Abstract: A multi-length sheet material conveyor and collator is provided including a first conveyor for receiving successive cut sheets from a cutter and a second conveyor for receiving cut sheets from the first conveyor and arranging the received cut sheets in collated sets of sheets. The second conveyor includes drive structure for intermittently driving the collated sets of sheets therealong and support structure whereby additional equipment may be supported from the second conveyor for performing single or multiple additional operations on the collated sets of sheet material such as stapling, gluing and token tipping.

Abstract: An arrangement intended for controlling hydraulic motors and comprising inlet elements (17, 18) and outlet elements (7, 5) in the form of valves arranged in a hydraulic circuit which connects the hydraulic motor (1) with a pump (15) which functions as a power source for at least the hydraulic motor (1) and preferably, but not necessarily, for one or more further hydraulic motors, and also to a tank (9). Each inlet element (17, 18) is mounted in the hydraulic circuit on the pressure side of the pump, whereas each outlet element (5, 7) is mounted in the hydraulic circuit on the suction side of the pump.

Abstract: A power piston assembly for booster, in particular, an improvement of an axial portion of a power piston and a retainer which is engaged therewith is disclosed. A front power piston is formed with a first and a second tubular section around its inner periphery, and the first tubular section is fitted around a flange of a valve body and is prevented from disengagement therefrom by an annular retainer. Around its outer peripheral edge, the retainer is formed with a peripheral tubular portion, which is disposed as a press fit around the second tubular section of the front power piston from the front side, thereby connecting the front power piston to the flange of the valve body. With this arrangement, the front end of the first tubular section of the front power piston may be located rearward of the front end of the valve body (or its flange). Accordingly, the axial size of the first tubular section and hence of the booster may be reduced as compared with a conventional arrangement.

Abstract: An apparatus for inserting chipboard or cardboard spacers within a lapstream of paper sheets exiting a press on a lapstream conveyor includes a chipboard ejector for firing chipboards toward the lapstream conveyor in a direction which is opposite that of the conveyor. A plurality of vacuum feet are positioned over the conveyor and are responsive to a control pulse issued by a programmable counter to pick up the leading edge of selected sheets in the lapstream. Simultaneously, the chipboard ejector fires a chipboard, in response to another control pulse from the counter, toward the point on the conveyor over which the sheet is being picked up. The vacuum feet are then released, dropping the selected paper sheet and the chipboards are thus reliably inserted at regular intervals within the lapstream. Multiple chipboards can be inserted in a single location by varying the length of the chipboard ejector control pulse.

Abstract: A support guide slidably mounts in a parallel relationship slide legs, with the slide legs each including a top surface having registration rods arranged for positioning first and second computer sheets together, with the organization to further include a joining web having an adhesive top surface oriented to underlie the first and second computer sheets to secure the computer sheets together to provide for a continuous paper flow.

Abstract: This heat-insulating piston has a piston head comprising a piston head base portion consisting of a ceramic material, a heat-insulating member jointed to the piston head base portion and consisting of a whisker fired member of the same ceramic material as that of the piston head base portion, and a laminate jointed to the surface of the heat-insulating member that faces the combustion chamber, as well as to the surface that slides and consisting of the same ceramic material as that of the heat-insulating member. The heat-insulating member is stably jointed to the piston head base portion and laminate by utilizing the same ceramic material for the heat-insulating member, piston head base portion and laminate, whereby the strength of the piston head can be improved. Furthermore, the heat-insulating capability of the piston can be improved, while the thermal capacity of the laminate is made small, whereby the suction efficiency can also be improved.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus operable in a sorting mode in which sheets are sorted and in a non-sorting mode in which the sheets are not sorted includes a plurality of bins for receiving and sorting the sheets; a stapler for stapling the sheets accommodated in the bins; wherein one of the plural bins functions to receive the sheets in the non-sorting mode; an expander for changing a sheet accommodating space of the bin for receiving the sheets in the non-sorting mode; and a controller for operating the expander to expand the accommodating space when a number of sheets received by the bin is larger than a staplable number of the sheets of the stapler.

Abstract: The inventive method and apparatus serve to combine into groups different printed products supplied as continuous flows (1, 2, 3 etc.), on at least one grouping section (10.1, 10.2, 10.3), in which each group can have a composition of in each case one product from different supply flows corresponding to a predetermined group sequence. The production of faulty groups is prevented, in that in the supplies errors are detected at an early stage, so that groups affected by an error, are not formed in the predetermined cycle and are instead displaced by one cycle. The group flow leaving the method consequently contains only gaps and not faulty groups. For performing the method between the supplies (63.4, 63.5) of products and the grouping (10.1, 10.2) are introduced a supply control, a supply buffer storage and a controlled delivery. The means (64.2, 64.3, 64.4 etc.

