Abstract: An improved decorative automotive vehicle trim strip and method and apparatus for forming by reshaping an end of a previously extruded length of thermoplastic material. The surface of the length of thermoplastic material intended for viewing is maintained at a cold temperature, well below the softening point of the thermoplastic material, during the reshaping operation. The length of thermoplastic material is heated during reshaping by a mold section heated 400.degree. to 410.degree. F. pressed against the surface intended to be affixed to the vehicle.

Abstract: A divider head assembly for attachment to a dividing and rounding machine, the divider head assembly incorporating a cover plate and attached plug plate, both of which have a central aperture therethrough. A cutter blade holder has a neck which slidably projects through the apertures, and a cutter blade holder is attachable to a cutter blade subassembly by means of fasteners. Access holes through the cover plate and plug plate permit access to the fasteners which attach the cutter blade holder to the cutter blade subassembly. The cutter blade subassembly is formed of a geometric arrangement of blades, the blades being welded together to form a unitary geometric arrangement.

Abstract: A blade of an exposure control such as an iris control device or a shutter control device is provided for use in cameras. A sheet of a resin or metallic material configured as desired into the final blade form is placed in an injection molding machine which has a pin-forming cavity on one side of the sheet. The sheet is broken and penetrated at its portions where pins are to be formed and fixed, such that portions of the material of the sheet are deformed to project into the cavity. A molten resin is injected through a sprue formed on the opposite side of the sheet to the cavity so that the injected resin fills the cavity to form a pin in such a manner that the deformed and projected portion of the material of the sheet is embedded in the pin-forming resin. Another pin is formed on the other side of the sheet simultaneously with the first-mentioned pin in the same manner in the same die apparatus.

Abstract: A dough-dividing and rounding machine for dividing and rounding dough wherein the machine includes a removable ring and dividing assembly for the convenient cleaning of the machine and to allow for the interchangeability of the dividing assembly with other dividing assemblies for the production of dough or similar materials having different weights, quantities or shapes. The present invention being particularly adapted for use in dividing and/or dividing and rounding machines wherein a predetermined quantity of pieces of equal-sized dough or the like are produced.

Abstract: In order to cut soft concrete before it has completely hardened, or about 12 to 18 hours after finishing, a rotating cutting blade and its drive motor are mounted on a wheeled support platform. The blade extends through a slot in the platform, and also through a skid plate depending from the platform, in order to cut the concrete below the skid plate. The slot and the skid plate are sized to support the concrete as it is being cut and to inhibit cracking and chipping of the concrete during cutting. The slot preferably has as little space as possible between the sides of the slot and the adjacent sides of the cutting blade. An extendable handle allows the device to be used beyond the physical reach of the operator.

Abstract: A dough dividing and rounding machine for dividing and rounding dough wherein the machine includes a removable ring and dividing assembly for the convenient cleaning of the machine and to allow for the interchangeability of the dividing assembly with a second dividing assembly for the production of dough having different sizes, quantities or shapes. The present invention being particularly adapted for use in dividing and/or dividing and rounding machines wherein a predetermined quantity of pieces of equal sized dough are produced.

Abstract: An apparatus for making candles which includes one or more receptacles. Support means are provided to support a length of wick material strung across each receptacle. The apparatus also has posts where a continuous length of wick material is secured across each receptacle and around the posts.

Abstract: A composite panel molded between a male stamping part and a female stamping part, and comprising a layer of mineral fibers having on selected zones particularly edges which are of three times the density which is normal in the panel, a surfacing layer destroyed under the action of the heat released by a knife above the said selected zones and a surfacing layer which covers the said slected zones, and a process for making the same are disclosed.The composite panel is used particularly as an inner trim for a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A dough cutter which has a complete set of cursive alphabetic letters (22) raised on the top of individual cutter bodies (20) that attach together forming a continuous combination of letters. On the side of each body opposite the letters is an extended cutting blade (26) outwardly deployed from the body in the form of a border of the raised letter the same as on the top, except in mirror image. A method of attachment is employed, in three embodiments, each holding a number of bodies together forming a continuous combination of letters. When the cutter is pressed into baking dough, a continuous combination of letters is formed in infinite variations heretofore unachievable.

