Abstract: An evaporative cooling unit has an internal conduit structure with an inlet and outlet, an air blower for establishing a forced air flow through the conduit, and a plurality of nozzles that emit atomized water into the air flow. The nozzles connect to a source of water such as a pump coupled to a tap water supply. Sprayed water mixes with the forced air flow and is emitted as a mist or fog, the temperature of the air and water being reduced via evaporative cooling. The unit can form an inverted L-shape, a column or a framework, e.g., forming a pavilion. The unit can be inflatable or can be formed by rigid hollow columns and/or horizontal beams that form the air conduits and contain one or more blowers as well as piping for carrying water to the nozzles. A ball joint discharge fixture having air exhaust holes surrounding a spray nozzle allows the mixed air/water output to be directed where needed to form a refreshing cooled area, especially in the open.

Abstract: A traffic bollard mountable to a path surface for providing a barrier to a vehicle moving on the path surface. The bollard includes a stanchion member extending along a longitudinal axis from an upper distal end to a lower proximal end biasedly attachable to the path surface in a normally upright position. The stanchion member is flexible along substantially the entire extent of its longitudinal axis to be resiliently deflectable from its normally upright position upon the bollard being contacted with a predetermined amount of force by the moving vehicle. At least one collar is rotatably mounted about the stanchion member along the longitudinal axis thereof. The collar extends intermediate the distal and proximal ends of the stanchion member and freely rotates about the longitudinal axis thereof upon being contacted by the moving vehicle.

Abstract: A combined soil remediation and HMA plant is provided having a rotary dryer, a rotary soil incinerator, and a refractory lined duct connecting the incinerator to the dryer and serving as a conduit via which hot gases, forming the primary and possibly sole heat source used to heat raw aggregate in the dryer, are conveyed from the incinerator to the dryer. The duct also acts as an afterburner in which volatile organic compounds, particles of contaminated dust, and other combustible products not destroyed in the incinerator are destroyed. The plant further includes a mixer 1) receiving both reclaimed soil from the incinerator and heated and dried aggregate from the dryer and 2) mixing both materials with liquid asphalt and possibly RAP and/or dust from the system's baghouse assembly to form HMA.

Abstract: A resilient annular transition collar is provided for roadway structures, including manholes and catch basins, which acts as a flexible transition between the rigid structure or frame of the manhole and the semi-rigid structure of the asphalt paving. The resilient transition collar absorbs any movement of the pavement during expansion and contraction and this absorption avoids the prior art problems of break-up, cracking and separation between manhole and pavement. Risers or adjusting rings may be employed in conjunction with the transition collar to ensure a flush fit between the pavement surface and the upper surface of the transition collar. A mold structure for forming the collars includes heat transfer studs to provide an increased production rate.

Abstract: A pavement marking 10 includes a base sheet 12, a barrier layer 30, a layer 32 of bonding material, a multitude of optical elements 34, and skid-resistant particles 36. The base sheet 12 contains rubber and fillers and has a number of protuberances 14 projecting from its front side 28. Valleys 16 are disposed between the protuberances 14. The barrier layer 30 is disposed on the front side 28 at least in valleys 16 and preferably over protuberances 14. The layer 32 of bonding material is disposed predominantly on protuberances 14 and in this position secures the optical elements 34 and skid-resistant particles 36 to the protuberances 14 but not to the valleys 16. The coverage of the front side 28 of base sheet 12 with barrier layer 30 and bonding material 32 prevents the fillers in the base sheet 12 from becoming present on the top surface of the pavement marking 10 and thereby preserves the intended color of the marking 10.

Abstract: In a baking oven for baking a relatively planar work such as semiconductor substrates, LCD panels and integrated circuit boards, a laterally elongated slot is formed in a shutter door which is moveable in the vertical direction. The oven main body is internally provided with a rack having a plurality of shelves which are each associated with the slot of the shutter door in such a manner that the work supported by each of the shelves of the rack may be aligned with the slot of the shutter door by appropriately determining the vertical position of the shutter door. Thus, by minimizing the area of the access opening of the oven main body, not only the loss of energy is minimized but also undesirable fluctuations in the internal temperature of the oven main body is minimized.

