Abstract: System and method for packing loose fill materials in bags to form cushions for use in protecting articles in shipping cartons. The bags are produced from a length of flexible plastic tubing which is gathered or bunched to form a coil which is disposed about the outlet of a loose fill dispenser. A section of the tubing is pulled from the coil, and its lower end is closed to form a bag which is then filled with loose fill material dispensed through the outlet. Another section of tubing is then pulled from the coil, and the tubing is drawn together to close the upper end of the first section and the lower end of the second section. The closed ends are secured with tape, and the tubing is severed to separate the first section from the second. The cushions thus formed are placed in the shipping cartons with the articles, and in some embodiments are compressed and reexpanded in conformance with the contour of the articles.

Abstract: An assembly tower method and apparatus for use with an assembly jig having a tower guidance apparatus. The assembly tower includes a base, a platform coupled to the base for movement relative thereto, a drive system for moving the base relative to the ground and for moving the platform to the base in response to selected control signals. A Control System is included in the assembly tower for selectively generating and communicating the respective control signals to the drive system. A tower guidance apparatus is engagable with a guidance element of the tower to limit movement of the base relative to the ground in accordance with a pre-defined path. The tower carries a tool for assisting in constructing large aircraft components such as fuselage panels which are supported on the assembly jig.

Abstract: A stator (76), a rotor (82), and frame bodies (84, 86) to fixedly hold a stator core (74) therebetween in an axial direction are assembled into a motor. Further, a shaft (78) of the rotor and the frame body (86) are mutually coupled through a coupler (106) with no ability for relative rotation. While integrally rotating the frame bodies (84, 86), the stator (76), and the rotor (82) forming the motor about an axis of the rotor (82), a lathe is used to machine mounting surfaces (96a, 100a) of the frame body (84), which will be in direct contact with a surface of an object on which the motor is mounted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically forming and filling sandbags. The apparatus has an excavator for obtaining fill material for the sandbags. The fill is transported from the excavating means to a hopper which dispenses the proper amount of fill into a bag. The bag is formed from two webs of bag forming material which are joined along their edges to form a tube. A clamping, cutting and stitching mechanism clamps and cuts the tube, forming the tops and bottoms of the sandbags. A stitching mechanism stitches the cut top and bottom. The clamping, cutting and stitching mechanism is operated by a hydraulic piston which pulls the sandbag web material from rolls and moves the web from the filling area to the discharge area. A conveyor system moves the formed sandbags from the device for stacking or use. The entire apparatus is mounted on a tractor-type frame so that it can be transported from one location to another.

Abstract: A cable connector for assembly and mounting on a front section of a housing of a power wrench is arranged to connect at least one operation parameter sensor of the power tool to a multi-core cable. The cable connector includes a multi-contact cable connector plug carried on the multi-core cable, and a one-piece mounting member which is made of an elastically resilient material and which is secured to the front section of the housing and supports a multi-contact jack. The multi-contact cable connector plug includes a coupling sleeve formed with an internal thread, and the mounting member includes an open ring portion to be mounted around the front section of the housing and a tubular coupling portion extending laterally from the ring portion.

Abstract: A compact disc (CD) dispenser mounted on a bagging machine is disclosed. The dispenser includes turret and transfer assemblies. The turret assembly includes an indexing system to sequentially and one at a time position mandrels carrying CD disc sets at a dispensing location. The transfer assembly includes a pair of pickup heads driven by the rotary actuator. The pickup heads are adapted sequentially and one at a time to remove discs from a set positioned at the dispensing location and after 180.degree. rotation of the fluid actuator, drop a picked up disc into a waiting bag in the bagging machine.

Abstract: A capping assembly includes at least one tube fixed to a spindle of an automatic machine and provided with a piston and cylinder unit for axially displacing a bush operatively connected with the tube and formed with a shaped recess to releasably engage a respective formation on a cup support upon displacement of the piston in the cylinder.

Abstract: A wrapping machine for wrapping articles such as newspapers in individual protective packets comprising a support assembly having a feed station for introducing unwrapped articles into the machine for wrapping and a pick-up station for retrieving wrapped articles from the wrapping machine mounted on opposite ends thereof, a transport/wrapping assembly for moving the articles from the feed station to the pick-up station and a film supply for enclosing the article between a first flexible protective film sheet and a second flexible protective film sheet, a film sealing assembly for sealing the opposite sides and the opposite ends of the first flexible protective film sheet and the second flexible protective film sheet together to form a protective packet enclosing the article therein, a film cutting assembly for separating adjacent protective packets and a control assembly including at least one sensor to detect articles moving through the wrapping machine and to selectively activate and deactivate the sealing

Abstract: A dual action indexing system and method for relatively rotating a lamina and a partial lamina stack in a progressive die assembly. The dual action indexing system includes a mechanical indexer such as a roller gear cam which provides a large indexed rotational movement to correct for thickness inconsistencies in the laminas and a relatively small and fast servo motor to provide a small indexed rotational movement to provide a desired skew angle. The rotational movements of the mechanical indexer and servo motor are combined by a phase adjuster. The combined rotational movement is used to rotate a choke barrel into which the laminas are punched to form a lamina stack. The operation of the servo motor is regulated by a controller and may thereby be conveniently and rapidly adjusted.

Abstract: A hydraulic breaking hammer having a machine housing including a cylinder bore and an impact piston which is reciprocatingly movable in the cylinder bore in response to an alternating hydraulic pressure, and a tool part having: (i) a head portion fitted to a front portion of the machine housing, and (ii) a guide bore which lies in line with the cylinder bore and in which a breaking tool is slidably carried and repeatedly subjected to impact by the impact piston. A seal is arranged at the front portion of the machine housing between the cylinder bore and the impact piston for separating drive hydraulics of the breaking hammer from the tool part, and a transverse slot is formed in the front portion of the machine housing between mutually opposing side wall portions of the machine housing so as to intersect the cylinder bore forwardly of the seal.