Abstract: An illustrative embodiment of the invention comprises an annular device for preparing pie crusts in which the inner margin of the device defines the central, circular opening. The margin, perpendicular to the base of the device, also forms a cutting edge that slopes away from the opening and toward the base until it intersects a flat working surface for the device. An arcuate surface, curving from the working surface to the base enables the device to be positioned on a breadboard with the cutting edge oriented in the proper direction. By rolling dough deposited in the opening, the opening fills up to the margin and surplus dough flows over the cutting edge and onto the working surface, the cutting edge severing the surplus dough from the shaped mass in the opening. The device, with surplus dough, is lifted smartly away from the breadboard, leaving a circular pie crust of uniform thickness defined by the marginal distance between the base and the crest of the cutting edge.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preparing a patterned baked good by cutting a dough piece and impressing a pattern on the dough piece.

Abstract: In order to cut soft concrete before it has completely hardened, or about 12 to 18 hours after finishing, a rotating cutting blade and its drive motor are mounted on a wheeled support platform. The blade extends through a slot in the platform, and also through a skid plate depending from the platform, in order to cut the concrete below the skid plate. The slot and the skid plate are sized to support the concrete as it is being cut and to inhibit cracking and chipping of the concrete during cutting. The slot preferably has as little space as possible between the sides of the slot and the adjacent sides of the cutting blade. An extendable handle allows the device to be used beyond the physical reach of the operator.

Abstract: An adjustable food forming device for producing individual patties from foods, such as ground meat and the like and a method for using such device. A circumferential cutting means such as a mold cup containing a patty ejector or mold plate and a thickness adjustment means is provided. The circumferential cutting means has a sleeve connected thereto which extends upwardly from the mold cup. A shaft extends upwardly from the center of the mold plate within the sleeve. The height of the mold plate relative to the base of the mold cup determines the thickness of the patty to be produced. The height is determined by the arrangement of a key protruding from the wall of one of the plunger shaft or sleeve member, the key being slidably engaged in one of a plurality of keyways of differing lengths inscribed in the wall of the other of the sleeve member or plunger shaft.

Abstract: An arrangement for the thermoforming of molded plastic articles from a continuous web of a thermoplastic material, and more particularly, a trim in place thermoforming arrangement in which the plastic articles are simultaneously molded and at least substantially or completely separated from the remaining thermoplastic web material. A high degree of alignment and precision is obtained between cooperating cutting blades employed in the trimming of the thermoformed articles, because of a unique self-aligning or floating support structure of at least one of the cutting blades operating in conjunction with the thermoforming apparatus. The self-aligning action provided for between the slidingly contacting cutting blades allows for an automatic compensation for any temperature changes and blade wear encountered during operation, and with only one movable part being required for the trim in place device.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for making individual dough pieces that are of substantially constant size and shape. The method includes the steps of forming a continuous dough rope and laying it on a horizontally-moving conveyor belt. The rope then passes between a pair of horizontally-reciprocating cutting elements which, when closed, cut a dough piece form the rope's end portion. The closed pair of cutting elements also forms a mold having an open top. While the dough piece is momentarily within the mold, a tamping plate is brought vertically downward into contact with the piece, thereby giving it a preselected size and shape. In another particularly preferred embodiment, a channel is formed in the continuous rope's top surface that is subsequently filled with discrete morsels. When the tamping plate is brought into contact with the dough piece, the plate presses the morsels firmly into the dough piece's outer surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tipping one end of an I.V. catheter includes the method steps for use of the apparatus including mounting a catheter to be tipped onto a mandrel supported on a carriage; a die having an interior molding surface, at least one portion of which is tapered according to the tip desired on the catheter, is heated; the carriage is moved along guide bars to the die such that the catheter carrying mandrel moves toward the interior molding surface to define a space, when the carriage is halted the catheter carrying mandrel is biased toward the die space with only sufficient force to cause the heated catheter to flow into the die space and as the catheter melts and flows, the mandrel engages the die thereby defining the edge of the catheter, after which the die and catheter therein are cooled; the carriage is then reversed along the guide bars such that the catheter and mandrel are withdrawn from the die, and the catheter is removed from the mandrel.

