Abstract: A feeding apparatus for a pneumatic conveying system comprising a guide chute and a rotary pocket feeder. The guide chute includes a plurality of parallel rod members positioned across its inlet, an upper and lower rotating tine means, and an adjustable sized outlet. The upper and lower tine means are rotated in the same direction about parallel, vertically spaced axes and have tine members that extend outwardly of their respective axis to mesh with each other. The tine members of the upper tine means also mesh with the rod members to assist in bringing material into the chute where the material is conveyed through the variable sized outlet into the pocket feeder for delivery to the conduit of a pneumatic conveying system. The empty return portion of the pocket feeder is vented into the upper portion of the chute to prevent any pressure remaining in the pocket feeder from blowing back into the chute outlet.

Abstract: A building front rope lift for rescuing persons in particular subject to fire hazards in tall buildings comprises a lift cage to which a first roller is secured and which is suspended from one end of at least one load rope led around at least one guide roller secured to a tall building. The other end of the load rope extends from said guide roller downwardly inclined to a winch drum to which it is connected. A traction rope carries at one end a second roller which is arranged to roll on the load rope and is diverted by the first roller into the direction of the downwardly inclined load rope and connected by its other end to a further winch drum.

Abstract: A flow passage having a restriction is connected between a fluid inlet and outlet. A frustum is disposed in the flow passage between the inlet and the restriction. The frustum has a base facing away from the restriction, and an apex facing toward the restriction. The inlet is transverse to the axis of the flow passage and positioned so the base and a portion only of the frustum are directly exposed to the inlet. The frustum is mounted on a rod extending through the flow passage. In one embodiment, a sphere is mounted on the end of the rod beyond the outlet. The rod may be hollow and have holes near the restriction for the purpose of liquid feed.

Abstract: An accumulating roller may be fabricated by driving a plurality of free rollers by means of a continuous belt which makes a frictional contact with the free rollers. Frictional contact between the belt and the free rollers may be enhanced by a plurality of pressure rollers disposed on the opposite side of the belt. Each end of the free rollers may be rotatably coupled to a frame by means of an eccentric linkage. The rotational coupling between the linkage and the frame is at a point which is offset and above the axis of rotation of each of the free rollers. The free roller rotates from a first position to a second position which is displaced somewhat above the first position. When displaced in the second position, the free roller makes insufficient frictional contact with the driving belt and substantially all rotational motion on the free rollers ceases.

Abstract: An accumulator conveyor of the type that includes a plurality of article accumulating zones extending between the infeed and discharge ends of the conveyor. In preferred form, each of the conveyor's zones includes at least one power transmission assembly, all of those assemblies being powered by a single flexible drive member, e.g., an endless chain. Each power transmission assembly includes a fluid ram which cooperates with a power wheel to move that power wheel into and out of driving engagement with the conveyor's article propelling member(s) within that zone it serves.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying solid particulate material including a casing having bore therethrough and an inlet for material to be conveyed and an outlet. A screw impeller is rotatably mounted in the casing by front and rear bearings with the rear bearing being near the inlet. The outlet is intermediate the inlet and the forward bearing. A discharge chamber is flow connected immediately adjacent the casing outlet. Nozzles for supplying gas under pressure are provided in the discharge chamber for discharging material from the discharge chamber into and through a pneumatic conveying line. The screw impeller includes a feed screw section which terminates adjacent the casing outlet and a reversing section with reverse flights between the forward bearing and the casing outlet to prevent material from entering the forward bearing. A restriction plate may be placed in the casing outlet to reduce the size of the outlet opening to less than the bore through the casing.

Abstract: A conveyor system for delivering articles in succession has an endless conveyor loop, which is guided by guide rollers around a closed path including a horizontally extending run having an upstream end and a downstream end. The guide roller at one end of the horizontally extending run of the closed path and a further guide roller in a part of the path other than the horizontally extending run are mounted on a support, which is pivoted by a reciprocating mechanism so as to cyclically extend and retract the horizontal run of the path at its one end while maintaining tension in the conveyor loop. A gate is located adjacent the upstream end of the horizontally extending run to provide a sequential flow of articles to such horizontally extending run.

Abstract: A conveying device for transferring articles, such as pallets, between a first conveyor running in one direction and at one level and a second conveyor running in a right angular direction to the first conveyor and at a different level, wherein the article transfer is accomplished by a power operated mechanism which not only controls the movement of the article between the conveyors but also accomplishes the change in levels between the conveyors.

Abstract: An arrangement for belt conveyors, particularly for conveyors of substantially large width, in which lateral belts having reinforcing inserts, are spaced from each other along the width of the conveyor. The belts may be of rubber or synthetic type of material. Between the lateral belts, a supporting spacer belt is provided. At least one of the belts is a drive belt engaging a drive wheel with a surface shaped in the form of a tooth-rack or gear rack. Transverse elongated elements are connected to the lateral belts, and are supported by the intermediate supporting belt. One set of transverse elements are straight-lined along their longitudinal axes, whereas a second set of transverse elements are offset with respect to their ends of support, and are spaced from the first set. The transverse elements pass through openings in the supporting intermediate belt, which are in a staggered array.

Abstract: This device consists primarily of a pipe which telescopingly receives a rod having a foot guard attached at one end. The device includes a plate welding to the pipe which bolts to the truck body, and the opposite end of the pipe is welded to a plate which abuts with the lower portion of the front fender of the truck. A rubber gasket on the assembly, serves as friction means, against the rod so as to prevent it from sliding outwards of the vehicle, when it is in motion.

