Abstract: In order to avoid caking of bulk material when feeding from a feeder into an inlet opening of lesser cross-section, there is provided a trough with a central discharge opening located below the discharge of the feeder. Two double paddle conveyors extend in the trough towards the central discharge opening. A vertical gravity tube joins on the trough. The tube is surrounded by one or several annular channels guiding a gaseous medium. This medium forms a gaseous screen between the bulk material flow and the gravity tube.

Abstract: The bonding of highly wear-resistant plates, particularly ceramic plates, to a carrier to be protected against wear, particularly the spiral of the conveyor worm of a screw-type centrifuge, has been achieved by welding or sintering. This, however, is relatively complicated and involves increased expenditures of time and cost. In accord with the invention, however, the connection or bonding of highly wear-resistant plates to a carrier to be protected against wear is improved and simplified in that a composite material (3) is thermally embedded between the highly wear-resistant plate (1) and the carrier (2).

Abstract: An electrographic copier/duplicator has a development station with a sump for holding a supply of two-component developer material. A magnetic brush applies the developer material to a photoconductor moved past the magnetic brush. The developer material may comprise carriers of hard, magnetic material. A ribbon blender mixes the developer material in the sump. The blender includes first and second ribbons with each ribbon having a first, relatively large diameter helical end portion and a second relatively small diameter helical end portion. The second end portion of each ribbon is located substantially within the first end portion of the other ribbon. Because the two end portions of the ribbon are connected, there is good axial mixing of developer material in the area between the two portions of each ribbon, and the level of the developer material tends to remain level throughout the length of the ribbon blender.

Abstract: An ice piece dispenser comprising a receptacle for storing ice pieces and including a front plate having a discharge opening therein. There is provided a dispenser horizontally supported in the receptacle and includes a rotatable feed section having an inlet end and a discharge end with a central axle therebetween, the feed section comprising a cylindrical collar adjacent the front plate and a double bladed screw auger within the collar forming two helical passages. The blades of the screw auger extend from the central axle to the collar and are spaced rearwardly from the front plate with the trailing edge of each blade being curved rearwardly between the axle and collar sufficiently to prevent ice pieces being wedged between the front plate and the blades during rotation of the feed section. A wire auger which is rotatably driven is secured to the feed section for rotation in unison therewith.

Abstract: A feed mixer includes a mixer tank with a bottom wall having two curved wall portions defining the bottom of a large main chamber and smaller auxiliary chamber with an elongated ridge therebetween. A rotor having several elongated rotor bars adjacent the outer periphery is supported in the main chamber for rotation in a direction for movement of the rotor bars across the bottom of the main chamber toward the auxiliary chamber. The auxiliary chamber includes a pair of stacked augers adapted for moving material from one end of the tank to the other in opposite directions. Material is thus continuously cycled from the main chamber into a lower portion of the auxiliary chamber where it is moved toward one end of the mixer, forced upwardly into an upper portion of the auxiliary chamber and then directed toward the opposite end of the tank while spilling back into the main chamber for efficient end-to-end mixing of even long stringy hay material.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for bottom unloading of storage structures (e.g., farm silos and the like). The apparatus includes a pivotable sweep arm which may include either a rotatable auger or an endless chain. Unique ratchet advancement mechanism at the inner end of the sweep arm pivots the sweep arm. A planetary gear mechanism is adapted to transmit rotational energy provided by the power source to the sweep arm. An improved tooth is described for penetrating and dislodging bulk material in a storage structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding waste tire chips to an incinerator comprises a chip container having a front wall, a rear wall and an outlet at the lower end of the front wall, and a screw feeder having a shaftless helical screw blade provided at an inner bottom portion of the container. The screw blade has one end supported by a first bearing provided on the rear wall of the container and the other end projecting from the outlet of the container. The other end of the screw blade is supported by a second bearing disposed outside the container outlet. Waste tire chips can be fed to the incinerator stably at all times.

Abstract: A tennis ball recovery system for use in a full court utilizes an inelastic flexible damping screen hooked onto the back fence of the tennis court, which intercepts the driven ball and drops it onto a resilient apron that extends away from a collection trough. Within the trough there is located a conveyor that will move the balls toward the center of the trough and substantially central of the trough a conduit is provided with positive pressure to move the ball into a conduit and into a receptacle.

