Abstract: A vibratory roller is disclosed having an improved amplitude control device giving infinitely variable vibration amplitude which can be both increased and decreased. The roller includes a roll having a coaxial shaft driven at an angular velocity exceeding that of the roll. The rotary shaft has a transversely mounted cylinder within which an eccentric mass is slidably mounted for movement between physical constraints which limit the radially innermost position and the radially outermost position. The eccentric mass and cylinder define a piston cylinder arrangement having a control chamber which communicates with an actuating assembly that regulates radial position of the eccentric mass. The actuating assembly may include a pilot operated check valve and a valve assembly to govern communication between both a pressurized fluid source and a fluid reservoir with one side of an actuating motor piston.

Abstract: The space heater of the invention features an improved motor-transformer package which may be easily applied to and removed from the heater, as an integrated unit. The design and mount of this package makes it extremely easy to service and insures that in the placement and operation thereof the total package will be surrounded with an insulating flow of air, the cooling effect of which guarantees a longer and more useful operating life for the included components and related apparatus. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the motor and transformer elements of the package are connected, in a superposed relation, to opposite sides of a mounting plate the design of which essentially dictates the required placement of the package in a heater housing.

Abstract: A rotary cutting system for use with a row crop harvesting apparatus includes a pair of contra-rotating sickle assemblies operating in conjunction with a system of flexible, toothed crop-gathering belts. Each sickle assembly includes at least a pair of multi-toothed sickle blades arranged to cooperate with a stationary cutting member. As the belts are driven to gather in crop material, the sickle blades function to sever the material near ground level, the two sickel assemblies being arranged to operate simultaneously on two adjacent rows of crop material. Mirror-image construction of the sickle assemblies permits use of sickle blades having multiple, double-edged teeth such that the blades can be interchanged between assemblies for optimum blade utilization. The stationary cutting member is also of double-edged construction and is mounted for reversible operation.

Abstract: A compact, relatively midget sized, portable heater a stable base for which is provided by its fuel tank per se. The tank features a plug fit filter tube formed to facilitate the connection of a fuel supply line. Preferred embodiments of the heater are characterized by plate formed air deflector fins which are arranged to most effectively control the delivery of air to and about the discharge from a simply mounted and constructed fuel nozzle at the entrance to a combustion chamber. The illustrated embodiment shows the fins as included in a bracket-type support for the fuel discharge nozzle and on a deflector plate which defines the entrance to the combustion chamber to which it mounts. The relationship of parts enable the use of a minimal amount of energy for a given application.

Abstract: Contact heater station mechanism for use in a thermoforming machine for particularly forming thermoplastic synthetic plastic and superplastic metal alloy sheets into shapes, such machines having a sheet transfer station, a heating station, and a forming station with relatively movable mold parts, and providing a circuit for sheet carrying carriages which index individually clamped sheets from one station to another cyclically in a path of travel. The mechanism includes platens mounted on the machine frame at the heating station to move toward and away from the path of travel of the carriages and sheets. A heater carrrier for elongate electrical resistance heaters carries a contactor plate, and is rigidly mounted to each platen in a manner to permit universal thermal expansion of the carrier and plate with respect to the platen.

Abstract: Immersion vibrator of the type employed for consolidating poured concrete and employing an unbalanced rotor, characterized by a gerotor type motor, operated by hydraulic pressure, for rotating the rotor. It is of particular utility as an accessory to certain paving machines having an engine driven hydraulic circulating pump.

Abstract: A self-propelled soil stabilizer machine employs a heavy-duty single horizontal rotor for pulverizing and mixing soil it passes over. The rotor is driven by hydraulic motors which are mounted at the rotor ends and operated by a hydraulic pump (engine driven) which is hydraulically coupled to a hydraulic traction pump (also engine driven) which propels the machine. Each hydraulic motor is mounted for rapid removal and replacement thereof. Toward this goal, each end of the rotor is hollow, whereby the drive shaft of each hydraulic motor can be releasably accepted in one of the ends of the rotor in a spline connection therebetween. Overloads on the rotor system are automatically sensed by a closed-loop hydrostatic system and result in a direction in the speed of machine travel until the load on the rotor diminishes. A hydraulic rotary servo-valve and mechanical feed back system automatically controls the rotor to maintain it at a preset depth and provides a visual read-out of depth.

Abstract: The pile-driving arrangement can drive piles both above and below water. It includes a housing containing a gas-filled motion chamber and an impact body movable upward and downward in the motion chamber. A cylinder-and-piston mover includes a cylinder part and a piston part, one part connected with the housing and the other with the impact body, for effecting relative movement between the impact body and the housing. A drive unit on the housing includes a drive motor, a pump driven by the motor and a pressure fluid tank. The drive unit is connected with the housing for limited movement relative to the housing. The cylinder part and the pressure fluid pump are interconnected by flexible conduits leading from the pump to the opposite working chambers of the cylinder part, and a direction-changing device controls fluid flow through the conduits.

