Abstract: Apparatus and method for winding a continuous strand formed from an attenuable material is disclosed. An end face of a winding collet includes strand-engaging elements spaced about the periphery of the end face of the collet that engage the strand as it is brought against the face of the collet. There are at least three strand-engaging elements on the face of the collet. The strand is conducted from the strand-engaging elements to the starting drum and is wound on the collet until it reaches operating speed. When the winding collet is at its operating speed, the strand is urged onto a winding sleeve to form the winding.

Abstract: A dispenser for flexible sheet material to carry multiple rolls of material such as paper toweling with dispensing mechanism being provided to lead a web of material out of the dispenser to the user. While one roll is in an initial dispensing position a reserve roll is held latched in a reserve non-dispensing position with the latching being released by cam means upon sensing that the one rolls is substantially depleted of sheet material whereupon the reserve roll moves to be driven in relation to the initial roll. While the remaining sheet material on the initial roll is withdrawn from the dispenser by the user the leading end of the sheet material on the reserve roll joins with such remaining sheet material to be led through said dispensing mechanism to be available to the user when the remaining sheet material on the initial roll is exhausted.

Abstract: Lead-in apparatus for positioning sheet stock for feed along a generally straight path to an intermittent operation press or the like, including a lead-in roll assembly and a stock brake assembly to respectively maintain the stock relatively steady and provide it with a frictional drag as it advances towards the press. The lead-in roll assembly includes a first roll over which the stock is adapted to pass and a second roller under which the stock passes. The second roller is journaled between the spaced arms of a bracket pivotally mounted on the axis of the first roller whereby the height of the second roller may be readily adjusted relative to the first roller and the strip stock passing therebetween. The brake assembly includes upper and lower friction brakes which impart the desired frictional drag to the sheet stock when positioned in their closed attitude.

Abstract: A tape end detector for reel driven cassette tape recorders includes a drive gear which is driven by a motor, a transmission gear which normally transmits the rotation of the drive gear to a take-up gear associated with a tape take-up shaft but which revolves around the drive gear to detect a tape end being reached whenever the take-up gear ceases to rotate when a terminal end of a tape being taken up is reached, and a support arm for supporting the transmission gear and adapted to be driven angularly by the revolution of the transmission gear to achieve an auto-shutoff operation of the tape recorder.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the manufacture of magnetic recording media, in which, immediately before the magnetic dispersion is applied to a base, the dispersion is subjected to shear by means of a disc rotatably mounted in a housing, by introducing it at the center of rotation of the disc and forcing it through a gap formed between the face of the disc and the wall of the housing, which gap tapers toward the rim of the disc.

Abstract: An improved conveying device for conveying a thin web through a station in both directions with the desired registry characterized by a supply device for storing a reel of the thin web, a guiding device for guiding the thin web through the station and a take up or receiving device for rewinding the web with the take up or receiving device and the driving means being controlled so that the take up device does not apply any tension to the web at the station. In order to determine the exact amount of the web passing through the station a meter or measuring device is utilized and to ensure proper alignment of the web, the guiding means includes rollers continually holding the edge of the web against a lateral guide member. Due to the control and the use of the meter device, the web may be moved back and forth through the station to allow processing laterally offset portions of the web and maintain the registry between the various laterally offset portions.

Abstract: Elastic cushion sheets are interposed between the side faces of the tape convolutions and respective halves of the casing of a magnetic tape magazine. The cushion sheets are held on the inner face of the halves by the engagement between a pair of holes provided through each of the cushion sheets and a pair of projections formed integrally on each of the halves. The outer diameter of the projections is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the holes. The projections are initially formed to extend vertically from each half of the casing, and at least one of them on each half of the casing is made to incline with respect to the vertical after the cushion sheet is put thereon with the holes thereof engaged with the projections. The free end of each inclined projection is moved laterally beyond the edge of the associated hole.

Abstract: A metal reel for cable wire or the like having a cylindrical drum which can collapse longitudinally whereby the reel can be substantially reduced in width, when empty, for economy of space in shipment or storage.

Abstract: Taco shell manufacturing equipment that comprises in combination with suitable means to form and bake disk tortillas, certain means to equilibrate moisture throughout such baked tortillas in a relatively short tempering time of the general order of a few minutes as they are passed in successive longitudinally-spaced groups of substantially transversely aligned disks continuously through an elongated lateral steam chamber upon traveling lateral open web belting means as received from baking means and while being subjected in this chamber to relatively low pressure steam until discharged by this belting means through an exit end opening of the steam chamber as tempered tortillas. Driven lateral transfer means receive the tempered tortillas in the longitudinally-spaced transverse groups from the exit end of the steam chamber and transports them laterally forward to the entrance end of tortillas folding and frying apparatus.

Abstract: A two tape-cartridge-type magnetic recording/reproducing unit is provided which includes tape-guide members for directing leader tape from a supply cartridge into the tape path, and an arm having a roller thereon for pressing the leader tape entering a take-up cartridge against the reel hub therein, to enable the tape to be securely wound on the reel hub of the tape-up cartridge. For tape replacement after a tape length has been utilized, there is no need to rewind the used tape on the reel of the supply cartridge.

