Abstract: A pill loader system comprising a pillbox loader and a matching pillbox for loading pills into the pillbox. The pillbox loader has a plurality of loader containers, and the pillbox has an identical number of pillbox containers. The pillbox loader is positioned on top of the pillbox and the pills are placed into the loader containers according to instructions written on a pillbox loader form, which is positioned within a loader bottom plate which is slidably inserted between the loader and pillbox such that the loading instructions appear in the bottom of the loader containers. In operation, the loader bottom plate is removed, and the pills drop into corresponding pillbox containers.

Abstract: A feeding module for use in an envelope inserting machine. The feeding module comprises a mounting support fixedly mounted on the chassis of the machine, and a sheet feeder releasably mounted on the mounting support, wherein the sheet feeder comprises a tray for supporting a stack of the sheets and a retrieving mechanism for retrieving one sheet at a time from the bottom of the stack. The retrieved sheet is guided through a curved channel to the moving belt of the inserting machine. The channel is formed by two curved panels, one of which can be lifted away from the other for jam clearance.

Abstract: A delivery for a machine for processing flat printing materials includes a pile-forming station wherein sheets conveyed to the machine in a processing direction are piled, a make-ready station located upline of the pile-forming station in the processing direction and having an insertion opening formed in a side wall thereof for inserting a pile underlay into the make-ready station, and a conveyor by which a pile underlay inserted into the make-ready station is movable into the pile-forming station, a pile underlay carrier disposed in the make-ready station, the pile underlay carrier having a support adjustable between a first level and a second level lower than the first level, the support, at the first level thereof, accommodating the pile underlay inserted into the make-ready station, the support being adjustably movable in a direction to the second level for transferring the pile underlay to the conveyor; and a machine for processing flat printing materials including the delivery.

Abstract: A feeder/separator apparatus for separating and moving sheets from a stack of sheets is described. The feeder/separator includes an input area for positioning the stack of sheets; a first and second series of rollers for jointly feeding a sheet on the bottom of the stack into an area of the apparatus including a third and forth series of rollers and a first series of belts; a pre-separation brake adapted to act in a pivoting pattern only on the first series of belts to cause a first stage separation of the bottom sheet; a separation brake adapted to act in a linear pattern only on the fourth series of rollers to cause a second stage separation of the bottom sheet, the pre-separation and separation brakes permitting the bottom sheets to be separated from the stack; and a fifth series of rollers and a second series of belts both being adapted to feed the bottom sheets away from the feeder/separator apparatus in a sheet feed path.

Abstract: An article including: disk or vortex ring with a circular opening in the center of the disk; and a fastener adapted to concentrically attach the disk to the particle outlet opening of a classifier wheel.

Abstract: A rotatable pneumatic feeding head having a vacuum shoe with apertures for picking up an envelope from an envelope stack by negative air pressure. The feeding head has an outer cylinder with holes communicating with the apertures, and an inner cylinder with cutout regions operatively connected to a vacuum pump. The inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are rotated independently of each other such that when they are aligned, a negative pressure is created at the apertures through the cutout regions and the holes. When the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are out of alignment, the negative pressure is cut off from the apertures. The vacuum shoe is removable so that it can be repaired or replaced when it is damaged or worn.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor includes a base frame, a spool having a spool shaft journalled to the base frame, a webbing wound around the spool, a return spring connected to the spool for winding the webbing by a return force thereof, a motor connected to the spool for winding the spool, and a speed-reduction mechanism interposed between the motor and the spool. The speed-reduction mechanism winds the webbing at a low speed for fitting the webbing to an occupant, and includes a contrate gear with a predetermined reduction gear ratio. Thus, the webbing is wound by operation of the motor via the contrate gear.

Abstract: The main technical problem with Dual Cyclones with Water Injection used as classifiers in grinding circuits is that they do not allow for control and regulation of the input velocity ratio between the first and second cyclone as well as the high pressure required at the intake of the first cyclone to achieve a sound operation of the second cyclone. The disclosed invention solves the technical problem by making the feeding and discharge of both cyclones' overflows form a volute in the horizontal plane with the body of the respective cyclone and by placing, between its bottom and the expansion zone, a selectively, axially-positionable member.

Abstract: An adjustable frame for dispensing stackable items. The adjustable frame includes a first panel having a first edge, a first-panel-dispensing-end, and a first major surface. The major surface is configured to guide stacked items prior to dispensing. A second panel has a second edge, a second-panel-dispensing-end, and a second major surface. The second major surface is configured to, in combination with the first major surface, guide stacked items prior to dispensing. An adjustable panel has a third edge and a third major surface. The third edge is detachably securable in one of a plurality of locations on the second major surface of the second panel. The adjustable panel can be positioned proximate to any one of the plurality of locations to accommodate items of various sizes.

Abstract: A mail handling system that imports data from a thickness measurement device regarding the thickness of a substantially flat mail article, counts the number of flat articles deposited on the top surface of the drop pocket, instructs the drop pocket to open to drop a unitary body of flat mail articles when the total stack thickness and/or number of articles exceeds threshold limits. A computer, operably connected to conventional conveyor system having, a drop pocket, a thickness measurement device, and a conveyor, implements the system.

