Abstract: A tripod is provided having three pairs of adjacent telescoping legs and a lock mechanism for locking the adjacent legs in a desired position. The lock mechanism comprises a lever connecting a pair of lock assemblies associated with each adjacent leg for movement between an unlocked position wherein the legs may be telescopingly adjusted and a locked position wherein the lock assembly exerts a clamping force on its respective leg for locking the leg in a desired position. Each lock assembly comprises a clamp member for receiving a telescoping leg and a threaded hole adapted to receive a threaded end of a lock screw. A lock screw clamp attached to the head end of the lock screw controls the rotation of the lock screw into and out of the hole.

Abstract: An incinerator having a horizontal burn disk which is rotatably supported within the lower portion of a firebox with a portion of the firebox containing water tubes connected to a water circulation system including a header and a steam drum. Compacted material for burning is gravity fed to the burn disk througha vertical feeding chute of sufficient height to effect the compaction. Combustion air is forced into the burning material through stationary nozzles disposed about the periphery of the disk, and a nozzle stationary nozzle extending up through the center of the disk.

Abstract: A camera panhead, for panning the camera about a vertical axis and tilting the camera about a horizontal axis, including fluid drag systems and a counterbalance system. The fluid drag systems each include a drag disk assembly secured to the rotating shaft and drag sector assemblies pivotally mounted to the housing and disposed about the circumference of the disk assembly to define a space containing viscous fluid. The level of drag exerted may be adjusted by pivoting the sector assemblies toward or away from the disk assembly to vary the space containing viscous fluid. The counterbalance system includes two spring sets mounted in planes perpendicular to the tilt axis. As the camera tilts, one end of each of the springs remains relatively stationary as the opposite ends rotate about the tilt axis to exert a restoring torque to counterbalance the camera. The system may be adjusted to vary the level of restoring torque exerted.

Abstract: An incinerator having a funnel shaped burning chamber within a firebox with the chamber being formed of water pipes connected to a water circulation system including a steam chest. The chamber is rotated about its axis which is inclined so that the lower conical portion of the chamber is horizontal. Material for burning is driven up the cylindrical portion of the chamber, and combustion air is forced through a nozzle into the open conical portion of the chamber.

Abstract: A tripod leg has upper and lower portions with the upper portion being secured at its upper end to the tripod head and having a housing guide at its lower end. The lower leg portion slides in the housing guide to adjust the total length of the leg. The lower leg portion is firmly clamped to minimize bending deflection. A strip of teeth on the lower leg portion are selectively engaged by elements on a locking block in the housing guide to fix the leg length, and the locking block is controlled from the top of the upper leg portion. Each leg of the tripod can be adjusted separately, or all three legs can be simultaneously adjusted. A biased toggle linkage in the housing guide moves the locking block so that the clamping engagement is positive.

Abstract: An instrument support platform system with a base, an elongated platform having front and rear portions, and a linkage coupling the base and platform. The linkage causes the rear of the platform to be raised, and the front held without lowering, when the platform is tilted down, and the reverse when the platform is raised and the rear is held without lowering. The center of gravity of an instrument on the platform is therefore held at an absolute level and slightly raised when tilting the platform, making the assembly counterbalanced and gravity biased to a level platform position.

Abstract: A platform movable in a horizontal plane by a plurality of underlying, initially vertical finger assemblies which reciprocate, half of which are driven down while the other half are retracted, and which then are cycled in the reverse fashion. The fingers are coupled to spherical surfaces reacting against reaction plates that can be controllably angled, with the result that the reciprocating fingers not only support the platform, but also move it horizontally by developing horizontal forces as a result of tilting the reaction plates.

Abstract: A tripod leg has upper and lower portions with the upper portion being secured at its upper end to the tripod head and having a housing guide at its lower end. The lower leg portion slides in the housing guide to adjust the total length of the leg. The lower leg portion is firmly clamped to minimize bending deflection. A strip of teeth on the lower leg portion are selectively engaged by elements on a locking block in the housing guide to fix the leg length, and the locking block is controlled from the top of the upper leg portion. Each leg of the tripod can be adjusted separately, or all three legs can be simultaneously adjusted. An over-centering, biased toggle linkage in the housing guide moves the locking block so that the clamping engagement is positive.

Abstract: The legs of a tripod are held in support position against further spreading by a flexible cable that is unspooled from a spring biased drum. The spring bias will respool the cable when the tripod legs are collapsed. The drum is in a housing fixed on one of the tripod legs, and the housing includes a locking device for locking rotation of the drum so as to fix the effective length of the cable and thus hold the legs to the position set by the cable length.

Abstract: A combustor for burning MSW (municipal solid waste) having a porous wall drum in which burning takes place with combustion air supplied from outside of the drum, in which air driven through the drum into the material being burned is supplied in pulses.

