tank shell, a primary seal interconnecting the floating roof and the metal shoe, a plurality of seal support members shiftably mounted upon the metal shoe at the upper end thereof, a secondary seal extending between the upper rim of the floating roof and the seal support members and beyond the seal support members and against the inner surface of the tank shell; the seal support members are shiftable away from the tank shell a distance to permit inspection of the primary seal therebelow; limit structure acting between the metal shoe and the seal support members limit movement thereof to prevent the seal support members from contacting the tank shell.

Abstract: There is disclosed a strapping machine for applying a plastic strap around an object, tensioning the strap and heat-sealing together overlapping portions of the strap, including a retractable heating member movable between the overlapping strap portions and a pressure-applying means including a pressure block with a tiltable universal joint coupling for pressing the overlapping strap portions against the heating element with a first relatively light pressure to melt the facing surfaces thereof. The heating element is withdrawn while the pressure-applying means presses the strap thereagainst with the first pressure, and then the melted strap portions are pressed together with a strong second pressure to complete the seal. A cam with a yieldable section controls the first pressure and a compression spring controls the second pressure. While retracted, the heating element is raised to a higher temperature for burn-off of strap residues.

Abstract: A coking oven having a coking chamber and a combustion chamber with a high temperature flue gas outlet connected to a first heat exchanger for heating cool air to cool the flue gases to an intermediate temperature, a coal dryer using the intermediate temperature flue gases for drying wet coal to a water content of a few percent by weight and preheating the coal to a temperature below the boiling point of water, a coal oiler to oil the partially dried and preheated coal, and a gas cleaner system for removing particulate matter from the low temperature flue gas coming from the coal dryer; also disclosed is an improved method of coking coal and apparatus for preheating and partially drying coal that can be added to existing coke oven structures.

Abstract: A hopper valve module is adapted to be removably mounted in the well of a hopper of a hopper dredge vessel and includes a housing and a valve member movable with respect to the housing for opening and closing the hopper outlet. A transmitter tube containing longitudinally spaced-apart magnetic switches and associated resistors is carried by the housing, the switches being connected in circuit with resistors and coupled to power supply and indicating means in the vessel. A hollow sleeve is fixedly secured to the valve member and is disposed in surrounding telescopic relationship with the tube, the sleeve carrying a permanent magnet therein for sequentially actuating the magnetic switches as the valve member moves between its open and closed positions, the varying current through the assembly of switches and resistors indicating the position of the valve member.

Abstract: The filter comprises a multiplicity of light polarizing elements which polarize light in a plurality of planes, and a multiplicity of filtering means associated with the light polarizing elements. In a polariscope, light is directed from a source through such a filter to the specimen to be analyzed. Light passed through the specimen once or twice is coupled through another such filter termed an analyzer. In certain embodiments, the polarizer and the analyzer are combined. Patterns representing the stress in the specimen are produced. The pattern includes isochromatics and a number of isoclinics.

Abstract: A battery-operated smoke alarm includes an alerting signal means for indicating when the battery voltage is low by comparing a first signal which is a function of the battery output voltage with a relatively fixed reference signal and producing an alerting signal when the first signal is less than the reference signal. Means are provided for squelching the low battery voltage alerting signal for the first several nights after the onset of the low battery voltage condition by incorporating photosensitive means in the generating circuit for either the first signal or the reference signal for shifting the level of that signal away from the other signal under dark conditions.

Abstract: Starting and operating power is provided to a gas discharge lamp by a circuit which includes a constant-voltage current-limiting ferroresonant transformer connected to an AC source and having high and low voltage output terminals. A full-wave rectifying bridge is selectively connectable to either the high or low voltage output terminals by relay control means which includes a choke coil connected in series with the lamp and a magnet reed. On starting of the lamp the magnetic flux of the choke coil operates the reed for shifting to the low voltage condition, and on extinguishing of the lamp the collapse of the choke coil flux operates the reed for shifting to the normal high voltage condition. A transient high voltage starting pulse is applied to the lamp across a spark gap by a pulse generating starting circuit in which a capacitor, charged from the DC output, is discharged through a self-commutating SCR and an ignition transformer.

Abstract: The belt includes the usual flexible strip and buckle. Flashing-light means is mounted in the buckle and is powered by a portable supply which may be located in the wearer's pocket. Preferably the light means takes the form of two associated flasher circuits.

Abstract: A field transplant system including a machine for sequentially forming groups of polymerized soil plugs having seed receiving recesses in one end thereof and supported on a carrier, and in certain cases interconnected by strips, the carrier being used to transport the soil plugs through a seeding station and then to a germination station and then to a growing station either in the flat or on a plant turning machine in a greenhouse to grow the germinated seeds to transplant size, and then using the carrier to transport the soil plugs with the transplants growing therein to the field for transplanting by an automatic transplanter; several forms of soil plugs are disclosed, and several methods for supplying seeds to the soil plugs are disclosed, as well as an improved method of mounting a mat of soil plugs on the cylinder of a plant turning machine.

Abstract: A rectangular channel member has coplanar spaced-apart wall portions defining a slot therebetween and each having a flange extending from the slot inwardly of the channel member and away from the other wall portion at an acute angle. A generally U-shaped connector is disposable within the channel member across the slot and includes rectangular recesses receiving the flanges therein. A threaded fastener engageable with the connector extends through the slot for engagement with a support member, tightening of the fastener causing deformation of the flanges by the connector for wedging the flanges in the connector recesses. The support member may constitute a bracket for coupling the channel member to another channel member, several different bracket constructions being disclosed for coupling to different types of channel members and for different orientations of the channel members.

Abstract: A high power ultrasonic generator for driving a transducer/horn assembly includes a transistor bridge inverter power output circuit connected to a DC source for producing an alternating output current. A pulse generating circuit produces a bipolar train of pulses for controlling the switching of the transistors in the bridge inverter circuit. The pulse widths are adjusted to provide a dead time therebetween at least equal to the storage time of the inverter transistors to prevent any overlap in the conduction of the opposite legs thereof. Overload control means reduces the widths of the pulses when the output current exceeds predetermined levels, thereby to reduce the output current. A starting circuit in the pulse generator gradually increases the pulse widths during start-up of the generator, and other circuitry protects against unduly high current loads in the power supply during AC turn-on of the system.

Abstract: There is provided a protective and adjustable book cover for paperback books and magazines and the like, which has two complimentary sized cover sections having opposed and spaced apart plies connected along three edges thereof forming a pocket with the remaining edges open. The plies are spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive therebetween the cover of an associated book or magazine and are connected by a spine between the complimentary pocket shaped cover sections. The spine has a transverse dimension substantially coextensive with the open edges of the cover sections, and finally means resiliently connect the spine to at least one of the cover sections to provide an adjustable book cover for paperback books or magazines of various thicknesses and size.

Abstract: Article transfer mechanism or apparatus for changing the direction of movement of articles while maintaining the orientation of the articles, including an infeed conveyor conveying articles in a first direction while in a predetermined orientation, a transfer conveyor having a continuous belt with a plurality of groups of rollers thereon with windows therebetween receiving articles from the infeed conveyor, a plate disposed below the lower reach of the transfer conveyor and closing at least one of the windows to provide a container for an article deposited thereon, structure for rotating the groups of rollers to cause the rollers to move an article deposited thereon into the adjacent window, an article conveyor having a plurality of pockets open at the top for receiving articles from the plate of a transfer conveyor for conveying the articles in a different direction from that of the infeed conveyor; there also is shown conveyors for equally spacing randomly spaced articles and for laterally aligning articles