Abstract: A protective sleeve for a hypodermic needle completely overlies the needle when in a needle protection position and also overlies a needle support and at least part of a syringe to which the needle support is attached. The protective sleeve is moved from the needle protecting position to a needle injection position solely by axial movement of the protective sleeve. The protective sleeve is releasably retained in either of its positions through cooperating retaining elements on the protective sleeve and the needle support or the syringe.

Abstract: A numerically controlled lathe has its tailstock body clamped on ways of a bed at a desired position by pucks through using an intensifier to increase the hydraulic pressure applied to the pucks to three times the hydraulic source pressure. The intensifier is automatically replenished with hydraulic fluid each time that there is release of the clamping pucks.

Abstract: A three-phase stepping motor is automatically tested for excessive friction and winding shorts in less than four seconds. The stepping motor accelerates its rotor at a constant rate to a first predetermined velocity. The level of the current applied to the rotor windings to effect commutation is very low so that the rotor will stop and fail to complete any further steps in the test cycle if there is excessive binding or friction. After the rotor is rotated one revolution, it is accelerated at a constant rate to a second and higher predetermined velocity with the current applied to the rotor windings being increased to a second and higher level at a selected velocity during acceleration. When the rotor reaches the second predetermined velocity, commutation is stopped immediately but current is still applied to at least one phase of the motor. An acceptable motor will continue to turn and generate an AC back electromotive force (EMF) signal in the energized phase of the windings.

Abstract: A light source, which has a time varying chromatic output, back lights or front lights a plurality of liquid crystal displays disposed in a desired arrangement. Two different colors can be produced at two different times by using a fluorescent light as the light source. The fluorescent light is a sealed tube having a high vacuum with an insert gas therein for energization of the gas and a low pressure mercury vapor. The tube has a coating on the inner surface of the tube of at least one phosphor. Energization of the inert gas causes the low pressure mercury vapor to arc to produce light of a first color during a first time period with the light of the second color being produced solely from the phosphor coating upon the gas being deenergized during the second time period. Each of the liquid crystal displays can be activated during the first time period, the second time period, both time periods, or remain inactivated during both time periods.

Abstract: Bore holes are formed in opposite side walls of a part in alignment with each other by two separate cutting tools in two separate machine tools disposed on opposite sides of the part. One of the machine tools is a master and the other is a slave with the master machine tool being disposed at the position at which it is to form a bore hole in one of the opposite side walls. Then, the slave machine tool is moved so that the longitudinal axis of its spindle is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the spindle of the master machine tool whereby the two bore holes will be aligned with each other and extend through the entire part. This alignment is accomplished by a laser on a spindle carrier of the master machine tool producing a laser beam in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the spindle of each of the spindle carriers and being received by a laser target on the spindle carrier of the slave machine tool.

Abstract: A J-nut, which is a clip having a crown on one side, is inserted into a hole in a portion of an element in a single plane so that portions of the clip are on opposite sides of the portion having the hole with the J-nut having its crown, which may have a greater thickness than the remainder, either above or below the remainder of the J-nut. The J-nut is inserted by a tool having a locator disposed within the hole after the J-nut has been advanced to a position in the tool in which a portion of the J-nut is positioned within a passage within the locator. When the crown is on the bottom of the J-nut, the crown rests within this locator passage. The J-nut is oriented with the crown either up or down even though all the J-nuts are fed from a feeder in the same orientation. The locator is not positioned in the hole in the element until the J-nut is positioned with a portion within the locator passage.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a plurality of electrodes arranged in a column for applying heat to a resistive ribbon to transfer material from the resistive ribbon to a recording medium. When the electrode is to be energized in the present cycle but was not energized in the previous cycle or either of the contiguous electrodes is not to be energized in the present cycle, additional power is applied to the electrode during a first portion of the present cycle to increase the total power applied to the electrode. This improves the print quality through enhancing the left leading edge and/or either vertical edge of the character. During a second portion of the cycle, power is applied for the same period of time to all of the electrodes, which are to be activated, during the particular cycle.

Abstract: A thermal printer has a plurality of electrodes arranged in a column for applying heat to a resistive ribbon to transfer material from the resistive ribbon to a recording medium. When the electrode is to be energized in the present cycle but was not energized in the previous cycle or either of the contiguous electrodes is not to be energized in the present cycle, additional power is applied to the electrode during a first portion of the present cycle to increase the total power applied to the electrode. This improves the print quality through enhancing the left leading edge and/or either vertical edge of the character. During a second portion of the cycle, power is applied for the same period of time to all of the electrodes, which are to be activated, during the particular cycle.

Abstract: A robot arm has a tool connected thereto through a coupling apparatus including an inner assembly attached to the robot arm and an outer assembly attached to the tool. When the inner assembly has its outer surface mating with an inner surface of the outer assembly, a piston in the inner assembly is pneumatically moved to lock the inner and outer assemblies to each other. The piston movement causes radial movement of balls, which are mounted in a retainer of the inner assembly, away from the piston so that the balls will be retained beneath a cam locking ring of the outer assembly whereby the inner and outer assemblies remain locked when the pneumatic pressure is removed. The outer surface of the outer assembly has a mounting plate for attachment to the tool to be connected to the robot arm.

