Abstract: A timed feeder for feeding corrugated boards to nip rolls of a box finishing machine. An indexing drive mechanism, driven by a computer-controlled servo motor, activates a feed member and has a feed phase when it drives the board to the nip rolls, and a dwell phase when the feed member is away from the feed path and the output shaft of the indexing mechanism is at zero velocity. During the feed phase, the output shaft of the indexing mechanism accelerates the feed member and the board beyond the nip roll velocity and then decelerates them to the nip roll velocity at the point where the board enters the nip rolls. During the dwell phase the input shaft is either accelerated or decelerated to change the duration of the cycle.

Abstract: A bird-deterrent device including a hub with fingers radiating from the hub to prevent or inhibit birds from perching on the top of a sailboat mast. In one embodiment, the hub is mounted to the top of a mast by a fastener which also secures a post of a wind indicator having a vane rotatable on the post to indicate wind direction. In another embodiment, the hub is mounted or fixed about the post of the wind indicator. In another embodiment the hub is fixed to a post which is connected to the halyard to be raised above or lowered below the mast.

Abstract: A timed feeder for feeding corrugated boards to nip rolls of a box finishing machine. A feed member is raised to the feed path to engage and drive a board to the nip rolls and then lowered away from the feed path until the next cycle. An indexing drive mechanism, driven by a computer-controlled servo motor, activates the feed member and has a feed phase when it drives the board to the nip rolls, and a dwell phase when the feed member is away from the feed path and the output shaft of the indexing mechanism is at zero velocity. During the feed phase, the output shaft of the indexing mechanism accelerates the feed member and the board beyond the nip roll velocity and then decelerates them to the nip roll velocity at the point where the board enters the nip rolls.

Abstract: A motor mount for a watercraft having a frame of tubular construction fixed to the stern of the watercraft to space the motor from the stern. The frame includes a pair of vertical legs receiving a yoke slidable along the legs. The motor is fixed to the yoke to be raised or lowered by a cable connected to the yoke. The frame includes a horizontal mounting member which also serves to provide a step for boarding or deboarding the watercraft.

Abstract: A corrugated box finishing machine has a station where dust, debris and other particles are cleaned from the corrugated boards before they are conveyed to the printing station. Electrostatic charges on the particles are neutralized by a static bar and the particles are then removed from the boards by a rotating brush. The particles are drawn into a vacuum chamber underlying the path of conveyance of the boards, and the static bar is positioned in an enclosure in proximity to the boards but isolated from the vacuum in the vacuum chamber. The enclosure has surfaces which direct the particles away from the static bar which is oriented to further minimize contact with the removed particles. The cleaning brush includes a plurality of brush sections mounted on a rotatable shaft made from carbon fiber material.

Abstract: A computer network is used to manage and monitor operation of a box-finishing machine which prints information on and cuts or creases corrugated boards to be formed into boxes. The equipment used on the machine is provided with radio frequency information tags detected by an electronic reader which transmits the identification to a computer so that it can be determined by an operator that sufficient equipment is in storage and staging areas for use on the machine. Several computer terminals are provided at different areas throughout a plant so that access is easily provided to different personnel.

Abstract: A rotary die cutter mechanism for cutting and/or creasing corrugated boards including a rotatable die cylinder with a cutting die, and a rotatable anvil against which the corrugated boards are cut as they pass between the die cylinder and the anvil. A computer is used to determine how much the speed of the anvil should be changed to compensate for changes in the diameter of the anvil so that the boards are cut to the desired dimension. A fine adjustment of the size of the boards to be cut is made by providing information to the computer representative of the specific die being used. The computer then calculates an adjusted speed of the anvil to cut the boards to the desired dimension, and then sends a signal to a motor for changing the speed of the anvil to the adjusted speed calculated by the computer.

Abstract: A flexible jacket for a vacuum blower having rotatable blades in a blade housing. The jacket is made from heavy duty, substantially impenetrable, bullet resistant material such as KEVLAR brand sheet material which is placed about the blade housing to prevent any severed and flying rotor blades from entering the atmosphere through the blade housing. The configuration of the jacket is formed to match the blade housing and to enable the jacket to be easily retro-fitted onto existing vacuum blowers or other blade housings and secured in place about the blade housing.

Abstract: Paperboard sheets are fed by a feeder including driven wheels which engage the lowermost sheet of a stack and drive it through the nip rolls of a box-finishing machine in synchronism with the latter. Supporting the sheets is a grate moveable between a raised position wherein the wheels are spaced from the sheet and a lowered position wherein the lowermost sheet engages the wheels and is fed thereby to the nip rolls. Below the grate is a vacuum box for holding the sheet on the wheels. Raising and lowering of the grate is effected by a cam which may be adjusted to vary the feed stroke in accordance with the length of the sheets. For driving the wheels there is provided a dual input drive mechanism including a constant velocity such that when the wheels initially engage the sheet, the wheels are at nearly zero or absolute zero velocity and subsequently the wheels reach a constant velocity for driving the sheet at said constant velocity which is matched with the surface velocity of the nip rolls.

