Abstract: A method of converting a mass of berries which have superficially adhered together during storage in a container back to individual berries, said method including the steps of directing the berry mass against an apertured stationary breaking means (9) to randomly disassociate the adhered berries and produce berries and secondary masses of berries able to pass through the apertures, providing a moving breaking means (16) in adjacent relationship to said apertures and repeatedly impacting said secondary masses after passage through said apertures with said moving breaking means to disassociate adhered berries of said secondary masses and thereby reduce the secondary masses to individual berries.

Abstract: A container kit including a rectangular base ring with mounting structure on opposite sides of a base ring for engaging battens on opposite sides of a pallet. There is a first pair of rectangular side panels, each with a bottom adapted to engage in channels between upper base ring flanges and lower base ring flanges, and a second pair of like panels, each with a bottom adapted for engaging between upper base ring flanges and lower base ring flanges. The second panel pair is disposed between the first panel pair, thereby preventing the disconnection of all panels from channels between the upper and lower base ring flanges, with latches for connecting adjacent sides of the panels of the first and second panels.

Abstract: A container base (1) including a rectangular ring frame (5) with four sides defining an opening (5a) through the base frame, a base bottom (1a, 2), a pivot connection (6) between the ring frame (5) and the base bottom (1a, 2) and latches (50) releaseably couple the ring frame (5) and the base bottom (1a, 5) together. Each side (7) of the ring frame (5) has slots (8) for engagement by hooks (22) on four wall panels (21) so that the wall panels (22) can be coupled to the base (1).

Abstract: A collapsible container including a base (1), four interlockable demountable wall panels (12, 24) which are hooked to the base (1) by hook means (32) requiring vertical and then horizontal movement of each wall panel (12, 24) to connect the wall panel to the base (1), lateral support members (6, 7, 8, 9) on the four edges (2, 3, 4, 5) of the base (1) to relieve the hook means (32) from outwardly directed loads applied to the four interlocked panels (12, 24) by goods housed in the container.

Abstract: A hose support comprises two parallel link arrangements (7,10,12,16 and 8,16,13,18) to connect a hose mount (10) to a base (26), tensioned resilient means (25) connects an extension (38) of one link arrangement to an extension (34) of the base (26). There is a releasable tie bar/prop (21,22) connecting the base (26) to the extension (38) releasably to hold the hose mount (10) in a depressed position against the action of the resilient means (25) tending to move the hose mount (10) to a raised position.

Abstract: A container discharge side (7) comprising a frame (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) with a two-part covering comprised of an upper covering sheet (17) fixed to the frame and an openable lower covering sheet (27) with hinge means (29, 31, 32) connecting the lower covering sheet (27) to the frame so the lower covering sheet (27) is outwardly downwardly movable in an opening mode between the frame uprights (12, 13), an upwardly outwardly opening gate (G) is connected by hinges (25) to the frame, releasable locking means (26) maintain the gate (G) closed in overlying relationship with the lower covering sheet (27) when it is closed and forms a substantially coplanar extension of said upper covering sheet (17).

Abstract: A bag puncturing device to couple to a socket outlet of a plastic liner bag of a liquid container where the socket is closed off by a portion of the plastic bag. The puncturing device comprises a connector engagable in the socket and movable linearly in the socket and having a liquid passing opening through the connector housing a coiled compression spring which extends from the connector and is longer than the socket and a cutter which is caused to penetrate the socket closing portion of the bag by relative movement between the connector and the socket thereby allowing the spring to enter into the bag.

Abstract: A separable hinge connection comprising a leaf member and a pin means, the leaf member has a first hooked end which with a bridge overlying a body part of the leaf member couples the leaf member to the door and permits predetermined limited movement between the leaf member and the bridge and a second hooked end for releasable engagement with a hinge pin of the pin means, first and second stops on the pin means respectively limit rotational movement of the door and prevent vertical movement of the door for all but the final portion of the door opening movement, first and second restraining means respectively prevent and restrain the second hooked end from disengagement from the hinge pin, the second restraining means has a height above which said leaf member can be raised when the door is in said last portion of the door opening movement thereby allowing the leaf member to pass over the said second restraining means to uncouple the leaf member from the hinge pin.

Abstract: A method of controlling the cooling in green cheese blocks wherein the blocks are rectangular and are placed in identically oriented layers in a rigid rectangular container and wherein the dimensions of the blocks and the interior of the container are directly related so that the blocks can be placed in each layer so as to completely occupy the area provided for the layer and so that a corresponding surface of each block will be free of contact with adjacent blocks and then directing cooling onto the said corresponding surfaces.

