Abstract: Adaptors for use with snakes/adaptors locating offsets or main lines in pressurized natural gas systems and methods of making/using the adaptors are described. The snake adaptors contain a stub pipe, a fitting, a bushing, and a cap compressing the bushing around a snake, forming an air-tight fit between the bushing and cap and between the bushing and snake. The snake adaptors help locate a gas main by closing the gas valve, attaching an adaptor to the gas valve, opening the gas valve, and extending a snake through the adaptor and gas valve until an end of the snake contacts the gas main. The position of the snake within the adaptor is marked when the end of the snake contacts the gas main, the snake is removed from the valve, and the marked position then used to determine the location of the gas main. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A process for registering lines of termination with indicia in a transported sheet of web material is disclosed. The process provides for the steps of: (a) transporting the sheet of web material in a first direction; (b) applying indicia to the sheet from a print cylinder, the print cylinder having a first angular position; (c) imparting lines of termination to the sheet of web material with a rotatable blade, the rotatable blade having a second angular position; (d) calculating a position error by comparing the first angular position of the print cylinder and the second angular position of the rotatable blade; and, (e) adjusting the second angular position of the rotatable blade according to the position error.

Abstract: A permanent invisible magnetic marking and positioning system of unfinished steel rods, spring steel bars, workpieces, and the like. A midpoint or center of the rod, bar or workpiece is automatically located and a high-energy pulse is applied for an embedded magnetic marker in the workpiece. Meanwhile, the magnetizing heads can also be repositioned to various points on a workpiece for imparting manufacturing and product identification data. In the case of leaf springs, the center of a spring steel bar is located a magnetic marker is embedded there. A high-energy rectangular pulse imparts a permanent invisible magnetic marks and data. The embedded indicators having peak magnetic strength allow manual or automatic positioning for perfect alignment in bending, tapping and other forming processes.

Abstract: A permanent invisible magnetic marking and positioning system of cylindrical metal steel rods. To accurately locate the physical midpoint of the rod-to-be-cut, a novel head centering and positioning mechanism automatically sets the midpoint distance for each setup as the length of the finished rod stock is changed. The steel rod that is used to manufacture the U-bolts is inserted lengthwise into a cutoff saw station or machine until it comes in contact with a stop that is set to the desired predetermined length. An automatic centering device positions the magnetizing heads located at the longitudinal center, on each side, of the steel rod. A high-energy rectangular pulse imparts a permanent invisible magnetic mark at the longitudinal center of the steel rod before being formed into a U-bolt. The rod is then suitably cut to the desired predetermined length, and each of the opposite ends threaded with the desired thread size.

Abstract: Apparatus for placing a mark on the spine of a tape cassette at a location therealong corresponding to the length of the selection on the tape in which cassettes successively loaded with the selection from a pancake tape having the same selection recorded thereon a plurality of times are passed to a marking station at which a marking device is moved from a home position to a second position spaced therefrom by a distance equal to the length of the selection in response to the loading of a selection into an empty cassette. The marking device is actuated in response to movement of a cassette into the marking station with its spine extending in a direction from the home position toward the second position of the marking device. The exhausting of the pancake tape is sensed to return the marking device to its home position.

Abstract: A linear measuring apparatus for measuring elongated materials such as cables is disclosed. The apparatus includes a measuring station which includes two endless belts which run over two pulleys and between which the material to be measured is drawn. The measuring station is provided with sensors to which a counter unit is connected for indication of material lengths, and the endless belts (5a, 5b) extend horizontally, side-by-side, and resiliently abut the material to be measured.