Abstract: The present invention relates generally to wood chippers and baling machines and methods of operation therefor, and more specifically, to an apparatus and a method for chipping tree branches and the like and baling wood chips formed from such chipping activities. The apparatus includes a chipper assembly having a chipping mechanism operable to reduce the trimmed branches to wood chips. Also provided is a bale forming assembly operatively connected to the chipper assembly. The bale forming assembly has a housing and a baling mechanism contained within an interior space of the housing. The housing has an opening defined therein for receiving wood chips from the chipper assembly. The opening provides access to the interior space of the housing. The baling mechanism is operable to form a bale from the wood chips produced by the chipper assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to wood chippers and baling machines and methods of operation therefor, and more specifically, to an apparatus and a method for chipping tree branches and the like and baling wood chips formed from such chipping activities. The apparatus includes a chipper assembly having a chipping mechanism operable to reduce the trimmed branches to wood chips. Also provided is a bale forming assembly operatively connected to the chipper assembly. The bale forming assembly has a housing and a baling mechanism contained within an interior space of the housing. The housing has an opening defined therein for receiving wood chips from the chipper assembly. The opening provides access to the interior space of the housing. The baling mechanism is operable to form a bale from the wood chips produced by the chipper assembly.

Abstract: A tricycle has two non-steerable rear wheels and a single steerable front wheel. One of the rear wheels is driven by a chain-sprocket drive system that includes a drive sprocket mounted on a front frame and a driven sprocket mounted on a rear frame. The front frame is tiltable, or swingable, from an upright position to a leaning position to minimize the potential for turnover of the tricycle during turning maneuvers or riding on rough terrain. Special idler sprockets are provided for the drive chain, to keep the chain in mesh with the drive sprocket when the front frame is in a leaning position.

Abstract: A steering compensator has a shaft with a first shaft section offset from a central shaft section. A second shaft section of the shaft is offset from the first and central shaft sections. A first drive member is rotatably attached to the first shaft section and a second drive member is rotatably attached to the second shaft section. A central member is rotatably attached to the central shaft section between the first and second drive members. A pivotal link interconnects the first and second drive members through the central member to allow relative angular displacement between the first and second drive members. The steering compensator provides steering angle correction in conventional steering.

Abstract: A drive system for driving any driven device, such as the rear wheel of a bicycle or the like, comprising a pair of oppositely-directed input torque crank arms supported for independent rotation about a first axis, an output torque member supported for rotation about a second axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis, and torque transferring linkages connecting both crank arms to the output torque member. The angular orientation of the plane containing the two axes adjustable and the amount of eccentricity may be fixed or adjustable. The arrangement is such that for a constant speed of the output member, each input crank arm will undergo a single speed variation per revolution. Typically, from its top dead center position to its bottom dead center position, the angular velocity of each crank arm decreases and then increases in the second half-turn.

Abstract: Sprockets of a toothed belt drive for a double sickle harvesting header are carefully aligned relative to each other and to the toothed belt so that the belt can be twisted about its longitudinal axis during advancement along a closed loop path of travel in order to translate rotary motion about a first axis to rotary motion about a second axis which is inclined relative to the first axis. The toothed belt has semicylindrical teeth, and two idler pulleys contact a return portion of the belt to insure that the same are maintained in parallelism with grooves formed in sprockets of the mechanism in order to avoid imposition of side thrusts on the belt or undue wear on the teeth. The toothed belt reciprocates both sickles of the harvesting header in synchronous, timed fashion along directions opposite to each other so that vibrations which would otherwise be established by non-synchronous movement of the sickles are significantly dampened.

Abstract: A pair of reaction and guide roller are located between the toothed gears of two oblique shafts and act on the back of two branches of a toothed belt driving the gears, the axis of each roller being positioned at a substantially intermediate angularity with respect to the direction of the two shafts of the one and of the other toothed gear and being lined up with the axis of the belt teeth in the contact area with the rollers, the ratio between the distances of the pair of rollers from the gears being almost equal to the ratio between the diameters of the gears.

Abstract: A system is provided for driving a cooling fan (19) of a vehicle including a transverse, water-cooled engine (E). A main drive pulley (11,13) is driven by the engine and a fan drive assembly (15) is mounted on the vehicle radiator (R) and includes a driven pulley (37). Torque is transmitted from the drive pulley to the driven pulley by means of a power transmission belt (43) including a drive portion (45) and slack portion (47). An idler pulley (55) engages the drive portion of the belt, and a tensioner device (61) and tensioner pulley (69) engage the slack portion of the belt. The tensioning device includes a rotatable arm (65) and is operable to maintain relatively constant belt tension as the engine and drive pulley move relative to the radiator and fan drive assembly.

Abstract: A fruit sizer employs an in-feed chute which divides fruit among a plurality of sizing runs evenly. This is accomplished by locating the apices of the dividers with respect to a grade table, or other feed mechanism, so that the fruit is divided evenly. A conveyor system uses slanted rollers which are arranged with respect to a drive roller so that each side of the conveyor belt is placed in tension equal to that of the other side of the conveyor belt. This arrangement prevents undue stress on the conveyor belt and prevents the tendency to walk off the rollers. The sizing rollers are driven by a drive train which employs a single flexible belt and may be raised or lowered with the sizing rollers, without affecting the driving belt. Several embodiments of the drive train are disclosed.

Abstract: A torque-transmitting drive having a driving member and a driven member spaced therefrom with an endless transmission belt engaging the members to transmit torque from the driving member to the driven member. The endless belt is folded over one of these members such that two strands of this belt pass over the one member and this same one member thereby does not pass through the endless belt. A bearing sleeve is further slippingly mounted on this one member, over which the endless belt folds such that one strand of the belt at the fold passes over the bearing sleeve. Thus, one strand at the belt fold is in driving engagement with the member and the other strand of the endless belt moves in the opposite direction such that the bearing sleeve is rotating in a direction opposite to that of the member over which the belt folds. When replacing belts, it is not necessary to disturb or dismantle the member over which the endless belt folds, as that member does not pass through the belt.