Abstract: A wet friction clutch for automotive vehicles wherein the clutch plate between the flywheel and the pressure plate is assembled of two spaced-apart friction discs and a spacer disc therebetween. The friction discs are coupled to each other by leaf springs which prevent relative angular but allow relative axial movements of the two friction discs. Additional leaf springs connect the spacer disc and the pressure plate to the cover, and elastic lamellae are used to couple the two friction discs to the flywheel and the pressure plate, respectively. The clutch plate drives the input shaft of the transmission and carries a distributor for lubricating coolant which is supplied by a tubular guide for the disengaging unit and serves to cool the friction discs.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine wherein a first group of cylinders rotates a first crankshaft and a second group of cylinders can rotate a second crankshaft which can be separably coupled to the first crankshaft by an accelerating friction clutch. The clutch permits slippage of a first clutch member which is driven by one of the crankshafts relative to a second clutch member which drives the other crankshaft while the other crankshaft undergoes gradual acceleration to the speed of the one crankshaft. Once the speed of the other crankshaft matches or closely approximates the speed of the one crankshaft, and the other crankshaft assumes a predetermined angular position relative to the one crankshaft, the first clutch member ceases to slip relative to the second clutch member. The accelerating clutch can be interposed between two camshafts one of which is driven by the one crankshaft and the other of which drives the other crankshaft during acceleration of the other crankshaft.

Abstract: A developing machine has a battery of vessels which receive metered quantities of liquid from discrete membrane-type pumping units. The pumping units constitute part of an apparatus having a single drive for the reciprocable membrane-deforming pumping elements of all units. The components of the drive for the pumping units as well as the pumping units themselves, are discrete modules which are rapidly connectable to or detachable from a single supporting frame. The drive has a rotary eccentric which transmits motion directly to the pumping elements of all pumping units. The strokes of the pumping elements are adjustable independently of each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for stacking pads with spiral binders has a reciprocable and pivotable turn-around device which inverts each second pad of a file of equidistant pads before the pads reach a stacking platform. At the stacking station, the pads are arrested by an adjustable stop which locates inverted pads in a first position and the non-inverted pads in a second position so that the binders of successive pads in a growing stack are located at the opposite sides of the stack. The turn-around device is arrested in response to detection of the absence of pads in the path along which the pads move toward the stacking platform by a photocell which further transmits signals to the mechanism for moving the stop so that the absence of one or more pads does not affect the array of pads in the stack on the platform. A level detector monitors the height of the stack on the platform and transmits signals for stepwise lowering of the platform.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine with two crankshafts which are parallel to each other and are installed in a common casing. One of the crankshafts is driven whenever the engine is running and the other crankshaft is driven only when the engine is operated at maximum load. Prior to starting of the cylinders which rotate the other crankshaft, the other crankshaft is gradually accelerated to the speed of the one crankshaft by a friction clutch which is coaxial with the one crankshaft. Once the acceleration of the other crankshaft to the speed of the one crankshaft is completed, and the other crankshaft assumes a predetermined angular position with reference to the one crankshaft, the friction clutch is disengaged and such disengagement entails activation of a positive-engagement clutch between the two crankshafts. The friction clutch can constitute a component part of or it can be integrated into the positive-engagement clutch.

Abstract: Rust is removed from the surfaces of metallic objects by focusing a laser beam on successive increments of the surface so that the beam causes evaporation of rust. The laser is a gas laser and is designed to effect pulsed emission of coherent radiation. The output power of the laser is selected in such a way that the beam cannot melt or evaporate the parent metal.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying signals to a vidicon which furnishes a color image of a selected portion of the human body, especially of the mamma, has an optical scanning system which transmits a thermal image of the selected portion of the body to a pyroelectric infrared detector without touching the selected portion. The detector transmits signals denoting the temperature of different spots of the selected portion of the body to a storage whose output transmits signals to the vidicon, always via one of a series of threshold circuits which are calibrated to transmit signals to associated color matrices only when the intensity of such signals is within a range denoting the particular color. The matrices transmit signals to the vidicon so that the latter furnishes a color image of the selected portion of the body.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting rod-like articles in the form of cigarettes or filter rod sections from one or more makers to a packing or other consuming machine has a pair of superimposed surge bins which receive articles from a first transporting unit when the output of the maker or makers exceeds the requirements of the consuming machine, and a second transporting unit which conveys articles from the surge bins to the consuming machine when the requirements of the consuming machine exceed the output of the maker or makers. A control system is provided to effect the filling of the upper surge bin prior to filling of the lower surge bin and to effect evacuation of the contents of the lower surge bin prior to evacuation of the contents of the upper surge bin. Each transporting unit has one or more pairs of endless belts and/or ducts which convey multi-layer streams of articles.

