Abstract: A hydraulic control system for controlling the orientation of a material handling unit on a lift boom. The control system includes a flow divider/combiner valve operative in a boom-raise, unit-leveling mode to pass a portion of the fluid displaced from the rod end of the boom cylinder to the base end of the unit cylinder, and operative in a boom-lower, unit-leveling mode, to combine the fluid stream displaced from the base end unit cylinder in a preset ratio with pressurized fluid, and pass the combined stream to the rod end of the boom cylinder. A modulating valve controls flow to and from the base end of the boom cylinder and is pilot actuated to inhibit descent of the boom until the pressure in the unit cylinder reaches a level at which the unit cylinder initiates levelling of the unit.

Abstract: A control system for a lift boom pivotable with respect to a vehicle by a boom cylinder and material handling unit pivotable with respect to the boom by a unit cylinder when the control of a boom control valve and a unit control valve. The control system includes a flow divider/combiner valve and operative in a boom-raise, unit-leveling mode to pass a preset portion of the fluid displaced from the rod end of the boom cylinder to the base end of the unit cylinder. The flow divider-combiner valve is operative in a boom-lower, unit-leveling mode, to combine the fluid stream displaced from the base end unit cylinder in a preset ratio with pressurized fluid, and pass the combined stream to the rod end of the boom cylinder. The control system can be disengaged from the automatic leveling mode to enable the boom unit to be operated manually under the control of the boom and unit control valves.

Abstract: A rod clamp device having a rod clamp sleeve with a frusto-conical outer surface and an annular cam with a frusto-conical inner surface and an annular ball guide cage arranged to equalize movement of the bearing balls in circumferentially spaced paths along the clamp sleeve so that the annular cam applies pressure through the bearing balls uniformly around the rod clamp sleeve when the cam is moved axially in one direction to a rod clamp position, and the annular cam uniformly releases pressure on the bearing balls when the cam is moved axially in an opposite direction to a release position. The rod clamp sleeve has slots and the ball guide cage is keyed to the clamp sleeve to maintain a preset angular relation therebetween while allowing relative axial movement.

Abstract: A vertical blind apparatus having a wand operated control for traversing the slats along a headrail and for rotating the slats. The blind apparatus has an actuator shaft with its axis disposed in a central vertical plane equidistant from the sidewalls of the headrail; slat carriers are mounted on slat carriages for rotation about vertical axes disposed in the central vertical plane and a control shaft for the wand operated control is also mounted for rotation in the central vertical plane. The wand operated vertical blind apparatus can be used in either left or right draw installations and in two-way draw installations.

Abstract: An adjustable lock nut comprising a one-piece annular body having an internally threaded axial bore extending between and faces of the body and a circumferential outer face. The body has a narrow annular internal groove that opens intermediate the ends of the axial bore and extends generally radially outwardly from the axial bore. A set of radial bores extend into the body at circumferentially spaced locations with their axes disposed in a plane normal to the body axis and bisecting the internal groove and the radial bores each include an internally threaded outer end portion and a threadless conical inner end portion, configured to form semi-conical recesses in the body at opposite sides of the internal groove adjacent the internally threaded axial bore. An externally threaded screw in the outer end portion of each radial bore actuates a wedge that engages the semi-conical recesses to apply separating forces thereto.

Abstract: A rod clamp device having a clamp sleeve and a cam member spring biased axially in a direction to actuate the clamp sleeve to a clamp condition, and a clamp release piston that is operable through a mechanical force amplifying mechanism to move the cam member in opposition to the spring to release the clamp sleeve. The clamp release piston is operated in response to fluid pressure to produce a force correlative with the fluid pressure and the clamp release piston moves an annular ramp to force a plurality of ball elements between a thrust surface on an end of the cam ring and a stationary thrust surface and move the can ring axially in a direction to recompress the spring.

