Abstract: Apparatus for burning fuel comprises a conduit having an outlet end for supplying a fuel/air mixture to a fuel burning zone. A nozzle structure is provided adjacent the outlet end of the conduit mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis extending transversely across the conduit. The nozzle structure has an inlet end portion surrounding the outlet end of the conduit and has a plurality of separate outlet sections joining the inlet end portion. Swirl vanes are mounted in each of the outlet sections for causing the fuel/air mixture in adjacent outlet sections to swirl about respective central swirl axes of the outlet sections in opposite directions.

Abstract: An edge-of-dock leveler incorporating an inflatable lift bag. The leveler includes a frame mounted on the front face of the dock and the rear edge of a deck plate is hinged to the frame, while a lip is hinged to the forward edge of the deck plate. In the storage position, the deck plate is generally horizontal while the lip hangs downwardly in a pendant position. The frame includes a fixed pressure member and a movable pressure member is hinged to an edge of the fixed pressure member. A link interconnects the movable pressure member with the deck plate. An inflatable, flexible bag is located between the pressure members and by inflating the bag, the deck plate is pivoted from the horizontal position to the substantially vertical position. By deflating the bag, the deck plate will descend by gravity and the forward edge of the lip will move in a generally curved path into engagement with the bed of a truck parked in front of the loading dock.

Abstract: Retaining wall blocks are disclosed, which are trapezoidal in shape and have a positive interlock. These blocks can be used to construct walls, especially garden walls, that are strong and either straight or serpentine, with concave or convex surfaces. More particularly, the blocks, thanks to their structure, can be used to construct tree rings or wells, patio walls with or without corners, straight walls with curved ends, serpentine feature walls, L-shaped walls, lawn and driveway edgings, small steps, free-form shallow ponds, planter boxes, window wells and the like. Advantageously, they can be produced in the form of units comprising blocks of the same or different type, e.g. of the stacking, coping or corner type, which can be assembled in the form of very light bundles easy to store and transport.

Abstract: A heat recovery device for use with a portable incinerator. The heat recovery device comprises first and second legs which support a heat exchanger thereon. An air flow path is formed from the bottom to the top of the first leg, through the heat exchanger and from the top to the bottom of the second leg. An open space is provided between the two legs and below the heat exchanger. A portable incinerator may be placed within this open space. When solid waste is burned within the incinerator, the exhaust port of the incinerator lies below the heat exchanger. A blower attached to the lower portion of the first leg creates air flow through the heat recovery device such that the air is heated in the heat exchanger by heat produced from the exhaust port of the portable incinerator. A tube is then coupled to the second leg in order to direct the heated air flow to the interior of an adjacent building.

Abstract: A waste car disposer which includes a plurality of tunnel-like furnaces connected in series and separately controlled to heat waste cars at different temperatures so that plastic, rubber, glass, lead, zinc, nickel, copper, iron and steel parts of waste cars are separately melted and respectively collected for reclamation.

Abstract: An impactor for a movable, deformable barrier, simulating an automobile, comprising an upright, solid backing support, a plurality of energy absorbing impact segments protruding from the support, each segment having an outer impact face and each comprising a plurality of layers of honeycomb having different crush strength characterized by increasing crush strength of successive layers from the outer impact face to the support, the layers being separated by and secured to perforate plates therebetween allowing air flow from a crushing layer to the succeeding layers when the layers are successively crushed and each impact segment having a thin vent layer of noncrushing slotted honeycomb adjacent the support for discharge of air from all of the segments as they are successively crushed. The layers in each segment are of essentially the same width and height. A solid face sheet is at said outer impact face of said segments.

Abstract: A device adapted to be at least partially inserted into an aggregation of material and retained therein. The device has an opening formed therethrough to receive a novel anchoring component. The device may be a marker which advantageously has a Miles Utility configuration, and which has the opening formed in a stake portion of the marker. The anchor has a bridge element which extends through the opening to hold a pair of legs in an opposed and upright position. The legs resiliently grasp the opposite sides of the marker to prevent the anchor from falling out or being bumped out of the opening. There is also disclosed a two-piece marker with the Miles Utility configuration for the post which is resiliently joined to a support to provide a universal hinge action to prevent the wings from being crumpled or permanently deformed to prevent or inhibit the post from returning to an upright position.

