Abstract: A belt drive including a pulley, a belt reeved about the pulley and means for slacking the belt to disengage it from the pulley is provided with a shroud about the pulley which has portions narrowly spaced from the edges of the pulley to capture the slacked belt between the pulley and the shroud, thus to guide the belt for proper engagement with the pulley during clutching, to prevent the slacked belt from coming off of the pulley and to coact with the declutched expanded belt to maintain it out of range of the pulley in the declutched mode. The shroud has a mounting bracket and fastening means for releasably attaching the bracket to the engine block. The fastening means comprises a positioning detent which engages a portion of the engine block and a single point fastener which releasably fastens the bracket to the engine block.

Abstract: An assembly of a pulley and shaft and a coupling therebetween. The coupling comprises a clamp having radially deformable jaws embracing the shaft and a jaw actuator for moving the jaws toward the shaft to clamp the pulley to the shaft. The clamp can be incorporated in a pulley having complementary mating stamped half sections. In one embodiment, the stamped pulley half sections have oppositely embossed hub portions forming a pocket in which the clamp is received internally. In another embodiment, the clamp is exposed and is mounted on the outside of one of the pulley half sections.

Abstract: Normally hydrophilic inorganic fillers for polymeric resins are modified to enhance their dispersibility in such resins by admixing filler particles with a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide under shear and at an elevated temperature so as to coat the filler particles with a portion of the block copolymer. Thermoplastic polymeric resins, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, containing thus-modified fillers can be conventionally formed into products, such as thin film bags, having improved strength properties.

Abstract: A strip of adhesive tape is relatively permanently attached at one end to a bag near the open end thereof and is strippably attached to the bag in the remaining portions of the tape. To close the bag, the strippable portion of the tape is stripped away from the bag, which is then puckered and desirably twisted near the tape. The free end of the tape is then looped around the puckered end of the bag and is fastened by its adhesive to the puckered portion of the bag and/or to the anchored end of the tape, thus to close the bag.

Abstract: A reclining elevator chair having a tiltable back, an extendible leg rest, and means for raising the seat and simultaneously tilting it forwardly to assist arthritic or other partially disabled persons in leaving the chair. A power-driven ram tilts the back and extends and retracts the leg rest in one mode of operation. In a second mode of operation, the same ram raises the seat and tilts it forwardly. The first mode of operation occurs when the ram is retracted below a predetermined length and the second mode of operation occurs when the ram is extended beyond the predetermined length. When the ram is equal to the predetermined length, a portion of the mechanism which tilts the back and extends and retracts the leg rest abuts against a portion of the seat frame and transfers the force of the ram from the back and leg rest to the seat.

Abstract: A method for applying a coating on metal articles that is resistant to chemical and mechanical attack including the steps of first applying a galvanic zinc coating over a metal article, next applying a chromate coating over the zinc coating, drying the chromate coating, and thereafter applying a fluoroplastic resinous coating over the chromate coating.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for folding first and second end flaps of a sanitary pad, such as a disposable diaper, against the pad. The pad is advanced in one direction with the first flap disposed at the front end of the pad and the second flap disposed at the rear end of the pad. The first flap is allowed to drop into a conveyor gap and the conveyor wipes this flap over a folding element beyond the gap, thus to fold the first flap back against the pad. The pad is then turned end-for-end, desirably by conveying it around a vertical curve, thus to invert the pad and to dispose the second flap at the end of the pad which is now its front end with respect to said one direction. The second flap is now folded back against the pad desirably by advancing it again in said first direction and wiping it against a folding bar over which it is draped in the course of its inversion.

Abstract: In order to save time and labor when reloading the label magazine of a labeling machine, a relatively large number of labels, such as 3000 to 8000, are piled into a stack, and binding means running along relatively opposite longitudinal sides of the stack and across its opposite end faces are applied to the stack so as to stabilize it. The binding means consists of adhesive tape or of a band of stretchable synthetic material, with or without a low backing trough of cardboard along one side of the stack. The binding means is removed after the unitary label package has been inserted into the magazine of the labeling machine.

Abstract: A safety guard for a machine tool, such as a punch press, having an operating part, such as a ram, having a control member. The guard comprises gates between the operating part and a machine tool operator. One of the gates is slidable across the front of the machine tool. Another of the gates is disposed at the side of the machine tool and has a pivot on which it is swingable. The sliding gate carries a control actuator and closes on a path which intersects the free end of the swinging gate which has a bumper. The sliding gate is powered by an air cylinder having a control accessible to the operator. When either gate is open, the machine tool control member is deactuated and there is no danger that the machine tool will operate to endanger the operator's hands. The machine tool operator actuates the gate control to close the sliding gate.

Abstract: A foraminous steam injection tube is mounted within a heating chamber to inject steam into water flowing through the heating chamber to heat the water. A foraminous diffusion screen is mounted around the steam injection tube and in spaced tandem relation, to diffuse the steam jets issuing therefrom, suppress the formation of large bubbles and to eliminate water hammer in the system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting differences in the wall thickness of a hollow object at various locations around its perimeter. Radiant electromagnetic waves are directed through one side of the object. The intensity of the waves is sensed at two adjacent locations where they emerge from the other side of the object after the waves have passed through two wall portions of the object at different sides thereof. The intensity of said waves at said locations is compared to ascertain any difference in wall thickness at said locations. This comparison is repeated as the waves scan the perimeter of the object and the successive comparisons indicate any trend of wall thickness departure from an average thickness. Corrective measures can then be taken at the apparatus which fabricates the object to restore wall thickness to the desired amount. The invention has particular utility in monitoring and controlling wall thickness of extruded plastic tubing in the course of fabricating plastic bags.