Abstract: A pallet dispenser to dispense pallets one at a time for the bottom front of a support frame for a stack of pallets. A vertically movable support outside the frame and an element biassing the support to an elevated work position where front and rear linearly movable pallet engaging fingers on the support are aligned with the outer edges of the top battens of the second lowest pallet in a pallet stack in the frame. Biassing structure operative upon raising the pallet stack relative to the support by an outside agency to engage the fingers under the top battens of the second lowest pallet in the stack and engage releasable lock structure to retain the support in an elevated work position.

Abstract: A flow regulator for liquids passing through a resiliently deformable tube (18), the regulator comprising a body including a channel (8) to receive the tube (18), a channel floor (10) less than the length of the body, two axle tracks (12) in the inner faces of the channel walls (9) extending over the channel floor (10), a wheel (13) supported by stub axles (14) in the tracks (12) and a groove (15) of varying cross-sectional size in the channel floor (10) into which the tube (18) is forced as the wheel (13) passes over the groove (15).

Abstract: A container base assembly has walls (13, 14, 15) and (16) coupled to a base member (1) in a manner allowing them to fold down over the base member (1) and be erected around the base member (1). The walls (13) to (16) are erected sequentially by a part rotational movement followed by a rectilinear movement in which lips at the lower edges of the wall members are entered into a trough (12) in the base member (1). The walls include hook elements which are interlocked when the walls are in the erected condition to provide a continuous wall system around the base member (1).

Abstract: An apparatus for wrapping a load by placing, under tension, as panel of elastically stretchable sheet material around the load and including a base (2) having a load positioning recess or notch (3) and a tensioning bar (4) which is movably mounted on the base to grip the surplus of a single wrap of material around the load and to place the wrap under tension, and heat sealing bars (7) located between the load positioning recess or notch (3) and the tensioning bar (4) to secure the material drawn there-through. Other devices to secure the material are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a protective wrap is disclosed as including a frame made of four upright posts, the upper and lower ends of which engage with upper and lower rigid members, at least one of the posts is rotatable in one direction to apply tension to a plastic wrapper encircling the four posts and is prevented from rotation in the opposite direction by a tensioning handle on the top of the rotated post.

Abstract: A conveyor comprising a pulley (5,6) supported belt (1), which forms a tubular section when conveying materials. Material (4) is fed into the belt (1) by means (7) discharging below the level (CL) at which the belt is formed into a tube, but above the point which the line of the angle of repose of the material (4) being conveyed would be tangent to the inner face of the belt (1), ensuring that the tubular section is completely filled. The material (4) is conveyed to a discharge pipe (8) where the belt looses its tubular shape, causing the material to be discharged. A sleeve (9) may be provided to support the belt on vertical or inclined sections, and to ensure the tubular section is properly sealed.

Abstract: An enclosure comprising four interconnected sides, two opposite sides being coupling sides and the other sides being doors. A channel shaped coupler secured to each side with a channel leg extending under a bottom edge of the side and spaced therefrom to provide a slot to receive an edge of a floor panel for said enclosure. Cleats on the channels on the coupling members to engage the battens of a pallet thereby the mount the enclosure to a pallet.

Abstract: A wheeled trolley frame for use on an escalator. The frame has two ends and two pairs of ground engaging wheels (2 and 3) respectively positioned one pair adjacent each frame end and spaced apart so that both pairs of wheels cannot sit on a single escalator step tread. First and second escalator tread engaging means (4 and 5) on the frame respectively positioned adjacent the wheel pairs and intermediate the wheel pairs. The tread engaging means are spaced apart so that they cannot rest on the same escalator tread and lie above ground level and are spaced therefrom by a distance such that they will when the trolley frame is mounted on a formed escalator engage on two treads of the escalator and maintain the wheels adjacent the tread engaging means elevated from the escalator step treads.

Abstract: Stretch wrapping apparatus comprising a puckering device and an expandible rectangular frame demountably supported on the puckering device. Belts on the puckering device are provided to feed a length of plastic film tube onto pillars on the expandible frame to form a puckered band as a sub-base supporting the belts is raised relative to the pillars. A drive housed in the puckering device disengagably connected to jacking means on the puckering frame is provided to expand the frame and stretch the band to a size such that the expanded frame and the puckered band thereon can pass freely over the article to be wrapped.

Abstract: A kit of components to be assembled into a holder for a growth supporting medium such as soil. The kit comprises a panel with angled ends with associated first fastening means to engage in second fastening means on two posts joined by a panel which combines with the first panel to define a holding area which decreases in cross-section from top to bottom.

Abstract: A hinge of separable parts comprising a leaf part adapted to be mounted on a door and a pin part adapted to be mounted on a support from which the door is to be swung. The leaf part includes a body with a hooked end of channel form, a lug on one end of the channel remote from the body and a notch in the same end of the channel adjacent the body.