Abstract: A structural reinforced composite construction mat includes a plurality of composite plastic beams that are ganged together to define the mat, with a plurality of flitch plates disposed between at least some of the plastic beams to provide additional strength and rigidity to the mat. The plastic beams may be made of a composite material have a generally rectangular cross-section. The flitch plates have a width (vertical height) when disposed between adjacent beams that is less than the width (vertical height) of the beams, such that the flitch plates may be recessed below and above the top and bottom surfaces of the mat, respectively. A plurality of rods extend in the lateral direction through the beams and plates to compress the beams and plates against each. The flitch plates may be metal or fiber-reinforced resin and may further include slotted holes to allow the beams to retract lengthwise in response to environmental changes.

Abstract: A structural reinforced composite construction mat includes a plurality of composite plastic beams that are ganged together to define the mat, with a plurality of flitch plates disposed between at least some of the plastic beams to provide additional strength and rigidity to the mat. The plastic beams may be made of a composite material have a generally rectangular cross-section. The flitch plates have a width (vertical height) when disposed between adjacent beams that is less than the width (vertical height) of the beams, such that the flitch plates may be recessed below and above the top and bottom surfaces of the mat, respectively. A plurality of rods extend in the lateral direction through the beams and plates to compress the beams and plates against each. The flitch plates may be metal or fiber-reinforced resin and may further include slotted holes to allow the beams to retract lengthwise in response to environmental changes.

Abstract: A structural reinforced composite construction mat includes a plurality of composite plastic beams that are ganged together to define the mat, with a plurality of flitch plates disposed between at least some of the plastic beams to provide additional strength and rigidity to the mat. The plastic beams may be made of a composite material have a generally rectangular cross-section. The flitch plates have a width (vertical height) when disposed between adjacent beams that is less than the width (vertical height) of the beams, such that the flitch plates may be recessed below and above the top and bottom surfaces of the mat, respectively. A plurality of rods extend in the lateral direction through the beams and plates to compress the beams and plates against each. The flitch plates may be metal or fiber-reinforced resin and may further include slotted holes to allow the beams to retract lengthwise in response to environmental changes.

Abstract: A structural reinforced composite construction mat includes a plurality of composite plastic beams that are ganged together to define the mat, with a plurality of flitch plates disposed between at least some of the plastic beams to provide additional strength and rigidity to the mat. The plastic beams may be made of a composite material have a generally rectangular cross-section. The flitch plates have a width (vertical height) when disposed between adjacent beams that is less than the width (vertical height) of the beams, such that the flitch plates may be recessed below and above the top and bottom surfaces of the mat, respectively. A plurality of rods extend in the lateral direction through the beams and plates to compress the beams and plates against each. The flitch plates may be metal or fiber-reinforced resin and may further include slotted holes to allow the beams to retract lengthwise in response to environmental changes.

Abstract: An apparatus for tending to rows of vines is presented which may be pulled, or driven, between a pair of rows of a vineyard. The apparatus includes implements to tend to the vines on both rows at the same time. The apparatus include a left portion that tends to a left row of vines and right portion that tends to a right row of vines. The portions are attached to the apparatus using linkages that permit the portions to adjust to changes in row spacing or the position of the apparatus between the rows. The apparatus also includes weeder assemblies that weed the ground between the vines while preventing damage to the vines, and a spray device for spraying the vines.

Abstract: A beam assembly includes a plastic composite beam and a flitch plate, where the flitch plate is secured to the plastic composite beam to improve the strength and rigidity of the beam. The assembly may include a plurality of rods extending through holes defined in the flitch plate and the beam to compress the flitch plate and the beam and to create a frictional engagement between the flitch plate and the beam. The flitch plate may have a height that is less than the height of the beam, such that upper and lower surfaces of the flitch plate are recessed from the upper and lower surfaces of the beam. The assembly may include two beams with a flitch plate disposed laterally between the beams. The flitch plate may include projections or protrusions that engage the beams to secure the flitch plate to the beams.

Abstract: A structural reinforced composite construction mat includes a plurality of composite plastic beams that are ganged together to define the mat, with a plurality of flitch plates disposed between at least some of the plastic beams to provide additional strength and rigidity to the mat. The plastic beams may be made of a composite material have a generally rectangular cross-section. The flitch plates have a width (vertical height) when disposed between adjacent beams that is less than the width (vertical height) of the beams, such that the flitch plates may be recessed below and above the top and bottom surfaces of the mat, respectively. A plurality of rods extend in the lateral direction through the beams and plates to compress the beams and plates against each. The flitch plates may be metal or fiber-reinforced resin and may further include slotted holes to allow the beams to retract lengthwise in response to environmental changes.

