Abstract: A tubular plastic body of a neon tubing support has a bore terminating in a lower opening and in an opposite internally shouldered upper opening. A helical spring is installed in the bore through the lower opening and retained by a plug in the lower opening at one end of the bore and by the shoulder at the other end. A stem unit includes a shaft having a tubing engaging element on one end, and extends into the bore coaxially with the spring and terminates in an integral bulbous portion. The bulbous portion is axially slotted to define legs which can flex toward each other for clearing through the undersized top opening in the body. The bulbous portion has a shoulder and passes axially through the spring to compress some of the convolutions for developing a force causing the shoulder to engage with the convolutions intermediate of the ends of the spring to create a bidirectionally resilient neon tubing support.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously manufacturing surgical sponges from a web of gauze is disclosed. The apparatus cuts the web into discrete pieces, and thereafter folds, irons, stacks and counts the pads as an integrated and automated operation at a high rate of speed.

Abstract: A conveyor flight is connected to a roller link conveyor chain by a pair of spaced pins which project transversely from the chain. The pins are removably supported in transverse sleeves of the chain and have end portions which are removably received in spaced parallel bores in the end of the flight, with grooved portions which project into opposite sides of a transverse opening in the flight. A latch member on the flight has a portion projecting into the transverse opening, and said latch portion is dimensioned to releasably engage the exposed grooves in both pins to releasably latch the flight to the pins. The opposite sides of the latch portion are notched adjacent to the grooves in the pins, and the notched portions are positioned to be moved into alignment with the pins, when the latch member is manually depressed, to release the pins so that the flight can be quickly detached.