Abstract: A wheeled dump cart is described which may be dumped from the user's normal position behind the handle. The cart includes a box member pivotably connected to the frame. A cam member may be pivoted from a normal raised position to a ground-engaging position. The cam member engages the box member and causes it to pivot forwardly relative to the frame so as to dump the contents of the cart.

Abstract: A feed device is disclosed for presenting electronic components to the pick-up head of a component processing machine. The feed device includes a magazine in which the electrical components are stacked one on top of another. The magazine is held within supports in the component processing machine which also has a lift that raises the stack of components within the magazine in response to a signal from a detector. The stack of components is lifted until the detector detects a component at an uppermost, pick-up position within the magazine.

Abstract: A bale handler includes a body with ground wheels and a bed for supporting two or more round bales end-to-end rotatably supported for rearward tilting movement about a horizontal axis to unload the bales as a vertical stack. A secondary support is provided and supports the bales as the bed is tilted. The bed may be brought to an unloading/reloading position past vertical at which the stack remains stable and the secondary support bears the weight of the rear of the handler. The aforesaid axis is positioned so that the portion of the bed between the secondary support and the axis is sufficient to stabilize the stack during reloading.A bale loading cradle includes a pair of laterally spaced support members which pass under a bale to lift and support it and which define at their forward ends opposed edges which, in a horizontal plane, are mutually forwardly divergent and are configured for centering a bale approached off-center.

Abstract: The invention concerns a peripheral auxiliary system for the automatic feeding and unloading of a stamping/nibbling machine. In machines of this kind, the blanks have previously beed fed in by automatic devices. Other transport or depositing devices have been provided for the stamped parts and the stamped-out blanks. For these purposes, an industrial robot with a gripping mechanism is be used. According to the invention, the gripping mechanism of the robot is also designed to remove the stamped parts, and a stacking means is provided, whose delivery surface can be swiveled and displaced uniformly in one operation.

Abstract: A midstream apparatus for the receipt, sampling, cooling, and blending of coal provides a continuous transfer capability from one or more barges containing coals of various grades to an ocean vessel requiring blended coal meeting given specifications. The apparatus is a barge mounted combination, having a number of receiving hoppers into which coal may be loaded by transfer from a series of supply barges, usually by a barge mounted clam shell bucket. A number of hoppers are provided so that coal from each barge, having a given specification, may be loaded into a single hopper. Each hopper has individually controlled transfer capabilities permitting the blending of coal of different qualities into a continuous stream.

Abstract: A device for loading and transporting elongate objects on vehicle roof-tops. A lower tubular member connected to a vehicle in an upright position and further stabilized by a support disposed between the vehicle and the lower tubular member rotatably receives an upper vertical member so that these members are aligned coaxially. A horizontal load bearing member attached substantially at its midpoint to the upper end of the upper vertical member includes rollers which allow elongate objects to be rolled onto the horizontal load bearing member. A supporting pin is placed through the lower tubular member in one pair of a plurality of pairs of holes located at 180-degree spacing for supporting the upper vertical member and allowing height adjustment of the device. Eyebolts are secured at each end of the horizontal load bearing member in one pair of a plurality of pairs of holes to provide adjustable tie down points for the elongate objects.

Abstract: A towing apparatus for a rail bound vehicle is described. The towing apparatus includes both a lifting device for lifting the wheel load off of a defective wheel, tire or axle and a mobile support which supports the load, normally supported by the defective wheel, during a towing operation. The lifting device occupies a minimum of space and is supported by the road surface rather than by the rail. The mobile support may be conveniently and positively engaged with a defective wheel hub under conditions wherein a minimum of maneuvering space is available.

Abstract: A sheet collecting apparatus for collecting paper sheets, comprises a plurality of collecting chambers which are arranged to receive sorted bills through an insertion port, a shutter unit which is disposed to cover dispensing ports of all of the collecting chambers and is movable between a first position where all of the dispensing ports are closed and a second position where all of the dispensing ports are opened, and a drive section for driving the shutter unit in one of the first and second positions. The paper sheets are stacked in the collecting chamber when the shutter unit is located in the first position and the paper sheets are dispensed outside the collecting chamber when the shutter unit is located in the second position.

