Abstract: A support rail has openings extending therethrough throughout its length to receive tobacco sticks with tobacco stalks thereon with adjacent openings having the tobacco sticks supported from opposite sides to balance the support rail. The support rail is mounted on a carrier or sled to enable the support rail with the tobacco sticks to be pulled into a tobacco barn by a tractor, for example. The support rail is mounted in vertically spaced relation to a base of the carrier so that the tobacco carried by the support rail will not engage the ground or the base. The support rail has a hook at the end of each of two ropes extending from its upper side to enable cables connected to a winch, which is mounted in the barn, to be connected thereto to lift the support rail from the carrier when the winch is activated.

Abstract: The invention relates to vehicles which are particularly adapted for use in refuse collection, but may also have other uses, such as for self-loading of aggregates, or lifting and transportation of bulky objects.The body of the vehicle comprises a plurality of sections, one adapted to receive the material to be collected and to in turn deliver it to another body section. To unload the vehicle body, the said other body section is moved to cooperative relation with the said one body section so that the material flows through and outwardly of the latter.

Abstract: A carrier bag for transporting small, portable articles along on a cycle is supported between the handlebars. Support is provided by a bent wire carrier mounted on the handlebar stem that includes a mounting loop adapted to surround the stem, two closely spaced, parallel segments extending forwardly from the loop, and a pair of sections that diverge laterally from the outer ends of the segments and support a pair of forwardly projecting tines. The bag has a pair of elongated channels formed in opposed lateral ends to receive the tines and a pair of fasteners spaced along its rearward surface to encircle and secure the divergent sections. The elongated channels and fasteners respectively inhibit lateral and forward displacement of the bag, thereby securing it in position.

Abstract: The device comprises a support such as a railway tie defining a projecting shoulder on each side of a support table for the rail. An insulating clip has a body cooperating with the shoulder and a nose portion bearing against the flange of the rail. An elastically yieldable strip is superimposed on the clip and a fixing bolt extends through apertures in the clip body and the strip. The clip body has, on the side of the body remote from the nose portion, a heel portion which defines two surfaces which bear respectively against a lower support surface of the support and against the shoulder. The clip body defines in the center part an upper surface which is substantially parallel to the strip. Beyond a predetermined tightening force the additional force is transmitted to the support through the body and the heel portion of the clip.

Abstract: A device for the calibration of the safe load indicating apparatus on cranes and derricks that have a pivoted, extensible boom luffed by a hydraulic ram. The device operates by combining electrical signals corresponding to the actual turning moment of the unloaded boom at given boom positions with generated calibration signals corresponding to the turning moment for the theoretical maximum load at the boom positions, by comparing these combined signals to the safe load signals from the crane's law generator unit and by adjusting the law generator unit accordingly.This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calibration of safe load indicating apparatus for use with cranes, derricks and other lifting apparatus of the type having a pivoted, extensible boom which can be luffed by an hydraulic ram or other boom supporting means.

Abstract: An endless water way is supported by a superstructure and includes a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall to form a trough. A pump system effects continuous forward flow of water through the trough of the waterway. A guide track is supported on the waterway above the trough. A plurality of vehicles for transporting passengers from station to station are buoyantly supported by the guide track in the waterway. The guide track maintains the vehicles at a selected depth in the waterway. Each vehicle is provided with braking apparatus for frictionally engaging the guide track of the waterway to slow and stop the vehicles. The continuous forward movement of water in the waterway forwardly propels the vehicles from station to station. A plurality of endless waterways form continuous loops that radiates outwardly from the main terminal to provide transportation around the loops to and from the main terminal.

Abstract: An emergency slipper of the type usually spaced above a track but which comes into sliding engagement with the track in an emergency. The slipper comprises slide blocks having bottom surfaces which slide easily along the track, and scraper means for scraping rust, dirt, ice, and the like for the track. The scraper means may be a vertical scraper plate arranged diagonally with respect to the direction of travel, the slipper having a diagonal groove directly in front of the scraper plate. The scraper means may be a scrubbing block arranged as the first slide block of the slipper, the scrubbing block being formed of an impact and abrasion resistant material with a low coefficient of friction and high resistance to high temperatures produced by friction. The rear block of the slipper may be formed of the same material as the scrubbing block. The scrubbing block may have a diagonal groove in its bottom surface. The front block may have an inclined surface between its front and bottom faces.

Abstract: A trolley ride for sliding along a wire stretched between two uprights having a pair of identically molded plastic side members adapted to be bolted together with a pair of horizontally aligned pulleys rotatably mounted therebetween. Each side members have a tubular member extending outwardly for receiving a pipe that extends across the juncture of the side members for reinforcing the handles.

Abstract: A railroad track ballast tamper, operating on-track, having a workhead resiliently and pivotally supporting a pair of platforms on each side of each rail with tamping blades pivoted on each platform and vibration motors fixed to each platform. Lowering the workhead tilts the blades toward the rail because of the platform pivot locations, and actuators coupling the blades squeeze the blades toward the tie so as to tamp, with vibration and squeezing action, that region beneath the ties and under the rail.

Abstract: In a crane having a boom adapted to be mounted on a pedestal, a crane mounting system having a crosshead assembly and a bearing means, the crosshead assembly for connection to the crane boom and adapted to be rotatively mounted in proximity to the upper end of the pedestal and the bearing means allowing rotation and limited pivotal movement of the crosshead assembly with respect to the pedestal.

