Abstract: An apparatus for manipulating a bulk seed box having a lower box and an upper box, the upper box defining a cavity and opposing upper and lower edges, the apparatus including a base assembly; a lift assembly mounted to the base assembly for selective raising and lowering of a clamp assembly between lower and upper positions; a clamp assembly having a gripping assembly that has at least one upper clamp tab and at least one lower clamp tab and defines clamping and released positions, the clamping position including the at least one upper and lower clamp tabs being for clamping a seed box therebetween; a swivel assembly defining a horizontal axis and being mounted to and between the lift assembly and the clamp assembly for allowing the clamp enabling to be rotated at least 180 degrees about a horizontal axis relative to the lift assembly; and a height locator assembly operable to locate the clamp assembly at a home position with the at least one upper and lower clamp tabs being horizontally aligned with respecti

Abstract: A load carrying platform shuttle (10) has a static frame (12) and a movable carriage (14). The frame is securable to a mounting location, such as a given working level of a multi-storey building under construction, and the carriage is arranged to telescope into the static frame between an extended position outboard of the mounting location and a retracted position inboard of the mounting location. The movable carriage can move between the extended position and the retracted position while carrying a load. The shuttle includes a motor (76) and gear assembly (72, 74, 78) for driving the movement of the carriage between the extended position and the retracted position while carrying the load.

Abstract: A rod and rod cup alignment apparatus for a drilling machine has a receptacle for receiving a drill rod of the type having at least one rod flat, where the drill rod has a leading corner and a trailing corner relative to the direction of its rotation. The receptacle has at least one cup flat disposed on the inner surface of the receptacle and the cup flat further has a first top surface and a second top surface. The second top surface has a slope downward toward the bottom of the rod cup, so that, as the drill rod is lowered into the rod cup while the drill rod is rotating, the leading corner of the drill rod is caused to move downward along the second top surface, whereupon the trailing corner of the drill rod contacts the first top surface, thereby aligning the drill rod flat with the rod cup flat.

Abstract: A device for loading a kayak onto a vehicle comprises four connected supporting arms. The first and third arms are connected at substantially right angles. A second arm is connected via a fourth arm to the third arm. The connections are made at right angles through T-shaped connectors which provide rotatably and slidability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automated aerating and handling a sub stack of a stack of rectangular paper sheets where the sub stack is gripped near or at opposed corners of a common edge of the sub stack by means of two robotic grippers (A, B) having two opposed gripping fingers (A1, A2, B1, B2), lifting and rotating the corners in mutually opposite first directions such that the work stack achieves an upwards concave form, gripping the corners by the robotic grippers (A, B), and rotating the grippers in second directions opposite to the first directions such that the upper sheet of the sub stack has a curvature smaller than the bottom sheet of the sub stack, preferably a substantially plane form.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to a wellbore drilling system comprising a drilling tower and a tubular racking device having at least a lower first tubular racker assembly and at least a second tubular racker assembly operable at a greater height than the first tubular racker assembly. The system further comprises one or more well center tools, each adapted for operation above the well center of the drill floor, e.g. an iron roughneck tool for making up and breaking out of threaded tubular joints. According to the present invention, the tubular racking device comprises a third tubular racker assembly which is vertically mobile and which is operable for tubular transfer between the firing line and the drilling tubulars storage rack in combination with the second tubular racker assembly, e.g.

Abstract: A lifting arm arrangement for lifting a pipe includes a pipe stacking tool comprising a first end, a second end, and a pipe handling head arranged at the second end. The pipe handling head is configured to grip around the pipe. A gripper head is connected to the first end of the pipe stacking tool. A tilt shaft is configured to connect the pipe stacking tool and the gripper head so as to form an articulated joint. The articulated joint comprises a locked position in which the pipe stacking tool is prevented from tilting about the tilt shaft, and a neutral position in which the pipe stacking tool is allowed to tilt about the tilt shaft.

Abstract: An automated hoist for a vehicle spare tire includes a linear bracket mounted beneath the vehicle chassis, proximal the rear bumper. A motorized housing can be automatically propelled backward or forward along the bracket. A retractable cable extending from the housing has a lifting plate at a distal end that is connected to the spare tire. When a driver engages a switch, the cable partially lowers the spare tire and the housing moves toward the rear of the vehicle. The cable is then completely lowered until the tire is at ground level and the lifting-plate automatically releases the tire.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid loading stacks of items aboard vessels which can include rotating palletized items to depalletize the items, and then placing the items on a lifting robot, lifting the robot and items into the hold of a vessel, removing the items from the robot using a load push lift truck, and then using the load push lift truck to stow the items in a stowage location. The empty robot can be removed from the hold of the vessel and put in a position to receive a another depalletized stack of cartons. In one option the robot has a plurality of fork channels for receiving the blades of a load push lift truck along with receiving the blades or a rotating lift truck.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for producing stacks of large square bales. Bales are received from the baler via a bale accumulator and formed into a stack, a plurality of bales high. The resulting bale stacks may be dropped in the field for pickup later.

