Abstract: A safety guard for the nip of two neighboring rolls in a calender has an elongated support which is located in front of the nip and has two elongated strip-shaped barriers each adjacent but spaced apart from the peripheral surface of one of the rolls. The support is mounted on the bearings for one of the rolls for pivotal movement about an axis which is parallel to the nip and carries cams which are biased against rollers on the bearings for the other roll by one or more reversible motors. If the bearings for one of the rolls are moved relative to the bearings for the other roll, the cams move along the respective rolls and/or vice versa, whereby the orientation of the support and of the barriers thereon is changed so that the width of the clearances between the barriers and the peripheral surfaces of the adjacent rolls does not exceed a maximum permissible value such as would enable a careless operator to introduce a finger into the nip.

Abstract: A beverage can crusher has a pair of rollers which rotate toward one another to crush a can between them. The crusher has a deposit window and chute which place the cans above the rollers and ensure that the cans are flattened from the sides rather than smashed from the top. This provides for a repeatable, baleable crushed can. An actuator placed less than one can length above the rollers in the chute energizes the drive motor to rotate the rollers and continues to have the rollers rotating as long as there is a can engaging the actuator The rollers have a special receiving surface and engaging surfaces which grip the sides of the can to minimize slipping so that the can will be pulled down between the rollers. In addition, pins extend radially outward from the outer surface of the rollers to further grip the can.

Abstract: An on-machine calender device intended to be on-line connected to a paper machine. The calender comprises a number of subsequent calendering nips, through which the web (W) to be calendered can be passed. The nips are formed between a soft calender roll and a hard calender roll or between two soft calender rolls. The calender is composed of one or several, for example two, subsequent calender modules (M.sub.1, M.sub.2). The modules comprise one counter-roll (10, 20) and at least two soft calendering rolls (11, 12, 13; 21, 22, 23), which are placed at both sides of the counter-roll (10, 20) in the direction of running of the web (W). The calender rolls (10, 11, 12, 13;20, 21, 22, 23) are dispaceable in relation to each other so that the threading of the web (W) can be carried out as a straight run, for which purpose an open passage is opened through the calender.

Abstract: A container crusher for crushing aluminum beverage cans, two-liter plastic beverage bottles, and the like uses a motor-driven rotatable drum in a housing. Mounted on the periphery of the drum are a plurality of angled crusher arms which contact containers introduced into the housing and crush them between the rotating crusher arms and the walls of the housing. Mounted on top of the housing is a circular tray into which containers to be crushed are placed. The tray has a feed opening into the crusher housing which is covered by a safety cover which, in turn, has an inlet opening displaced from the feed opening. Containers are introduced into the feed opening of the safety cover which is sized and positioned so as to prevent an operator's hand from entering the crusher housing. The crusher unit can be directly attached to a conventional 40-gallon trash can, or, alternatively, can be placed inside a conventional 55-gallon drum.

Abstract: A presser belt separator for separating a mixture of flowable and non-flowable constituents has a pressure belt that is driven downstream to engage part of a circumferential surface of a perforated drum. A belt pressing structure and a presser roller presses the belt against the surface of the drum to form a draw-in wedge for drawing in the material to be processed between the presser belt and the perforated drum. The belt presser has a surface contour that engages the belt to form a curvature in the central area of the presser belt. The surface contour decreases in curvature from an upstream region of the belt presser to a downstream region thereof. The presser structure is also resiliently urged against the perforated drum by force-adjustable pressure springs.

Abstract: A guard at the inlet side of the nip of two rolls in a calender has a hollow support for two blocking devices with movable sections extending close to the peripheral surfaces of the rolls to prevent injury to the fingers of an operator. The support defines one or more channels for steam or for another fluid medium which is discharged through one or more rows of ports to moisturize a running web of paper, foil or textile material or to dry, heat or cool the web and/or the rolls.

Abstract: The auxiliary device for drawing in a lap sheet between the calender rollers includes a curved plate and a flexible flat structure secured to a rear edge of the plate. The plate is introduced into a gap between the first two calender rollers and moved about the second roller until entering the gap between the second and third rollers. The start of a lap sheet is then placed on the flexible flat structure and secured thereon and the plate and flexible flat structure then advanced until the lap issues upwardly through the gap between the second and third rollers. The auxiliary device is then removed and the leading edge of the lap sheet introduced between the third and fourth calender rollers for delivery to a winding roller.

