Abstract: An improved continuous feed book turning apparatus and method for receiving improved book blocks of gathered signatures and for transferring the book blocks into book block clamps ready for edge milling and gluing. The invention takes advantage of efficiency benefits derived from improved signatures as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,866. The improved signatures gathered into book blocks are moved continuously into the apparatus in an upstanding orientation with each longer binding edge upright to substantially increase feed rate. However, the book turning apparatus must rotate each such improved book block through about 90.degree. to present a downwardly facing binding edge for clamping, edge milling, and gluing.

Abstract: A carriage for supporting an elevator car includes a drive unit, a spaced generally parallel support unit and a pair of lower yokes connecting the units. The carriage is movable along a pair of spaced apart generally vertical tracks. The drive unit includes a motor driving a drive axle with a respective drive wheel mounted at each end of the axle which wheels roll along the tracks. The support unit includes a support axle with a respective support wheel mounted at each end of the axle and a clamping device by which friction forces of the drive wheels and of the support wheels are produced on the tracks. The working range of the clamping device can be read off of an indicator. A respective immobilizing equipment is arranged at each side of the lower yoke by which the elevator car can be releasably connected with the track at a desired position along the travel path during assembly of the elevator system and/or during maintenance operations.

Abstract: A toothed wheel operated adjusting device for card stacking machines, in particular an adjusting device adapted for telephone cards and the like, including a receiving body, a conveyance device, and a press plate. The receiving body has a main frame and a support seat. The components of the conveyance device are disposed between the main frame and the support seat. The adjusting device has a securing plate formed by directly bending an upper portion of the main frame at an angle of 90 degrees, and a movable adjusting plate at a lower portion thereof. The movable adjusting plate has guide track plates at both sides thereof movably inserted into corresponding guide tracks at both sides of the support seat. The upper surface of the movable adjusting plate is provided with four guide posts fitted with stop springs respectively. An upper end portion of each guide post extends into a corresponding hollow guide hole of the securing seat.

Abstract: A method with which multi-leaf printed products (50) are produced which printed products consist of a plurality of sheets folded inside each other. Especially if this kind of printed products are to be produced from a plurality of product parts, groups of loosely superimposed sheets or sheets loosely folded inside each other are to be manipulated. This manipulation is facilitated by producing intermediate products or product parts (30, 30') respectively which are easier to handle. They consist of an outer sheet (31, 31') with a first fold (34, 34') and of inner sheets (32) all sheets (31/32, 31'/32') being folded a second time in a second fold (33, 33') perpendicular to the first fold (34, 34'). The product parts (30, 30') are especially suitable for a further processing by collecting or inserting because they can be opened easily in the middle. The increased stability of the product parts in which the individual sheets hardly shift relative to each other also have advantages when collated.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting a condition indicative of a chain jam in a power driven endless chain are disclosed. The chain of such a system is forced into a zigzag pattern by the inclusion of deflectors at various positions along the chain pathway and the force exerted against these deflectors is measured by sensors. When a jam occurs the force on the deflectors between the location of the jam and the drive, in the direction upstream from the drive, increases, and this increase is sensed and used to actuate indicators near each of the sensors at which such an increase has occurred. The chain jam is found upstream of the furthest actuated indicator from the drive.

Abstract: A method for controlling the main and auxiliary drives of conveyors, for example, in underground mining. The drives are controlled as a function of the loading of the conveyor in such a way that in a low load range of the conveyor the auxiliary drive produces a higher output (20.sub.I) than the main drives and as the load increases the output advantage of the auxiliary drive in relation to the main drives is reduced. This special load distribution to auxiliary and main drives has the advantage that sagging of the conveyor element, for example the chain of a scraper chain conveyor in the inaccessible and concealed lower strand, close to the main drive, can be prevented. The risk of damage to the machine frame or conveyor chain is thereby reduced.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus (20) transfers a substrate between a first substrate support member (21) for supporting a plurality of substrates and a second substrate support member (15).

