Abstract: A stopper debris separator useful for removing unwanted debris from stoppers utilized to seal bottles of IV pharmaceutical compositions at the manufacturing process. Debris-containing stopper in the stopper injection hopper are drawn through the stopper duct into the cyclone separator tube by the vacuum wherein the debris on the stoppers is separated therefrom and drawn through the vacuum duct into the vacuum filter.

Abstract: Apparatus for delivering energy and material, such as electricity, air and fluid, from a source (22) to a driven device (24). The apparatus (20) comprises at least one flexible elongated member (26) selected from the group of electrical conductors, air hoses, fluid hoses and the like. The elongated member has a feed portion (114) with a feed end (42) connectable to the source, a slack portion (118), a supply portion (120) with a supply end (43) connectable to the driven device, a first portion (128) between the feed portion and the slack portion, and a second portion (134) between the slack portion and the supply portion. The apparatus also includes a stationary hub (74) and a spool (78) connected to the hub. The spool is rotatable between stored and deployed conditions relative to said hub. A winding wall (82) on the spool is spaced away from the hub and has an internal surface (86), an oppositely disposed winding surface (88), and an aperture (90) extending therethrough.

Abstract: A card processing apparatus allows for a more compact apparatus that does not cause a reduction in card transporting and printing processing capacity, but improves the freedom of design as an apparatus by establishing a plurality of processing units such as a printer and coating unit in a rational manner.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for rotating a drive roller includes an input transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive force from a motor, an output transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the drive roller, an intermediate transmission mechanism for selectively transmitting the drive force from the input transmission mechanism to the output transmission mechanism in either a first direction or a second direction, and a switching mechanism for moving the intermediate transmission mechanism to a first position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the first direction or a second position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the second direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeder including a hopper that holds a sheet in a stack, a sheet feed roller that touches the sheet on the hopper and feeds the sheet in a sheet feed direction, a face provided on a front end of the hopper with respect to the sheet feed direction so that a leading edge of the sheet being fed bumps into the face, and a plurality of protrusions that are disposed on the face and that bumps into the leading edge of the sheet when the sheet is fed, wherein protrusions are placed on a plurality of lines parallel to the sheet feed direction, only one of the protrusions is placed on each on of the lines, and each one of the protrusions is separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feed direction.

Abstract: A device is provided for diverting an imbricated flow of printed products that is transported on a roller table having a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other. The device comprises an elongated adjustment member whose position can be varied within a sliding plane extending in parallel to a transportation plane defined by the rollers. The device further comprises a plurality of guide elements for guiding the imbricated flow. The guide elements extend into clearances formed between every two rollers and are received on the adjustment member for rotation relative to the adjustment member in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane and for sliding movement in lengthwise direction of the adjustment member.

Abstract: A mail case system includes facilitates sequence-sorting various types of mail together into individual bags that each represent unique delivery points. The mail case uses multi-bag inserts so that the bags for several stops can be set up quickly for sorting. At the end of the sorting operation, the entire insert may be pulled down from the case as a single unit to maintain the established delivery point sequence. This eliminates the carrier's need to find separation points or to combine selections from multiple sequenced stacks of mail during the delivery operation. This results in a dramatic improvement in delivery efficiency.

Abstract: An assistance tray for manual distribution used in a medicine sharing and packing device with a disk-type tray for manual distribution of pills mounted in the front side. The assistance tray includes an assistance tray body at the rim portion of which a plurality of auxiliary pill containing portions are formed which correspond in number to a plurality of pill containing portions formed at the rim of the upper surface of a disk-type tray for manual distribution, and on both sides of which handle portions are formed having openings therethrough. An opening/closing plate is mounted on the lower surface of the assistance tray body so as to be rotated, at the rim portion of which holes are formed, a number of the holes corresponding in number to the number of the auxiliary pill containing portions of the assistance tray body.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating a fiber suspension is provided including a housing with an upper chamber in the upper portion thereof, a rotor rotatably mounted in the housing, a first rotary screen mounted for rotation with the rotor and dividing the housing into a first screen chamber and a first accept chamber, a second screen radially outward from the rotor defining a second screen chamber, the diameter of the first rotary screen being less than that of the second screen, the first rotary screen being located within the second screen, an inlet, a reject outlet, at least one accept outlet and a stator within the first rotary screen including at least one pulse member for creating a pulse within the first rotary screen, the diameter of the housing being less than the diameter of the second screen and the first rotary screen being separated from the second screen chamber and located at least partially within the second screen chamber.

Abstract: A conveniently sized and reusable animal treat dispenser (treat(s) will herein after be referred to as positive reinforcement(s)) for use in providing positive reinforcements, in an immediate and non-distracting manner, to reward and reinforce specific behaviors. Generally, the treat dispenser consists of a loading port, housing area, transfer mechanism, dispensing port and spring loaded clip. The treat dispenser is designed for temporary attachment to the trainer's garment; for receiving and housing multiple positive reinforcements; for dispensing a single positive reinforcement upon demand and for automatically reloading a single positive reinforcement for use in continued training. The housing area is lined with a felt or cloth material to reduce noise caused by the treats striking one another or the housing area walls.