Abstract: A friction clutch having a diaphragm spring formed with a ring-shaped base and tabs extending radially inwardly from the base and separated by slots from one another. The slots terminate radially outwardly in hole-like cutouts and the disc spring is tiltably supported on a part of the clutch and is clamped between a first roll-off support at the clutch part and a substantially circular discrete second roll-off support at the side of the disc spring facing away from the clutch part. The second roll-off support is acted upon by the spring when the clutch is disengaged and the first roll-off support is acted upon by the spring when the clutch is engaged. Holding means secure the second support to the clutch part, and the second roll-off support engages the spring radially outwardly of the cutouts and is formed, in the vicinity of each of the cutouts, with an interruption extending along at least 50% of the length of the respective cutout, as considered in the circumferential direction clutch.

Abstract: Apparatus for moving the knives relative to their rotary holder in a tobacco cutting machine has a crankshaft which is rotatable and is rotated once during several successive revolutions of the holder. The crankshaft is the input element of a step-down transmission whose output element is a ring gear meshing with pinions for transmission of motion to discrete displacing units, one for each knife. The ring gear is rotated at intervals by a gear which is coaxial with a freewheel. The latter is rocked back and forth by a lever which is pivoted by the crank pin of the crankshaft by way of a rod-like connector. One end portion of the connector is coupled to the lever by an adjusting device which can change the extent of pivotal movement of the lever and hence the extent of rotation of the ring gear whenever the lever is pivoted in one of two directions.

Abstract: In a reciprocable circular saw, coplanar mounting of the machine carrier surfaces which constitute the table surface is achieved in that the legs of the frame have horizontal upper portions whose undersides constitute flat horizontal surfaces. The machine carriers are secured to the legs so that the surfaces which constitute a table surface abut against the first surfaces of the legs.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles from one or more makers to a packing machine has a transporting system consisting of belt conveyors and one or more ducts which advance the output of the makers into the inlet of an upright channel serving to deliver the cigarettes to the packing machine. When the output of the makers exceeds the requirements of the packing machine, the surplus is diverted from the discharge end of the transporting system into one or more variable-volume surge bins by way of a reservoir wherein the height of the cigarette stream exceeds the height of the stream in the transporting system but is less than the height of the stack or stacks of cigarettes in the surge bin or bins. The reservoir has one or more conveyors which can advance cigarettes from the transporting system into the surge bin(s) or from the surge bin(s) into the channel.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying preselected numbers of superimposed prefabricated cardboard blanks of the type having alternating larger and smaller marginal flaps from an auxiliary magazine into the main magazine of a packing machine has a frame which carries the auxiliary magazine above the main magazine and is provided with several lugs which support the larger flaps of the lowermost blank in the auxiliary magazine. A photoelectronic detector monitors the height of the supply of blanks in the main magazine and transmits a signal when the height of the supply drops below a preselected value. This initiates pivotal movement of a pusher which is adjacent to one side of the pile of blanks in the auxiliary magazine whereby the pusher shifts a number of lowermost blanks relative to the lugs so that the lugs register with and can be bypassed by the shorter flaps of the thus released blanks which descend into the main magazine by gravity.

Abstract: A rotary knife holder which is used in a transverse cutter for running paper webs or the like has a tubular carrier with an axial bore for a dynamic damping system serving to damp the natural frequency oscillations of the carrier. The damping system has a cylindrical mass whose end portions are surrounded by elastic annuli installed in a sleeve which is fixedly installed in the axial bore of the carrier. The natural frequency of the damping system is attuned to the natural frequency of the carrier. If the carrier is journalled at both ends, the damping system is installed midway between the ends of the carrier.

