Abstract: In the conveyor system disclosed herein, a plurality of elongate lifting assemblies are interleaved with parallel moving belts on which articles are transported. Each lifting assembly utilizes an air bag which is supported in an upwardly facing, rigid, U-shaped channel and which, when inflated, lifts a longitudinally-flexible, inverted, U-shaped channel member. The channel members include respective lips which engage and locally limit upward movement of the inverted channel member to a height sufficient for lifting articles on the conveyor out of driving contact with the moving belts. The ends of the inverted channel members are fixed or fastened with the upper surface of that part of the inverted channel below the level of the moving belts. Accordingly, when the air bags are inflated, the moving belts can drive successive articles up on to the resulting ramp surface of the inverted channels without developing crushing pressures between adjacent articles.

Abstract: A movable conveyor for advancing material placed thereon in a particular direction by moving the conveyor in forward and reverse directions and controlling said movement so that the acceleration of the conveyor in a predetermined direction causes no relative movement between the conveyor and the material whereas acceleration in the opposite direction or deceleration in the predetermined direction causes the predetermined amount of relative movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes, the wood flakes being aligned in parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mat. The apparatus includes a former for depositing wood flakes on a support surface in a uniformly dispersed, loosely felted relation, and a plurality of vertically oriented baffles positioned below the former and in mutually parallel alignment. The baffles are reciprocated in the direction of the mat to cause flakes lying across the baffles to fall between the baffles and to be aligned with the longitudinal direction of the mat.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming a continuous loosely felted mat of wood flakes, the wood flakes being elongated and being aligned in mutually parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mat. The apparatus includes a conveyor having an upper surface adapted to support a mat of wood flakes and formers for continuously depositing wood flakes on the conveyor as it moves under the former. Also included are continuous lengths of baffle material positioned between the formers and the conveyor, and oriented so as to define parallel adjacent vertical planes, the planes being parallel to the direction of movement of the upper surface. The lengths of baffle material are positioned in closely spaced side-by-side relation and move with the upper surface beneath the formers as the loosely felted mat is formed and are adapted to cause the flakes to become aligned and to be held in alignment during formation of the mat.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes, the wood flakes being aligned in parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mat. The apparatus includes a former for depositing wood flakes on a support surface in a uniformly dispersed, loosely felted relation, and a plurality of vertically oriented baffles positioned below the former and in mutually parallel alignment. The baffles include a first set and a second set with respective ones of the second set of baffles being positioned between respective ones of the baffles of the first set. The baffles of the second set are reciprocated in the direction of the mat to cause flakes lying across the baffles to be aligned with the longitudinal direction of the mat.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming an elongated continuous mat of elongated wood flakes mixed with a binder and adapted to be compressed to form a densified composite wood product for continuously depositing wood flakes on that supporting surface and for aligning the elongated wood flakes being deposited in mutually parallel relation and in alignment with the direction of movement of the supporting surface. A hopper for containing wood flakes deposits wood flakes into the upper end of a fan-shaped flake loader comprised of a plurality of channels positioned in side-by-side relation and sloping downwardly from the hopper to a supporting surface. The channels are generally V-shaped in cross-section and converge toward their lower ends such that the wood flakes deposited in the upper ends of the channels become aligned in mutually parallel relation as the flakes slide down the channels and are deposited on the supporting surface.

Abstract: A chain assembly for easy removal and replacement of a module for supporting and carrying objects along a path parallel to chain movement. The chain has a pin link with a hollow pin adjacent an extended pin. A module having cylindrical shaft and perpendicular plate is inserted into the hollow pin so that a hole in the plate fits over the extended pin. The module is secured to the chain by insertion of a cotter pin into a hole at the end of the extended pin.

Abstract: Tractor front loaders of drive-in type have brackets fixed to a tractor and engageable with a detachable sub-frame carrying a boom assembly mounting a bucket. The sub-frame is secured to the brackets by close-fitting pins causing removal difficulties, or loose-fitting pins causing loader instability and accelerated pin wear. Easy-release pins are therefore provided, each passing with substantial radial clearance through aligned axially-spaced holes in one bracket and fitting, between the holes, in an eccentric bush which fits in a boss fixed to the subframe and is rotatable by a handle into an operative position in which the pin establishes contact with one side of the holes and the boss establishes clamping contact with a cam-plate fixed to the bracket, or into an easy-release position in which the contacts are disestablished.

Abstract: A conveyor belt cleaning assembly including at least one generally transversely extending cleaning device, engaging, in an operative position, a conveyor belt surface to be cleaned. The cleaning device includes a plurality of wear resistant scraper discs supported by a flexible tension member and resilient spacer coils coupled between the tension member and scraper discs for compressively engaging and yieldably maintaining the scraper discs at separate scraper positions along the tension member.

Abstract: Described is a conveyor idler roller assembly including an outer roller (1) carried in a conveyor frame (11) on a shaft (10) extending outwardly therefrom, said shaft having pivotally mounted at the free end thereof a disc (20) the plane of which is parallel to the shaft axis and the axis of the mounting (23) at right angles to said shaft axis, said mounting being on a diameter of the disc (20) remote from the center thereof and said disc further including a flat surface portion (21) parallel to a diameter and at right angles to the axis of said pivotal mounting, whereby when the flat portion (21) of said disc co-operates with said frame (11) the idle roller assembly provides support for a conveyor belt (18) and when said disc is rotated about said mounting to move said flat portion remote from said frame the idler roller assembly ceases to provide support for said conveyor belt (18).