Abstract: A method of forming a cake from a sticky confectionary material based on sugar and cereals comprising the steps of transporting a layer of such sticky confectionary material having a uniform thickness on a surface of an endless conveyor to a position beneath at least one vertically disposed hollow cylinder whose wall is tapered at its lower end and inside which is a piston, advancing the cylinder downwardly so that it cuts through the sticky material until the lower edge of said cylinder contacts said surface and severs the sticky material within the cylinder from the layer; then advancing the piston downwardly to compress the severed sticky material to between about 40% and about 60% of its original thickness to form the cake, maintaining such compression for between 0.5 and 5.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for forming a cup-shaped skin for a skin-enveloped food, in which a dough strip of predetermined width and thickness and a suitable extensibility is extruded through a hole of a plate by an inverted frusto-conical or pyramidal die. The extruded dough envelope is received on a vertically displaceable lifting plate of a shaping cup, where stuffing and sealing of the dough envelope may then be performed. The extruding die and the hole of the plate are so dimensioned that the resulting dough envelope will have a thickness gradient which tapers from a thicker central base portion to a thinner peripheral upper portion.

Abstract: An apparatus acts upon an extrudate rope to form individual elements of predetermined size and shape which elements are separated from one another a predetermined distance. A die is used having a predetermined shape with indentations therein to press the extrudate rope against a support at predetermined locations. A conveyor belt is used to carry the extrudate rope in one direction, and the die is supported such that during the pressing operation the die forward speed matches the extrudate rope forward speed. A supporting table underlies the conveyor belt. The die has a pair of generally spherical indentations for shaping pieces from the extrudate rope. The die is formed of a non-stick material such as Teflon.RTM.. A chamber is located in an opposite surface of the die from each respective indentation, to serve as a plenum fluid supply to the indentations, bores connecting the respective opposing chambers to respective indentations.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping and cutting articles from a thermoplastic sheet and for stacking the articles in a stacking chute. A transporting device advances the sheet through the apparatus. The sheet is heated as it advances through the apparatus. A table is located downstream of the heater in the direction of advance of the sheet and is movable between a first position for shaping and cutting the articles and a second position for stacking the articles. A bearing pin is operatively associated with the table so that the table can be displaced by and pivoted about the bearing pin. A first guide device is mounted for being displaced perpendicular to the direction of advance of the sheet, with the bearing pin being seated in the first guide device. A bell crank drive is connected to the table via an articulated connection with the bearing pin for moving the table between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A high-speed forming apparatus for rapidly forming a plurality of food products from a food product mixture or slurry discharged from a nozzle orifice wherein said food products attain a desired shape, e.g., a section of a right cylinder. The device is mountable on the nozzle of a food product forming apparatus and enables a liquid substance to be uniformly directed against each of radially inner and radially outer forming surfaces to envelop them and to aid in the release of the formed food products from the apparatus.

Abstract: A tool for forming a folded pastry from rolled-out dough. The pastry tool includes a frame having an edge for cutting the dough, the cutting edge being formed in the shape of the peripheral outline of a pair of circles intersecting at two points. The two points of intersection define a line along which the dough, cut out by the tool, may be folded. Further, one of the circular sections of the frame is made larger than the other of the circular sections to allow that portion of the dough formed by the larger of the circular frame sections to overlap the smaller circular section of dough while accommodating a filling therebetween. The pastry tool also includes a sealing flange extending inwardly from said frame a distance above the cutting edge to simultaneously seal and trim two layers of dough.