Abstract: A retention spring for a tape cartridge that both secures a leader pin and operates as a wide angle guide for directing the leader pin into the access port of the cartridge as the tape is being rewound onto the supply reel. The retention spring includes pairs of opposing guides, retention grooves, and binding elements. The guides define an entry for receiving a portion of the leader pin while the retention grooves define a retention slot for at least partially surrounding a portion of the leader pin. The binding elements each define a transition between one guide and one retention groove while providing resistance as the leader pin is urged between the entry and the retention slot.

Abstract: A system and method for manipulating magnetically responsive particles in a solution to separate nucleic acid molecules from cell components in a cell solution. The system and method employ a device capable of receiving a plurality of tubes, each of which contain respective sample and magnetically responsive particles. The device includes heating and cooling devices to facilitate a lysing step to release the nucleic acid molecules from the cells in the cell solution. The device further includes moveable magnets which can be moved proximate to and away from the tube to hold the magnetically responsive particles to which the nucleic acid molecules become bound, so that the molecule-bound particles can be separated from the remainder of the solution, and washed as appropriate. The system also employs an electromagnet which is capable of demagnetizing the particles to allow the particles to freely mix with solution, such as elution solutions which are used to unbind the molecules from the particles.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for segregating ponded coal combustion materials for use in various products, such as block sand products, concrete or mid-size sand products and fine ash products. After screening ponded coal combustion raw materials to remove the first size material for use as a block sand product, the remaining material passes through a rotating magnetic separator to remove iron bearing materials and then to a hydraulic classifier for separating coarse materials, middling size materials and fine materials. The coarse materials are combined with the first size materials and are de-watered to form the block sand product. The middling size materials are segregated into low, middle and high specific gravity materials by the use of spirals. The low specific gravity material is passed through a sizing sleeve and coarse low specific gravity material is combined with the middle specific gravity material and are de-watered to form a concrete or mid-size sand product.

Abstract: A process for extracting and purifying naturally occurring zeolite from ores in the presence of other mineral phases by using mechanical dispersion and differential suspension to remove a majority of the clay content of the ore. The process continues by removal of contaminants with a higher mass to surface area ratio than that of the desired zeolite product by employing the properties of demineralized water in combination with a countercurrent flow separation column. No chemical flocculating or flotation agents are employed in the process. The process separates the particulate compound by using the separation effect of an electrical double layer which forms when the mixture is hydrated in a low electrolyte medium.

Abstract: A printer exit tray assembly attachable to a printer housing and a computer printer including a printed paper exit tray assembly. The exit tray assembly has an exit tray and a pair of sheet supports attached to the exit tray. The exit tray is movable between a use position and a collapsed position. The exit tray is positioned generally horizontally in the use position. The exit tray projects horizontally further from the printer housing in the use position than in the collapsed position. When the exit tray is in the use position the supports are pivotable, with respect to the exit tray, between a support position for supporting a printed sheet above the exit tray and a release position for releasing the printed sheet to the exit tray.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of purifying capacitor grade powders. The capacitor grade powder is initially placed into a purifying machine that disperses at least one contaminate into the capacitor grade powder. The powder is then placed into a magnetic separation device that separates at least one contaminate from the capacitor grade powder. The capacitor grade powder is then processed into an electrical energy storage device, wherein the capacitor grade powder has minimal contaminates therein.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing debris from a fluidized sand bed. One or more troughs extend radially from a vertical shaft. Associated with each trough is a perforated chute. The apparatus is placed into the fluidized bed of sand, and rotated. As the apparatus rotates, the perforated chute sifts, or separates, debris from the fluidized sand. That is, the fluidized sand flows through the perforations, but the debris does not. When the apparatus is removed from the fluidized bed, the debris tumbles down the chute, into the troughs, if it has not already done so, and is captured.

Abstract: A disc screen apparatus has a V-shaped configuration with a lowermost region that provides a laterally inclined trough that receives the mixed recyclable materials. Broken glass falls downwardly between the discs of the lowermost region. Plastic milk bottles and soda pop containers tumble down the trough and eventually fall off its lower end. Newspaper is conveyed upwardly over the terminal upper ends of a pair of vertically inclined regions of the disc screen apparatus. The frame of the disc screen apparatus can incorporate ducting for connecting a source of pressurized air to one or more air manifolds the blow air toward the vertically inclined regions for helping the discs in these regions convey newspaper up the inclined regions and over their terminal upper ends. The angle of inclination of the vertically inclined regions may be adjustable to optimize the efficiency of classification.

Abstract: An article sorting apparatus and method is disclosed and which conveys a mixture of articles on a conveyor belt and through an inspection zone, and which includes at least one illumination source emitting red, green, and infrared radiation for illuminating the articles in the inspection zone; a detector system for sensing the red, green, and infrared radiation reflected from the articles in the inspection zone, and which generates red data, green data, and infrared data; a processor receiving the red data, green data, and infrared data and which generates article sorting data; and a sorter responsive to the sorting data for separating the articles into acceptable articles and unacceptable articles.

Abstract: A publication vending device for vending a single publication per vend cycle. The single publication vending device includes a forward transport assembly located within a housing and connected to a carriage for reciprocating movement with the carriage. A the publication is advanced forward through a publication vend port, by operation of the forward transport assembly including. A first finger is positioned laterally to a first edge of the publication and a second finger is positioned laterally to a second edge of the publication. Each of the fingers is forwardly movable with forward operation of the carriage. Each of the fingers is configured for transpositional travel in a plane substantially coplanar to a plane of an interleaf of the publication and towards the centerline of the publication.