Abstract: A method for preparing a fuel tank for repairs and verifying the repair work using an apparatus is presented. The apparatus is connected to the fuel tank. The fuel tank is purged of oxygen to a certain level using a gas provided by the apparatus until a level of the oxygen in the fuel tank reaches that level. Openings on the fuel tank are closed to the environment. The fuel tank is repaired while the level of oxygen is maintained in the fuel tank. The gas provided by the apparatus pressurizes the fuel tank to a certain pressure level. The pressure level is maintained for a specified period of time. An inspection of the repaired area of the fuel tank is then performed.

Abstract: One or more force application members (e.g., a force transmission member and/or a hydraulic force application member) may be employed to provide a desired adjustment (e.g., a preload and/or a compression) to an adjustable spacer of a bearing assembly. The hydraulic force application member may provide a first stage of the adjustment to the spacer, and the force transmission member may be threadingly rotated to apply a second stage of the adjustment to the spacer. An additional force application member may (e.g., contemporaneously) oppose at least one of the force application members in the providing of the adjustment to the spacer. This opposing force may cause a gap between certain surfaces (e.g., in a press) until the adjustment to the spacer is completed. The closure of the gap may serve to indicate the completion of the desired adjustment to the spacer. A housing rotatable on a portion of the bearing assembly may be prevented from rotating at the closure of the gap.

Abstract: An apparatus having at least two separate workstations to which workpieces are alternately advanced to provide at substantially all times, in at least one workstation, a workpiece ready to be worked on by a tool carried by a shuttle which transfers the tool between the workstations. Desirably, after working on a workpiece in a first workstation, the shuttle carries the tool to a second workstation to work on a workpiece waiting in the second workstation. Simultaneously, the workpiece in the first workstation, that was just worked on by the tool, is moved downstream away from the tool and a subsequent workpiece is advanced into the first workstation so that it is ready to be worked on by the tool when the tool returns to the first workstation. Thus, the tool does not have to wait for a new workpiece to be advanced into position after performing work on a workpiece.

Abstract: A rivet setting tool is provided including a pulling head and a jaw case connected to the pulling head such that the jaw case is driven by the pulling head to engage a rivet mandrel. Air is supplied to the pulling head to return the pulling head to its original position after a rivet has been set. A remote intensifier is provided including an air piston disposed in a piston chamber and a rod connected to the air piston and extending into a ram housing which is connected to a hydraulic passage which is connected to the pulling head. A first supply of pressurized gas communicates with a first end of the piston chamber and a second supply of pressurized gas communicates with a second end of the piston chamber for rapidly returning the air piston to the retracted position in combination with the air pressure applied to the pulling head. The second end of the piston chamber is vented to prevent to much pressure build up pushing the piston to the retracted position.

Abstract: In a guide rail or slider body manufacturing method for a linear guide device providing a guide rail and a slider mounted on the guide rail, mounting reference surfaces formed on the guide rail or slider body and/or the surfaces of ball rolling grooves formed therein are finished by grinding, and are subjected to rust-proofing surface treatment with protecting members fitted to the surfaces thus finished. Similarly in a method of manufacturing a ball screw device providing a screw shaft and a ball screw nut engaged with the screw shaft, the surfaces of ball rolling grooves formed in the screw shaft and the ball screw nut are finished by grinding, and are subjected to rust-proofing surface treatment with protecting members fitted to the surfaces thus finished. In the methods, the rust-proofing surface treatment is carried out for the surfaces except those which should not be covered with such a rust-proofing film layer for their precision.

Abstract: A device in an axially extending tension channel on the circumferential surface of a cylinder for fastening a flexible plate on the cylinder periphery. The leading edge of the plate is held by a leading edge fastening device in the channel, and the trailing edge is held by a trailing edge fastening device in the channel. The leading edge fastening device is a start hook-in bar which the leading edge of the plate engages. The trailing edge fastening device is formed by an end hook-in bar which is engaged by the trailing edge of the plate. The end hook-in bar projects tangentially from a tensioning shaft which is rotatable to set the tension of the plate without means to apply a clamping load. Various devices for fastening and adjusting the leading and trailing edges of the plate are disclosed.

