Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for folding lengthwise and clamping a flexible binding, while leaving the edges of the clamped binding free to be separated such that the edge of a length of extensible netting may be inserted between the free edges. A progressive linear clamp is provided for progressively clamping the combined netting and binding material as the netting is inserted to thereby permit an operator to obtain a substantially uniform stretch of the edge of the netting material, and to apportion the netting evenly along the binding. With the netting material thus inserted and clamped between the edges of the binding, a feed mechanism is positioned to engage the combined binding and netting and feed it to a sewing machine to permanently secure the materials together.

Abstract: A user adjustable lumbar support apparatus for inclusion in a seat back, comprising an essentially rigid back plate having front and rear surfaces and adapted to extend vertically within a seat back, a front plate having a front and back surface and having an orthotic lumbar support contour at its said front surface, the contour preferrably being generally concave side-to-side and convex top-to-bottom, and a multi-chambered fluid actuator including at least a pair of independently inflatable chambers arranged vertically one chamber above the other, together with elastic means supporting the actuator and the front plate in assembled relationship to the back plate with the chambers between said plates to accommodate relative motion between the plates as the chambers are inflated and deflated. The fluid actuator preferrably is a distendable chamber member containing separated enclosed fluid receiving chambers.

Abstract: An improved lithographic dampener of the type having continuous plate/form roller/metering roller contact, adaptable to a variety of press configurations and operating speeds, employs a friction-driven oscillator roller that distributes added dampening liquid and the ink/liquid emulsions on the metering roller, to avoid continuing patterns which might cause ghosting in printed images. The dampener has a simple drawer-like configuration, with an open front for improved range of form roller/plate contact. A pan with a remote supply of dampening liquid, is located under the rollers such that the metering roller surface contacts and picks up liquid from a pool in the pan. Simplified seal dams at the ends of the form/metering rollers' nip keep the reservoir of liquid in that nip, yet minimize wear of the seal configuration. A slide block mounting of the metering roller and oscillator rollers allows independent adjustment of pressure at the form/metering rollers' nip, and at the metering/oscillator rollers' nip.

Abstract: A ply server for applying a preselected length of ply material drawn from a supply roll thereof onto a tire carcass building drum. The desired length of ply material is measured by a programmable mechanism, then severed at the length desired. The incoming ply material is center guided onto the ply conveyor, or (optionally) a transverse scanner device is used to determine the location of the longitudinal centerline of the length of ply material. The carcass building drum is precisely located with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the ply material. At the opposite end of the server, there is a receptor arrangement into which a cart bearing the supply roll can be brought to the server and the ply material fed into the server, with the separator for the rolled uncured ply material being rewound as part of the material pay-out process.

Abstract: A programmable sewing head including a work controlling clamping mechanism is automatically loaded with air bag material or the like, together with a reinforcement strategically placed thereon, for automatic attachment (by a predetermined stitching pattern) of the reinforcement to the bag material. A table having a loading station supports material orienting an aperture and the reinforcement, and extends to a transfer station at the sewing head. A locator aperture and a retractable locator head are in the table surface at the loading station for receiving the sheet and reinforcement. Placement of the reinforcement and the sheet over the locator pad aligns the reinforcement with respect to the hole in the sheet.

Abstract: An air bladder is formed by producing a foil imprint on an inner surface of a first uncured rubber sheet, by heat pressing the imprint from a hot roll leaf stamping tape to the sheet. The first sheet is delivered from a reel to the heat press via a driven roller and idler roller combination. The hot roll leaf stamping tape is delivered above the first sheet via a take up reel and idler roller combination. The heating press includes a heated platen having the contour of the desired imprint, such that the imprint takes on the shape of the heated platen. A second sheet of uncured rubber is laminated to the first sheet, with the second sheet laminated over the first sheet, thereby convering the imprint. The two sheets are vulcanized which cures the non-imprinted surfaces of the rubber sheets together, thereby forming an air pocket in the shape of the imprint between the two sheets.

