Abstract: An unloader for unloading bulk commodities within holds, such as wheat and coal. A plurality of boom conveyers are juxtaposed on a boom, and vertical screw conveyers, each having at the lower end an inlet port for receiving a bulk commodity to be conveyed and at an upper portion a chute for discharging the bulk commodity into the corresponding boom conveyer, are used in unloading by exclusively combining the vertical screw conveyers with the corresponding boom conveyers. In this way, the unloader is provided with a plurality of conveyance routes so as to be applicable to unloading of a plurality of different kinds of bulk commodities. Because one conveyance route can be exclusively used in unloading in accordance with the kind of bulk commodity to be unloaded, there is no need to clean the vertical screw conveyer and boom conveyer each time the kind of bulk commodity to be unloaded changes.

Abstract: An optical inspection machine has a discharge chute provided for receiving fragile articles thrown from a high speed belt in the course of ejecting such articles. The chute has an "S"-shaped bottom with the top of the "S" under the trajectory of the ejected articles, the mid portion of the "S" positioned to receive the falling articles at a minimum impact angle, and the bottom of the "S" discharging the sliding articles after being significantly decelerated due to the variable slope of the "S"-shaped chute bottom. The inspection machine has another "S"-shaped chute for receiving articles from an infeed conveyor and transferring them to the high speed belt while minimizing deceleration.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus is disclosed for aligning weighed batches of elongated objects, such as French-fried potato strips. The batch of objects is weighed in a scale and discharged onto a moving conveyor belt which separates the objects and projects such objects from the conveyor into a vibrated alignment container. The objects impact a vertically-curved rear deflector wall of the alignment container in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto and may fall into contact with a straight front deflector wall so that they are aligned substantially parallel to such rear wall when they are discharged from such container. The objects fall freely by gravity through a drop tube from such alignment container for further separation and alignment into a packaging machine which packages the weighed batch of aligned objects.

Abstract: A storage bunker for substantially dry and loose material such as shredded paper waste has a receptacle (10) and a conveyor (16,18) feeding material over a fixed plate (14) broken at (21) to permit the material to fall into the receptacle. The return run of conveyor (16) compacts material towards the other end of the receptacle, and the whole mass of material once the receptacle is filled is driven by conveyor (25) towards an outlet, with material being stripped from the mass by an inclined toothed conveyor (26) for collection by a troughed conveyor (28).

Abstract: A machine to aid in the packaging of "taco" shells. The machine includes a slide which receives the tacos from an endless conveyor which passes through an oven which cooks the taco shells, the slide passes through the taco shells and delivers the taco shells to a further endless conveyor which has at spaced locations therealong, pins which are successively aligned with the slide so as to recieve a taco shell therefrom.

Abstract: The temporary storage of bar-shaped objects such as cigarettes intermediate the manufacturing and packaging apparatus therefor is improved by sensing gaps in the supply within the storage system and engaging the objects upon detection of such a gap to prevent uncontrollable sudden movement thereof.

Abstract: The off loading of bulk particulate cargo from self unloading ships creates considerable dust. A self erecting canopy arrangement is described which connects between a ship's boom and a dockside hopper and which can adjust to sudden movement of the boom created by the effect of wind and waves on the ship. The canopy comprises a pliant skirt and resilient, self supporting means such as an inflatable framework for supporting the skirt.

Abstract: A high speed belt to belt transfer chute useful in handling, without modification or adjustments, material ranging from sticky clay and fine dust to large rocks. The generalized chute is designed either to bend the material flow to the vertical after it has left a leading belt or, conversely, to direct material moving vertically downward into the direction of a following belt. The chute is constructed of individually replaceable, ribbed elements, which may be repositioned and replaced as they wear in order to maintain the same directed, controlled flow of material, while minimizing the replacement cost and downtime.

Abstract: A midstream apparatus for the receipt, sampling, cooling, and blending of coal provides a continuous transfer capability from one or more barges containing coals of various grades to an ocean vessel requiring blended coal meeting given specifications. The apparatus is a barge mounted combination, having a number of receiving hoppers into which coal may be loaded by transfer from a series of supply barges, usually by a barge mounted clam shell bucket. A number of hoppers are provided so that coal from each barge, having a given specification, may be loaded into a single hopper. Each hopper has individually controlled transfer capabilities permitting the blending of coal of different qualities into a continuous stream.

