Abstract: A color image forming apparatus having a photosensitive drum and a plurality of developing devices. The developing devices are accommodated removably in an integral casing. The integral casing can be held in a fixed position with respect to the photosensitive drum and moved apart from the photosensitive drum. The developing devices can be mounted independently of one another in an adjustable manner or mounting reference members respectively, which are mounted in the integral casing.

Abstract: A registration controller for sensing the presence and location of registration marks on a web as the web passes a scanner, and for generating a signal for use in controlling downstream operations such as cutting and/or printing operations. The controller includes a light source located remotely from the scanner. Light from the source is directed to the scanner and onto the web. The web reflects the light, the amount and intensity of the reflection depending upon the color and reflectivity of the particular area of the web on which the light is being currently directed. The reflected light is directed to a photo receptor which converts the reflected light to an analog electric signal, the level of the signal being determined by the amount and intensity of reflected light, within a particular predetermined range. This analog electric signal is then amplified, processed and converted to a digital signal for use in controlling the aforementioned downstream operations.

Abstract: Electrolyzer for the extraction of a substance from an electrolytic bath.The electrolyzer comprises an anode and a cathode immersed in the bath. The cathode, in which the substance is formed, surrounds the anode. The electrolyzer also comprises means for confining the substance in the vicinity of the cathode and for guiding said substance along and towards the upper end of the cathode, together with means for collecting the substance at said end. These confinement and guidance means comprises at least one grid layer located in the vicinity of the cathode and passing along the same.Application to the production of alkaline metals or alkaline earth metals.

Abstract: A two-piece fastener comprises a screw and a plastic nut for releasably securing together two apertured panels. The screw comprises a screw head and a threaded screw shank insertable in the aperture of one panel. The nut comprises a nut head, a nut shank insertable in the aperture of the other panel, and a bore extending through both the nut head and nut shank to receive the screw shank. The nut shank has an expandable portion, a screw-engaging portion, and a common wall therebetween. The bore has an unthreaded bore region through the nut head and through expandable nut shank portion, an intermediate bore region through the common wall and in a part of the screw-engaging nut shank portion, and a threaded bore region through the screw-engaging nut shank portion. The expandable nut shank portion comprises a plurality of thin, flexible, resilient walls, each connected between the common wall and the nut head. Each flexible wall has a parabolically shaped recess on its inner surface along which it can bend.

Abstract: A method of discriminating pictures, wherein a picture is binary-coded. The variation in the number of foreground pixels constituting foreground pixel regions within a discrimination unit area is determined. Alternatively the variation in the distance between said foreground pixel regions is determined. It is then determined by a known relationship whether the discrimination unit area is of a dot gradation picture or not. If the picture is not a dot gradation picture, the rate of background is measured to determine whether the above discrimination unit area is of a line picture or of a continuous tone picture.

Abstract: A Fourdrinier-type paper machine having a wet end with a headbox for storing a mixture of pulp and water, this pulp mixture being jetted onto a fabric having two side edges, this fabric forming an endless belt the upper surface of which is caused to continuously move away from the headbox, including an apparatus for continually supporting and curling the edge of the fabric so as to prevent loss of pulp mixture off the sides of the fabric and so as to prevent edge wave formation which would require substantial trimmage and waste. The apparatus includes a pair of bars having a wedge-shaped cross-section, one edge of each inserted under one side of the fabric, to cause the edge of the fabric to curl upward. Apparatus is provided to adjust the amount of curl. Several of these curl adjusting apparatuses are placed along the length of the bars so that the amount of curl can be different at different points along the bars.

Abstract: A standard-length positioning apparatus wherein acceleration and deceleration of a driving mechanism for actuating a mechanism for feeding a material is controlled by a digital positioning mechanism according to a position feedback. Marks marked on the material are read by a sensor during the deceleration of the driving mechanism, and the digital positioning mechanism outputs a signal for stopping the driving mechanism when it receives the read-in output of the sensor while the driving mechanism is being decelerated. When a signal from the sensor is not received by the digital positioning means while the drive is being decelerated, the digital positioning mechanism utilizes feedback pulses of a positioning detector to stop the drive.