Abstract: Automated device for maintaining and assembling wooden elements on a pressing table. The device comprises a mobile gantry adapted to be movably mounted to a pressing table. The mobile gantry has at least one motor driven pressing jack and a rail. A motor driven motoring unit is slidably mounted to the rail. A plurality of spindles are arranged on the rail. A plurality of saw logs are mounted to the spindles, each saw log having a ring-shaped groove, an elastic element, and a bore for receiving a spindle. The plurality of spindles constitute a magazine for storing the plurality of saw logs. The motoring unit includes a vertically mobile rod comprising one of a single rod and a double rod. The vertically mobile rod comprises a lower end having a clamp adapted to remove a saw log from a spindle. The clamp comprises a U-shaped plate having an opening which is adapted to engage the ring-shaped groove of a saw log, the clamp comprising an elastic element adapted to engage the saw log.

Abstract: An apparatus for installing clips onto workpieces which includes a spring biased alignment mechanism which positions a workpiece for the installation of a retaining clip thereon and thereafter, causes the workpiece to be ejected from the apparatus.

Abstract: An aid to the manipulation of microfabricated micro tools in manufacturing and assembly is disclosed. A sequence of micro tools and a manipulator are connected to one another via attachment links as a combination. The attachment links are optimized to readily allow severing of individual micro tools from the combination as needed. The manipulator provides an aid for handling the combination via probe, pliers, clasping, mating or other device. This facilitates human or machine interaction with the combination of micro tools, either for subsequent processing, or for the assembly of the micro tools into a completed product.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heat shield including the steps of providing a plurality of substantially uniform and equal thickness formable sheets, embossing the sheets to form standoffs, and preforming the sheets to an intermediate configuration having contours. Further, the method includes the step of cutting the preformed sheets to form a perimeter edge defining a projected area which is generally identical for each of the plurality of sheets. In addition, the method includes the steps of stacking the cut sheets, and joining the stacked sheets.

Abstract: The invention provides an archival storage system for shielding magnetic media from a full spectrum of electromagnetic fields, static electricity, and humidity. Full spectrum EMF shielding may be achieved by providing the storage container with a continuous conductive layer along or on an interior region of the storage container. Also, shielding against intense, low frequency magnetic fields may be provided by a ferrous metal sheet, separated from the stored magnetic media by an insulator, which has been placed a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the reels of a videotape or floppy disk. Further, a moisture seal may be provided to prevent moisture from reaching the stored magnetic media and thereby enhance the longevity of the stored magnetic media, and a desiccant may be provided to maintain or stabilize a low humidity environment within the storage case.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tool 20 for grasping a nut 9 and initiating the threading of the nut to a the difficult-to-access threaded counterpart element 28 which is in a difficult-to-access location. The tool 20 includes a socket body 1 having expandable jaws 5 that have spring action. The jaws 5 terminate in an open mouth 5a having a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the nut 9. The nut 9 is manually inserted into the open mouth 5a with the nut disposed in an orientation that enables it to be positioned in the difficult-to-access socket 28. The socket body is connected to a flexible arm 11 having a passageway 33 extending though it which houses a flexible shaft 34. This shaft 34 is connected to the socket body 1, so that rotation of the shaft rotates the socket body. The arm 11 includes a series of interconnected links 11a which may be turn and twisted relative to each other to configure the arm 11 to reach the difficult-to-access socket 28.

Abstract: A castor wheel assembly comprises a base member for mounting on an object to be supported, a swivel member mounted on the base member for rotation about the vertical axis. A castor wheel is mounted on a pair of side plates which extend upwardly from an axle of the castor wheel and horizontally to a cross shaft connected to the side plates. The cross shaft is mounted within a square tube forming part of the swivel member. The cross shaft carries a plurality of radially extending flanges so that elastomeric members positioned between the flanges and inside the tubular member act as a spring suspension allowing the side plates to rotate with the castor wheel relative to the swivel member about a horizontal axis providing a suspension action.

