Abstract: A sheet feeder apparatus and method with throughput control. By varying the speed at which sheets are fed from a supply, the sheet feeder apparatus and method assures that the throughput capacity of a downstream operation is never exceeded. Speed is varied based upon the length of the sheets being fed. Furthermore, the sheet feeder apparatus can have worn components replaced quickly and by operators of minimal skill level.

Abstract: The present invention is a seed metering disc for the distribution and planting of various sizes of seeds. The seed metering disc is defined by a set of seed cells which can accommodate various seed sizes in that each cell is defined by a recess, seed cell retention wall, and seed cell retention plate.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a sieve bed for a sifting machine, consisting of rectangular sieve elements (10), which are attached to a support frame (1) with their edges abutting each other, the support frame being provided with mushroom-shaped mounting pins (3), each of which is provided with a head which engages in an interlocking manner in corresponding recesses (11a and 11b) of the sieve elements (10). To facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the sieve elements in a sieve bed of this type and to protect the connection from premature wear the invention proposes that the receptacle (11) for the head (4) of the mounting pin (3) be closed off at the top; that the receptacle (11) for the head (4) of the mounting pin (3) be provided at the bottom with an entrance opening for the head (4) of the mounting pin (3); and that the wall of the receptacle (11) be provided with an inward-projecting bed (12), which can be snapped under the head (4) of the mounting pin (3).

Abstract: A feeding mechanism comprising an accumulating area mechanism for feeding sheets into the accumulating area to form a stack, exit mechanism, mechanism for moving the stack of sheets from the accumulating area through the exit mechanism, support mechanism are provided to keep the trailing edge of a previous sheet fed in the accumulating area uplifted until the leading edge of a subsequent sheet is moved beneath a previous sheet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of separating integrated circuit (IC) devices according to magnetic properties of the devices is disclosed. A plurality of IC devices are subjected to a magnetic field. The IC devices containing only nonferrous material are not responsive to the magnetic field and are thus gathered to a first collection site. The IC devices containing ferrous material adhere to a moving surface proximate the magnetic field and are transported to a second collection site. The sorted devices are then transported to separate locations for further processing. The apparatus used for separating the IC devices may include a conveyor having a magnetic drum and an antistatic belt which travels about the magnetic drum. The conveyor allows nonferrous IC devices to fall off the edge of the magnetic drum into the first collection site while transporting the ferrous IC devices to another location for collection.

Abstract: A mechanically operated product dispenser which has a push button that engages one end of a pivoted arm. The opposite end of the pivoted arm is pivotably connected to a slide gear that drives a drive gear. The drive gear drives a spindle on which a cam and a dispenser cog are secured. The cam has a sloping surface groove which receives an arm of a secondary housing in order to pivot the secondary housing as the cam is rotated. The dispenser cog is rotated by the spindle and forces a product in a product reservoir into a dispensing track in the secondary housing. Therefore, the device easily dispenses a product into a receptacle or into one's hand if desired.

Abstract: A dispensed product detection system and method for use in a refrigerated vending machine utilizing an optical light beam crossing the path through which a dispensed product travels. An optical emitter transmits a light beam through at least one layer of substantially transparent anti-fog film to reduce moisture condensation and across the product path to an optical detector wherein signal intensity is measured. As a dispensed product passes through the light beam between the emitter and the detector, the beam is momentarily broken, resulting in a change in signal intensity at the infrared detector which is registered as the vend of a product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for separating tenaciously elastic materials such as plastics and rubber from materials tearing and/or defiberizing under high mechanical stress, particularly paper, and to a device for performing said process. The process is characterized in that the mixture of materials to be separated is subjected to high radial, axial and tangential acceleration forces, whereby a mass flow of shredded fibrous material and a mass flow of substantially unshredded plastics is withdrawn separately. The device for performing the process consists of a screen basket which is cylindrical or preferably polygonal in shape and has borings in its jacket to let the defiberized material pass through, a rotatable driving shaft being arranged coaxially inside the screen basket, with blades being attached to said driving shaft, preferably in rigid connection.

Abstract: A reciprocating rod of the ejector is borne in a non-sliding state by permanent magnets on the reciprocating rod and permanent magnets surrounding the reciprocating rod. The reciprocating rod linearly projects out and retracts by the reciprocating components which cause the reciprocating rod to reciprocate by the driving signals from the driver circuit. A slanted surface is provided at the foremost end of the reciprocating rod. When the granular objects to be ejected flow-in continuously, the projecting-out action takes place correspondingly with the leading granular object to be ejected and, after the following granular object(s) to be ejected has been ejected, the retracting action takes place.

Abstract: Resilient supporting member for resiliently supporting the lower edge of recording paper sheets is provided near a lower part of a back plate of a paper sheet feeding apparatus. The resilient supporting member includes a rocking support piece and a spring. When the recording paper sheets are inserted into the paper sheet feeding apparatus, the rocking support piece is angularly displaced about an axis extending perpendicularly to the paper sheet feeding direction and absorbs the impact force generated in inserting the recording paper sheets, whereby the rocking support piece is pressed against a predetermined holding portion by an upwardly directed spring force and the angle that the receiving face of the rocking support piece makes with the supporting face of the back plate is held at an angle &thgr;1 suitable for paper sheet feeding.

Abstract: A centrifugal jig has a container mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis (22), separated into an axial region (32) and a peripheral region by ragging material (41) supported by a screen (30). The peripheral region is composed of a series of hutch chambers (34) with reciprocating wall portions (45) located radially outside the screen (30), for repetitively dilating the ragging. Also disclosed is a hutch chamber construction applicable to both rotary and non-rotary jigs, having a reciprocating wall portion (45) which includes convergent wall surfaces leading to the hutch chamber concentrate outlet (44).