Abstract: The invention provides a screw conveyer which has a helically wound member (23) attached to the screw which member extends from each turn of the screw towards the next turn and is of decreasing diameter along the screw.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing liquid from a solid suspension includes a screw conveyor in a housing having a suspension inlet, a liquid outlet and a separate outlet for the thickened solids. To increase the thickening effect, the faces of the screw threads are coated or treated to cause the coefficient of friction of the front, thrust faces to be higher than that of the rear faces. The coefficients can also be varied longitudinally, either continuously or in stages.

Abstract: A flail auger assembly is disclosed which is useful for unloading semi-liquid material from a holding tank mounted on a tractor drawn trailer. A rotatably mounted shaft extends lengthwise through the lower portion of the tank. One end of the shaft penetrates the front wall of the tank enabling connection with the power takeoff of the tractor. The second end penetrates the rear wall of the tank where it connects with the impeller of the discharge pump. A plurality of flails extend radially outward at regular intervals along the shaft. The flails are pivotally attached via pins which secure them to brackets welded to the rotatably mounted shaft. The pivotal axis of each flail allows it to aggressively attack the material in the tank while at the same time limiting the power drain on the tractor since the radius of effectiveness decreases as a function of increasing load.

Abstract: A conveyor screw includes a substantially continuous row of wear-resistant elements mounted on the wearing surface thereof. Opposed complementary semi-circular recesses are formed in adjacent wear-resistant elements providing a combined circular recess. A retaining member is received in each such recess and is secured to the conveyor screw with its axis positioned in the radial dividing line between adjacent wear-resistant elements. The gap between the retaining member and the wear-resistant elements is filled with a resilient padding material. In a modified form of the invention each wear-resistant element includes a backing plate of ductile material with each wear-resistant element being off-set relative to its corresponding backing plate. Adjacent faces of the backing plates, in lieu of being straight, are formed at an angle of approximately 175.degree. so as to provide a small gap permitting use of uniform components along a conveyor screw having a changing diameter.

Abstract: A device for transporting bar-shaped workpieces, particularly blanks for sewing machine needles, between the stop positions of a follow-on tool, includes one or more transport spindles extending over the length of the follow-on tool and having a threaded section arranged for form-locked engagement with the workpiece, the threaded section being interrupted by a lead-less section in the region of a predetermined stop position, the lead-less section extending over an angle corresponding to a predetermined stop time.

Abstract: A valve and a system for transporting normally, non-fluent materials, including such valve, comprises a rotatable shaft, a housing surrounding at least part of the shaft and adapted to form an annular material transport space between the valve and the shaft, a worm-type transport formed on the shaft and extending to the interior surface of the housing and adapted to transport normally non-fluent material through the annular material transport space and a closure mounted on the shaft immediately adjacent one end of the worm-type transport and adapted to open and close the annular material transport space.

Abstract: Wear clips for protecting the edges of auger-type blades and similarly curved blade edges, are formed of steel channels filled with a matrix of irregular shaped and sized, small, hard carbide particles and a soft, ductile, brazing material. The clips are arranged in an end-to-end row with a slight gap between each adjacent pair. The clips are welded to the blade and to each other. Breakage of the brittle carbide particles and of the matrix, due to impact forces, is avoided due to relative movement of the particles within the surrounding brazing material under impact loads. The clip channel may be made of a flattened tube which is filled with the matrix and then cut into short clip lengths. Thus, the exposed surface of the tube, which temporarily forms an integral cover for the channel, is rapidly worn away by abrasion during use of the blade, to expose the matrix.

Abstract: Apparatus for extracting bulk material and transferring it to a discharge device is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a housing with one or more cylindrical vertical sleeves receiving worms for feeding the bulk material to the discharge device. The worm is continued downwardly from the sleeves by a spiral helical flight rotatable with the worm. A conduit is defined between a vertical wall bounding the spiral helical flight outwardly and a central hub around which the spiral helical hub is coiled. A ledge connects the upper and lower parts of the extraction device formed by the worm and the spiral helical flight, and the spiral helical flight runs smoothly and uninterruptedly into the worm.

Abstract: A screw conveyor (10) is disclosed for use in environments having a large range of temperature. The screw conveyor (10) includes a hollow shaft (12) having a number of aligned circular holes (18a, 18b) therein, with adjacent sets of holes being at right angles to each other. A stake (16) is slidably inserted in each set of holes (18a, 18b) for securing a helical flight (14a-e) to the shaft (12). Four stakes (16) are welded to the back (26) of each of the helical flights (14) along a helical line corresponding to the helical path defined by the flights (14). The slidable interaction of the stakes (16) with respect to the shaft (12) permits each flight (14) to move relative to the shaft (12) during expansion or contraction of the screw conveyor (10). The back peripheral edge (20) and front peripheral edge (22) of adjacent helical flights (14) are overlapping and movable with respect to each other to further accommodate the expansion and contraction of the screw conveyor (10).

