Abstract: In liquid carrying cargo tanks of barges, with valves located inside the tanks at the bottom, valve position indicator assemblies are mounted at the valve operating shaft, above deck and fixed in position relative to the tank above the top of the tank. Each assembly includes a two-piece gear that is clamped onto the valve operating shaft. A mating gear is mounted on a shaft parallel to the valve operating shaft and having a screw thread on it. A nut mounted on the screw thread has an indicator pointer mounted to it and which moves vertically relative to the screw as the shaft is rotated and advances between a lowermost position on an indicator scale indicating valve closed condition, and an uppermost position on an indicator scale indicating valve open condition, as the valve operated shaft is rotated to operate the valve between the closed position and the open position. Various mounting arrangements are used.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for indicating the amount of liquid contained in a railroad tank car, or any other liquid storage tank having an interior surface defining a liquid level reference point. A readily portable liquid level indicator gauge is provided having a tube defining an opening extending along its length, and an elongate rod slidably received therein. A buoyant member is attached to the rod to cause the rod to be vertically displaced in response to the vertical displacement of the buoyant member resulting from a corresponding change in liquid level. A reference arm is connected to the tube and a portion thereof forms an abutting relationship with an interior surface of the tank at the liquid level reference point. A clamping device connected to the tube is adapted to releasably attach the portable gauge to the tank in a substantially vertical orientation.

Abstract: Each barge in a group of river-going tanker barges, has a double-hull construction to protect the inner hull and avoid collision-induced cargo spills. The space between hulls is partitioned to individual empty, dry compartments with a vertical, open bottomed, measuring tube fixed in each. A closed-bottom master tube is fixed in one compartment. All tubes have a quick-connect, above-deck, flange to receive an ultrasonic transducer thereon. A hand-held measuring instrument containing a computer and controls and information display contains a transducer which is selectively pulsed to periodically send ultrasonic signals down the tube, and receive echo signals, with elapsed time representing the depth of a signal reflector surface which is the master tube bottom or, for the measuring tubes, the bottom of a dry compartment or the surface of liquid in a leaking compartment. A unique bar code with each tube, distinguishes it and the barge from all others. The measuring instrument includes a code reader.

Abstract: An anchor for a marine vessel has a shank pivotally connected to a fluke allowing pivotal movement therebetween about a pivot axis within a range of motion. The anchor also has a pivot control member engageable between the shank and the fluke to regulate the pivotal movement throughout at least a portion of the range of motion. The pivot control member is elastically deformed as the shank is pivoted relative to the fluke. The anchor has an operational position in which the point of connection of an anchor line to the shank is positioned below a horizontal plane containing the pivot axis.

Abstract: While fluid pressure is present on the upstream side of a ball valve assembly, a jig is mounted to the downstream flange of the ball valve assembly. The jig has two hinged arms. A jack-screw pad engages the ball while one or the other of the arms is positioned at the screw and urged by a jam nut on the screw to force the pad against the valve ball to seal it on the inboard valve seal. Then the outboard seal is removed and replaced during sequential use of the hinged arms to keep the inboard seal holding pressure on the upstream side.

Abstract: A vacuum limiter valve assembly has a valve body screwed into an opening on a cargo tank. It has a relatively soft elastomeric, lightly spring-loaded seal closing the passageway through the valve body between the tank interior and the surrounding environment outside the tank. The relatively small area of the seal which would otherwise be exposed to tank cargo or vapors therefrom, is protected by a shield of material which is relatively inert and unaffected by most known chemicals, but also capable of a sealing function. The shield does not interfere with the normal sealing function, nor does it interfere with the opening of the vacuum limiter valve when needed to avoid development of excessive vacuum in the tank.

Abstract: A railroad tank car containing liquid, has a tube through its top, with the closed lower end of the tube in the liquid. A float slidable along the tube exterior is magnetically coupled to an ultrasound reflector piston inside the tube so that, when the tube is in the liquid in the tank, the float determines the height of the piston inside the tube. An ultrasonic transducer atop the tube sends pulses down the tube and which are reflected by the piston to the transducer. A computer coupled to the transducer determines and displays the liquid level. The piston is cup-shaped with a known distance between reflecting surfaces for use in the computer to produce a display value corrected for temperature variations.

