Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a machine part, with a frame body, a pair of machine part gripper members each supported on the frame body for sliding in predetermined direction, a resilient member for energizing the pair of machine part gripper members to move toward each other. Also disclosed is a gripper member movement mechanism for disengaging the pair of gripper members against the resilient force of the resilient members and a gripper member lock mechanism for locking the movement of the gripper members when the gripper members are at a predetermined distance from each other.

Abstract: An improved medicine cabinet is constructed predominantly from molded plastic components adapted for rapid assembly. The medicine cabinet includes a forwardly open main housing having preformed grooves therein which cooperate with one or more upright central shelf support brackets to support an array of half width shelf members in a customized geometry of half and full width shelves. The medicine cabinet further includes an improved self-closing hinge assembly for swingably supporting a mirror door from the cabinet housing, wherein the hinge assembly does not require metal parts. The mirror door includes a recessed baseplate for stable nested reception of a glass mirror, in combination with an improved mirror frame adapted for simple snap fit mounting onto the baseplate.

Abstract: The method is of the type in which the metal sheet (W) is manipulated by means of a movable gripping member (G) of a manipulator robot controlled by a programmer (PC) according to a program for positioning successive lines of working of the metal sheet in correspondence with a pair of linear tools (16, 18).The programmer (PC) starts the working program by transporting the metal sheet to the position which corresponds with the first virtual or imaginary working line (B.sub.o). Sensors (S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.y) detect the position of the virtual working line and signal to the programmer whether and to what extent the position of this virtual working line differs from the correct position. This is equivalent to the entering in the programmer of a datum relating to the displacement of the engagement point (C.sub.o) of the gripping member from its theoretical engagement point (C) on the metal sheet.

Abstract: A press brake for bending plates. A press brake is provided for bending plates, including a pair of dies which act in mutual cooperation to bend a plate, a plate clamping manipulator which grasps and moves a plate which is to be placed in scheduled location with respect to the dies and a plate position detector mounted on the press brake in a specified positional relationship with respect to the dies, for detecting a position of the plate grasped by the manipulator, and a controller for controlling the manipulator in response to a signal from the plate position detector.

Abstract: Apparatus for bending steel bars to form concrete reinforcement elements, having a device (3, 4; 18) for feeding bars to a transfer device (8), by means of which in each case one group of bars can be inserted in two bending frames or stations, (2, 2'), each having members (11, 12) for bending the bars in transverse direction the transfer device having at least one pair of operation-controlled gripper tongs (10) which can be swivelled from a first position, in which they receive a plurality of bars from the bar feed device, and clamp the bars, into a second position, in which they insert the bars into the gap between the bending members.

Abstract: Furniture, or bed support and caster protector device, consisting of a sleeve or cylindrical body constructed of a generally resilient material having a hollow center and adapted to circumvallate the bed support and the supporting caster thereof, a radially disposed cut in the sleeve extending along at least one radius thereof to provide accessing of the sleeve around the bed support and caster, and also to facilitate its removal therefrom, and the sleeve having a longitudinal dimension being slightly grater in distance than an overall distance between a bed rail, disposed at an upper extremity of the bed support, and a support plane or floor for support of the caster, to effect a slight compression of the sleeve due to its resilient characterization and tending to retain the sleeve in locus between the bed rail and the support plane or floor; the sleeve has a lower section with a larger diameter at the lower section and has an upper section with a smaller diameter to provide more distribution of the slight c

Abstract: An obstacle moving device for a caster wheel is made of an electrically insulating material and is of two identical halves. The device is assembled without moving, stabilizing or disassembling the caster wheel by placing the halves on opposite sides of the caster wheel and then securing them together. A pair of roller assemblies inside the device abut the caster wheel so that rolling motion of the caster wheel pushes the device across the floor. Any obstacle encountered by the device is pushed along the path of movement of the wheel.

Abstract: A wheel lock mechanism for use in carts and the like for releasably locking an opposed pair of swivel caster wheels of such carts. The present invention includes a lever arm extending outwardly from the cart operable by the foot of an operator for moving a locking mechanism between a wheel locking position and a free wheeling position.

Abstract: Drawn bores similar to a sleeve and provided with an inner thread are used as a substitute for nuts. The starting materials are flat sheet-metal blanks. In the course of step-by-step deformation with shaping tools, the wall thickness of the drawn bores decreases, compared to the starting material. This is true in particular with increased height of the drawn bores and sheet-metal blanks with larger surfaces. Accordingly, the invention is intended to recite a method according to which it becomes possible to produce high drawn bores, having a wall thickness comparable to the thickness of the original material, from sheet-metal blanks with large surfaces for highly stressed screw connections. This object is attained by means of a changed sequence of the step-by-step operation. Flat pressing of the sheet-metal piece is only performed after partial inward crimping has been started.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously extruding material includes a moving member and a stationary member forming a passageway therebetween for frictional feeding of the material to be extruded under pressure into the passageway. An abutment in the passageway forms a barrier to the material being fed therein, whereby the forces on the material heat it and cause it to yield. The heated material flows into an extrusion chamber adjacent to the abutment and is extruded from a die in a wall of the chamber. A cooling system in heat exchanging relationship with the chamber in proximity to the die maintains the material in that region of the chamber at a substantially uniform temperature to provide uniformity of grain size in the extruded product. A further cooling system at the point of egress cools the extruded product immediately as it exits from the die to inhibit secondary recrystallization.

