Abstract: A low cost manual container lifting and placement unit operable by two people is disclosed which allows clamping, lifting and release of containers in a simple manner. The unit is made in two clamp jaw halves and each is connected to a rod that extends out to form handles on each side. The halves are connected by linking plates which allow rotation between the two halves causing the clamp halves to converge to grip a container of interest and diverge to release the container.

Abstract: A shaft sealing arrangement for sealing bores around a pair of stirrer shafts that emerge through a wall of an associated mixing vessel includes a pair of generally cylindrical shaft sealing assemblies designed to be carried on adjacent stirrer shafts, each gland assembly including the gland member and a gland housing. A plurality of raised spaced radially distributed wiper strips are attached to outside surface of each gland which are directionally deployed at an angle with the direction of the axis of the gland such that the wiper strips act to return escaping material back into an associated mixing vessel. The gland assemblies are designed to be mounted on to rotate with a corresponding one of the pair of stirrer shafts and are enabled to move axially relative therealong.

Abstract: An extruded stick-type propellant grain is disclosed that includes a length separated from a strand of extruded propellant material having a predetermined cross-sectional shape provided with a predetermined number of spaced, radially distributed, hollow non-round longitudinal perforations formed in said length of propellant material parallel to and extending along the length thereof and separated and surrounded by a web of the propellant material. The perforations have a geometric cross section selected from the group consisting of non-round shapes that enhance uniformity in unburned web thickness during a normal burn of said length of extruded propellant thereby reducing the amount of unburned slivers. A central perforation is also provided.

Abstract: An extrusion die for use in producing perforated stick-type propellant includes a die blank having a central passage therethrough, the passage having a tapered entry, an open lattice webbing structure having struts in and spanning the central die passage, and an array of die pins for imparting perforations in material forced through the central passage, each pin having a fixed end attached to the lattice structure and a free end extending parallel to the passage beyond the lattice structure.