Abstract: A roll type stock feed apparatus having a lower feed roll rotatably supported on a frame and cross-shaft rotatably mounted on the frame parallel to the lower feed roll, and a motor for driving the lower feed roll and the cross-shaft in timed relation. First and second upper roll carriers are mounted for independent vertical pivotal movement on the cross-shaft, and first and second upper feed rolls are rotatably mounted on the upper roll carriers for movement therewith and are drivingly connected to the cross-shaft for rotation by the cross-shaft in timed relation with the lower feed roll. The first and second feed rolls are independently driven from the cross-shaft by first and second upper roll gears respectively non-rotatably connected to the first and second upper feed rolls and first and second upper roll drive gears non-rotatably mounted on the cross-shaft and respectively meshing with the first and second upper roll gears.

Abstract: A roll type stock feed apparatus having one feed roll rotatably mounted on a stationary frame structure, and a second feed roll mounted on a movable roll carrier and yieldably urged into a stock engaging condition. An electro-responsive servomotor is drivingly connected to at least one of the feed rolls for driving the feed rolls through a preselected feed cycle. An elongated ram position sensor is slidably mounted on the stationary frame structure for lengthwise reciprocation along an upright path and is yieldably urged upwardly relative to the frame structure to a preset raised position on the frame structure. A cam on the ram position sensor member engages a cam follower on the movable roll carrier and is operative in response to movement of the sensor member downwardly from the preset raised position to move the roll carrier and the second stock feed roll to a stock release condition.

Abstract: A fluid pressure operated braking device for a piston rod. The braking device includes a clamp sleeve and a cam member spring biased axially in a direction to actuate the clamp sleeve to a clamp condition, and a fluid pressure operator that provides a hydraulically amplified force for moving the cam member in opposition to the spring to release the clamp sleeve. The fluid pressure operator includes a first piston operated in response to fluid pressure applied thereto to produce a force correlative with fluid pressure and the first piston is connected to a second piston that pressurizes a non-compressible fluid in a closed pressure chamber communicating with a third piston, and a third piston actuates the cam ring in opposition to the spring to release the clamp ring.

Abstract: A motor driven stock feed apparatus for feeding stock along a lengthwise path to maintain a slack loop in the stock. A loop size sensor includes four vertically spaced infrared beam emitters mounted at one side of an upright plane containing the lengthwise path of strip stock and four vertically spaced infrared beam sensors mounted at an opposite side of the upright plane. The infrared beam emitters are operated to emit a continuous train of pulses. A missing pulse detector associated with each infrared beam sensor senses missing pulses in the train of pulses received by the beam sensor and operates a motor speed control to increase and decrease the speed of the stock feed apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a pleated cellular shade product from a single web of material to provide different physical characteristics on opposite sides of the shade product. A web is provided having alternate first and second stripe areas extending crosswise of the web at a preset repeat spacing and the striped web is folded crosswise of the web alternately in a first direction along a first fold line intermediate side edges of the first stripe area and in a second direction along a second fold line intermediate side edges of each second stripe area to form a plurality of sidewise adjacent panels serially united in alternate succession along respective first and second fold lines.

Abstract: A lock nut comprising an internally threaded body having an internally threaded bore and one groove opening at the bore and a second groove opening at the outer surface, the grooves are axially spaced apart and configured to divide the body into first and second end ring portions and a thin axially relilient intermediate portion integral with the end portions. The body has a plurality of internally threaded openings extending inwardly from the outer surface and externally threaded secews threaded into the internally threaded openings and configured to wedge the end ring portions axially away from each other when the screws are threaded into the openings.

Abstract: A wire cleaning apparatus in which three motor driven rotary wire brushes are mounted on a frame for rotation about axes generally radially of a wire pass line with the axes of the brushes being angularly and axially spaced apart relative to the pass line, and with the rotary brushes each having a bristle end face transverse to the axis of rotation and disposed adjacent the pass line so that the bristles of each brush move crosswise of the wire and in relatively opposite directions during each revolution of the brush. A wire guide shoe is associated with each of the wire brushes for guidably engaging and supporting the wire at a side of the pass line opposite the end face of the associated wire brush to control the position of the wire and the depth of penetrating the wire as it passes the end face of the associated brush.

