Abstract: A method and apparatus for frictionally restraining a storage unit in the interior of a vehicle to resist motion relative to the vehicle to eliminate the need for alternative or additional connection to the vehicle's interior. The apparatus has at least one frictionally engaging device having an operative engaging portion, a mechanism for attaching the frictionally engaging device to a storage unit desired to be restrained, and a mechanism for actuating the frictionally engaging device operably connected to the frictionally engaging device. The apparatus being capable of restraining a storage unit in the interior of a vehicle upon actuation of the frictionally engaging device.

Abstract: A removable side shifter attachment attachable to the carriage bar of a lift truck has a frame shiftable with respect to the truck. The frame includes a shifter carriage bar for receiving a lift fork. A hydraulic cylinder attached to the truck carriage bar having rods contacting the frame at its sides is positioned horizontally forwardly of the truck carriage bar and between the truck carriage bar and the shifter carriage bar. The cylinder is positioned generally within a J-shaped portion of the shifter carriage bar so that the cylinder does not extend substantially above or below the carriage bar and does not appreciable add to the overall thickness of the apparatus. The cylinder further includes two axially aligned chambers separated by a central partition, each chamber containing a piston in contact with a respective rod, each piston dividing its respective chamber into interior and exterior portions.

Abstract: Stacking apparatus includes an article feeder which feeds articles, such as cut boards, to support fingers on which a stack of boards is formed. The support fingers transfer a single stack containing a predetermined number of boards down to a stack conveyor which transport the stack to a collection area. Other support fingers may be used to form a second stack at the same time the first stack is being transported by the stack conveyor to the collection area. Stops are used to retain the boards as they are dropped onto the support fingers. The stops are free of connection to the support fingers and the stack conveyor such that the stacks are moved freestanding to the collection area.

Abstract: A roller conveyor is provided with a rotating turning wheel disposed along one side of the conveyor and engaging and turning products as the products are moved along the conveyor. The rotating wheel is provided with a conically-shaped upper surface having a lower edged disposed below the level of the plane of the conveyor. An adjustable guide bar directs products to an area of the wheel displaced from the outer edge of the wheel by a selected distance. As the product engages the wheel, a portion of the product is raised to facilitate turning of the product and a force extending in the direction of travel is applied to the product in the area of contact with the wheel. The wheel is mounted on a vertically extending shaft further having a drive disc mounted thereon. A drive wheel mounted on a horizontally extending shaft rotates the drive disc. A pulley mounted on the horizontal shaft is driven by the conveyor roller drive belt.

Abstract: An adjustable securing device for securing a flexible line in a selected position to an elongate member including a base with a threaded shaft projecting from one of the base's surfaces. A line lock is screwed onto the threaded shaft and is operable to clamp a flexible line against the base. A mounting member is mounted for shifting to selected positions along the elongated member. A locking device connects the base plate to the mounting member and secures the mounting member in a selected position on the elongate member.

Abstract: A brake apply mechanism for a power transmission is provided which includes a planetary gear set having a ring gear member, a carrier assembly member and a sun gear member; an operator-controlled brake apply mechanism operatively connected to the sun gear member to selectively enforce rotation thereof; an auxiliary spring applied hydraulically released brake apply mechanism selectively operable to enforce rotation of the ring gear member to initiate brake engagement; and a brake apply mechanism operatively connected to the carrier assembly member to enforce brake engagement when either the operator control brake apply mechanism or the auxiliary brake apply mechanism is operated.

Abstract: A four wheel hand truck with elevator in which one pair of wheels are stationary as in a typical hand truck and the other pair of wheels are slidable upon vertical shafts and powered by a cable and winch assembly. A person can place the slidable pair of wheels on the outward edge of a pick-up truck bed and lower the entire hand truck and associated load to the ground or vice versa.

Abstract: This apparatus operates with disposable strips which are inserted therein by a user. It comprises a circulation passage (29) for the strips (34) wherein a cursor (35) is able to slide, each strip being able to be coupled to the cursor. A mechansim is provided so that the cursor (35) is able to move in the passage (29) only if it is coupled to a strip. Moreover, the cursor (35) remains blocked in the vicinity of the opening (28) of the circulation passage when no strips (34) are present. This invention can be applied in particular to objects dispensing devices such as medical tablets or to blood sugar level measuring devices.

Abstract: A food material transfer apparatus of the invention transfers flexible stacked food materials one by one to a predetermined position. The transfer apparatus is formed of a plurality of vacuum sucking pads for picking up one food material from the stacked food materials, a pad-lowering device connected to the vacuum sucking pads for lowering the same, a suction detection device communicating with the vacuum holding pads for detecting if at least one of the pads sucks the one food material, and a control section connected to the pad-lowering device and the suction detection device. When the suction detection device detects that the pads suck the one food material, the control section operates the pad-lowering device to further lower the pads for a predetermined amount to thereby securely hold the one food material by the plurality of the vacuum sucking pads.

Abstract: An article placing assembly having a pushing mechanism constructed and arranged to engage and move articles from an article stack. The assembly has opposing pivoting gate members which cooperate to hold and release successive articles. Movable clamps further cooperate to hold the article stack as successive articles are sequentially moved from the article stack. A process is set forth for separating and removing successive articles from an article stack in a magazine.