Abstract: An apparatus acts upon an extrudate rope to form individual elements of predetermined size and shape which are separated from one another by a predetermined space. A die is used having a predetermined shape with indentations therein to press the extrudate rope against a support at predetermined locations. A conveyor belt is used to carry the extrudate rope in one direction, and the die is supported such that during the pressing operation the die forward speed matches the extrudate rope forward speed. A supporting table underlies the conveyor belt. At least two shims are placed under the conveyor belt on either side of the path of the extrudate rope and underlying the path of the die so that portions of the extrudate rope which are pressed beneath the die are forced from under the die toward the indentations formed in the die so as to minimize waste of portions of the extrudate rope.

Abstract: A sealing profiled strand of elastomeric materials provided with sealing lips along portions of the strand. The strands emerge from the nozzle or orifice of the extruder, at which point they still have a complete cross section. While still in the plastic state, the strands are cut by a transversely movable cutting knife which is curved in conformity to the outer contour of the strand. The strand is cut pursuant to a prescribed pattern in such a way as to remove portions of the sealing lip.

Abstract: Wafers are produced by guiding a sheet of bread having friable outer crusts and a relatively soft center through wafer forming apparatus. The apparatus includes a pair of rolls, one of said rolls, i.e., a cutting roll having one or more wafer forming recesses or cavities therein and the other roll being a pressure roll which operates in rolling engagement with the cutting roll. As the sheet of bread is introduced into the nip formed between the two rolls the pressure roll acts to press the bread into the cavity or cavities on the cutting roll and into engagement with the edges of the cavity or cavities to cut wafers from the sheet of bread. Each cavity is configured to have a bottom surface which rises as a gradually tapering wall to a cutting edge which is coterminious with the surface of the cutting roll.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method are disclosed for forming molded plastic articles, such as support devices, having wooden or otherwise fibrous backing members bonded thereto. The apparatus includes an injection molding machine within which the molded plastic articles are formed. Continuous strips of backing material are provided, and are drawn through the apparatus by a novel feed roller mechanism which is intermittently operated in synchronization with the cyclical operation of the injection molding machine. A punch and die mechanism associated with the molding die assembly of the injection molding machine severs discrete backing members from the continuous strip of material, and thereafter advances the severed backing members to a portion of the periphery of the one or more molding cavities defined by the molding die assembly of the machine.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a unique die (11, 111) that can be employed in apparatus (10) for shaping a workpiece (14, 114) according to the method of driving the workpiece at relatively high speeds through the die (11, 111) which remains fixed. The die has a throat (40, 140) which extends longitudinally through a body portion (35, 135) and opens through a crenelated mouth (45, 145). The mouth is provided with opposed noses (46, 48, 146, 147 and 148) which delineate the distal extent of the mouth with respect to the body portion of the die. Cutting edges (50, 51, 54, 55, 150, 151, 154, 155, 173 and 174) extend rearwardly from the noses, with each pair of adjacent cutting edges joining to define a crotch (59, 60, 159, 178 and 179). The resulting plurality of crotches delineate the longitudinally proximal extent of the mouth with respect to the body portion of the die. Each cutting edges is disposed so that the entering angle .theta. falls within the range of from 25.degree. to 50.degree..

Abstract: Apparatus for making a tablet of soap containing a perfume-containing core, hollow or solid, fabricated from a hard plastic material, either thermosetting or thermoplastic. Soap from the resulting composite tablet is usable until the core is washed clean and is aromatized until the core is washed clean. This obviates the wastage of soap which normally occurs as a conventional soap tablet becomes very thin on use and, at the same time, gives rise to a continuously aromatized soap tablet.

Abstract: A group of molds, or baking tins, for placement of dough therein and in which the dough is baked. Each mold includes a bottom element surrounded by an upturned rim. The dough thus baked, in each mold, forms a rigid panel, and those panels are fitted together to form a gingerbread house, the molds including one for each of the walls, and the roof. The panels are fitted together and secured by placing icing in the junctures between the panels. The apparatus also includes a plurality of inserts or cookie cutters that are pressed into the fresh dough when it is put in the molds, and each cuts and isolates a piece of the dough from the main mass, that piece also being baked, and after the dough is baked, the inserts are removed, and the pieces are also removed, either by adhering to the inserts and being lifted out, or by being knocked out. This leaves openings in the panels which form windows and doors, and the pieces, or knockouts, are used to form a chimney to the house.

