Abstract: An armoured flexible conveyor comprising pans connected together so that separation of the pans is prevented except when snaking-over to a new alignment adjacent a newly-cut mine face and except when the conveyor extends over humps and swillies in the mine floor, and a rigid plate secured along one side of each pan, said plate extending upwardly from said pan, adjacent pairs of pan ends being connected to each other, firstly by upper and lower joints between adjacent ends of said rigid plates, one of said joints being a universal joint and the other being a loose joint affording limited separation of said plates and pans at that joint, and secondly, by a loose joint at the other side of said pans also affording limited separation of said pans at said other side.

Abstract: A rock gathering machine for picking rocks up off the ground comprises a vehicle movable over land. A conveyor mounted on the vehicle transports rocks from the front of the vehicle to an elevated point at the rear of the vehicle. A rock catcher mounted at the front of the vehicle picks up rocks lying in the path of the vehicle and deposits them on the conveyor. A removing device mounted at the rear of the vehicle removes rocks from the conveyor and deposits them in a desired area relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: A drive system is disclosed which is particularly suitable for use in the glass industry. The drive system is for a plurality of conveying mechanisms to support and to move a load which may be discrete glass objects or a strip or sheet of glass. An electrical line shaft is created by using a plurality of squirrel cage synchronous motors which are connected to drive the conveying mechanisms, whether they be transfer mechanisms for discrete objects or rolls for conveying the strip of glass. One or more electrical inverters supply power to the motors so that not only are the motors operated in synchronism but also in phase register. Thus where discrete glass objects are conveyed the phase register of the transfer mechanisms between glass machines prevents glass breakage, and where rolls are conveying a strip of float glass, the phase register prevents difference in phase rotation of the rolls which could mar the surface of the float glass.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to apparatus for inverting ferromagnetic containers so that foreign matter contained in them may fall free or be blown free while they are in the inverted position. The containers are then returned to the upright position and transferred to further operating stations.

Abstract: In order to feed a stream of filter rods forward at regularly spaced intervals a substantially continuous stream of rods is fed to a pair of opposed belts which grip the sides of the rods and accelerate them so as to space them apart. The spaced apart rods may then be accurately fed forward by a timing device in the form of a wheel having extending fingers which engage behind the rods and feed them forward at a controlled speed. A second pair of belts may be positioned between the first pair of belts and the timing device, these belts gripping the rods at the top and bottom. The continuous stream of rods is preferably formed by successively stripping groups of rods axially from a fluted drum.

Abstract: A live roll conveyor receives randomly supplied upstanding containers, such as cans, and arrests the leading cans with a pattern stop bar having pockets that arrange a transverse row of cans to receive a next assembled row of cans in nesting relation. When a backlog of alternately offset rows of cans extends upstream of an overhead clamp spaced from the pattern bar, the clamp locks two rows of containers to hold back the further upstream containers, and the pattern stop moves downstream so that one assembled charge of nested containers is moved unitarily downstream by the live rolls. A separator or retaining plate with downturned edge flanges is placed on the charge of cans, the pattern stop is further retracted to expose an underlying guide bar and allow the charge to seat against the guide bar, a gate is lowered to allow lateral discharge of the charge of cans, and a sweep arm pushes the charge to a laterally adjacent container basket of a containerized cooker.

Abstract: A conveyor for removing pulverized fuel ash disposed within an ash extractor having two chains or belts interconnected by a plurality of cross members, each chain having an independently adjustable tensioning device which establishes a desired tension in each of the flexible chains or belts in order to eliminate any inherent slack or slack build-up as a result of frictional wear.

Abstract: Newspaper stacks are transported from stacking and tying equipment to a loading dock by a closed-loop endless train of carts moving on a contoured track which can allow horizontal or vertical movement of the cart train. The individual carts may be loaded, while in motion, with one or two stacks at cart loading stations along the closed-loop path from bundle entry devices which are interlocked and synchronized with the moving cart train. The contents of each cart can be discharged at preselected discharge regions in a truck loading dock by tilting the track and the cart at a 30.degree. angle as the train passes the loading dock, and selectively opening a bundle retaining gate provided on each cart, to enable gravity discharge of the stacks to the desired loading dock location.

Abstract: Conveyor belt is composed of a plurality of mutually parallel spaced endless carriers guided over drums. At least one of the drums is driven. To the outwardly facing side of the carriers are fixed slats and to the inwardly facing side, opposite the slats, are fixed ribs. The ribs are identical and arranged at equal spacing. The driven drum has on its periphery axial grooves arranged with the same spacing as and shaped complementary to the ribs. The ribs engage in the grooves whereby the belt is driven without slipping.

Abstract: Apparatus for distributing a series of objects into two paths comprise a series of containers for successively receiving the objects, equipment for advancing that series of containers in an endless path, equipment for depositing the objects in successive ones of the advancing containers, devices in odd-numbered ones of the series of containers including a first container for causing movement of deposited objects in these odd-numbered containers and toward one of the two paths, and devices in even-numbered ones of the series of containers for causing movement of deposited objects in the even-numbered containers and toward the other of the two paths. These apparatus also include an endless conveyor having first cups for receiving objects from the odd-numbered containers and second cups, staggered relative to the first cups, for receiving objects from even-numbered containers.

