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: A regulated flow-reducing device particularly useful for drip irrigation comprises a flow-retarding member disposed in a housing, the member being formed with a circuitous fluid flow pathway defined at least in part by recesses formed in both its opposed faces, and a flat regulator member disposed between the flow-retarding member and the housing inlet such that the inlet face of the regulator member is subject to the fluid pressure at the inlet of the housing. The flat regulator member is in contact with and covers the inlet face of the flow-retarding member except for its inlet end to provide communication between the latter and the housing inlet. The flow-retarding member is made of resilient material so that both its recessed faces are deformable by the inlet pressure whereby the cross-sectional area of the recesses on both faces of the flow-retarding member are varied in accordance with the inlet pressure.

Abstract: A locking device for a lift having an arm pivotably mounted for horizontal movement about a lifting carriage with two tubular members each pivotably connected at one end to the arm. One of the tubular members extends into a cylindrical housing and is locked thereto by balls mounted in ball cages urged by a spring to a locking position. The other tubular member is locked to the first tubular member by similar balls, cages and spring. A sleeve longitudinally slidably exterior to the two tubular members includes pins for engaging the ball cages to release the two tubular members.

Abstract: A feeding device placed between an infeed conveyor and two longitudinal lumber conveyors for directing pieces of lumber, e.g., logs, fed thereto to one or the other of the two longitudinal conveyors which carry the logs for further processing. The first unit in the feeding device arrangement is a singlepiece feed conveyor, with a photo cell device, which receives a log from the infeed conveyor. The next station is a vertically swingable flap disposed over a gap which can be bridged by the flap. Under the gap is a stepwise drivable winged wheel or set of wheels which is offset adjacent and above one of the longitudinal conveyors which also has an associated photo cell device. Next in the device and located adjacent the base of the flap is a stepwise drivable transverse conveyor which receives logs passing over the flap and has its discharge adjacent and above the second longitudinal conveyor which also has an associated photo cell device.

Abstract: A multiple link conveyor having identical flat links each composed of interleaved identical sheet members, each link being interleaved with adjacent links for pivotal movement of adjacent links in the plane thereof.

Abstract: A scraper apparatus for cleaning the operating surface of an endless conveyor belt is disclosed as mounted in scraping engagement with the belt's operating surface for limited pivotal swinging movement from a belt engaging position to a safety and maintenance position. The apparatus has a biasing portion formed as a pressurized bladder carried by a support member mounted transversely of the belt which individually biases each member of an aligned series of scraper blades into continuous scraping engagement with the belt so as to locally compensate for worn belt areas and worn scraper blades or for obstructions on the belt occurring at one scraper blade without preventing or disturbing continued scraping action of the next adjacent scraper blades. Such localized biasing maintains a constant scraping pressure at each scraper blade and allows the series of scraper blades to float with the belt as it rises and sags with tension variations.

Abstract: In a conveyor for conveying articles in a helically curved path, an endless conveyor belt is driven in a helically curved path between the circumferential surface of a cylindrical envelope and a rotary drum coaxially arranged in the envelope. One edge of the conveyor belt is supported by the circumferential surface of the envelope while the other edge of the conveyor belt is engaged between consecutive convolutions of an entraining belt which is passed around and driven by the drum at the rotation thereof so as to carry along the conveyor belt in its movement.

Abstract: Packages, containers and the like are moved from one elevation to another by means of an endless conveyor having generally vertical runs and a generally vertical, slippery reaction surface along said vertical run. The endless conveyor has elastic cords or the like for embracing the package, container or the like and pushing it along said surfaces between an input conveyor and a discharge conveyor.

Abstract: A live roller conveyor having a supporting frame and a plurality of load supporting transport or carrier rollers rotatably supported from the frame and a plurality of drive wheels in frictional driving contact with the rollers for frictionally driving the rollers. Certain of the drive wheels are powered from a power source and all of the drive wheels are spring biased toward the rollers. In one embodiment, the drive source is a line shaft having a friction drive connection to the powered drive wheels. In a second embodiment, the drive source is a small electric motor driving each powered drive wheel. A third embodiment includes a switch controlled solenoid for selectively engaging and disengaging the drive to the rollers. The drive sources and drive wheels may be arranged in many combinations to create separate and distinct drive zones of the load supporting rollers. The drive zones may be energized or deenergized by control mechanisms to provide positive load transport control.

Abstract: A safety unit for latching against upward movement a spindle driven lift of the type having a lifting nut on which a lifting carriage guided in a column is supported and a safety nut mounted for movement on the spindle for guiding the column in the event of lifting nut failure with a pawl rotatably mounted adjacent the tooth spindle for rotating, urged by a spring, to a locking position preventing rotation of the spindle in one direction when a guide bolt extending through one of a pair of contiguous bores in the pawl having different diameters is shifted axially in response to lifting nut failure, the bolt having different diameter portions along its axis so that the shifting permits rotation of the pawl into its locking position.

Abstract: A walking beam conveying apparatus for handling elongated cylindrical articles and a handling method particularly applicable to a reheating furnace for pipes. Articles, such as pipes, are advanced in steps along the conveyor simply by raising and lowering movable beams without moving the beams axially as long as the articles are straight and can roll. The movable beams can move axially to advance bent articles incapable of rolling. The beams can be raised at one end only to introduce articles to the conveyor for storage without advancing articles already carried on the beams.

