Abstract: A conveyor system for use in transporting cargo from a loading station to at least one selected location in the system including a track extending along a loading station and selected locations. A plurality of cars are provided and driven along the track for moving cargo. Each car has a tray and a tray support structure mounted pivotally below the tray for transverse angular movement between an upright position for carrying cargo on the tray and a tilted position for dumping the cargo at a selected location. An unloader has at least one stationary portion attached to the track at a selected location and mobile portions attached one to each of the cars. The stationary portion is movable between a disengaged position in which the stationary portions and mobile portions do not interact as the cars travel on the track, and an engaged position in which the stationary portion and mobile portion interact to tilt the tray and dump the cargo at a selected location.

Abstract: There is described a loading system, for use with a conveyor transfer system, which comprises a conveyor and a pusher assembly. The conveyor is located adjacent and parallel to a portion of a conveyor transfer system and is driven to travel at the same velocity as the adjacent conveyor transfer system. The pusher assembly comprises: a pusher member located adjacent an upper surface of the conveyor; a mounting member, the pusher member being rotatably mounted on an end portion thereof; a planetary gear fixed to the mounting member and rotatably mounted on a driven mounting which is rotated around a central axis; a restrained member rotatably mounted on the driven mounting and connected through links located on common parallel chords to the pusher member; and, a driven ring gear sharing said central axis and driven in the same direction as, but at a different speed to, the driven mounting.

Abstract: This invention provides a drive system for moving wheeled structures longitudinally along a supporting track. The drive system includes an element extending longitudinally below the track and having an upwardly inclined ramp portion, a main portion extending in parallel with the track and leading from the ramp portion, and a downwardly extending portion leading from the main portion. A drive system is adapted to drive the element such that the main portion moves at a speed equal to that at which the wheeled structure is intended to move and a gripper mechanism is provided for attachment to the wheeled structure to engage with the element.

Abstract: The invention provides structure consisting of tracks carrying a transporter which moves horizontally on the tracks. A hoist is suspended from the transporter and the hoist includes an elevator for picking up containers at engagement points above the points of suspension of the elevator. Pairs of uprights guide the elevator to maintain stability and the transporter includes guides for alignment with the uprights so that the elevator can move out of the uprights and between the guides for movement horizontally with the transporter with the guides maintaining stability.

Abstract: A lever-type load binder is disclosed in which the necessary force to draw the ends of the binder together is provided by a pivoting lever element. The binder employs a handle for tensioning and releasing the binder. The handle and lever element are constructed so that the handle positively engages the lever element to pivot the lever element on the tensioning stroke. However, the handle is employed merely to trigger the release stroke by rotating the lever element through dead center while the handle is out of the path of travel of the lever element. Because of this feature, the user is not endangered by a "flyback" of the handle when the binder is released.

Abstract: In a load binder of the overcenter type having an operating lever comprising a handle portion acting through a crank mechanism to which a tensile load is connected, the lever is connected to the crank mechanism by a pivotal connection which provides a degree of lost motion, thereby enabling the crank mechanism to overrun the operating lever on passing the dead center position.

Abstract: An anti-skid tire chain comprising a pair of parallel side chains, a series of traction rings extending medially between the side chains, and a network of connector chains interconnecting the traction rings with the side chains and with one another is characterized in that the connector chains are interconnected in threes by triradial connector plates. Each triradial connector plate consists of three plate elements welded together, each plate element providing a pair of opposite end portions, subtending an angle of 120.degree. to one another and an arcuate mid-portion defining a convex cylindrical surface, the plate elements being mutually welded together at the convex surfaces thereby defining a symmetrical triradial configuration providing three radially extending pairs of parallel arms, each pair of arms defining a clevis for receiving an end link of a respective connector chain, and including a removable clevis pin for retaining the end link.