Abstract: A self-sticking adhesive tape is provided which is particularly effective for joining free ends of a photoconductive belt at a side of the belt presenting a photoconductive layer of ZnO dispersed in a binding agent. The tape comprises a polyester support film provided on one side with a flexible electrically conductive layer to prevent retention of electrostatic charges and provided on the other side with an adhesive layer, made sticky preferably by an acrylate resin, having (a) an adhesive force of at least 200 Newton per meter and (b) a shear tolerance of not more than 1 mm, as determined by tests of the tape after its adhesive side has been adhered to such photoconductive layer. The conductive layer preferably consists essentially of a dispersion of carbon particles in a polymeric binder such as 60:40 copolymer of ethylene-terephthalate and ethylene-isophthalate, and the adhesive layer of a dried coating of an anionic dispersion in water of a finely divided acrylic ester containing carboxyl groups.

Abstract: Preparation of a 3-thienylmalonic acid or a diester thereof comprising reacting in a polar solvent in the presence of a copper (I) halide a thiophene compound of formula: ##STR1## wherein X=I or Br,R.sub.1 =H or a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group,R.sub.2 =H or a C.sub.1-2 alkyl group andR.sub.3 =H or a C.sub.1-2 alkyl group,with the proviso that R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 cannot be an alkyl group simultaneously, with a mono-deprotonated methylene compound of formula: ##STR2## wherein a cation is present and Z'=Z" is CN or COOR in which R is a C.sub.1-4 alkyl group, or Z'=CN and Z"=COOR' in which R' is a C.sub.1-2 alkyl group, followed by hydrolysis by methods known per se to get the corresponding free acid.

Abstract: A coupling device fitted onto an end of a hose into which a barbed nipple is inserted. The device is a rigid ferrule providing along its inner side two cylindrical portions of different diameters that are joined by a frusto-conical portion. The ferrule has a spiral thread of constant pitch formed on and along the inner side of all the portions. The thread in the larger cylindrical portion presses a shallow mating thread into the outside surface of the hose and initially advances the ferrule along the hose. The thread in the frusto-conical portion presses a progressively deepening thread into the hose and increasingly radially contracts the hose into the voids between the nipple barbs. The thread in the smaller cylindrical portion holds the hose contracted into the voids.

Abstract: A rear view mirror for vehicles is provided on a mirror housing having a remotely controllable motorized driving unit mounted inside it for turning the housing to adjust the mirror viewing range, yet enabling displacement of the housing without effect from or to the driving unit. A gear casing having an electric motor mounted on it contains speed reducing gears, is supported on and turnable about a mirror supporting post protruding from the housing, and is fixed to the housing to position the housing by movement about the axis of a ring gear that normally is held fixed relative to the post. The ring gear is connected with the post via a spring biased clutch that slips to enable forcible turning of the housing by hand or in the event of impact with an obstruction.

Abstract: Transfer of a powder image from a material carrying the image, such as a photoconductive material utilized for indirect electrophotographic copying, is effected magnetically by employing permanently magnetizable developing powder for forming the image, magnetizing the powder image, and bringing the powder image into contact with a first receiving support made of soft magnetic material so that this support is magnetizable and possesses a substantially uniform magnetic permeability over its whole surface but becomes magnetized so weakly that the powder image after being transferred to the first receiving support can be transferred readily from it, directly or indirectly, to a final receiving support which may be plain copy paper. The magnetizable material of the first receiving support has a coercive force of less than about 90 Oersteds and a relative magnetic permeability of at least 2.

Abstract: For control of an indirect electrophotographic copier employing an endless photoconductive belt having thereon at least one marking which excites a sensor each time the marking passes a fixed point in the belt path, the movement of the belt is measured electronically by a pulse generator coupled to a belt transport roller and a counter. Any difference between an electronically registered length of the belt and its actual length at a moment of sensor excitation is registered in a memory. At the end of a copying run pulses from the generator are diverted to the memory which then causes the difference to be corrected by discontinuation of the driving of the belt at an earlier or later moment.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning a sheet-like original on the feed table of a copying machine comprises a plurality of sensors, mounted on the table, that have different states of response corresponding to the presence or absence of an original at the sensor on the table. The sensors are mounted in pairs, the sensors in each pair being arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the feed table that extends parallel to the direction of feed of sheet-like originals. A lateral transport mechanism causes an original, lying ready to be copied, to be displaced in a lateral direction, transverse to the feed direction.

