Abstract: A heater including a generally cylindrical shell defining its housing arranged in a very closely spaced relation to the outer periphery of its combustion chamber assembly and its fan device as it bounds a plenum chamber therebetween. The combustion chamber assembly has its discharge end adjacent the discharge end of the shell. The relative configuration of the outer peripheral surface of the combustion chamber assembly and that of the discharge end portion of the shell creates therebetween a passage through which the fan device, on energization thereof, produces a very high velocity flow of a thin layer of air which, on discharge, is throttled and abruptly and sharply driven into the center of the flow from the assembly. The effect of this is to moderate and influence a relative uniformity of the temperature of the discharge and rapidly project it outwardly of and considerably beyond the heater.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying a thin film of a liquid to a vibratory plate arranged on an edge of a vibratory compactor. The apparatus for applying the thin film of liquid includes a container assembly for holding the liquid adjacent the plate. Liquid is preferably supplied to the container assembly under the influence of gravity. An element for maintaining intimate contact between a thin liquid film and a front surface of the plate as the thin film moves downwardly along the plate surface is arranged within a lower portion of the container assembly. The element is arranged adjacent to an outlet from the container provided along substantially the entire width of the front plate. The thin liquid film flows from the container as a low velocity laminar flow along the surface of the plate in the form of a liquid sheet. The liquid remains in contact with the plate surface due primarily to surface tension as the liquid moves downwardly.

Abstract: An impact transfer device for pile drivers is made as a one-piece steel unit defining a solid percussion part of a substantially cylindrical configuration with a convex impact surface capable of withstanding steel-on-steel impacts, an intermediate tubular part of substantially frusto-conical configuration integrally connected to the percussion part and a base ring integrally connected to the larger end of the intermediate tubular part having an annular support surface facing away from the impact surface.

Abstract: A drive motor for a flexible drive shaft of an internal vibrator or some other device potentially the source of an electrical shock features a cylindrical structure embodying a field assembly which slip fits in a cylindrical shell which embodies positioning means to which the field assembly and electrically connected commutator brush means may be releasably fixed. Slip fit as a unit into this shell is an armature assembly including a commutator means fixedly mounted directly to and about shaft means intermediate its ends. One end portion of the shaft means provides an electrically non-conductive coupling device for drivingly relating the shaft means to a device which must be powered. The shaft means has affixed thereto the inner races of bearing means to either end of the armature assembly the outer races of which are in direct contact with and protected by electrically non-conductive material forming part of end covers for said cylindrical shell.

Abstract: In a mass compensated impacting apparatus composed of at least one pair of impacting tools and a common tool carrier supporting the tools, there is provided a two-mass vibration excitation system associated with each tool and including vibrating masses which are positively linearly guided in an essentially non-resilient manner, and a unit driving the vibratory masses with phase relationships such that the resulting average of all mass forces becomes at least approximately zero.

Abstract: A two-stage miniature electrohydraulic servovalve including an electromagnetic positioner having a flexure tube mounted drive arm secured to and movable with an armature movable in accordance with a combined magnetic field resulting from both permanent magnets and an electrical signal fed to electromagnetic coils, a four-way hydraulic valve main valve stage including a valve body having a sleeve mounted therein with two annular, internal, axially spaced apart metering grooves, a metering spool having five lands alternating with four metering grooves positioned within the sleeve for controlled axial movement with respect to the sleeve, and end caps positioned over the ends of the sleeve and a jet pipe pilot stage including a jet pipe member secured to the end of the drive arm having a jet pipe nozzle aligned with the drive arm and a hydraulic fluid feeder passage which passage is disposed at right angles to the plane of movement of the drive arm, a resiliently mounted counterbalance positioned on the drive arm

Abstract: A fluid operated ram comprises a striker body guided in an upright housing between an active stroke and a return stroke and striking at the end of its active stroke an impact transmitter resting on a member to be driven into the ground by the ram. The striker body is connected by a piston rod to a working piston reciprocatedly arranged in a cylinder coaxially mounted on the upper end of the housing, so that the striker body is driven during reciprocation of the working piston. The working piston is a differential piston and divides the cylinder into a first chamber above the upper larger face of the working piston and a second chamber below the smaller annular face of the differential piston.

Abstract: A vibratory roller includes a vibrator operably connected to a rotatable compacting roll. The vibrator is comprised of a rotatable shaft mounted co-axially to the roll and a casing mounted on the shaft and including a chamber and an eccentric mass within the chamber the mass being transversely displaceable in the chamber. Movement of the mass within the chamber provides a variable amplitude for the vibrations induced thereby. The movement of the mass is caused by centrifugal force which urges the mass radially outwardly against a fluid storage space radially outwards of the eccentric mass in the chamber, such chamber in turn communicates through a port with a portion of the chamber radially inwards of the eccentric mass. Fluid thus flows from the radially outwards storage space through the port to the radially inwards storage space and the eccentric mass moves radially outwards until the eccentric mass closes off the port.

Abstract: A vibratory mechanism comprises a motor-driven shaft, a first mass carried by the shaft for rotation therewith, and a variable mass supported for rotation relative to the shaft whereby the angular relationship between the first mass and the variable mass can be selectively adjusted to vary the amplitude of vibration. A drive member is rotatable with the shaft. The variable mass carries a plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced abutment surfaces. The drive member carries a contact face. Engagement between the contact face and the abutment surfaces occurs at different angular relationships between the first mass and the variable mass to vary the amplitude of vibration.