Abstract: The present invention comprises an adjustable wear plate which is attached adjacent the outer peripheral edge of an auger flighting. The plate includes an outer circumferential edge and an inner circumferential edge. A pair of slots extend inwardly from the inner circumferential edge, and each of these slots is provided with a plurality of notches for receiving a bolt therein. Bolts extend through the flighting of the auger and engage the notches in the slots of the adjustable wear plates. The wear plates may be adjusted by loosening the bolts and fitting them into different notches within the slots.

Abstract: A feeding device comprises a rotary drum (1) in the casing wall (2) of which narrow slots (3, 4) are provided, said slots serving as intakes for the material to be fed. Blade-like elements (5, 6) project from the outside of the casing wall and co-operate with said slots for the purpose of ripping and carrying along material upon rotating of the drum so as to introduce the material into the interior of the drum through the intake slots (3, 4). On the inside of the casing wall (2) flange members (9, 10) are provided for conveying the material introduced into the drum to an outlet opening (8) at one end of the drum. (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A device that can individually separate thin nested metallic diaphragms prior to welding same to form bellows is disclosed. The device uses a threaded rod (16) which is tilted upwardly with respect to the horizontal. One end of threaded rod (16) is received through the inside diameter of a stack (32) of nested diaphragms while the other end thereof is received in a collet (18) attached to a gear motor (20). As threaded rod (16) is rotated by gear motor (20), each diaphragm (10) is carried in its own groove provided by the threads on the threaded rod (16) to the free end thereof where one diaphragm is discharged for each revolution of the threaded rod (16).

Abstract: A grain pickup for use with combines in harvesting windrowed crops is formed of a cylinder with a plurality of cylindrical, interlocking tooth modules located thereon, each of the modules having a plurality of pickup teeth extending radially outwardly therefrom.

Abstract: The snow thrower includes a housing having a transversely extending discharge chute and an impeller rotatably mounted in the housing below the discharge chute and carrying a plurality of elongated, axially extending blades having a length substantially coextensive with the width of the discharge chute and a radially outwarding extending propelling section. The propelling section is in the form of a continuous series of corrugations with alternating peaks or ridges and valleys or furrows defining a plurality of generally V-shaped cups or pockets into which snow is compacted and from which snow is propelled upwardly toward the discharge chute during rotation of the impeller.

Abstract: An agitator wiper for a tubular chemical vessel in which agitation of the vessel contents is achieved by a blade positioned helically around a central rotating shaft and wiping of the vessel walls is achieved by segmented plates positioned along the blade and constructed to provide wiper tips which wipe all portions of the vessel walls.

Abstract: A processing machine for washing, scrubbing, or peeling products, such as vegetables or fruit, comprises a plurality of elongated rotatable processing rollers (with brushes or abrading elements thereon) arranged to define a U-shaped trough through which the products pass for processing. A rotatable waste discharging auger is located below the trough. A rotatable product mobilizer apparatus, comprising a drive shaft, helical rods arranged around and supported on the drive shaft and located in the trough, and augers on the drive shaft at the opposite ends of the helical rods, operates to raise the product layer next to the processing rollers thereby creating a tumbling action, to positively move the products toward the discharge end of the processing rollers, and to control product load level in the trough as a function of the rotational speed of the product mobilizer apparatus.

Abstract: A pressing worm or screw, especially for filter presses of the type used to press liquids from solids, e.g. oils from eatable-oil-bearing seeds, is formed with an outwardly opened groove along its flight or thread which is filled with a harder metal than the flight by deposit welding.

Abstract: A rock drill, especially for rotary blow machines and drifters or stoppers with drilling cutting edges and at least one drilling dust conveying groove which in axial direction is confined by a web which extends around the drill axis and one lateral surface of which forms a drilling dust supporting surface which merges with the bottom of the drilling dust conveying groove. The bottom of the drilling dust conveying groove extends from the drilling dust supporting surface at an acute angle with regard to the drill axis rectilinearly up to the back surface of the web. The ratio of the width of the drilling dust conveying groove, measured in axial direction of said drill, to the width of the back of the web is greater than 5:1.