Abstract: A forming and embossing template, especially for food products such as cookies, including a forming means having a body portion and peripheral cutting means having a desired configuration extending laterally therefrom, and an embossing means having a desired pattern carried by said body portion, whereby said cutting means form the shape of an article in said desired configuration, and said embossing means impresses the desired pattern on said article.

Abstract: A method of forming plastic sheet material into articles. The sheet is heated and is formed into the article in a mould. The mould parts severe the portion of the sheet which is to be formed into the article and at the peripheral edge of the said portion the mould parts squeeze the plastics material to cause it to flow outwardly into a bead cavity in which the material forms into a thickened bead.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for forming soft and sticky food material such as kneaded mixture of water and rice flour, wheat flour, etc., into globular shape in formation chambers in the form of pipe. Four crossing members constitute one group and create a formation chamber in the form of pipe. The crossing members on one side of the formation chambers are made to reciprocate in the opposite directions to those on the other side thereof, while touching, whereby the material is kneaded into globular shape,.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for making dough envelopes containing filling. The apparatus is molded from plastic and includes a frame structure having a plurality of interconnected hexagonal molds so as to form a honeycomb type structure. Each hexagonal mold includes six inclined cutting edges which are connected around a central inverted conical chamber. The inverted conical chamber partially supports the dough envelope during formation to produce uniformly shaped and aesthetically pleasing envelopes. Further, horizontal pasting faces are provided in the corners of each mold between the conical chamber base and cutting edges lower edges. These horizontal pasting faces in combination with the cutting edges provide a strong and uniform seal around the dough envelope edges.

Abstract: An apparatus for the production of ravioli and like products characterized by a base, sidewalls rising from the base, a forming roller rotatably coupled to the sidewalls, a platen roller rotatably coupled to the sidewalls in proximity to the forming roller, and means for feeding two sheets of ravioli dough and associated ravioli filling between the two rollers. The forming roller is generally cylindrical and is provided with a cutting grid around its curved surface and a number of ravioli forming areas located within the interstices of the cutting grid. Each ravioli forming area includes a centrally located, saddle shaped relief surrounded by at least one, but preferably two, sealing ridges.

Abstract: A machine for automatically forming croissants, brioches and the like comprises a pastry flattening out stage, a cutting stage, a cut triangle spacing and orienting stage, a triangle aligning stage and a forming stage, the sheet pastry triangle spacing and orienting stage include, substantially a mechanism, effective to reciprocate on two wheels, in such a way as to take up the sheet pastry triangles and release the sheet pastry triangles at the forming machine, the reciprocating movement being transmitted to the mechanism by two side tie-rods, pivoted at one end to a cam and, at the other end, to an intermediate point of a lever supporting the mechanism at the rear portion, the mechanism comprising a plurality of cams and transmitting elements acting on catching movable elements effective, during the advancing stroke, to spread apart and rotate through a 90.degree. angle.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing pastry comprises a plate having a plurality of mold cavities arranged in a regular pattern. Each of the cavities has at its upper rim an upwardly projecting cutting edge. A sheet of dough is laid over the plate and pressed toward it by a flat plate or rolling pin so that the cutting edges cut out individual dough pieces, one in each mold cavity. The dough pieces are pressed into the cavities by cup-shaped elements carried by a rigid support and arranged in the same pattern as the mold cavities so that a cup-shaped element enters each cavity. The distance the cup-shaped elements enter the mold cavities is limited by adjustable screws on the support. The cup-shaped elements are of material having good heat conductivity and thermal capacity and are left in the mold cavities during baking to assure uniform baking of the pastry.