Abstract: An electronic piano includes a tone generator having a pulse generator and a discrete TOS circuit for each octave. The input of the first TOS circuit is connected with the pulse generator and the input of each next-following TOS circuit is connected with the input of the preceding TOS circuit by a divide-by-two divider circuit. The outputs of each TOS circuit are connected with discrete control circuits each having an analog switch for each output of the respective TOS circuit. First inputs of the analog switches receive envelope control voltage signals on depression of the respective piano keys while second inputs of the analog switches receive tone signals from the corresponding outputs of the respective TOS circuits. The outputs of the analog switches transmit tone signals, which are modulated as a function of the intensity the corresponding envelope control voltage signals, to a loudspeaker by way of either one of two main branches of the respective control circuits.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing dust from the flat surfaces of stationary or moving sheets, webs, plates or similar objects has a unit which converts a low-pressure laminar air stream into a pulsating air stream. The pulsating stream contacts the surface of an object simultaneously with ultrasonic radiation. The direction of flow of the pulsating air stream, which can be ionized, may be parallel with or at right angles to the direction of propagation of ultrasonic radiation.

Abstract: A series of separate paper sheets issuing from a cross cutter wherein a running paper web is subdivided into discrete sheets is converted into a stream of partly overlapping sheets by transporting the sheets of the series at a first speed onto the upper reach of a belt conveyor which is driven at a lower second speed. A cylindrical braking roller is adjacent to the sheet-receiving end of the upper reach of the belt conveyor and is driven at a peripheral speed matching the second speed. A flat of the otherwise cylindrical peripheral surface of the braking roller is adjacent to but out of contact with the leading edges of successive sheets of the series but the cylindrical surface of the roller engages the intermediate portions of successive sheets and decelerates such sheets from the first to the second speed. This ensures that reaction liquid cannot escape at the leading edges of successive sheets which constitute carbon-free pressure-sensitive copy paper sheets.

Abstract: A conveyor system is composed of a trolley and an elongated inverted U-shaped or C-shaped track which is formed without any machining involving removal of material by simple deformation of a sheet-metal blank. The track has a horizontal or vertical web, two vertical or horizontal legs extending from the marginal portions of the web, and two horizontal or vertical ledges which constitute the inwardly bent end portions of the legs. One of the ledges has a V-shaped cross-sectional outline and the other ledge has an inturned carrier for a toothed rack in mesh with a pinion driven by a motor on the trolley. The trolley has a first pair of rollers whose conical peripheral surfaces engage the opposite sides of the V-shaped ledge, and a second pair of rollers whose cylindrical peripheral surfaces engage the opposite sides of the other ledge. One roller of each pair is adjustable to ensure that both rollers of each pair engage the corresponding ledge with negligible clearance.

Abstract: A laminated hard-to-counterfeit data carrier card with an opaque median plastic layer and transparent outer plastic layers has a plurality of groups of light conductors which extend through the median layer and represent encoded information which can be decoded by inserting the card into the slot of a decoding apparatus wherein a light source directs radiation against one side of the inserted card and a suitable circuit including rhotodiodes decodes the pattern of light rays which issue from the other side of the inserted card. The encoded information can represent sums of money, units of time, the serial number of the card, the identification number of the bearer and/or other data. Each group of light conductors can be destroyed or removed independently of the other groups, especially if each group denotes a unit of currency. The cross-sectional area of each light conductor is less than the square of the thickness of the card.

Abstract: Apparatus for stepwise transport of exposed and developed photographic films through a copying machine so as to place selected film frames, namely those film frames which are to be imaged onto photographic paper and are designated by holes or other types of indices, into register with the copying station has two photoelectronic detectors the first of which transmits signals to the forward input and the second of which transmits signals to the reverse input of a forward and reverse counter in a circuit which regulates the speed of the film transporting motor. The second detector is located downstream of the first detector and both detectors transmit signals on detection of indices denoting the film frames to be copied.