Abstract: Apparatus for filling discrete open or valve type bags with metered quantities of flowable bulk material has a gravity flow duct the upper end of which receives metered quantities of bulk material and the lower end of which discharges successive metered quantities into discrete bags. The rate of gravity flow of bulk material in the duct is regulatable by an adjustable flow restrictor which is adjusted, each time a different bulk material is gathered into metered quantities, in such a way that the rate of flow is just below that rate which causes the descending material to clog the duct. This is ascertained by starting with an adjustment at a rate well below that which results in clogging and by stepwise increasing the rate until the period of discharge of a metered quantity abruptly increases to thus indicate that the duct is being clogged.

Abstract: Apparatus for testing the brake system of a motor vehicle has a housing which can be coupled to the rails for the driver's seat and supports a drive for a reciprocable depressing unit for the brake pedal. The depressing unit has a rear section which is movable by the drive and a front section which is movable with and relative to the rear section. When a cap at the front end of the front section engages and depresses the pedal, the cap is first moved against the opposition of a weak coil spring relative to a rear portion of the front section to thus close a switch in the circuit of two potentiometers, and the front section is thereupon moved relative to the rear section against the opposition of a helical compression coil spring. One of the potentiometers measures the distance which is covered by the rear section and the other potentiometer measures the distance which is covered by the front section relative to the rear section of the depressing unit.

Abstract: A running web the upper side of which is coated with one or more films containing a volatile substance is heated from below in a housing which contains a driven cooled condensing roller in the space above the path for the web. The vaporous substance which is expelled as a result of heating of the web is condensed on the peripheral surface of the cooled roller, and the film of condensate is stripped off the peripheral surface to enter an evacuating trough. The rate of condensation can be regulated by changing the rotational speed of the roller in dependency upon variations of pressure of vaporous substance above the running web and/or in dependency on the monitored rate of escape of vaporous substance into the atmosphere.

Abstract: Apparatus for singularizing stacked paper sheets has a rotary withdrawing conveyor with an annulus of equidistant satellites having suction cups which attract successive lowermost sheets of a stack in a magazine adjacent a first portion of an endless path for the satellites. The satellites deliver the sheets into a second portion of the endless path where the leaders of the sheets are caused to project radially outwardly and to enter the spaces between the open jaws of grippers which are transported by an endless chain in such a way that a gripper which is about to receive a sheet is moved at the speed of the oncoming sheet-carrying satellite and in the same direction. The satellites have discs cooperating with an endless band serving to gradually release a sheet which is in the process of advancing with a gripper.

Abstract: A gate valve has a housing which accommodates a valve seat as well as a valving element designed to cooperate with the valve seat. The valving element is mounted on a stem which extends through a cover of the housing and functions to move the valving element into and out of engagement with the seat. A sealing unit for the stem is located adjacent the cover and includes a deep drawn, sheet metal carrier which is mounted on the housing and has a central socket. The stem passes through the socket, and the sealing unit further includes one or more sleeve-like seals which are disposed in the socket and surround the stem. The carrier has a flange which extends outwards from the socket to the housing wall. A corrugation is formed in the flange and abuts the housing wall to thereby center the carrier.

Abstract: A photographic scanner has a light source for illuminating a photographic original to be scanned and a sensor for detecting light which has passed through the original. The sensor has a single row of sensing cells, and the original is scanned by moving the sensor and the original relative to one another in a direction perpendicular to the row. An objective serves to focus light from the original on the sensing cells. Between the objective and the sensor is a protective glass sheet which overlies the sensor. A mask is interposed between the protective sheet and the sensor and has a slit in register with the row of sensing cells. The mask reduces the amount of scattered light reaching the sensing cells.

Abstract: A cross cutter for a running web of paper which is transported along a horizontal path has an upper rotary knife holder above and a lower rotary knife holder below the horizontal path. The holders carry knives which extend transversely of the path, and each holder further carries an elastic lip-shaped deflector which is located behind the respective knife and serves to maintain the leader of the web behind the separated length of the web in or close to the path so that the leader can enter a transporting unit which advances the severed lengths of the web to a stacking or other processing station. The lower deflector is installed immediately behind and the upper deflector is spaced apart from the rear side of the respective knife.

Abstract: A continuous web of paper is subdivided into a series of discrete webs of finite length, and successive discrete webs of the series are provided with looped sections in zig-zag formation. Successive discrete webs of the series are moved forwardly and away from the next-following webs of the series while advancing toward a stacking station to thus establish between successive discrete webs gaps of predetermined width. The making of gaps involves advancing the discrete webs with the upper reaches of three parallel foraminous endless belt conveyors which attract the webs and move them toward the stacking station. The median belt conveyor is accelerated when it is approached by the trailing end of a discrete web and then advances the trailing end at a speed exceeding the speed of the other conveyors and of the leader of the next-following discrete web.

Abstract: Apparatus for copying the images of selected frames on sections of exposed and developed roll films or of diapositives has a set of advancing rolls or a reciprocable pusher to move a film section or a diapositive from a discrete first portion of a first path into a second portion which terminates at the copying station, and thereupon from a first portion of a second path (such first portion is common to the second portion of the first path) into a discrete portion of the second path. A switching device is located at the junction of the first and second portions of the first path to prevent copied film sections or diapositives from reentering the first portion of the first path on their way away from the copying station. This renders it possible to introduce a fresh film section or a fresh diapositive into the first portion of the first path while a film section or a diapositive is located at the copying station or is on the way toward the discharge end of the second path.