Abstract: An improved impeller assembly for use in a vegetable cutter comprises a series of equally spaced impeller blades radiating from a central shaft. The blades of the impeller curve around the shaft as they extend along the shaft to form curved, cupped sections of the blade. The impeller assembly rotates within a hollow drum and the blades urge vegetables within the drum against a slabbing knife having its cutting edge positioned within the drum. The curve of the impeller blades is such that when vegetables are introduced into the drum, the impeller blades curve away from the vegetables. The force with which the vegetables contact the blades is thus reduced so as to avoid bruising the vegetables. The shape of the impeller blades also serves to properly align the vegetables within the drum prior to slicing. In a preferred embodiment, the interior of the drum has a series of grooves formed therein to assist in aligning the vegetables prior to cutting.

Abstract: A screw conveyor is provided capable of maintaining a relatively uniform flow of conveyed material, even when operating well below its flow capacity, having a helical screw with a plurality of helical blade segments at one end, each segment extending over an arc of from about 100.degree. to about 130.degree. about the central stem of the screw, and having a pitch length within the range from about 0.5 to about 3 times the pitch length of the helical screw; the pitch length of the helical screw being from about 0.5 to about 1 times its diameter; the segments being spaced apart a distance within the range from about 0 to about 22 mm; the plurality of segments taken collectively defining a plurality of through passages extending axially along the central stem of the screw, and extending in uniformly spaced relationship .+-.10.degree. circumferentially about the 360.degree.

Abstract: This discloses a system for lifting or conveying granular, pulverized or fluid material from a first location to a second location. A long flexible tube, open at the ends, encloses a highly flexible rotary driven helical coil spring equipped at parallel, spaced-apart positions along its length with a plurality of attachments, called "portable flights", which may comprise a shallow cylindrical cup formed from a pair of semicircular plates. The cups are secured to a succession of rungs in angularly staggered relation along the length of the helical spring, and serve to pick up and convey a substantial quantity of the pulverized, granular or fluid material from an input container, in which the tube is immersed, to a product chute near the top of the tube leading into a collection hopper.

Abstract: Crop gathering table for a combine has an auger to move crop laterally inwards towards the center of the table. The auger has a central shaft carrying helical flights, and discharge fingers to discharge crop through an opening in the rear of the table. A series of crop feeding plates mounted on the auger and extending lengthwise of it between portions of the helical flights, promote smooth flow of crop below the auger shaft.

Abstract: Apparatus for reliably causing flow of material from a bin, of circular transverse section about a vertical axis, having a conical bottom converging downwardly to a central discharge chamber, including: a central shaft rotatable in the discharge chamber about the vertical axis; a first arm on the central shaft for preventing material from said bin from packing around the central shaft; a second arm on the central shaft for preventing material from said bin from bridging at the entrance to the discharge chamber; a universal joint at the top of the central shaft; a traveller shaft connected at one end to the universal joint for rotation, with rotation of the central shaft, about its own axis and about the vertical axis; a single chain extending spirally around the traveller shaft for a major portion of its length and secured at both ends to the traveller shaft, for loosening material in the conical bottom of the bin by contact lateral of the traveller shaft therewith; a plurality of flat pieces of resilient mat

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: In a container capping machine a continuously moving horizontal conveyor is spaced below a vertically reciprocable rotary chuck for holding a screw cap in its lower end. Extending along one side of the conveyor is a continuously rotating horizontal positioning screw provided with a helical trough between the screw flights for receiving containers on the conveyor and controlling their forward movement through the machine. The portion of the trough beside the chuck has side walls extending partway around the screw for engaging opposite sides of a container in the trough, and these side walls are disposed in radial planes of the screw in order to stop temporarily the forward movement of a container when it reaches correct position for receiving a cap from the chuck. The container is held momentarily by gripping means while the cap is being applied to it.

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: A helical bladed conveyor for use in a centrifuge is provided with a wear-resistant outer foward edge by securing to the blade a thin band of metal having an upstanding marginal portion extending beyond the forward face and forming with it a cavity which is filled to the desired depth by fusing a wear-resistant material in place.

Abstract: An interrupted flight screw press is provided, especially in regions of heavier wear, with one or more longitudinal split worm bodies. The bodies have axially extending end flanges which hook underneath flanges of adjacent collars to hold the worm in place. One or both of the worm bodies are keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft for driving. Relatively slight longitudinal movement of one or both adjacent collars will release the parts of the worm body for repair and/or replacement without disassembling the entire worm-collar-shaft assembly.