Abstract: A work holding clamp for a four hole button sewing machine includes a button holding foot formed with a needle accommodating aperture having an hourglass shape with four recesses arranged at the corners of a square pattern graphically to indicate to an operator the proper hole orientation.

Abstract: A presser attachment device for implementing needle feed in which a presser foot is elevated when a sewing needle is in engagement with work material to facilitate lateral shift thereof by the sewing needle. The presser foot is supported on one end of a substantially centrally pivoted presser foot carrier lever, the other end of which is formed with a gear segment. A pinion and ratchet combination is supported on one end of a pinion carrier lever, the other end of which is carried on the presser foot carrier lever pivot and has a pinion portion thereof in engagement with the gear segment. A combined cam and pawl is provided in which a pawl portion is in engagement with a ratchet portion of the combined pinion and ratchet when the sewing needle extends through the work material so as to lock the pinion against further rotation, depress the pinion and rotate the presser foot carrier lever to elevate the presser foot out of contact with the work material.

Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter which has markedly improved performance as a result of precise control over the geometry and dimensions of the rotating elements and the fluid flow path. In particular, the outer diameter of the gate is the maximum possible which still allows the crescent to have an arc about the rotor axis which is sufficient to enclose the radial center lines of any adjacent pair of rotor vanes.

Abstract: An electronically controlled household sewing machine includes an arrangement for needle positioning. The machine responds to a tap of the foot controller for stopping the sewing machine at the next change of state of the armshaft timing signal.

Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter which has markedly improved performance as a result of precise control over the geometry and dimensions of the rotating elements and the fluid flow path. In particular, the outer diameter of the gate is maximized and the inlet and outlet passages of the meter are shaped to perpendicularly intersect the rotor vanes when the vanes are sealing against the respective ends of the meter crescent. Furthermore, the inlet and outlet passages each have a total cross-sectional area substantially equal to a vane area to provide substantially constant fluid velocity.

Abstract: An in-line sander for hand held operation and having a housing in which a rotating electric motor drives a drive shaft to rotate on a first axis, with a second axis of the drive shaft canted to the first axis and supporting a bearing thereon. A wobble housing is supported on the bearing to orbit therewith, the wobble housing having an arm extending to a platen support and extensibly and pivotably connected to a portion thereof. This orbiting of the wobble housing influences motion of the platen support in accordance with the angle of the cone described by the second axis of the drive shaft. The platen support is made of a resilient material and carried by the housing on legs extending to a base portion, which legs have a low moment of inertia in the direction of in-line sanding, and a high moment of inertia normal to the direction of in-line sanding, so as to be disposed to motion in the in-line sanding path only.

Abstract: An internal gate rotary vane fluid meter is provided with a direct gearless drive between the rotor and the gate mounted on parallel displaced shafts inside a housing. A plurality of timing discs mounted on the rotor are utilized for drivingly coupling and synchronizing the gate to the rotor.

Abstract: A cushion element for a solenoid armature is an elongated unitary member formed of a resilient material having a head portion at one end and a tail portion extending therefrom, the tail portion being formed with a protuberance spaced from the head portion. The solenoid stop member is formed with a bore through which the tail portion of the cushion element is inserted, the length of the bore being substantially equal to the distance between the head portion and the protuberance so that the cushion is locked in place by the combination of the head portion and the protuberance.

Abstract: An incremental optical position sensing system utilizes a single laser beam and an out of focus grating which is between a pair of lenses whose focal planes coincide. The scanning laser beam passes through the first lens, scans the grating, passes through the second lens and impinges upon a pair of sensors. The phase correlation between the signals from the sensors is used to determine the direction of motion of the laser beam and an up/down counter is utilized to accumulate the absolute position of the beam.

Abstract: An improved cartridge and receptacle therefor for use with an electronically controlled appliance includes within the receptacle a vertically movable platform having a pivoting door. A printed circuit board extends upwardly within the appliance housing and acts as a terminal member connected to electronic circuitry within the appliance. The cartridge includes a pair of outwardly extending prongs which fit into openings in the top of the platform to release spring biased latches which otherwise maintain the platform in its upper position. A camming surface on the platform door cooperates with the circuit board to pivot the door away from an elongated opening in the platform when the platform is lowered and the printed circuit board extends through that elongated opening into an elongated opening within the cartridge, where it causes a spring biased door to be pivoted inwardly. The printed circuit board enters a connector within the cartridge which is coupled to circuitry mounted within the cartridge.

