Abstract: Embodiments of this invention, useful for removing articles cut from a sheet of flexible material include a gas transmissive conveyor belt that is brought into proximity to the exposed surface of the articles, a suction roll which backs the conveyor belt and has an internal vacuum and passageways for exposing said vacuum to the outer surface of the suction roll in configurations corresponding the leading portions of the articles, and means for causing the passageways to register substantially with the leading regions of the articles. Embodiments may also include passageways which are arcuately arrayed in groups, a cylindrical cutter roll for cutting out the articles from the sheet as it is being transported by a carrier surface, and/or a carrier surface in the form of a roll face.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention, useful for removing articles cut from a sheet of flexible material include a gas transmissive conveyor belt that is brought into proximity to the exposed surface of the articles, a suction roll which backs the conveyor belt and has an internal vacuum and passageways for exposing said vacuum to the outer surface of the suction roll in configurations corresponding the leading portions of the articles, and means for causing the passageways to register substantially with the leading regions of the articles. Embodiments may also include passageways which are arcuately arrayed in groups, a cylindrical cutter roll for cutting out the articles from the sheet as it is being transported by a carrier surface, and/or a carrier surface in the form of a roll face.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for removing palm hearts from the tapered and "meristem" sections of cut lengths of stalks of palm, each of which had included a large "meristem" section joined to a smaller diameter top section by an intermediate tapered section, and had a palm heart that runs the length of the stalk as a core member inside an intermediate layer that is surrounded by a thorny outer bark layer. After removel of the smaller diameter section from the remainder of the stalk, the remaining tapered and "meristem" sections are caused to be retentively positioned in coring means by which, backed by means for retaining the work piece in position, a coring knife moves substantially coaxially to the piece from one of its ends to core out and remove the palmheart core from the remainder of the work piece. Embodiments include such means per se and methods for carrying out the foregoing processes.

Abstract: Elongated, trough-like rain gutters devices and methods of making same are disclosed, made from material by which they and/or their constituent components are rendered (1) formable into desired natural configurations, (2) coilable in their long dimension after having been formed without substantial residual elastic deformation from their natural configurations, and (3) uncoilable. The material is substantially impervious to the passage of water and has residual memory by which, when unaffected by external influences, to resume the natural configurations. Thus, they may be coiled to facilitate shipping and handling and unrolled without substantial residual deformation. They may be comprise one or more constituent members. Those comprising more than one may include a wall-facing structure and a main body structure, each of which structures is made up from at least one member, with the constituent members in edge to edge seriatim arrays.

Abstract: For use in forming apparatus having a die element and a roll platen element that have parallel, facing, flat, and preferably horizontal surfaces and each of which has an associated mounting structure, toggle assemblies to alter the distance between the flat surfaces of those elements by moving one or both of them, and to positionally fix those surfaces at desired distances from each other. Each toggle assembly includes an obtusely angled toggle link, one end of which is pivotally interconnected with an associated motion actuator means. A second toggle link that is positioned across the exterior angle of the angled toggle link has one end that is pivotally affixed to the angled toggle link at a first pivot point located at the angle of the angled link. The other end of the second toggle link and the other end of the angled toggle link are pivotally interconnected to the element and with its associated mounting structure, in either order, at second and third pivot points.

Abstract: Devices for ceilings in which tiles are supported by a concealed suspension grid include channels and channel hangers that establish the ceiling level and support the suspension grid and, together with wall supports form the suspension grid. Each channel, in cross-section, is substantially "U" shaped and has a retaining tab portion positioned at one end of one of its legs that is oriented at right angles to that leg in the direction of the other leg. The tabbed leg may be shorter than the untabbed leg which may be substantially the same height as the depth of the edge grooves in the ceiling tiles. Each hanger is adapted for affixation to a support structure at one end, and has a channel-receiving aperture at its other end whose height when said hanger is vertically oriented is greater than the height of the retaining tab portion of the channels, and has a vertical slot in its floor that is deeper than the height of the retaining tab.

Abstract: Apparatus useful for removing articles cut from a sheet of flexible material includes a gas transmissive conveyor belt that is brought into proximity to the exposed surface of the articles, a suction roll which backs the conveyor belt and has an internal vacuum and passageways for exposing said vacuum to the outer surface of the suction roll in configurations corresponding the leading portions of the articles, and means for causing the passageways to register substantially with the leading regions of the articles. Embodiments may also include passageways which are arcuately arrayed in groups, a cylindrical cutter roll for cutting out the articles from the sheet as it is being transported by a carrier surface, and/or a carrier surface in the form of a roll face.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for removing palm hearts from cut lengths of stalks of palm each of which includes a large "meristem" section that is joined to a smaller diameter top section by an intermediate tapered section, and has a palm heart that runs the length of the stalk as a core member inside an intermediate layer that is surrounded by a thorny outer bark layer. Each such stalk is caused to move longitudinally through bark removal means for slitting the outer bark layer of its smaller diameter section and removing the bark from the remainder of the stalk. The smaller section, after having been severed from the rest of the stalk, is caused to move longitudinally through intermediate layer removal means for slitting and removing the intermediate layer from the underlying palm heart. Embodiments include each such means per se and acting cooperatively with the other, and methods for carrying out the foregoing processes.

Abstract: Machines are disclosed for making arepas from corn flour dough which is then formed into arepas in a cavity situated between abutting, opposing forming members. The cavity, when the forming members are closed with dough occupying the cavity, is of predetermined dimensions, is substantially circular in the plane where said members abut, is substantially bilaterally symmetrical with reference both to said plane and the central axis of that circular portion, and, axially from that plane, is of progressively increasing thickness dimension proceeding from said edge of said circle toward that axis. The forming members are then moved apart from each other by a distance at least equal to the axial dimension of the cavity and the arepa preform is disassociated from the forming members and its entire outer surface, but not its interior, is cooked using primarily radiant and/or convective heat, but not conductive heat to any significant extent.