Abstract: A hay baler conversion unit includes internal combustion engine over steered drive wheels. The frame of a regular tractor drawn hay baler is attached to the frame of a conversion kit. An operator's station connected to the baler has controls for controlling the speed of the baler and also the speed the unit moves over the ground. The drive for the baler and for the drive wheel is a hydraulic pump and motor system. The operator's station is located behind the gatherer of the baler so that the operator has excellent view of the gatherer and is also adjacent to and laterally of the tying unit or knotter of the baler so that the operator is within view and reach of the knotter.

Abstract: A running board toolbox combination is made for pickups and recreational vehicles. The top plate of the toolbox functions as a running board when closed. The toolbox is attached to the vehicle by a flexible sheet upon each end. Each sheet fits the contours of the wheel well to which it is attached. The top plate opens by sliding into a slot at the back of the box. When closed, the top plate is held in place by a lock bolt against the lip at front. Weather stripping between the top plate and the main body of the box keep the box weatherproof. Furthermore, faces depending from the top plate overlap all edges of the box to prevent water from running into the box. Drainage is provided for the water.

Abstract: Individual stalk shredder units are mounted beneath the frame between the wheels of a cotton harvester. The shredder units are connected to a shredder bar which is attached to the frame by support arms. The height of shredder bar in use is regulated by gauge wheels. The shredder bar is raised and lowered by a power lift mechanism.

Abstract: A medium to high BTU fuel gas is synthesized in a closed tank using a diffuse electrical plasma. An electrode is disposed within, and electrically insulated from, an interface between immiscible mixtures of water and oil in the tank. Comminuted fossil fuel or carbon particles are dispersed in the oil near the interface. A voltage step up transformer connects a potential of about 2-5 kV (kilovolts) across an arc gap between the electrode and the water-oil interface. Electrical breakdown of the oil, due to the high voltage, produces an initial arc across the gap, which at steady state becomes a diffuse, partially-ionized, stable plasma. The electron flow in the plasma chemically and catalytically reforms compounds in the water and oil layers. A capacitor, connected across primary windings of the transformer, has a selected capacitance sufficient to modify the AC voltage and current waveforms so that the power factor of the combined circuit across the arc gap approaches unity.

Abstract: A stationary spark ignition internal combustion engine which normally operates unattended continuously for long periods of time is modified to eliminate problems in electrical systems. The battery and voltage regulator of the engine is removed and the electrical generator replaced by a magnetic generator which produces low power levels which are sufficient only to operate the spark ignition system. A plastic bushing and "O" rings are used to mount a disc magnet to the magnetic generator shaft.

Abstract: A vacuum distillation system uses a tower having an open bottom submerged within a tank of solution exposed to atmospheric pressure. The solution within the tower is elevated to barometric level by a high vacuum or low absolute pressure on the tower top. As solution flows through the open bottom and upward, the solution is heated and then cooled to cause degasification and precipitation, and then withdrawn from the tower top. The treated solution is flowed to a vaporization chamber that is subjected to a low absolute pressure. A heater maintains the solution at a selected chamber temperature above the boiling point of water at the selected chamber pressure. The chamber pressure and temperature may be selected as desired to yield the purest water distillate for almost any solution of water and impurities. Water vapor is pumped from the vaporization chamber by a vapor pump to a condenser, where condensation results from increased pressure and decreased temperature.

Abstract: A pavement tile includes a section of reinforcing geotextile fabric coated on a top side with asphalt adhesive and a layer of asphalt aggregate mix or "hot mix" over the adhesive. The asphalt aggregate mix is compacted to a desired thickness and degree of compaction. Asphalt is applied over a bottom side of the fabric, and a peelable backing applied over the asphalt. For repair of deteriorated pavement, the protective backing is simply peeled off, and the pavement tile applied over the deteriorated spot of wear course. New paved surface or large repairs can be made by simply adjoining tiles. The tiles are preferably made in batches. A large sheet is spread with the layers of asphalt adhesive and asphalt aggregate mix, and compacted. The large sheet is cut into tiles, and the asphalt and backing applied to individual tiles. The tiles are stacked in batches of six on a convenient crate with handles.

Abstract: The intramedullary coupled pin is a rigid device for internal fixation of tubular bones in humans and animals. The device makes use of the natural marrow cavity of the bone and the musculature bridging the fracture site to cause maximum stabilization of the fractured bone. A long rod has a tip coupling on one end and a socket coupling on the other, which form the parts of the pin when cut. Each end of the rod is measured, cut and inserted into the intramedullary cavities. Then the parts of the pin are locked together at the fracture site by the coupling system of the pin. The intramedullary coupled pin is permanently implanted inside the bone because the socket system can only be unlocked by pulling the two parts of the pin directly apart.

Abstract: A sulky or horse cart has a low floor. A wheelchair carrying a paraplegic may be rolled from the ground onto the low floor. Hooks on the floor provide a means for locking the wheelchair to the floor. Other features include a roll bar to protect the rider and shock absorbers for comfort.

Abstract: Cotton burrs and other trash from a cotton gin are processed by first passing them over a small screen to remove sand and other fine material. Thereafter, the burrs and other trash are ground in a hammer mill. After grinding, the material passed along a large screen having about 3/8" opening. Substantially all the burrs and trash will pass through the screen except for cotton lint which will not. The burrs and trash, without the lint, is then sized by screening through screens with successively smaller openings. The burrs and trash of any one size is further separated by air classification. The resulting product is a combination of three geometric shapes, fibers, flakes, and granules. The resulting product is a lignocellulose product having softwood lignin precursors.

