Abstract: A pneumatic thread feeder in knitting machines or the like having at least one tube in which a passage is provided having an outlet to be directed towards the needle work region of a knitting machine; injection means for injecting air through the tube; means for actuating the injection means; and abutments that form a path for the approach of the thread to the inlet of the tube. The tube is served by a thread takeup element that is arc-shaped and is pivoted to a supporting structure about an axis located on the concave side of the body of the takeup element. The takeup element has, proximate to one of its ends, a passage for the thread, and is arranged so as to move transversely with respect to a portion of the path for the approach of the thread to the tube when it is turned about the axis.

Abstract: A device for applying tension to a bonding wire installed between a wire spool and a capillary of a wire bonding apparatus including a nozzle for blowing out a gas for applying tension to the wire and a single gas guide plate installed along the direction of the flow of the gas blown out of the nozzle so as to guide the gas to the bonding wire.

Abstract: A wire tensioning device having a guide for taking up an advancing wire having slack and a brake for applying a braking force to the guides. In a wire insulating system, a wire from a supply reel or spool is passed to a take-up reel or spool, through intervening components, which accumulate, tension and apply insulation to the advancing wire. The wire is first passed from the supply reel to an accumulating device in the form of a vertical accumulator or a flipper payout. From there it is passed through the device of the present invention having a plurality of rotatable sheaves or pulleys about which the advancing wire is trained. A braking force is applied to one of the sheaves by an air brake to apply a tensioning force. From the tensioning device, the wire is fed through an insulation-applying crosshead device and then on to a take-up reel or spool.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing with a laser printer a fresh strip of paper from a large supply roll of paper. The apparatus utilizes a tensioning unit to compensate for lateral travel of paper strip dispensed from the supply roll, to remove paper dust from the paper strip, and to maintain a moderate tension on the paper strip to facilitate processing of the strip.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for preparing a bonding wire, such as gold wire, drawn in contact-free manner from a bonding wire spool mounted in rotary manner about its longitudinal axis and supplied to a bonding device for forming circuits on electronic components. The apparatus constructed as a subassembly essentially comprises an electromotively-driven bonding wire spool carrier arranged on a support plate and a removal station provided with an optronic sensor. The bonding wire is deflected by means of air flows (P' or Q') for forming a bonding wire reserve in the removal station and the wire position is scanned by the optronic sensor. In the case of a decreasing bonding wire reserve, a signal is produced as a function of the bonding wire position, which is processed in a signal evaluation unit and is transmitted to a control unit, by means of which an electromotive drive operatively connected with the spool carrier is operated.

Abstract: An improved automatic wire feed system for supplying a fine wire to a capillary bonding tool or to a wedge bonding tool is provided. The wire feed system includes a novel wire feed slack loop device which is mounted on the wire bonder between the bonding tool and the source of fine wire. The novel wire feed slack loop device comprises a pair of sector plates which are closely spaced apart from each other to provide an air space therebetween for receiving the fine wire. Compressed air is supplied to the air space between the sector plates and is directed radially outward by a diffuser shim plate which forces the wire to form into a uniform circular shape in the air space. Sensor means are provided at the outer perimeter of the sector plates which sense the position of the fine wire and supplies a signal to control means which turns off the rotation of the drive motor.

Abstract: A printer having extended ribbon capacity is provided with a vacuum buffering system which stores ribbon on either side of a ribbon utilization mechanism, illustratively an impact print head. In a preferred embodiment, the ribbon is stored in a pair of vacuum chambers which are arranged to pivot about a common axis as a carriage which bears the print head is translated along a carriage path. The vacuum chambers are each provided with telescopically extendable members which compensate for variations in the distance between the pivot of the vacuum chambers and the print carriage, as the print carriage is translated. A ribbon lift system for multitrack embodiments utilizes off-carriage drive and a direction-determining clutch toggle system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for reeling a web, suitable in the reeling of paper web, wherein the web is introduced over the mantle of a reeling cylinder and passed onto a reeling shaft on which the web is reeled. The pressure level in a wedge-shaped inlet nip defined between the reeling cylinder mantle and the incoming run of the web is adjusted to eliminate or reduce the positive pressure which would otherwise exist in the nip by ejecting air from the nip by means of a blowing member situated in connection with the nip. Air jets are discharged from the blowing member in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the surface of the reeling cylinder and/or opposite to the direction of movement of the incoming web run and by means of the air jets, air is ejected from the inlet nip to reduce the pressure therein.

Abstract: A thread brake mechanism is provided which is adapted to be attached to a spindle assembly of a thread processing machine and which is characterized by a construction for use with two independent individual threads which may be fed into the spindle assembly at varying tensions and which applies respective braking forces to the individual threads depending upon the respective feeding tension thereof.

Abstract: A pneumatic tensioning device (10) maintains a desired tension in a thread (18) as it is fed from a spool to a knitting or fabric weaving machine. A first tubular member (40) has an inner passageway (42) extending the length of the tube (40) that permits thread advancement therethrough. A second tubular member (46) surrounds the first tubular member (40) so that the inner walls of the second member and the outer walls of the first member define an outer passageway (48). An airflow is directed through the outer passageway in a direction that is the same as the direction of thread advancement. An orifice (54) communicates the airflow from the outer passageway (48) into the inner passageway (42) in a manner so that the direction of the airflow is reversed. The airflow thus flows in a direction that is opposite to thread advancement, wherein such opposing airflow causes a certain amount of tension in the thread.

Abstract: Assembly includes a closed pneumatic device for applying a load to a thread brake for braking a thread traveling therethrough, the load-applying device including means for storing pressure at a variable volume, and means operatively connected to the closed pneumatic load-applying device for determining and signaling a detrimental pneumatic leakage loss in the load-applying device.

Abstract: The apparatus and method of handling linear textile material to facilitate its processing including withdrawing the linear textile from a source and advancing it along a given path to a handling station; between the source and handling station applying the forces of a stream of fluid media in a direction opposing the movement of the textile material.

Abstract: A wire tension device for winding wire on an asymmetrical core or jig such that wire consumption periodically varies with the angle of rotation. Between the feed coil and the core a tensioning device is formed by two plates arranged parallel at some distance from each other, and are maintained at that distance by two side strips. The gap formed between the plates is closed on one side by a closing member comprising an inlet opening and an outlet opening for the wire and also an inlet for compressed air. One of the side strips is constructed to be gas-permeable.

Abstract: A wire bonder which includes a spool from which wire is drawn out, a capillary bonding head adapted to hold the wire and to extend the wire downwardly from the spool, and a tensioning mechanism. The tensioning mechanism includes a nozzle for directing a jet of gas against the wire with the nozzle being disposed in opposition to two guide plates disposed along the flow path of the gas ejected from the nozzle. The guide plates are spaced apart from each other to provide a space through which wire is passed from the spool to the capillary bonding head.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for compensating short duration thread tension fluctuations during feed of thread to a textile machine. The method includes blowing a jet of fluid medium along the thread in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the thread from a delivery zone to a thread takeup zone. The blown jet of fluid medium produces a deflection of the thread from its straight path to form a storage or reserve of the thread from which thread may be taken during short-term fluctuations. The apparatus includes various forms of a blower mechanism and control means for providing the necessary storage or reserve of thread along its path of travel.