Abstract: A large cylindrical enclosure shaped to look like a huge beverage can has a recessed area in its outer wall containing an operator's panel and an opening into the interior for inserting empty recyclable beverage cans. Inside the enclosure is a conveyor for receiving the inserted cans, means for distinguishing between ferrous and non-ferrous recyclable cans, means for counting the number of ferrous and non-ferrous cans and pneumatic transporting means for carrying the cans to a mechanical crusher which compacts the cans individually and discharges them into a temporary storage area from which they are removed from time to time for recycling. The operator's panel includes manually operable buttons for initiating operation of the mechanisms in the interior of the strucutres and may also include various visual readouts as well as a dispenser for feeding out coins, printed credit slips and receipts.

Abstract: Holding arrangement for a device directed against a linearly adjustable roll, such as a doctor blade, blowing device or similar. On a holding arrangement for a device for surface treatment of the roll shell, directed against a linearly adjustable roll, where the roll is endways mounted through a bearing housing each in a machine frame, where for each bearing housing a cylinder/piston unit is provided for displacement of the roll, and where the roll is removable from the machine frame together with the bearing housings, a holder plate is arranged between the bearing housing and the piston of the cylinder/piston unit, which holder plate is connected with a support bearing for the device for surface treatment of the roll shell. Available is thus a holding arrangement of the categorial type which relative to the roll is well adjustable, which need not be lifted off as the roll contacts the opposite roll and which overall can be so integrated that it remains on the machine frame as the roll is lifted off.

Abstract: An apparatus for pressing laminated composites formed of two glass layers and one interposed thin plastic layer presses the glass/plastic composite while the glass/plastic composite is in a vertical position. A horizontal conveyor delivers the composite to the apparatus, and a tipping device places the composite in a vertical position. A suction cup unit, which is rotatably mounted on a supporting shaft, receives the composite from the tipping device. A movable carriage moves the supporting shaft, suction cup unit, and composite to a pair of pressing rolls. The pressing rolls receive the composite therebetween and press the composite layers together. Another rotatably mounted suction cup unit removes the composite from the pressing rolls and delivers the composite to another conveyer. The arrangement allows highly curved glass/plastic composites to be pressed with no risk of breaking the glass and without requiring manual intervention.

Abstract: Solid particles with entrained liquid are removed from a filtration tank and deposited on a chute inlet to a pair of rollers. One roller is pressed toward the opposite roller such that the solid particles pass through the nip of the rollers and the liquid is squeezed therefrom. The solid particles are scraped from the rollers on the outlet side of the deliquifier for collection. The liquid is collected on the inlet side of the rollers for reuse.

Abstract: A system for recovering, selecting and recycling empty containers returned after use which includes two specific sequences. In the first sequence, a container (4) passes a door (2) to remove material of a different type, while the accepted product activates a microswitch (9) for counting and activating a warming device to blow in hot air onto the same material which is thus softened; the container is then pushed between a motor driven heated pressing roll (18) with tension supplied by sliding contacts (22) to carry out a compact and permanent pressing by using pressing-welding points and another inertia roller (19). Knives (24) cooperate with the two rollers to ensure the separation. In the second sequence or selection phase, recovered bodies (29), are applied from hopper (30) and fall onto a feeding system with vibrating canals, to maintain the containers individually; photocells (34) check that no superpositions occur.

Abstract: A guard at the inlet side of the nip of two rolls in a calender or a like machine has an elongated support which is mounted in the machine frame for movement toward and away from the rolls at the inlet side of the nip. The support carries two elongated strips each of which is adjacent one of the rolls and has several sections. The support carries discrete moving mechanisms for the sections of each strip regardless of whether the sections are discrete sections or such sections form parts of a one-piece strip. This renders it possible to select and alter the width of the entire clearance between each strip and the periphery of the respective roll regardless of eventual deformation of the support and/or of the rolls.

Abstract: An apparatus is for crushing at least one of a plurality of metal cans having a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length less than about twice the predetermined diameter. The apparatus includes a pair of cylindrical rollers mounted for rotation in opposite directions about parallel horizontal axes with a predetermined distance therebetween. Each of the rollers has a predetermined roller diameter greater than four times the predetermined diameter of the can. An array of extensions on the cylindrical surface of each of the rollers extends a predetermined height from the cylindrical surface and is separated from adjacent extensions on the cylindrical surface to cause the extensions of the array to cover less than ten percent of the cylindrical surface to allow general alignment of and positioning of the metal cans therebetween.

