Abstract: Greater overall speed of crane operation is made possible by using a plurality of hydraulic piston-cylinder sets together with valving which can direct the pumped hydraulic fluid selectively to either of the cylinder sets or to both of them. Preferably the two cylinder sets are of different speed-load characteristics so that the same supply of pressured oil will raise the boom faster when supplied to one than when supplied to the other. When the boom must be raised with maximum load, the same oil supply will be directed to both cylinder sets, thereby giving the maximum lifting power with a given available oil pressure and the slowest raising speed. The overall time required to accomplish a given task is reduced because most of the time the boom can be raised or lowered at a faster speed than that slow speed which must be provided for handling heaviest loads. Speeds are selected by operating one or both of two handles to the up or down position, each handle controlling its own valve spool.

Abstract: An apparatus for adding trim water or liquid to a mixture in a powered mixer and controlling the amount automatically. After a selected temperature has been signalled by a temperature sensing device, the water or liquid is pulsed into the mixer, each pulse being followed by a dispersion time, until a selected power level is detected by a power sensing device, the selected power level having previously been correlated through testing with a desired characteristic of the mixture. When the selected power level is detected, a signal from the power sensing device terminates the water or liquid addition.

Abstract: The invention may be used with a boom or the like which is raised and lowered by double-acting hydraulic cylinder means provided with a pilot-actuated safety valve at its bottom such that the boom can only go down when pilot pressure (normally from the downthrust line) is applied to this safety valve. The main manual valve has a four-position spool which provides a float position reached by moving through the lowering position. As the main valve is moved to the float position, its manual actuation mechanism actuates an auxiliary valve to supply pilot pressure to the safety valve to open the safety valve to allow the cylinder to achieve the desired floating action. This pilot pressure supply is through a shuttle valve which alternatively lets pilot pressure be applied to this safety valve as here stated or, from the downthrust, without ever connecting the two sources.

Abstract: In a planetary wheel drive, disc braking is provided with the discs located outwardly of the gearing so as to be readily accessible for servicing. One set of discs is splined to the drive shaft, rotating faster than the wheel by the factor of the gear ratio, so that advantages comparable to all those advantages heretofore attained by high ratio planetary wheel braking are still attained, with the accessibility here achieved.INTRODUCTIONThe invention to which the present disclosure is offered for public dissemination in the event that adequate patent protection is available relates to braking for planetary wheel drives. Planetary wheel drives or final drives are commonly used in trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles and may have a gear ratio of the order of 5 to 1 which is considered very advantageous.

Abstract: The invention is especially suitable when front and rear wheels are hydraulically steered, each set by its own hydraulic cylinder, the two cylinders being connected in hydraulic tandem so that the same angularity of steering will be imparted to both sets of wheels. The self-synchronizing of the present invention overcomes a serious prior fault that occasionally a nonsynchronous relationship would develop. The present invention opens a synchronizing valve on the occasion of each extreme swing of the wheels. A check valve then ensures a synchronized return swing.

Abstract: A material mixing apparatus having a cylindrical mixing bowl within which there is disposed a rotary, power-driven, mixing assembly embodying a cylindrical turret which embodies an upper extension and carries about its periphery a series of material mixing components including lift plows and material cutters. When the apparatus is used for mixing materials which combine and liberate heat because of the addition of water or other liquid, the added water or other liquid is applied to the turret and its extension for wash-down purposes in order to avoid the creation of indestructible solid lumps in the material undergoing mixing. A novel turret configuration and a novel plow and plow holder arrangement which accomplishes efficient material agitation and folding within the bowl, constitute the principal features of the present invention.

Abstract: A tank for oil or other hydraulic fluid is improved both for cooling the fluid during normal operation and for heating it up preliminarily at start-up time by an internal curtain spaced a narrow distance from the side walls and providing a cooling channel through which, during operation, the oil may be passed in immediate contact with the outer side walls of the tank to be cooled before flowing into the main storage chamber, a flap valve being turned at start-up time to a position to direct returning oil directly into the main storage chamber where it is relatively insulated from the outer side walls by the stagnant oil in the cooling channel, so that the heat developed by power-circulation of the oil is conserved and in cold weather the oil is more quickly brought up to satisfactory operating temperature. The peripheral cooling channel normally used also settles foreign particles from the hydraulic fluid, and dissipates any entrained air at its surface.

Abstract: A foundry mold conveyor system for the intermittent movement or indexing of pallets or other mold carriers successively first past a mold receiving station where a foundry sand mold is placed on each empty pallet, then to and through a jacket transfer station where a conventional jacket is placed on each palletized mold, then past a pouring station where each palletized and jacketed mold is poured with molten metal, then back to and through the jacket transfer station where the jacket is lifted from each poured palletized and jacketed mold, then past a mold discharge station where the poured mold is pushed from each pallet, and finally back through the mold receiving station where a fresh sand mold is again placed on each empty pallet.

Abstract: A bearing housing for a heavy rotor is made axially-nonsymmetrical so that the bearing chamber therein is shifted axially of the rotor shaft upon reversing the bearing housing. With a new rotor, the nonsymmetry positions the bearing chamber axially outwardly from the housing center. When necessary, the rotor shaft, by virtue of having successively increased diameters inwardly from its end, can be reworked by turning new surfaces thereon positioned axially inwardly from the original surfaces. The bearing housing is then reversed so that its nonsymmetry locates the bearing chamber inwardly from the housing center, to accommodate the new positions of the shaft surfaces.

Abstract: A cyclicly-operable molding machine for producing and assembling cope and drag mold parts.

Abstract: A mixing apparatus adapted for use with granular or semi-solid material and embodying a mixer trough within which are disposed two parallel companion shafts each of which has mounted thereon a linearly straight row of flat slanting parallel mixing blades .Iadd.of interrupted-elliptical shape.Iaddend., the two rows of blades functioning when the shafts are rotated in opposite directions to propel the material forwardly while at the same time exerting thereon a slicing action whereby progressively diminishing masses of the material are tossed from side to side and are repeatedly sliced into smaller increments as they progress along the trough.