Abstract: The thickness of slices cut by an automatic slicing machine is controlled to produce a draft of slices having a predetermined weight. Desired thickness is determined in accordance with the cross-sectional density of the food product being sliced, which is obtained from the weight and thickness of the most recently cut slice or slices. This information is combined with a desired weight for each of the remaining slices to be cut in the draft to control the rate of advance of the food product into a continuously rotating knife so as to obtain the proper thickness.

Abstract: A valve assembly includes a gasket trapped between spaced apart flanges of a valve stem. The gasket is worked over one flange, causing one end of the gasket to deflect with the cross-section undergoing a rolling motion. Upon passing the flange the deflected end of the gasket resumes its normal size, thereby remaining captive between the valve stem flanges. The valve stem flange and the gasket have recesses formed therein for visual inspection of hidden surfaces, useful to evaluate flush cleaning performed on the valve assembly. The gasket internal bore and the valve stem body extending between the flanges have complementary cross-sectional configurations. The gasket has a tapered bore to aid in insertion on the valve stem and the recesses are part conical, terminating at an intermediate point along the gasket bore. The gasket is dimensioned to float in radial and axial directions when mounted on the valve stem.

Abstract: The thickness of slices cut by an automatic slicing machine is controlled to produce a draft of slices having a predetermined weight. Desired thickness is determined in accordance with the cross-sectional density of the food product being sliced, which is obtained from the weight and thickness of the most recently cut slice or slices. This information is combined with a desired weight for each of the remaining slices to be cut in the draft to control the rate of advance of the food product into a continuously rotating knife so as to obtain the proper thickness.

Abstract: A centrifugal grinder has an internal grinding surface shaped as a surface of revolution, and a rotor mounted within the surface for rotation about the axis of the grinding surface. The rotor defines a generally axial inlet passageway for wood chips to be ground, and at least one pocket extending generally outwardly from the axis of the rotor toward the grinding surface. The pocket is provided with a configuration such that its cross section increases at an increasing rate away from the rotor axis. This encourages the wood chips to orient themselves parallel to the grinding surface, such that they take up such parallel orientation by the time they reach the grinding surface.

Abstract: A dynamically compensating counterbalance enables a numerically controlled contouring head to maintain proper balance through large slide travels, cutting tool radial travels, and weight changes in the cutting tool at high speeds. A counterweight within the contouring head moves oppositely to the slide direction by means of a pair of interconnected fluid cylinders. Slide reciprocation under numerical control pumps the first cylinder to slave the second cylinder and the counterweight connected thereto. The counterweight is of a high density material, thereby enabling the counterweight to have lesser and proportional travel than the corresponding slide travel while maintaining proper counterbalance. Proportional slide and counterweight travels are accomplished by employing cylinders of an unequal areas. The invention includes a servo operated third cylinder in fluid communication with the first and second cylinders.

Abstract: An automotive slicing machine includes a circuit for monitoring the operation of a card dispenser during the processing of a sliced product. In one embodiment, when the monitoring circuit detects that a card dispensing operation has not been performed for two consecutive drafts of a sliced product, the slicing operation is halted until an operator attends to the problem.

Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the available hook raising and lowering distance is attached to a crane or other lifting structure having a boom and at least one lifting tackle utilizing at least one lifting line connected to a prime mover. The apparatus utilizes a support means attached to the crane boom substantially at the connection point of an existing upper tackle. A fixed, lower gripper platform is suspended from the support means and has at least one linear winch grip mounted thereon. A movable, upper gripper platform is connected to at least one lifting line associated with the lifting tackle. The upper gripper platform has at least one linear winch grip mounted thereon. The upper gripper platform is also adapted to reciprocate between the lower gripper platform and the upper tackle in response to the prime mover drawing in or paying out the lifting line. At least one extended load line for attachment to a load passes through the linear winch grips on the lower and upper gripper platforms.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved platform-mounted apparatus for holding and rapidly releasing a flexible load line having the properties of a wire rope. The invention comprises wedge gripper means for holding the line up to a tensile force substantially equal to the breaking strength of the line, with the gripper means comprising a grip frame for mounting to the platform and a pair of opposed grip wedges, the wedges having opposed internal gripping surfaces for engaging the line and external wedging surfaces that taper toward each other in the direction of the tensile force in a gripped line, each grip wedge having a wide end and a narrow end. Grip connection means connect the wide end of each grip wedge to the grip frame, said grip connection means defining a lower travel limit for each grip wedge in the direction of the tensile force in a gripped line.

Abstract: A boring tool is made from simple bar stock without significant external machining of the tool body. By providing a longitudinal bore which intersects a transverse slot, a longitudinally slidable wedge with splines can cooperate with a disc carried by a tool bar slidably received in the transverse slot. To ensure the most precise alignment between splines of the wedge and splines of a cooperating disc in the tool bar, the disc of the tool bar is attached to the tool bar with epoxy cement while the splines of the disc are engaged with the splines of the wedge. With the splines of the wedge being angularly offset from the longitudinal axis of the wedge, translation of the wedge will ensure accurately controlled movement of the tool bar.

Abstract: An enclosure to be electromagnetically shielded includes first and second conductive joints, the first conductive joint comprising a channel including a pair of side walls and a back wall whereby to define a truncated wedge-shaped cross-section including an interior shoulder facing an enlarged chamber adjacent the back wall, a deformable body of polymer enclosed in a conductive mesh and abutting the back wall, and a nonplanar contact member engaging the mesh body, the back wall and each respective side wall at three points. The second conductive joint includes a flange plate to overlap the first joint and a blade to engage the contact members and the mesh body whereby to provide radiation shielding. A metallic gasket recessed in the flange is compressed between the conductive joints to resist passage of radiation, dust or moisture.