Abstract: A loader for relatively long, flexible strips of sheet stock has a pair of parallel, generally vertically extending arms having vertically slotted upper ends. The lower ends of the arms are pivotally connected with vertically guided slide blocks. Each arm is pivotally connected intermediate its ends with a mechanism for moving the upper slotted ends of the arms in an elliptical path lying in a vertical plane. The elliptical path is such that, at one position therein, a strip of sheet stock slid off the top of a stack of such strips gravitates edgewise into the slots in said arms and, in another position, the strip in the slotted ends of the arms is deposited edgewise into vertical slots in the rails of a strip conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus for pack cooling flat stock to be retrofitted to a standard cooling bed. The apparatus includes collecting means having a plurality of stacker arms mounted for movement with respect to the stationary notch bars of the cooling bed between a first, retracted position, in which the arms underlie the notches in the stationary notch bars to permit uninterrupted transport of bar stock across the bed, and a second, lifting position in which the arms can lift a flat bar to a height sufficiently above the uppermost travel of the moving notch bars to permit a successive flat bar being transported across the cooling bed to be received in the notch of the stationary bar just vacated by the flat bar lifted by the stacker arms. Upon the return of the stacker arms to their first position, the flat bar held thereon will be placed on top of the newly-introduced flat bar to form a stack, resulting in a retarded cooling rate for the flat bars in the stack.

Abstract: A sheet handling machine or stacker, designed to stack sheets in such manner as to avoid tumbling or other movement resulting in possible scratching or other surface marring. Our invention is especially applicable to sheets having a relatively soft surface such as plastic-coated sheet metal, highly polished stainless steel or the like, synthetic plastic such as "vinyl," paper-covered stainless steel, etc. Our invention contemplates a machine comprising a receiver having a lateral opening designed to receive a portion of a sheet. In operation, the receiver is moved through a predetermined trajectory. In its first position the receiver seats a portion of a sheet as from a conveyor, aligns it with a stack of similar sheets and then discharges it from a position above a stack of such sheets, allowing it to drop by gravity onto the stack through a free air cushion between sheet and stack, whereby the sheet is prevented from tumbling or otherwise falling haphazardly.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing and handling pallets is disclosed. A vertical housing capable of holding pallets in a vertical stack is equipped with openings to receive stacks of pallets and discharge pallets singly. Vertically arranged wheels are provided on opposing sidewalls of the housing which compress when pallets pass between them. The wheels are ganged to incrementally rotate on a selective basis, opposing wheels rotating in opposite directions. Incremental rotation of the wheels dispenses pallets from the bottom of the stack. Straightening bars which are driven toward the interior of the housing tend to keep the pallets in stack alignment. A ram discharges dispensed pallets from the housing.

Abstract: Sheet stacks bordered by sheet markers are sequentially fed from a pile of aligned and stacked sheets containing sheet markers inserted into these sheets through end wall at specific intervals with bare portion left outside, using a sheet stack delivery apparatus including at least lifter means that mounts sheet stacks to allow the uppermost sheet stack to be sequentially transferred to a pre-determined level; a wedge-type head for separating sheet stacks comprising its tip part facing the end wall of the sheet pile at a position close to the sheet marker bordering the uppermost and the second sheet stacks and also the upper tilt surface and the bottom surface ending at the tip part; and means for transferring the uppermost sheet stack by holding and pushing forward an end wall of the uppermost sheet stack split by the wedge head.

