Abstract: A mobile concrete batch plant for supplying a properly proportioned homogenous mix of cement and aggregate (including sand) to a mix truck from an elevated discharge hood comprises a weigh bin for receiving and weighing aggregate from an aggregate storage bin and for depositing a weighed batch of aggregate onto a belt conveyor for transport to and discharge from a discharge opening in the discharge hood. The plant further comprises a combined screw conveyor and weigh batcher for receiving and weighing cement from a cement storage bin and for transporting and discharging a weighed batch of cement through a cement pipe concentric of the discharge opening in the discharge hood simultaneously with the discharge of the aggregate.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to detent mechanisms for use with valve spools wherein the detent mechanisms are operable to releaseably secure the valve spool in various predetermined axial positions and to apply various biasing forces on the valve spool depending upon its axial position thereby permitting the valve operator to sense or feel the position of the valve spool. The detent mechanism of the invention includes a generally cylindrical housing which supports a pair of spaced magnets and which receives a shaft coaxial with and connected to the valve spool. The shaft is received through bores in the magnets and is slideable with respect to the magnets. The shaft also supports a pair of contact rings which are comprised of magnetically attractable material and which are received in the space between the magnets. Upon axial movement of the valve spool, the contact rings are brought into contact with one of the magnets.

Abstract: A rotary screw extruder and a method are provided to both devolatilize and dry plasticized resinous hygroscopic materials during extrusion thereof into a finished product of indefinite length. The extruder includes a screw having three successive pumping sections and a pair of vent sections. Each vent section separates two of the successive pumping sections. The first pumping section meters plasticized material throughflow. The intermediate pumping section has partially full channels that permit a continuous, helical passage to interconnect the two vent sections. The partially full channels establish a free surface which promotes devolatilization and drying. The third pumping section pressurizes the devolatilized and dried plasticized material for extrusion through a conventional die orifice. The devolatilizing and drying method begins by controlling the flow rate of plasticized material into a gas removal zone.

Abstract: A silage unloader is disclosed for use in cutting silage from silage stored in a silage trench or the like. The unloader comprises a frame means which is adapted to be connected to the three-point hitch of a tractor or the like. A vertically disposed boom means is secured to the frame and extends upwardly therefrom and comprises telescopically mounted boom members. A reel boom is secured to the boom means and extends therefrom and has a silage cutting reel means rotatably mounted on the outer end thereof about a horizontal axis. A double acting hydraulic cylinder is provided within the boom means for raising and lowering the boom means, reel boom and reel. An auger conveyor means is provided on the frame means below the reel means so that the cut silage will be gathered thereby and conveyed to a blower means for blowing the silage to a feed wagon, truck or the like. The boom means, reel and conveyor are hydraulically powered while the blower means is powered by the tractor PTO.

Abstract: Structure for and method of compensating for a mechanical frequency response structure induced phase shift of an alternating electrical command signal in a closed loop control circuit so that magnitude errors independent of phase errors may be utilized in the control circuit. The structure includes a mechanical structure to be controlled having a mechanical frequency response to the cyclic command signal, an electronic frequency response circuit for producing a phase shift in the command signal substantially the same as that produced by the mechanical frequency response structure over the frequency range of the command signal, and structure for summing the error signal from the mechanical frequency response structure and from the electronic frequency response circuit to provide a magnitude error only signal, and means for providing an output signal when the selected error signal is outside of a permissible error signal range.

Abstract: Structure for and a method of detecting peaks in an electric signal comprising circuits for and the steps of converting a selected one of a plurality of analog signals into a current digital signal, comparing the developed digital signal with a digital signal previously developed from the selected analog signal and stored, and replacing the previously developed and stored digital signal with the current digital signal when the current digital signal is greater than the previously developed and stored digital signal and of the same polarity, and providing for readout of the currently stored digital signal in either analog or digital form.Direct reading of the digital output in terms of standard engineering units is provided for. Also, the analog input signal may be directly read at the output of the peak detector and the peak detector may be utilized as a volt meter with a direct current signal passed directly into a digital output portion of the peak detector.