Abstract: The invention provides an eave truss for anchoring, supporting and reinforcing a metal roof and "tilt-up" or other prefabricated concrete or masonry walls in a building against the vertical load exerted by the roof itself, the lateral load exerted by wind and seismic forces, and load caused by thermal expansion and contraction of various attached heterogeneous building components. The eave truss is supported by the roof beams, and a single eave truss is attached to the roof, the ends of the roof beams, and the wall along the full length of each end of the building. The eave truss attachment to the wall is in shear only at the center portion of the truss; all other attachments to the walls from the eave truss are made through horizontally slotted holes in the eave truss to allow normal thermal expansion and contraction of the heterogeneous parts.

Abstract: An automatic slicing machine includes a dynamic weigher for weighing slices in a draft as they are being cut. Information from the weigher is converted into a digital value and is used to control the thickness of subsequently cut slices to produce drafts at a target weight. After the cutting of a draft is completed, its weight is checked in a check weigher. The check weigher communicates the weights of individual drafts back to a programmable controller in the slicer. The controller computes a new target weight to correct any deviation of the final weight from the set point for weight control. This automatically calculated correction eliminates manual adjustment by the machine operator and assures that subsequent drafts have an acceptable weight.

Abstract: A boring tool is made from simple bar stock without significant external machining of the tool body. By providing a longitudinal bore which intersects a transverse slot, a longitudinally slidable wedge with splines can cooperate with a disc carried by a tool bar slidably received in the transverse slot. To ensure the most precise alignment between splines of the wedge and splines of a cooperating disc in the tool bar, the disc of the tool bar is attached to the tool bar with epoxy cement while the splines of the disc are engaged with the splines of the wedge. With the splines of the wedge being angularly offset from the longitudinal axis of the wedge, translation of the wedge will ensure accurately controlled movement of the tool bar.

Abstract: A subpurlin (100) is provided for use in constructing an insulated wall assembly having a plurality of horizontal support members (104) and wall panels (102). The subpurlin (100) is provided with a first cell rib area (110) and a second cell rib area (112) and interconnecting spanner sections (28) to provide insulation space (116) between the wall support members (104) and the subpurlin.

Abstract: A centrifugal grinder for pulp wood and wood chips has a stationary internal grinding surface and a rotor rotating within the surface. The rotor has an axial feed passage for stock to be ground, and at least one passageway extending from the passage to the grinding surface. A guideway in the rotor is disposed at an angle to the grinding surface and is located such that, as the rotor rotates, the guideway sweeps over the portion of the grinding surface in contact with the stock to be ground. A sealing bar is located in the guideway, the bar being of a material softer than the grinding surface so that it can be worn down into conformity with the surface. A rack within the guideway is connected to the sealing bar, and a pinion engages the rack.

Abstract: A subpurlin (10) is provided for a building assembly having a plurality of overhead structural members (50), an insulating layer (62) and a plurality of overlapping roof panels (56). The subpurlins (10) support and space the roof panels (56) without compressing the insulating layer (62). Connector assemblies (30) secure the subpurlins (10) on the structural members (50) while permitting differential thermal movements between the roof panels (56) and the structural members (50). The connector assemblies (30) have ferrules (32) which slidingly engage slots (16) in the subpurlins (10). Washers (34) are fastened to the structural members (50) through the ferrules (32) during subpurlin (10) installation.

Abstract: A grab assembly for handling articles such as hot and cold steel ingots and molds, characterized by multiple current relays and limit switches that enable selection of different grip forces. The assembly comprises complemental tongs, an electrically powered drive for actuating the tongs and compressing springs which resiliently restrain the tongs in gripping engagement with an article, an electrically operated holding brake for maintaining such resilient restraint of the tongs, and a selector for rendering operative any one relay and corresponding limit switch which redundantly operate to stop the powered drive and set the holding brake in response to motor current and spring compression reaching respective predetermined amounts corresponding to a respective desired gripping force at the tongs. Also disclosed is a crane employing the grab assembly.

Abstract: A general safe retract and return function is provided for a machine tool which is easily programmed for all cases to avoid collision and interference between the workpiece and tool and to reduce the damage or imperfection in the surface of the machined workpiece caused by the termination and/or resumption of machining. The general safe retract and return function includes parameters defining incremental retract and entry vectors relative to the direction of the machining path in the region of the interrupted point. Preferably the tool and workpiece are reengaged at the interrupted point along an entry ventor which is at a grazing angle with respect to the reverse of the tool feed direction along the machining path, thereby avoiding remachining of the workpieces but providing a smooth surface finish.

Abstract: A roof structure and its components comprises a series of metal panels having flanges that interlock when the panels are laid side by side and which are subsequently tightly seamed together to convert the individual panels into an integrated roof forming membrane. The roof structure may be insulated through the use of a blanket vapor barrier and insulation under the panels preferably along with thermal blocks located over the purlins. The roof structure includes unique flexible panel mounting clips that attach the panels to the purlins in such a way as to permit the panels to expand or contract in response to temperature and pressure changes, thereby minimizing roof stressing.The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/000,342, filed 03/16/83, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

Abstract: A roof structure and its components comprises a series of metal panels having flanges that interlock when the panels are laid side by side and which are subsequently tightly seamed together to convert the individual panels into an integrated roof forming membrane. The roof structure may be insulated through the use of a blanket vapor barrier and insulation under the panels preferably along with thermal blocks located over the purlins. The roof structure includes unique flexible panel mounting clips that attach the panels to the purlins in such a way as to permit the panels to expand or contract in response to temperature and pressure changes, thereby minimizing roof stressing.The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/000,345, filed 03/18/83, have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).