Abstract: A sensor element and a counter-element are arranged opposite one another on opposite sides of a stream of printed products or the like. The sensor element is a deflecting feeler element. In order to detect multiple occupied positions and still be able to transport the stream of printed products practically without permanent contact by the sensor element in the absence of multiple occupied positions, the counter-element is intermittently advanced toward the side of the product stream opposite the sensor element at the tempo of the sequential or successive continuously transported printed products. The least distance between the undeflected sensor element and the counter-element in its advanced position corresponds to the thickness of one of the printed products or to an integer multiple thereof. A signal generator is associated with the sensor element and responds to its deflection.

Abstract: An annular multi-piston brake apparatus (8) for selective holding engagement against a rotatable element (34). The annular multi-piston brake apparatus (8) advantageously includes first and second brake pistons (40,46) radially overlapping to allow the pistons to individually contact the rotatable element and stop rotation. Compact packaging of the brake apparatus is featured.

Abstract: A device for transporting individual sheets to or from a magazine housing containing the sheets in a stack, particularly useful in x-ray installations, includes a threaded rotary screw member disposed within the magazine containing the stack of sheets for raising and lowering the sheet stack within the magazine and individually handling the uppermost sheet in the stack for transport to or from the magazine. A sheet transport is also provided comprising drive rollers disposed in a lateral plane overlying the sheet stack and running rollers connected to an upper end of the rotary screw member for movement in a lateral plane directly beneath the drive rollers, such that the running rollers may be disposed between the bottom circumferential portions of the drive rollers to form a sheet transport nip between the corresponding rollers.

Abstract: A dry viscous spring strut is provided having at least a top outer housing member, a bottom outer housing member, a shear spring elastomerically associating the top outer housing member to the bottom outer housing member, a selectively pressurizable gas chamber, a subchamber disposed in association with the gas chamber including a plurality of elastomeric particles, a rigid structural member associated with the top outer housing member, and a bearing portion associated with the bottom outer housing member to receive the structural member. The structural member is received in the bearing portion to bear side loading forces to the strut and to limit nonaxial deformation of the strut. Relative movement between the top and the bottom housing members operates to stress the shear spring and the elastomeric particles, vary the pressurization of the gas chamber and subchamber, and vary the positioning of the structural member relative to the bearing portion to absorb shock and dissipate energy imparted to the strut.

Abstract: A drop sheet feeder for mounting above the platen of a printing apparatus has a plurality of upstanding trays moved by a tray shifting device to release individual sheets of paper stored therebetween. The platen drive of the printing apparatus is operatively connected with the drop sheet feeder to release the individual sheets of material sequentially. A sheet feeding device of the drop sheet feeder is operatively engageable with the released sheet of sheet material to feed the sheet into engagement with the insert portion of the feed path about the platen of the printing apparatus. The drop sheet feeder can be used to feed individual sheets of material, multi-part form sets or envelopes.

Abstract: A spring for a disc brake wherein a caliper cooperates with a pair of friction elements to engage the latter with a rotor during braking. A torque member carries the caliper relative to the rotor and opposes movement of the pair of friction elements with the rotor. The spring extends from the caliper to one of the pair of friction elements to releasably attach the latter to the caliper and also bias the one friction element into a substantially anti-rattle abutment with the torque member whereby rattling noises for the one friction element are reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: This invention relates to sheet feeding apparatus including a cassette for holding a stack of sheets. It is known to provide in the cassette a lip or spring extending into the space in front of the stack, so that when a suction feeder acts on the front sheet to swing it through an arc and introduces it leading end into the nip of a pair of rollers, the leading end is momentarily retarded by the lip of spring. This has the effect of reducing the number of double feeds. In the present invention, the degree to which the lip or spring extends into the space in front of the stack of sheets is adjusted as the cassette is inserted into the apparatus by a control device which is set in accordance with the required rate of feed of the sheets.

Abstract: A vibration damper comprises a housing defining a cavity; a damping mass accommodated for oscillation in the cavity between wall surfaces; and spring elements situated on two opposite sides of the damping mass. Each spring element is in engagement with the damping mass and a respective one of the wall surfaces for positioning the damping mass in the cavity. Each spring element has a shape selected to confer to the spring element a dynamic deformation behavior characterizing spherical bodies. Further, the spring elements, as viewed together, are arranged at least approximately symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the damping mass oriented parallel to the path of oscillation. The vibration damper also includes an arrangement for guiding the damping mass linearly along the path of oscillation.

Abstract: A sorting apparatus which has a nest of a plurality of sheet receiving bins supported on a sorting support frame, each bin with a sheet output end and a sheet input end, the plurality of bins being pivotally mounted at their output end about the same pivot point on the support frame such that the output end of each bin is at a level higher than its input end so that the bins slope upwardly for uphill stacking of sheets as they are inserted. The bins are spaced relatively close together at the input end and relatively far apart at the output end. The apparatus is also provided with a rotary shifting member to sequentially pivot the bins about their pivoting mount to index the bins past the fixed feed throat for sheet insertion and as the bins are indexed past the fixed feed throat the rotary shifting member widely spaces adjacent bins to provide sheet entry for successive bins when positioned opposite the feed throat while the input ends of the bins are nested close together on either side of the sheet entry.

Abstract: A shock absorber having a casing and a piston with a piston head mounted thereon and located in a chamber within the casing containing fluid, an annular peripheral groove on the shock absorber head for mounting an annular turbulence inducing member having an L-shaped cross section which is slidable on the bottom surface of the groove from a passive position which it occupies when the piston head forces liquid from one side thereof to the other in a fluid amplification mode and which moves to an active position for creating turbulence within the groove during the rebound movement of the piston head.