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning elongated articles includes a turntable having a center and a periphery, an input track leading to the turntable for conveying elongated articles thereto and having a discharge end above the turntable and a direction of conveyance; and a guide rail stationarily supported above the turntable. The guide rail has a generally spiral course for guiding the articles towards the periphery of the turntable and aligning the articles in a single file as the turntable rotates. The apparatus further has an outlet track leading away from the turntable and an arrangement for pushing the articles off the turntable onto the outlet track. The guide rail has a first guide rail part situated between the center of the turntable and the discharge end of the input track and extending perpendicularly to the direction of conveyance of the input track. The guide rail includes a second guide rail part extending from an end of the first guide rail part and having a generally spiral course.

Abstract: A turning device for piece-goods and bagged goods has transporting devices for transporting goods, and a supporting element located between the transporting elements and turnable about a substantially upright axis so as to support the goods and turn the latter. A transporting element is arranged under the supporting element and has a plurality of transporting members on axles, wherein the axle supporting one of the transporting members extends in the central area of the supporting element through a hollow axle of the latter. The supporting element and/or transporting element are movable between proximal and distal positions relative to one another.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with improved conveyor elevator apparatus employing closed-loop horizontal main conveyors carrying vehicle-supporting platforms with the aid of followers that track follower channels extending in staggered fashion with the main conveyor channels, and employing novel direction-changing transverse end portions at which auxiliary conveyors engage the followers and insure horizontal stability of the platforms in their vertical travel through the transverse direction-changing end portions.

Abstract: The device comprises a succession of members in the form of plates collectively defining a path of traverse of the article to be turned, by means of apertures in the plates; each aperture being of the outline shape of the article and being angularly offset so that parts of each succeeding plate of the succession obstruct the path of the article incrementally to deflect the article as it passes through the aperture of each plate about an axis passing through the article and parallel with the path of traverse, thereby to change the orientation of the article.

Abstract: A retainer for preventing a conveyor drive chain from jumping off its sprocket is presented. The retainer comprises a shoe having a lining with an arcuate working surface of anti-friction material disposed over a lower run portion of the chain that is disposed over a drive sprocket. Coils springs bias the lining into engagement with the drive chain. Means are provided for maintaining the center of the working surface of the lining substantially concentric with the center of rotation of the drive sprocket.

Abstract: A conveyor, e.g. for coal has a conveyor box and a cylindrical housing surrounding this conveyor box. The cavities between conveyor box and housing are sealed by bulkhead(s) in which burst plate(s) are present which seal the cavities dust-tightly, but are destroyed in the case of an explosion so that rapid pressure equalization can occur between the conveyor compartment and the cavities. Preferably there is an aperture with a dust-proof but not pressure tight seal between the cavities and the conveyor box, allowing pressure equalization in normal operation.Advantageously the condition of the burst plate is monitored by suitable means.

Abstract: A reciprocable pusher 18 ejects cigarette pack groups 17 from magazine shafts 12 in three stacked layers, with one cigarette 11a in the middle layer being retained in the magazine by a stop 24 having an end 25 extending across and blocking the ejection path of the cigarette. The stop comprises a pivotably mounted lever spring biased to enable the expulsion of the cigarette when a predetermined mechanical load is exceeded, to thereby prevent jamming and blockage due to non-uniform cigarettes and stacks.

Abstract: A roller conveyor comprises an inner track formed from bearing material positioned in parallel to an outer track with a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed between the tracks. Each roller includes a central shaft having a necked portion near one end which necked portion engages one of a plurality of U-shaped slots formed in the inner track. A twin-V drive belt is supported on a plurality of open-faced pulleys for motion parallel to the inner track with the upper edge of the drive belt being exposed by the open-faced pulleys. The ends of the roller shafts beyond the necked portions extend beyond the inner track to form driven members which engage and are driven by the exposed upper edge of the twin-V drive belt to rotate the rollers.

Abstract: A transfer machine for holding and moving work pieces from station to station for successive machining operations in which the work pieces are clamped to pallets disposed generally vertically. During loading and machining operations the pallets are clamped in a fixed relationship to guide rails but are moved between stations on anti-friction means in the form of rollers. Loading operations are conducted relative to an accurately located reference axis and a work piece is transferred to the pallet so that the location of the reference axis is accurate at each of the loading and machining stations.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus for sorting conical bobbin tubes, using trough-shaped transporting pockets, into which the bobbin tubes are placed individually, and in which they are shifted at a bias to their longitudinal direction. According to the invention the bobbin tubes pass under two rolls, which with respect to the direction of this movement are arranged inclined at an angle in the same sense, and which are mounted on a frame which is pivotable about an axis. One, and only this one of the rolls, namely the one, under which the bobbin tube zone of greater diameter passes, contacts the bobbin tube, and owing to its inclined arrangement effects a shifting movement of the bobbin tube in its longitudinal direction. In this manner the bobbin tubes are shifted into different positions depending on the position of their bobbin tube foot ends relative to their tip ends, and in this manner are sorted.