Abstract: A continuous separation apparatus having a plurality of separation chambers in a continuously rotating block between fixed end plates. The axis of the chambers, preferably cylinders, is parallel to the axis of rotation of the block, wherein the end plates are provided with stationary inlet and discharge ports which overlap openings in the cylinders as the cylinders rotate so that cylinders are constantly being filled by forcing a free-floating piston to one end of the cylinder, cylinder contents are separated by hydraulically forcing the piston toward the fill end of the cylinder where the liquid is removed through screen means at the fill end of the cylinder and solid contents evacuated through an end plate port. The cylinder block continues rotation to permit a constant flow into the apparatus, a continuous removal of separated fluid and a constant separated solids flow from the apparatus.

Abstract: This invention describes a steering apparatus for a tramming conveyor having at least one end articulated about a vertical axis so that said articulated end can deviate angularly in either direction about the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. The steering apparatus basically comprises a control apparatus which is coupled to an external apparatus in a manner to communicate a deviation of the articulated end of the tramming conveyor from alignment with the external apparatus. The control apparatus generates an output responsive to the steering apparatus which will result in a deviation of the articulated end either to the right or left of the external apparatus, such steering apparatus will continue the deviation of the articulated end of the tramming conveyor until the tramming conveyor is again realigned with the external apparatus.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus is disclosed for turning an articulated self-propelled conveyor which is adapted either for conveying materials or for movement along the surface of the earth, including a plurality of segments pivotally joined to form an elongated housing. The housing has an upper and lower surface with jacks attached to the segments for selectively lifting or lowering the elongated housing. A conveying apparatus is mounting along the upper and lower surfaces and connected between the upper and lower surfaces. Transverse flights are mounted to the conveying apparatus such that when the jacks have elevated the elongated housing the conveying apparatus will move material along the upper surface of the elongated housing and when the jacks have lowered the elongated housing against the surface of the earth, the conveyor apparatus will move the elongated housing along the surface of the earth.

Abstract: A thermal dryer used to dry wet material includes a drying chamber and a storage bin. Material is transferred from the storage bin onto a movable support means positioned within the drying chamber. A furnace supplies hot gas to the drying chamber and the gas passes over the movable support means to dry the wet material positioned thereon. The temperature of the gas that has been passed over the wet material is automatically maintained at a preselected temperature by controlling the amount of wet material on the movable support means. The temperature of the gas that has been passed over the support means is controlled independently of the temperature of the gas supplied by the furnace. The amount of wet material in the storage bin is automatically maintained below a preselected amount by controlling the temperature of the hot gas supplied by the furnace to the drying chamber. When the amount of wet material exceeds the preselected amount, the temperature of the hot gas supplied by the furnace is increased.

Abstract: A blind rivet having an easily settable secondary head with the rivet body having a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced weakened areas terminating in spaced relation from the rivet flange and the open end of the rivet so that upon setting, the rivet body separates at the weakened areas to form a plurality of outwardly extending deformed areas for an enlarged secondary head on the rivet.

Abstract: A fastener-installing tool comprises a housing in which a collet which holds a fastener moves back and forth between a forward fastener-installing position and a rear loading position. A curved feed tube is pivoted on the housing to swing about its center of curvature into a fastener delivering position in front of the retracted collet to feed into it a fresh fastener delivered through a hose from a supply. The feed tube swings out of the path of the collet when it next advances.

Abstract: Apparatus for arranging containers horizontally and in sequence comprises a hopper to which loose containers are fed, an elevator with pick-up teeth defining seatings on which, on the ascending branch of the elevator, containers are disposed in a horizontal position and maneuvered by an associated pushing device, and a drum near the top of the elevator containing housings moved in phase with the teeth so that the containers can be transferred from one to the other.The bottom of the hopper comprises a conveyor belt which conveys containers towards the foot of the ascending branch. Rotating arms staggered either angularly or heightwise below the top of the branch near the drum are placed to intercept between successive teeth of the ascending branch so as to either lay down or eject from the elevator containers carried by the pick-up teeth in incorrect positions.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for supplying wrapping elements (2, 57) comprising elongate portions of card (2) having a series of zones (6, 7, 8, 9), separated by transverse creases (a, b), and flaps (10) defined by creases (c) disposed longitudinally to the card (2). The apparatus comprises a first mechanism (14) and a second mechanism (50) for continuously transfering the pieces of card (2) which are orientated transversely to the path of the first mechanism and longitudinally with respect to the path of the second mechanism. The apparatus also comprises folding elements (42, 43, 46, 47, 55, 56) located along the paths of the two transfer mechanisms (14, 50) arranged to fold the zones (6, 7, 8, 9) and flaps (10) about the creases defining them out of a planar condition and subsequently to fold them back to cause them to return to the original coplanar condition. The pre-creased blanks so formed can be readily wrapped by conventional wrapping machines round soft articles (68) e.g.

Abstract: A nose piece for properly positioning a member in a tool having a pair of symmetrical opposed nose piece members each of which have a longitudinal groove forming an opening therebetween. The nose piece members have opposed faces, one of which lies on the center line of the members and the other of which is angularly disposed to the center line to form a caming shoulder therebetween about which the members pivot to open and close the opening.

