Abstract: For a strapping machine, a mechanism is disclosed for mounting a movable chute to a fixed wall and for biasing the chute toward the wall while permitting the chute to move away from the wall so as to allow a strap to be pulled from the chute. The mechanism comprises a wall-mounted bracket, a chute-mounted bracket, and a pivot arm having an end portion connected pivotally to the wall-mounted bracket, an end portion connected pivotally to the chute-mounted bracket, and an intermediate portion, to which a coiled spring is connected at one end so as to bias the chute toward the wall but so as to permit the chute to move away from the wall. The coiled spring is connected at its other end to the first bracket and extends between the brackets.

Abstract: In a strapping machine comprising a fixed wall and a movable chute, a mechanism is provided for stripping the strap from the chute. The chute has two sections defining a gap straddled by a bracket connecting the sections. A lever is mounted pivotally on the bracket so as to extend through the gap. A pin in fixed relation to the fixed wall extends through an elongate slot in the lever. The lever is arranged to pivot toward an inoperative position as the chute is moved toward the closed position and to pivot away from the inoperative position and to strip a strap from the space between the flanges of the chute as the chute is moved away from the closed position.

Abstract: An improved printing apparatus for printing pre-selected indicia on an envelope or other documents to be placed on a transport raceway of an insertion machine.

Abstract: A mechanism for releasably securing a workholder to the automatically controlled carriage of a sewing machine during the sewing machine cycle. The mechanism includes a pair of coacting connector means operative to fixedly couple the workholder and the automatically controlled carriage together along with mechanism for automatically uncoupling the coacting connectors and propelling the workholder from the carriage at the completion of the sewing operation.

Abstract: Two carriage systems, X and Y, are provided with the X carriage system being carried by the Y carriage system. Each system includes a carriage which via two sets of rollers is capable of movement along a guide rail set. Flex hinges are provided in each carriage to seat the rollers in the guide rails. The hinges are generally rigid in a first plane and flexible in a second such that the carriage is stiff yet the distance between the rollers can vary to compensate for absolute distance changes in the rails, due, for example, to high or low spots in the roller contacting surface.

Abstract: A selector disc defining a single revolution spiral aperture is concentrically rotated with a scanning disc defining four nested multiturn spiral apertures. An elongated fixed slit is positioned between the discs and as the discs rotate, an exposure aperture is defined by the slit and a selected scanning spiral, the aperture moving linearly across the slit. The drive ratio between the discs is such that their relative positions advance so that adjacent scan lines are defined by alternate scanning spirals. Further, each scanning spiral is composed of a series of contiguous, arcuate segments forming in the general path of an Archemedian spiral thus providing a scanning system having improved resolutional characteristics.