Abstract: A machine for washing and/or filling containers such as beer kegs has a walking beam conveyor for moving the containers through the machine from one station to another. The walking beam is raised and lowered by two spaced-apart upright pneumatic rams and to maintain the walking beam in its correct attitude regardless of variations with loads upon it, a spaced-apart pair of double-acting hydraulic pistons and cylinders are arranged to act between the walking beam and a base frame of the machine, the cylinders being cross-connected so that the pistons are constrained to move in unison by the movement of hydraulic liquid between the cylinders. Preferably, each of the hydraulic pistons and cylinders is incorporated co-axially as a unit with one of the pneumatic rams.

Abstract: A conveyor tray is longitudinally tilted downwardly in the direction of the movement with a front stop wall having a center notch to support the back of a load applied to the preceding tray. Each tray is also split or divided longitudinally into two tray members, each extending upwardly from the pivot point to an outer portion projecting outwardly at a significantly more shallow angle to the horizontal. A continuous surface cover in which the central portion overlying the pivot line is readily flexible. The pivot axis may be located vertically on a line between the tray members to provide a specific radius in the flexible cover. Each tray half is held by a latch mechanism including a plate with a latch notch within which a latching roller carried by a lever is disposed. The plate has a curved guide edge which engages the roller to produce a guide movement to a release position.

Abstract: A bulk material conveying mechanism including a series of tubular elements each having a screw convolution attached to the exterior of the element body. Universal joints connect confronting ends of adjacent tubular elements to allow the elements to conform with the curvature of an enclosing chute.

Abstract: In an opening roof assembly for an opening in the roof of a vehicle the roof covering is tightened or released by a handle mechanism which is coupled to a flap through a pair of rods. The rods are moved towards and away from each other in response to rotation of the handle mechanism. The free ends of the rods work in inclined slots in downwardly depending flanges on the flap so that relative movement between the rods causes the flap to move angularly with respect to a front cross-member of the roof assembly on which it is pivotally mounted. Rotation of the handle mechanism in a direction to tighten the covering is accompanied by the flap being drawn down into close sealing engagement with the roof around the front of the opening.

Abstract: In a packaging machine having a load transfer station and a packaging station there is provided an improved mechanism for loading articles onto a main conveyor for movement through the packaging station. A plurality of article receiving compartments are carried by the main conveyor at longitudinally spaced intervals thereon, each compartment having a front wall and a back wall projecting outwardly from and spaced longitudinally with respect to the main conveyor, the compartments opening upwardly away from the main conveyor. A loading platform is located in the load transfer station and disposed in a transfer plane. The loading platform has a discharge edge at one end thereof. A mechanism is provided for depositing articles onto the loading platform.

Abstract: A hopper is provided having a discharge outlet including a lading control valve for metering the lading into a discharge tube extending below the hopper. The discharge tube at one of its ends is adapted to receive a lading transfer conduit to convey the lading to a container. A first conduit is provided to apply air pressure from an air supply source adjacent the hopper to the upper portion of the hopper in the car. A second conduit is provided to apply air pressure from the source into a first end portion of the discharge tube. A third conduit is connected to the source and to the second conduit to apply air pressure to the opposite end portion of the discharge tube. A first air control valve is provided to control the air pressure applied to the upper portion of the hopper. A second air control valve is provided for controlling air pressure applied to the end portion of the discharge tube to be used for unloading.

Abstract: In an arrangement for collecting and stacking hosiery articles in general, such as stockings, panty-hose and the like, coming from a circular hosiery knitting machine, an improvement consisting in that the suction plate of the temporary collection space has two arrays of perforations, one with more closely spaced holes and the other with widely spaced, longitudinally arranged holes, so as to create a whirling motion of air and a differential pressure field which aids in distending the articles so as to have them orderly dropping onto a rod-like supporting member positioned beneath said temporary collection space.

Abstract: An elevator system including an elevator car, an elevator door, and a door operator for operating the door to open and close an entranceway to the car. The door has integral hanger brackets which are fastened to a hanger plate associated with the door operator. The door may be easily mounted, oriented and aligned in the field by a fastening arrangement and method which includes clamping bolts and jacking bolts. The clamping bolts are adjusted to initially support the weight of the door. Jacking bolts are then coupled between the hanger bracket and hanger plate, and the jacking bolts are actuated to align the door and set the sill gap. The clamping bolts are then tightened to maintain the selected alignment and sill gap. The clamping bolts, jacking bolts and the frictional area contact between the clamped surfaces all co-operate to support the weight of the door, and the clamped surfaces additionally function to add structural stiffness to the door and its support.

Abstract: A conveyor system for cigarettes and other rod-like articles includes a reservoir consisting of a conveyor which is preferably laterally flexible and moves along a helical path so that a long thin stack of articles can be taken into the reservoir and can be delivered from the reservoir when necessary. The conveyor may consist of a plastic surface member which has a flexible zig-zag shape and is driven by a chain. The conveyor system may be overhead and may receive the articles from an elevator consisting of two parallel bands moving upwards along a minuous path so as to grip the articles between them.