Abstract: A raw material delivery system is disclosed. It is used with a press of the type used to compact raw material in a die. The press has a horizontal table with an opening in which the die is held. A feed shoe is movable across the table between an extended position where a central bore of the feed shoe overlies the die and a retracted position. In one embodiment, a vertically movable feed tube is carried on a bridge, and has a passage through which raw material may pass. The vertically movable feed tube receives raw material from a vertically fixed feed tube received telescopically within the vertically movable feed tube. A valve is between the two feed tubes. A valve may be provided between the bridge and the feed shoe so that the raw material passes through this interface without being exposed to cross-ventilation.

Abstract: A raw material delivery system is disclosed. It is used with a press of the type used to compact raw material in a die. The press has a horizontal table with an opening in which the die is held. A feed shoe is movable across the table between an extended position where a central bore of the feed shoe overlies the die and a retracted position where the central bore is aligned with a bore in a bridge. A vertically movable feed tube is carried on the bridge, and has a passage through which raw material may pass. The vertically movable feed tube receives raw material from a vertically fixed feed tube received telescopically within the vertically movable feed tube. A valve is between the two feed tubes. A valve may be provided between the bridge and the feed shoe so that the raw material passes through this interface without being exposed to cross-ventilation.

Abstract: A system comprises a service processor and a plurality of operating units dependent on the service processor. The service processor responds to service requests from the operating units and services the operating units one at a time. A scheduler is responsible for assigning priority to the operating units and determining the order in which the service requests are handled. A register contains a value indicative of the operating unit currently being serviced and is under control of the scheduler. According to one aspect of the present invention the register is also under control of the service processor itself. Another register, under control of the service processor, is coupled to the scheduler to generate service requests thereto independent of the operating units. A memory addressable by the service processor stores data. The service processor is capable of generating addresses for the memory derived from the contents of the register indicative of the operating unit currently being serviced.

Abstract: A timer system comprises a plurality of timer channels serviced by a single service processor. Each of the timer channels is capable of both input (capture) and output (match) functions. The microprogrammed service processor is responsible for configuring each of the channels for their intended uses and for responding to service requests generated by the channels in response to the occurrence of timer events. Features of the timer channels include the ability to continuously execute capture functions without generating service requests, the ability to execute a single capture function and service request and protect the captured value from being overwritten until the service request has been responded to and the ability to combine match and capture functions in such a way as to place a time-out window on the capture event.