Abstract: A centrifugal apparatus includes a centrifugal basket having a supporting base structure spaced below its bottom wall and fixed to the lower end of a vertical spindle to rotate the basket inside a casing surrounding the basket. The bottom wall of the basket has an opening therein about the spindle for discharge of centrifuged solids downwardly and then radially outwardly through the space between the base structure and the bottom wall. A basket valve member surrounds the spindle and is movable axially relative thereto between a position closing the basket opening and an open position spaced below the opening. A sleeve surrounds the spindle and is joined at its lower end with the valve member to position the valve member in its closed and open positions and further has an outwardly open annular channel at its upper end. A device for operating the valve includes a forked lever fulcrummed at one side of the spindle having arms straddling the spindle, each carrying on its end a roller confined in the channel.

Abstract: An improved ball joint structure for clamping a rear view mirror head tightly yet turnably on a supporting ball member includes a ball seat member and a body clamping member fixed at the outer and inner sides of housing wall portions bordering an opening in which a mirror supporting ball is disposed, a ball clamping member mounted on the body clamping member and having a contoured portion to grip the inner side of the ball, and means adjustable from outside the wall for holding the ball clamping member under a desired tension against the ball. The body and ball clamping members have coacting formations that limit displacement of the ball clamping member in the direction away from the ball.

Abstract: An improved process for transferring a magnetizable developing powder from an insulating substitute, such as an electrostatic duplication master or photoconductive element to a receiving material, such as paper, in electrostatic image development enables the transfer of powder having a specific resistance greater than 10.sup.13 Ohm.cm. without the need for specially treated paper. The powder is applied imagewise, corresponding to a charge image, on an insulating substrate, the substrate with the powder image brought in contact with the receiving material to which the powder is to be transferred, two separate charges are applied to the free side of the receiving material during the period of contact with the substrate, the first of such charges, a pre-transfer charge, having a polarity opposite to that of the charge image and the second of such charges, a transfer charge, being greater than the first and having the same polarity as that of the charge image, and the powder transferred.

Abstract: Charge images on a moving substrate such as a photoconductive belt surface are developed by being passed over two magnetic developing rollers in succession, which include nonmagnetizable cylinders rotatable in opposite directions about stationary magnet systems and are spaced apart outside each other's zone of influence in the upper region of a trough-shaped reservoir. The reservoir has oppositely sloped side walls converging to a bottom for holding a supply of developing powder, from which powder is supplied into a zone between the developing rollers for attraction to their surfaces by at least one magnetic transfer roller located between them and the bottom.

Abstract: Device for the assorted collection of sheets, comprising a transport track and bins situated along this track. The bins are provided with guide organs and each bin can be moved so that its guide organ protrudes into the track so as to guide a sheet into a bin. In the transport track the sheets are transported by means of belts running around a vacuum holddown device so as to hold the sheets onto the belts.

Abstract: A method for determining the thickness of a charge wall being formed against the side wall of a rotating centrifugal basket by flow of charge material into the basket comprises the steps of establishing a capacitance across the charge space of the basket and sensing any change of capacitance which results as the charge wall thickness is increased by the flow. An apparatus for determining the thickness of the charge wall formed against the side wall of the centrifugal basket includes an electrically conductive plate disposed in the basket inwardly of the charge space and a source of voltage for establishing an electric field between the plate and the side wall. A capacitance sensor senses any change in the established capacitance resulting from the formation of a charge wall in the basket.

