Abstract: Apparatus is provided for opening folded open side carton blanks. The apparatus includes a first conveyor system for stripping blanks from a supply thereof at a first speed and for propelling the blanks downstream to a second conveyor system operating at a second speed greater than the first speed to accelerate the blanks and propel them to an unfolding station. The carton lower layer flaps are bent angularly downward. A pair of paddles having inclined leading edges rotate in horizontal planes to penetrate the space between the carton upper and lower layers and to lift the upper layer above the lower layer. The paddles also have bottom surfaces for holding the blank lower layer downwardly. The paddle tips travel at a faster speed than the second conveyor, so the tips slide forwardly to contact and push the blank leading panel forwardly to further unfold the flank.

Abstract: A capillary viscometer in which the liquid meniscus is detected by sensing electrical resistance changes in hermetically sealed electrical resistors which are spaced apart at the two levels in the measuring tube in which the meniscus is to be detected. The resistors are encased in glass and the electrical leads to these resistors are passed through glass tubes to a cable connector.

Abstract: A labeling device for bottles and the like features a rotor turning about a vertical axis and having a plurality of semi-circular glue pallets arranged in a circle on the rotor and oscillated through a limited angle as the rotor rotates. The pallets, after having contacted a glue coated roller, encounter the foremost label in a magazine and adhere to the label for moving the label to a transfer drum from which it is applied to the vessel in labeling position. The rotor is supported in a gear box and the glue roller is connected in a detachable manner at its end most remote from the gear box with a rigid arm having a stud shaft that engages the glue roller in a roller bearing. The arm is also provided with a stud shaft that makes a releasable connection with the rotor coincident with its axis to provide further support for the arm.

Abstract: A variable volume insulated container is manufactured from a flexible cover and a laminated insulator. The laminate is constructed of at least one layer of air bubbles encapsulated between sheets of heat reflecting thin flexible material. The bubble layers provide excellent insulative qualities. The insulated container is designed to fold inwardly accordion style along the side and bottom panels, thereby collapsing into an insulative and comfortable cushion. The flexability of the insulated container permits it to be partially collapsed along the side panels to efficiently insulate a partial cargo. The insulator is appropriately notched so that the insulator does not bunch in the corners when in the collapsed mode. The invention includes an insulated container having side and bottom walls which fold outwardly to collapse into a flat seat, and the insulator thereof is notched to prevent bunching when the seat is unfolded to the container mode.

Abstract: A carton unfolding machine reliably unfolds folded carton blanks. The blanks are continuously propelled horizontally by stripper fingers along a first support with the flaps extending transversely to the direction of motion. Blocks in the path of the flaps raise the trailing flaps slightly relative to the plane of the blank sides and leading flaps. The blanks pass spring plates that enter slits between the trailing and leading upper flaps to support the trailing upper flaps. The first support terminates under the spring plates, so that the blank is supported only at the trailing upper flaps by the spring plates and by the stripper fingers. The unsupported blank leading edge tips due to gravity, thus slightly unfolding the blank. Continued motion by the stripper fingers pushes the blank out of contact with the second support, and the leading edge falls to a carrier.

Abstract: A portable electrical power source to provide electrical energy to movable carriages of mobile storage systems during an electrical power failure, a malfunction of motor control circuitry and/or safety related controls and movement of movable carriages during installation of mobile storage system before standard control system has been installed.

Abstract: A bearing assembly comprising a first half including a first head portion partially defining a socket, a first shank portion connected to the first head portion, and a first periphery having extending therefrom a plurality of spaced first projections, and a second half substantially identical to the first half and including a second head portion aligned with the first head portion to define the socket, a second shank portion connected to the second head portion and aligned with the first shank portion, and a second periphery having extending therefrom a plurality of spaced second projections, the first projections being folded over the second periphery and the second projections being folded over the first periphery in alternating relationship so that the first and second projections interlock the halves and align the halves with respect to each other.