Abstract: A powder proof, reclosable container, for instance, a container which is powder, liquid and gas or steam proof before being opened and which, after having been opened, is adapted for being reclosed under powder, liquid, gas or steam tight conditions, and comprising an outer container (1) of a supporting material, an inner bag (2) or an inner layer of, for instance, a liquid or gas proof material and a reclosable lid means (3) comprising a lid frame (11) and a closing lid (12) which may be hinge connected to said lid frame, and in which the inner bag (2) or the inner layer is sealingly connected to the lid frame (11). The lid frame is around the frame opening (15) formed with an even bottom surface (10) of such width that the inner bag (2) or a sealing foil can be sealingly connected to said edge (10), and the lid frame (11) and the closing lid (12) can be formed with cooperating means, for instance, bevelled edges, for providing a powder, liquid, gas or steam tight reclosing of the container.

Abstract: Vacuum loading apparatus is provided for ingesting a mixture of debris (such as particulate matter) and ambient air, for collecting the debris for disposal, and for filtering the ingested air before discharging it to atmosphere. The apparatus comprises three relatively light-weight, portable, independently movable modules, each incorporating a weeled chassis, to facilitate their movement to, from and on the jobsite, whereat they are interconnected for use by large flexible hoses. The power module comprises a motor-driven vacuum blower. The debris-receiver module comprises a receiver tank with a removable disposable debris-collection bag therein (which bag may or may not have an associated filter) and a debris-collection vacuum hose connected to the exterior thereof. The upper and lower ends of the receiver tank and the inside and outside of the bag are exposed to the same negative air pressure in the tank to prevent its collapse or damage by a pressure equalization duct.

Abstract: An electronic control for the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle receives input signal in digital, analog, and pulsed form from signal generating devices responsive to operating conditions in the apparatus, processes them in accordance with a stored program and provides output signals to operate various tranducers. The electronic control is embodied in a stack of customized circuit boards. Each board is connected to a control bus (for information exchange between boards) and to an I/O signal bus (for information exchange between the apparatus and the electronic control). A connector board is connected to an electric power supply, to the signal generating devices, to the transducers and to visual display devices. A CPU (central processing unit) board protects against data loss in low/off power conditions.

Abstract: Inert cross-linked copolymer able to absorb and then progressively release a pharmaceutically active substance, wherein it is constituted by a powder of a cross-linked copolymer comprising30 to 80% by weight of monounsaturated alkyl acrylate and/or methacrylate;5 to 68% by weight of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid; and2 to 15% by weight of bifunctional or trifunctional acrylate and/or methacrylate.A mixture of monounsaturated alkyl acrylate and/or methacrylate, acrylic and/or methacrylic acid, and bifunctional or trifunctional acrylate and/or methacrylate monomers is polymerized in accordance with a free radical polymerization mechanism.The support is used for the preparation of a delayed action or release medicament.

Abstract: Each of two parts has a friction surface engaged under a force against a friction surface on the other to inhibit relative motion between the parts in one direction. One of the parts has at its friction surface strip-like hard zones which extend transversely to that direction and which are laterally spaced apart to have a strip-like soft zones between them. The material of that one part is substantially harder in the hard zones than in the soft zones. The material of the other part, at its friction surface, is of such hardness that under the force urging the friction surfaces together, the differences in hardness as between the hard zones and the soft zones of the one part tend to deform the friction surface of that other part into undulations that increase friction in the mentioned direction without substantially increasing friction transversely to that direction.

Abstract: A reducing joint assembly which, when attached at one end thereof to a bus duct having a predetermined number of runs and at the other end thereof to a bus duct having a different number of runs, allows interconnection of these non-matching ducts without undue wasted length or materials. The reducing joint assembly includes one conventional single bolt coupler at each end thereof for each run to be connected at that respective end of the assembly. Connected between the respective single bolt couplers is a single reducer plate for each phase of the bus duct system. Each such reducer plate has tabs at each end, one for each single bolt coupler, so that the reducer plates in effect interconnect with the single bolt coupler in generally the same manner as do the bus plates of each bus duct. The apparatus also includes specialized joint covers for covering the joint thus created to prevent the entry of foreign objects.

