Abstract: The invention relates to an active linear induction motor system that has particular advantage with a SAILRAIL.RTM. air guided and supported air bearing system. In this case the secondary for the motor is the support rail, which rail can have a convex or a concave operating surface, is electrically conductive, and has ferromagnetic material in close proximity to the operating surface. The primary for the motor is found in a runner which cooperates with the rail and supports the load to be carried in the system. The primary includes a plurality of laterally adjacent, longitudinally extending and articulated ferromagnetic laminations having a longitudinally toothed surface that is transversely arcuate to be complementary to the rail operating surface. Electrical windings are wound about selected groups of teeth of the laminations as a LIM primary. A compliant pad adjacent the laminations is capable of deformation under load and at least partial recovery after load removal.

Abstract: Improvements in the primary and the secondary of linear induction motors for a SAILRAIL air bearing support and conveying systems increase the efficiency of such systems. In the primary the core includes a plurality of laterally adjacent toothed laminations with the edges of the teeth being complementarily curved to the curvature of the rail. The electrical windings extend around air ducts formed in the primary, improving cooling. Additional cooling is achieved by bleeding air to vertical nozzles in the core, the cooling bleed air also helping to support a runner as it passes over the primary. The secondary is provided in the runner and includes two sets of curved flexible plates held in a pocket in the runner adjacent the operating surface thereof. The inner plates are ferromagnetic and the outer plates are copper or aluminum and are generally wider than the inner plates.

Abstract: An improved runner for use with a SAILRAIL hydrostatic bearing levitation system is disclosed. The runner uses a substantially solid core having a degree of flexibility in a vertical plane, a thin pad of flexible, compliant material extending transversely around the core, and an outer flexible, compliant sheath enclosing the pad and the core. Flexibility is enhanced by a longitudinally extending slot cut into the core from the upper surface thereof. The side walls of the core are flat and straight and meet the lower convex surface of the core at a generally sharp longitudinal edge. Also the ends of the runner can angle upwardly to enhance the ability of the runner to traverse joints, gaps, or imperfections in the SAILRAIL rail. The runner can be secured to a deck member and provides specific advantages over prior art runners which had a larger profile, were more expensive and were not as efficient as the low profile runner of this invention.

Abstract: Apparatus for moving two individual bins between their separate loading stations and a common unloading station includes a length of conveyor on which one bin always rests and a set of pivotable lever arms, the other bin being connected to one end of one set of lever arms. Another set of lever arms is connected to the first lever arms and carries cam followers which are constrained to simultaneously follow two sets of cam tracks, one of which is stationary within the apparatus and the other of which is affixed to the one bin. When a bin at the unloading station is empty the apparatus will move that bin to its own loading station while bringing the other bin from its loading station to the unloading station. Interaction between the cam followers and the cam tracks moves the one bin back or forth on the conveyor while the other bin member is moved in a vertically arcuate path. The loading station of the other bin is vertically spaced above the loading station of the one bin.

Abstract: Apparatus for wrapping web material about an elongated object, particularly one which is asymmetrical to a rotational axis thereof, includes a frame, a cylindrical support member mounted in the frame and an annular resilient sleeve loosely surrounding the support member longitudinally thereof. The object is mounted so that it creates a nip with the sleeve and the web material is fed into the nip. The object is rotated on its rotation axis to draw the web material through the nip and to wrap the material on the object. As the object rotates the sleeve will also rotate on the support member and it will deform radially to conform to the object as material is wrapped thereon. The deformation and almost instant changes in angular velocity of the sleeve reduces tension variations in the web material and result in a uniform covering of the object as it is wrapped.

Abstract: An accumulation and storage system, preferably for palletized loads, utilizes a SAILRAIL (trade mark) air support system for guiding and supporting an elongated deck during reciprocal movement thereof. Alongside each edge of the deck is a pallet lifting/lowering mechanism which uses an elongated inflatable tube, such as a fire hose, to raise or lower an inverted U-shaped lifting member. When the lifting members are raised a pallet can be placed thereon and the deck can reciprocate therebelow. When the lifting members are lowered the pallet rests on the deck and can be moved along the system to a subsequent position where it is raised clear of the deck so that the deck can return to pick up another pallet at the input station. Logic controls can be used to operate the system quickly, efficiently and automatically.

Abstract: An improved runner for use with a sailrail hydrostatic bearing levitation system is disclosed. The runner uses a substantially solid core having a degree of flexibility in a vertical plane, a thin pad of flexible, compliant material covering at least the transversely convex lower surface of the core, and an outer flexible, compliant cover enclosing the pad and the core. In another embodiment there is pad material on the upper surface of the core as well. The runner can be secured to a pallet and provides specific advantages over prior art runners which had a larger profile, were more expensive and were not as efficient as the low profile runner of this invention.

