Abstract: This invention relates to an improved self-aligning automatic or remotely operated system for latching and unlatching the tailgate mechanism of a rear-loading refuse compacting truck which uses the tailgate lifting hydraulic cylinders in conjunction with an hydraulic cylinder-operated latch pin pulling and re-engaging mechanism which includes a self-centering, self-locking pin which cooperates to provide a simple yet very reliable automated latching and unlatching mechanism for the tailgate of a rear-loading refuse vehicle. The mechanism is designed to be retrofitted or be interchangeable with a manual system in a manner which facilitates easy conversion from one to the other involving the changing of a minimum of parts.

Abstract: A rail attachment device which allows for longitudinal displacement of a rail. The rail attachment device includes a first element fixedly supported to a ribbed plate and having a vertical arm extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rail. The rail attachment device also includes a second element which is connected to the web of the stock rail. Connecting elements connect the first element to the second element so as to allow for longitudinal shifting of the stock rail and second element with respect to the first element fixed to the ribbed plate. In one embodiment, the second element includes a web-plate fixed to the web of the stock rail by a bolt and a plate-like element connected to the web-plate and having longitudinally extending slots. The connecting elements pass through holes formed in the vertical arm and through the elongated slots.

Abstract: A package palletizing system is systematized such that it comprises a winder, an inspection station for inspecting cone packages wound up by the winder, and a palletizing station for palletizing the cone packages after inspection in alternately opposite postures, and that feeding of cone packages from the winder to the inspection station is carried out by means of an overhead self-travelling truck while feeding of cone packages from the inspection station to the palletizing station and loading of the same are carried out by means of the overhead self-traveling truck.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for removing articles from an underlayer with high frictional resistance, especially for removing several layers of cartons with one underlayer each from a pallet. By generating an air cushion at the upper side of the underlayer (19) underneath the articles (cartons 20), the articles (cartons 20), gliding on the air cushion, can then be removed from the underlayer (19) with transverse movement by means of an unloading apparatus (10). It is possible to remove even delicate and flexible packs from an underlayer with high frictional resistance by transverse movement.

Abstract: The attachment (20) provides inner forks (54, 56) and outer forks (58, 60) that are directly and independently driven for handling juxtaposed pallets. The fork assembly (26) is carried by guide members (44, 48, 62, 66) that are constructed so that when two juxtaposed pallet loads are carried, there is substantially no downward deflection of the laterally outermost portions of the loads. A hydraulic control system is included for controlling the four operation functions performed by the attachment (20). The hydraulic control circuit is designed so that no electrical components need be mounted to the attachment (20).

Abstract: A machine receives packages in bundles and transports them over a series of conveyors to arrange them in suitable layers for stacking into solid stacks or loads of predetermined form or arrangement for palletizing or other conveying means. Each conveyor performs related functions of rotating packages in a horizontal plane, moving transversely and delivering in the predetermined pattern to form layers of an eventual stack for further transportation. Provision is made for insertion of sheets between layers as they are formed.

Abstract: A queue of randomly oriented chips is advanced down a track. Each chip in the queue is sequentially and individually elevated into a pneumatic circuit and pressed against a mirrored surface of an upper slide member to which it adheres if the chip was oriented with upwardly disposed solder lands. A jet of compressible fluid insufficient in magnitude to dislodge the chip is injected in a direction toward the queue. If the chip, alternatively, was oriented with the solder lands down, this fluid jet propels the chip about the oval-shaped pneumatic circuit so as to reorient the chip with the lands extending in the desired upward orientation, whereupon the chip is injected into a storage magazine.

Abstract: Coin-controlled apparatus for locking shopping carts together in nested series at a cart parking station having coin-controlled mechanism mounted on a cart, e.g. on the handle of the cart, which is adapted for receiving and releasably locking therein a latch bar on a tether which is attached to the next cart in the nested series, requiring deposit of a coin to release the latch bar to free the cart for being wheeled away by the user, and holding the coin until the user brings the cart back to a cart parking station, nests it in the end cart at the parking station, and inserts the latch bar which is tethered to said end cart in the mechanism to lock the returned cart to the series and to provide for return of the user's coin.

Abstract: A conventional bottom dump truck includes doors which in a closed position are suspended underneath the bottom opening of the hopper of the trailer. The doors are opened outwardly and upwardly by pivotal action about an upper suspension point of each of the doors. The amount of movement of the door is limited by an abutment member mounted upon a vertical flange on the outside surface of the hopper bottom. The abutment member includes an abutment plate extending outwardly from the flange together with a bracket which has a slot slidable along the length of the flange and locatable at different points along the length of the flange by a pin passing through openings in the bracket and one of a plurality of openings in the flange.

Abstract: A wheel barrow dump apparatus adapted to be installed on a conventional wheel barrow type device utilizing a hinged mounting for the bucket. The apparatus includes at least one catch arm and associated cross member, attached to the rear of the bucket. The catch arm limiting the pivoting travel of the bucket on the hinged mounting to the length of the catch arm.The invention also provides a method of dumping refuse collected in the wheel barrow bucket including: filling the bucket; transporting the wheel barrow to the dumping point; raising the wheel barrow handle; allowing the bucket to pivot on its hinged mounting until the cross members engage to the standard frame; allowing the refuse to spill from the bucket; lowering the wheel barrow handles causing the catch arms to lower the bucket until it settles on the standard frame.