Abstract: A bicycle brake assembly includes a bracket member having a pair of elongate legs each arranged to extend on a different side of the rotational plane of a wheel. A pair of brake pad devices are mounted on the legs for pivotable movement and longitudinal movement relative to the associated legs, and the brake pad devices can be fixed at a desired longitudinal position relative to the legs. An actuating mechanism is linked to the brake pad devices for pivoting them together toward the wheel so that brake pads in the devices frictionally contact the wheel. The location at which the brake pads engage the wheel in the radial direction thus is determined according to the positions at which the brake pad devices are fixed on the legs of the bracket member. Optimum braking action therefore can be obtained regardless of the particular position at which the bracket member itself is fixed in the radial direction.

Abstract: In wheel suspensions for automotive vehicles, equipped with a wheel suspension system comprising a coil spring, a specific mutual association can be desirable for functional reasons for the individual components of the wheel suspension, forcing constructional compromises in connection with other structural conditions inherent in the design of the vehicle. In order to be able to avoid in such cases expensive compromise solutions, it is disclosed to form the coil spring of two series-connected individual spring ends mutually supported against each other by way of a bridge member, at a spacing from one or several vehicle components.

Abstract: Friction members, working together as an integral unit, rise up into engagement with the lowermost article in a stack to slightly raise it along the engaged portions thereof above the rest of the device as a forward stroke is commenced, thereby warping the article along its leading edge as such leading edge is at the same time tucked beneath a forwardly located element positioned to permit passage of only the lowermost article during each feed stroke. This combination of actions has the effect of advancing the articles seriatim from the stack into a pair of highspeed nip rollers which grab only the lowermost article and immediately complete its withdrawal. At the instant the nip rollers begin pulling on the article, the raised friction members respond by dropping down to their initial position below the upper surface of the feed device, which thereupon makes its return stroke in preparation for feeding the next article of the stack.

Abstract: A sheet decelerating and stopping apparatus which may be used as a staging apparatus in a sheet-feeding environment. A pivoting member having decelerating and stopping areas thereon is spring biased to an operating position in which the decelerating area on the member cooperates with a decelerating area on on wall of a sheet-feeding track in which the sheet is fed to decelerate the sheet. The stopping area on the member stops a sheet if it is not stopped by the cooperating decelerating areas. An actuator moves the member to an inoperative position to enable a sheet to be released from the apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet supply receptacle is disclosed which permits the operator to prepare many reams of sheets of paper for use in a very high speed copier/duplicator. The receptacle, when pre-loaded with reams of paper, is adapted to be applied to the sheet supply apparatus of the copier/duplicator, to deposit the reams on the sheet supply tray or elevator for the copier/duplicator in proper sheet feeding registration and alignment, and be removed from the sheet supply apparatus to be reloaded again for another loading operation.

Abstract: Sheet stacking and registration apparatus in which a jogging finger is slidable along an arm which is mounted for movement about a pivot axis between a lowered position and a raised position relatively adjacent the sheets being registered. The jogging finger is resiliently urged away from the stack in the raised position of the arm, while the arm is normally resiliently urged toward its lowered position. Tensioning of a line coupled to the jogging finger first draws the arm to its raised position adjacent the stack and then draws the jogging finger against the adjacent edge of the stack to register the sheets against a remote registration surface. In a preferred embodiment, a common actuating member is used to tension a plurality of such lines to actuate several jogging mechanisms simultaneously.

Abstract: A suspension strut for a motor vehicle which has a pneumatic spring assembly 28 mounted about a strut assembly 10. The pneumatic spring assembly has a flexible diaphragm 30 secured to a tubular sleeve 48 which is coaxially mounted about the strut body 18. The sleeve 48 is rotatably mounted to the strut body 18 by a bearing 54 and a bushing 67 to minimize torsional stress of the flexible diaphragm 30 when steering of the wheel rotates the strut body 18 with respect to the vehicle body.

Abstract: A bottom level sheet feeding apparatus having a tray for receiving a stack of sheets, a driven endless belt conveyor with an upstream end extending into the tray, a lead surface plate over a fixed-height idler roller to form a pinch point between the belt conveyor and the lower edge of the lead surface plate, a retard strip, and a pair of puller rolls for transporting fed sheets from the extreme downstream end of the belt conveyor to an appropriate copying mechanism. Both the upstream end of the belt conveyor and the downstream end of the belt conveyor may be lowered and raised relative to the fixed height idler roller. A solenoid or hydraulic piston arrangement is disclosed for lowering or raising the upstream and downstream ends of the belt conveyor.

Abstract: A core spring assembly combines the use of rows and/or columns of round coil springs with rows and/or columns of rectangular torsion bar coil springs, all interconnected in a top plane by a welded wire grid so as to create a spring core assembly for a bedding mattress or box spring. In one preferred form, the rectangular torsion bar coil springs are located about the periphery of the spring assembly while in another embodiment the rectangular torsion bar coil springs are all located in the center one-third of the spring assembly so as to increase the firmness of that center section of the unit.

Abstract: A continuous wireform is constructed as the cage (48) for a caged spring (50), these two components serving as the overtravel arrangement in an automatic brake adjuster. The wireform cage has a coil (70) formed at one end of the cage (48) and two limbs (72, 74) extend from the coil (70) and terminate in open ended complementary hook sections (86, 88) which are superimposed when the limbs (72, 74) are yieldably drawn together. A stretched coil spring (50) is then hooked to the integral coil (70) of the wireform and at the other end to the complementary hook sections (86, 88).