Abstract: An in-line sander for hand held operation and having a housing in which a rotating electric motor drives a drive shaft to rotate on a first axis, with a second axis of the drive shaft canted to the first axis and supporting a bearing thereon. A wobble housing is supported on the bearing to orbit therewith, the wobble housing having an arm extending to a platen support and extensibly and pivotably connected to a portion thereof. This orbiting of the wobble housing influences motion of the platen support in accordance with the angle of the cone described by the second axis of the drive shaft. The platen support is made of a resilient material and carried by the housing on legs extending to a base portion, which legs have a low moment of inertia in the direction of in-line sanding, and a high moment of inertia normal to the direction of in-line sanding, so as to be disposed to motion in the in-line sanding path only.

Abstract: A hollow looptaker shaft which has a spindle rotatable therein and which is of a material susceptible to local deformation under pressure is fitted with a steel sleeve that is prevented from rotating relative to the shaft, and a gear for use in rotating the shaft is affixed to the sleeve with a set screw.

Abstract: An in-line sander for hand held operation and having a housing in which a rotating electric motor drives a drive shaft to rotate on a first axis, with a second axis of the drive shaft canted to the first axis and supporting a bearing thereon. A wobble housing is supported on the bearing to orbit therewith, the wobble housing having an arm extending to a platen support and extensibly and pivotably connected to a portion thereof. This orbiting of the wobble housing influences motion of the platen support in accordance with the angle of the cone described by the second axis of the drive shaft. The platen support is made of a resilient material and carried by the housing on legs extending to a base portion, which legs have a low moment of inertia in the direction of in-line sanding, and a high moment of inertia normal to the direction of in-line sanding, so as to be disposed to motion in the in-line sanding path only.

Abstract: A work clamp shifting mechanism for a four hole button sewing machine in which operator influenced cam shifts the work holding jaws between two detent retained positions and also releases the thread tension during each shift between detent positions to defer the work from being disoriented in the work holding jaws.

Abstract: A pressure switch has a solid piston sealed by a Kapseal and O-ring actuating a spring locator to compress a main spring and then a secondary (optional) spring. The locator actuates a slow moving end of a snap switch blade. The slow moving end has a contact which opens a low voltage circuit and then the snap switch end of the blade is actuated to open another circuit. This attains a single pole make make operation with sequencing assured.

Abstract: An electrical transducer connected to a computer-based system is temperature compensated by providing an assembly including the transducer, which assembly further includes a temperature transducer and a coding element providing a signal which is decoded by the computer to specify the zero shifts and sensitivity changes of the transducer at high and low temperature extremes.

Abstract: An electric motor is supported at one end on a molded plastic electrically non-conducting housing which is slidably mounted on the metallic frame of a sewing machine at the base and which is biased toward the base of a compression spring to set tension in a belt through which the motor drives a pulley on the arm shaft of the sewing machine.

Abstract: The inlet and outlet tubes on each side of the valve body are connected to the valve body by a notched plate engaging the shoulder upset from the tube. The upset forms a metal-to-metal seal against the seat in the body while the O-ring engages the wall of the flared section of the inlet leading to the smaller bore which receives the end of the tube.

Abstract: The timing cam is advanced for switching purposes by the large reciprocating pawl acting on the ratchet teeth molded on the timing cam. When the program requires a timed period during which conditions remain the same the ratchet teeth are spaced so the pawl cannot pick up the next tooth until the cam is advanced by the small pawl acting on the separate ratchet provided with small, closely spaced teeth. This ratchet has a pinion gear driving the ring gear molded inside the timing cam. The steps imparted to the timing cam by the small pawl and ratchet are very small and consume appreciable time--the length of time taken to position the next tooth for engagement by the large pawl being determined by the space between the large teeth.

Abstract: A microcomputer-based electronic controller for a dishwasher utilizes a motor driven timing cam for selectively energizing the electromechanical components of the dishwasher. An internal diagnostic routine in the microcomputer insures that the timing cam is advanced when the microcomputer calls for power to be applied to the motor.