Abstract: There is provided a panel lifting apparatus for detachable attachment to a panel lifting hoist or trolley. The apparatus comprises a primary support member, a clamp for gripping engagement with a panel to be lifted, a control device for actuating the clamp via a cable linking the clamp and the control device. When a panel is to be lifted from a position off the apparatus and onto the hoist or trolley, the clamp is brought into engagement with the panel and the control device is actuated to draw the panel onto the hoist or trolley enabling the support and carriage of same.

Abstract: An ejector bucket includes a bucket frame, an ejector plate, and two actuating cylinders. The bucket frame has opposing side walls and a bottom wall extending between the side walls. The ejector plate is located within the bucket frame, and is movable between a load position where the ejector plate and the bucket frame together form a bucket for holding material and an eject position where the ejector plate has pushed substantially all of the material out of the bucket. The two hydraulic actuating cylinders are connected to the bucket frame and to the ejector plate. Each of the actuating cylinders is located adjacent to one of the side walls of the bucket frame. The actuating cylinder is operable in a push mode where an actuating rod is pushed out of the cylinder casing, and is operable in a pull mode where the actuating rod is drawn into the casing.

Abstract: A device for lifting drywall to a position where it may be mounted to a wall includes a lifting chain attached to a winch and also includes hooks to hold the drywall. The drywall is positioned on the deck at a lowered position, and the deck may subsequently be raised.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hold-back device for use with a magazine of an article-handling apparatus. The hold-back device includes a frame defining a feed gap through which articles from the magazine are fed. A plurality of threaded members are threadingly mounted in threaded openings defined by the frame. The threaded members have distal ends adapted to extend into the feed gap to hold back the articles held by the magazine. By threading the threaded members in or out of the frame, the distal ends of the threaded members can be set to desired positions in the feed gap.

Abstract: Transfer and processing of semiconductor wafers are performed while maintaining the wafer surfaces in a vertical orientation by holding the water substrate with electrostatic chucking of the rear face thereof. Thereby, the floor area of the transfer and processing system becomes almost the same regardless of the wafer size. Because only the back of the wafer comes in contact with a transfer member, the wafer front surface is kept clean and moreover wafer transfer can be done quickly.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a counter-balanced load carrier comprising a multi-stage telescopic arm (10). One stage (24) adjacent one end of the arm is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis (29) in a carrier (17,21) mounted for rotation by a vertical axis (20) on a mobile base (11). The adjacent end stage (23) of the arm carries a counterweight and the end stage (28) at the other end of the arm carries a support (32) for a TV or video camera. The respective stages of the arm are interconnected by a cable or like mechanism to extend and retract together maintaining a fixed ratio between the radius of the payload support and the horizontal axis and the counterweight and the horizontal axis so that the arm remains counterbalanced throughout its range of extension and retraction. The cable mechanism also acts on the camera support on said end section of the arm to maintain the support horizontal throughout the range of tilting of the arm.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying panels, such as vehicle body side panels to and from work stations located at spaced locations along a conveyor includes a panel support frame mounted on the conveyor for movement along the conveying path with the support frame in an elevated generally horizontal conveying position. The support frame carries a plurality of mechanically actuable releasable clamps adapted to retain a panel engaged against a group of locator pads fixedly mounted on one side of the support frame. A second group of locator pads movably mounted on the frame are normally biased into engagement with the panel at spaced locations around its periphery to hold the panel in a predetermined position laterally of the support frame. The support frame mounts an actuator member coupled to all of the clamps to position all clamps in a panel clamping position when the actuator member is in a first position and to position all clamps in a panel release position when the actuator is in a second position.

Abstract: A garment stacker for stacking garments in a garment stack. The apparatus includes a stacking tray having a support tray for supporting garments placed thereon in a garment stack and a tray actuator for adjusting the position of the support tray. A rotary stacker is positioned adjacent the stacking tray, wherein the rotary stacker repeatedly moves between a loading and an unloading position to successively stack garments on the stacking tray in a garment stack. A controller directs the tray actuator to position the support tray upwards when the rotary stacker is in the unloading position so as to press the garment stack between the stacking tray and rotary stacker. An unloader moves the garment stack from the stacking tray after a garment stack has been formed thereon.

Abstract: A method and harvesting apparatus for stacking cut sod wherein the cut sod is formed into rolls at a rolling station carried by a machine and wherein alternating first and second series of rolls are conveyed in a first direction relative to a stacking station so as to form in the stacking station alternating first and second layers of rolls which are oriented generally perpendicularly to one another and wherein the rolls in each layer are oriented generally parallel with respect to one another. The second series of rolls are partially rotated approximately 90.degree. as they are conveyed to the stacking station so the second series of rolls are oriented generally perpendicularly with respect to the first series rolls. The apparatus also includes a wrapping device which is movable with respect to the stacking station so as to be maneuverable about the layers of sod rolls which are formed within the stacking station.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanical forklift level indicator. The level indicator includes a first arm pivotally connected at a first end to a body of the forklift and a second arm pivotally connected at a first end thereof to the forklift mast assembly. The first and second arms are pivotally attached to each other at their second ends forming an intermediate pivot. A reference arm is secured to the second end of the first arm to form a fixed angle therewith. The pivoting of the forklift mast assembly will thereby cause relative motion between the second arm and the reference arm indicative of the relative orientation of the forks of the forklift.