Abstract: An artificial surface having at least one compartment with a filler therein has the filler held in position by a vacuum.

Abstract: A roadway marker or other article has a narrow slot through which a tab associated with a static mixing container is passed. Before placing the marker, the mixing container is drawn manually through the slot toward one side, thereby bursting internal seals or walls in the mixing container that separate two or more adhesive components, forcing the components to flow and mix, and finally to discharge the mixed adhesive onto the opposite surface of the marker in the correct mix proportions and quantity needed to attach the marker in place. The mixing container is flexibly collapsible and when initially containing the components has a larger cross section than the slot. A pull tab extends from the container for pulling the container though the slot or passageway.

Abstract: Framework for a suspension bridge of the type comprising an essentially flat main structure, the top surface of which forms the traffic lane for the transport structure crossing the bridge, anchored to a suspension system formed of a plurality of vertical hangers (6) fixed to catenary cables (5) anchored to end piers of the bridge. The framework consists of at least two parallel longitudinal box-like bodies corresponding to two runways of the bridge, reciprocally spaced by an extent equal to their transverse dimension. Said bodies have a cross section with a profile adapted to favor the proper flow of the wind stream and they are interconnected, at regular intervals, by stiff supporting transverse ledgers (4) having in turn a box-like configuration and carrying at their ends means for their anchorage to the suspension hangers (6).

Abstract: Pavement repairs are made by a single person working alone with the new repair apparatus. Blacktop is stored in a sander bin on a truck. An operator periodically replenishes a hopper from the sander bin by aligning the hopper under a discharge assistant of the sander bin and activating the discharge assistant. Standing on a platform at the side of the frame, the operator moves hydraulic controls to move a carriage with hydraulic cylinders from side to side and back and forth on a frame cantilevered from the rear of the truck and anchored to the truck body beneath the sloping sides of the sander bin. The operator aligns an auger guide mounted on the carriage with a hole and lowers a digging auger into the hole. Loose material is removed by air blasts and vacuum. The operator then raises the digging auger and moves the carriage to align the lower end of a sloping discharge chute over the hole.

Abstract: A traffic channelizing device has a base unit made from the sidewalls of used car or other vehicle tires, using tread portions as a stabilizer between two sidewalls, wound spirally and having an outer band with a protruding loop which results in the resilient integral base unit having a significantly reduced propensity to roll when the device is overturned. The device has the advantages of being highly resistant in wind and impact, yet being readily removable and stackable with substantially less manpower and transportation space than for existing devices. If the central hole for the upper sidewall portion of the base unit is larger than that for the lower sidewall portion, the device retains the traffic safety feature of the base being separable from the body portion in the event of a high impact, even where the upper portion comprises more than one sidewall.

Abstract: A portable ramp for providing a bridge between a ground level surface and a raised surface. The ramp includes a support plate having a substantially horizontal first portion adapted to rest along an edge of the raised surface. A second portion of the plate extends vertically downward from the first portion and a third portion extends generally outwardly from the second portion in a direction generally toward the ground level surface. The third portion of the plate member supports one end of an angled beam which extends at a generally predetermined angle from the plate to the ground level surface. The opposite end of the beam is supported with respect to the ground level surface by a resilient foot member which provides stability. A traction plate having upwardly projecting portions is attached to a top surface of the beam intermediate the support plate and foot member in order to increase friction and provide traction along the inclined beam.