Abstract: A sheet-fed printing press comprises a running transport chain, gripper devices supported by the transport chain and each having a gripper and a gripper pad for gripping a sheet, an inspection device for inspecting the sheet gripped and transported by the gripper devices, and a suction table having a guide surface for guiding the sheet at a position of inspection, and suction holes for spreading the sheet along the guide surface. Suction taper plates each having an inclined surface, which gradually decreases the distance between the gripper pads and the guide surface from an upstream side toward a downstream side of the guide surface in the sheet transport direction, are provided on the downstream side of the guide surface at predetermined intervals in the sheet width direction. Grooves, through which the grippers pass, are interposed among the suction taper plates.

Abstract: A method for controlling elements for guiding sheet material and for controlling a surface for holding a sheet pile, which comprises registering, by a first sensor element, a lateral position of the sheet material and, based thereon, moving the surface for holding the sheet pile in a lateral direction, and controlling, via a sensor element for sensing a side edge of the sheet pile, independently of a first guide element, the lateral position of a further guide element, which is disposed on a side of the sheet pile, which is opposite to an aligning member for laterally aligning the sheet material and is assigned to an upper pile region; and a device for performing the method.

Abstract: In connection with a method for automatically inserting documents to be displayed on a display device and/or copied in a digitizing device, such as microfiches, microfilm jackets or the like, in which process one document at a time is transported from a stack of documents to be processed to a document support and from there to a deposit magazine for the processed documents, provision is made according to the invention that the top document of a stack of documents contained in the holding magazine is pulled up by suction to about the level of the document support and the remaining stack is subsequently retained by suction acting in the opposite direction; the document pulled up by suction is transported sideways to the document support, and deposited on said support by terminating the suction effect, and the document is then picked up by suction again after it has been processed, and is transported to the deposit magazine.

Abstract: A method and a device for separating flat, sheet-like elements from a stack of such elements, in particular, from a stack of unexposed printing plates that will be automatically loaded into a printing plate recorder. When the upper or front element in the stack is being separated from the stack, an edge area of this element is curved up in some way.

Abstract: A paper towel dispenser which provides for hands free, automatic feeding of the first sheet of a primary web roll, such as a paper towel roll, into a feed mechanism when its cover is closed. The dispenser also automatically transfers its web feed supply from a primary roll to a reserve roll upon the exhaustion of the primary roll. The present invention eliminates the need for an attendant to thread the leading edge of a primary or reserve roll into the feed mechanism of the dispenser. The dispenser also eliminates wasted paper because it does not begin to feed the reserve roll until the primary roll has expired. The dispenser can include either a manual feed mechanism or a powered feed mechanism. The dispenser relies on a sensor for determining when a portion of the web is absent from a side of the feed mechanism proximate a web discharge opening.

Abstract: A piece count and collation system includes a cut-and-seal apparatus including a pair of rotatable members positioned immediately adjacent each other for receiving a tube wrapping containing a plurality of sequentially spaced objects. The rotatable members rotate in opposite directions to one another and each includes a first cutting edge having a first bonding surface positioned immediately adjacent thereto and a second cutting edge spaced apart from the first cutting edge and having a second bonding surface positioned immediately adjacent thereto. At least one of the rotatable members includes a vacuum grasping member positioned between the first and the second cutting edges for grasping one of said plurality of sequentially spaced objects in the tube wrapping received by the cut-and-seal apparatus while the tube-wrapping is cut and bonded on both ends to form a fully wrapped object.

Abstract: A guide roller has a hollow roller and a fabric tube fitted under pressure over the hollow roller. The fabric tube has ends held respectively in axial ends of the hollow roller and fixed thereto by respective pressers which are pressed into the axial ends of the hollow roller.

Abstract: An interlocked type paper collection support board of printer includes a paper-out board, an extension board, and a half stroke mechanism. The paper-out board is retractably installed on a main body of a printer. The extension board is also retractably installed on the paper-out board. The half stroke mechanism is installed between the main body of the printer, the paper-out board, and the extension board. Through interlocked motion of the half stroke mechanism, the paper-out board is simultaneously driven when a user draws the extension board. The paper-out board can thus be simultaneously positioned with the extension board with half the speed and displacement of the extension board.

Abstract: One method operates a pick motor and a separate feed motor to pick and feed a sheet for printing. Desired pick and feed motor velocities are obtained from respective first and second functions of sheet position. Sheet position for obtaining both desired motor velocities is determined by the pick system until a predetermined event. The feed-system sheet position is synchronized to the pick-system sheet position upon the happening of the event. Sheet position for obtaining both desired motor velocities is determined by the feed system after the event. Another method operates a printer pick motor and includes starting picking by driving the pick motor in a first direction, to move a sheet forward, with an input sufficient to prevent any teetering transitions between peaks and valleys of an encoder sensor output which would be falsely counted as forward motion by a single-channel encoder.

Abstract: To manipulate microparticles in a fluid that intersects a first channel or several first channels as a stream, one or more microparticles (14) are exposed to electrical field barriers that change their direction from the direction of flow toward the edge of the flow to a lateral hole (17) of the respective first channel. As a result, microparticles can be moved back and forth between streaming fluids. Preferred applications include treatment, separating, sorting or confinement procedures.