Abstract: A control valve having a pair of service passages for connection with the opposite sides of a reversible fluid motor, wherein a flow control valve for each service passage restricts exhaust flow therethrough to prevent the pressure thereof from exceeding a predetermined value, but in no way influences flow to a fluid motor of supply pressure fluid from its service passage. Flow coordinating means limits flow of supply fluid to each service passage substantially in correspondence with restricted flow of motor exhaust fluid in the other service passage.

Abstract: A crane is disclosed having hydraulic means for boom elevation control which is provided with a load-holding check valve and a float valve interposed therebetween. The float valve is intentionally operable to a float position establishing fluid communication between opposed actuating chambers of the hydraulic means during crane transportation. The float valve includes a preferred position which does not interfere with conventional operation of combination of the hydraulic means and the load holding valve. The float valve is intentionally actuated to the float position by manually connecting a releasable coupling to a pilot pressure source. During crane operation, the releasable coupling is connected to a discharge hydraulic circuit that disables the float valve to prevent its inadvertent operation. The float valve is operable during crane transportation to allow the boom to move vertically in response to perturbations of a boom supporting dolly.

Abstract: A load sensitive hydraulic circuit for material handling equipment is energized by a prime mover. The hydraulic circuit includes variable displacement pumps coupled to the prime mover and having pressure and flow compensating control means for varying the volumetric output. Each pump is connected to a valve bank which controls various hydraulic actuators of the material handling equipment. Load pressure feedback is provided to the pump compensators for establishing pump flows to operate the actuators at a fixed pressure differential in excess of load pressure. The valve banks contain pressure compensated valves for providing desired fluid flow rates and speeds in the hydraulic actuators. Means are provided to sense reductions in the prime mover speed resulting from excessive hydraulic loads.

Abstract: A plasticating extruder screw is provided with a wave section in which the depth of the material conveying channel varies cyclically over a plurality of cycles. The wave section as a whole provides good pumping performance for metering the extrudate at a uniform rate. The deep valley portions of the wave section minimize heat inputs to the material being fed, and the shallow ridge portions of the wave section assure repeated intensive mixing of the material for providing high quality polymer melts. The minimum channel depth portions are in a balanced relationship about the axis of the screw to avoid lateral thrust problems. Such balance may be achieved in successive cycles of a single channel or as between adjacent channels of a multiple channel screw. The wave may be in the metering section of a single stage screw or in any of the pumping sections of a multiple stage screw.

Abstract: A compact and stable vibratory tamper of relatively low height comprises a crank case, a laterally mounted motor which is arranged to impart a linear reciprocating motion to an intermediate member via a planetary gear arrangement, a crankshaft, and a crank arm, and a tamping foot which is moved by the intermediate member by means of at least two oppositely acting springs which act between the intermediate member and the tamping foot and which overlap at least partially in the axial direction.

Abstract: An injection mold includes a stationary platen carrying a pair of stationary die sections, a movable platen carrying a pair of movable die sections, and a pair of floating die sections disposed between the movable and stationary die sections. The respective floating and stationary die sections are mutually configured to define a pair of die cavities which are arranged for alternate communication with an injector unit. The floating die sections are selectively connectable to their associated movable and stationary die sections to expose one of the die cavities for article ejection, while maintaining the other die cavity closed for continuing a curing stage.

Abstract: A hydraulic exciter of vibrations for a vibratory compactor includes an exciter containing a piston which is movable to and fro in the cylinder and either the piston or the cylinder is connected to a compacting member. The movement of the piston in the cylinder is brought about either by an alternating source of hydraulic fluid pressure which forces fluid alternately into and out of the exciter cylinder to move the piston to and fro or by means of a uni-directional source of hydraulic fluid under pressure formed by a hydraulic pressure pump together with a control valve in between the pump and the exciter cylinder. The control valve is operated to switch the supply of hydraulic fluid to and fro in the cylinder from one side of the piston to the other to produce the relative to and fro movement of the piston in the cylinder. The control valve has means for varying its speed of operation to vary the frequency of the vibrations produced by the exciter.

Abstract: A mobile harvester which is capable of severing trees at their base, one at a time, and gathering trees, one at a time, while the previously accumulated trees are rigidly held together. The harvester has tree gathering means located vertically above a shear blade mechanism and this gathering means includes two pairs of power operated arms which are pivotally mounted so that each pair of arms can be individually and selectively swung between an open, tree receiving position and a closed, tree holding position. One of the pairs of arms holds the accumulated trees while the other pairs of arms gathers subsequently severed trees, one at a time, and brings them into the bundle of previously accumulated trees.

Abstract: .Iadd.Method and apparatus for spin-welding thermoplastic articles in which two axially mating sections are driven in rotation relative to each other and then axially abutted in mating relationship. One of the two mating sections is chucked to an inertia member which is brought up to speed by a rotary drive. The rotary drive is uncoupled as the sections are moved into axial abuttment and the braking of the inertia member by the axial abuttment of the sections is transformed into frictional heat which welds the sections to each other. Apparatus for spin welding sections on a production line basis is disclosed. .Iaddend.