Abstract: A combustor formed of a plurality of water cooled pipes secured as a drum by members defining a plurality of holes between the pipes, the drum being mounted for rotation at an angle, with there being low U-shaped walls surrounding the sides and high ends of the holes so that aluminum melted by burning material in the drum is guided around the holes while that material flows to the lower end of the drum.

Abstract: In a combustor assembly having a main water cooled rotary combustor in which material is burned and which discharges into a furnace, a generally cylindruical secondary grate formed of water cooled pipes positioned in the furnace for receiving and holding material discharged from the main combustor so as to complete the burning while the secondary grate is slowly rotated to eventually discharge ashes and unburnable material from the furnace.

Abstract: A fuel mixer and burner in which a disk with an open face is rapidly rotated within a loosely confining chamber rectangular in cross section and having aligned inlet and outlet openings. A blower delivers air at high volumes and velocities to the inlet opening of the chamber so that air flows parallel to the disk face, and fuel is directed perpendicularly against the disk face. For liquid fuels including heavy oils, the fuel is directed through a nozzle against a smooth disk face. For solid fuels, pieces of fuel are fed by an auger conveyor against a rough grinding surface on the disk. The fuel is particlized, thrown peripherally in all directions from the disk, intermixed thoroughly with air, and blown toward and through the chamber outlet opening. When ignited, the fuel-air mixture creates a flame formed about the disk that is directed out the outlet opening.

Abstract: A camera lock-plate assembly having an elongated base plate to be secured to a camera and a support body with an upper surface slidably receiving the plate with a tongue-in-groove connection between tapered ways on the plate and lugs on the body. The lug on one side of the body is movable both down against spring bias, so that the plate can be simply lowered into position with the movable lug snap locking into position, and then moved toward the fixed lugs, so that the plate can be manually clamped in place. The plate can be adjustably slid to position the weight of the camera by unclamping, but not unlocking, the movable lug.

Abstract: A panhead for mounting, panning and tilting instruments such as cameras, the panhead having an adjustable drag system accomplished by providing a pressurized compartment for each of the shafts for panning and tilting, each of the shafts being provided with a flange having pre-loaded roller bearings operating against both surfaces of the flange. The compartment is filled with extremely viscous fluid under pressure, operating against the force of a spring loaded piston within the tilting shaft, the pressure, and consequently the drag, being reducible from the pre-set pressure by an adjustment screw urging the piston against the force of its spring. The tilting shaft assembly is provided at the opposite end thereof with a crank coacting with a spring assembly to provide a counter-balancing moment to offset the moment due to the shift in the center of gravity of the instrument during tilting thereof, the spring force being adjustable to compensate for varying weights of different instruments.

Abstract: A heated fluidized bed is formed by rotating a body of sand in a horizontal cylindrical drum, lifting and dropping sand from the bed through the open portion of the drum, and heating the region through which the sand drops. The drum is formed by a cylindrical water wall of pipes connected to a water source and a steam outlet, and annular end plates hold the sand bed and define inlet and outlet openings in the drum. Waste material is simply dumped through the inlet opening and ash is automatically discharged through the outlet opening. The sand is preferably lifted by small cross section, scoop-like baffles so that the coolest sand from the bottom of the bed is heated, and waste particles are not removed from the bed. If desired, auxiliary air can be introduced into the sand bed through a manifold-pipe arrangement.

Abstract: An instrument support structure having a post vertically telescoped in a column and an interfitted cylinder and rod within the post defining a hydraulic piston connecting the post and the column. A hydraulic reservoir is mounted on the column, is in fluid communication with the piston, and is pressurized so as to exert a force balancing the weight on the post. Pressurization is by air through a common tire valve so that various weights can be selectively balanced. An adjustable fluid valve controls the rate of fluid movement to and from the piston so as to hydraulically lock the post or adjustably control the rate at which a force can reposition the post. A spring biased shoe holds the post against walls in the column, and a threaded lock element enables the shoe pressure to be increased to mechanically lock the parts.

Abstract: An instrument support leveling socket having relatively adjustable parts with interfitting spherical sectioned surfaces in which one of the surfaces is defined by a plurality of spaced feet so that the surface is sectioned and separated by substantial clearance spaces. A locking knob threaded into one of the parts and sandwiching the other selectively clamps the surfaces together against relative movement.

Abstract: An improved instrument support structure including a post telescoped in a column, with means for adjusting their combined length, and three legs pivoted at the bottom of a column for swinging movement from adjacent the column to extended, base defining positions. The legs are locked by extendible struts including fluid actuators with one strut interconnecting each leg with the column. Fluid from a reservoir on the column is directed to all actuators when the legs are extended, and then valving is closed to shut off fluid intercommunication and lock the legs. The valving further includes provision for permitting one of the leg actuators to be manually pumped for drawing fluid from the reservoir and forcing fluid into the other leg actuators for easy setup of the structure.