Abstract: The invention relates to a drive for a straddle type berry harvester suitable in particular for harvesting raspberries. The harvester has a frame mounted on wheels movable over a row of berry plants and having opposed rotatable upright cylindrical tined shakers connected above by universals to output shafts of a drive and mounted above conveyors in laterally slidable bearings to avoid obstructions in their path. Spring-mounted interleaved deflector plates lie between and beneath the shakers inclined towards the conveyors to guide berries shaken off by the shakers and falling therebetween. The shakers are rotated by cooperation of the tines with the plants as the harvester moves thereover.The drive for the shakers consists of two vibrating head assemblies and a high speed input in each assembly driven in synchronization but in opposed rotary direction by a single high speed prime mover.

Abstract: A machine and method for collecting gall from animal bladders is provided. The machine includes contra-rotating rollers which cut and squeeze gall bladders fed onto the rollers. A perforated drum receives the gall and cut bladders issuing from the rollers and separates the gall from the cut bladders. A high yield of gall is attained.

Abstract: Method of treating wool scouring liquor effluent to render it suitable for recycling or discharge and to concurrently recover wool grease as a by-product. The method comprises mixing scouring liquor effluent with sufficient alcohol to produce a concentration in excess of saturation to leave a discrete alcohol phase, adding a selected flocculant to effect a liquid/liquid separation of grease from the liquor and stripping the separated grease from the alcohol phase.

Abstract: A sampling vessel, adpated particularly for use in geothermal bores, constructed principally of stainless steel and opened at depth without ancillary means such as messengers by causing an inertial mechanism to break a frangible seal.

Abstract: A lecturer's pointer, or a blind man's stick, is demountable into sections for easy stowing, but the sections cannot be separated since they are permanently connected by an axial cord. Pulling the cord without further guidance, causes the sections to join at spigot and socket joints, designed to minimize shake without binding. The cord is inherently elastic or is sprung and is put in tension to hold the joints rigid by a device on the head of the stick.

Abstract: A cyclic absorber of energy in massive quantities. It is suitable for installation between two parts of a structure that would be caused to move relative to each other by earthquakes or heavy winds. Energy is absorbed by the cyclic, flexural deformation into the plastic range of a main beam which may be a single or double cantilever. Strain of the main beam may be distributed and the capacity of the device increased, by short auxiliary cantilevers initially in contact with the main beam.

Abstract: This instrument can fulfil two purposes. It can be a torque limiter which transmits torque up to a limit set by design, without slip. At higher values of torque it behaves as an absorber of energy. It can be cyclic or unidirectional or impact in operation. It can be applied as an absorber of wind or earthquake forces, as a buffer or fender in a transport system, as a brake, or as a torque limiter in a shaft transmitting power. Its commonest form is an eccentric within a cylinder, the intervening space being filled with a material capable of spontaneous recovery and recrystallisation at the working temperature.

Abstract: The synthesising of a waveform which upon integration will approximate a sinusoid of controllable frequency and amplitude is disclosed. Any desired amplitude may be programmed for a particular frequency. The synthesiser is suitable as a variable speed AC motor drive. The output waveform is synthesised by chopping a square wave using a variable width chop. To obtain lower harmonic content, a chopped square wave is Walsh multiplied with another square wave of different frequency to produce a pulse width modulated waveform having a frequency equal to the frequency difference between the square waves. Methods for accurately controlling the difference frequency using variable digital dividers are disclosed.