Abstract: A powder coating apparatus and method feeds fine powdered coating material such as thermoplastic type material to a succession of discrete articles passing by the apparatus which includes a vibratory feeder bowl and a spiral track for delivering a substantially constant supply of powder coating material to the articles. A sensor is also used to regulate an amount of powdered coating material supplied to an auger to the vibratory feeder. The invention also provides a powder feed system that deposits an excess of powdered coating material than that required to form the coating and provides for recirculation of the powder not ultimately used to form the coating back to the powder feeding apparatus.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow core door is disclosed, as well as a corresponding hollow core door. The method includes the steps of providing a solid flat door skin, moisturizing the flat skin, applying a conditioning resin thereto, pre-heating the flat door skin, and thereafter pressing the flat door skin between a pair of heated platens in a press in order to reform the flat skin into a molded skin including a plurality of panels defined therein. The press continously closes in order to reform the flat skin into the molded skin, with the rate of press closure being a function of the determined hardness of the flat skin to be reformed. The resulting door skins have an improved bond strength, and are efficiently manufactured.

Abstract: A method of making a flat-skinned door which simulates a three-dimensional molded skin door, and corresponding product, are disclosed. The method includes the steps of applying a basecoat(s) to the door skin, applying a woodgrain puff-ink to the skin over the basecoat in order to simulate woodgrain patterning, utilizing a printing roll(s) to print a photographic image on the door which simulates a three-dimension molded door skin, and forming a hardened non-stainable polymerized coating over the image applied by the printing roll(s). In such a manner, a flat skinned door may be made which simulates a three dimensional molded skin door.

Abstract: A double flywheel vibration damper including two coaxial masses free to rotate relative to each other and acting against elastic parts, in which one of the masses, referred to as the first mass, is intended to be fastened to a drive shaft, whereas the other mass, referred to as the second mass, includes a reaction plate assuring rotational connection to a driven shaft, and in which the first mass has a central hub projecting axially and carrying bearing member operating between the second mass and the central hub to enable the second mass to rotate on the first mass, wherein the central hub comprises two aligned coaxial parts, namely a first hub supporting the second mass rotationally via the bearing member fitted on this first hub, and a second hub intended to be fastened to the drive shaft, and wherein the second hub constitutes an axial spacer between the drive shaft and the first hub. The invention is applicable to motor vehicle transmission systems.

Abstract: The invention is a clamping device for fastening a draw-in bolt to a machine table or a baseplate. The clamping device has a piston axially displaceable in a recess of the machine table and which is also hydraulically actuateable. The clamping device also has a cover, a clamping mechanism, and an integral bushing positioned in the machine table recess. At least one of the piston and the cover form a receptacle into which the draw-in bolt can be inserted through the cover and fastened to the clamping device by the clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is actuateable by displacement of the piston. The piston is also displaceable in the bushing with the bushing and the piston cooperating to form a pressure space. The cover is fastened to and centered upon the bushing and is fastenable to the machine table in order to close off the recess.

Abstract: A semi-finished wood simulating product and method is disclosed. The product is manufactured by providing a substrate having at least one surface to be finished. A liquid basecoat is applied on the substrate and dried. A wood grain pattern is deposited, in liquid form, on the basecoat. Some of the pattern is transferred from the originally deposited position on the basecoat to a subsequent position. The pattern is then cured. A polymerizable protective coating is applied onto the substrate overlying the basecoat and the pattern. The protective coating seals the substrate and is adapted for accepting a colorant to be applied by an end user. The protective coating is then polymerized. Additionally, if a porous substrate is provided, a sealer is applied prior to the liquid basecoat and is then cured.

Abstract: A spinning reel for fishing includes a rotor rotatably supported in a reel body, a drive mechanism for driving the rotor by operating a handle mounted on the reel body, a first reversal preventive mechanism for preventing the rotor from rotating in the direction of playing out a fishline by stopping the drive mechanism from rotating in the reverse direction at the time of casting the fishline, and a second reversal preventive mechanism for holding the rotor in a predetermined position by stopping the drive mechanism from rotating in the reverse direction. The first reversal preventive mechanism is formed of a rolling one-way clutch, and the second reversal preventive mechanism is caused to hold the rotor in the predetermined position by switching the first reversal preventive mechanism to non-working condition.

