Abstract: An end of a seat belt is connected to an actuator that can selectively remove a slack from the seat belt. The actuator includes a main actuator unit, and a cushioning member for decelerating a movement of the moveable end of the seat belt following a certain initial travel of the moveable end. The main actuator unit includes a cylinder integrally attached to a part of the vehicle body, a piston member slidably received in the cylinder and connected to the moveable end, a pyrotechnic gas generator provided on one end of the cylinder, and an accumulator chamber defining a prescribed volume and communicating with an output end of the pyrotechnic gas generator. The main actuator unit produces an early rise in the vehicle occupant deceleration, and the cushioning member smoothly connects the time history of the vehicle occupant deceleration to a ride-down condition whereby the deceleration acting on the vehicle occupant is favorably spread over time, and the maximum level of the deceleration can be minimized.

Abstract: Groups of individual shingled items such as graham crackers or cookies are stacked in vertical stacks of predetermined heights and/or number of items using a stacking apparatus having at least one set of lowering arms. A stacking conveyor belt continuously delivers groups of shingled items to the end of the conveyor where the items come into contact with the lowering arms. The lowering arms then gently lower shingled items to a lower stacking level while forming a vertical stack. The items in the stack remain in substantially horizontal position while being lowered from the stacking conveyor to the lower stacking level. The apparatus is substantially jam-free and is highly tolerant to irregular placement of the shingled items on the stacking conveyor. The stacking apparatus can be used for stacking of groups of shingled items of different size and/or weight with little or no modification.

Abstract: A wheelchair access system with a stacking platform for use in conjunction with a vehicle having a floor, which includes a right-side vertical arm and an elongated support with a first and second portion. The first portion of the elongated support is pivotably coupled with the vertical arm. The vertical arm operates for deployment of the platform structure. The left side also has a vertical arm and an elongated support with a first and second portion, the first portion of which is coupled with the vertical arm. There is a fixed platform section attached intermediate to the first portions of the right-side and left-side elongated supports and an actuator that is powerable for moving the right-side and left-side vertical arms between positions that are both outboard and inboard the vehicle.

Abstract: A guide rail spacer is provided that can be adjusted among a plurality of predetermined fixed positions with respect to the guide rail which it supports. The can spacer can also be secured when not in use such that it does not interfere with conveyor line operations while remaining readily available for use.

Abstract: A belt conveyor or belt accumulator includes at least two tandem zones, each of which is defined by a motorized roller and at least one idler roller positioned along and between opposite sidewalls of the conveyor and a continuous belt routed around the motorized roller and the idler roller or rollers. The motorized roller is operable to drive the belt around the rollers to move articles along the respective zone. The belt may have a low modulus characteristic and may be initially stretched at least 0.75% in its lengthwise direction when the belt is reeved or routed around the rollers. The motorized roller of each zone may be independently operable, such as in response to an article sensor at each zone, to convey or accumulate articles on the respective zone of the belt conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for folding boxes in a boxing machine has conveyor chains which are respectively supported in pairs in a guide rail and have pusher lugs attached to them, between which the folding boxes are contained in a positively engaging fashion. To permit adjustment of the conveyor apparatus with regard to different box widths and box lengths, the conveyor chains are respectively coupled to cross sectionally polygonal shafts. The format adaptation to different folding box widths is permitted by means of a self-locking adjusting mechanism, for a simple format adaptation in terms of the folding box length, according to the invention it is necessary that the gears that are operationally connected to the one guide rail be disposed on the respective shaft in a rotationally fixed, but movable fashion.

Abstract: A vending machine has capabilities for moving an elevator and a product bucket so the product bucket faces a given product column containing products, then moving forward a conveyer belt of the given product column to carry a foremost product of the products placed in line on the conveyer belt into the product bucket. This vending machine has a product position adjustment apparatus for moving the conveyer belt of the given product column forward or backward to adjust a position of the front edge of a next foremost product on the conveyer belt to a given position after the foremost product in the given product column is carried into the product bucket.

Abstract: A chain store comprising a plurality of intermittently movable gondolas which serve for receiving products to be stored and are suspended and fastened on at least one articulated chain running vertically over a plurality of deflection rollers, and a plurality of shelves which serve for receiving the products, and at least one unloading station which is arranged on an upward- or downward-moving outer side of the chain store and has transfer means for ejecting the products onto a horizontal discharge belt leading away from the unloading side, wherein the transfer means has two ejectors for simultaneously ejecting products from in each case two shelves one on top of the other, wherein a storage plate which is fastened with its end facing away from the gondola train to a retaining apparatus and is pivotable from a horizontal into a skew position inclined toward the discharge belt and is displaceable away from the gondola train is provided above the discharge belt, wherein the storage plate has rake-like or comb-l

Abstract: Process and device for controlling the drive of a conveyor system (10), specifically in the form of an escalator or passenger conveyor, which can be switched from load to no-load operation, comprising a drive motor (26) and a variable frequency converter (42), which is at least controllable with respect to the frequency of its output voltage, wherein, under load, the drive motor (26) is supplied with a line voltage with an essentially constant line frequency and, at no-load, is supplied the output voltage of the variable frequency converter's (42), wherein, prior to a changeover from no-load to load operation, the output frequency of the variable frequency converter (42) is essentially brought with phase accuracy to the line frequency by means of a PLL device (30), and wherein this changeover is brought about as soon as this phase conformance has been realized.