Abstract: A rigid support in the form of a plate rests on a part of the storage area in front of one side of a heap of material in the storage area. The support is positioned parallel to one side of the storage area and extends over the whole width and beyond the heap. At least one endless conveyor fixed rigidly on the support is arranged parallel to the longitudinal side of said support, with its ends also extending beyond the heap. A guiding and tipping ramp is mounted on the support in front of the lateral surface of the conveyor adjacent to the heap of materials to be handled. The height of the ramp is the same as the height of the support and of the conveyor and extends across the whole width of the heap. The support, and the different members mounted thereon, are moved or shifted in at least one direction perpendicular to the length of said conveyor and parallel to the storage area by a drive located outside of the storage area and operating on the support only at its ends.

Abstract: A tray-type elevator conveyor for conveying a rack or load carrier is provided with an endless conveyor chain, an outer pair of straddle levers for pivotally suspending the load carrier, and an inner pair of straddle levers pivotally connected to the conveyor chain at one end and to the outer straddle levers at the other end. The length and number of inner straddle levers are variable for accommodating different paths of travel around the curved portion of the conveyor and for supporting different sizes of load carriers. By using the inner straddle levers to connect the chain and outer straddle levers, the path around the curved portion of travel on the chain can approximate a portion of a circle.

Abstract: A conveyor comprises a conveying surface having a plurality of article locating elements. Each element is movable between an operative article locating position and an inoperative position. Moving mechanisms are provided for moving the article locating elements between their operative and inoperative positions above and below the conveying surface respectively. Such mechanisms are independently operable and each is arranged to move a different group of article locating elements whereby the conveyor can be used for conveying differently sized articles at different times by actuation of an appropriate moving mechanism.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for vertically transporting eggs or like articles comprising a plurality of vertically movable pairs of basket halves arranged side by side, the halves of each pair in the lowest position can rotate about horizontal shafts for dispensing or passing the egg or like article contained in each basket. In order to minimize the risk of rupture, of each pair of basket halves the one present at the discharge side of the carton has been made in the form of a resilient tongue. This is not only advantageous in that the eggs are resiliently received when falling into the basket, but also in that the cartons may be placed closely below the lowest position of the basket halves.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transfer means for transferring tubular articles such as cigarettes from one moving conveyor unit to a second moving conveyor unit. The device includes a flexible belt member extending partially around the surfaces of each of the respective conveyor units. These conveying units move in opposite directions, and accordingly the direction of wind of the belt member on each of the respective units is in reverse manner to the other, in order to effect a transfer operation.

Abstract: The disclosed safety device includes a barrier member disposed on a departure landing in front of a guide port for receiving a moving handrail after having been turned in its traveling direction. The barrier member is provided on the upper surface with a C-shaped groove having an opening narrower than the width of the handrail and formed of two sections of easily destructable material divided in a plane extending lengthwise of the groove. The handrail is loosely inserted into the groove. The barrier member may be provided on each of its lateral side surfaces with a notch in the form of a semi-arch.

Abstract: Device for thermal treatment of articles such as tins containing foodstuff, comprising an overpressure treatment chamber and an endless conveyor traversing the chamber, in which the conveyor is provided with carrying elements consisting of two or more mirror-symmetrically positioned carriers secured to an endplate at both extremities, the endplates permitting an easy mounting and dismounting of each carrying element to the conveyor.

Abstract: A steel slatted conveyor belt wherein the slats are supported by a pair of conventional roller chains moving on a supporting track and the impact and longitudinal loadings on the slats are transmitted longitudinally by an additional set of slat side links, the ends of which overlap and are pivoted relative to each other by the roller chain shafts. The conveyor slats are Z shaped in transverse cross-section and are rigidly fixed to the slat side links.

Abstract: Spin cycle apparatus employed in a glass article forming machine to drive article carrying chucks in rotation as the chucks are conveyed through burner sections of the machine. The spin cycle apparatus includes a spin cycle chain mounted on the machine frame to extend along a portion of the path followed by sprockets mounted on the individual chucks. As the chuck is carried along its conveying path, the sprocket engages the chain to cause the chuck to rotate as it is advanced. That section of the chain which is initially contacted by chuck sprockets is aligned at an angle convergent to the sprocket path and is resiliently maintained at a somewhat looser tension than is the main sprocket driving portion of the chain. This distributes the length of the chain over which the randomly oriented sprocket teeth initially engage the chain and cushions the impact between the sprocket teeth and the chain.Two embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Granular material sample feed structure including a feed auger comprising an elongated rigid hollow cylinder having annular, exterior, axially spaced apart recesses, a plastic sleeve secured on the cylinder as by molding having annular interior portions spaced apart longitudinally thereof within the recesses in the cylinder whereby the plastic sleeve is locked onto the rigid cylinder again axial movement with respect thereto, a flexible, helical auger fin integral with the plastic sleeve progressing axially of the rigid cylinder and tapered toward the outer periphery of the fin, and a rigid trough closely surrounding a portion of the rigid cylinder, plastic sleeve and auger fin over approximately 180 degrees of the auger fin, and a device for rotating the cylinder, plastic sleeve and auger fin connected to the rigid cylinder.