Abstract: A carriage on the frame of a lumber edger is driven on tracks longitudinally from one limit to another. Two motors are arranged with their corresponding output shafts coaxial and facing each other. A saw blade is mounted to each shaft. The motors are mounted to laterally extending tracks on the carriage and actuators are provided for shifting the motors, and hence, the parallel saw blades toward and away from each other so that when the saws are translated longitudinally they will rip the irregular edges from a board. A chain conveyor runs through the machine frame and transports the boards to a position under the saws with the length of the boards directed longitudinally. When a rough board arrives under the saws the lines along which the saws will cut are marked on the board with parallel laser light beams. The saws are shifted laterally until the light lines are just inside of both rough edges.

Abstract: A cylindrical ink roller sleeve is mounted on a fixed shaft for sliding axially on and rotating on the fixed shaft. Left and right hand twist helical grooves or internal threads are formed in a driver cylinder concentric with the inside of the roller sleeve. A control shaft is mounted on said fixed shaft for sliding axially in opposite directions to right and left limits. Prongs on opposite ends of the control shaft are displaced 90.degree. about its axis so prongs at one end engage a helical groove of one twist while the prongs on the other end are turned out of engagement with the helical groove of opposite twist. Engagement will cause the roller to drive in one axial direction or the other until strikers disengage one and engage the other at the limit of axial travel. Then one or two idle revolutions occur and the roller dwells in its axial movement until the control shaft shifts to a limit stop in which case the roller beings to shift in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A digital disk recorder is used to record digitized circular video images at the video frame rate. The digital pixel values for each image frame are written onto successive pages of a disk buffer memory (DBM) under video frame timing and are read from memory and written on disk under disk timing. A group of adjacent pixels are written simultaneously and in coincident locations on the several disks under clocks that are derived from disk. A programmable serial-to-parallel converter converts serially recorded pixels of any bit length back to parallel bits of the same number as before they were serialized.

Abstract: A tree step aids persons to climb trees. The tree step comprises a handle and an arm that pivot between a closed side-by-side configuration and an open configuration of 90.degree.. The handle defines a rectangular opening for accepting the head of a lag screw. A concave recess in the opening proximate the handle free end is engageable with the screw shank. After a lag screw is driven into the tree, the handle opening is passed over the screw head and pulled downwardly so that the opening recess engages the screw shank. A leaf spring fastened to the handle has a U-shaped portion that captures the lag screw head when the screw shank is engaged in the concave recess to thereby prevent upward movement of the handle relative to the screw. The screw may be started into the tree by placing the screw to extend longitudinally from the handle with the screw head inserted in the opening and retained therein by the leaf spring. In that mode, the tree step acts as a screwdriver for starting the screw.

Abstract: For a molten metal stirring lance a steel tubular member is coated interiorly with wax, for instance, and a refractory material plug is cast in the member. The plug extends from one end of the member and leaves a clear space near the other end. Melting the wax out leaves a thin gas passageway gap around the plug. The end having the clear space is capped and connected to a gas feed pipe which is surrounded by a stiffener member. The latter member is convered with a refractory material protective sheath. The refractory material in the tubular member erodes or ablates by a small amount during each use in molten metal to keep the gas discharge gap clear.

Abstract: A single phase induction motor starting and automatic reversing switch has two pairs of springy vertically spaced apart switch blades supported in opposed cantilever fashion on an insulating base. Each pair consists of an upper blade and a lower blade. A nominally stationary contact is mounted in spaced relation above each upper blade and below each lower blade. Opposite ends of the motor starting winding are connected in common between the upper and lower stationary contacts. A shaft of insulating material with a lever at one end operates the switch. The shaft extends between the vertically spaced apart blade pairs and has axially displaced oppositely radially extending arms, one between one pair of blades and the other between the other set of blades. Turning the operator shaft in a first direction causes one arm to press a blade against one upper stationary contact and the other arm to press a blade against one lower contact.

