Abstract: A method and an apparatus for linearly conveying wheeled vehicles are disclosed wherein at least one wheel of the vehicle is supported by a plate which reciprocates longitudinally through a forward stroke and a reverse stroke. The supported wheel is engaged and blocked to prevent its rotation during the forward stroke, thereby pushing the wheel, and thus the vehicle, to a forward position with the plate. During the reverse stroke, the wheel is free to rotate, permitting the plate to return to its rearmost position while the wheel remains at the forward position. During subsequent forward strokes, the wheel is similarly engaged and blocked and the vehicle is sequentially advanced the length of the forward stroke during each reciprocation of the plate. The means for blocking the supported wheel during the forward stroke are selectively displaced to prevent displacement of the vehicle except on command from the conveyor operator.

Abstract: A machine in which a wrapping film extends across a path in which articles to be packaged are moved. The film is drawn from supply rolls above and below the path as an article or group of articles is moved along the path. The film is brought together and sealed behind the article or group of articles to form a tube, the tube is severed from the remaining film, and the remaining film is sealed together. The tube is then thermally shrunk. A cutting and sealing bar movable along a path inclined at an acute angle with the conveying path in part wraps the film about the article or group of articles, and severs and seals the film. An upright frame carries and guides the cutting and sealing bar and is adjustable about a pivot in the plane of the conveying path to vary the angle at which the cutting and sealing bar moves with respect to the conveying path. A film supply roll is carried by the frame so the path of the film from the supply roll relative to the frame is independent of the frame adjustment.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving solid material and liquid from a floor into a solid material tank and a liquid tank. The floor has longitudinal sections that slope downwardly to a longitudinal slit open to a chamber located below the floor. A scraper pivotally connected to a frame moves solid material from the floor into the solid material tank when the frame is moved toward the solid material tank. A vertical plate attached to the frame extends through the slit into the chamber. A plate pivotally attached to the vertical plate pushes liquid in the chamber into the liquid tank when the frame is moved toward the liquid tank. A winch and rope attached to a connecting fitting located in a mount on the frame selectively moves the frame in opposite directions over the floor. The fitting has limited movement relative to the frame and engages the scraper to raise the scraper above the floor when the frame is moved toward the liquid tank whereby solid material is not moved when the scraper is raised.

Abstract: A scraper assembly is connected at a forward and rearward end to a cable driven by a reversible double drum cable drive. The scraper assembly includes a scraper blade pivotally connected to a shaft secured at each end to a shoe, or runner. A strut extends forwardly and rearwardly from each shoe terminating in centrally disposed front and rear guide members. A drive linkage, connected at forward and rearward ends to the cable, is pivotally connected to the blade and has front and rear slide members which are slideably received within the front and rear guide members, respectively. The slide members have stops at their ends defining a limited range of sliding movement between the guide members and the drive linkage. The sliding movement of the slides in the guides pivots the scraper blade, with the slide stops transmitting a drive force to the guides at the end of the slide travel to move the blade forwardly or rearwardly.

Abstract: A feeder table for laminar stacked objects has a thrust member for supplying stacks to a processing machine. An arcuate slide path for the stacks extends between the table and the machine. The thrust member follows the arcuate path to separate the objects by deforming the stack. The stack is placed against a stop member for supply to the machine.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring loads between conveyors or between a conveyor and a load handling cart, support, or other apparatus includes a split conveyor and an extensible load shifting frame disposed within the split. The shifting frame is provided with load engaging dogs which are selectively actuable above the load conveying plane of the split conveyor to shift the load therefrom and onto a conveyor, cart or the like. Frame and dog actuating means are provided as are conveying methods.

Abstract: A device for moving bulk material collected along the length of a chute to a container located outside and below one end of the chute, comprises in combination a scraper means which is brought to reciprocate along the chute the scraper means being arranged to transport the bulk material during its forward motion against said container, the arrangement being such that the scraper means is adapted to project cantilever-wise outside the chute before its forward motion is concluded, means being provided to let the scraper means be lowered during the end period of the forward motion to a level below the chute, further means being arranged to place the scraper means in a position where it will be free during the return movement away from the container to move at a level above material residing in the chute and thereby not moving the the bulk material in both directions.