Abstract: A stiff display figure panel has an elongated backing strip attached along its edges to an intermediate portion of a die cut figure to form a tube for receiving a staff upon which the figure is supported. An eyelet is attached to the top of the figure at the upper end of the backing strip for hanging the figure on a wall, and to close the end of the tube.

Abstract: Looped tufts of yarn are drawn through proximate openings in a foundation fabric from opposite sides of the fabric and are intertwined in pairs to form square knots that secure opposed tufts of yarn to each other and to the fabric strands separating the proximate openings. The free ends of each pair of knotted yarn tufts extend in opposite directions from opposite sides of the foundation fabric. Such knotted yarn tufts cover both sides of the foundation fabric and form piles on both sides thereof. Different colored yarn tufts may be used and may be arranged to form predetermined decorative patterns on both sides of the article. The patterns on opposite sides of the article can be the same or they can be entirely different.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for producing defibrated cellulose fluff from bales of stacked compacted wood pulp sheets. A face of such a bale or stack is advanced against a milling cutter. The milling cutter and bale are moved relative to one another in the plane of said face to sweep the cutter across all portions of the face and disintegrate the sheets. Fluff thus produced is drawn through a foraminous screen for further disintegration and defibration of the fluff particles. In preferred embodiments, the baled stack is rotated on a vertical axis over a milling cutter which rotates on a horizontal axis. The milling cutter is mounted beneath a bed having a port through which the periphery of the mill is exposed to the face of the bale.

Abstract: A molding sand mixer comprises an elongated tub with a pug mill type agitator therein. The agitator comprises a series of paddles mounted an an oblique angle on a shaft. Blade portions of the paddles which sweep the wall of the tub have a greater circumferential extent than shank portions of the paddles. The aggregate circumferential extent of the paddle blade portions almost fills the space around the periphery of the tub, when viewed in end elevation. There are, however, substantial circumferential gaps between the shank portions of the paddles when viewed in end elevation. The blade portions will substantially completely sweep the tub wall but sand in the vicinity of the shanks will be partially bypassed through said gaps. The paddle agitator is rotated at relatively high speed so that the sand is slapped and batted to cause it to fly and bounce in the tub.

Abstract: A high level probe and a low level probe are mounted at corresponding locations within a container of dry granular or powdered material. The probes are selectively coupled via an input relay to the signal input of a multi-stage amplifier. An output relay is coupled in series with the D.C. power supply for the amplifier and is actuated when the amplifier's total current drain reaches a predetermined value, which occurs when the dry material contacts the high level probe and increases the capacitance thereof. The output relay is coupled to the input relay via a transfer relay to switch the input from the high level probe to the low level probe when the output relay is actuated. The output relay remains actuated until the material level drops below the low level probe, at which time the output relay de-actuates, which switches the high level probe back to the amplifier input, and activates means for refilling the container with dry material.

Abstract: A multi-ply pad, such as a disposable diaper, is cut from a series of interconnected pads by a combined severing and sealing tool having a knife blade which severs through the multi-ply links on which the pads are serially interconnected. The knife edge is immediately followed by a blunt heel which seals the multiple plies of sheet material together. Accordingly, when the separated pads are sequentially handled to be folded, the multiple plies at one end of the pad will not flare or otherwise become disoriented with respect to each other and to the pad. This greatly facilitates and simplifies handling of the pads after they are severed.

Abstract: An integral molded metal sinker has a streamlined body with a pair of wings and a keel fin projecting therefrom. The body has a bulbous, semi-spherical front end which tapers back smoothly to a relatively small rear end. A wire is embedded in the body and extends from the rear end to the front end thereof. Swivels are connected to opposite ends of the wire for attaching the sinker to a fishing line and to a leader. The rear swivel is near the central axis of the body, but the front swivel is substantially above the central axis of the body, thereby placing the center of gravity of the body substantially below the front swivel and tending to prevent rotation of the body. The leading edge portions of the wings are angled downwardly with respect to the rear portions to make the sinker tend to dive when it is drawn through the water. The downturned wing portions are substantially rectangular in shape to maximize their area for a given wing span and width.

Abstract: A rotary drum pelletizer has multiple internal cone frustum baffles. The cone frustum baffles are interconnected serially to constitute a removable liner replaceably received within the drum and interchangeable with one or another of a series of such liners, each having different cone frustum baffle configurations. Means are provided to releasably fasten said liners to said drum. By interchanging one liner for another, the pelletizer drum can be adapted to process particulate material of widely varying characteristics to achieve desired pellet sizes, shapes and consistency.

Abstract: A label magazine having a bend is provided with ratchet teeth formed on the outside wall of the bend to cause fanning of the labels as they negotiate the bend and thus facilitate movement of the labels around the bend without jamming therein.