Abstract: A mechanism for centering the body of an electrical component in a carrier during a phase of processing the component. A pair of centering fingers are pivotally supported for movement toward and away from the carrier and adjustably downwardly biased toward the carrier to accurately position the centering fingers at the juncture of the component body and leads during centering.

Abstract: A feed device is disclosed for presenting electronic components to the pick-up head of a component processing machine. The feed device includes a magazine in which the electrical components are stacked one on top of another. The magazine is held within supports in the component processing machine which also has a lift that raises the stack of components within the magazine in response to a signal from a detector. The stack of components is lifted until the detector detects a component at an uppermost, pick-up position within the magazine.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for side lasting shoes on lasts comprising a side tack insertion device, wherein the latter is moved along the lasting margin in an operating path following the course of the shank region. A friction closure element (tensioning strap, roller, smoothing runner) is moved stepwise in a longitudinal direction of the shoe and with each step is pressed periodically against the upper in a strip-like region associated with each tack insertion, whereby the upper is stretched in a direction towards the lasting margin.

Abstract: A one-piece resilient fastener or molding clip for retaining trim, molding or applique strips, parts, panels and other decorative items in bridging position over a gap between two spaced members is disclosed. Such a clip, which is particularly useful for attaching objects such as trim strips in automobile interiors, is attached through a suitably-shaped aperture in a base or support, particularly a plastic base panel, disposed in the gap, and has a pair of flexing wings or legs extending upwardly and outwardly from the end of the clip opposite the end to which the decorative item being retained is attached. These flexing wings or legs, designed to prevent them from passing completely through the base or support, permit variation take up between the decorative item being retained and the base or support as well as repeated assemblies and disassemblies of the clip to the base or support, with minimum insertion force and adequate removal effort, without destroying the clip or damaging the base or support.

Abstract: A pneumatic-hydraulic tool for setting two-part fasteners, for example pull-type blind riveting assemblies, has a power unit comprising a thrust member and pulling means actuated by pistons slidable, one behind the other, in a common cylinder. The pistons advance and retract as a whole under the influence of air pressure, and are separable to effect a fastener-setting stroke by admission of hydraulic fluid under high pressure between the pistons. Hydraulic fluid can be admitted and expelled to and from the cylinder between the pistons wherever along the cylinder the pistons may be.

Abstract: A blind-riveting tool for setting pull-type rivet assemblies of the kind which has a pulling head on the mandrel comprises abutment member and mandrel-pulling means each with a collet, the latter inside the former, resiliently urged open to admit a mandrel and arranged to be closed by advance of an actuating sleeve on the collet of the abutment member. The abutment member and mandrel-pulling means as a whole are slidable to and from, under air pressure, both having pistons, one behind the other, in a common cylinder, and are separable to effect a rivet-setting stroke by admission of hydraulic fluid between the pistons. Means is provided for delivering a fresh rivet assembly axially into the collets of the abutment member and mandrel-pulling means when they are open in their retracted positions. The tool provides for the rapid and reliable insertion and setting of automatically fed rivet assemblies of the kind referred to, while being easy for the user to operate.

Abstract: An improved method of taking tare weights is provided for automatic weighing machines. Periodically, the sequence of weighing cycles is interrupted in order that a tare cycle may be executed. During the tare cycle, all the weighing buckets of the weighing machine which were emptied in the last weighing cycle are weighed in their empty state. The new values for the tare weights are stored and the old values are discarded. By introducing a tare cycle between successive weighing cycles, all weighing buckets are available in each weighing cycle for finding the best combination.

Abstract: In a bending machine, metal strip (42) is bent by a sequence of steps including longitudinal advance of the strip (42) alternating with bending of the strip by a movable tool (18) which engages and deflects the strip when the latter is restrained against longitudinal movement. Provision is made for checking or inspecting the permanent angular deformation of each bend applied to the strip, to take account of the tendency of the metal strip to spring back after bending. Compensation for spring-back is achieved by use of a previously described characteristic relating displacement of the bending tool to the resultant permanent angle of bend applied to the strip. Further compensation is provided to remove an error which can arise if the bending tool is movable along a line of action spaced from the point of bending of the strip by an amount greater than the incremental advance of the strip.

Abstract: A component placement head for positioning micro-electronic components on a printed circuit board including an adjustable shelf for receiving the component from a stationary conveyor and accurately positioning the component below the placement nozzle on the head. The nozzle picks up the component from the shelf and aligns the component leads with the conductive lands on the board and then places the component on the board. There is a control limiting the position of the adjustable shelf to assure the component is properly positioned in the nozzle of the placement head.