Abstract: In apparatus for monitoring the degree of compaction achieved by a compacting device including at least one vibrating compacting tool which device is mounted on a vehicle arranged to travel back and forth over a surface to be compacted, the apparatus including a system for detecting the value of an operating parameter which has a known relationship to the effective power of the vibrating compacting tool during each pass of the vehicle over the surface and which is representative of the degree of compaction achieved, there are further provided a representation storage system connected to the detecting system for separately storing representations of the detected values associated with each direction of travel of the vehicle, and a difference forming unit connected to the storage system for providing a representation of the difference between detected values associated with successive passes of the vehicle in the same direction.

Abstract: A hydraulic pilot valve having an improved detent mechanism. The pilot valve includes a pair of lever operated plunger members which operate sliding valve members to control the opening and closing of a pair of work ports. Biasing members urge the plunger members to an extended position so as to maintain contact with the lever, and a pair of detent mechanisms act to hold the respective plunger members in the extended position. Movement of the lever to depress either of the plunger members and thus operate the respective valve members to open either of the work ports allows the respective biasing member to move the other plunger member to its extended position where it is held in place by its respective detent mechanism, thus holding the lever in its cocked position.

Abstract: A vibratory compacting roller includes a rotatable compacting roll, and a motor driven vibrator. The vibrator includes a shaft, a movable mass rotatable with the shaft and adjustable transversely thereof, and a position regulator for regulating the position of the mass to provide for a variable amplitude of vibration, the amplitude of vibration of the vibrator being lowest when the center of gravity of the mass is nearest the shaft and greatest when the center of gravity of the mass is farthest from the shaft. The position regulator comprises a spring which automatically positions the eccentric mass to the low amplitude position when the shaft is at rest, whereby minimal start-up torque is imposed upon the motor. A releaseable locking mechanism locks the mass in the low-amplitude position.

Abstract: A pile driver has a hollow and elongated cylindrical housing. Within the housing, a ram can slide upwardly and downwardly in order to provide the force which can drive a pile into dense strata of the earth. A follower, located partially inside the housing and extending out of the bottom thereof, is struck by the ram and is thus interposed between the ram and the pile to be driven when the device is operated. Various devices are disclosed which serve as shock absorbers, the devices cooperating with the follower and with the housing in order to absorb recoil shock which is reflected back to the pile driver after a blow has been transmitted to the pile by the ram via the follower. These devices are so designed that the exterior diameter of the housing does not have to be substantially increased, which allows the pile driver thus manufactured to drive piles through surrounding guides.

Abstract: A portable heater comprising a housing composed of separate parts including a lower part having a bottom and side wall portions defining a trough, components of said heater including a combustion chamber assembly and a support, said support positioning in a sense transverse to said lower part, said combustion chamber assembly and said support having in connection therewith means for seating to and interfitting with means in connection with said side wall portions of said lower part in a drop fit thereof to said lower part, said support mounting thereon a motor and a fan blade assembly for powering said heater and developing therein a pressured flow of air to and about said combustion chamber assembly and means for delivering fuel and igniting the fuel in delivery thereof to the combustion chamber of said assembly, said interfitting means being constructed and arranged to position said combustion chamber assembly and said support and said fan blade assembly in a substantially direct alignment on and within sai

Abstract: Centering and cooling equipment for a hydraulic vibration generator, with a pulsation generator pressurizing a cylinder containing a movable piston, composed of a feed system and a flushing system. The feed system includes spring-loaded non-return valves connecting a fluid reservoir to feed pipes connecting the pulsation generator to the cylinder chambers, and operates to supply cool pressure fluid from the reservoir when pressure in the cylinder chambers falls below a predetermined level. The flushing system includes a control bush/control plunger unit, bush and plunger of which are respectively connected to the piston and cylinder or vice versa, the plunger cooperating with channels in the bush to connect either feed pipe to a return passage according to the off-center position of the plunger in the bush. This system operates to withdraw a quantity of pressure fluid, dependent on pressure and stroke, from the cylinder chambers with each piston stroke.

Abstract: Laminated plate cylindrical receiver plug assembly structure having rectangular cross section passages therein which extend axially of the plug assembly through one end thereof on opposite sides of a very narrow divider plate and radially out of the plug assembly on opposite sides of the divider plate from the side on which the axially extending portion of the passages are on is produced by producing a plurality of separate plates having axially and/or transversely extending openings in one end thereof in rectangular form, coating every other one of the plates with brazing material, placing the rectangular plates in side by side surface engagement with the openings therein in alignment to form rectangular cross section axially and radially extending passages through the plug assembly and subjecting them to brazing temperature and pressure and then machining the ends of the brazed together rectangular plates having the openings therein into a cylindrical form and cutting off the other end of the plates.

Abstract: An electromagnetic positioner for positioning the drive arm of an electrohydraulic servo valve or the like, comprising a mounting plate, a flexure tube secured to the mounting plate, a drive arm secured to the flexure tube, a top plate secured in parallel spaced apart relation to the mounting plate having a central opening therethrough, permanent magnets extending between the mounting plate and too plate, pole pieces secured to the mounting plate and extending toward the top plate on opposite sides of the flexure tube, control coils surrounding the pole pieces, and an armature positioned within the opening through the top plate in peripheral spaced relation thereto and secured to the flexure tube in spaced relation thereto and secured to the flexure tube in spaced relation to the pole pieces. Said electromagnetic positioner further including balance adjust structure, null adjust structure, and gain adjust structure.