Abstract: Molded carrier ring-type electrical components are unloaded from a shipping tube by providing the bottom of an escapement mechanism with a substantially flat surface to which the "coin stack" arrangement of components falls during loading of the stack into the escapement. This flat surface presents to the bottom component of the stack an area which is sufficient for preventing dumping of the stack through the escapement and for releveling components which become tilted during loading of the tube into the escapement. The flat surface is biased upwardly by springs and displaceable downwardly against such biasing by a component transfer slide during lateral displacement of the transfer slide to the stack in order to acquire and remove the bottom component from the stack.

Abstract: A self-propelled member or carriage runs along a stationary surface-conducting cable formed of alternately disposed conducting and insulating turns. The carriage is provided with a rotor extending around the cable and having contacts in a conductive relation with the conducting turns of the cable. At least two pulleys are rotatably mounted to the carriage with the cable interposed between the pulleys. An electric motor is operatively electrically connected to the contacts of the rotors and is drivingly connected to the pulleys. Electric power is transmitted from the cable by the rotor to the motor whereupon the motor drives the pulleys to propel the carriage along the cable.

Abstract: In a device for forming vertical piles of items, coming from a feeding line, a pair of conveyor belts set side by side, at the end of the feeding line translate the items downwards onto a plane disposed beneath, while a pusher moves vertically in order to push the items coming from the feeding line towards the belts; a frame is made to horizontally and vertically move to engage with the support plane, in a transfer phase, and to move beneath the plane, in a return phase; the frame is also suited to support a subsequent pile being formed during the transfer phase and to allow the descent of the pile being formed on the support plane during the return phase.

Abstract: A vibratory tube-to-tube transfer system for transferring the contents of an input tube to an output tube is disclosed. The system includes an alignment fixture having an input section for receiving an input tube loaded with ICs and an output section for receiving an empty output tube. A support plate supports the alignment fixture and a directional vibrator is affixed to the support plate for vibrating the alignment fixture and effecting the transfer of the contents of the input tube to the output tube. An equal number of input tubes and output tubes, such as eight of each, are accommodated by the transfer system.

Abstract: A conveying and/or handling device for containers has a plurality of coupling claws, and latching members cooperating with the latter essentially in the manner of tongs. In order to provide for simple handling of all types of containers and to load and move them about, two coupling claws are provided on a transverse bearer or beam of a lifting carriage. The transverse bearer or beam carrying the coupling claws runs in vertical guideways on the lifting carriage for vertical motion and is driven by a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit. The lifting carriage is provided with at least one fork or supporting plate to be placed under the floor of the container. The carriage runs in guideways of the vertical beams of a lifting rig and is driven by a hydraulic drive unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading a boat and corresponding boat trailer to which the boat is attached onto the bed of a standard pickup truck. The invention comprises a pair of ramps, each having one end placed on the rear edge of the truck bed and the other end being placed on the ground; a loading frame securely attached to the bed; a winch firmly secured to the loading frame and having a winch cable attached at one end thereto, the winch cable being attached to the trailer; a guide channel for directioning and providing support for the winch cable and tongue of the trailer as it is pulled forwardly and upwardly by the winch; and a plurality of lighting arms for engaging and lifting the axle of the trailer to maintain the boat and trailer in a substantially horizontal position as the winch pulls the trailer along the guide channel.

Abstract: An apparatus particularly usable with an emergency vehicle for storage thereon and facilitating removal of remotely located emergency devices such as ladders, tanks or hoses and the like including a mounting bracket fixedly secured to the vehicle with at least two extension arms extending outwardly therefrom and pivotally secured with respect to the mounting bracket at locations vertically and laterally spaced from one another. An upper suspension bracket is pivotally secured to the extension arms at the opposite end from the mounting bracket and in order to facilitate movement of the extension arms from a storage position vertically extending upwardly above the mounting bracket to a retrieval position laterally extending outwardly from the mounting bracket to facilitate access to the emergency device such as a ladder. There is no rotation of the upper suspension bracket during movement from the storage position to the retrieval position and vice versa with respect to the mounting bracket.

Abstract: A work table on which sheets of patterned cloth are laid for the purpose of matching the patterns includes one or more electromagnets activatable to magnetize an upper surface of the table. Several pins which have magnetizable seats lie at spaced apart locations on the upper surface of the table so that when the electromagnet or electromagnets are activated, the pins are fixed magnetically on the upper surface of the table. When the electromagnet or electromagnets are deactivated, the pins are freely movable across the upper surface of the table. Thus, the cloth sheets can have their patterns aligned while the pins are fixed due to their magnetization, and are freely removed together with the pins when the pattern matching is completed and the electromagnet or electromagnets is switched OFF.

Abstract: An expandable void filler which includes a plurality of expandable hollow, elongated, box-like tubes which can be stacked one on the other and joined together along their common surfaces. Separate interface panels can be sandwiched between the individual tubular members to provide additional lateral compressive strength. The individual tubes are held in the expanded position by individual folding panels which extend inwardly across the interior opening within and have sufficient size to wedge against the opposite sidewall as well as the top and bottom of the structure. These panels alternate from one side of the tube to the other and are staggered so as to not be vertically aligned between the stacked tubular members. A flange member can be attached to the uppermost tube to support the void filler in proper position between the cargo loaded within a transporting vehicle.

Abstract: A plurality of timbers connected to ties at a railroad grade crossing. Hooks are connected to some of the ties. When the timbers are disposed on the ties, the hooks are inserted into the timbers. Pins are disposed through the ties and through portions of the hooks for connecting the timbers to some of the ties. The timbers are connected in groups of two or three timbers to form field deck panels and gauge deck panels.