Abstract: A weighted event counting circuit comprises a cascade connection circuit composed of a plurality of frequency dividing circuit means and a plurality of coincidence detecting circuit means inserted between the frequency dividing circuit means, and input circuit means to supply digital data representing the occurrence of plural events to the coincidence detecting circuit means. The number of occurrence times of the plural events is counted and totalized with weighting.

Abstract: An electric stapler wherein a guide cylinder is fixedly disposed on a base having a groove for bending a driven staple in such a way as to form a slit for inserting papers to be stapled, and in the guide cylinder is disposed a vertically movable block having at its lower end a downwardly projecting blade for driving the staple toward the staple bending groove. The block is always given a downward pull by springs. A working arm is swingably supported by a shaft fixedly disposed at a position spaced-apart from the guide cylinder, the arm being pivotally secured at one end to an upper part of the vertically movable block and having at its other end a pressure receiving portion.

Abstract: A warehouse stacker crane for inserting and removing a load in a storage station of a storage rack including a chassis movable horizontally along an aisle adjacent the storage rack, a carriage on the chassis which is movable vertically to a position aligned with the storage station, and load-grasping apparatus on the carriage for releasably grasping the load and for inserting and removing it from the storage station. The load grasping apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed rotatable splined shaft on which a pair of arms is mounted. The arms have load-engaging devices at their distal ends. The arms are swingable in horizontally spaced apart parallel vertical planes 15 as the shaft is selectively rotated. The arms are also slidably movable axially on the shaft toward and away from each other to grasp and release the load by a selectively operable actuator connected therebetween. Prior to load insertion and removal the arms are drawn toward each other to engage the load.

Abstract: A two-piece plastic fastener comprising a body and a screw releasably secures a pair of panels together in spaced apart relationship. The body, which has a bore therethrough, comprises a body shank having a body head, outwardly extending, inwardly depressible, flexible locking tabs spaced from the body head, an external shoulder spaced from the tabs, and outwardly expandable walls spaced from the shoulder. The body shank also comprises, inside the bore, flexible screw thread engaging means and ramp means on the inside of the walls. The screw, which is insertable into the bore, comprises a screw head and a screw shank having a threaded portion and an unthreaded end portion. In use, the body shank is inserted into a hole in the first panel so that the latter is entrapped between the body head and the locking tabs. The body shank is then inserted into the hole in the second panel. The screw is axially inserted into the bore so that its threaded portion engages the thread-engaging means in the bore.

Abstract: A composite foam seat cushion is comprised of foams of different firmnesses which are bonded to adjacent foams without adhesives or glues. The cushion has a supportive bottom of one or more firm foams, a layer of soft foam on the top of and supported by the bottom layer, a protective front foam cap for the front edge of the layer of soft foam, a protective back foam cap for the back edge of the layer of soft foam and side walls of foam(s) of suitable firmness to provide support. A method of preparing the composite foam seat cushion is disclosed.

Abstract: A sun visor for use in an automobile wherein a perforated sheet which is either a sheet having all over its surface a large number of fine through holes through which it is possible to see or cloth of coarse texture with the marginal portion of the sheet being supported by a supporting frame which has an edging frame. The perforated sheet is provided around its periphery with engagement holes, the supporting frame is split into upper and lower sections wherein one of the split sections of the supporting frame has pegs and the other apertures, the pegs being fit to the apertures through the engagement holes.

Abstract: A unitized frame for a self-propelled lawn mower and fabricated from stamped sheet steel and steel beams welded together. The frame includes a stamped sheet steel component having a forward end that includes an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion which forms an operator's footrest and having a pair of downwardly extending side portions formed integrally therewith to form front wheel axle supports. The sheet steel component also forms an intermediate stepped portion that forms a transmission mounting, and it also has a rearward stepped portion forming an engine mounting. The unitized frame also includes a rear wheel mounting member welded to and between the rear ends of the pair of steel beams; the rear wheels mounting member is of generally U-shaped cross-section fabricated sheet steel and on which can be pivotally mounted a pair of rear steerable wheels about a fore-and-aft extending axis.