Abstract: A torpedo car for carrying molten iron has a cover to prevent loss of heat from the interior of the car. The cover is supported on a frame mounted at one end of the car and is slidable across the pouring latch to prevent heat loss. the cover is maintained at spaced relationship from the rotatable vessel in the closed position and is retractable to permit rotation about a horizontal axis.

Abstract: A powered locomotive truck is disclosed, the truck having two wheelsets, each with an axle having a driving motor mounted thereon, the wheelsets being mounted in a rigid main truck frame, with freedom for relative yaw motion of the wheelsets, and each wheelset further having a steering arm or yoke movable with its wheelset during relative yaw motion of the wheelsets with respect to each other, the steering arms having an interconnection in a region between the wheelsets providing for interchange of yawing steering forces between the wheelsets.

Abstract: An inseparable railroad train unit comprises three cars and is adapted for use selectively as a self propelled unit and as an after-coupled unit in a passenger train of the through-passage type. At least the front end of the train unit has a central window equipped door, behind which a driver's desk is provided, and around the door opening is provided a forwardly protruding elastomeric gable member, which provides for an aerodynamically advantageous shape of the front. When the train unit is after-coupled to a similar unit, the driver's desk is stowed away laterally, and the front door is opened for providing the required through passage. The elastomeric gable member now acts as a sealing and shielding element surrounding the passageway between the car and the preceding car.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling movement of a vehicle through a network is disclosed. The network has a plurality of stations interconnected by a plurality of path segments. A plurality of branch points connect the path segments and require a vehicle approaching a branch point to be directed in either a first or second direction. Line-defining parameters are provided for each of the branch points and define a network-dividing line which divides the plurality of stations into a first set which are attainable by a vehicle being directed in a first direction and a second set attainable by a vehicle being directed in a second direction. Coordinates of a destination station are associated with a vehicle. As the vehicle approaches a branch point, the coordinates of the destination station are compared to the line-defining parameters of the approaching branch point and the destination station is determined to be in either the first set or the second set.

Abstract: An apparatus including a source for producing a concentrated light beam, such as a laser, a background element spaced from the source against which the light beam is directed, and a transport arrangement for moving translucent bodies, such as French cut potatoes, through the light beam. When light from the source impinges upon a pure translucent body, the light is scattered or diffused within the body around the point of impingement so as to illuminate a surface area of the body larger than the cross-sectional area of the light beam, but light from the source impinging upon an impurity in the translucent body is scattered or diffused to a lesser extent. The background element is formed of a material which causes light from the source which impinges on it to be diffused within the material in a manner similar to the diffusion of the light in the translucent bodies.

Abstract: Anchor for a railway tie embedded in ballast. In order to further simplify the installation of such an anchor, the clamp is constructed in two or more parts. With an anchor construction having a clamp gripping the tie on both sides, the clamp parts are constructed of approximately the same size in order to form clamp halves, the connection is formed as a pivot arrangement and in the region of the connection position a tightening means is provided for producing a tightening force clamping the clamp halves on the tie.

Abstract: A separator for blow-molded parts, which separator includes a plurality of endless belts movably supported between a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys, one of which is a drive pulley. The belts, preferably of circular cross section, have upper reaches extending in approximately parallel but sidewardly spaced relationship to define small gaps therebetween through which scrap parts can pass. The other parts remain on the belt and are transported to a discharge location. The adjacent belts are preferably driven at slightly different speeds to facilitate agitation and dislodgement of scrap parts so that they can move into and through the gaps. The ends of the belts are supported by rotatable end idler pulleys, alternate ones of which preferably have exterior belt-engaging profiles which are noncircular relative to the rotational axis to effect cyclic vertical displacement of the upper reaches of alternate belts.

Abstract: Magazines, each loaded in series with IC elements to be tested, are stacked and such stacked magazines are arranged in columns. The lowermost magazines of the stacked magazines of the respective columns are simultaneously brought down by a takeout mechanism onto a magazine receiver, and the magazines on the magazine receiver are simultaneously but intermittently fed by intermittent stepping means in the direction of their arrangement. The outermost one of the magazines on the magzine receiver is loaded at an IC element receiving position. The IC elements from the magazine are supplied to a testing station, wherein they are tested, and the tested IC elements are sorted in a sorting station according to their test results and respectively then loaded into IC element receiving magazines in an accumulating station. The accumulating station has an IC receiving magazine stocker room in which IC element receiving magazines are stacked, and an empty magazine stocker room in which empty magazines are stacked.

Abstract: A magnetic suspension for a vehicle, includes a guide rail vertically mounted on a track and an underframe having a magnetic system surrounding lateral sides of the guide rail on which are mounted strips of permanent magnets. The magnetic system of the underframe also comprises strips of permanent magnets installed on the lateral sides of the underframe facing toward the guide rail, the strips of permanent magnets being installed with a spacing equal to the spacing of the strips of the guide rail, and the polarities of pole facets of the strips facing toward one another being different.

Abstract: A sorter having a rotationally symmetric screen including a drain space for receiving overflow material (rejects) connected axially above the screen. A screen space is provided radially outside of the screen and an accepts drain space is connected to the screen space above the screen and surrounding the drain space. The screen space receives the flow through material (accepts) and, in its upper portion, includes a gas space for dampening.