Abstract: A transfer table is movable to place tracks thereon into and out of alignment with stationary tracks. When a driverless wheeled vehicle is on the tracks of the transfer table, and the transfer table tracks are out of alignment with the stationary tracks, a device automatically stops vehicles adjacent the free ends of the stationary tracks. A discrete rotatable drive shaft is provided between the stationary tracks and between the tracks of the transfer table for causing a driverless vehicle to move therealong.

Abstract: A conveyor system comprising a conveyor track, a conveyor movable along said track, a free track and a plurality of carriers movable along the free track. The conveyor has longitudinally spaced pusher and holdback dogs mounted thereon. Each carrier comprises spaced trolleys and a tie bar interconnecting the trolleys. A trailing trolley has a pusher movably mounted thereon for movement into and out of the path of the pusher and holdback dogs. A bumper is mounted on the carrier at the front end thereof so that it engages a preceding carrier or an obstacle. The bumper and the retractable pusher are interconnected such that upon engagement of the bumper with the preceding carrier or obstacle the pusher is retracted out of the path of the pusher dog.

Abstract: A gantry loader comprising a horizontally disposed support beam, a railway rail secured to the support beam, the rail including a head, a loader assembly including a carriage selectively displaceable along the beam, the carriage having a first pair of wheels for rollingly engaging the face of the rail head, a second pair of wheels for rollingly engaging one projecting portion of the head, a third pair of wheels for rollingly engaging the other projecting portion of the head, each of the third pair of wheels including a peripheral step selectively facing the first pair of wheels and having a beveled side wall surface, the third pair of wheels being selectively displaceable from a retracted position remote from the rail to an advanced position whereat the base and the beveled side wall surface of the step engage the other projecting head portion, and means for selectively maintaining the third pair of wheels at the advanced position.

Abstract: A cargo restraint system comprising pneumatic engagement means especially adapted for tall upright wheeled carriers for e.g. beverages.

Abstract: A compact, sealable sample transport apparatus for conveying material from a supply to a combustion chamber, includes an elongated ladle member longitudinally moved in a conduit to the combustion chamber and coacting rotary magazine and transfer plate members, sealed with respect to one another so as to enable discrete analytical specimens to be loaded into and, after analysis, discharged from the ladle member without substantial exposure of the interior of the apparatus to the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for lifting a load utilizing an existing bridge or gantry-type overhead crane in combination with a portable lifting beam or Strongback adapted to be lifted into position and partially supported by the existing bridge crane. The portable lifting beam includes a horizontally extending main beam having a telescoping section to reduce the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension less than the distance between the parallel rails upon which the bridge crane is supported, whereby the lifting beam may be raised and lowered by the bridge crane between the parallel rails while being disposed perpendicular thereto. Once the lifting beam is lifted above the parallel rails, the hydraulic means are actuated to extend the telescoping section from its retracted position to increase the longitudinal extent of the main beam to a dimension equivalent to the distance between the parallel rails whereby the portable lifting beam or Strongback may be disposed thereon.

Abstract: A coupling comprising first and second members adapted to be connected respectively to a rotary drive and a rotary driven means subject to displacement from its normal axis of rotation. An elongate member is located intermediate the first and second members and drivingly connected to each member by a plurality of links and connecting pins. Each link includes a pair of connecting pins extending in the same axial direction away from the link. One pin of each link is secured to a flange at one end of the intermediate member, the other pin being secured to a flange of the first or second member at that end of the intermediate member. The links are provided adjacent the side of the flanges opposite one of the first or second rotary members to reduce the angular displacement required of the connecting link pins to accommodate axial displacement of a given distance and to provide a structure in which the elements may be readily assembled and disassembled.

Abstract: A load handling mast for lift trucks including an extensible assembly of three rail sections nested together and interconnected by load supporting chains and a hydraulic rising piston and cylinder ram mounted on the middle rail section. The chains are reeved over sheaves mounted on the ram piston rod and the rail sections to provide a four to one ratio of mast extension relative to piston rod extension. The full extension and retraction of the mast and the support of the load manipulated by the mast is effected entirely through the chains and hydraulic ram without the use of a latch system.

Abstract: A vehicle luggage carrier comprising a storage container having a front end portion, a rear end portion and lateral side portions, at least one front hook-type means operatively associated with the front end portion of the said storage container for engaging a portion of the vehicle and lateral hook-type means operatively associated with each side of said storage container for engaging lateral portions of said vehicle, said front and lateral hook-type means securing said storage container to said vehicle.

Abstract: A loading arm for transferring petroleum products at sea between two floating vessels. The loading arm structure includes a rotatably supported column having a boom hingedly supported at the upper end of the column for rotation about a first horizontal axis. An outer arm is hingedly connected at one end to the outer end of the boom for rotation about a second horizontal axis. A hydraulic/pneumatic spring includes a hydraulic cylinder connected between the column and the boom, the hydraulic fluid in the cylinder being pressurized from a large volume of gas for counterbalancing the weight of the boom and the arm. A second hydraulic/pneumatic spring is coupled between the column and a lever arm rotatable about the first horizontal axis. Linkage means couples the lever arm to the outer arm for maintaining the lever arm and outer arm in fixed angular relationship relative to each other as they rotate. The gas pressure in the hydraulic/pneumatic springs is adjustable to accommodate changes in load.