Abstract: A dispenser guides a web from a roll of sheet material over a feed roller to a position to be grasped by the user while roller mounted knife means cuts the web into individual sheets and a manually engagable handwheel, rotatable with the feed roller, provides peripherally spaced finger notches to facilitate manual forward rotation of the roller in dispensing the material. The notches are formed differently in separate circumferential portions of the handwheel such that pawl means, successively engaging the notches incident handwheel rotation, prevents reverse rotation of the feed roller throughout a first portion of each feed roller revolution and biasing means acts to cause reverse rotation throughout a second portion of the feed roller revolution to assure return of the knife means to a safe inaccessible location within the dispenser when the handwheel is released.

Abstract: A force may be applied to any point along a line which may be straight or curved in a plane or in space. For this purpose a force applicator is used which includes a pressure expandable hose section closed at its ends, a reaction member against which the hose rests, and a pressure transmitting plate moving in response to an expansion of the hose. These three elements are held in an operative position relative to one another by a modular frame section which also holds a guide member and a reset element for restoring the hose section to a starting position when no pressure is applied inside the hose. A piston rod extends through the guide member and is operatively connected to the pressure transmitting plate. The modular frame section, the guide member and preferably also the reset element form a modular unit.

Abstract: A turret indexing system for a turret punching machine having a plurality of equally spaced tool punching stations carried on the turrets which may be rotatably positioned to place selected punching tools in register with a punching ram. Turret indexing is accomplished with a pneumatic cylinder driven reciprocating drive arrangement utilizing a pneumatically actuated clutch to drive the turrets through a one direction, incremental indexing rotation which is equivalent to one tool punching station spacing. A shot pin arrangement is effective to lock the turrets in an operating position and provide small corrective repositioning of the turrets, when required, to precisely position the turrets relative to the punching ram. A control system provides an automatic sequenced cycling of the indexing system to position each required punching tool in an accurate punching position.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating paired battery plates into individual plates is disclosed. The disclosed apparatus has an improved alignment means which assures that the plates are separated about a fixed centerline. The apparatus is also suited for separating a plurality of stacked plates in a single cycle.

Abstract: A device for cutting a piece of a flat workpiece at a selected location identifiable by two or more binary coded numbers which device includes a cutter, a cutting platen having an upper workpiece supporting surface and a lower portion, a plurality of upstanding, shiftable members, a guiding arrangement on the platen adjacent the lower portion for loosely receiving the members, an arrangement for moving the members in accordance with the coded numbers and a structure for forcing the cutter against the cutting surface. In accordance with another aspect, the shiftable members are movable by binary fluid motors each including a series of axially aligned fluid actuating units having strokes corresponding to binary numbers and an arrangement for actuating certain of these units in the fluid motor to move the shiftable members in accordance with the extended condition of the binary motors.

Abstract: Apparatus for treating sheet or continuous ribbon material including a table with idler rolls to support the material to be treated, a drive roll to move the material over the table and vertical guide rolls at an edge of the table. An elongated beam extending across and spaced above the table and a track extending along the length of the beam. Adjustable carrier heads supported on the track for movement along the length of the beam across the table and each carrier head having a bracket to support apparatus for treating the material as the material passes over the table. A drive mechanism independently engageable with each carrier head to individually move that head along the track to position the head along the beam over the table, and a counter and indicator connected with the drive mechanism to measure the distance each head is moved along the track over the table to accurately position each head relative to the table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous cold cutting or slitting of a flat material wherein the flat material is subjected to a first step of partial-shearing or penetration in a zigzag state to a controlled depth of penetration, and subsequently to a second step of flattening, thus forcing the penetration formed in the material back to substantially the original thickness of the material, thereby to perform complete severing or slitting the material having no burrs formed during the operation. The first working action is obtained from feeding of the flat material into the controlled spacing of opposing pairs of cutter discs so that there occurs partially shearing or penetration in the flat material under an optimally predetermined interfering action by the opposing pairs of cutter discs into the material when it engages therewith.

Abstract: A guide for use with a powered hand saw for making controlled cuts in a workpiece at an infinite number of angles. The guide includes a pair of parallel spaced rails, a pair of carriages slidably mounted on the rails, and for each carriage, a clamping assembly for clamping the guide onto a workpiece. Each clamping assembly includes an arm having an inner end swingably mounted on the associated carriage. Each carriage also includes disengageable stop-lock mechanism for locking the associated clamping-assembly arm in a preselected angular position relative to the carriage. Provided on each arm is a pointer for pointing at angular position markings on the associated carriage.

Abstract: A tool for cutting a textile cot from an associated mandrel is provided wherein such tool is particularly adapted to be attached to one of a cooperating pair of machine components which are relatively movable toward and away from each other and a mandrel with a cot to be cut supported on the other component whereupon the cot is cut axially along its length upon relatively moving the components toward each other.

Abstract: A device for handling articles such as meat logs which includes a main conveyor and means for moving the articles transversely and consecutively above and across the main conveyor to a predetermined position, and having automatic means operable when each article reaches the desired position over the main conveyor, for opening the device to allow the article to fall down on the main conveyor.