Abstract: A water level controller for a boiler has electrical probe means (capacitive or conductive) to be arranged in the boiler to detect electrically the water level therein. An oscillator circuit generates an oscillator signal which first and second circuit means receive. When a capacitance probe is used, the first circuit means has a variable gain amplifier in which the gain is determined by variations in the capacitance of the probe according to the water level. The second circuit means comprises a variable gain amplifier in which the gain is determined by a variable resistance the value of which is representative of the desired operating water level. Third circuit means obtains a difference signal resultant from the output signals of said first and second circuit means, which is representative of the difference between the actual water level in the boiler and the desired operating level of the water in the boiler. Relays open and close the water supply respectively.

Abstract: A secretarial chair has a backrest with improved vertical adjustment capabilities. The backrest includes a vertical back brace having aligned vertical notches. A tubular slide slides over the back brace. The slide supports a housing contains a vertically reciprocable latch that actuates a horizontally reciprocable plunger. The plunger has a finger end adapted to enter the back brace notches. Depressing the latch against a spring actuates the plunger to disengage it from the back brace notches, and the backrest can then be positioned to any desired location on the back brace. With the backrest at the desired location, the latch is released, and the spring biases the latch to an extended position and simultaneously actuates the plunger to engage the appropriate back brace notches. The latch can be depressed and the backrest adjusted by a person sitting in the chair, thereby eliminating trial and error adjustments.

Abstract: A heavy duty folding table has a pair of pedestal legs, the upper ends of each leg being pivotally joined to a pair of links. The links in turn are pivotally mounted to the table frame. To each leg is attached a T-shaped brace. The leg portion of the brace is pivotally connected to a pedestal leg. The cross pieces of the braces extend between the table frame and are pivotally attached thereto. The two pedestal legs are independently foldable and unfoldable by one person. When in the folded condition, the T-shaped braces lie parallel to and between the table top and pedestal legs.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and composition of matter for constructing temperature resistant parts for the metal making industry from a mix of refractory fibers and Silca-carbon in the form of burned rice hull ash.

Abstract: An insulated sportsman's pad is useful when sitting or standing on cold objects. The pad includes a flexible covering and a laminated insulator. The insulator is constructed as at least one layer of air bubbles encapsulated between heat reflecting thin flexible sheets. The bubble layers provide excellent insulation and comfort qualities. The insulator may be appropriately scored to enhance folding the sportsman's pad into a pocket sized package. The pad may include a hand warming pocket extending through the pad and between two insulators.

Abstract: A thermostat control for an electric water heater is held in firm contact with the heater storage tank by a mounting assembly comprising a tank bracket including a body having an opening adapted to lockingly fit over the heater tank stud and a pair of laterally-spaced legs extending from the body and having a bent upper end portion adapted to apply spring pressure toward the tank outer wall. The mounting assembly also includes a thermostat bracket carrying the thermostat control and having a pair of laterally-spaced, upstanding ears adapted to fit beneath the upper end portion of the legs on the tank bracket. Each of the ears includes a nib which is received in a slot in the legs on the tank bracket to interlock the two brackets. The tank bracket has a retaining lip located between the laterally-spaced legs which is positioned to tightly bear against the end wall of the thermostat control when the parts are in assembled position and an outward horizontal load is applied.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling a bottle with an oxygen sensitive liquid such as beer in which the bottle is pre-evacuated, pressurized with pure CO.sub.2, over-filled with liquid at constant pressure and then brought back to the proper fill level by injecting pure CO.sub.2 and forcing the excess back into the gas pressurized liquid storage tank while the bottle is still coupled to the filling head. After uncoupling, the bottle is transported to under a closure cap applying device at which there are nozzles that project CO.sub.2 under the device and over and around the mouth of the bottle so the space even within the cap is purged of air. The CO.sub.2 used for purging is adequately free of air since it is taken from the storage tank to which CO.sub.2 is returned from the bottles as a result of filling liquid displacing the CO.sub.2 gas which is diluted only to the extent that pre-evacuation is not perfect.