Abstract: A mobile paving system (10) is provided that produces paving material while the mobile system (10) proceeds over a surface. The mobile paving system (10) includes an aggregate hopper (12) operable to hold aggregate for use in producing paving material and a mixer (24) operable to mix aggregate with remaining ingredients to produce paving material. A moisture sensor (47) is associated with the aggregate. The moisture sensor (47) is operable to measure moisture in the aggregate and to provide an output representing an amount of moisture measured. A processor (34) is operable to receive an input representing the amount of moisture measured. The processor (34) is further operable to determine a dry weight of aggregate by converting from to dry weight volume used to produce paving material using bulking effect data for the aggregate corresponding to the amount of moisture measured.

Abstract: A four track paver is disclosed having a frame which telescopes for transport to reduce the dimension of the machine in the direction of paving machine travel. A rectilinear tractor frame is provided. The frame includes four crawler tracks, one at each corner of the frame. The crawler tracks are directly supported on a hydraulic cylinder and mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the hydraulic cylinder. The frame telescopes at side bolsters between the leading and trailing crawler tracks at the sides of the machine. When expanded, the paving machine has the full dimension required for paving. When contracted, the paving machine has a profile allowing convenient transport. Most importantly, such expansion and contraction of the machine in the direction of paving travel does not require substantial time for disassembly. As a consequence, a convenient method of loading and off loading to a hauling flatbed trailer exists.

Abstract: The portable boat dock includes a first dock section, a second dock section and a hinge for pivotally attaching the first and second dock sections together. The first dock section has at least one hole for receiving a stake to secure the boat dock to the ground or other supporting surface. The second dock section has at least one hole for receiving a support member which rest on the supporting surface for supporting the second dock section. The first dock section has a first channel and the second dock section has a second channel. A reinforcing member is sized and adapted to be disposed within one of the channels and engagable with the other of the channels for alternating between pivoting movement and rigid support of the first and second dock sections. A detent device secures the support member to the second dock section and may be repositioned in various holes of the support member for adjustment of the support member for various depths of water.

Abstract: A vertically storing dock leveler comprises a deck, a pivot coupling the leveler to the mounting pit to allow the deck the rotate from a stored vertical position to an operative horizontal position and a source of power to rotate the deck. A sensor is mounted to the underside of the deck for delivering an output that ceases downward movement of said deck when a foreign object such as a human is sensed under said deck. The sensor comprises a wire mounted to span said deck at a position below it and a switch responsive to movement of said wire. The switch may be a mechanical, proximity or photoelectric type. The wire is fixed at one side of said deck and coupled to a pivoting member at the other side with the pivoting member normally positioned in proximity to said switch. A spring is employed to bias the pivoting member to a centered position relative to the switch in opposition to tension of the wire.

Abstract: A concrete-floor finisher includes a plurality of rotary shafts (28) supported on a supporting plate (2) of a machine proper (1) so as to be tiltable in x and y directions and rotatable opposite to each other, and a plurality of blades (12a to 12d) radially arranged relative to a rotor (10) at the lower part of each of the rotary shafts and respectively held in place by a plurality of fitting members (13), and a rocking supporting unit (14) for the fitting member of each blade is composed of a fixed plate (15) attached to the upper surface of the blade, a holding member (16) attached to the vertical plate portion of the fixed plate, a bearing (18) pivotally supporting substantially the central portion of the holding member (16) by a supporting pin (17) extended in the tangential direction of the circle of rotation, and means for fitting a square cylindrical portion (19) of the bearing onto the forward end of the fitting member and removably fixing in place with a bolt (21) or the like, thus ensuring 20.

Abstract: A bridge is assembled by locking truss-like girders along the sides of a bridge section to the transverse beams by a bayonet-type coupling and a swinging of the trusses relative to the transverse beams. Roadway plates are supported by the transverse beams and additional sections are assembled onto the previous sections. The sections can be advanced across an obstruction on a pair of support beams guided through roller frames affixed to at least the first and last sections, which support beams can later be mounted on the bridge span to function as guardrails.

