Abstract: A coil of a tube is formed. The coil is vibrated while a threadlike piece is passed in through the inlet end of the tube so that a given point of the tube reciprocates along a helical path. Provision is made to ensure that inlet end of the tube does not cause a portion of the threadlike piece upstream of and close to that inlet end to move diametrically while being fed into the tube. Provision is also made to form a coil of the treadlike piece, from which the threadlike piece is pulled out along the axis of the coil and fed to the inlet end of the tube by a conveying force resulting from the vibration of the coil of the tube. A feeder to supply the threadlike piece into the tube may be provided between the inlet end of the tube and a coil feeding device.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading cylindrical fuel pellets into tubular fuel rods includes pellet segregation means for detecting and segregating an undersized pellet prior to its entry into a fuel rod. The segregation means includes a pair of laterally separated guide rails adapted to support the lateral side edges of the advancing pellets, and such that a pellet of undersized diameter will drop to a level below that of the properly sized pellets. A lateral shoulder is positioned at the downstream end of the guide rails for engaging and holding any dropped pellet so that it cannot advance into the fuel rod. Also, a pellet deflecting plate is positioned at the upstream end of the guide rails, to interrupt the contact between adjacent pellets and thus assure that an undersized pellet is not carried along the guide rails by the adjacent pellets.

Abstract: The invention provides an automatic machine for closing flip-top caps of a type which is used on toothpaste tubes, for example. The machine has a pair of superimposed turntables separated by a star wheel, the turntables and star wheel turning as a unit about a common axis. The star wheel has a plurality of pockets distributed around the periphery thereof to receive the flip-top caps after they are molded and while the covers are still in the open position in which they were molded. Each of the turntables has an actuator positioned over a corresponding pocket on the star wheel. Cams surround the turntables to raise and lower the actuators at selected locations. As they raise and lower, the covers are flipped over to close the caps.

Abstract: A body having a large number of protrusions is aligned with a honeycomb surface having a greater number of openings, selected openings being engaged by the protrusions when the body is aligned, by positioning the body against the honeycomb surface and vibrating it until the protrusions engage. The method is of particular use in aligning flexible masks to end faces of honeycomb structures in the fabrication of solid particulate filter bodies. Particular mask and honeycomb structure geometries are suggested for automation of the process.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of scanning fitting of two pieces, one going into the other, wherein an axial joining motion and a seeking vibration motion is imparted to the handled piece, such that at the beginning of the joining process, the handled piece is imparted a seeking vibration parallel with the axial joining motion, the seeking vibration motion comprising two motions--a seeking linear oscillatory cross motion and a seeking rotation--oscillatory cross motion, which are continuously and consecutively alternating within time, such that the handled piece is vibrated translationally in one plane and rotationally around the center of its front end in a second plane, as the two planes make an angle between each other and rotate around the initial position of the axis of the handled piece continuously and synchronized; and during the initial entry of one of the pieces into the other up to the moment of their final joining, the handled piece, parallelly with its axial motion, makes only a rotational--osci

Abstract: A gear train is assembled by vibratory feeding each of its gears into a nest in overlapping meshed aligned spaced relation. A fastening nut is vibratory fed in alignment with the journal for the gear which is distal the bracket to which the gear train is to be secured. The bracket includes a plurality of journals each mating with the journal bearing of a corresponding gear located in the nest. A robotic arm carries the bracket and inserts the journals into the gears in an axial direction, passing the journal for the distal gear through that gear bearing and into the nut for capturing the overlapped nested gears between the nut and the bracket.

Abstract: Helixes are assembled into face structures by providing an initial helix which is stretched and retained on a work table, and a first helix which is attached to the initial helix, inserting into the first helix of a prestretched second helix by means of a joining tool and from a discharge conduit so that the second helix exits from the discharge conduit at an acute angle with respect to the first helix and moved along the latter connecting the second helix with the first helix by inserting an insert wire into the overlapping areas between the head arches of the first and second helixes, and displacing the thus finished face structure by a predetermined distance between insert wires in a timed sequence before a subsequent such inserting step for a further helix to be inserted into the second helix.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning and soldering electrode pedestals to the solderable ohmic contacts of individual semiconductor components formed by an undivided silicon wafer. The apparatus includes a soldering assembly for receiving the undivided silicon wafer and for temporarily retaining the electrode pedestals in alignment on the silicon wafer during the soldering of the pedestals to the ohmic contacts; a pedestal mask which is placed over the undivided silicon wafer and which aligns individual pedestals over the ohmic contacts of the silicon wafer; and a shaker apparatus coupled to said soldering base plate for distributing the electrode pedestals to each of the ohmic contacts.

Abstract: For distributing annular workpieces onto a plate provided with a plurality of bolts protruding from the plate surface, each to hold and arrest a correctly positioned workpiece, there is provided a magazine which accommodates a plurality of workpieces in contact with one another at their peripheral surfaces, the magazine being inclined at an angle with respect to the plate surface, being relatively displaceable in the direction of its inclination parallel to the plate surface, and being provided at its lower end with a resilient holding device for the individual release of one workpiece at a time.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for mating the tubular cap and tubular shank of the cathode assembly used in TV CRT electron guns. The shank has an end larger in diameter than the cap, and a narrow end adapted to fit into the cap. The method comprises causing the cap to fall open-end-down into a first receptacle. The first receptacle is inverted in conjunctive alignment with a second receptacle, causing the cap to fall open-end-up into the second receptacle. The shank is then caused to fall narrow-end-down into the second receptacle and into the cap; the second receptacle is adapted to reject the larger end of the shank. The second receptacle is inverted in conjunctive alignment with the first receptacle, causing the mated cap and shank to fall shank-end-down into the first receptacle where it is held cap-side-up for further processing.