Abstract: The invention provides a process and an apparatus for laminating a film 1 and a film 2 by thermocompression bonding.When the film 1 and the film 2 are laminated by thermocompressing bonding with a heat roll 3 and a pressure roll 4, the film 1 is guided onto the heat roll 3 via a feed angle adjusting roll 5 for automatically adjusting the distance of contact of the film with the heat roll 3, and/or the laminate film formed by thermocompression bonding is released from the heat roll 3 by being passed over a discharge angle adjusting roll 8 for automatically adjusting the distance of contact of the laminate film with the heat roll.

Abstract: A tubular belt conveyor is supported by a plurality of support frames, some of which comprise a fixed roller and a pressing roller which is biased by compression springs to get close and away with respect to the fixed roller. Between the two rollers, narrow space is formed through which the forward belt is elliptically deformed so that the conveyed materials may be compressed. Particularly, with a steep slope, the materials thus solidified by the rollers can be easily carried by the tubular belt conveyor without slipping down.

Abstract: A container disposal apparatus raises containers to an elevated position from which they traverse a downwardly inclined chute. Rotatable interrupter plates associated with the chute intermittently align apertures of limited extent with the chute so as to pass along the chute containers arriving at the interrupter plates when the apertures are aligned with the chute and to clear them from the chute otherwise. Containers successfully traversing two successive interrupter plates trigger prize-dispensing mechanism.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for delivering twine to a baler knotter. The baler (10) which performs the method includes a bale chamber (16) having a forward inlet end. A knotter (64) is disposed to one side of the bale chamber and the baler is of the type having feeding means including a pair of rollers (36) which are moved back and forth across the inlet end of the bale chamber. A portion (90) of the twine is supported on the lower feed roller as the rollers are moved back and forth across the inlet end of the bale chamber. A pickup needle (110 or 302) is associated with the knotter, and at the initiation of the tying cycle moves from an at rest position towards the lower roller to pick up the twine and then to a position above the twine disks (140) of the knotter to deliver the twine to the knotter and then returns to its at rest position. The twine is tensioned by a twine drag (144) and a pigtail type tensioning mechanism (146) both during the formation of a bale and during tying.

Abstract: A fire hose retracting and flattening apparatus has a first endless belt having a width at least as great as that of the hose to be retracted which is mounted in a main frame so as to have a generally planar run thereof on which the hose can be lain. The belt is mounted so as to be operatively connected to a motor to effect the driving thereof in a retracting direction. First and second pairs of rollers are provided which co-act with the planar run of the belt to retract and flatten the hose disposed thereon. The first and second roller pairs are mounted above the planar run, with the first roller pair downstream of the second roller pair, for pivotal movement between a first position wherein the first roller pair is adjacent to the run and the second roller pair is spaced apart therefrom and a second position wherein the first roller pair is spaced apart from the run and the second roller means is adjacent thereto.

Abstract: A can sorting, counting and flattening machine flattens empty cans by folding the can body over the back side of the ring or top end of the can so that both the brand name of the can on the can body and all identifying indicia on the ring end of the can are easily readable after the can has been completely flattened in a one step operation by a single machine operator. The machine employs a series of resettable counters which automatically count the total number of each brand of cans, the total number of cans returned per individual customer and the total number of cans reprocessed by the machine in a given time period.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuous dehydration of a cloth comprising two pairs of rubber rolls with the rolls of each pair pressed against one another, a cylindrical seal plate which is positioned between the two pairs of the rubber rolls in pressure contact with each of the rubber rolls and provided with a pair of axially extending slits opening in the direction toward each of the contact surfaces of the pairs of the rubber rolls, and an end plane seal plate blocking the both end openings of the seal plate and contact with the end plane of each of the rubber rolls so as to form a closed chamber intercepting the interior of the cylindrical seal plate from the exterior thereof.

Abstract: Method of regulating the throughput of a roll press having press rollers, a variable-speed drive motor for said press rollers and a feed device having a controllable throughput. Both the speed of the drive motor and also the throughput of the feed device are regulated automatically in two control modes which succeed one another from time to time. During the first control mode, under nominal loading, the roller speed is increased until the actual loading falls below the nominal loading; at less than the nominal loading the feed throughput is increased until the nominal loading has been attained, and after a condition has been reached in which the nominal loading has not been attained by increasing the throughput, the regulation is changed over to the second control mode.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing articles, such as aluminum beverage cans. The crushing apparatus comprises a rotatable, polygonal-shaped drum having blades mounted on each flat outer surface of the drum which project outwardly beyond the respective surface. The articles to be crushed are introduced into the area between the drum and a spring-loaded pressure plate, and on rotation of the drum, the blades engage the articles and move them into the nip between the drum and pressure plate to crush and flatten the articles. The apparatus also includes a quick release mechanism in which the pressure plate can be readily released to correct a jamming situation.