Abstract: A universal system for supporting and holding a workpiece having a contoured work holding surface is provided with a spaced array of work holding fixtures mounted on a base. Each fixture includes a work engaging head having a vacuum cup and three work engaging projections spaced outwardly from the vacuum cup and disposed in a work contact plane. The work engaging head is supported by a ball joint on a rod mounted for axial movement relative to a base and the ball joint supports the work engaging head for tilting movement about axes orthogonal to each other and to the axis of the rod. The ball joint includes a ball and casing and a ball clamp in the casing with ball clamp operating means for selectively moving the ball clamp means into a ball clamped condition to a ball released condition. A rod clamp means is provided for selectively locking the rod in a rod clamp adjusted position.

Abstract: An elongate venetian blind slat having a longitudinally extending transversely convex upper surface and an opposed longitudinally extending transversely concave lower surface and opposed longitudinally extending edge surfaces. The slat comprises a rigid thermoplastic resin having a cellular core and an integral solid skin along the longitudinally surfaces of the slats and a density of 0.4 to 0.6 g/cc. The upper and lower surfaces of the slat have a radius of curvature less than the width of the slat and, preferably, the upper and lower surfaces have substantially the same radius of curvature.

Abstract: A wire feeding and cutoff machine in which the feed mechanism continuously advances wire along a path past a wire cutoff arm and into an elongated wire guide having a stationary guide member and a movable closure member. The cutoff arm is pivotally mounted on a cutoff arm axis and is driven by a crank connected to the output shaft of a one-revolution clutch. The crank drives the cutoff arm and moves a cutter downwardly from an initial position and then back to clear the wire path during a first half of the crank revolution. A drive mechanism for the movable closure member is connected to the cutoff and moves movable closure to an open position in response to movement of the cutoff arm in a cutting stroke and to a closed position during movement of the cutoff arm in the return. The drive mechanism also operates an ejector pin for ejecting a wire from the wire guide when the movable closure member is opened.

Abstract: A disposable transcutaneous electrode comprising, a sheet electrode member of electrically conductive carbon filled polymer, an electrically conductive silver/silver chloride coating on at least a major portion of the lower side of the electrode member, a pad of electrically conductive gel having an upper surface underlying the silver/silver chloride coating on the lower side of the electrode member, a current distributing mat having a perimeter spaced inwardly of the perimeter of the electrode member, the mat including an open mesh metallized carbon fiber web having a carbon impregnated pressure sensitive adhesive composition on upper and lower sides of the web, the mat being configured to be electrically conductive along the surfaces of the mat and transverse to the surfaces of the mat and being conductively adhered to the upper side of the sheet electrode member, an electrical conductor sheathed in an electrical insulating material and having an unsheathed end portion conductively adhered to the mat for co

Abstract: A cord connector device for releasably connecting a plurality of operating cords in a window covering. The cord connector device comprises two elongate side members interconnected for relative movement about a pivot axis adjacent their lower ends such that the upper ends of the side members are movable relative to each other in a path of movement from a closed condition to an open condition. Cord retaining jaws extend inwardly of the side members at a location spaced below the upper ends of the side members and the jaws having jaw edges disposed in opposed relation when the side members are in the closed condition to retain the lower ends of the lift cords. A top wall on the upper end of one of the side members configured to form spaced sides and one end of an elongate cord abutment loop and an upper projection on the other side member is arranged to form the other end of the elongate loop when the side members are in the closed condition.

Abstract: A two-piece drapery traverse rod master carrier comprising a carrier body having rod guides for supporting the carrier body for movement along a traverse rod, and a drapery support arm having lead and trail ends and a mounting stem extending laterally from one side of the support arm at a location intermediate the lead and trail ends of the arm. The carrier body has an arm guide supporting the mounting stem for horizontal movement in a direction perpendicular to the path of movement of the carrier body when the lead end of the drapery support arm extends from the arm guide to adjust the lateral position of the support arm relative to the slide body. The drapery support arm can be positioned on the carrier body with the lead end extending in either of two opposed directions generally parallel to the path of movement of the carrier body.