Abstract: An apparatus for cutting cigar wrappers with a selected profile from a natural tobacco leaf, the apparatus comprises a vacuum supporting structure on a leaf receiving member. An arrangement is provided for selecting a cut position on the leaf and oriented with respect to the leaf receiving member and a cutting platen is provided including a leaf supporting surface and an arrangement for creating a vacuum on the surface to support a leaf. The platen is positioned in a known leaf receiving location and a transfer means is provided for transferring the leaf from the leaf receiving member to the leaf supporting surface of the cutting platen. The cutter having the desired profile is provided for cutting the profile from the leaf. The platen is then shifted from its leaf receiving position to a leaf cutting position with the support surface of the platen spaced from the wrapper cutter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for joining the strip ends of a plastic strip using a piece of wire cloth overlaying the end. The front edges of the wire cloth are bonded to the plastic strip to a lesser degree than the median portions of the cloth by either heating the ends less or pressing the ends against the plastic strip to a lesser degree than the median portions.

Abstract: An improvement in a standard electromechanical relay wherein a manually shiftable member simultaneously disconnects the operating coil of the relay and mechanically shifts the relay into an actuated or released condition.

Abstract: A clamping collar is provided to be mounted about a shaft, arbor or the like, which may be secured at any position along the longitudinal axis of the shaft and preferably adjacent to the load on the shaft. The device comprises a pair of interfaced rings concentric about the shaft and arcuately shiftable one with respect to the other to shift locking lugs radially into and out of clamping engagement with the shaft. The device also includes means to make lateral pressure contact with arbor spacing sleeves, washers, spacers or flanges assembled on the shaft to space tool means, or the like, therebetween.

Abstract: A building structure including a beam of steel or rod reinforced concrete which is sheathed in a U-shaped cross section steel shell, a concrete column which is encased in a steel tube, diagonal bracings and connecting members thereof. The topside of the U-shaped steel shell is open to allow concrete to be filled therethrough. Steel rods are placed in the shell and a steel panel connecting member secures the opposed sidewalls of the shell. Steel bars extend from a floor slab into the beam shell through the aforesaid open topside, thereby rendering the beam integral with the slab. Frame-like steel members for confining reinforcing bars and/or shear connectors are disposed in the inside of the beam shell. A steel sleeve is also provided in the beam shell for defining a space for disposition of equipment. In addition, an opening is provided in the bottom wall of the beam shell so as to allow steel rods to extend from the wall into the beam shell, thereby rendering the beam integral with the wall.

Abstract: In a switching device having first and second conductor elements and an operating mechanism shiftable to and from a first position wherein the conductor elements are electrically connected to each other to establish a conductive path therebetween. The device includes a body of mercury, and a mercury wettable porous member between the mercury body and the first conductor element so that the mercury from the body may be forced through the porous body to establish the above-mentioned electrical connection. When the shiftable mechanism is shifted into the first position, the mercury is withdrawn from the first conductor element by the wettable porous member to disconnect the electrical circuit.

Abstract: An electrical connector for electrical apparatus including a built-in capacitor for suppressing the generation of or preventing high frequency energy generated internally of the apparatus from being radiated externally of the apparatus through the power supply wires. The connector includes a fixed insulating housing adapted to be mounted on the conductive case of the apparatus and an electrically conductive member extending therethrough having one end exposed to the outside of the fixed housing for detachable connection to a movable connector and the other end extending through the case for connection to the electrical apparatus on the inside. The fixed housing has on the side adjacent to the apparatus case a cavity with mid portions of the conductive member extending along one wall thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a digital device for creating a series of digital signals indicative of the profile in certain surface variations of a natural tobacco leaf. The light intensity characteristic of an emitted light from various locations on the natural tobacco leaf are scanned in succession across the leaf at parallel positions. The light intensity at the various locations creates a digital signal indicative of whether or not the light intensity is high, low or intermediate. The color profile of the leaf could be created by these signals; however, in accordance with the invention, a digital signal is created when the light intensity signal shifts from one value to another. At that time, a transition signal is created which can be combined to form a transition profile of the leaf which is indicative of the actual profile and color variations of the leaf itself. This information can be used for locating a wrapper cutter at the desired position on the leaf for subsequent cutting of the wrapper from the leaf.

Abstract: An anti-lick ring for an animal drinking trough which is held inside the trough by spaced connecting devices.

Abstract: An improved anode connector assembly for a cathode ray tube gives maximum shielding against x-ray emissions, maximum resistance to high voltage tracking and securely fastens to a standard anode button to prevent accidental removal or displacement. The assembly comprises a one-piece, generally U-shaped clip having surfaces which engage the inner and outer flange surfaces of a standard anode button so as to prevent rocking of the clip when secured within the button. The clip has provision for being securely mounted within a resilient rubber cap of light weight design, which is in pressure engagement with a maximum area of the tube to prevent tracking of the high voltage. A shield washer is mounted in the cap to coact with the clip and restrict x-ray radiation.