Abstract: Air is flowed within an annulus fluidly connected to the load end of a pipe to be coated. A premeasured charge of powdered coating material is suspended in an injection airflow and then injected into the annulus. Spiral flow of the air and particles of coating material in the annulus is induced by successively jetting air into the annulus at selected angles to axial flow. The resulting powder cloud has spiral annular movement within the annulus toward the load end of the pipe. An optional conical deflector at the load end deflects the spiral cloud toward the wall of the pipe. The pipe is rotated counter to the tangential or circumferential component of the spiral flow. The nonaxial circumferential component of the spiral flow helps reduce the number of holidays, and insures that the coating material is deposited evenly through the length of the pipe for a uniform coating thickness. The powder cloud is much longer than the pipe. The excess coating material exiting the pipe discharge end is recycled.

Abstract: A linear irrigation system has the wheels on each end angled outward to stretch the entire pipe. Some of the vehicles in the middle of the pipe are steered responsive to the distance the elongated pipe is from a guide line. Steering is controlled by the movement of a cable. Bridges upon a tube on the cable are used to activate a microswitch. The microswitch itself is on a carriage which is responsive to the distance of the elongated pipe from a guide line. Therefore when any correction is needed, a predetermined correction is applied and no additional correction is applied until the carriage carrying the microswitch is again moved. The wheels are individually steered. The correction is almost instantaneous and is not dependent upon changing the angle of the entire moving pipe.

Abstract: A bicycle type cable lock is attached to the pivot means of a ski carrier. The cable lock can be used to secure a pair of skis and poles to a permanent structure when they are attached to the ski carrier. The cable lock also can be used to secure the ski carrier by itself to a permanent structure such as a tree.

Abstract: A large coulter is laterally rigidly connected to a tractor. The coulter prevents lateral shifts and jerks of the tractor, thereby eliminating the tractor as a source of lateral shifts of drafted earthworking equipment. When also laterally rigidly connected to the drafted implement, the coulter practically eliminates lateral shifts of the implement as well. On a first pass, such as when plowing furrows to form beds for row crops, the coulter cuts a slot in the ground. During subsequent passes, driving the tractor over the same pairs of furrows, the coulter tracks this slot, causing the drafted earthworking implement to follow a path matching that of the implements used on the first pass. A draft member and the coulter frame also connect the drafting force exerted by the implement at a point on the tractor forward of the tractor rear axles, thus enhancing draft capabilities and fuel efficiency of the tractor while retaining the conventional rear hitch, and stabilizing the tractor as described above.

Abstract: A cotton gin lint cleaner includes a rotating saw cylinder. A continuous layer of lint cotton is fed along the cylinder by feed works. The layer is seated in and moved downstream by saw teeth on the cylinder. Foreign matter is loosened from the layer as it is moved beneath grid bars spaced along the cylinder surface. A combing bar downstream of the grid bars with teeth opposed and proximate the saw teeth further cleans the cotton layer.

Abstract: Corn is popped, coated with caramel and cooled so that the caramel coating is hard and not sticky. The corn is loaded into molds in this condition and heated by blowing hot air over the corn so that the caramel coating is sticky. One or more blasts of air are jetted into the molds to stir the corn while heating. Then the molds are closed, compressing the corn into balls, cooled, and the balls ejected from the molds. Some parts of the molds are actuated by a cam surface wherein a roller follower is held against the cam surface by spring tension while other parts of the molds are actuated by air cylinder. A machine is illustrated with the mold units being mounted upon a circular mounting plate and rotated to six working stations with a dwell time at each working station.

Abstract: A flexible coupler is provided for the sinker bars of the sucker rod string of a deep oil well. The coupling unit has a flexible section so that the coupling will flex to a greater extent than the sinker bars. The coupling also has a cylindrical bearing surface which is as large as will slide through the eduction tube freely. The bearing surface has longitudinal grooves for the passage of fluid. The coupling itself has a cylindrical friction fit between the pin and the box to help prevent unscrewing of the unit as well as the radial faces which are torqued to API specifications against one another.

Abstract: A sprayer mixes water and concentrate on an "as-used" basis. A preselected amount of concentrate is dispensed into a mix tank for each reciprocation of a proportioning pump set. The amount of concentrate dispensed is selected by varying the pump set stroke. The pump set is reciprocated by reversing flow into one power line and out of another power line fluidly connected to the set. The flow is reversed by sliding a spool within a bore from one position, where sets of apertures in the spool are aligned with ports of the bore to connect a source of water under pressure to one power line and the other power line to an outlet line leading to the mix tank, to another position, where the aperture sets are realigned with the ports to reverse the connections. A meter measures the flow of water to the mix tank. The meter connects current to open one of two control valves connecting the bore ends with the source to move the spool to its next position hydraulically.

Abstract: A compost spreader has a hopper mounted on a turntable so that the hopper may be rotated lengthwise to go through gates but crosswise when spreading the compost. The frame of the spreader telescopes so as to accommodate the length of the hopper when the hopper is turned lengthwise. After the spreader has gone through the gate and the hopper turned crosswise, then the frame is shortened or collapsed. The compost is distributed from the hopper by an endless belt at the bottom of the hopper.

Abstract: A digger for root crops, such as peanuts, includes two or more digger units depended from a frame drafted by a tractor. Each digger unit includes a screw conveyor, a guide pair helically wrapped 180.degree. around the screw conveyor, and a hydraulic motor to rotate the screw conveyor. Stem and leaf portions of the plants extending above the bed surface are engaged within and moved rearward by flights of the rotating screw conveyor. The stems slide within the helical guide slot, which lifts the peanuts from the soil, moves them outboard of the conveyor, and inverts the plants above the conveyor. The conveyors are angled to the direction of draft so that the inverted plants are discharged from the slots in a windrow on the center furrow between the dug beds. A roller between the conveyors forms a mound or hill in the center furrow to elevate the windrow above standing water.