Abstract: Tape transport apparatus of the type in which a drive capstan engages supply and take-up rolls in peripheral driving relationship. Movement of the take-up roll away from the capstan is resisted by a frictional force produced by a brake band wrapped about a brake drum which is affixed to the carriage which supports the take-up roll.

Abstract: A tool set for replacing the fishing line wound around the spool of a fishing reel consisting of a reel-de-lining tool comprising a shank driven by a power drill and supporting a spool concentric with and constrained to rotate with the shank, the spool having a frusto-conical winding surface and a removable end wall for retrieving old fishing line from a fishing reel and a re-loading tool comprising a support shaft accepting the spool of the fishing reel for power winding a fishing line thereon.

Abstract: A portable mixer includes a generally cylindrical housing open at one end thereof, and a mixer blade disposed to rotate within the housing. Located at the other end of the housing is a driven pulley coupled by a belt to a drive pulley mounted on a motor. The driven pulley is coupled through the end of the housing to the mixer blade so that when the driven pulley is rotated, the mixer blade is caused to rotate. The mixer blade includes an elongate, generally flat member which is disposed to rotate in a plane defined by the opening in the housing so that when the housing is placed upon a flat surface, the elongate member rotates just above the surface.

Abstract: Method of discontinuing operation of a winding device for textile coils after a thread break wherein the winding device has a winding cylinder whereon a coil to be wound rolls around, frictionally driven by the winding cylinder and an adjustable cut-off device responsive to a predetermined coil winding fullness, which includes in response to a thread break signal, rendering the cut-off device ineffective as well as inducing subsequent lifting of the coil away from the winding cylinder, and device for carrying out the foregoing method.

Abstract: A system for controlling and reducing the consumption of fuel by gas-fired cooking machines of the type that use a conveyor or like means to move food products such as hamburgers through a heated zone for cooking. The control system includes means for providing a sufficiently high rate of flow of gas to the cooking machine to permit proper cooking, a timer to maintain the high rate of gas consumption during the time the food products are in the cooking zone and, means for reducing the consumption of gas after the food products have exited from the cooking zone, said reduced consumption of gas is sufficiently high to maintain the cooking machine in a state of readiness so that it can respond quickly to the need to cook additional food products.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the automatic, rapid and continuous preparation of generally friable or fragile ready-to-eat food product bacon analog strips of predetermined configuration, simulating natural, cooked bacon, wherein a slab or bulk material of the food product is sliced by a cutting device into individual strips basically having the dimensions of sliced natural bacon strips, and conducted by means of a first endless conveyor arrangement from the cutting device towards a cooking installation. Ahead of the cooking installation, a second endless conveyor mounts a series of strip-engaging members adapted to sequentially contact the sliced strips and to conduct the strips from the first endless conveyor arrangement onto and along guide rod members which extend into and through the cooking installation.

Abstract: An auto shut-off apparatus for a cassette tape recorder includes a pinion fixedly mounted on a capstan in coaxial manner, and a pair of rack levers carrying a rack which meshes with the pinion. The levers are movably mounted and are moved when they are driven by the pinion. The apparatus also includes a cam member which is fixedly mounted on a tape rewind or a tape supply shaft for interrupting the meshing engagement between the rack and the pinion during tape transport. When a tape end is reached to cease the rotation of the tape rewind or supply shaft, the movement of the rack levers resets an operating member of the tape recorder to stop the operation thereof automatically.

Abstract: A grain husker has two decorticating rollers which are accommodated in a housing, one of the rollers being rotatable about a stationary axis, while the other roller is mounted on a carrier which, in turn, is mounted on the housing for pivoting relative thereto in such a manner that the movable roller moves with the carrier closer and farther away from the stationary axis of the first-mentioned roller. A drive for the rollers includes a motor, a driving pulley mounted on the output shaft of the motor, and idler pulley and a driven pulley of the movable roller, all of these components being also mounted on the carrier for displacement therewith, the drive further including a driven pulley of the stationarily mounted roller and an endless element which is trained about all of the above-mentioned pulleys.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for winding a continuous strand formed from an attenuable material is disclosed. The winding collet has a starting drum mounted on one end. An end face of the starting drum includes diametrically opposed strand engaging members that engage the strand as it is brought against the face of the starting drum. The strand is conducted from the strand engaging means to the starting drum and is wound on the starting drum until the winding collet reaches operating speed. When the winding collet is at its operating speed, the strand is urged away from the starting drum and onto the winding collet to form the winding.

Abstract: A reel for winding up and paying out strands of wire comprising a frame having a central hub and four spoke-like arms extending radially from the hub and supporting a U-shaped wire strand nesting member at their outer end. At least two of the U-shaped members are pivotally connected for movement in a lateral direction, normal to the plane of the arms, for releasing and receiving a coil of wire. A pair of handles project in axial alignment from opposing sides of the hub normal to the plane of the arms.