Abstract: Assembly apparatus for simultaneously rolling opposed toothed metal connector plates onto both sides of horizontal wood 2.times.4's or like structural members. The apparatus is applied to assemble trusses wherein a prefabricated wood frame of chords with end and intermediate spacers is fed between parallel vertical axis powered rollers with V-webs manually applied to each side ahead of and as the frame is compressively driven through. Similar apparatus is employed to splice the ends of wood chords for use in trusses or otherwise.

Abstract: A truss assembly apparatus for simultaneously rolling opposed toothed metal connector plates of V-webs onto both sides of vertically spaced horizontal wood chords. A prefabricated wood frame of such chords with end and intermediate spacers is fed between parallel vertical axis powered rollers with the V-webs manually applied to each side ahead of and as the frame is compressively driven through.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a wood roof truss, or the like, comprising a system which includes a wood member positioning and upper fastening means engaging station for arranging and maintaining wood members in positions corresponding to the ultimate positions of the wood members in the completed truss, a fastening means embedding station for permanently anchoring upper and lower fastenings means in the wood members to fix the wood members in their ultimate positions with respect to one another, and a wood roof truss stacking station for automatically moving a completed wood roof truss from a substantially horizontal position to an upright position. The wood member positioning and upper fastening means engaging station includes wood member receiving means having associated therewith unique truss elevating and advancing means for quickly and simultaneously raising the partially fixed wood members of the truss, thereby enabling the wood members to be rapidly moved, as a unit, to the next station in the system.

Abstract: An assembly jig for fabricating wooden trusses including a moving jig platform on which toothed metal gusset plates are placed; wood truss component members assembled with each joint of the wooden member placed over the plates, toothed metal gusset plates placed on the upper side of each joint, and a series of three sets of small diameter pressure rollers press the plates flush into the wooden members when the moving jig platform moves the truss through the pressure rollers. A slide plate between the first two sets of small diameter rollers prevents curling of the plate partially pressed into wood members passing therethrough, and the third set of rollers completes the embedding of the teeth in the truss.

Abstract: The feed blanket is conditioned prior to entering the mill to provide more uniformity of thickness and to control maximum thickness. Overfeeding is prevented by self-regulated by-passing of excess feed. Plural mills of a milling tandem can be made to operate in a parallel fashion while the remaining ones continue to operate in their usual series fashion.

Abstract: A calender comprising a plurality of superimposed hard rolls and a number of soft rolls arranged to load laterally a plurality of these hard rolls. The soft rolls are arranged in pairs formed by two soft rolls opposite each other at both sides of the same hard roll. The distance between the axes of the hard rolls located between a pair of soft rolls is greater than the sum of the radii of these hard rolls.

Abstract: A floor truss making apparatus having a pair of slightly curved rails, each with a plurality of positioning pads for retaining elongated truss plates forming the top and bottom of the truss, end truss plates for the end of the truss, and angle truss plates which are disposed at an acute angle between the elongated top and bottom truss plates. A pad is provided at each of the truss joints. The pads are adjustably fixed to the rails and the rails are adjustable with respect to each other so that a wide size range of trusses can be constructed with the apparatus. Adjustable nail plate positioning means are provided on each pad to properly locate and hold the nail plates under the truss. The nail plates are also placed on top of the assembled trusses. A gantry roller press rolls over the top of the truss (or other pressure means are provided) to at least partially force both nail plates into the truss plates.

Abstract: Containers made of various materials, such as aluminum and steel beverage cans, and glass beverage bottles, are crushed and separated to permit recycling of the metallic materials by a method and apparatus comprising crushing the containers in a container crushing means having two cone shaped members being rotationally frictionally engageable with each other, one of the cone shaped members being displaceable from the other against the resistance of a spring means, wherein the containers are crushed as they pass between the cone shaped members, conveying the crushed containers away from the crushing means on a container conveyor and separator means comprising an endless belt member having a first end portion for receiving crushed containers from the crushing means and a second end portion, separating the magnetic from the non-magnetic crushed containers by subjecting the containers to a magnetic field at the second end portion of the belt member whereby the non-magnetic containers are discharged from the belt

Abstract: In a bale press feeder, waste material is drawn into a condenser to form a fluffy blanket. The thickness of the blanket is decreased by passing the blanket through rolling devices with successively reduced clearance, and then by drawing the blanket through a chamber of successively reduced height by a conveyor belt. The thereby compressed blanket is fed to a bale press. A packer, operated in response to the feeding of the compressed blanket to the bale press, cyclically packs the blanket in the press.