Abstract: A float-operated switch assembly is mounted in an opening in the top of a tank. It includes a vertical non-magnetic pipe having a pair of floats normally hanging beside it. Each of the floats has a magnet thereon normally in a position proximate the pipe when the float is down. A magnetic field between this magnet and a switch operator support magnet inside the pipe normally holds the latter magnet in a set position. The floats are located at a height such that, when the liquid has risen to the desired upper limit, the rising liquid has caused the floats to swing up and outward from the pipe, pulling their respective magnets out of supporting relationship to the switch operator support magnet whereupon the support magnet drops and a switch is operated for activating a signal circuit. A manual test knob is provided to remotely, manually lift the floats.

Abstract: A sight glass assembly is bolted to a mounting flange welded to a barge deck around an opening therein at the top of a cargo tank in the barge. A couple of wiper assemblies are mounted to the sight glass and are operable from outside the glass by hand cranks. Each wiper assembly includes a replaceable wiper cartridge having an O-ring as the glass wiping member. The sight glass assembly can be unbolted from the mounting flange for ready access to the replaceable cartridges.

Abstract: A spill valve assembly is mounted to a flanged opening atop a liquid cargo tank of a barge. A valve disk normally closing an aperture in the assembly is maintained closed by a combination of pivoting lever arms. A self-centering post assembly atop the valve disk is held down by a valve retaining lever arm pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis horizontally spaced from the post assembly. When the pressure in the tank rises to the limit established by the valve setting, it moves the valve retaining lever arm sufficiently to tip a control lever arm connected to it and which moves in a way which facilitates further and more rapid pivoting of the retaining arm to thereby permit the spill valve to open freely and relieve the pressure in the tank. Balance weight adjustment means are provided to facilitate adjustment of spill setpoint pressures. A convenient field test of setpoint is provided.

Abstract: A gage assembly has a frame including a base fastened to a fixture on a table to which workpieces are to be brought for gaging. Digital electronic gages are secured to the frame and have gage-operating plungers extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The plunger axes are coplanar and intersect in the center of a hole in the frame base through which a pneumatically-operated conical ended probe extends. The gage plungers are resiliently biased against a probe ring that is coaxial with the probe cone and is mounted on articulated pivot arms so that the gages are operated in response to random horizontal movement of the probe ring as the probe point enters and centers in a hole whose location in a workpiece is being checked to about a second axis parallel to the first axis.

Abstract: On a liquid cargo tank of a barge, a pressure responsive pilot valve operates through a combination of levers to unlatch a main valve clamp arm. One lever is a latch arm having a first position engaging and retaining a latch stud mounted on the clamp arm, and having a second position free of the latch stud whereby the clamp arm is released. A latch hook normally retains the latch arm in the first position but is operable to a second position to free the latch arm from the restraint of the hook. A pilot-operated trigger arm is operable on the latch hook to move the latch hook from the latch arm retaining position to the latch release position. The trigger arm also is able to directly engage the latch arm for unlatching it if not already unlatched immediately upon freedom from restraint of the hook. The main valve seal disk is held closed under a spring-load by the clamp arm.

Abstract: To measure in X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis coordinates, modules including indicator gages, guides, small linear slides, adjustable stops, and a pneumatic actuator for at least one axis, are bolted together in a manner such as to be readily mounted to a table or other fixture for measuring locations of features on workpieces. The parts are provided with symmetrical arrangements of holes to facilitate reversal of mountings to adapt to a variety of installations without modification of the parts themselves.

Abstract: A linear position index bar is fixed to the frame of a horizontal band saw adjacent the workpiece support table. A linear indexing clamp assembly is mounted to the bar and movable along it to primary indexing locations. A workpiece end locator stop is micrometer mounted to the clamp assembly and associated with a dial indicator for precision indication of positions within a range of one measuring increment of the index bar. Major changes of stock stop position from the saw blade are done by moving the index clamp. Precision positioning is accomplished with a decimal setting knob on the micrometer.

Abstract: A twist drill is provided with a countersink and collar assembly. The countersink includes a body with a face which cooperates with a similar face of the collar to trap a pair of balls between them. The faces being conical, enable the balls to be driven radially inward into the drill flutes by tightening the collar onto the countersink. A chip deflector is provided at the cutting edges of the countersink.

Abstract: A dial indicator gage is mounted to a bar of sufficient length to measure across a part of a certain size. The bar has holes spaced along it for adjustably positioning an anvil carrier at a distance from the indicator plunger which is sufficient to measure a part of the size involved. A handle-operated plunger retractor retracts the indicator plunger into a cavity when the gage assembly is lifted to move it onto a part or off a part to thereby avoid possible damage to the plunger.