Abstract: A rear view mirror mounting for installation on the driver's door of a truck or a car hauling a camper, trailer or the like comprises a rigid arm to protrude from the vehicle door, a mirror support post telescoped with the arm for holding a mirror at the required outward position, two rigid legs diverging downwardly from a pivotal connection with the outer end of the arm, and footing brackets pivoted on parallel horizontal axes to the inner arm end and the lower leg ends so that the assembly can be mounted readily in a desired viewing position on a vehicle door having any of various outside contours. Special two-part footing brackets that comprise heads slidable into locked positions on unobtrusive rail plates fixed to the door enable the mirror assembly to be attached and removed easily.

Abstract: A guard for protective use over a guy wire of a utility pole or the like is provided as a long tubular body of weather and impact resistant plastic material formed with oppositely disposed longitudinal edge portions that protrude and converge laterally along a slit through which a guy wire can enter the body. The body is secured on the wire by bolts which pass transversely through holes in the body between the wire and the slit and hold the edge portions pressed together. The guard will cushion impacts, and it is difficult to vandalize.

Abstract: An improved cyclical centrifugal machine includes a rigid support mounted above the basket of the machine, a bearing housing suspended from the support for gyratory motion, a basket-carrying spindle rotatable in fixed position relative to the housing on bearings therein, and an electric motor for bringing the spindle and basket to rotational speed. The improved centrifugal machine also comprises a system for controlling transmission of torque from the motor to the basket by means of a clutch having relatively rotatable clutch members adapted to transmit torque through liquid films between them. The clutch is operated to vary the torque transmitted from the motor to the basket so as to produce a maximum load to be placed on the motor for producing a desired basket speed.

Abstract: A photoconductive element giving prolonged service without appreciable deterioration of its properties as the imaging medium in an indirect electrophotograpic copier is obtained by the provision, on an electrically conductive support that preferably is electrically conductive paper coated with a thin layer of hydroxyethyl cellulose, of a photoconductive layer composed essentially of continuous tone zinc oxide and at least one other photoconductive zinc oxide dispersed in a binder consisting predominantly of an organic polymer having an acid number between 10 and 30, such as an acrylic resin or such resin with 1 to 15% of styrene-modified alkyd resin, at a weight ratio of between 5 and 3 parts of zinc oxide per part of binder. The content of continuous tone zinc oxide preferably is limited to a minor proportion amounting to between 6 and 30% of the total zinc oxide content.

Abstract: The heat of solar radiation is collected through a thin receptor panel directly into liquid held against and flowable upwardly along the panel in shallow channels extending between upper and lower plenum spaces in a receptor chamber which is inclined across the path of the sunlight and connected in a flow circuit kept completely filled with the liquid under a limited constant hydrostatic pressure. The flow circuit extends from the upper plenum space to a heat exchange zone and then back into the lower plenum space. The receptor chamber is formed by two flexible plastic panels which are sealed together peripherially and also along closely spaced longitudinal seams to provide the channels and plenum spaces.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a hollow shell that defines an elongate shell space for circulation of a first fluid therethrough, and a plurality of elongate tubes spaced apart inside the shell to conduct a second fluid therethrough in heat exchange relation with the first fluid in the shell space. The heat exchanger further includes an improved assembly for coupling an end of the shell with adjacent ends of the tubes and for conducting the respective fluids separately into and from the tubes and into and from the elongate shell space without leakage. This assembly comprises a socket member having forward and backward socket portions and an annular shoulder portion protruding inwardly between them. The forward portion is connected in fluid-tight relation to an end of the shell and has a passageway extending through it for conducting the first fluid into or from the elongate shell space.

Abstract: Transfer of a powder image from a material carrying the image, such as a photoconductive material utilized for indirect electrophotographic copying, is effected magnetically by employing magnetically attractable developing powder for forming the image and bringing the powder image while under the influence of a magnetic field into contact with a first receiving support that comprises a myriad of zones of a first material which are separated from each other by a second material, one of these materials being magnetizable and the other being not magnetizable. The materials preferably are metals giving the first receiving support a durable smooth surface. The zones of the first material have a diameter and inter-distance of, at most, about 5 times and preferably about 1 to 2 times the diameter of the largest powder particles to be transferred, so usually of about 50 to 100 microns.