Abstract: An incinerator in which halogenated organic compounds are burned in the presence of oxygen or oxygen enriched air to produce combustion products. The combustion products potentially include unreacted oxygen and halogenated organic compounds which can react with oxygen to produce halogenated furans and dioxins. The formation of the halogenated furans and dioxins is minimized by firing a burner, burning a hydrogen containing fuel at a fuel-rich stoichiometry, into the combustion products so that the fuel will react with the unreacted oxygen. This will reduce formation of the halogenated furans and dioxins. Any of the halogenated furans and dioxins that are formed are substantially eliminated by the reaction of hydrogen supplied by the fuel with the halogenated furans and dioxins.

Abstract: An improved containment system is disclosed which absorbs the collision energy of a vehicle about to strike a hazard. In the system, a block of flexible foam material having near-perfect total recovery after compression is placed adjacent a hazard. A first side of the block faces toward anticipated oncoming vehicular traffic. A fabric sheath capable of withstanding a substantial collision shock covers the first side of the block. On a second side of the block there is a resilient support member which receives transmitted impact energy from the sheath and block.

Abstract: The forming of sonic noise alert pattern, (SNAP), type depressions using a milling through procedure. A cutting head, having a smaller diameter than would fit the resultant depression, is used. Elevational control of the cutting head is regulated by passage across the surface under treatment. Repetitive cycling of this elevational control is used to install a series of depressions. The elevational control results in a gradual lowering and gradual raising of the cutting head. During cutting a significant longitudinal distance is traveled by the cutting head. Cam wheels are disclosed for providing the elevational control. Various transfer means are discussed to transfer the elevational control to the cutting head. These include direct transfer and reverse transfer. Proportional transfer is explained with examples given. Example machines are detailed capable of practicing the invention.

Abstract: An elongated hollow rotationally molded high density polyethylene highway barrier has two elongated generally parallel sidewalls, two generally vertical end walls, and a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing members extending from one end wall to the other. The longitudinal reinforcing members extend from respective vertical end walls and terminate in loops which may be joined to like loops on an adjacent barrier for interconnecting the barriers. The longitudinal reinforcing members are typically steel cables. In one form, both end walls have central vertical notches arranged so that the notch end of one barrier may be aligned with the notch end of another barrier and the two barriers moved toward one another with the notches aligned. In this form, there are two steel cables passing through longitudinal holes in each barrier to be joined within the two aligned end notches. In another form, one barrier end is notched vertically while the opposite end has a central vertical protrusion.

Abstract: A dock leveler including a ramp movable between a raised position and a lowered position is moved to its raised position by inflation of an inflatable member, such as an airbag supported beneath the ramp by a support assembly. The support assembly is removably mounted below the ramp at its rearward end, and its forward end is provided with wheels which engage the floor of the pit within which the dockleveler is mounted. A fan is mounted to the support adjacent its rearward end, and includes an outlet communicating through the support with the interior of the airbag. The airbag, support and fan are assembled into a subassembly which is removable as a unit from below the ramp. A lifting tool is employed to raise the forward end of the support assembly, either for cleaning or for use in mounting a pair of auxiliary wheel assemblies to the support assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing easily replaceable reflective surfaces for highway barricade barrels. A plurality of plastic bands are provided for securing around the exterior surfaces of the barricade barrels. The plastic bands have outer sides through which a plurality of holes extends. Strips of a reflective tape are secured to the outer sides of the plastic bands. The reflective tape has an adhesive backing which is used for securing the tape to the outer sides of the plastic bands. Mechanical fasteners are passed through the holes to fasten the plastic bands to the barricade barrels. The bands are fastened to the barrels with reflective surfaces of the reflective tape facing outward, away from the barricade barrels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for painting highway stripes and other patterns on a road surface includes the steps of heating the road surface to be painted or treated with a protective coating to a temperature typically in the range of 150.degree. F. to 165.degree. F. Paint is applied in spray form, the resin and hardener ingredients being mixed preparatory to spraying by a spray head. The paint mixture is sprayed onto the heated road surface as soon after the heat treatment as is practical. The paint spray may be heated as it passes through the nozzle. Granulated glass beads may be dropped onto the paint coating to enhance absorption of heat energy by the paint.