Abstract: A pick-up head especially for use in a machine for placing electrical components on a substrate comprises a tool holder mounted for movement, conveniently by a lead screw driven by a motor, between a plurality of datum positions and further positions remote therefrom, having means for interchangeably mounting a pick-up tool with a datum face of the tool located at a predetermined position relative to the tool holder. The head further comprises a plurality of orienting jaws mounted for movement towards and away from a component carried on the datum face of a tool on the tool holder when the holder is in one of the datum positions whereby the jaws can engage the component to orient the component.

Abstract: Novel particulate polymeric materials which can be arranged in a predetermined three dimensional pattern in or on a surface, fused and cooled to provide fused, three dimensional polymeric articles. The particulate polymeric materials have the capability to provide a release coating about the fused polymeric article which permits removal of the article from the surface carrying the article.

Abstract: A mechanism for sensing whether the leads of a dual-in-line electrical component are in their proper position projecting through the appropriate openings in a printed circuit board. The sensor uses fiber optics to indicate whether the leads are properly positioned by using light reflected from the lead to activate a photo transducer which indicates to the computer controlling the machine operation whether the leads are properly positioned. The sensor fiber optics has light emitting and light receiving filaments operative parallel to the board surface so that the sensor only responds to the presence or absence of a component lead.

Abstract: A workpiece holding device for use with automatic sewing machines includes registration and holding elements that securely hold a number of pieces of work relative to each other while allowing the same to be automatically sewn together. One of the holding elements moves from its respective holding position to a remote position as the pieces are being joined together.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically loading and unloading a printed circuit board from a machine for assembling electronic components to a board. This mechanism receives the board from a board storage magazine and places the board on an X-Y component placement station of the assembly machine. After the components have been placed onto the board, the board is dropped down through the table and transferred back to the storage magazine.

Abstract: A split-setting pull-type blind-riveting assembly comprising a hollow rivet and a mandrel. The underside of the mandrel head is frusto-conical and terminates at flat surfaces normal to the mandrel stem. A portion of the mandrel stem adjoining said plane is squared off so that its corners deform the rivet shank before the underside of the mandrel head splits it into petals. Reliable splitting of the rivet shank into uniform petals is thereby reliably achieved.

Abstract: A mixing device is provided having spaced end frames and side walls defining an internal mixing chamber and a removable hopper affixed thereto for receiving material to be fed into the chamber. A weight extends into the hopper and the chamber to force the material through the hopper and into the mixing chamber. A sleeve is provided to protect the internal portion of the mixer within the end frames from abrasion due to sidewise motion of the weight during mixing and extend upward into the hopper to inhibit relative motion between the hopper and the mixer frames and side walls during the mixing process.

Abstract: A stud welding gun has a forepart which includes the delivery end of an automatic stud-feeder and is secured to the housing by a quick releasable joint so as to be readily replaceable by another forepart supplying a stud of different size. The gun includes a pneumatic piston and piston rod which serves to push a stud into the collet after delivery to the gun. The piston rod is detachable from the piston and means is provided for locking it in the forepart so that it is replaced into the forepart for studs of different size.

Abstract: Novel, solvent free adhesive compositions comprising a moisture curable polyurethane formed from a first component comprising a diisocyanate, and a second component comprising a substantially linear hydroxy polyester in proportions to provide a prepolymer having from 1.0 to 2.0 percent by weight --NCO groups available for reaction, and a third component comprising a monofunctional reactant present in an amount sufficient to react with 1-40 mole % of the reactive --NCO groups of the product of the prepolymer reaction. A layer of applied adhesive may be exposed to airborne moisture under relatively mild conditions to bring about chain extension of the moisture curable polyurethane, after which the layer of the adhesive composition may be heated to bring it to tacky adhesive condition. The chain extended adhesive composition is storable for at least several days without affecting the bond strength.

Abstract: Glue sticks for use in a hand held glue gun comprise thermoplastic coplyester corresponding to a product of an acid component comprising in selected proportions terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, an hydroxyl component comprising one or more aliphatic diols of which not less than 90 moles % is 1.4 butane diol, and a polymeric plasticizer component. The glue stick has a melting point of 90.degree. to 120.degree. C. and a reduced viscosity of 0.5 to 0.7. Preferred glue sticks have a melting point of about 110.degree. C., a reduced viscosity of 0.6 to 0.65 and comprise a copolyester from an acid component comprising 45 to 48 moles % terephthalic acid, 38 to 45 moles % isophthalic acid and 10 to 15 moles % azelaic acid, an hydroxyl component comprising 1.4 butane diol and 1.6 hexane diol in a molar ratio of 90 to 95:5 to 10, and a polymeric plasticizer component comprising a polycaprolactone or selected hydroxy polyester to an extent of 3 to 4% by weight of the copolyester.