Abstract: A multi-agent control system controls a transport assembly for moving objects. The transport assembly is formed using sensors and actuators that are proximately coupled in physical space. The multi-agent control system includes a learning mechanism which takes advantage of the proximate coupling between the sensors and actuators. The learning mechanism improves system performance by making iterative changes to an interaction matrix that represents the organizational structure of the multi-agent control system. In operation, the learning mechanism makes iterative changes to several of the elements a.sub.ij, of the interaction matrix at one time, around a randomly chosen location (i,j) in the matrix. Changes to the interaction matrix continue to be made so long as the changes result in improved performance of the transport assembly.

Abstract: A document feeder to be mounted atop an image reading device having a stationary optical system disposed under a contact glass. The document feeder includes a document original plate for holding thereon document originals, a document original feeding mechanism for feeding a document original from the document original plate onto a contact glass, a document original transporting mechanism for transporting the document original fed by the document original feeding mechanism along the upper surface of the contact glass, a document original discharging mechanism for discharging the document original transported by the document original transporting mechanism, and a document original discharge plate for receiving the document original discharged by the document original discharging mechanism. The document original feeding mechanism, the document original transporting mechanism and the document original discharging mechanism are integrally supported in a unit body to constitute a single unit.

Abstract: A sliding safety gear designed to brake by gripping an elevator or counterweight guide rail includes a flexible frame surrounding the guide rail in the directions of the guiding surfaces of the guide rail. The frame is provided with a braking surface that meets a first guide surface of the guide rail when the sliding safety gear is braking. Attached to the frame is a force element that meets a second guide surface when the sliding safety gear is braking. The cross-section of the frame of the safety gear is substantially in the shape of the letter C. At least one of the ends of the jams of the C-shape is inside the C-shape.

Abstract: A conveying and feeding apparatus for conveying and constantly feeding a film cartridge one by one so as to feed the next process where a plurality of cartridges are conveyed continuously to a cartridge housing unit or a printing machine. A conveying portion comprises a conveyer belt and a guide board, and near its downstream end, a cartridge stopper mechanism is provided. This stopper mechanism comprises a first stopper member and a second stopper member. When the first stopper member stops a forefront cartridge T, the second stopper member is in a release position. Further, when the first stopper member is in a release position, the second stopper member is in a closed position so that the cartridge T can be constantly sent one by one.

Abstract: In a document transport apparatus for an image forming system, a pair of trays are provided above the glass platen of the image forming system. A feed tray is spaced above the platen glass and is used to feed documents to be copied one at a time to the glass platen. A discharge tray is spaced above the feed tray for receiving the documents from the glass platen as the documents are copied. The discharge tray is automatically moved to a retracted position, out of the way of the feed tray, when the discharge tray is absent any documents.

Abstract: Three tandem drive units are provided. Outward variable volume working chambers at one end of the drive units are connected via passageways in the piston rods with inward variable volume working chambers at the opposite end of the drive units. In similar fashion, inward variable volume working chambers at the first ends of the drive units are connected to outward variable volume working chambers at the second ends of the drive units, also via passageways in the piston rods. At each end of the assembly, the piston rods pass through piston rod receiving openings in a cylinder head forming member. Each cylinder head forming member includes a manifold passageway and spool valves for controlling a sequencing movement of the drive units. The piston rods provide the spools for the spool valves.

Abstract: The control system of the present invention is particularly usable with extended vibration conveyors and permits the installation of a multiple of drive vibratory drive units comprised of one or more vibratroy modules. Each module comprises a motor, one or more shafts mounting eccentric weights, and a shaft encoder device monitoring the "relative position" of each shaft with respect for each shaft. One shaft, a master shaft, is driven continuously driven at a predetermined speed from which the actual relative positions are compared.