Abstract: A device for automatically stacking packages on a support comprising at least one feeding conveyor; a lifting and lowering unit for lifting and lowering a pallet; a position conveyor embodied as a travel container, which is arranged horizontally and longitudinally to one side of the storage place, in order to position the packages in the X-direction; at least one sliding plate and a pusher in order to transport the packages from the travel path in the Z-direction to the predetermined position in the stack. The at least one sliding plate may comprise a flat, strip-like plate that can move horizontally and longitudinally on the side of the storage place and transversally thereto, in order to remove packages from the positioning conveyor in the X direction when pushed by the pusher and arranging on the pallet in the Z-direction. The travel container contains pivotable stops and can be moved on rails.

Abstract: Disclosed is a palletizing device (10) with a vertically mobile transfer station (14) which is in conveying communication with upstream conveying equipment (18) for conveying items, packaged goods, packages (20), or the like, to be palletized. The transfer station (14) is followed in the conveying direction (22) by a vertically mobile loading station (16) which is in conveying communication with a stacking position (28) for palletizing the items, packaged goods, and/or packages (20). The transfer (14) and loading stations (16) which are independently adjustable in the vertical positions thereof are associated with a common support structure, having separate guide devices (30) for vertically mobile guiding and drive devices for vertical position adjustment of the transfer (14) and loading stations (16), respectively.

Abstract: The invention provides a compact pipe handling trailer for a drilling or service rig. The pipe handling trailer includes a deck having a raised frame and an extended horizontal frame. A trough is pivotally housed within the extended horizontal frame, the trough having a first end and a second end. A first piston/cylinder assembly is operably coupled to the first end of the trough; a second piston/cylinder assembly is operably coupled proximal to the second end of the trough. An operating means for the pipe handling trailer is provided within the raised frame of the deck. The pipe handling trailer is transportable and is attached to a trailer on a common axle. A number of retractable downriggers are provided on the deck to position the pipe handling trailer firmly to the ground.

Abstract: A construction system for building a home independently is provided that assists a sole home builder so that a modern home can be built without the use of heavy machinery or reliance on professionals.

Abstract: A ship breaking down arrangement (1) comprising,—two waterborne platforms (10, 20) having at least one removing means (60) for removing dismantled parts and/or fluids from a ship (40) which shall be broken;—a midsection (30) placed between and connected to said platforms lifting means provided on the platforms for lifting and lowering the ship between said platforms; and—at least one transporting means (90) for receiving and transporting said dismantled parts and/or fluids to a receiving location, wherein breaking down is performed while the ship is still located at sea. The application also relates to a method for breaking down ships.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying a large amount of bags includes: a bag stocking mechanism that stocks a large amount of raised bags and guides the stocked bags to the front end thereof; and a bag transport mechanism that transports the bags of the bag stocking mechanism to a packaging machine. The apparatus further includes, a bag pickup mechanism and a bag delivery mechanism that pick up the bag from the bag stocking mechanism; a detection unit that detects the orientation of the picked up bag; and a bag turning mechanism that turns the bag in the predetermined transport direction of the bag transport mechanism according to the orientation of the bag detected by the detection unit.

Abstract: A compliance compensator apparatus provides a mechanically compliant coupling between, e.g., a robot arm or robotic tool and a mechanical load. The compliance compensator apparatus comprise a base component and a compliance component attached to the base component and independently moveable in several aspects. The compliance component may move, with respect to the base component, axially, transversely, rotationally, and skew, in response to mechanical force from an engaged load. When the load is disengaged, the compliance compensator apparatus returns to a reset position wherein the compliance component is spaced apart from, but parallel to, the base component.

Abstract: A tiltable hauling device includes a frame assembly that supports a ramp. The frame assembly includes a pivot bracket with a first pivot guide and a second pivot guide. The ramp includes a first hinge pin and a second hinge pin. A tilt assembly includes a pivot guide that is configured to selectively engage the first hinge pin and the second hinge pin to optionally restrain and permit movement of the first hinge pin and the second hinge pin within the respective first pivot guide and the second pivot guide to enable tilting of the rack in two directions respectively about the first hinge pin and the second hinge pin.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for severing a continuous web into discrete pieces, and re-orienting the discrete pieces by turning and placing the discrete pieces onto a moving conveyor for further processing as desired.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for transferring a load between a target position on board a vessel (40) and an outboard position outboard said vessel. The invention further concerns a motion compensation device (1) applying the method. In the method the load is being transferred by a crane (30) carried by a motion compensation device arranged on board the vessel. The motion compensation device comprises a carrier frame (2), a base (3) and an actuator system (8, 9) for moving the carrier frame with respect to the base; the base being fixed to the vessel and the crane being carried by the carrier frame. During picking up a load from the vessel or placing a load on the vessel, the actuator system is being driven in an on board mode such that the carrier frame is being compensated for x-axis rotational movement and y-axis rotational movement of the vessel, and follows, viewed in the vertical direction, the vertical movement of the target location.