Abstract: The method and apparatus of the invention are for collecting particulate material which falls off the underside of the lower return run of a belt conveyor, and returning that material to the carrying run of the conveyor. An elevator is mounted around the conveyor at the position of a support roller for the lower run, where there is vibration and material is dislodged. The dislodged material is conveyed to a chute over the upper rim of the conveyor without any scraping contact with the underside of the lower run.

Abstract: A transfer station from a longwall chain conveyor to a drift chain conveyor have upper and lower reaches which cross alternately. The upper belt section of the longwall conveyor comprises a scraper over the upper belt section of the drift conveyor. The working face side of the longwall conveyor has a plane guide for a coal plane and a plane chain which at least at the drift-side end of the longwall conveyor is guided via guide wheels to a gob-side drive unit. These two drift-side guide wheels are arranged with a vertical spacing from each other in the lower belt section of the longwall conveyor such that they form between them a passage for the chain belt and for the tappets of the longwall conveyor attached thereto. The drift-side guide wheels are arranged so close to the drift conveyor that in its drift-side and position the coal plane can transfer the won coal directly into the drift conveyor. In all, an especially compact plane chain deflection integrated into the longwall conveyor is realized.

Abstract: An improved machine for dosing, filling and packaging of a doughy or pasty food substance. The machine sequentially includes a trough, screw conveyor, guide channel, dosing station and forming channel. The forming channel widens in a funnel-like or obelisk-like fashion in the flow direction of the food substance which is being transported therethrough. At least a part of the guide channel is covered with a layer of friction-reducing material.

Abstract: A sausage skin storage and feeder apparatus comprises a storage container for storing a plurality of layers of shirred sausage casings, an upwardly sloping bottom wall in said container, a conveyor disposed along the bottom wall for transporting the bottom layer of casings upwardly to a discharge location, the upper layers of casings rolling backward in the container, a chute extending from the discharge location to a loading location opposite a stuffing horn and means for dispensing casings onto the stuffing horn.

Abstract: A subsurface coal bunker operating to receive and discharge coal is structured with an assemblage of nested telescopic container members including one stationary member and a plurality of movable members, with the container members being formed in size in a graduated series with each container member being sized to fit into a next larger container member adjacent thereto. The movable members are telescopically extensible and contractible in order to vary the volume of the assemblage and the bunker assembly is provided with a first belt conveyor for feeding material into the assemblage and a second belt conveyor for transporting material therefrom. A reversible drive mechanism, consisting of hydraulic cylinder devices actuating a system of drive chains and pulleys, is mounted on a support frame of the bunker and operates to drive the movable members between the extended and contracted positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for arraying randomly distributed ampoules, bottles or like objects has a longitudinally grooved vibratory conveyor which receives randomly distributed objects from a magazine and converts the objects into files of aligned objects. The discharge end of the vibratory conveyor, or an intermediate conveyor, delivers the objects into a vertical duct having several longitudinally extending sections one of which is adjustable horizontally toward or away from the other section or sections to define a passage of optimum width for the selected objects. The lower end of the duct delivers successive objects onto a platform, and such objects are transferred sideways out of register with the duct by a reciprocable pusher. If the objects are bottles or the like, an orienting device is placed adjacent to the upper end of the duct to insure that the orientation of each bottle which enters the duct is the same.

Abstract: A method of aligning sticks in which the sticks are oscillated in a receiving zone where they are aligned and conveyed to a collecting zone where they are stacked in parallel side-by-side relationship. The collecting zone is vibrated to dispense the sticks laterally, still in parallel alignment. An aligning tray has two sets of parallel, elongated channels and is reciprocated vertically and in a direction parallel with the channels. Randomly oriented sticks are fed to the first set, aligned in the channels, fed to the second set, which has half as many channels, and then fed through sloping chutes to a set of hoppers. The hopppers and chutes are vibrated vertically and receive the sticks in parallel stacks. The vibrating motion causes the sticks to leave the hoppers laterally and roll down ramps to a non-vibrating conveyor belt which translates the sticks in a direction perpendicular to the long dimension of the sticks to a receiving location.

Abstract: Load transfer apparatus comprises:(a) load receiving sling means having opposite ends, and(b) support means operatively connected with at least one end of the sling means and bodily movable to endwise elongate the sling into a ramp position for gravity transfer of a load off the sling means.