Abstract: Apparatus for orienting elongate bodies, for example electrical connectors, comprises magazines for containing vertical stacks of the elongate bodies, escapement slides for releasing one body at a time from each magazine, as required, first and second slidable traps mounted beneath the escapement slides and having an advanced, body supporting position and a retracted body release position, and guide surfaces on the escapement slides for guiding each body as it falls from a magazine, so that it lies across both of the traps when they are in their body supporting position. A pair of receptacles are slidably mounted on a carriage beneath the traps so that either of these receptacles can be positioned to receive a body released by the traps. If one trap is first retracted, the body will fall into the receptacle in one vertical orientation and if the other trap is first retracted, the body will fall into the receptacle in the opposite vertical orientation.

Abstract: Auger conveyor apparatus is described which is adapted to convey bulk material. The conveyor includes a plurality of axially aligned and connected segments which are coupled in such a manner that one segment drives an adjacent segment after limited rotation relative to the adjacent segment. The connected segments are self-supporting, and incoming bulk material has access to the apparatus essentially along its full length. The apparatus may be used in a variety of applications including, among others, bottom unloading devices for storage structures.

Abstract: An automated pipe handling system is provided to increase safety and to minimize the number of workmen required in the coupling and uncoupling of pipe stands. The system includes a programmable controller for monitoring and/or controlling devices which remove and add pipe stands to a drill column. A number of transducers are operatively connected to the controlled devices for communication with the programmable controller for use in verifying that the controlled devices have properly performed their programmed tasks. The controlled devices include upper and lower arm assemblies for use in engaging and moving the uncoupled pipe stands to a storage position. The controlled devices further include a finger board assembly and a set-back assembly. The finger board assembly moves and retains the upper portions of the pipe stands while a drill rig floor of a derrick supports their lower portions.

Abstract: A vertically accumulating storage and dispensing apparatus for containers and the like wherein the containers are loaded at the top of a tower and selectively dispensed from the bottom. The tower has a frame that defines first and second tower sections, each supporting a number of vertically spaced shelf trays which in turn support the containers which are stacked on the trays when loaded. The shelf trays of each tower section face inwardly toward and are staggered relative to each other. Each tray is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and is operated so that when a container is dispensed from a bottom shelf tray, each higher tray beginning at the bottom and progressing upward one at a time, pivots to transfer its carton to the upwardly tilted next lower empty shelf tray. This process is repeated until each container has been transferred to the next lower shelf tray.

Abstract: Apparatus for expelling reels with convoluted exposed roll films from successive film cartridges has a gate which supports a cartridge at an opening station between an axially movable mandrel and an axially movable pusher. A holder with four or more equidistant idler wheels having sharp edges is adjacent to one end of the shell of the cartridge which is located between the mandrel and the pusher to hold the shell against axial movement with the pusher when the latter is shifted axially toward the mandrel to bear upon the core of the reel in the cartridge and to expel the reel as well as one end wall of the cartridge from the shell while the mandrel transmits or is ready to transmit torque to the core in a direction to wind the film onto the core. The idler rollers are thereupon disengaged from the shell and the gate is retracted so that the shell can leave the opening station by gravity before the next cartridge enters the opening station by gravity feed.

Abstract: A means for rotating tree trunks or equivalent into correct position regarding their curvature, prior to their feeding into a machine processing round timber. The means is primarily intended to be used as an ancillary in a timber feeding means which feeds the tree trunks into a processing machine, because branch stubs which have remained on the tree trunk may impede the turning of the tree in the feeding means. The means of the invention has been carried out in such manner that the means comprises one or several rotator pairs, each such pair being composed of two rotators provided with a helix and disposed in the tree trunk feeding means, and which in their operating position are elastically urged against the tree trunk and which are arranged to rotate with reference to each other so that the tree trunk therebetween rotates, forced by the helices, in the desired direction.

Abstract: A boat trailer having a pair of spaced guide roller assemblies between which the bow of a boat is located upon boat retrieval. Each guide roller assembly comprises a base member secured to the trailer chassis, a post which can pivot in a generally fore-and-aft direction, a spring which urges the post to an upstanding position, a rocker arm which can pivot in a general transverse direction on the upper end of the post, and a pair of rollers which engage the boat undersurface and help to centralize it as the boat is retrieved from the water and onto the trailer.