Abstract: A combination mounting flange and handle for attaching a flasher light unit to a plastic traffic barricade is disclosed herein. A handle is integrally molded to each of the barricade panels to allow for convenient dismantling and transportation of the barricade. A flange is molded onto each handle so that a flasher light unit may be affixed to a handle using a fastening bolt. The position of the mounted flasher light unit near the cross-bars of the barricade prevents the unit from being knocked out of placement by common road or construction disturbances. The shape and position of the handle allows for simplified usage and easier access to the fastening bolt by the user.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a control system for a floating screed assembly for an asphalt paving machine is disclosed. The screed assembly includes a main screed and extension screed unit. An electrohydraulic device extends and retracts, as well as, raises and lowers the extension screed unit relative to the main screed unit. The electrohydraulic device additionally pivots the extension screed unit relative to the main screed unit about a horizontal axis. Position sensors produce position signals in response to the position of the extension screed unit. A controller receives the position signals and produces command signals to control the extending, retracting, and pivoting of the extension screed unit to a desired position.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel backpack for use with a vest and buoyancy compensator combination. The backpack has a recess in which is disposed a novel traction pad. The traction pad is formed of a thin pad of resilient material capable of compression when a breathing gas tank is tightly held against it by means of a strap and fastener. This active compression holds the breathing gas tank in place.

Abstract: A reusable mine and underground roof, floor and rib support system including a horizontal chamber or entry and a tail assembly. The horizontal chamber is composed of individual pieces assembled to form sections of the horizontal chamber which can easily be disassembled and reused. The tail assembly is an individual and separate unit located at the end of the horizontal chamber adapted to accommodate dismantling the horizontal chamber sections using jack and cable winch systems. The combination of horizontal chamber and tail provides a underground entry that will allow roof collapse, floor heave and rib failure and remain usable.

Abstract: The protective fender includes a cushion body that has the shape of an elongated longitudinally cut half cylinder with an inner and an outer surface. The two edges of the inner surfaces include each a slap member that extends therefrom and embraces the dock posts. The slaps can be tailored to avoid the deck when embracing the posts so that a sufficiently large area above and below the deck can be protected to account for tide changes. Different embodiments for the fastening assemblies used can be implemented with laces, Velcro pads or snap buttons, all intended to keep the cushion body along the post at a position between the post and the approaching boat. The fender can be readily removed, when required.

Abstract: A triple roller tube concrete finisher that uses rotating tubes to strike-off, screed and finish concrete. The machine rides upon concrete forms and comprises a box-like, generally parallelepiped, frame supported by a plurality of rotary rollers. The frame houses an engine, cleaning system and a hydraulic system. The engine powers the hydraulic system that rotates the rollers. Two of the rollers provide locomotion to the machine while simultaneously screeding and finishing concrete the machine moves over. Preferably, these drive rollers are bidirectional to facilitate forward and rearward movement of the finishing machine. One of the rollers functions like a strike-off to prevent ride up. This roller rotates counter to the drive rollers to grade and displace excess unlevel concrete away from the leading edge of the machine. Preferably, the vertical height of the strike-off roller and its axis of rotation may be adjusted to vary the resulting depth of the concrete passing thereunder.

Abstract: A loading bridge for ramps has a bridge plate having a forward and a rearward end and connected with the rearward end to the ramp so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis. An extension is connected to the forward end of the bridge plate so as to be extendable from an initial position into an extended position for supporting the bridge plate on a platform to be loaded and unloaded and retractable from the extended position into the initial position. At least one support leg with an upper and a lower end is provided for supporting the bridge plate in a rest position. The support leg is pivotably connected to the bridge plate such that the lower end swivels upwardly toward the rearward end of the bridge plate when the extension is extended. The support leg has at the upper end an end face for supporting a downwardly extending part of the bridge plate. The support leg has at the upper end a holding member extending upwardly toward the bridge plate for pivotably connecting the upper end to the bridge plate.

Abstract: The laser alignment system of apparatus for leveling flowable material, in which two radiant energy beam detectors mounted on opposite ends of an elongated leveling member are responsive to a projected radiant energy beam establishing a leveling plane, is modified for operation when one of the detectors is blocked from receiving the projected radiant energy bean by an obstruction such as a support column, equipment or personnel. Whereas each detector signal is normally used to generate a separate adjustment signal for an adjustment device such as an hydraulic cylinder to raise or lower the associated end of the elongated leveling member, when one detector is blocked from receiving the radiant energy beam the detector elevation signal generated by the other, unblocked, detector is used to generate the adjustment signals for both ends of the elongated leveling member.