Abstract: An arrangement for removing chips from a machining coolant prior to filtering out the finer solids in a main filter. A coarse weave belt is frictionally driven along a strainer bottom wall of an auxiliary tank suspended above the main filter tank, the permanent media belt of a coarse weave which allows the liquid and suspended finer solids to pass through while capturing the chips. A powered drag conveyor frictionally engages and drives the permanent media belt through the auxiliary tank, each diverging when returning across the top and bottom respectively of the auxiliary tank prior to being recirculated through the auxiliary tank.

Abstract: A system for handling checks is provided that includes a sorter operable to retrieve MICR data from a plurality of checks. An emulator is coupled to the sorter. The emulator is operable to access the MICR data, to generate a process buffer based on the MICR data, and to generate a plurality of feature instructions for each check based on the process buffer. A communication engine is coupled between the emulator and a check processing system. The communication engine is operable to communicate between the emulator and the check processing system in real-time. The check processing system is operable to receive the process buffer from the emulator through the communication engine. The emulator is further operable to communicate the feature instructions to the sorter. The sorter is further operable to process the checks based on the feature instructions.

Abstract: An automated banking machine can identify and store documents such as currency bills received by a user. The machine can then selectively recover documents from storage and dispense them to other users. Identification devices can identify the type and character of a document, and distinguish genuine documents, such as genuine currency bills, from unidentifiable or suspect documents. Each received document can be judged as either acceptable or unacceptable. Output related to the judging can be presented to the user prior to a document leaving the machine. Subsequently, responsive to receiving user authorization to deposit the acceptable documents, the acceptable documents can be stored in the machine and the unacceptable documents returned to the user.

Abstract: A seat belt retractor includes a base frame, a spool journalled to the base frame, a webbing wound around the spool, and a motor for rotating the spool. A speed-reduction mechanism is interposed between the motor and the spool. The speed-reduction mechanism includes at least one transmission train with a predetermined gear ratio, a common transmission element connected to the transmission train, and a resistant torque device connected to the transmission train. The common transmission element transmits rotation of the motor to the spool when the torque of the rotation is smaller than the preset value. Winding of the webbing is made based on the wearing condition of the webbing and the running condition of the vehicle.

Abstract: A support for a screen assembly for a vibratory separator, a screen assembly with such a support, a vibratory separator with one or more such screen assemblies, and a method of using such a screen assembly, such a support having a body, a first series of holes through the body each hole having a first opening size as viewed from above, a second series of holes through the body each hole with a second opening size as viewed from above, the second series of holes at a selected area of the body and the support positionable in a vibratory separator so that the selected area is adjacent a selected location with respect to the vibratory separator, and the second opening size smaller than the first opening size and/or the second series of holes with holes spaced apart differently than the holes of the first series of holes; and in one aspect, a plastic grid with such hole series for fusing together layers of screening material.

Abstract: A compact dedusting apparatus is mounted on the machine utilizing particulate material requiring contaminant cleansing to provide an economical and effective decontamination of particulate material immediately before utilization of the material. The dedusting apparatus includes a downwardly sloped infeed chute having an opening at the bottom thereof. A metering device in the form of a rotatable finned hub blocks the opening to constantly meter the flow of particulate material through the dedusting apparatus. The metering device is formed with flexible blades oriented at a slight angle to the slope of the infeed chute to provide a constant flow of material through the opening. A flow of air is directed through a wash deck positioned below the infeed chute to cleanse the particulate material. The air flow is directed along multiple paths including a path defining an air knife associated with the wash deck to facilitate the cleansing of the material.

Abstract: Stacks of wet wipes having improved dispensability are provided. The stacks comprise a first clip of wet wipes and a second clip of wet wipes positioned on top of the first clip of wet wipes. Clips of wet wipes generally include a last wet wipe comprising a bottom portion having a surface area that is greater than the surface area of the top portion. Clips of wet wipes also generally include a next-to-last wet wipe comprising a bottom portion having a surface area that is less than the surface area of the top portion. Individual wet wipes in stacks of the present invention have less tendency to stick together than wet wipes in stacks found in the prior art.

Abstract: A tape drive (10) and cartridge (22) combination is provided herein. The tape drive (10) and cartridge (22) include an improved buckle (30) that securely couples a drive leader (32) of the tape drive (10) to a cartridge leader (28) of the cartridge (22) and inhibits half-ear situations. As provided herein, the buckle (30) includes a first buckle component (54) and a second buckle component (56) that securely couple the leaders (28) (32). More specifically, the first buckle component (54) includes a receiver (60) and the second buckle component (56) includes a tab (58) that engages the receiver (60) to securely couple the leaders (28) (32). The tab (58) has a nose (62) and a neck (64). The nose (62) includes a pair of opposed proximal edges (69) that cantilever away from the neck (64) and engage the receiver (60) to couple buckle components (54) (56). Importantly, the opposed proximal edges (69) of the nose (62) are curved.

Abstract: A system and method for assisting an operator in sorting mail includes a wireless headset equipped with a microphone, and a workstation that includes a processing unit, voice-recognition and voice-synthesis circuitry, and a database. In operation, addressee information spoken into the microphone is transmitted to the workstation where it is used to search the database. Destination information from a matching database record is then output to the operator on one or more of a display terminal, headset speakers, and heads-up display fixed to the headset. The convenience and enhanced capability provided by this system streamlines operator productivity and sorting volume.