Abstract: A vacuum device is provided for use with a textile processing machine having a rotating roller with cleaning locations. The device has a vacuum generator, a main vacuum line operatively associated with the vacuum generator, a plurality of individual vacuum lines, and a vacuum control valve. Each of the individual vacuum lines has at least one cleaning opening. Each of the cleaning openings is for positioning at one of the cleaning locations. The vacuum generator creates a first vacuum at the upstream side of the vacuum control valve when the vacuum control valve is in one operating position, and a second vacuum at the upstream side of the vacuum control valve when the vacuum control valve is in a secondary operating position. The second vacuum is stronger than the first vacuum.

Abstract: An apparatus for regulating fiber quantities to be supplied to a carding machine. The apparatus includes a duct in which the fiber material is pneumatically advanced; a feed mechanism to advance fiber material to the duct at a variable flow rate; a regulator connected to the feed mechanism for varying the flow rate; a pressure sensor disposed in the duct; an arrangement for generating first electric signals representing actual pressure values detected by the pressure sensor; an arrangement for differentiating the first signals over time to obtain second electric signals for correcting the first electric signals to obtain third electric signals representing corrected actual pressure values; and an arrangement for applying the third signals to the regulator for varying the flow rate of the fiber material, advanced by the feed mechanism, as a function of the signals.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for optically detecting the measurements, in particular the diameters, of a long object during or after its production, which object moves forward continuously at high speed in lengthwise direction. With this method, one light beam intersects with the object at a measuring location at a flat angle (&agr;) and a second light beam intersects with the object at the same measuring location at a flat angle (&bgr;) and the shadows formed in the process are detected. The light beams are offset relative to each other in the cross-sectional plane that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the object by a specific angle (&ggr;), and the angle (&agr;) corresponds to the angle (&bgr;) and preferably measures 10 to 40°, in particular essentially 20°.

Abstract: Apparatus for increasing the permeabilities of central portions of tubular wrappers which form part of successive filter cigarettes of double unit length being turned out by a tipping machine. The central portions of the wrappers include adhesive-coated uniting bands which are convoluted around filter mouthpieces in a first portion of a rolling channel for successive filter cigarettes. A perforating unit which employs laser beams is set up to simultaneously perforate the central portions of the wrappers of several successive cigarettes in a second portion which immediately follows or partially overlaps the first portion of the channel. Each wrapper can be provided with two or more annular arrays of perforations.

Abstract: A carding machine includes clothed rolls for processing and carrying fiber material thereon; an arrangement for separating lightweight waste from the fiber material processed by the clothed rolls; a conduit for receiving the lightweight waste; an air stream generating arrangement for generating an air flow in the conduit for removing the lightweight waste; an adjusting device for varying a degree of carding intensity of the carding machine; and a detecting device for measuring quantities of the lightweight waste produced at a respective degree of carding intensity.

Abstract: A packaging foil is continuously withdrawn from a supply. The foil is folded around the products to be packaged. Cut-off lengths of closing profile sections are inserted with a feed unit between the two longitudinal edges of the foil. In a sealing station, the two longitudinal edges of the foil are sealed together and the foil is then sealed onto the closing profile sections. In another sealing station, transverse sealing seams are formed between the free ends of successive closing profile sections and the tube is cut approximately in the center of the transverse seams. A high packaging output is achieved as a result of the continuous withdrawal of the foil.

Abstract: A device for use with a fiber processing machine is provided. The device has a rotating cylinder, a fiber material feeding device that feeds fibers to the cylinder, an air duct that extends essentially tangential to the cylinder in a fiber-removal zone, an airflow creating device coupled to the air duct and creating an airflow in the air duct, and at least two adjustable airflow adjustment elements arranged inside the air duct in the fiber-removal zone.

Abstract: An inflator for an air-bag has two gas chambers mounted on a central block (1). The central block defines passages leading from the gas chambers to the air-bag, but the passages are initially sealed by closures . An ignitor mounted on the block can generate hot gas to move an actuating element in a predetermined direction, the actuating element having a conical face which acts on inclined faces of two opening elements which are thus moved apart to rupture the closures to permit gas to flow from the chambers into the air-bag. Finally gas from the ignitor can also flow through a passage into the air-bag to ignite the mixed gases from the two gas chambers.

Abstract: A safety device for use in a motor vehicle includes a restraining element in the form of a net (4) initially stored within a housing (3) extending across the entire upper edge of a windscreen (2). Pull cords (5, 6) attached to the edges of the net extend downwardly past guides (7, 8) located adjacent the lower edges of the windscreen to a centrally located drive mechanism (9). Further pull cords (10, 11) extend from positions more towards the central part of the lower edge of the net, and initially extend around the outer periphery of the windscreen being retained by a yieldable mechanism. The pull cords (10, 11) pass guides (14, 15) located adjacent the lower edge of the windscreen (2) and thus to the drive mechanism (9). The drive mechanism applies such a tension to the pull cords (5, 6, 10, 11) that the net is drawn to a position in which it extends tautly across the windscreen (2) in response to an accident situation.

Abstract: In an arrangement for reducing noise level in a tobacco-processing production machine having an operator region and reflection surfaces facing the operator region, sound-damping material is disposed on the reflection surfaces facing the operator region.

Abstract: A fiber cleaning device is provided for use with a carding machine having a rotating clothing cylinder, a housing surrounding the cylinder, and an opening in the housing for removing impurities. The device has a separating knife with a knife edge for locating in the opening and directed counter to a rotational direction of the cylinder, and a pressure regulating element installed downstream, in the rotational direction of the cylinder, of the separating knife. The pressure regulating element is for adjusting a pressure between the housing and the cylinder such that fiber material accumulation on the knife edge is promoted.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the presence. of steps and pallets of an escalator or moving walkway, such that missing steps or pallets are immediately detected, so that the drive will be stopped before the missing or defective part reaches the visible area of the escalator or moving walkway.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and device for recognizing distribution data on postal packets, small packages or journals during the automatic mail processing, especially to systems by which the automatic handwritten adress recognition process is supplemented and improved by video coding. The distribution data are written on various backgrounds, including pattern backgrounds. After a first unsuccessful optical character recognition attempt, the complete surface of the postal packet is displayed with a grid on a videocoding-screen. Once a picture segment has been selected which contains a larger part of the distribution data, the operator submits an image portion containing said picture segment and the adjacent areas to a new optical character assessment, while making sure that all the data area is included in the image portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for charging containers with a flat item stack, includes a supply conveyor; intermediate containers; and a transporting device carrying the intermediate containers into first and second stations. In the first station an item stack is loaded from the supply conveyor into the intermediate container, and in the second station an item stack is loaded from the intermediate container into a packaging container supported in the second station. A device rotates each intermediate container about an axis perpendicular to the advancing direction of the items on the supply conveyor from a first angular position into a second angular position and then back into the first angular position during travel of the intermediate container from the first station into the second station and back into the first station. A removing device in the second station carries away a filled packaging container.

Abstract: A fuzzy logic based classification (FLBC) method for the automated discrimination of objects and the automated identification of nodules based on their features, a computer programmed to implement the method, and a storage medium which stores a program for implementing the method, wherein nodule (or, object) features are first normalized and then automatically selected. Based on the selected features, suspect nodules (or, objects) are pre-grouped and then subjected to the corresponding trained linear classifier to remove those false positive nodules or abnormal objects that are linearly separable. Finally, the remaining suspect nodules or objects are further subjected to a trained fuzzy classifier for removing those false positive nodules or abnormal objects that are not linearly separable.