Abstract: A garbage suction system having a number of chutes connected to a common horizontal main transport duct, leading to a collection centre having a suitable air suction means, is provided with specially constructed air inlet valves at selected locations. Each chute is provided with a fork type obstruction at the bottom to loosely suspend the garbage, and the air inlet valves are located in the main transport duct at locations such that at least one chute is between the valve and the suction means. In operation a valve will first sense the suction effect and open the transport duct to the atmosphere, thereby providing a sufficient pressure drop across the garbage loosely suspended in a chute so as to cause the restrained garbage to be sucked away. The valve is provided with an automatic closing means so that the operating sequence may be then repeated.

Abstract: The process and apparatus for effecting savings of compressed injection gs such as oxygen or nitrogen when injecting solids such as burnt lime pneumatically into a receiving vessel, such as the blow-line to steel melt has a solids conveying system, a compressed gas supply source and a conduit and valve system functioning in a sequence, by which the compressed gas upon termination of the procedure is collected and thereupon is recycled. The system is equipped with at least one pressure-reservoir to collect the compressed gas from the previous procedure for recycling it.The pressure reservoir is subdivided by a reciprocating divider such as a membrane or a reciprocating piston to subdivide it into two parts of variable volumes, the divider is pushed by the returning compressed saved gas from one wall of the reservoir to the other. Highly compressed gas is blown into the empty part of the reservoir to increase the pressure upon the returned gas.

Abstract: An accumulator conveyor of the type that includes a plurality of article accumulating zones extending between the infeed and discharge ends of the conveyor. In preferred form, each of the conveyor's zones includes at least one novel power transmission assembly, all of those assemblies being powered by a single flexible drive member, e.g., an endless chain. Each power transmission assembly includes a novel fluid ram which cooperates with a power wheel to move that power wheel into and out of driving engagement with the conveyor's article propelling member(s) within that zone it serves.

Abstract: A snowmobile ski including an elongate plywood body member and a flexible, air-impervious material covering the bottom surface of the body member. The body has a generally upwardly curved forward end and a width substantially greater than conventional snowmobile skis to provide support in soft snow, slush, ice, and the like. The flexible material covering the bottom surface of the body member is attached, and hermetically sealed, to the bottom surface along the outer margins and a longitudinal center line of the body member by a thin metal strap and a series of spaced bolts.

Abstract: A friction hoist having at least two friction wheels each carrying a rope supporting a counterbalanced conveyance includes a motor to rotationally drive at least one of the wheels. The wheels are mounted for independent rotation on a common shaft and are permitted limited axial motion with respect to one another. A braking apparatus is provided for engagement with outer faces of the wheels while opposed inner faces of adjacent wheels are provided with a braking material such that actuation of the braking apparatus forces the wheels together and the wheels are braked as a unitary structure.

Abstract: A conveyor belt is disclosed of the type adapted to be supported and driven by a pair of wire ropes at or adjacent its edges. The belt comprises a body of rubber reinforced by at least two sheets of fabric embedded therein. Each sheet of fabric includes transverse filaments arranged in two planes and intimately bonded to the rubber. The transverse filaments are of specified size and elasticity. The combination of these physical characteristics of the filaments and their location in the rubber body result in the transverse filaments and the rubber acting together in the manner of an I-beam in resisting transverse loads, both compressive and tensile forces produced by transverse bending being carried principally by the filaments while shear forces are principally taken by the rubber.

Abstract: A sprayer having an articulated boom is provided with a pair of shock absorbing structures mounted between the sprayer frame and the main section of the boom in such a manner that the main section is limited to dampened, rectilinear reciprocation relative to the frame. Each structure has a quick release mounting for permitting the boom to be easily removed from the sprayer and for facilitating adjustment of the nominal spacing between the ground and the boom.

Abstract: A process for the simultaneous utilization of low expanded foam and medium expanded foam produced by respective generators thereof, for the extinction of fires, from liquefied gas comprising transporting the medium expanded foam by the faster traveling low expanded foam in order to provide a high velocity of flow of the medium expanded foam. The low expanded foam is produced by a plurality of generators disposed beneath a single generator of medium expanded foam and inclined with respect thereto to direct the jets of low expanded foam into the lower part of the jet of medium expanded foam.

Abstract: Apparatus for automatically lifting containers, such as bottles, especially bottles from moving cases. A series of closely adjacent, self-operating grippers are carried along an endless path above a moving case or cases to be emptied. The grippers are laterally aligned with the columns of containers in a case and randomly grip the containers in an aligned row as they are guided into engagement. The grippers yield upwardly if obstructed as they are guided toward engagement with containers, thereby permitting full depth cases to be emptied without coordinating a longitudinal relationship between any particular group of grippers and the case.Each bottle gripper has two tong arms pivoted to each other and connected by links to a support for movement between a downwardly depending closed condition and an upward retracted open position. A gravity-actuated detent is mounted in one tong arm and is adapted to move into engagement with the other tong arm.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing grab rail for a transit vehicle seat has a longitudinal core material and a covering material around the core material. Passenger movement assistance is provided with no or only slight deflection of the grab rail. Passenger restraint during abrupt movements of the vehicle such as occur in a collision is provided by a core having greater deflective characteristics in a selective direction and a resilient covering material. Additional passenger restraint is provided by deformation of the core material.