Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out serial control and a method of controlling the apparatus wherein the apparatus and the method are employable for a centralized control system for various machinery such as press, machine tool, ship, aircraft or the like machine as well as a centralized control system for unmanned conveyor, unmanned warehouse or the like installation. The apparatus comprises a plurality of nodes connected in series one after another and a main controller connected to the nodes. A data row length of data included in a signal from the node at the preceding stage is counted by a data row length counter and the counted data row length is compared with data row length data included in the signal from the node at the preceding stage. When the counted data row length does not coincide with a data row length representative of the data row length data, this non-coincidence is determined as a data row length abnormality thereby to generate an error signal.

Abstract: An applicator is shown for applying a thin coating of stippled plaster or stucco to a ceiling or wall structure. The applicator includes an elongated tubular member that has an open top and is fitted with a piston having an elongated handle that is attached to its underside. The plaster compound is loaded into the tubular member on top of the piston. A porous cover in the form of a net material of fine mesh is fastened over the top end of the tubular member. The plaster compound may be extruded through the porous cover by moving the handle towards the surface to be stippled so as to bring the cover and the top edge of the tubular member into engagement with the said surface.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of retreading a tire by inserting a tire and an annular bladder between a pair of open matrices with marginal portions of the bladder projecting beyond beads of the tire and resting upon peripheral edge portions of axially opposed bead aligner wheels; the annular bladder being disposed within the tire; inflating the bladder to form an annular vacuum gap between an annular terminal edge of each bladder marginal portion, an annular outboard portion of each bladder and opposing annular portions of the bead aligner wheel peripheral edge portions; radially foreshortening the tire by moving the bead aligner wheels away from each other while the tire is held thereon by the bladder, and thereafter closing the matrices, and further inflating the bladder to urge the tire into intimate conformity with the matrices.