Abstract: A tandem road roller having a pair of rolls arranged one behind the other which are capable of both pivoting relative to each other to negotiate curves and being offset relative to each other to vary the width of the roller track. The roller comprises a first frame member carried on the front roll, a second frame member carried on the rear roll, a connecting bar member hinged at opposite ends to the first and second frame members between the rolls, and an actuating mechanism operating on the first and second frame members to control their angular relationship and to control their lateral offset. Preferably the actuating mechanism includes two fluid pressure operated double-acting piston and cylinder assemblies and in this case one of the piston and cylinder assemblies is preferably arranged parallel to but spaced apart from the intermediate frame member and the other piston and cylinder assembly is connected diagonally between the one piston and cylinder assembly and the intermdiate frame member.

Abstract: A rotary baler for forming cylindrical bales is disclosed which automatically picks windrowed material from the ground and places it on a first conveyor belt which, together with a bale-starter roller mounted adjacent to the rear of the baler and a second conveyor belt above the first conveyor belt, form a cylindrical bale. The first belt is provided with slats to prevent the first belt from moving transversely to its direction of intended travel. At least one of the rollers about which the first conveyor belt is mounted is capable of translational movement toward and away from the front of the baler to permit downward deflection of the first conveyor belt by the bale.

Abstract: An amplifying valve having an axially slidable valve spool to normally communicate a service port with a reservoir port, but which is movable to an operative position by a diaphragm type actuator activatable by air at substantially low but different selected pressures at the command of a pilot valve. In its operative position, the spool communicates the service port with a supply port for oil at high pressure. The pressure of oil at the service port is translated into a force on the spool to counteract that which is imposed thereon by the diaphragm actuator, so that service port pressure will always be substantially greater than but proportional to air pressure on the diaphragm.

Abstract: A vibratory ground roller composed of a main frame carrying a plurality of rolling drums one in front of the other and a steering frame attached to the back of the main frame has the steering frame connected to the main frame by a plurality of links forming a pivoted link system each link of which is pivotally connected at its front end to the main frame and its back end to the steering frame and the system is so arranged that when the main frame pitches, the resulting horizontal movements of the pivots of the rear ends of the links to the steering frame are at least substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: Access to mold halves disposed on and between opposed stationary and movable platens of a molding machine is facilitated by releasing and at least partially retracting, from the zone between the platens, at least one of a plurality of tie rods extending therebetween. A tie rod is at least partially removed by (1) slidingly translating the movable platen along the tie rods toward the stationary platen, (2) releasing one tie rod from connection with the stationary platen and connecting it to the movable platen, and then (3) slidingly translating the movable platen away from the stationary platen along tie rods remaining connected thereto, to at least partially retract the released tie rod from between the stationary and movable platens.

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 screw for injection molding of synthetic resinous material having a tendency to abrade and score the injection molding apparatus is provided along a substantial length of the feed section with a substantially undercut screw flight. An average particle of synthetic resinous feed stock material may pass between the undercut screw flights and a cooperating barrel without squashing. The undercut screw flights are effective to provide a controlled feed pressure for the particulate material entering the downstream portion of the screw.

Abstract: A forage cutter includes a housing having a pair of end walls, a forward inlet for receiving forage material and a rearward outlet for discharging forage material. A rotary cylinder shaft is journaled for rotation in the end walls, and a rotary cylindrical cutter having a plurality of cutting knives is mounted on the shaft for rotation about its longitudinal axis. The cutting knives are movable in a 360.degree. cylindrical cutting path having a 0.degree. reference on a horizontal plane extending radially from the axis of the cutter through the forward inlet. A recutter having a single recutter blade disposed at the outlet of the housing is positioned in coacting shearing relation with the cutting knives. The recutter blade is horizontally positioned between about 120.degree. to 150.degree. from the horizontal plane in the direction of the cylindrical cutting path.

