Abstract: Apparatus and methods for removing overlapping material such as occurs in wrinkles and folds in the open edge of a pliable package, such as plastic prior to sealing the package. The apparatus includes a set of transport belts which grip the open edges of the package and move them in a selected direction of travel. The open package edges then encounter a set of opposing programmable pinch wheels before the trailing edge of the package leaves the first set of transport wheels. The pinch wheels have a rate of rotation selected to move the package edge along the direction of travel at a speed faster than that provided by the transport belts. Consequently, the leading package edge is pulled taut. Subsequent to the trailing edge of the package leaving the transport belt, the leading edge of the open package edges encounters a second set of transport wheels which also move the package edge in the selected direction of travel.

Abstract: A sanitary process for efficiently extracting crab meat substantially automatically is disclosed. Live crabs are cooked and debacked in a conventional manner. The debacked crab bodies are then prepared for centrifugally extraction of the meat by advancing the individual bodies serially along a processing line by a conveying means. The processing line trims the claws and legs from the crab and then removes the gills and other inedible materials by brushing in a water jet. The clean crab body is then longitudinally sliced into two half sections in a manner that removes the center partition of the crab body and exposes the meat conveying cavities. The individual half sections are then placed in a centrifugal machine which restrains the complete half shell by an openwork barrier as the meat is separated from the shell by centrifugal forces. The separated meat passes through the openwork barrier and is collected by individual meat receptacles located radially outward from the openwork barrier.

Abstract: A two stroke spark ignition engine requiring a minimum of one pair of cylinders is constructable in multiple cylinder pairs. Each cylinder contains two oppositely working pistons. Four pistons drive, without rocking couples, opposite sides of a single crankshaft having three crankpins. Two paired cylinders are interconnected through and share a common precombustion chamber insuring cylinder pressure equalization and require only one fuel injector and one spark plug. The valveless engine has piston controlled intake and exhaust ports and crank phasing insures that exhaust ports are opened and closed prior to the respective opening and closing of the intake ports rendering the uniflow scavenged cylinders superchargeable. The precombustion chamber is optionally made variable in volume to simultaneously provide a variable compression ratio to both cylinders without affecting piston geometry or stroke.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for preparing cooked crabs for further processing to separate meat from shell by centrifugal action is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a holding means (28), cooperating with a clamping means (190, 192) for securing a crab body (30) to a conveying means (20). The conveying means (20) moves the crab body (30) which has had the carapace shell removed along a predetermined path to a cutting means such as for example circular blades (50A-50D). The circular blades are supported and driven such that as the crab body is moved into the blades by conveying means (20), these blades make a "V" cross-sectional shape cut extending betwee the front and rear of the crab. The open or top of the "V" shape is located at the top or back of the crab and the "tip" of the "V" extends into the crab body such that the "tip" is proximate to but does not cut through the belly shell of the crab. Thus, a "V" cross-sectional portion (116) containing the viscera of the crab is removed from the crab body.

Abstract: A mold and process for integrally forming a modular helical shaped device such as a screw conveyor is disclosed. The mold has a center operating axis (26) and includes a first section (20A) which forms a portion of the axial member (33). The first section (20A) also forms one of the helical surfaces (36A) disposed around the center axis (26) which has an amount of rotation no greater than 360 degrees. In a similar manner, a second section (20B) is adapted for reciprocating movement along the center axis (26) between an open and closed position with respect to section (20A). The second section (20B) forms the other one of the helical shaped flight members (41). Thus, the two mold sections define a substantially enclosed cavity having an elongated axial portion and a helical shaped flight portion with a selected cross-section that forms the helical shaped device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing highway information contained in plug-in data cartridges (22) by means of a micro-processor (24) is disclosed. Selected highway information is stored and made available with respect to distance markers such as mile markers or kilometer markers along a roadway from a mass plug-in data cartridge storage media (22) which permanently stores a multitude of data in digital form related to services and other pertinent information available along a selected roadway. Each of this data is indexed according to distance or mile marker indicators along the roadway. Also included is a ROM (read only memory) storage means (28) and a scratch pad memory or RAM (30) for temporarily receiving and storing data. ROM or read only memory (28) contains the control program for controlling the apparatus. The keyboard (14) or input data entry means allows the motorist to provide the necessary input to indicate the selection of highway from which he desires roadway information.