Abstract: A device withdraws and opens cases for CD and the like, including a pair of shells of complementary shape, hinged along a hinge axis along one edge of the shells. A swinging arm equipped with suction cups withdraws single cases from a storage device and transfers the cases in a vertical feeding plane over a conveying line leading to a packaging section. Further suction cups, carried by a take over member, grip the case just withdrawn acting on the shells and open the case by rotation of the shells about the hinge axis. Then the take over member is moved in horizontal direction towards the conveying line to transfer the case from the opening position to a position in which the opened case is released on the conveying line for further processing.

Abstract: A vehicle parking device includes a base with four posts extending therefrom and every two adjacent of the posts have two rails connected therebetween on which three first parking units are moved. Each of the posts has a first sprocket mounted thereto and two first parking units movable on the rails and three second parking units movably located between any two adjacent posts. Each of the second parking units has two sprockets mounted to the rear end thereof so that a cable, which has one end thereof fixedly connected to one of two outermost post and the other end thereof engaged with a motor mounted to the other outermost post, reeved through the first sprockets and the second sprockets such that each of the second parking units are moved vertically between the two posts corresponding thereto.

Abstract: Wafer handling apparatus includes a plurality of holding stations arranged in an upstream-to-downstream order and devices to treat the wafers held at the stations. Cyclically operative wafer shifting devices engage the wafers, simultaneously remove the engaged wafers during that cycle from the holding stations, shift the engaged wafers downstream relative to said holding stations and then simultaneously redeposit the wafers onto the holding stations. Thus, each wafer redeposited on a cycle of the wafer shifting devices is disposed at a holding station downstream from the holding station occupied by such wafer before that cycle of the shifting devices. Wafer supply and removal devices are provided for introducing and removing the wafers to and from the holding stations after they are treated. A method of handling wafers among a plurality of holding stations is also disclosed.

Abstract: A new adapter for attaching a wheel lift apparatus to a road tractor for quickly mounting wheel lift apparatus to the road tractor. The inventive device includes a mounting frame having a gooseneck configuration defining a wide end and a narrow end, with the wide end of the mounting frame mounted on the frame of the road tractor, and the narrow end attached to the fifth wheel plate of the road tractor by a kingpin and attached to the tractor frame by link rods.

Abstract: A forklift attachment for attachment to a fifth-wheel hitch assembly of a vehicle for permitting the lifting of loads. The forklift attachment includes a ground engaging support carriage having an towing tongue designed for attachment to a fifth-wheel hitch assembly of a vehicle. A pair of lifting arms are pivotally mounted to the support carriage. A pair of lifting devices are provided for raising and lowering the lifting arms with respect to the support carriage and a pair of tilting devices are provided for tilting the lifting arms with respect to the support carriage.

Abstract: The invention is a clean-out apparatus for use in a trailer of the type having a reciprocating floor conveyor system for conveying and unloading large quantities of granular material. The clean-out apparatus is designed to minimize the residual granular material that remains on the reciprocating floor of the truck after the floor is reciprocated to unload the granular material. The clean-out apparatus comprises a reel adapted for rotatable support from the trailer, adjacent the forward end wall thereof, and a flexible clean-out cover movable from a first retracted position where it is coiled around the reel to a second uncoiled extended position adjacent the rear door opening. Importantly, when the clean-out cover is in the first retracted position, it is disposed such that a portion thereof extends over the reciprocating floor, under a portion of the granular material adjacent the forward end wall of the trailer.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading wafers into horizontal quartz tube, the apparatus includes a base plate, holding plate, trolley main body and two supporting bases. The base plate has a plurality of stages, which is lifted by a loading rod and fixed atop thereon, for placing wafers. The holding plate has a plurality of fixing screws and altitude adjusting screws for supporting the base plate and changing an altitude of the base plate to match an altitude of wafer boat. The trolley main body, which supports the holding plate by supporting pillars, provides with a plurality of position holes for carrying the holding plate and moving the base plte. The two supporting bases are connected by a solid plate, whose both ends are respectively attached at hollows formed at the middle of each of the two supporting bases. The two supporting bases are provided with a pair of slide bearings on either side of the solid plate.

Abstract: A lift truck, especially for lifting boats, includes a self-propelled main frame having a pair of parallel rails extending in a fore-and-aft direction. The main frame is supported by front drive wheels and rear castor wheels. A mast is movable forwardly and rearwardly on the rails and carries a lift assembly that can pivot about a transverse axis. The lift assembly includes a pair of lift arms each having vertical and horizontal portions. The vertical portions are mounted to swing about respective fore-and-aft axes, and are horizontally movable toward and away from one another for increasing or decreasing the distance between those axes. The main frame does not carry a counterbalance weight, but rather has a latch which grips a ground-mounted anchor for anchoring the rear end of the main frame during vertical movement of the lift assembly.

Abstract: A sidelift truck, comprising: a main body (3) providing a load platform (5); a lifting assembly (7) for handling loads to and from the load platform (5); and a cab (9) mounted to the main body (3) and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis (X).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the longitudinally aligned lifting and manipulation of bulk material containers having apertured or tapered bases, or horizontally oriented ribs, or external peripheral lips on the sides thereof. The apparatus comprises a central frame having a pair of fork like elongate legs extending therefrom, and supporting wheels located at the central frame and at the distal ends of the legs. The legs are spaced sufficiently to straddle the base and simultaneously engage both sides of a container to be lifted, and lifting action achieved by a plurality of power rams which either extend the wheels more downwardly so that the legs and frame of the device are lifted with respect to the ground in con junction with tongues adapted to engage lifting apertures of the container, or by the upward extension of link bars which engage the side walls of a container so that the container is lifted with respect to the legs and frame of the device.