Abstract: A towed type wheeled stack forming vehicle includes a vehicle body in which a cropped forage crop, such as hay, is compacted by a reciprocating roller device positioned within the vehicle body. The forage crop is discharged into the vehicle body through a telescopic tubular distributor which is shiftable longitudinally of the vehicle body to evenly distribute the crop in a longitudinal direction. The distributor mechanism is also provided with a lateral deflector which is continuously shiftable in a lateral direction to assure uniform distribution of the crop in the vehicle body in a lateral direction. A stack removing pusher member is positioned interiorly of the vehicle body and is shiftable rearwardly from a forward position, adjacent the front wall of the vehicle body, to progressively force the formed stack rearwardly from the vehicle body.

Abstract: A can crusher having a pair of vertically aligned wheels with one of the wheels having a resilient tire and the other, driven wheel being non-resilient and having outer projecting bar means that contact the resilient tire. A vertical chute directs the cans into the intersecting contact area of the rotating wheels and a second chute directs the crushed cans at the velocity imparted by the rotating wheels to contact a deflecting surface, whereby the cans are deflected at a high velocity into an air passage containing air moving therein under pressure that in turn passes through a venturi at the point of mixing with the cans, increasing the velocity of movement of the carrying air. Also the suction for the air under pressure is used to separate cans to be crushed from bottles.

Abstract: Uniform embossing on both sides of a web of paper may be obtained in a single pass through an embossing nip by interposing a thin film of tough, resilient material in the form of a continuous belt of approximately 0.050 inch thickness or less between the embossing roll and the backup roll. Stationary guide members, which may be combined with air bearings, are provided to insure proper tracking of the belt.

Abstract: A can crusher having a pair of horizontally aligned wheels that are in contact in rotational movement, and that receive and crush cans passing therebetween, and which wheels discharge the cans at a high velocity that causes the cans to pass into a horizontally arranged tube that intersects with an upwardly angled tube that carries air under pressure. The air under pressure and the velocity movement of the cans moves the cans upwardly in the angled tube to a container.

Abstract: A system for fabricating frame structures having wood chords and web components connected by toothed plates on opposite sides of each joint, wherein an elongated rectangular bed is provided on which to assemble and connect the components, longitudinal rows of conveyor rolls bring the chords forwardly and transfer means move them laterally to areas at the ends of the bed, and the web components are delivered to the sides of the bed.

Abstract: A chip crusher composed of a rotating disc and at least one crushing roller mounted to form a nip with a working face of the disc adjacent the periphery of the disc. The chips pass through an inlet and engage the rotating disc which flings them towards the periphery of the disc thereby to spread chips into a substantially single thickness layer. Each chip moves with the disc into the nip between the roller and disc wherein the chip is crushed. The crusher fissures the chip to a degree substantially proportional to the original chip thickness and thereby produces crushed chips having more uniform pulping qualities than regular chips.

Abstract: A metal roll is provided with a series of sharp circular fins extending around its periphery, in the form of separate circular fins separated by shallow angular grooves. The grooved roll, in cooperation with a ribbed roll, pulls citrus peel through a shaving knife which separates the albedo from the flavedo before the latter passes between a bite formed between the grooved roll and a cooperating roller. A stationary wiper formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene engages the peripheral fins to scrape off flavedo and peel oil liquor which adheres to them.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing materials such as cans into flat plate-like forms. The crushing apparatus comprises a hopper for receiving material-to-be-crushed, a feeder, and a symmetrical array of vertically stacked pairs of parallelly aligned, opposed counter-rotating rollers. The feeder includes a rotating element having an axis of rotation parallel to the rotational axes of the rollers, and further having two opposed elongated feed members, each being disposed with a corresponding longitudinal axis substantially parallel to and displaced a predetermined distance from the rotating element axis of rotation. The rotating element is pivotally mounted on a pair of spring loaded lever arms in a manner permitting displacement of its rotational axis between predetermined limits along a cylindrical surface of rotation having an axis of revolution parallel to the roller axes.