Abstract: An adhesive dispenser for metering very small quantities of viscious liquids (grease-like materials) or thick pastes (putty-like materials) and transferring the metered material as a hemispherical or conical dot to a substrate at a high rate of speed. This device can be used to place adhesives between the conductive lands of a printed circuit board to adhere "chip type" electronic components between the conductive lands of the board. The dispenser comprises an outer cylinder carried in a support housing for movement toward and away from the board, the outer cylinder carries an adhesive metering device which places a dot of adhesive on the board.

Abstract: A placement mechanism for vertically displacing a micro-electronic component to place the component on a printed circuit board. The mechanism has a spindle that is displaceable on a vertical axis and rotatable on the vertical axis to align the component leads with the lands of the circuit on the board. The spindle carries a placement rod in communication with a vacuum source to enable the component to be retrieved and placed on the board. The placement rod has a resilient interconnection with the spindle to allow for varying board heights and to buffer the impact of the placement of the component on the board.

Abstract: A cut-clinch head having a movable and a fixed knife assembly for cutting and forming lead wires of electrical components which extend down through openings in printed circuit boards. The movable knife and the fixed knife are easily removed from the head assembly for servicing. Further, the fixed knife is a tubular member that has a cutting edge formed out of the axis of the tube.

Abstract: A mechanism for centering the body of an electrical component in a carrier during a phase of processing the component. A pair of centering fingers are pivotally supported for movement toward and away from the carrier and adjustably downwardly biased toward the carrier to accurately position the centering fingers at the juncture of the component body and leads during centering.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for calibrating an automatic weighing machine is provided, having means for maintaining the value of an electronic signal indicative of tare weight within a predetermined range of an ideal value in order to ensure adequate signal range is available for high resolution of net weight. In addition, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter having an adjustable gain is provided which interfaces the analog signal indicative of total gross weight (tare plus net) to a processor means. Means are provided within the processor means for adjusting the gain of the A/D converter in response to changes in the selected target weight for a package of product. Since the range of analog signals indicative of total weight depend on the selected target weight, the gain is adjusted in response to a change in target weight so the full range of digital values remain responsive to the range of analog signals.

Abstract: A pneumatic-hydraulic tool for setting two-part fasteners, for example pull-type blind riveting assemblies, has a power unit comprising a thrust member and pulling means actuated by pistons slidable, one behind the other, in a common cylinder. The pistons advance and retract as a whole under the influence of air pressure, and are separable to effect a fastener-setting stroke by admission of hydraulic fluid under high pressure between the pistons. Hydraulic fluid can be admitted and expelled to and from the cylinder between the pistons wherever along the cylinder the pistons may be.

Abstract: A blind-riveting tool for setting pull-type rivet assemblies of the kind which has a pulling head on the mandrel comprises abutment member and mandrel-pulling means each with a collet, the latter inside the former, resiliently urged open to admit a mandrel and arranged to be closed by advance of an actuating sleeve on the collet of the abutment member. The abutment member and mandrel-pulling means as a whole are slidable to and from, under air pressure, both having pistons, one behind the other, in a common cylinder, and are separable to effect a rivet-setting stroke by admission of hydraulic fluid between the pistons. Means is provided for delivering a fresh rivet assembly axially into the collets of the abutment member and mandrel-pulling means when they are open in their retracted positions. The tool provides for the rapid and reliable insertion and setting of automatically fed rivet assemblies of the kind referred to, while being easy for the user to operate.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for arranging containers (1) e.g. bottles vertically, comprising an entry unit, sets of rod-shaped guides (23,24,25) helically shaped and symmetrical relative to the vertical longitudinal plane of the apparatus, and two belts (16) symmetrical and adjacent to such plane, which engage the initially uppermost side of the container. Operating in unison with and having the same speed as the lower branches of said two belts (16) are, firstly, the upper branch of an auxiliary belt (26), underneath said two belts (16), followed by inwardly facing branches of two subsidiary belts (31), symmetrical in relation to said plane and almost horizontal, so that the side of the container which is originally lowermost is continuously engaged by firstly the upper branch of the auxiliary belt (26) and then by the inwardly facing branch of one or the other of such subsidiary belts (31). This construction gives more reliable operation, especially at high speeds, then previously known apparatus.

Abstract: A component placement head for positioning micro-electronic components on a printed circuit board including an adjustable shelf for receiving the component from a stationary conveyor and accurately positioning the component below the placement nozzle on the head. The nozzle picks up the component from the shelf and aligns the component leads with the conductive lands on the board and then places the component on the board. There is a control limiting the position of the adjustable shelf to assure the component is properly positioned in the nozzle of the placement head.

Abstract: An improved method of taking tare weights is provided for automatic weighing machines. Periodically, the sequence of weighing cycles is interrupted in order that a tare cycle may be executed. During the tare cycle, all the weighing buckets of the weighing machine which were emptied in the last weighing cycle are weighed in their empty state. The new values for the tare weights are stored and the old values are discarded. By introducing a tare cycle between successive weighing cycles, all weighing buckets are available in each weighing cycle for finding the best combination.

Abstract: A mechanism for sensing whether the leads of a dual-in-line electrical component are in their proper position projecting through the appropriate openings in a printed circuit board. The sensor uses fiber optics to indicate whether the leads are properly positioned by using light reflected from the lead to activate a photo transducer which indicates to the computer controlling the machine operation whether the leads are properly positioned. The sensor fiber optics has light emitting and light receiving filaments operative parallel to the board surface so that the sensor only responds to the presence or absence of a component lead.