Abstract: An adjustable conveyor for use in the manufacture of printed circuit boards to interconnect workstations separated by varying distances, which has a pair of longitudinally extensible belts for edge supporting such circuit boards, with a tensioning adjustment on each belt, and which has a lateral adjustment to accommodate circuit boards of different widths as well as to perform other operations.

Abstract: A hollow refuse storage body having a longitudinal axis is configured for mounting on a truck chassis. The body has a forward hopper section and a rear section with an open rear end. A tailgate is mounted to the rear section of the refuse storage body and is moveable between closed and open positions to seal and unseal the open rear end of the rear section of the refuse storage body. A hollow box-like load eject blade is mounted within the refuse storage body for reciprocating movement along the longitudinal axis along a bottom floor of the refuse storage body. A hollow box-like packer blade is mounted within the refuse storage body for reciprocating movement along the longitudinal axis overlapping an upper surface of the eject blade. A pair of single stage hydraulic cylinders are coupled in criss-cross fashion between the refuse storage body and the packer blade for moving the packer blade over a first range of travel.

Abstract: A system for moving watercraft for storage inside a dry stack watercraft storage facility. The system includes a frame assembly, a cradle assembly and a rack assembly which closely interact with each other to precisely and securely position and protect watercraft stored inside the facility. The cradle assembly lifts a watercraft from the watercraft's center of gravity to position in the rack assembly. The rack assembly supports the watercraft through a pair of cantilever beams, and further includes a pair of cable guides used to guide the cradle assembly in the placement of the watercraft on the cantilever beams and to reduce the sway present during the positioning of the watercraft. The frame assembly supports and protects the other assemblies.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for transferring ordered articles between carriers. Generally, an empty partitioned carrier is aligned in a generally opposing relationship with partitions in a carrier containing at least one article to be transferred to the empty carriers. The carriers are aligned to perform the transfer of the articles, while maintaining the relative order, or arrangement, of the articles in the carrier. The aligned carriers are then rotated through a gravitational field to exert a sufficient force to transfer the articles between the carriers. An apparatus of the present invention for transferring articles preferably includes a fulcrum and a lever arm having a transfer end. The lever arm is attached to the fulcrum to allow the lever arm to be rotated about the fulcrum. The transfer end includes a clamp having first and second adjacent carrier retaining portions configured to retain two carriers in an opposing relationship to allow for the transfer of articles between the carriers.

Abstract: A hoist for raising and lowering objects may be attached to a vehicle. The hoist includes a support column and a boom attached thereto; the boom can be raised and lowered by a hydraulic double action cylinder or otherwise. Both the support column and cylinder attach to a bracket, the bracket in turn being rotatably connected to a base unit so that the boom can be rotated as well as raised and lowered. The support column and boom can be adjusted with respect to one another and to the bracket, to balance loads and to adjust the reach of the hoist. Critical sections of the hoist, such as the portion of the boom that attaches to the support column, are reinforced with plates welded to the exterior of a rectangular tube. The connection between the support column and the bracket includes a nut to tension the column to the bracket. The base unit includes outriggers to support and stabilize the hoist, preferably three outriggers in a triangular configuration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring a stack of flat articles from a cartridge. The method and apparatus are adapted for use in connection with a method and apparatus for automatically stacking mail into cartridges in output compartments of a sorting machine, robotically transferring filled cartridges from the output compartments to a buffer shelf; and from the buffer shelf to a docking station of a cartridge unloader and automatic feeder to the input of the sorting machine, and for transferring empty cartridges from the docking station to either the buffer or the output compartments of the sorter, is provided.

Abstract: This invention relates particularly to overhead conveyors as are used to deliver, or in some cases to remove, materials from high places such as roof tops. In particular, the invention applies to such conveyors which are mobile, i.e. vehicle mounted, and may be part of a delivery truck for transporting materials such as roofing shingles. The truck is driven into a site where roofing or the like is to be applied or repaired, and the conveyor is positioned as to its elevation and azimuth using its own power drive equipment.

Abstract: A load clamp has two selectively openable and closable opposing clamping assemblies, one of which comprises at least a pair of clamp arms movable separately from each other toward and away from the other clamping assembly. Separate actuators for the respective clamp arms are controlled automatically by a regulator in such a way that the respective closure movements of the arms are simultaneous. A selective adjuster assembly enables the operator to select alternate different maximum magnitudes of clamping force to be imposed by the clamp arms on different loads. An override assembly overrides the regulator to permit nonsimultaneous clamp arm movement, automatically in response to resistance to closure by one of the clamp arms, independently of selective variation of such adjuster assembly.

Abstract: There is provided a ready mixed concrete conveying apparatus which carries up ready mixed concrete in the vertical direction, and continuously and quantitatively feeds out the concrete to a belt conveyor to continuously and quantitatively the concrete to a concrete placing position, wherein a lift which includes a boom with the belt conveyor and a tripper for taking out the concrete from the belt conveyor is arranged on a tower mast so as to be liftable, and the concrete which has been carried up by a container-like carrier arranged on the tower mast is continuously and quantitatively supplied to the belt conveyor on the boom by supply means which is arranged on the container-like carrier or a transferring container for receiving the concrete from the container-like carrier.

Abstract: This invention relates to improved replaceable wear shoes for use with the slide guides of rear-loading refuse trucks.