Abstract: A reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with a varying compression ratio comprises a block having at least one piston bore, a piston received in each bore, a head attached to the block and having a dome portion closing the top of each bore and defining with the piston a compression volume when the piston is at top dead center in the bore, a crankcase, a crank rotatably mounted in the crankcase, and a connecting rod coupling each piston to the crank. The block is mounted on the crankcase for pivotal movement about a pivot axis parallel to and spaced apart from the axis of the crank such that the size of the compression volume varies in accordance with the extent of the pivotal movement of the block about the pivot axis. An actuator connected between the block and the crankcase pivots the block about the pivot axis relative to the crankcase in response to at least one signal indicative of at least one operating parameter of the engine.

Abstract: An engine comprises an output shaft journalled in a crankcase for rotation about an axis, an even number of cylinders, each having its axis parallel to the shaft axis, arranged in diametrically opposite pairs radially equidistant from the shaft axis and equally spaced-apart circumferentially, and a piston movable axially along each cylinder. A cross-head beam for each pair of pistons is connected to the respective pistons and journalled on a carrier that is received on the shaft for rotation with and movement axially along the shaft. A mechanism selectively moves the carrier axially along the shaft to vary the clearance volumes of the cylinders. The engine operates on a six-stroke cycle consisting of a four-stroke combustion cycle followed by a two-stroke steam cycle. The water injected for the steam cycle cools the engine. The intake air for the combustion cycle is supercharged and preheated before induction.

Abstract: A hopper for feeding fruit in several transversely spaced lanes from a supply conveyor to the pick-up positions of a fruit feeder includes several drums mounted in spaced and downwardly inclined relationships. The spacing between the adjacent drums is adapted for the reception of a single file of fruit, and the inclination of the drums is sufficient to cause the fruit to gravitate downwardly to the feeder pick-up positions. A push-pull drive mechanism is provided to pivot the drums back and forth about their axes of rotation to cause the fruit to spin as they gravitate downwardly between the drums. Such spinning action facilitates rapid feeding of the fruit downwardly between the drums and, in particular, prevents irregularly shaped citrus fruit such as tangerines or lemsons from becoming enlodged against each other to thereby interrupt their flow to the pick-up positions.

Abstract: A sequential feeder for rapidly feeding fruit to a sequential citrus fruit extractor includes a plurality of chain conveyors, each conveyor being mounted in a vertical plane extending between a lane of a fruit hopper and a lower extractor cup of the extractor. Each chain conveyor includes a plurality of fingers mounted in uniform intervals thereon. A guide plate assembly is provided for each chain for having a contour which causes the chain to move upwardly from the fruit support through a broad curvature adapted to assure that the fingers maintain positive control of the fruit. The guide plate assembly has a sharply curved upper end which causes the fingers of the chain conveyor to pivot rapidly forward after a fruit has been elevated to a height above the associated lower extractor cup such rapid pivoting causes the fruit to be propelled at a high speed into the associated cup.

Abstract: A citrus fruit juice extractor capable of processing at least 900 fruit per minute includes a set of lower extractor cups rigidly mounted in a linear arrangement to the extractor frame and a set of movable upper extractor cups adapted to interdigitate with the lower cups to extract juice from fruit received in the lower cups. The upper cups are mounted upon separate drive rods that are respectively clamped to cam follower arms, and the follower arms are sequentially driven by cams affixed in a balanced arrangement upon a camshaft to drive the upper extractor cups in a preselected sequence. The juice extractor further includes perforated strainer tubes extending downwardly of the lower extractor cups and hollow orifice tubes slidably received within the strainer tubes. The orifice tubes are sequentially driven by hydraulic slave cylinders that, in turn, are respectively controlled by master cylinders.

Abstract: An improved screw type apparatus for separating the liquid phase from a solid-liquid mixture includes a conveyor screw and a discharge housing that includes an imperforate cylindrical wall which surrounds the downstream end of the screw tube and has a discharge opening formed therein. A discharge gate is pivotally mounted in the discharge opening, and a pneumatic actuator is provided to bias the gate toward a closed position with a preselected, constant force. Paddles are affixed to the cylindrical downstream end of the screw tube at longitudinal spacings thereon for the purpose of propelling the deliquified solid phase of the mixture about the end of the screw tube, and stripper members are mounted on the interior of the cylindrical discharge housing wall adjacent the discharge opening to extend between the paddles to aid in urging the solid material into the discharge opening.

Abstract: The hood for an air recirculation type of street sweeper forms a single, unidirectional air flow duct from the air inlet line to the air return. The top wall of the hood is formed to provide an air stream deflector that slants downwardly in the direction of the air return line and accelerates the air stream to insure that all debris is entrained in the air stream as it leaves the hood.

Abstract: A street sweeper with an air recirculation type pickup hood includes a vehicle mounted hopper, a blower and a debris pickup hood extending transversely across a swept surface. The blower withdraws air from the hopper and delivers it to one end of the hood and an air stream and entrained debris leave the other end of the hood through an air return line connected to the hopper. Relatively narrow surface engaging sealing flaps extend along the front and rear sides of the hood. At one end of the hood an air lock is provided having a pair of sequentially operating air lock doors for admitting large articles of debris such as cans or bottles that are windrowed to the entrance of the air lock by an angled deflector.

Abstract: A mobile street sweeper employs a pickup hood through which air is circulated to entrain and pick up debris. The air circulation system includes a main blower and a smaller, auxiliary blower. The main blower inlet is connected to the debris hopper of the sweeper and air delivered by the main blower is directed to one end of the pickup hood. The other end of the pickup hood is connected by an air return line to the hopper. A filter for fine material is mounted on the hopper and has an air inlet that is in communication with the exterior surfaces of a plurality of tubular filter elements in the filter unit. The interiors of the filter elements are in communication with the inlet of the smaller auxiliary blower, which blower exhausts air to the atmosphere. The system is arranged so that about 3/4 of the total system air flow is delivered to the hood by the main blower and about 1/4 of the total system air flow is exhausted to the atmosphere by the auxiliary blower, via the hopper and the filters.