Abstract: An adjustable over and under line feed system having a first end, a second end, a plurality of adjustable first support legs, a plurality of adjustable second support legs, and a plurality of adjustable support cross members connected substantially perpendicular to a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable first support legs and a corresponding one of the plurality of adjustable second support legs, and a conveyor assembly positioned substantially perpendicular to the plurality of adjustable support cross members.

Abstract: In a method and conveyor for conveying a solid material by means of parallel, oblong transfer elements that move back and forth in the direction of transfer, most of the surface of the transfer elements moves in the direction of transfer at the same time and at least part of the surface thereof is inclined towards the center of the conveyor. Pieces of material lying on inclined outermost transfer elements are carried on a lower longitudinal part of the transfer elements, the angle of inclination of the part about the longitudinal axis being smaller than the angle of inclination of the upper part thereof. Thus, the support force exerted by the transfer elements on the pieces lying thereon, and the friction force between them and the pieces lying thereon, increase.

Abstract: An endless conveyor belt formed of plastic belt modules and capable of following a curved path. The modules include first and second module surfaces, i.e., a top, product-conveying surface and a bottom, sprocket-driven surface. An intermediate section extends across the width of each module transverse to the direction of belt travel. A plurality of snap-on side guards are mounted in vertical openings disposed in the belt modules. Each side guard includes a central post having opposed wings extending in a forwardly and a rearwardly direction along the direction of conveyor belt travel. The wings are staggered in the lateral direction so that the forward wing of a first side guard overlaps with the rearward wing of an immediately adjacent second side guard.

Abstract: A conveyor 20 comprising a continuous conveyor belt 35, driven at a constant speed, and configured for compression and expansion along the direction of travel of the continuous conveyor belt 35. The continuous conveyor belt 35 passes over a drive pulley 32 and a secondary pulley 34 that freely rotates. At least one impulse linkage 37 engages the continuous conveyor belt 35, the impulse linkage 37 extends beyond the continuous conveyor belt 35 such that it may be contacted by an impulse striker 49 that is configured to intermittently contact said impulse linkage 37. By so contacting the impulse linkage 37, a displacement of a portion of the continuous conveyor belt 35 relative to the rest of the continuous conveyor belt 35 is caused due to the subsequent expansion or compression of the continuous conveyor belt 35, resulting in a localized acceleration.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus is composed of a motor-installed roller (2), cams (3), a rotation axis deflector (4), a drive pulley (5), a driven pulley (6), an endless belt (7), a flat support (8) and a spring (9). The roller (2) and the deflector (4) take their position enclosed with the belt (7), and the shaft (15) of the roller (2) is operatively connected by the deflector (4) to the drive pulley (5). A sleigh-shaped top plate (25) of the support (8) intervenes between the roller (2) and the back surface of belt (7), and when the cylindrical casing (12) of this roller rotates, the cams (3) will also rotate to raise the support (8) and lift the upper transporting path of the belt (7), so that the apparatus is rendered so smaller in size that it can be used as a cross transporter adapted for installation in any desired space.

Abstract: There is provided a picking apparatus for transferring semiconductor devices in a test handler to increase the number of devices transferred at one time and suitable for devices having different pitches.

Abstract: A fork lift truck attachment having side shiftable forks which can be adjusted for side loading and which can be tilted fore and aft laterally.

Abstract: A seat belt guide includes a main portion formed of a lower cover and an upper cover, a slide portion of a hanger is inserted into a hanger guide portion to slide in the front and rear directions of the hanger guide portion. Thus, guide positions of a seat belt can be changed. In the main portion, there is provided a spacer with upper flange and lower flanges, which is inserted into a slide hole of the slide portion, so that the slide portion is disposed between the upper and the lower flanges, and the hanger can be slid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chain for use in a three-dimensional conveyor line, formed from synthetic resin-made chain links A connected endlessly to each other by a shaft pin C. The chain link A includes a top plate part A2 on which a product to be conveyed is placed, and a link part A1 formed under the top plate part to couple two adjacent chain links to each other and which includes a projecting head portion 1 and a pair of leg pieces 2. The upper surface of the projecting head portion 1 is formed circular nearly along a circle whose center lies on the longitudinal axis of the shaft pin C and smoothly contiguous to the upper surface of the top plate part A2. The length of the top plate part A2 in the conveying direction is set shorter than the chain pitch. The top plate part A2 has a lower slant face 11 formed on the front edge thereof, and also formed on the central rear edge thereof a curved concavity 7 with a concave slant face 7a.

Abstract: A conveyor element (10) for conveying wafer receptacles between a conveyor (12) and a loading station (11) of a manufacturing system in the semiconductor industry has a lifting mechanism (13) to move the wafer receptacle from a first position of the conveyor (12) or the loading station (11) into a second position of the conveyor (12) or of the loading station (11) substantially in a vertical direction. Rollers (14) are provided to move the wafer receptacle from the second position of the conveyor (12) along a substantially horizontal direction to the second position of the loading station (11) or from the second position of the loading station (11) to the second position of the conveyor (12).

Abstract: A grain loading and spreading device has a tapered housing with a grain flow restrictor valve assembly that will cause a uniform discharge of grain around the perimeter of a lower discharge opening. The valve assembly has upper and lower cam elements on a downwardly extending motor drive shaft. The lower cam element is fixed to the shaft, and the upper cam element is not fixed to the shaft. The cam elements are releasably engaged with each other. A horizontal plate with vertical baffles on the upper surface is secured to the upper cam element. When grain flow restricts the rotation of the plate and baffles, the upper cam element will be moved upwardly with respect to the lower cam element, to enlarge the width of the grain passageway between the perimeters of the plate and the side wall of the tapered housing.