Abstract: A rotary die cuter for a box making machine has an abrading cylinder mounted for rotation alongside the anvil for engaging and resurfacing the blanket of the anvil on a virtually continuous basis to smooth, level and even the surface of the blanket. This resurfacing occurs during normal operation of the rotary die cutter so no production is lost. The abrading cylinder has a sheet layer of abrasive material spirally wrapped on the surface of the cylinder and bonded thereto with adhesive material on the backside of the sheet layer. The abrading cylinder is movable towards or away from the anvil by a servo motor and gearbox. The position of the abrading cylinder relative to the anvil is determined by an encoder which sends the information to a computer or programmable controller which calculates the changing diameter of the blanket and the amount of speed change that must be imparted to the anvil to compensate for its changing diameter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing container board having a corrugated medium and at least one liner formed thereon for folding which comprises a tool for displacing in a non-destructive manner the corrugated medium and the liner in a portion of the board to form a curved indentation therein. The device includes a separate tool for forming a line of weakness in the liner along the curved indentation portion of the board. This arrangement increases the dimensional accuracy of the container board by substantially eliminating the occurrences of “false” score lines or rolling scores.

Abstract: Method and device for operating a bicycle having a sprocket and pedals connected to the sprocket for rotating the sprocket during downstrokes and upstrokes of the pedals. The method and device include elastic members worn on the legs such that the elastic members will stretch on the downstroke of the pedals to generate energy and contract on the upstroke to release the energy for assisting the legs to rotate the pedals and in turn the sprocket. For a given cycle and cyclist, greater speeds of the cycle may be obtained by the cyclist. The elastic members are constructed and dimensioned such that about 3 to 12 pounds of tension is created in them during the downstroke of the pedals. Similar members may be worn on the feet to generate energy and transfer it to the feet again to enhance speed of operation of the bicycle.

Abstract: A lumbar exercise machine having an adjustable pad assembly for engaging the legs above and below the knees while the legs extend generally forward with the feet against a foot rest and the knees bent so that the thighs and calves form an obtuse angle. A lock mechanism is provided to secure the pad assembly in the aforementioned position with the femurs restrained against movement so that the hips, buttocks and thighs cannot move during the exercise. The exerciser then moves his back against a movement arm in opposition to a resistance mechanism connected to the movement arm. The machine is adjustable to properly position a particular user for the exercise. One machine for home use utilizes dead weights plus the user's weight as the resistance mechanism while another machine for commercial use utilizes a compound weight stack as the resistance mechanism.

Abstract: An existing box-making machine is retrofitted by first removing the pull rolls and impression cylinder and other associated parts and cross-ties. However, the heavy duty side frames and drums, including the print cylinder are left intact in the box-making machine. A vacuum transfer machine is then inserted in the box-making machine and mounted to the existing frame to replace the pull rolls that were removed. The vacuum transfer machine includes a hood enclosure having an impression cylinder for printing, and transport rolls on opposite sides of the impression cylinder for conveying the corrugated boards through the impression and print cylinders and to the die cutter. The boards are held against the transport rolls and the impression cylinder by vacuum generated in a vacuum chamber in the hood which also contains the transport rolls and the impression cylinder. The vacuum chamber contains a plurality of vacuum dampers for controlling the vacuum area in accordance with the size of the boards being processed.

Abstract: A mast mounting system for vehicles and shelters which utilizes at least two clamp bracket assemblies mounted to the vehicle or shelter such that during transit and storage the mast is positioned at an incline with its front end located just behind the front end of the vehicle or shelter. Each clamp bracket assembly includes a clamp having upper and lower members which wrap around the mast. The upper clamp member has an inside surface lined with a high friction material while the lower clamp member has an inside surface lined with a very low friction material which receives the mast and allows it to be easily slid backwards or forwards when the clamps are in open position. When the clamps are in closed position, the upper clamp member prevents relative movement of the mast and the clamp assembly. One of the clamp bracket assemblies is mounted for adjustable movement about horizontal and vertical axes.

Abstract: A leg extension exercise machine having a movement arm engaged by the legs for moving the movement arm between a retracted position and an extended position. The movement arm has a vertically adjustable foot bar for holding the feet and preventing downward movement of the feet during the exercise. Resistance to the exercise is provided by a weight arm having one or more weight plates mounted thereon and pivotally connected to the movement arm. The prop is pivotally mounted to the fixed frame of the machine for movement between an extended position holding the weight arm in a raised position to facilitate entry to and exit from the machine by the exerciser. The prop arm is moveable by the exerciser into a retracted position for storage by means of a handle.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for testing the muscle strength of a subject wherein both static and dynamic strength tests are conducted on the subject during which forces exerted by the muscles are measured by devices which are connected to a computer and a display screen for displaying the strength of the muscles at different positions of a subject's body part. In the dynamic strength test, the subject moves a movement arm by exerting the muscles to be tested. The movement arm is connected to a resistance weight to oppose movement by the subject. In the static strength test, the movement arm is fixed in position and the subject exerts a body part against the movement arm upon exertion of the muscles to be tested. Force and angle measuring devices are connected to the movement arm and the computer for enabling the muscle strength to be displayed in terms of torque at various angular positions of the body part.

Abstract: A leg press machine includes a movement arm including a footboard and a pair of links pivotally mounting the footboard to a frame for movement by an exerciser's feet. A resistance arm is mounted to the fame and connected by a link to one of said pair of links. One or more free weight plates are mounted to the resistance arm which provides a predetermined resistance to the movement arm. The frame has a rack for mounting weight plates at a height at the level of the waist-chest area of the exerciser to facilitate movement of the weight plates between the rack and resistance arm. A prop is provided on the frame for holding the weight arm in the raised position to facilitate entry to and exit from the machine.