Abstract: An improved integral rivet button and resulting rivet, and a process and tooling for forming such button, utilizes successive coining steps on material surrounding the base of an initial bubble formed on a can end, causing flow of material along the wall of the button toward its center. The successive coining at progressively lesser radii affords adequate metal in the bubble region to assure ultimate formation of an accurate button, assures a strong boundary region about the base of the button, and assures the rivet head is sufficiently large to prevent tear out of the tab at its juncture with the rivet. The initial coined boundary is located close to the juncture of the initial bubble wall with the remainder of the shell, where curvature of the initial bubble wall is concave in the direction of the bubble top and toward the ultimate public side of the end.

Abstract: A tire carcass building drum is provided adjacent its ends with a shoe movable axially thereto which comprises a main shoe and a secondary shoe rotatably mounted by bearings on the main shoe. The secondary shoe is provided with turn-up bladders thereon, which bladders function to turn over extended ply ends around bead assemblies placed on other components of a tire carcass being assembly on the drum. The secondary shoe further includes a toe surface engageable with the ends of the drum to thereby render the bladder members rotatable with the drum surface. These bladders also provide a support for ply ends against which the consolidating and stitching rollers can act to smooth and press together the ply materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clamp assembly for use in combination with a vulcanization press for curing tires wherein the press includes a frame for supporting upper and lower platens carrying upper and lower cooperating mold halves. The platens are movable toward and away from each other such that the mold halves may be moved toward a closed mating position and an open tire receiving position. The clamp assemblies of the present invention hold the mold halves onto their respective platens and include an elongated clamp body which is mounted to the press frame adjacent to a platen and a sliding wedge member which is guided for movement toward and away from the platen along the clamp body. The mold halves are each provided with a wedge-shaped clamp ring and pneumatic cylinders are provided for moving the sliding wedge member forward to engage the clamp rings and thereby hold the mold halves in place on the platens.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming pleats in fabric includes a vertically movable head which can accommodate one centrally located rod, or alternatively, two spaced apart rods. One rod is used to form two pleats and the rod is movable towards a work surface to a position where the rod traps fabric between a work surface and the rod. Two gripping arms are laterally movable and grip the fabric and move towards the central rod. If three pleats are desired, the two spaced apart rods are used, and a vertically movable blade positioned below the work surface can be actuated, which moves the blade upwardly intermediate the two spaced apart rods, carrying the fabric with it, forming a first pleat. The same laterally movable arms can be actuated which grip the fabric and move it inwardly towards the central rod, to form the other two pleats.

Abstract: A tool for use in attachment of a drain basket to a drain hole in a basin or the like, is provided in the form of a cylindrical body having lugs projecting longitudinally from one end thereof. The drain basket has a lower cup-like portion with a plurality of drain apertures and a threaded portion on the exterior of the cup-like portion for attachment to a drain pipe, the cup-like portion receiving therein a strainer basket for retaining particles from water flowing from the basin to a drain pipe. The lugs of the tool are shaped and dimensioned to fit into the drain apertures near the bottom of the cup. Around the base or joint of the lugs with the tool body, there is a radially extending ring or ledge. The tool may be attached to the external bottom of the drain basket by inserting the lugs through the cup-like portion and into the slots, then applying the lower flange around the tool body and threading it onto the lower threaded fitting which extends down from the cup.

Abstract: Described is a liquid pack comprising a tube (1) with a bottom and a top (7) disposed at the ends thereof, wherein the top (7) comprises thermoplastic material, is injection-moulded on the tube (1) and has a pouring means (8). The bottom is quadrangular and in the form of a folded closure formed from the folded-over tube (1) of the pack. A handle (11) which is connected to the top (7) is disposed in such a way that the handle (11, 17) together with the top (7) is arranged within the parallelepipedic outside contour of the pack.

Abstract: A transfer robot comprises a carriage mounted headstock assembly, a main support disk mounted to the rotatable spindle of a headstock, an extention slide mounted to the support disk for motion transverse to the spindle, and a carrying fixture mounted to the outer end of the slide and having adjustable sets of spaced apart gripping arms for gripping and carrying a cylindrical tire carcass. A counterweight on the disk offsets the outboard weight of the extended slide and carrying fixture, and a carcass carried thereon, on the headstock spindle and its bearings. The robot is powered by programmable devices which sequence its operation to grasp and carry a carcass by its bead areas from a carcass supply station, in an arc, into alignment with the axis of a tire building drum, then the carcass is moved axially of that drum and located around it, after which the gripping arms release and retract, and the fixture is moved to a parked position.