Abstract: A clutch plate wherein the input member carries friction linings and the output member includes a flange which is connected to a hub by a first damper. A second or main damper has a set of weaker and a set of stronger coil springs which are received in windows of the carrier and flange. The carrier is provided with projections which are receivable in circumferentially extending recesses of the flange to limit the extent of movability of the carrier and flange relative to each other from a neutral position to either of two end positions which can be reached by turning the carrier and the flange in opposite directions or by turning the carrier or the flange relative to the flange or carrier in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The recesses are provided in weakened sections of the flange between neighboring windows for stronger and weaker springs.

Abstract: A formwork panel has a face plate which is mounted on a frame made up of structural shapes. The panel is reinforced by a set of spaced, parallel reinforcing beams mounted on the back of the face plate. Additional beams are disposed between selected pairs of reinforcing beams. The additional beams are perpendicular to the reinforcing beams and are spaced from the frame. Each additional beam is provided with an opening which registers with a corresponding opening in the face plate. The registering openings receive tie rods which connect two facing formwork panels to one another so as to define a pouring space for concrete.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting torque between the output element of an internal combustion engine and the input element of a variable-speed transmission in a motor vehicle has a first flywheel which is screwed or bolted to the output element and a second flywheel which is coaxial with and rotatable relative to the first flywheel and is connected to the input element by the clutch plate of a friction clutch. One or more dampers are provided in a lubricant-containing annular chamber of the first flywheel to oppose rotation of the flywheels relative to each other, and each damper has an annulus of arcuate coil springs acting in the circumferential direction of the flywheels. The cover of the clutch has stressing arms which extend into the chamber and engage the springs.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmission of torque between the crankshaft of an engine and the input shaft of a variable-speed transmission in a motor vehicle has a primary flywheel with a membrane which is connectable to the crankshaft, a secondary flywheel which is connectable to the input shaft by way of a friction clutch, a damper with circumferentially acting coil springs in an annular chamber of the first flywheel radially outwardly of the membrane, and torque transmitting arms which are carried by the second flywheel and alternate with the coil springs of the damper. A slip clutch can be installed between the torque transmitting arms and the second flywheel to limit the magnitude of transmittable torque.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending a laminated thermoplastic sheet without displacing the lamina relative to one another includes a clamp which functions to hold the sheet during the bending procedure. A support is disposed adjacent the clamp and has a curved surface for forming a bend in the sheet and a flat surface which constitutes an abutment for the part of the sheet being bent. The support is adjustable to vary the angle of bending. A bending device for the sheet comprises a carriage having a bending roller, and a ram whose size approximates that of the flat abutment surface. The sheet is clamped with a portion thereof projecting freely above the flat abutment surface and heated. The bending roller thereupon forces the sheet against the curved surface to bend the sheet and then moves across the projecting portion of the sheet to urge such portion into engagement with the flat abutment surface.

Abstract: A coupling device which can be used as a clasp to connect the ends of chains, bracelets, necklaces or other articles of jewelry has a male component including a shank which can be inserted into the passage of a tubular or disc-shaped female component whereby the shoulders at the rear side of the front end portion of the shank engage adjacent shoulders of the female component to prevent unintentional extraction of the shank. The shank or the female component has one or more resilient sections which can be engaged and deformed by one or more stressing portions of the other component in response to rotation of at least one component relative to the other component to thus ensure that the size of the passage is temporarily increased or the dimensions of the front end portion of the shank are reduced in order to permit extraction of the shank from the female component.

Abstract: An ionizable gas is accommodated in an ionization chamber having a first end and a second end which is spaced from the first end and is an outlet of the chamber. A first electrode is disposed at the first end and a second electrode in the form of a fine grating or grid is disposed at the second end. The electrodes are connected to a source of radio frequency current which is capable of establishing a potential difference of such magnitude between the electrodes as to ionize the gas. The gas is at a low pressure so that ionization of the gas produces a low-pressure plasma. The area of the first electrode is selected to be so much larger than the area of the second electrode that the magnitude of the voltage drop between the plasma and the first electrode is negligible compared to the voltage drop between the plasma and the second electrode. The positive ions resulting from ionization of the gas are accelerated towards the second electrode and travel through the same towrds an object to be bombarded.

Abstract: The filling valve in a counterpressure filling apparatus for admission of liquids into bottles or other types of containers having open upper ends is provided with a sleeve which can descend toward an empty container below the valve and carries a deformable internal annular sealing element which is movable into sealing engagement with the external surface of the open end to center the container. The sealing element is thereupon acted upon by a gaseous fluid to bear against the external surface and to establish a reliable seal during subsequent or simultaneous admission of a pressurized gaseous fluid which precedes the admission of a metered quantity of liquid whereby the liquid expels the gaseous fluid along the same path which serves for admission of pressurized gaseous fluid into the container.

Abstract: A photographic copier has an adjustable masking device for masking a master to be reproduced. To determine whether masking is required and, if so, the degree of masking, the density of the master is measured and is then forwarded to a logic circuit which can make the determination. In a first mode of operation, masked and unmasked images of the master are displayed side-by-side on a pair of monitors so that an operator can make adjustments to the mask calculated by the logic circuit. The operator here controls the copying cycle. In a second mode of operation, the copying cycle is automated and the logic circuit decides whether masking is required by calculating a degree of masking and comparing the degree of masking with a relatively low reference value set by the operator. The master is copied without a mask when the calculated degree of masking is less than the reference value. If a copy made by masking is unsatisfactory, the operator can adjust or deactivate the logic circuit and make a new copy.