Abstract: In a machine having automatic article transport individual identical articles are conveyed along a conveyor path (21) past various processing stations. A clock (12) is associated with the conveyor path. Furthermore, a characteristic detection apparatus (13) is provided which delivers information corresponding to the characteristics of the articles (16) which are moving past to a characteristic shift register (11), which is pulsed by the clock (1). An article sorting apparatus (14) is arranged spaced from the characteristic detection apparatus and is controlled by the associated storage (11') of the characteristic shift register. A further presence shift register (15) is arranged parallel to the characteristic shift register (11) and the information contained in the presence shift register (15) is compared with the output of a presence detection apparatus (17) and can be used to stop the machine in the event that a deviation is detected (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A striker carrier assembly for a railway coupler is constructed to engage and support the shank of the coupler at an adjustably established elevation. For an E-type coupler, the striker carrier assembly includes a spacer retained on the stirker carrier by an overlying wear plate which includes downwardly extending lugs on opposite sides of the wear plate. For an F-type coupler, the striker carrier includes a striker casting supported by springs against a stop in a carrier basket. A spacer is held on top of the striker casting by a wear plate through the use of prongs which extend downwardly from the plate through openings in both the spacer and striker casting.

Abstract: An automatic air couplter for railroad cars includes a bracket (26) which supports a cylinder housing (72) underneath the coupler mechanism of a railroad car. A face plate (60) is disposed on a piston (70) which reciprocates within the cylinder housing (72). A spring (76) is maintained in compression between the face plate (60) and the cylinder housing (72) to provide an outward force. Alignment devices (62) and (64) allow for automatic alignment of the face plate (60) such that orifices (66) can mate therebetween to allow air to pass therethrough.

Abstract: Ballastless railroad lines are laid on prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs, which can eliminate the need for periodic maintenance of the ballast of traditional railroad lines, such maintenance being expensive and often difficult to carry out. Prefabricated, possibly prestressed, slabs are thereby positoned upon a steel reinforced concrete block having the functions of a foundation and connector for the prefabricated slabs with the interposition of a concrete-asphalt mortar layer between the slabs and block. The slabs are secured to the foundation block either by means of two half-cylinders, forming parts of the slab structure, or by shoulders formed by upturned sides of the foundation block (tub).

Abstract: A twistlock device for locking containers on vehicles. A housing with a cylindrical vertical throughbore includes an upper guide section for engaging an opening in a container corner bracket, and a lower mounting section for connecting the device to a vehicle. The mounting section protrudes beyond the side faces of the guide section and the guide section extends beyond the end faces of the mounting section. An axially unshiftable locking bolt is rotatably carried in the bore. The bolt's top end is provided with a hammerhead, and its bottom end is provided with a handle for twisting the hammerhead between a locking position and a release position. The locking position is secured by a releasable locking element. The twistlock can be shipped to a vehicle manufacturer completely preassembled, and is inserted by the vehicle manufacturer in a hole in a vehicle outrigger where it can be simply and easily mounted by welding.

Abstract: A drive unit for a rail vehicle has a motor-gearing unit which is supported on at least one wheel-set axle of a bogie and which includes either a motor which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and has miter gearing units connected to both ends of a motor which extends parallel to the wheel-set axle and has a spur gearing unit coupled with its drive shaft. Each miter gearing unit or the spur gearing has as its output a hollow shaft which concentrically surrounds the respective wheel-set axle. The hollow shaft is connected to the associated wheel-set axle by an elastic coupling which permits axle dislocations and shaft-angle deviations, and also by an elastic bearing which transmits the weight of the motor-gearing unit to the axle. The elastic bearing can be provided laterally of the gearing unit on the hollow shaft, or can be provided within the hollow shaft.

Abstract: A slow motion actuating device has a housing with a first opening therein through which an output pin extends. The output pin is connected to a swing arm which is pivotally mounted in the housing and driven by a set of reduction gears. Stops are provided in the housing for limiting movement of the swing arm. An electric motor is mounted in driving relation with the gear set. The motor has a stall current which is low enough to allow the motor to be continuously stalled without damaging it. A printed circuit board is mounted in the housing with a tail portion extending through a second opening in the housing. The circuit board provides electrical connections to the motor and auxiliary contacts which can be opened and closed by a wiper mounted on the swing arm.

Abstract: In a stub sill type railway hopper car the shear plate is eliminated and a truss arrangement is located in the end structure resulting in less weight.

Abstract: A cast rail clip support of the kind used in concrete railway sleepers wherein one portion (17) of the rail clip is held in the rail clip support (19) and a second portion of the clip (16) bears down on the rail flange. The recess (26) of the rail clip support has slots (32) shaped to accommodate in a neat fit the base portion 17 of the rail clip. The clip when held in the recess 16 abuts the lower contact surface 33 and the end of the base portion 17 abuts the upper contact surface 34 which is inclined 3.degree. above the horizontal. This arrangement presents the clip from being accidentally knocked from its position in the rail clip support.

Abstract: Method of automatically separating and cleaning silicon carbide furnace materials using magnetic separation techniques. In the method of the invention, crushed or particulate silicon carbide furnace materials are mixed with a magnetic powder. The lower grade silicon carbide particles are then separated from the first grade silicon carbide crystals using magnetic separation means. Recoveries of at least 75% of the first grade silicon carbide are possible using the method of the invention. This method is also useful for the beneficiation of ores, minerals, or man-made materials.