Abstract: A method of selecting the cutting position of a cigar wrapper having a given shape with respect to a natural tobacco leaf using a remotely created leaf image of a given tobacco leaf, which image includes the outline of the given leaf, the position of the leaf stem and the areas with holes in the leaf. This method comprises the steps of providing an outline image of a given cutter shape, shifting the outline image with respect to the leaf image until the outline image is in a selected position avoiding the outline, the stem and any hole areas of the leaf image, and then creating cutting coordinates indicative of said selected position for use in controlling a cutting position of the cigar wrapper cutter on a given leaf.

Abstract: A radio antenna having linear radiating elements, a loading coil electrically connected to these linear radiating elements and a tuning disc located within the loading coil and rotatable about a diameter of the loading coil whereby said antenna can be easily and accurately tuned to the exact frequency of operation selected. The disc is preferably electrically conductive such that when its plane is perpendicular to the axis of the coil the coil will have a minimum inductance.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for conversion of information from a preselected switching array to serial digital data utilizing conventional audio grade communications equipment such as a radio, recorder, and the like. An encoding scheme is utilized which involves amplitude modulation of the information superimposed upon a clock signal. Distortion of the digital signal due to any direct current component is avoided by using a clock signal symmetric about a zero reference. The information portion of the signal is not dependent upon variations in speed of recording media. While not limited thereto, one use of the present invention is to selectively activate any one or more of a number of system components remotely located from a centralized system control station. A series of digital pulses is generated, each one representing the desires status of each remote system component. The series of digital pulses is generated by a series of two position switches.

Abstract: There is provided a programmable controller comprising a standard microprocessor having output address terminals and input/output bi-directional data terminals and means for providing a binary code on the data terminals indicative of the status of the machine cycle to be processed by the microprocessor. This programmable controller includes a logic decoder means for producing a selected signal in response to logic signals on selected address terminals and in the status binary code of the data terminals. In addition, the programmable controller includes means for programming the HOLD state for the microprocessor. There is also provided an arrangement for expanding the number of interrupt conditions which can affect the INTERRUPT state of the microprocessor in the programmable controller.

Abstract: A conveyor roller wheel assembly comprising a roller member rotatably mounted on a hub member, as by means of a plain journal bearing or by rolling elements such as ball or roller bearings, between inner and outer seal flanges on the hub member, the hub member having a portion of reduced diameter between its ends and a lubrication passageway extending from an end face of the hub member and communicating with its reduced diameter portion through a surface thereof. Facing side surfaces of the roller member and seal flanges are shaped to define annular labyrinth seal passageways therearound of restricted cross section and of tortuous configuration radially of the conveyor wheel. One or more of the wheel assembly members may be constituted of moldings of sintered powered metal.

Abstract: Feeding means for successively advancing elongated workpieces step-by-step, through the central workpiece receiving passage in a multiturn induction heating coil with a workpiece supporting slide track extending therethrough, has an elongated workpiece pusher member extending longitudinally through the passage and provided with workpiece engaging driving lugs spaced therealong. Combined transport and elevating means reciprocate the pusher member axially of the passage between a retracted and an extended position to advance the workpiece into and subsequently out of the heating coil passage and shift the pusher member between two different elevational positions in which its driving lugs are respectively located in the path of travel of the workpiece along the slide track during the advance stroke of the pusher member and out of the path of travel during the return stroke of the pusher member.

Abstract: A modular linear transducer assembly is mounted between relatively displaceable piston and cylinder members of a hydraulic roll gap control arrangement in a four-high rolling mill stand. The piston and cylinder members have coaxial openings centrally therethrough which receive the modular transducer assembly. The transducer assembly includes axially displaceable sleeve and plunger members, one of which is attached to the piston member and the other to the cylinder member for displacement therewith. The plunger supports a low voltage differential transformer coil having an axial passageway therethrough, and the sleeve member supports a core rod which extends into the coil passageway. Relative displacement between the piston and cylinder members imparts corresponding relative displacement between the coil and core rod to produce a signal indicative of roll gap change.

Abstract: Aromatic .alpha.-hydroxyamides are disclosed, which are useful as active components in insect repellent compositions. Suitable compounds are derivatives of mandelic acid amide, such as N,N-diethyl-D,L-mandelic acid amide.

Abstract: A device for directing quench fluid onto the top of an inductively heated surface portion of a rotating workpiece has a supply means having an outlet end spaced horizontally from said surface portion for directing a jet of quench fluid therefrom and a deflector for intercepting and guiding the quench fluid jet onto the top of the heated surface portion of the workpiece. The spacing of the outlet end horizontally from the heated workpiece surface portion prevents the falling thereonto and contacting therewith of any drippage of residual quench fluid from the outlet end following shut-off of the supply of quench fluid thereto and during subsequent inductive reheating of the quench hardened surface portion to temper it.