Abstract: A method for making a self locking internally threaded fastener and an apparatus for making such fasteners, in which the self locking characteristic is derived from a patch of thermoplastic material having a circumferential extent of less than 360° adhered selectively to at least a portion of the thread defining surface of the fastener.

Abstract: A garment is provided which restricts unassisted disrobing. The garment preferably facilitates assisted disrobing in a key-less manner and has decorative features which resemble traditional clothing. The garment comprises front and rear panels of clothing material, an opening preferably in the rear panel, an operable closure device, and a cover for an actuator of the operable closure device. The front panel of clothing material is adapted to cover at least a front portion of the wearer's body. The rear panel is adapted to cover at least a rear portion of the wearer's body. The opening facilitates donning of the garment. The operable closure device is located at the opening and is operable to at least partially close the opening to thereby prevent removal of the garment. The operable closure device extends into an inaccessibility zone of the rear panel.

Abstract: A lens pad is provided for use on a lens clamp. The lens pad comprises a lens-engaging surface which, in turn, has a lens-facing recess located substantially centrally thereon. The lens-engaging surface thus is annular. Alternatively, the lens-engaging surface is more resilient toward a center thereof than toward a periphery thereof. Forces exerted by the lens pad against a surface of a lens when the lens pad is pressed against the surface therefore are less concentrated than such forces would be if the lens-engaging surface had no recess or variation in resiliency. Also provided is a clamp pad assembly. The clamp pad assembly includes a lens pad and a rotatable body for rotatably connecting the lens pad, at least indirectly, to a clamp arm. The clamp pad assembly also may include a swivel member which is pivotally mounted to the rotatable body for rotation therewith and for pivoting with respect thereto, in which case, the lens pad is mounted to the swivel member for rotation and pivoting therewith.

Abstract: A stylus for use in a coordinate input system (e.g. digitizer tablet system) includes a finger wheel. The degree of rotation of the finger wheel by the user determines the extent to which a chosen graphical parameter (e.g. line thickness, color, shading, gray scale, etc.) is varied. Thus, a user can easily vary the graphical parameter while drawing by merely rotating the finger wheel about its fixed rotational axis. Preferably, rotation of the wheel causes an intermediate gear wheel with teeth thereon to rotate which in turn causes a potentiometer to detect the degree of rotation of the finger wheel. In alternative embodiments of this invention, a touchpad for inputting finger position and/or finger pressure information may be provided on the side of the stylus instead of the finger wheel.

Abstract: A door frame clip is provided for interconnecting first and second door frame members when a longitudinal end of the first door frame member bears against a surface of the second door frame member at a portion of the surface which is adjacent to a longitudinal end of the second door frame member. The door frame clip comprises an apex, a first arm extending from the apex, and a second arm extending from the apex in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the first arm. The second arm is significantly longer than the first arm to enable the second arm to reach the first door frame member when the apex engages an outside edge of the longitudinal end of the second door frame member. Also provided is a door frame system. The door frame system comprises a first leg member, a second leg member, a header, a first door frame clip, and a second door frame clip. The second leg member is substantially parallel to the first leg member.

Abstract: An engine muffler is provided which comprises a first expansion chamber for exhaust gas which includes an exhaust gas inlet to be connected to an exhaust port of an engine, a second expansion chamber which includes an exhaust gas outlet, a first exhaust gas purifier in which a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas is coated on at least a concave surface of a concave base body which has a plurality of vent holes passing through the concave surface, the first exhaust gas purifier being disposed in the first expansion chamber such that the concave surface faces the exhaust gas inlet, and at least one second exhaust gas purifier in which a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas is coated on a base body including many pores, the second exhaust gas purifier being disposed between the first expansion chamber and the second expansion chamber. The engine muffler is obtained simply by improving a muffler used for a small-sized engine. The engine muffler has an extremely great effect of purifying exhaust gas.