Abstract: A press for forming and cutting filled dough products such as dumplings and ravioli has two parts which are hinged together at one end and have handles at the other ends. The parts which are hinged together each have enlarged portions with a cavity in each fitting a like cavity in the other with cooperating cutting surfaces surrounding a major portion of each cavity for cutting a filled dough product positioned in the cavity. Each cavity opens to the rear of said enlarged portions adjacent the hinges and thus provides an opening from the cooperating cavities when said press is closed, permitting expansion of the dough product without bursting during formation thereof.

Abstract: Food products are processed prior to consumption in a press form having multiple, separate, pre-selected planar food product molds, each having tapered walls, providing easy food product removal. The food products can have pastry dough exteriors and can be filled with selected food fillings held in position and shaped by dough crust exteriors. Multiple press form food product molds have regular planar shapes disposed multiple in a tray. One face of each product mold has a cutting-edge knife disposed thereon, conforming to the mold interior shape. The cutting-edge knife can be disposed at either mold wall taper terminus. A cooperatively shaped, one-piece negative pusher plug mold, sized to intercept each one of the multiple food product molds disposed in the tray, is used to cooperatively push each food product out of the molds in the tray simultaneously.

Abstract: A gourmet press for producing hors d'oeuvres and similar snacks in the form of morsels of various foods stacked on a skewer. The press is a tubular device with a sharpened end which is pressed into various foods such as cheese, meat, bread, fruit and the like to cut out portions of such foods. Cut portions of food stack successively inside the tube and, when the required stack is complete, a skewer is inserted through the stack. The skewered stack is then ejected by a finger operated plunger mounted in the tube.

Abstract: A cooking and cutting kitchen implement apparatus has a hollow cylindrical ring member having one edge thereof formed into an angular cutting edge for cutting circular shapes, and a flat edge on the other edge thereof adapted to be placed on a grill for cooking an egg, or the like, therein. The ring member has a handle attached thereto with a spring clip connected into a pair of openings in the exterior of the ring and positioned so that the handle will be supported on the edge of the ring member to keep the handle off the grill when used for cooking. The handle may also be used on opposite side after turning the ring over. The ring may be lined with a solid lubricant polymer to prevent an egg, or the item therein, from sticking to the inside of the ring and the flat edge of the ring may have an annular groove therein.

Abstract: The manufacture of perforated vinyl strips by feeding the strip material continuously without interruption to a punching apparatus that has two pairs of cooperative rotary dies that punch out closely spaced perforations with the first pair of dies scoring the perforations and the second pair punching out the perforations.

Abstract: An apparatus produces a continuous plurality of generally rectangular dough elements of a controllable weight from a continuous and irregular mass of dough. The invention includes separate forming, dividing, and cutting portions. The forming portion includes multiple rollers disposed both normal to as well as parallel and traverse to the path of movement of the dough which form the irregularly-shaped dough mass to have a uniform width, depth, and consistency. The dividing portion includes a horizontally-disposed, multichannel dividing drum and a plurality of compression rollers which divide the dough from the forming portion into multiple strips of uniform cross section. The cutting portion includes a multiblade assembly having the shape of and being occludable with the channels of the multichannel drum. The blades are driven at constant speed in a planetary fashion whereby the only motions of the blades relative to the strips of dough passing through multichannel drum are inward and outward.

Abstract: A dough cutter comprising a handle for grasping by a user. The handle has apparatus for limiting lateral movement of a cutter. The cutter is comprised of two or more cutting elements which are in side by side relationship and have mating edges. The cutting elements have depending cutting ribs and apparatus for retaining the two or more cutting elements in positional relationship with one another when releasably retained on the base. Retaining apparatus is provided for releasably retaining the cutting element on the base.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle headliner is formed from a flat strip having laminated layers of resilient, cellular, foamed plastic and a finish textile material. The strip is cut to form a flat blank which is heated to a temperature at which the foamed plastic loses its resilience. While in its heated state the blank is compressively deformed and simultaneously trimmed in a mold to the desired size and contour and the cells adjacent the marginal edge of the blank are reduced in size to reduce the wall thickness of the blank. The deformed and trimmed blank is cooled while the compressive air force is maintained.