Abstract: The rotary heat cutter comprises a heating element adapted to be rotated into engagement with a taut section of plastic web to sever the web transversely while the web is traveling in a straight path. Means are provided for constraining the heating element to move at the same speed as the plastic web when the heating element engages the web.

Abstract: A rotary slicing tool is provided for a food processor having a hub with a horizontal disc-like member carrying an elevated slicing blade. The disc-like member has a horizontal area with an arcuate slot extending from the hub out to the periphery. The slicing blade is mounted on an elevated arcuate rim behind the slot with the cutting edge projecting forward and elevated above the horizontal area facing forward above the slot for slicing food items, with the slices passing down through the slot. For avoiding smashing or shredding of slices, a gradually sloping shoulder joins the horizontal area with the elevated platform having the rim where the slicing blade is mounted. Both ends of the blade are contoured to conform with the rotational direction of travel; the outer end conforming with the periphery of the disc-like member, and the inner end conforming with the hub, and the cutting edge is spaced well forward of the shoulder near both ends of the slicing blade.

Abstract: A base frame mounts a first gang of saws in a common vertical datum plane and a first wood member conveyor device. A second gang of saws in a common vertical datum plane and a second wood member conveyor device are mounted on a carriage on the base frame for movement toward and away from the first gang of saws and first conveyor device. Each saw in each gang is independently vertically adjustable in its vertical datum plane and each saw is rotatable a full 180 degrees around the axis of a chord on the saw blade lying in the common datum plane of such saw. Each saw, during its angular rotation, is precisely supported on a double pantograph movement linkage which follows an arcuate track centered on said chord and vertical datum plane. A precision drive for the wood member conveyor devices and carriage obviates the necessity for a long torque shaft and enables much greater versatility of operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present apparatus applies force along a line or to a surface through one or more linear or rather longitudinal, elastically expandable or deformable members. The expansion of the elongated member, such as an elastic, reinforced hose or membrane, is transmitted to the tool proper, for example, a strip steel knife or a clamping device, along the entire length of the tool, whereby a linear force application is achieved. Several of such members may be arranged in parallel to obtain substantially a surface area force application. The force application member may also be curved for applying the force, such as a cutting force to an equally curved tool such as a strip steel knife. The force application member is returned to its starting position after a work stroke is completed. The work stroke is performed by expanding the member with the aid of a medium under pressure. The return is accomplished by a spring force or by a similar expansion member.

Abstract: An improved multi-stroke control system for a pneumatically operated feeder for punch presses and the like; such system including means to charge and discharge a pneumatic capacitance. The pneumatic capacitance is adapted to be charged in response to the initiation of a first operative cycle of the feeder and to be discharged in response to the completion of said first cycle; said discharge being adapted to initiate a second operative cycle of said feeder. Once triggered the feeder may execute a number of successive operative cycles, the particular number being dependent on the effective volume of said pneumatic capacitance.

Abstract: A plurality of cruciform cutter members are arranged on a drum to define transverse and circumferential lines along which dough sheet scoring is effected. The members are formed with dough scoring edges along each of the arms thereof and a cutting element at the center to cut a piece from the dough sheet at each intersection of the scoring lines. Air passageways leading to the cutting elements are alternately connected to a vacuum source for removing the cut dough piece from the dough sheet and to a pressure source for removing to dough piece from the element.

Abstract: A dispenser for sheets of web material, such as paper towels, from a supply roll, including a housing, means for holding a supply roll of the web material, and means for separating a sheet of the web from the supply roll operable in response to a user pulling the sheet from the housing and arranged to present at least a portion of the leading edge of the web ready for a user to seize for the dispensing of a further sheet as a direct result of the user pulling the previous sheet from the dispenser.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for severing both a needle portion and an end nub portion of a syringe. The device includes a receptacle for the cutoff portions and a removable cover. A horizontally movable severing means may be suspended from the undersurface of the cover. Mounted on the cover is a handle which is mechanically linked to the severing means. Actuation or movement of the handle thereby causes horizontal movement of the severing means. By resting the syringe in a shoulder portion of the cover, the needle and nub portions of the syringe extend downward through an opening and are in line with the severing means. Therefore, when the severing means is moved in a horizontal direction, it will necessarily cut off the needle and nub portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting cigar wrappers with a selected profile from a natural tobacco leaf, the apparatus comprises a vacuum supporting structure on a leaf receiving member. An arrangement is provided for selecting a cut position on the leaf and oriented with respect to the leaf receiving member and a cutting platen is provided including a leaf supporting surface and an arrangement for creating a vacuum on the surface to support a leaf. The platen is positioned in a known leaf receiving location and a transfer means is provided for transferring the leaf from the leaf receiving member to the leaf supporting surface of the cutting platen. The cutter having the desired profile is provided for cutting the profile from the leaf. The platen is then shifted from its leaf receiving position to a leaf cutting position with the support surface of the platen spaced from the wrapper cutter.

Abstract: A mechanism for use in a multi-station crank press, and the method of operating said mechanism wherein the stripper sleeves at each station are actuated, adjustably, under the control of two cams both to hold the blanks before they are contacted by the punches and to strip the blanks from the punches at selected moment as they are retracting.