Abstract: An in-mold labeling apparatus includes a label transfer assembly carrying a number of label carriages each with a number of label transfer heads. A continuously rotating drive arm raises and lowers the assembly in simple harmonic motion to move the label transfer heads between label magazines for pickup of labels and mold halves of a blow molding machine. Lost motion connections are provided at the top and bottom of the stroke to facilitate pickup of labels and placement of labels in the mold halves.

Abstract: A highly-viscous material coating apparatus for use, e.g. in an automobile coating process, to coat a joint of a workpiece, may be mounted on a robot. It provides improved operation where the workpiece provides a reference surface parallel to the joint, where the workpiece provides a reference surface displaced from the joint at varying distances along the length of the joint, and where the workpiece provides no reference surface. Where a reference surface is available, an extendable spring-biased guide pin of the apparatus moves along the reference surface, and any positional errors are compensated-for by action of the spring. If the distance between the reference surface and the joint varies, the varying distance may be compensated for by various disclosed practices. The apparatus also can be used where no reference surface is provided by retracting the guide pin with respect to the nozzle and by controlling the robot so as to direct the nozzle to the joint.

Abstract: A valve mechanism for opening the seal on a high pressure gas cylinder, e.g., a cylinder having an internal pressure on the order of 6,000 psi, is provided. The valve includes a piston assembly which carries a cutter for puncturing the cylinder's seal. The initial puncture is performed manually. Thereafter, the escaping gas from the cylinder is used to force the piston towards the seal to complete the puncturing process.

Abstract: A chip separation and alignment apparatus capable of accurately and readily accomplishing separation and alignment of chips with a simple construction. The apparatus includes a chip separation and alignment section and a chip separation section. The chip separation and alignment section includes a chip cassette formed into a flat rectangular box-like shape, in which are formed a chip storage chamber, a chip alignment hole provided with an upper end opening through which the chip alignment hole is communicated with a lower portion of the chip storage chamber and a lower end opening, and at least one air ejection port arranged near the upper end opening to intermittenly eject air therethrough. The chip separation section is arranged at the lower end opening of the chip alignment hole to separate chips one by one and to successively supply the separated chips to a subsequent step.

Abstract: Purified water is fed into an elevated sealed first tank by means of a float valve assembly. The first tank is vented by a bacteria microscreen which is located above the level of a three-way spigot manifold. A second insulated, sealed hot water tank and a third insulated, sealed cold water tank, both positioned below and fed by the first tank, are vented into the first tank. The second tank is heated by a controlled heat strip or thermoelectric module. The second tank is positioned above and feeds into the third tank, which is cooled by a thermoelectric module. Each of the three tanks is connected by a respective tube into a three-way spigot manifold. An ergonomically designed cabinet in which the three tanks are housed includes a three button spigot control assembly located in a recess approximately 36 inches above the floor. The spigot manifold is positioned in a front panel recess beneath the button recess adjacent to a paper cup dispenser.

Abstract: A composite piston for ejecting a plastic mass from a receptacle includes a piston head and a pressure component which in combination form a chamber. The piston head and pressure component are displaceable within the receptacle from an insertion position into a locked position. When being moved into the locked position, a part of the plastic mass flows through an opening in the piston head into the chamber. After the locked position is established, the opening in the piston head is closed by an extension on the pressure component.

Abstract: A movable grill is mounted in a frame in such a way that the grill is capable of being moved a certain distance above a feed table towards an ejection point and a suction device is mounted above the section of the grill which moves towards the ejection point. An air-tight rear sealing skirt is suspended from the frame to enclose the space found between the afore-mentioned section of the grill and the top of a pile of sheets on the feed table; and a forward air-tight sealing skirt is suspended from the aforementioned section of the grill above the ejection point such that the vacuum created by the section means causes eddies of air around the edges of the pile of sheets in such a way that the top sheet of the pile of sheets is caused to vibrate and is drawn up to the section of the grill in order that the top sheet is moved with the grill towards the ejection point.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a piece of sheet material to a tool utilizes a set of grippers on telescoping arms of a mean trajectory control system for displacing the sheet material in accordance with a predetermined trajectory. Local correction is effected by passing the piece of sheet material between two discs, one of which is rotatable about a horizontal axis but swingable about a vertical axis while the other, on the opposite side of the sheet, is rotatable about a vertical axis coincident with the first vertical axis. A line is marked on the sheet material with a substance stimulated by ultraviolet and emits a wavelength to which photodetectors are responsive to control the local correction device.

Abstract: When a weigh feeding system which senses the rate of material feed by weighing the material and automatically controls the actual feed on the basis of a departure of the sensed rate of material feed from a desired rate, thereby to produce an error signal, is subjected to a major or sporadic disturbance such that the sensed rate departs from the desired feed rate by more than a predetermined amount, the system limits the feed rate used to produce the error signal to a synthetic amount no matter by how far the sensed feed rate departs from the desired rate, the values of said predetermined amount and said synthetic amount being selected in accordance with the nature of the system, the degree of accuracy desired, and the nature of the expected disturbances, thereby to improve the overall accuracy of the system when subjected to such disturbances.

Abstract: Envelopes are fed in a mutually overlapping state one by one toward a stopper provided at the front side of a transfer conveyor. Upon abutment with the stopper the envelopes pile up so as to be temporarily stored. An envelope feeder device is provided so as to enable a large number of envelopes to pile up. The envelope feeder device includes a body which is adjustably supported from a support shaft above the transfer conveyor, so as to position the feeder device according to the size of the envelopes. A pair of first rollers are mounted to both sides of the body and positioned so as to roll upon the upper surface of the transfer conveyor. Each first roller includes a rotary member mounted eccentrically on its side. A bifurcated feed member engages with the eccentric rotatable members so as to reciprocate horizontally as by the rotational movement of the first rollers, whereby assisting in the piling up of the envelopes as by a pair of claws located at the free ends of the bifurcated portions.

Abstract: Continuous, vertically tensioned steel cables 31, 32 or straps 39, 40, 41 mounted in an elevator shaft 2 serve as tracking standards for air gap detectors 33, 34, 35 mounted to a passanger cage 5. The detector outputs differentially control electromagnet pairs 6, 7, 8 mounted on the cage and cooperable with vertical guide rails 1 to maintain the sensed air gaps at a constant, predetermined value.