Abstract: A pulled dethatching unit includes a frame having a tow bar extending forwardly for attachment to a draw bar of a pulling vehicle. The rear end of the frame has an arm pivotally attached to each side with each arm having a wheel rotatably mounted thereon. The two wheels and the tow bar cooperate so that tines, which are mounted in two rows on the frame for independent movement, do not carry any of the weight of the unit so that the bottom tip of each of the tines is slightly spaced from the ground in its rest position. Each of the tines in each of the rows is offset from each of the tines in the other row. Forward motion of the dethatching unit causes the bottom tip of each of the tines to deflect rearwardly and downwardly as it comes in contact with grass. In their deflected positions, the bottom tips of the tines contact the thatched layer to tear it loose from the soil and alternately flip the thatched layer to fall on the ground.

Abstract: An actual pressure of a fluid having an ambient pressure as part thereof is sensed by a sensor. When the actual pressure decreases below a predetermined pressure, a signal is produced. If desired, the sensor may cause production of the signal when the actual pressure of the fluid exceeds a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A thermal printer (10) has a thermal transfer medium (28) fed past a thermal printhead (21) at a substantially constant velocity by a feed roll (82) engaging the thermal transfer medium just prior to the printhead to maintain a portion of the thermal transfer medium between the printhead and the feed roll relatively stiff. The feed roll is mounted on a cartridge (30) having the thermal transfer medium supplied therefrom. A drag brake (70) is disposed in the feed path of the thermal transfer medium prior to the feed roll to cause a substantially constant premetering tension to be applied to the thermal transfer medium irrespective of the coefficient of friction between the drag brake and the thermal transfer medium. A carrier (14), which supports the printhead and a feed roll driver (90), is driven separately from the feed roll driver so that various ratios between the velocities of the thermal transfer medium and the carrier are obtained to produce various print qualities.

Abstract: A J-clip is inserted by a tool into a hole in a portion of an element in a single plane or a hole at the intersection of two substantially perpendicular portions of an element so that portions of the clip are on opposite sides of the portion of the element having the hole. The tool has a hook disposed in a hole in the single plane portion when the clip is to be inserted into the hole and guide surfaces engaging the single plane portion cooperating with the hook to orient the tool relative to the single plane portion. The tool has a pair of locater fingers for disposition within the hole at the intersection of the two substantially perpendicular portions of the element when a clip is to be inserted therein and toes engaging the intersection of the two substantially perpendicular portions of the element cooperating with the locater fingers to orient the tool relative to the two substantially perpendicular portions of the element.

Abstract: A gravity spreader includes a hopper having openings in its bottom through which material flows when a shutter is not in a closed position with the position of the shutter determining the rate of flow of material. A fluted roller allows the material to flow from the hopper to the ground only when the hopper is moving in a forward direction. The fluted roller does not rotate when the hopper is stopped or when the hopper moves in a reverse direction so that the material does not flow to the ground irrespective of the open position of the shutter.

Abstract: A hay bale handling apparatus has a screw spear, which is rotatably supported by a frame, advanced into a round hay bale by a hydraulic motor, which is mounted on the frame, rotating the spear as a vehicle, which may be a tractor, for example, having a front loader, a backhoe, or a farm loader attached thereto, for example, supporting the frame is advanced. The frame has a bearing rack supported thereon with spaced picks of relatively short length engaging portions of the bale to provide stability to the bale when the screw spear has been advanced into the center of the bale. Three screw spears of the same length may be employed instead of the single screw spear with the spears being rotated in the same direction through a sprocket and chain arrangement with one of the sprockets attached to an output shaft of the hydraulic motor. This arrangement also may use the bearing rack.

Abstract: A cart includes a support body having two separate portions. Each of the separate portions has a bottom wall with a side wall extending upwardly from one side thereof and a flange extending downwardly from the other side thereof. The flanges of the two separate portions abut each other and are held in this position by tabs on one of the flanges being disposed within slots in the other flange. A front end wall is fixed to the two separate portions. A rear end wall is removably connected to the two separate portions. The side wall of each of the two separate portions has an axle support plate attached thereto and supporting an axle for a wheel. A torque tube extends between the two plates to prevent twisting and add rigidity to the assembled cart. A tow bar, which is connected to a vehicle for towing or pulling the cart, is attached to the bottom walls of the two separate portions and has a longitudinal slot therein to receive the abutting flanges.

Abstract: A hand held and hand operated device is capable of pumping or siphoning a liquid. The device includes a pair of telescoping hollow tubes having a single longitudinal axis with a seal therebetween that is maintained when one of the tubes is reciprocated relative to the other. Each of the tubes has a conical valve seat at its distal end with each conical valve seat having the same selected angle to the single longitudinal axis of the tubes. Each seat has a separate stainless steel ball to seal on the seat whenever the longitudinal axis of the tubes is at a greater angle to the horizontal than the selected angle of each conical seat to the longitudinal axis. In this position, reciprocation of the tubes causes pumping of the liquid through alternatively removing each of the balls from its seat due to pressure differentials created by changing the volume within the tubes between the balls.

Abstract: A dethatching unit is mounted for attachment to the front end of a self-propelled lawn mower, for example, so that the dethatching unit is pushed by the lawn mower and thatches the ground prior to mowing thereof. The dethatching unit includes a frame having a caster wheel at its forward end and arms at its rear end for attaching to the mower. The wheel and the arms cooperate so that tines, which are mounted in two rows on the frame, do not carry any of the weight of the unit so that the bottom tip of each of the tines is slightly spaced from the ground in its rest position. Each of the tines in each of the rows is offset from each of the tines in the other row. Forward motion of the dethatching unit causes the bottom tip of each of the tines to deflect rearwardly and downwardly as it comes in contact with grass. In their deflected positions, the bottom tips of the tines contact the thatch layer to tear it loose from the soil and ultimately flip the thatched material to fall on the ground.