Abstract: A molding system for producing articles of mottled appearance includes a plasticizing unit having an inner bore which communicates with a mold cavity. A feed screw is mounted within the bore and is connected to fluid-actuated motors for rotary and translational movement within the bore. A spreader device is positioned in a heated part of the bore ahead of the feed screw. The screw is rotated to feed and soften molding materials of diverse coloration and is subsequently translated to push the materials through the spreader device such that final plasticization occurs. A bridging conduit is provided between the rotary and translational motors to divert a controlled amount of fluid from the latter to the former during a pushing operation, to rotate the screw forwardly at a controlled rate or to hold pressure on the screw to prevent backward rotation or to limit the amount of backward rotation.

Abstract: A row crop harvesting apparatus adapted to sever forage from a field and deliver it to a crop processing mechanism. The apparatus includes two elongated, laterally opposed conveyor belts which define between them a crop receiving passage. The design of the belts on either side of the crop receiving passage preferably comprises a driving member, a forward idler, and longitudinally spaced intermediate idlers. The idlers are spaced so that idlers of one belt are not laterally aligned with idlers of the other belt. The apparatus includes a rotary cutter mounted and driven by an adjustable forward idler. Means are provided for adjusting the adjustable forward idler. The rotary cutter cooperates with a second cutter element mounted on the means for adjusting the adjustable forward idler, thereby allowing the forward idler to be adjusted without affecting the cutting relationship of the rotary cutter and the second cutter element.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for releasably connecting a crane superstructure and a crane carrier. The apparatus includes a segmented clamp assembly which hydraulically engages mating flanges carried by the superstructure and the carrier respectively. The clamp assembly includes an arcuate segment to which two other arcuate segments are pivotally connected. The mating flanges may be tapered and one may comprise a lower appendage of the turntable. Centering devices are disclosed to assure proper positioning of the mating flanges during assembly. Suitable tensioning means are provided to create a tensile stress in the clamp and thereby wedge the mating flanges together. The methods disclosed concern disconnecting, attaching, and securing a crane superstructure to a carrier by circumferentially clamping mating flanges therebetween.

Abstract: An end loader or forklift vehicles adapted to traverse uneven terrain and work surfaces and to vertically position a load, the vehicle including an automatic leveling device for maintaining the load and vehicle body transversely level regardless of uneven terrain. The leveling device includes means for operation in two separate angular sensitivity ranges, one adapted to automatically level the load and vehicle body during travel of the vehicle over uneven terrain, and the other range adapted to likewise level during stationary operation of the vehicle. To achieve this function the vehicle is provided with motor means for vertically positioning the vehicle axle and wheel assemblies relative to the vehicle body. The motor means is responsive to signals from the automatic leveling device including mercury switch means to accomplish vehicle body leveling.

Abstract: A plow assembly for cutting a slit in the ground and simultaneously laying a cable in the slit as the propelling vehicle moves over the ground. The plow assembly has a shaker case containing a pair of counter-rotating eccentric weights for providing a vibratory action to the plow, additional weight means are located rearwardly of the plow and plow frame so as to reduce the amplitude of vibration at the rear end of the assembly, and the assembly also has elastomeric isolation mounts for the shaker case on the plow frame so that the resulting action of all the components is such that the plow blade pivots about a pivot point located rearwardly of the assembly and in a particularly efficient arcuate cutting movement.

Abstract: A pipehead for an extruder includes a die body and a die pin having a central bore, a plurality of radial ports, and a corresponding plurality of helical grooves with a region of decreasing depth. The helical grooves are located at the blind end of an annular channel having a constricted area and terminating in a die opening. The channel is defined by the die body and the die pin. A breaker plate having a multiplicity of openings may be provided downstream of the grooves to generate a multiplicity of filament-like streams that are subsequently recombined as they pass through the constriction of the annular channel. The diameter of the annular channel generally decreases axially along the head. The pipehead is provided with internal and external heating means for temperature control.