Abstract: A web of thermoplastic foam material is carried through an oven by an intermittently traveling conveyor engaging or gripping opposite sides of the web. The heated web is successively advanced by the conveyor between cooled heat-absorbing forming molds, which are moved toward each other to form the foam article and away from each other to release the article. A heat trimmer melts or vaporizes the leading and trailing ends of the foam material as compressed and formed by the molds, to form the marginal leading and trailing ends of the articles to the required peripheral form determined by the leading and trailing ends or edges of the molds and to separate the leading and trailing ends of the article from the web. The cooled molds, which may be made of a heat-conducting metal, such as aluminum, absorb the heat of melting as they pressurize the material along its edges and thereby determine the leading and trailing margins of the article.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming the mounting portion of a sidewall protector includes a rigid mold (19) in which a sidewall protector (12) can be formed and a separate plate assembly (29,31) which is moveable toward the rigid mold to form the mounting holes (10), central opening 11, and a pair of annular ribs (14,16) on opposite sides of the sidewall protector. Movement of the plate (32) is done by a plurality of springs (47) each positioned between the plate (32) and an enlarged head portion (48) of a pin (46). The springs are compressed by a linear actuator (43) and the pin (46) is connected to the mold (19) by a dowel (54) inserted through a hole (53) in the pin (46) to maintain the compression on the springs (47) . This apparatus permits the use of automated strip applying equipment for laying up the sidewall protector within the mold (19) while the plate assembly (29,31) accurately forms the mounting portion which includes the mounting holes (10), annular opening (11), and the annular ribs (14,16).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cutting elastomeric material into volumetric elastomer samples is disclosed. These volumetric samples may be reproduced at identical mass for precision testing purposes. The volumetric samples are reproducible for such precision purposes by the use of a volumetric adjustment mechanism which determines the volume of the cavity into which elastomeric material is compressed before cutting. The apparatus also has a moving cutting mechanism with a contoured cutting area, which in combination with the volumetric adjustment apparatus, removes deleterious air bubbles and other deformities prior to cutting the elastomeric material. The volumetric adjustment apparatus is housed within a die apparatus, which has a damping mechanism to permit complete manipulation of the elastomer prior to cutting the elastomer into the volumetric plug. After the cutting of the plug has occurred, the ejection apparatus pushes the volumetric plug from the cavity whereupon another cycle is begun.

Abstract: A plurality of cruciform cutter members are arranged on a drum to define transverse and circumferential lines along which dough sheet scoring is effected. The members are formed with dough scoring edges along each of the arms thereof and a cutting element at the center to cut a piece from the dough sheet at each intersection of the scoring lines. Air passageways leading to the cutting elements are alternately connected to a vacuum source for removing the cut dough piece from the dough sheet and to a pressure source for removing to dough piece from the element.

Abstract: Three-dimensional work pieces, such as instrument panels or dashboards, are made of initially flat stock or of synthetic material such as a two-component foamable material. The tools of the present apparatus include upper and lower holding tools which are preferably simultaneously shaping tools, and cutting or trimming tools. The upper tools and the cutting or trimming tools may have a common support which is preferably exchangeably secured in a main frame. The shaping tools are moved into a first cooperating position relative to each other, whereby the work piece is formed into the desired shape. The shaping tools may then be locked in the shaping position or they may be moved into a second cooperating position to be rigidly locked in the second position. A tool support such as a table carried by a scissors lift frame is used for moving the shaping tools into the desired positions. The cutting or trimming is then performed by applying pressure to the respective tools.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous forming of high density, seamless candies from a strand of confectionary material provided with a viscous filling. Candy blanks are first cut from an incoming soft strand and then pressed into candy pieces of the desired shape. The apparatus includes cooperative complementally formed pairs of separating teeth as well as pairs of members for shaping the candy and stamping chambers arranged in a rotating rotor.