Abstract: A building product and method for manufacturing a building product made from an oriented polymer composition which can be split to provide a surface of the building product with a plurality of visible fibrils to form an aesthetic representative of split wood.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic device suitable for directly mounting on a structure. The device includes an active portion including a photovoltaic cell assembly having a top surface portion that allows transmission of light energy to a photoactive portion of the photovoltaic device for conversion into electrical energy and a bottom surface having a bottom bonding zone; and an inactive portion immediately adjacent to and connected to the active portion, the inactive portion having a region for receiving a fastener to connect the device to the structure and having on a top surface, a top bonding zone; wherein one of the top and bottom bonding zones comprises a first bonding element and the other comprises a second bonding element, the second bonding element designed to interact with the first bonding element on a vertically overlapped adjacent photovoltaic device to bond the device to such adjacent device or to the structure.

Abstract: A building product and method for manufacturing a building product made from an oriented polymer composition which can be split to provide a surface of the building product with a plurality of visible fibrils to form an aesthetic representative of split wood.

Abstract: Utilizes machine vision to thin fields, for example by selectively spraying plants with enough fertilizer to kill the plants, for example to maintain a minimum distance between plants or to enable remaining plants to grow in a pattern, for example two dimension diamond pattern. The use of fertilizer to kill plants has the benefit of fertilizing the field, i.e., the remaining plants not to be killed, at the same time. This unexpected result which occurs in the thinning and simultaneous fertilizing of a field is based the discovery that immature plants are more sensitive to fertilizer than mature plants. The system and method eliminates the need for harmful chemicals and mechanical thinners and may be retrofitted onto existing spray systems and platforms, thus eliminating herbicides and thinning machinery.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic assembly system for securing and/or aligning at least a plurality of vertically adjacent photovoltaic device assemblies to one another. The securing function being accomplished by a clip member that may be a separate component or integral to one or more of the photovoltaic device assemblies.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic assembly system for securing and/or aligning at least a plurality of vertically adjacent (overlapping) photovoltaic device assemblies to one another. The securing function being accomplished by a clip member that may be a separate component or integral to one or more of the photovoltaic device assemblies.

Abstract: The present invention is a method to manufacture shaped foam composite articles and articles made therefrom. Specifically, shaped foam articles having a laminated skin such as a solid thermoplastic sheet. The shaped foam article (10) and the skin may be made from the same or different materials. The method comprises (i) preparing a shaped foamed article with a plurality of perforations and (ii) vacuum forming a skin onto the perforated shaped foamed article.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic device suitable for directly mounting on a structure. The device includes an active portion including a photovoltaic cell assembly having a top surface portion that allows transmission of light energy to a photoactive portion of the photovoltaic device for conversion into electrical energy and a bottom surface having a bottom bonding zone; and an inactive portion immediately adjacent to and connected to the active portion, the inactive portion having a region for receiving a fastener to connect the device to the structure and having on a top surface, a top bonding zone; wherein one of the top and bottom bonding zones comprises a first bonding element and the other comprises a second bonding element, the second bonding element designed to interact with the first bonding element on a vertically overlapped adjacent photovoltaic device to bond the device to such adjacent device or to the structure.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic assembly system for securing and/or aligning at least a plurality of vertically adjacent (overlapping) photovoltaic device assemblies to one another. The securing function being accomplished by a clip member that may be a separate component or integral to one or more of the photovoltaic device assemblies.

Abstract: The present invention is premised upon a photovoltaic assembly system for securing and/or aligning at least a plurality of vertically adjacent photovoltaic device assemblies to one another. The securing function being accomplished by a clip member that may be a separate component or integral to one or more of the photovoltaic device assemblies.

Abstract: A molded panel for buildings is manufactured in a manner that permits the blocking tab along the upper edge of the panel to be molded in a position that is close to its final desired position. Pressure is applied to the locking tab as it cools, thereby bringing the locking tab into its final position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for assembling and disassembling pipe. The device has a drive mechanism that be used to either assemble or disassemble pipe. The drive mechanism has two independent traction drives that can independently impart longitudinal forces on a pipe, either in the same or opposing directions. The drive unit can thus transport pipe or can facilitate the assembly of pipe from modular units or the disassembly of pipe into modular units. The method includes pulling or pushing pipe from the field from a fixed location with a traction device.

Abstract: Prepare an oriented polymer composition having a decorative appearance by a process including extruding an orientable polymer composition from an extruder, directing the orientable polymer composition through a calibrator and then drawing the orientable polymer composition, optionally through a drawing die, at a drawing temperature to form an oriented polymer composition wherein the process further includes disposing a colorant onto a surface of the oriented polymer composition prior to the calibrator, prior to the drawing die or both prior to a calibrator and prior to the drawing die in a pattern having a width of at least five millimeters and that preferably so that the colorant is at least partially located on a recessed portion of the resulting oriented polymer composition's surface and/or extends to a depth of at least one millimeter below the oriented polymer composition's surface.