Abstract: A control system is provided for a pivotally actuated tracer which traces an object (e.g., a frame mount of an eyeglass frame, a lens, or a lens pattern) while the object is held in a more-vertical-than-horizontal orientation. The control system comprises a trace control element and a gravity compensation element. The trace control element applies control signals to the pivotally actuated tracer. In response, the object engager of the tracer is pivotally actuated against and along the object to be traced with a biasing force toward the object. The gravity compensation element is adapted to compensate for the effects of gravity on the object engager by causing a varying pivoting force to be exerted on the object engager. The pivoting force varies depending on the rotational orientation of the object engager to keep the biasing force substantially constant along the object. Also provided is a data acquisition system for the tracer.

Abstract: A golf putter is provided. The putter is made of a substantially large (between 25 and 45 mm diameter) parallel thin walled shaft wherein part of the bare shaft forms the grip. A protruding curved end cap forms part of the grip to assist in consistency of positioning the hands when taking a grip of the putter. A thin walled end plate closes off the shaft to the putter head all being designed to maximize “feel” when stroking the ball.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for the. Transmission and reception of an In-band On-channel (IBOC) FM-band digital audio broadcast (DAB) signal. The IBOC DAB signal is generated in the transmitter to substantially occupy the upper and lower sideband frequency regions in the RF emission mask for the conventional broadcast analog FM-band. Redundant source bit information is transmitted in both the upper and lower sidebands so that the loss of information in either one but not both sidebands due to large amounts of interference or distortion, caused by, for example, first-adjacent interference, does not deleteriously affect the IBOC DAB receiver performance. The system exhibits both frequency-diversity and time-diversity. The receiver determines which codeword bit estimate, corresponding to either upper or lower sideband signals, is less likely to be erroneous.

Abstract: A tracer is provided for tracing a lens mount of an eyeglass frame, a lens or a lens pattern. The tracer comprises an object engager and an actuator. The object engager is adapted to engage the lens mount, the lens or the lens pattern. The actuator is adapted to move the object engager into contact with and then along the lens mount, the lens or the lens pattern in such a way that during movement therealong, the object engager remains against the object being traced even when the shape thereof includes high wrap. Preferably, the tracer has a shift mechanism adapted to shift the object engager from alignment with the lens mount to alignment with a second lens mount of the eyeglass frame. The actuator preferably is further adapted to trace the second lens mount in substantially the same way as the first. The actuator further includes a rotator and a pivot mechanism. The rotator is adapted to rotate the object engager along the object being traced.

Abstract: A pressing device for joining workpieces has a pressing tool and a motorized drive for actuation of the pressing tool over a pressing distance, as well as a control device which has a drive control device for influencing the drive. The drive control device has a malfunction detection device which has an actual value sensor which is suitable for detecting, as the actual value, a physical magnitude which is correlated with the pressing resistance. At least one limit value profile for the actual value is retained in the malfunction detection device, and it has a comparison device which, during a pressing, checks whether the particular actual value lies on the permissible or impermissible side of the pertinent limit value profile. The malfunction detection device comprises a signal device and/or a shutdown device for the drive, which are/is activated if the actual value lies on the impermissible side of the pertinent limit value.

Abstract: A bone plug anchoring device is provided for anchoring at least one graft to a bone. The bone plug anchoring devices comprises a plug and a locking element. The plug has a hollow passageway and a flange portion which extends radially out from the plug. The locking element is adapted to cooperate with the flange portion so that when the locking element is locked to the flange portion while the graft(s) is (are) sandwiched between the locking element and the flange portion, the graft (or grafts) remains (or remain) anchored to the plug. The bone plug anchoring device is particularly well-suited for anchoring a hamstring tendon graft to a tibia after passing through a femur. The present invention also provides a method for anchoring at least one graft to a first bone.

Abstract: An angle-adjustable bicycle handle assembly which has no position change of tooth portions when adjusting the position of a bicycle handle and provides a stabilized assembly structure and an improved appearance by adopting a cover member.