Abstract: The aperture mask conveyor and inspection system comprises a pair of belt conveyor assemblies which between them grip and transport an aperture mask from the end of the processing unit to a chute assembly which chute assembly feeds the mask onto a belt conveyor, a densitometer is centrally positioned on the belt conveyor to provide a measure of the amount of light transmitted through the center portion of the mask which is passed beneath the densitometer. After passing under the densitometer the mask is deposited on an adjacent tray.

Abstract: Packing paddles for conveying and packing broken rock and debris in a mine are pivotally mounted on mine roof supports. Hydraulic sequence valves are employed to operate hydraulic rams controlling the paddles. The valves, and thus the paddles, are operated in sequence to convey the debris from paddle to paddle.

Abstract: Apparatus for crimping terminals onto the ends of wires comprises a loading station at which the wires are serially loaded into a groove in a rotating drum. During rotation of the drum, the wires are moved laterally to a wire feeding station at which each wire is fed axially by the rotating drum, in cooperation with a pressure roller, to a crimping station at which a terminal is crimped onto the wire.

Abstract: A hopper funnels a plurality of electrical leads one on top the other and serially drops the leads onto a rotating cylindrical feed roller. The roller is provided with a helical groove which picks off individual leads and transports them transversely of their lengths along the top of the cylindrical roller. The pitch of the groove determines the spacing between transported leads. The roller simultaneously projects each lead lengthwise toward a sensing device which senses the end of each lead in turn and also triggers an applicator which connects an electrical contact to each sensed lead. The leads are then transported along the roller to an escapement station at the end of the roller where the leads escape by gravity to a collection area. An ejectment mechanism initially detains each lead from the escapement station until connected with a contact. The ejectment mechanism positively ejects each lead toward the escapement station.

Abstract: Apparatus for charging heated preforms to moving loading hoppers of a blow molding machine comprises support assemblies for the preforms, a series of laterally adjacent slide assemblies at the outlet of a temperature-conditioning chamber and above the plane of movement of moving loading hoppers of a blow molding machine, conveying means for linearly transporting the support assemblies through the chamber and above the slide assemblies and means for sequentially actuating the slide assemblies according to a predetermined sequence. The method comprises linearly continuously advancing such preforms supported in side-by-side relationship above circularly moving loading hoppers of a blow molding machine and removing supports from beneath the side-by-side positioned preforms according to a predetermined sequence to permit each preform to drop by gravity into a particular one of such hoppers then passing beneath it.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting materials to, from and through the cavity of a microwave unit is disclosed, said apparatus embodying microwave energy cut-off means which is effective to prevent any undue microwave leakage from escaping therethrough. The apparatus in one form comprises a transporter unit which includes an endless transporter belt means disposed in a housing connected to the microwave unit, the transporter belt means feeding the material being treated onto and receiving treated material from a further conveyor unit within the microwave unit, the belt means traversing tunnels in the housing which function as cut-off tubes to prevent microwave leakage from the cavity of the microwave unit, the tunnels having a cross-sectional configuration and length such as to provide for the desired degree of power attenuation. For example, for a microwave unit operating at 2450 MHz the tunnels can be square and have a maximum or longest side dimension of about 1.7 inches and a length of about 10 inches.

Abstract: A plurality of elongate, cylindrical articles are continuously, sequentially advanced toward and selectively introduced into the upper and lower compartments of one or the other of a pair of article-receptive chambers. A first finite number of articles are received and accumulated in the upper compartment of one chamber and then discharged and deposited, en masse, in the lower compartment of this chamber, during which a second finite number of articles are received by the lower chamber and are accumulated with the first finite number of articles deposited therein. All of the articles accumulated in the lower compartment of this chamber are then discharged, en masse, into a suitable receptacle. While the articles are being discharged from this chamber, advancing articles are automatically directed toward and likewise introduced into the upper and thereafter the lower compartments of the other chamber.

Abstract: A machine that receives four rows of completely separated but closely spaced cartons from a customer printing and cutting press, and spaces each carton laterally and longitudinally from its neighbors for non-interference therewith. The machine aligns each independent stream of cartons with the longitudinal dimension of the overall machine and directs the streams of cartons to a switching device intended to control carton traffic to a primary automated stacking process or to an essentially secondary manual stacking process. The primary automated process passes the streams of cartons through an underlapping process, over an inspection table, through an inverting process, into a rate controlling hopper. From the rate controlling hopper, the cartons of each stream pass over a set of laterally disposed conveyors and into a discrete stack of cartons formed within a vertical hopper system that is the output receiver of this machine.