Abstract: A shuttle conveyor for moving articles fore and aft on a cargo support, such as the baggage area in an aircraft cargo compartment, comprises a trolley assembly moved fore and aft by a cable means travelling in downwardly canted tracks and a means to raise and lower selectively one of two cargo-engaging pawls adapted to move cargo forward or aft of the compartment and operated by cable or chain operators.

Abstract: A conveyor arrangement for carrying a continuous row of component parts from a container or supply to an automatic assembling machine. A feeder chute is provided for feeding the component parts to a guide or feeder track which is operatively connected with a supply chute or hose connected to the assembling machine. A device is provided for maintaining the component parts in the guide or feeder track and an advancing mechanism is provided for advancing the component parts from an end of the guide track to an entrance of the supply chute or hose. Pawls are provided at the advancing mechanism and the supply chute for facilitating the advancement of the component parts and preventing return of advanced component parts from the supply chute or hose to the guide track.

Abstract: An arrangement for transportation of containers within cargo compartment of aircraft has, according to the invention, guide members extending along the cargo compartment and a closed flexible traction member having a drive interposed between the guide members. Accommodated in the guide members is a carriage connected to the flexible traction member. A spring-loaded lever is articulated with one end thereof to the carriage at right angle to the carriage plane, the lever is rotatable both about its axis and in a vertical plane extending along the axis of the carriage.

Abstract: An improved fully mechanized sawmill is provided which is composed of structurally independent modules which are removably mounted on a platform composed of a plurality of side-by-side longerons supported horizontally on files of spaced-apart vertical piers and columns. The longerons provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the files of piers and columns perpendicularly to the cutting axis of the sawmill, and the modules mounted thereon provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the ranks of the piers and columns parallel to the cutting axis. In addition, improved mechanisms and techniques are provided for handling and selecting the sawlogs to be cut, for selecting and distributing the pieces cut therefrom according to shape and utility, and for stacking and handling the distributed pieces at preselected locations according to shape and utility. In particular, there is provided at least two hollow slotted pull-off arms containing therein a pneumatic cylinder.

Abstract: This invention is conerned with conveyors using reciprocating flights to convey material along the length of the conveyor. The conveyor consists essentially of a bed of articulated plates, a track constraining a chain adjacent a first longitudinal edge of the bed, spaced flights attached to the chain and located to extend across the bed and means for reciprocating the chain along the track. The chain is preferably made of rigid members of substantially uniform cross-section and the flights are shaped bars having one end adapted to be pivotally attached to the chain and are reduced in their height towards their free ends with the trailing edges of each flight tapered downwardly towards their bottom surfaces and inclined towards the leading edges at their free ends which ends are chamfered.

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: A method and an apparatus for linearly conveying wheeled vehicles are disclosed wherein at least one wheel of the vehicle is supported by a plate which reciprocates longitudinally through a forward stroke and a reverse stroke. The supported wheel is engaged and blocked to prevent its rotation during the forward stroke, thereby pushing the wheel, and thus the vehicle, to a forward position with the plate. During the reverse stroke, the wheel is free to rotate, permitting the plate to return to its rearmost position while the wheel remains at the forward position. During subsequent forward strokes, the wheel is similarly engaged and blocked and the vehicle is sequentially advanced the length of the forward stroke during each reciprocation of the plate.

Abstract: A compactor device for refuse material such as garbage, industrial refuse or dung, comprising a housing having a compression chamber formed as a segment in which a swing piston is pivotally reciprocal from a retracted position outside the chamber in which material may be fed to the chamber and through the chamber towards an outlet opening thereof, whereby the material is forced through a tapering channel portion resisting the movement of the material so as to cause the material to be compressed before it leaves the outlet opening.

Abstract: An accumulating conveyor system for transporting and storing plural loads, formed of a pair of laterally spaced parallel lines of non-powered rollers and an intervening load advancing car reciprocative along advance and return strokes between the ends of the roller lines. The load advancing car has a load advancing friction pad movable vertically from a raised load engaging position to a retracted inactive position under control of a monitor wheel which also moves vertically, to retract the pad from load engaging position responsive to contact of the wheel with loads along the lines of rollers.