Abstract: A fluid levitated generally convex support member particularly useful in supporting a pallet, plate or belt such that the pallet, plate or belt load may be moved in an air powered track system, the system including at least one concave track with means for supporting and guiding the convex member and the pallet, plate or belt thereabove on a thin film of pressurized air jetting from nozzles in the track. The support member includes a generally tubular, flexible and partly deformable outer member and means for internally stressing the outer member so that under load there will be controlled deformation thereof. The deformed member will be closely complementary to the track surface to maximize load carrying capacity while minimizing fluid support power requirements and the detrimental effect of track deformities.

Abstract: Improvements to the various components of hydrostatic bearing levitation systems, systems wherein fluid pressure between a load and the rails of a track system supports and guides the load, are described. The rail has a plurality of lengthwise extending ports and nozzles communicating from the innermost ports through the curved upper wall to the interface area between the rail and the load. The nozzles are arranged in longitudinally aligned groups and in a pair of parallel rows with the groups of one row being longitudinally staggered with respect to the groups of the other row. The nozzles can be inexpensively produced by boring an oversize hole through the upper wall and fixing a cannula, such as a hypodermic needle, in the bore. The cannula's internal diameter is the desired nozzle diameter. The load support member has a compliant outer cover, a central core, and a filler material wound tightly on the core.

Abstract: Improvements to the various components of hydrostatic bearing levitation systems, systems wherein fluid pressure between a load and the rails of a track system supports and guides the load, are described. The rail has a plurality of lengthwise extending ports and nozzles communicating from the innermost ports through the curved upper wall to the interface area between the rail and the load. The nozzles are arranged in longitudinally aligned groups and in a pair of parallel rows with the groups of one row being longitudinally staggered with respect to the groups of the other row. The nozzles can be inexpensively produced by boring an oversize hole through the upper wall and fixing a cannula, such as a hypodermic needle, in the bore. The cannula's internal diameter is the desired nozzle diameter. The load support member has a compliant outer cover, a central core, and a filler material wound tightly on the core.

Abstract: A fluid levitated generally convex support member particularly useful in supporting a pallet, plate or belt such that the pallet, plate or belt load may be moved in an air powered track system, the system including at least one concave track with means for supporting and guiding the convex member and the pallet, plate or belt thereabove on a thin film of pressurized air jetting from nozzles in the track. The support member includes a generally tubular, flexible and partly deformable outer member and means for internally stressing the outer member so that under load there will be controlled deformation thereof. The deformed member will be closely complementary to the track surface to maximize load carrying capacity while minimizing fluid support power requirements and the detrimental effect of track deformities.

Abstract: A fluid levitated generally convex support member particularly useful in supporting a pallet, plate or belt such that the pallet, plate or belt load may be moved in an air powered track system, the system including at least one concave track with means for supporting and guiding the convex member and the pallet, plate or belt thereabove on a thin film of pressurized air jetting from nozzles in the track. The support member includes a generally tubular, flexible and partly deformable outer member and means for internally stressing the outer member so that under load there will be controlled deformation thereof. The deformed member will be closely complementary to the track surface to maximize load carrying capacity while minimizing fluid support power requirements and the detrimental effect of track deformities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for overriding the prior art automatic levelling system for vehicles riding on fluid suspensions such as air bags. Such systems utilize a link extending between the vehicle axle and a regulating valve whereby the valve is responsive to vertical axle movement to alter the pressurization of the air bags and hence the clearance height between the vehicle bed and the axle. In the present invention the link is replaced by a cylinder and piston actuator which is connected to a master control via a conduit. An incompressible fluid fills the actuator chamber, the conduit and the master control chamber. The master control chamber may be varied in volume to produce a corresponding change, via the fluid, in the actuator chamber resulting in relative movement between the actuator cylinder and piston and hence operation of the regulating valve.

Abstract: The described apparatus has utility as a doctor on a paper machine, as a drying element in an aircap dryer and as a sealing element in such a dryer. It involves a foot portion having an outer surface generally conforming to the curvature of the cylinder surface on which it is used. It is resiliently supported in close juxtaposition to the cylinder surface so that a gap diminishing in thickness towards one longitudinal edge of the foot portion is provided. At least two rows of nozzles communicate through the foot portion in order to project pressurized air into the gap. Each nozzle is angled relative to three orthogonal planes, one of which is tangent to the cylinder surface at the point where the nozzle axis meets the surface, another of which is parallel to the longitudinal edge of the foot portion. The flow from the nozzles is such as to support the foot portion and to seal the support flow from any disorganized flows.

Abstract: A transportation system in which a vehicle is adapted for guided longitudinal movement along a prepared track having a transversely curved support surface. In addition to a body and propulsion means the vehicle has at least two support members flexibly connected thereto for limited articulation relative thereto, each support member having an outer surface curved to be complementary with the curved track surface. One of the curved surfaces will be generally concave in cross-section, the other generally convex. The concave surface has a plurality of nozzles therein for projecting pressurized fluid at an angle thereto to form a wedge of pressurized fluid between the mating convex and concave surfaces. The wedge diminishes in thickness in the direction of projection and supports the support members above the track. The wedge forces are balanced and the vehicle does not require additional guiding means. Also the wedge is dynamic and does not require a skirt for containment in its zone of influence.