Abstract: A pivot joint comprising a first member (1) of generally channel section at least in the region of the joint, a second member (2) to which the first member (1) is to be pivotally connected and which is adapted to lie at least partially within the first member (1) in the region of the joint and a joint body (4) adapted to lie around the second member (2) while being largely contained within the channel of the first member (1). The channel section of the first member (1) has at least one wall (7) at an obtuse angle to the base of the channel so that the channel has a wider mouth than the base, the cross section of the channel being trapezoidal. The joint body (4) is shaped exteriorly to complement the interior of the channel and is provided with a pair of external trunnions (54,56) aligned with corresponding apertures (12,13) in the first member (10) and with means (62,64) for attaching the joint body (4) to the second member (2).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and transferring shells for cans within a ram press. The shells are formed in a two-step operation in which shell preforms are formed at a first station within the press and then transferred to second station where they are formed into completed shells. The first station includes first and second rows of tooling sets with the tooling sets of the first row being located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the second row. Similarly, the second station includes third and fourth rows of tooling sets in which the tooling set of the third row are located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the fourth row, and the tooling sets of the third and fourth rows are located for receiving the shell preforms from the tooling sets of the second and first rows, respectively.

Abstract: A radially expandable and contractable tire building drum has a drawbar positioned along the centerline of the drum, a slidable cone fixed to the drawbar, and a plurality of slides connected to the cone and extending in a radial array therefrom. The slides are guided for motion only radially toward and away from the centerline. Each slide carries a corresponding drum segment having an arcuate outer surface, and the surfaces of the segment cooperate to form a cylindrical building surface on the drum exterior. Motion of the drawbar along the centerline cause the conical adjusting member to move the slides concurrently in a radial direction, expanding or contracting the building surface. Edges of the drum segments arcuate surfaces include scallops, as in the form of tongues and corresponding cavities, which cooperate as the drum segments move outward to maintain some surface continuity lengthwise of the drum building surface.

Abstract: A device as disclosed for spraying a protective coating onto the white sidewall portion of tires. The apparatus includes a support for supporting a tire for rotation within a predetermined spray area and a spray head mounted above the spray area wherein the spray head may be moved into close proximity to the white sidewall portion of the tire. The spray head includes a pair of sensors for sensing the height of the spray head above the tire and the particular location of the white sidewall portion along the side of the tire. In addition, a pair of motor controlled actuators are provided for moving the spray head in response to signals received from the sensors such that the spray head is accurately positioned prior to the spraying operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and transferring shells for cans within a ram press. The shells are formed in a two-step operation in which shell preforms are formed at a first station within the press and then transferred to second station where they are formed into completed shells. The first station includes first and second rows of tooling sets with the tooling sets of the first row being located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the second row. Similarly, the second station includes third and fourth rows of tooling sets in which the tooling set of the third row are located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the fourth row, and the tooling sets of the third and fourth rows are located for receiving the shell preforms from the tooling sets of the second and first rows, respectively.

Abstract: A mobile vehicle measuring device for the measuring of a vehicle, such as a race car, from certain reference points such as the bottom side of the vehicle instead of the driving surface. The apparatus comprises a level support platform with adjustable wheel plates to center the vehicle, a movable lift gauge rack to provide reference points for various measuring gauges, a vehicle loading device, a vehicle load measuring device and various preset measuring gauges cooperating with the lift gauge rack to check efficiently all pertinent measurements with which the vehicle must comply.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and transferring shells for cans within a ram press. The shells are formed in a two-step operation in which shell preforms are formed at a first station within the press and then transferred to second station where they are formed into completed shells. The first station includes first and second rows of tooling sets with the tooling sets of the first row being located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the second row. Similarly, the second station includes third and fourth rows of tooling sets in which the tooling set of the third row are located in alternating transverse positions relative to the tooling sets of the fourth row, and the tooling sets of the third and fourth rows are located for receiving the shell preforms from the tooling sets of the second and first rows, respectively.