Abstract: Lateral force is applied to a web material by an air bearing for the purpose of guiding the web against a fixed reference edge. A bearing surface over which the web is movable includes an arrangement of holes for establishing a differential flow across the bearing surface to produce a lateral force on the web in the direction of the reference edge. The holes are arranged asymmetrically relative to the center line of the bearing surface but typically are parallel to the reference edge. The differential air flow is established by controlled sizes of apertures through the bearing plate, variable air permeability of the material forming the bearing surface or the like. A common source of pressurized air is coupled to all of the bearing surface holes.

Abstract: Heat energy as from solar rays is collected by units including transparent plates covering a completely liquid filled chamber which has a heat absorbing layer as the internal surface of the chamber. The liquid is transparent and capable of absorbing, storing and/or transporting the heat energy. In one embodiment, the heat is removed to a storage tank from many such collector units by pumping. The system can allow draining of the collector when heat collection conditions do not prevail. In another embodiment of collector, the heat is transferred through the heat absorbing walls and the liquid medium acts mainly as a heat receiver and storing facility. A compartmentalized tank can be employed to enhance heat collection efficiency.

Abstract: Pivotally mounted blades within slots of a housing for an arrowhead are retracted for minimum outward extension during flight but expanded and retained in outwardly extended position upon impact with a target. The blades are retained in the retracted position by frictional engagement with the slots or by frangible or resilient members. The slot mounting of the blades permits forward pivoting relative to the arrow shaft to facilitate withdrawal from the target. The amount of outward extension of the blades upon impact is determined by a rearwardly positioned shoulder. This shoulder can be the rearward portion of the blade mounting slot or can take the form of a sleeve at the rear of the blade slots. The sleeve can further have shoulders of differing depths to allow preselection of the angle of outward extension of the blade upon impact via movement between the sleeve and the blade mounting body or housing.

Abstract: Folded documents are singly fed from the bottom of a stack by an ejector having a pin, hook or catch along one edge which moves below the bottom of the stack and is selectably slidable so as to engage the lowermost document. The lowermost document is slidingly delivered through an aperture by the ejector which, in one embodiment, grips the rear edge of the document while, in other embodiments, the bottom surface of the lowermost document is embedded with a pin or otherwise frictionally engaged. An adjustable slide restrictor plate can be positioned so as to prevent more than one document from exiting from a slot while permitting sufficient vertical motion of the plate so as to accommodate variable document thicknesses such as from folding irregularities associated with the document being ejected. An additional plate follows the top of the document stack and includes an engaging stub to prevent machine actuation when the stack has been depleted.

Abstract: In a no-charge-exchange transfer, the transfer sheet leaving a no-charge-exchange transfer roller contains little or no electrical charge except for the charged toner. Accordingly, the charged toner tends to explode off the sheet or migrate on the sheet due to like charge on the toner causing toner particles to repel each other. A neutralizing corona is provided adjacent the image side of the copy sheet. This corona is positioned after the nip of the transfer roller and before the copy sheet leaves the transfer roller. Ions emitted from the neutralizing corona reduce the charge on the toner particles to substantially zero. Thus, the toner particles no longer repel. Forces of adhesion hold the particles to the paper after the sheet leaves the transfer roller and proceeds to the fusing station.

Abstract: Magnetically attractable toner carrying materials are transported into contact with latent electrostatic images on the photoconductor surface of a drum by multiple magnetic roll brush elements. One brush extracts toner material from a source and transports it through a zone including contact of the toner carrying materials with one area of the latent image drum surface. The first brush acts as a conveyor and a diverter blade or bar is arranged to redirect at least a portion of the magnetic toner carrying materials onto the second brush. The second brush transports the diverted materials into contact with the latent image drum surface at yet another area thereof. The diverter bar or blade is positionable so as to control the quantity of materials diverted or transferred between the brush rolls.

Abstract: Data communication between spaced locations is effected by interface assemblies for each location mounted in a light path. Each interface assembly includes light sensitive and/or light emitting elements for extracting and/or adding light portions to a column of light passing along the path. In one form, a typical interface unit includes back-to-back light sensitive devices and light emitting devices on opposite sides of a planar board with light transparent apertures interspersed with these transmit/receive units in a matrix configuration. The transparent apertures are arranged to pass light originating from another location and intended for still another location along the light path without disturbance. The interfacing assemblies effectively space share the coupling light column so that data communications can be established concurrently between any of the locations particularly when the light column path is formed as a closed loop.

Abstract: Blood serum is separated from other components of whole blood by inserting a barrier device having a specific gravity between that of the blood serum and the other blood components into a centrifuge containing a sample of whole blood, and centrifuging until the barrier device migrates to a position intermediate the blood serum and the other blood components. The preferred form of the barrier device is a truncated cone having stabilizer posts extending from the conical base parallel to the axis of the cone in the direction of truncation.

Abstract: Cell boundary ambiguities associated with data read from tracks of sequential cells from a data source such as a coded disc are avoided by incorporating specially coded cells in each track and sensing the status of these cells to determine the proper timing for enabling accurate readout from the track. The special cells are arranged such that data read therefrom is common at the bit cell boundaries but differs for at least a segment around the center of each bit cell. The specially coded tracks can be arranged to produce significant data as well as to control enabling of the data readout.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter or encoder utilizes a combination of a standard photoelectric encoder and improved slow-friction long-lasting brush-type encoder which together with the necessary code conversion circuitry will produce an absolute unambiguous decimal digital readout and a visual display of the readout all contained in a single compact housing which can be mounted in direct association to the object being measured. The encoder circuit also has an internal clutch arrangement whereby the encoder systems can be selectively disconnected from the input to allow the encoder to remain at zero or some other reference point while the relative positions of the encoder and the object whose position is being measured are changed.

Abstract: Tubular assemblies are interpivotally connected so as to form a stable seat when the assemblies are pivoted into an expanded position but form a wheeled carryall when in the collapsed position. One assembly cooperates with the other assemblies to provide a seat back when in the expanded position and likewise provides a gripping handle for manual movement when the assemblies are in the collapsed position. A second of the assemblies has wheels attached thereto which are pivoted out of engagement with the surface when in the expanded position but pivoted so as to provide wheeled engagement with the surface when the assemblies are interpivotally collapsed. The third assembly cooperates with the wheeled assembly to provide the seating arrangement in the expanded configuration and the carryall portion when in the collapsed configuration.

Abstract: A standard for parking and locking a bicycle including an upright post, a clamp depending from the post to grip the frame of a bicycle and hold it alongside the post and a wire rope retractably carried within the post to be extended therefrom to lash the wheels and frame of the bicycle together. The clamp and cable may be locked together by a padlock to prevent the bicycle from being stolen.