Abstract: A nail driving apparatus including a handle having a first and second end and a rod member having a first end permanently secured to a second end of the handle and a second end forming a striking surface, where the handle and the rod member are secured together so as to form a longitudinal axis. The apparatus further includes an elongated guide tube having a first end and a second end, where the rod member is slidably disposed within the guide tube. The handle further includes a tapered annular ring located about the rod member. The annular ring is operative for receiving the first end of the guide tube within the handle, and for temporarily securing the guide tube to the handle.

Abstract: An automatic filing device for photos, prints and other similar materials for inserting pairs of photos arranged back-to-back into envelopes. The insertion is carried out by means of a rotating shelf (5) on which the photos are placed and a pusher (7) which slides them into the envelopes. The method of insertion is also described.

Abstract: This device reduces the size of the gap between the apex of the flap opener blade and the drive roller. The above increases the probability that the flap of the envelope would be opened. The foregoing was accomplished by removing segments of the apex of the flap opener blade to allow clearance for the envelope and/or drive roller. Thus, the nominal position of the apex of the flap opener blade was moved closer to the drive roller which reduced the gap between the apex of the flap opener blade and drive roller. Consequently, the chance that the envelope flap would be closed was reduced.

Abstract: A wire-wound inductor includes a dielectric core, terminals including wire staples that are crimped around the core, and a wire winding disposed about the perimeter of the core and connected to the terminals. A coating such as an adhesive coating is disposed over the wire winding and between the terminals. The process for manufacturing the inductors in a continuous process. Beginning with a spooled material, which may be extruded, inductors are formed on a core material sequentially. The inductors are not physically separated until the final stages of manufacturing, which is in contrast to the prior art method in which each inductor is individually constructed on an individual core that has been manufactured with tight tolerances and wound individually. By virtue of the characteristics of the inductor components, extremely tight tolerances (typically about 0.0005") can be obtained, resulting in highly controlled inductance values.

Abstract: An improved pneumatically operated fastener driving device comprising an actuating assembly mounted with respect to a housing assembly and movable from an inoperative position to an operative position. A first sealing element is mounted with respect to a feed path. The first sealing element moves from a sealed position, wherein it prevents communication between an air pressure reservoir and a control pressure chamber when the actuating assembly is in the operative position, and an unsealed position, wherein the first sealing element permits such communication to move a main valve to a closed position when the actuating assembly is in the inoperative position.

Abstract: A method for high speed spin winding a coil on a continuous lamination core. A two piece or hinged bobbin having two flanges is placed around a leg of the transformer core and snapped together. Both flanges include an outwardly facing surface which defines a concentric groove. One flange includes passages for receiving printed circuit board terminating pins which are installed prior to winding the coil. The other flange has a circumferential gear located in its outwardly facing surface. The core with bobbin and terminating pins installed is placed into a spin winding fixture. A bobbin bearing having a bearing surface including a circumferential ridge is placed adjacent the outwardly facing surfaces of the two flanges such that the circumferential ridges are partially received within the concentric grooves of the outwardly facing surfaces of the two flanges. A wire feeder terminates the leading end of the coil wire on one of the terminating pins.

Abstract: A component tray handling system is provided which is capable of handling vacuum formed plastic component trays which have very different controlled surfaces and tolerances. In these vacuum formed trays, a leading ridge is formed at a known location with respect to each of a plurality of component cavities. The present system utilizes a unique drive system which is capable of interacting with this ridge rather than interacting with the leading edge of the tray. The present system also has a dual drive characteristic wherein the component trays are quickly removed or taken away from the first drive system so as to avoid any interference by the drive system with the trays or damage to the trays. This tray handling system is designed to allow easy incorporation into any number of automated manufacturing and component handling systems.

Abstract: The combination of a carrier for a container, a squaring plate, a drive for the squaring plate, and a sealing assembly. The carrier accepts a container having first and second spaced flat walls that are substantially parallel to each other with the container in an erected state and third and fourth walls each connecting between the first and second flat walls. The carrier has a first edge against which the first wall of the container can be abutted so that the first wall is thereby supported in a first orientation with the container operatively held by the carrier. The squaring plate is guided in movement relative to the carrier towards the first edge.

Abstract: The improvement to the tying apparatus consists of an intermittent rotatable pneumatic drive to operate the apparatus in place of the electric drive system. The pneumatic drive includes a rotary actuator (20) with a gear arrangement and one-way clutch (26) that provides the 360 degree rotation required to operate the apparatus. A control valve (36) with a single pilot control energizes the actuator clockwise for functional operation and counterclockwise to reset, ready for a subsequent operation. A roller actuated limit valve (42) is in communication with the apparatus program plate and, when mechanically triggered, energizes the pilot portion of the control valve, driving the program plate a full 360 degrees, completing a functional operation of encircling, gathering, twisting and cutting tie material around an article, such as a bag, sack, or other like-open mouth articles.

Abstract: The lower end 11 of a foil tube 6 rests in a vertical tubular bagging machine 1 without any mechanical tension from the remainder of the foil tube 6 on a scale 17. The scale 17 weighs the end 11 together with dosed product portion of a flowable product, which portion is fed into the end 11. The measured value of the scale is delivered to a volumetric dosing device 20. The dosing device 20 changes the mass of the dosed product portion dependent on measured values of the scale 17. The invention improves the packaging speed and the dosing exactness, in particular for dosed masses of less than 5 kg. of flowable product, for example powders.