Abstract: A paper binding instrument for binding a sheaf of papers without the use of metal staples including punching edges and auxiliary punching edges. The punching edges can make small holes in a sheaf of paper continuing from punched foot parts of a small width and punched head parts of a large width. The punching edges push down head pieces which were the head parts through the sheaf of papers while leaving punched pieces corresponding to the foot parts. The auxiliary punching edges can make auxiliary small holes facing in different directions from the facing directions of the small holes that are formed with the punching edges.

Abstract: A die assembly for driving a pierce nut which comprises an annular coining portion provided on the top of a die body, the inner surface of the annular coining portion being continuous with a center aperture of the die body. An annular projection is provided at the upper portion of the center aperture for surely and temporarily holding punched debris in of the die body, near the annular coining portion, the center aperture. It is therefore possible to provide an inexpensive nut-driving die assembly with improved durability, and which can prevent debris, punched by shearing between a pierce nut and a metal panel and remaining at the upper portion of the center aperture, from being lifted up when the metal panel is lifted from the die body, thereby ensuring a continuous driving work.

Abstract: A compliant guide assembly in a tape transport provides a precisely calibrated biasing force to an edge of a magnetic tape to precisely position the tape with respect to a read/write head. The compliant guide assembly includes a plurality of guide buttons and a spring assembly having a plurality of cantilever spring elements. Each guide button includes an elongated stem and a head. The compliant guide assembly is calibrated by exerting a calibrated biasing force against each cantilever spring element to displace each spring element from an at rest position. The stem of each guide button is then fixedly attached to a distal end of one of the cantilever spring elements such that the head of each guide button is disposed a calibrated distance from the distal end of the spring element. The calibrated distance is determined by a displacement of the spring element resulting from application of the calibrated biasing force.

Abstract: A spreading device is provided for a spreading and binding machine, to which several fixed spreading fingers are arranged at the side. These spreading fingers cooperate with corresponding spreading hooks of a movable plate, in order to move the spreading hooks from the spreading fingers in a spreading direction by moving the plate. The plate is connected through two pivotable and movable arms with an intermediate bar connected so that the arms and bar can move in both a spreading direction and in a direction perpendicular to the spreading direction in parallel movement. The bar is pivotally connected at each end with the two arms.

Abstract: In a method of assembling a double-row ball bearing of a preload-type, which includes a step of inserting a plurality of balls in a crescent-shaped gap formed between an outer race and an inner race which is deviated with respect to the outer race, a step of distributing the balls between the outer and inner races at equal intervals, and a step of disposing the outer race and the inner race concentrically with respect to each other, a step of producing a temperature difference is performed before the step of distributing the balls at equal intervals. In the step of producing temperature difference, the outer race is heated by a heating coil surrounding the outer race to expand the outer race.

Abstract: A binding machine for opening a multi-ring plastic binding element to install a stack of pages thereon, providing an improved adjustment mechanism to set the opening dimension of the rings corresponding to the stack of pages to be bound as well as the particular sized binding element to be used. The adjustment device provides a stop ring mounted coaxially around a rocker shaft which upon rotation imparts sliding movement to longitudinally arranged fingers which engage with and open the binder element rings, the stop ring rotationally adjustable with respect to the rocker shaft and arranged to interfere with a stationary stop of the apparatus upon preselected rotation of the rocker shaft.

Abstract: A manifold for a heat exchanger is formed by placing a blank having a siamesed pair of tubular passages supported by a first mandrel into a die cavity which receives the blank and defines at least one riser channel extending from the cavity. Each riser channel includes a core such that when a punch forces the blank into the die cavity, the blank is formed as desired and a portion of the blank is forged into the riser channel and around the core. The portion of the sidewall of the blank adjacent to the tubular risers is thickened such that the sidewall of the resulting manifold is substantially uniform after forging. After forging, the blank is removed from the die and the first mandrel is removed. The manifold is completed by inserting a second mandrel including holes in substantial alignment with the tubular risers and forcing punches into the tubular risers to remove the remaining material which separates the risers from the passages.