Abstract: The invention is a gate hinge comprising a male half with a rod extending upward from it and a female half with a sleeve which fits over the rod and swivels on the rod. Both the male and female halves have "U"-shaped portions extending outward at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rod. Each "U"-shaped portion has two legs which fit around either a square gate post or a square fence post. Each leg has a square shoulder which fits around either the gate post or the fence post and an opening through which a bolt extends as a means of securing the hinge to the posts. The square shoulders force proper alignment of the hinge with the posts when the bolts are tightened and prevent up and down movement or tilt of the hinge when a heavy load is applied, such as a heavy gate.

Abstract: An extrusion pulling apparatus wherein an extrusion puller is guided from above and below for movement along an extrusion line from an extrusion press. The upper guide comprises a T-shaped beam with rollers mounted on the puller for rolling along vertical surfaces of the beam. The lower guide is formed from a multi-face beam, for example, a hexagonal beam, wherein rollers mounted on the puller roll on guide face surfaces which have an included angle between them of about 60.degree.. The upper and lower guides can be reversed.

Abstract: An undercarriage system apparatus is provided for supporting and transporting a fluidized patient support system above and across a floor. The apparpatus includes a base frame for carrying the fluidized patient support system, a plurality of heavy duty casters, and a pair of disk springs disposed between each caster and the base frame. Each caster includes a central shaft, a shoulder portion disposed about the central shaft for carrying the load, a wheel carriage rotatably mounted via needle bearings to swivel about the central shaft, and a pair of caster wheels mounted side-by-side to rotate about the wheel carriage. The disk springs of each pair are disposed to contact at their outermost edges. Each dish spring desirably has a maximum load capacity rated at least 50% above the nominal load which the disk spring must carry. The base frame defines a sleeve for receiving each central shaft of each caster. An elongated slot is defined through each sleeve.

Abstract: A double-pivot door hinge is disclosed that is particularly suited for household appliances such as refrigerators or microwave ovens. The hinge arrangement allows the appliance door to be opened a full 180 degrees from its closed position without coming into contact with a flush mounted wall such as an abutting kitchen cabinet. The hinge has a first pivot pin and a stop arrangement which allows a door to be swung outwardly until a 90-degree position is reached whereby the stop arrangement is engaged. Upon further outward movement, the assembly shifts to a second hinge pin until a 180-degree position is reached. The movement from the 90-degree position to a 180-degree position requires the overcoming of a spring force of the hinge arrangement.

Abstract: A multiple-grip lifting handle for a handle shaft of a wheelbarrow comprising a substantially straight base portion, a substantially C-shaped rear portion connected to and extending upwardly in a vertical plane from the base portion and a primary grip portion extending forwardly from the C-shaped portion and above the base portion so as to form a continuous key-hole shaped loop lying in a generally vertical plane. The base portion is disposed at about a 15.degree. acute angle from the primary grip portion with the apex of the angle being generated rearward of the C-shaped portion.

Abstract: A mounting plate enables the bracket of a conventional door closer to be removably retained to a door casing or the like. The mounting plate has a pair of tabs that define slots for slidingly receiving the flanges of the closer bracket. A stop permits entry of the closer bracket into the mounting plate slots from only one direction and also limits sliding in that direction. Bumps on the mounting plate cooperate with the closer bracket mounting holes to loosely restrain the closer bracket from sliding out of the mounting plate in the other direction. After the mounting plate is secured to the door casing or the like, the closer bracket is slid into the mounting plate slots, and the closer bracket functions in a completely normal manner. When the closer bracket must be removed to provide full utilization of the door opening, it is necessary only to slide the closer bracket out of the mounting plate.

Abstract: An adjustable lift-off hinge comprises a support member having a longitudinal axis mounted onto a frame. A knuckle assembly mounted onto a door is provided having a longuitudinal adjustable knuckle member rotatably coupled to the support member along the longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal fixed base member having a convex outer surface pivotally connected to a longitudinal side of the adjustable knuckle member.

Abstract: A resilient member handling apparatus comprising a frame, a mechanism on the frame for bowing successive resilient members, and a mechanism on the frame for forming a nested complement of the resilient members, the mechanism for forming including a first cage member stationarily mounted on the frame, and defining a primary chamber adapted to receive a resilient member, a second cage member stationarily mounted on the frame, and defining a secondary chamber adapted to receive a plurality of the resilient members, a mechanism for feeding resilient members one at a time into the primary chamber from the mechanism for bowing, and a mechanism for transferring the resilient members one at a time from the primary chamber to the secondary chamber.

Abstract: A pivot mount for a vehicular shift lever which precludes the play in the shift lever. The mount is employed in conjunction with a shift bowl that is rotatably mounted on a steering column. A clevis extends radially outwardly from the shift bowl, and the clevis has laterally spaced connecting plates. A bore penetrates each connecting plate. The bores through the connecting plates are registered. A shift lever having a mounting block is mounted from the clevis. The mounting block has laterally spaced, substantially parallel, first and second faces adapted to be embraced between the connecting plates. An aperture penetrates the mounting block and opens through the first and second faces to register with the bores through the connecting plates. A bushing assembly having an annular body portion with longitudinally spaced first and second rim edges is insertably received within the aperture which penetrates the mounting block.

Abstract: An adjustable hinge assembly has a hinge and a mounting plate. The mounting plate is vertically adjustable on a cabinet wall and carries the hinge. The hinge is horizontally adjustable in and out on the mounting plate, and also has left and right horizontal adjustment on the mounting plate by way of a vertical fulcrum rib between the hinge and the mounting plate, which permits the hinge to be horizontally rocked.