Abstract: An automatic document feeding device has a document feeding roller which feeds a document from a stack to a conveying roller which conveys the document for further processing. The document feeding roller has intermittent motion which feeds the conveying roller with three different speeds: first, at a first speed for feeding the document; then, at a speed faster than the first speed as dragged by the document; and finally, a temporary stop. The temporary stop provides sufficient interspace between the successive documents so that a correct pagination signal is generated. The intermittent motion is provided by a power transmitting component which is coupled to the document feeding roller to speed it up when engaged and is decoupled during the stop interval.

Abstract: A cleat for a conveyor belt, particularly for a vertical conveyor, with a cleat foot 2 attachable to the support side of the conveyor belt, and in which at least one anchoring member 5 is incorporated, and with a cleat section 1 forming a transverse wall of the conveyor belt, which is releasably attachable to the cleat foot 2 with the aid of the anchoring member 5. With the object of enabling a simpler attachment of the cleat section to the cleat foot, the anchoring member 5 is a rod, which extends transversely to the direction of travel 6 of the conveyor belt in the cleat foot 2. The rod may have threaded holes 12, which match holes 13 in the cleat foot 2 and holes 3 in the cleat section 1, through which screws 4 can be thrust in order to attach the cleat section 1. Alternatively, the rod may have bolts projecting radially therefrom, the bolts for extending through respective holes in the cleat section for securing the cleat section to the cleat foot with nuts.

Abstract: Solid dosage forms of pharmaceuticals, e.g. tablets, may be removed from blister packs with a deblistering machine. The machine has a roller and a stationary plate. The roller has a longitudinal axis of rotation and means for rotating the roller about the axis. The roller has an inner core and a cover thereon with a non-slip surface. The stationary plate has at least as many slots as there are columns of blisters, and each of the slots has a width parallel to the rotational axis of the roller, the width of each slot being at least as large as the width of a blister. Each of the slots has a length transverse to the slot's width and is at least as large as the length of a blister. The plate is situated to provide a throat, between the cover and the plate, into which the blister pack may be fed and through which the blister pack may pass as a result of rotation of the roller. The plate has a guide to ensure that each column of blisters is aligned with corresponding slots.

Abstract: A feeder (1) for supplying magnetically attractable electrical components (20) to a pick-and-place machine. The feeder (1) comprises a hopper (2) for storing the components (20) and a pick up location (3) for supplying the components to the pick-and-place machine. A passage (4) provides communication between the hopper (2) and pick up location (3). An air jet outlet (6) in passage (4) provides for propelling the components (20) and one or more magnets (35) are located adjacent an intermediate portion of the passage (4) and provide a magnetic field to assist in reducing the velocity of said components (20) passing through the intermediate portion.

Abstract: The conveyor system for clinical test apparatus includes a main transport conveyor and a plurality of auxiliary conveyors located alongside the main transport conveyor. The auxiliary conveyors define straight line paths of travel parallel to the straight line paths of travel of the main conveyor. Each of the auxiliary conveyors is operated by drive means separate from the main transport conveyor. Two crossover points are provided between the main transport conveyor and the auxiliary conveyor. One crossover point is an entrance from the main transport conveyor to the auxiliary conveyor and the other crossover point is an exit from the auxiliary conveyor to the main transport conveyor. Each crossover point is controlled by a gate. One of the gates is a divert gate which can be actuated to block the main transport path thereby diverting puck traffic onto the auxiliary conveyor.

Abstract: A feed device for a packaging machine having two conveying elements that circulate adjacent to one another at least along an operating path between a loading station and an unloading station. The conveying elements are driven by separate drive motors each connected to a respective rotation angle sensor. The motors and sensors are connected to a control device. Each conveying element has a plurality of pushers spaced with a uniform, settable interval, the plurality of pushers extending over only a portion of the length of the respective conveying element and including a front pusher and back pusher. The control device control the device motors in such a manner that the front pusher of the one conveying element, in the region of the loading station, follows the back pusher of other conveying element with a spacing corresponding to the interval.