Abstract: Structure for caging a return spring of a master cylinder to define limits for an operational chamber. The structure includes a first cylindrical member which engages a first piston and a second cylindrical member which engages a second piston with the return spring being located between the first and second cylindrical members. A stud which has an irregular shaped end member is retained in a groove in the second piston by the second cylindrical member and mated with a head member to define the limits for the return spring between the first and second cylindrical members and correspondingly the maximum size of the chamber within a bore of a master cylinder.

Abstract: A sheet finisher apparatus includes a supporting device for supporting a stack of sheets; a stapler; a moving mechanism for moving the stapler between a clinching position for clinching the sheets on the supporting device by the stapler and a retracted position away from the clinching position; a clinching mechanism for effecting the stapling action of the stapler at the clinching position; and a drive transmitting device for effecting by one driving source movement of the stapler by the moving mechanism and a clinching operation by the clinching mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling a continuous web of Z-fold computer paper discharged from a printer includes a conveyor having spaced apart paper stacking and stacked paper removing regions. Included in the apparatus is a plurality of stacking blades moveable in a generally horizontal plane between extended and retracted positions. The blades are also moveable between upper and lower positions; in their upper position the extended blades are directly above the stacking region in a position to intercept a stream of paper from the printer, the intercepted paper forming an intermediate stack on the extended blades. When the blades are in their upper and retracted positions, they are positioned out of the stream of paper. In their lower position, the extended blades are directly below the conveyor paper stacking region.

Abstract: A mail insertion machine (10) having an elongated insert track (12) with one or more insert dispensing devices (16) with rotary insert feeding mechanisms (22) for depositing inserts at longitudinally-space movable driving members (14) on the insert track includes a power train interconnected between the driving members and each insert dispensing device for driving them in a predetermined phase relationship with a phase-adjustment mechanism for adjusting the phase relationship.

Abstract: Folded printed sheets are delivered by a first conveyor into the radially extending pockets of a turret-shaped second conveyor for delivery onto successive saddles of a gathering conveyor which transports stacks of superimposed interfitted folded sheets to a stapling apparatus. The fold lines are disposed at the leading ends of sheets which enter the pockets of the second conveyor to engage suitable abutments, and the sheets are thereupon acted upon by centrifugal force to move radially outwardly against stops in their pockets prior to being withdrawn and simultaneously partially spread out for deposition on the oncoming saddles of the gathering conveyor. The second conveyor rotates about a horizontal axis which is located at a level above the gathering conveyor and at the level of or below the discharge end of the first conveyor.

Abstract: A hydraulic drive system for construction machines comprising a valve group (52) including a plurality of directional control valves (9-13) of center bypass type, a center bypass line (2a) for connecting in series center bypasses of the plural directional control valves to a low-pressure circuit (29), a plurality of bleeding-off variable restrictor means (56) respectively disposed in the center bypasses of the plural directional control valves, a pressure compensating valve (20) provided in the center bypass line, and first and second differential pressure detecting lines (22, 24) connected to the center bypass line for transmitting a differential pressure to the pressure compensating valve.

Abstract: An on-off valve is provided for a rockdrill which is operable by a hydraulic fluid under pressure and which is controlled by a hydraulically biassed valve. The rockdrill is turned on and off by opening and closing the on-off valve. When the valve is turned off hydraulic pressure from an inlet line and a supply pin line to a valve line of the hydraulically biassed control valve is cut off, thereby eliminating the pressure on the supply pin. This interrupts the operating cycle of the control valve and thereby shuts off the operation of the hydraulic drill. When the on-off valve is opened the hydraulic pressure from the inlet line via the supply pin line is re-established to the valve line and to the supply pin, and the operating cycle of the control valve is re-established.

Abstract: A hydraulic flow control apparatus has shape memory alloy springs which develop substantial actuating forces only at relatively high temperature. As a result of these forces, an only relatively slightly throttled connecting path between delivery side and intake side of a pump is opened directly or indirectly.

Abstract: In a document collating and stuffing apparatus wherein documents are collated along a longitudinally extending transport deck having an upstream end and a downstream end, the documents being fed from a plurality of feeding stations serially positioned above the transport deck, and at least one of the feeding stations including a platform mounted thereto, an improvement to the feeding station comprising structure for adjustably positioning the platform at one of a raised position and a lowered position, the raised position causing the feed station to feed the documents directly to the transport deck before a next upstream collation is transported on top of the fed document by pusher structure, and the lowered position causing the platform to support documents fed thereto until the next upstream collation is transported along the transport deck under the platform by the pusher structure at which time the document is transported on top of the collation by the pusher structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum-operated servo-brake comprising, in a casing consisting of a shell (10) and a cover (12), a piston (20) separating leaktightly two inner chambers (22, 24), a valve means controlled by a rod (32) projecting from the casing in order to ensure the operation of the servo-brake, and a prestressed spring (34) for returning the piston (20) to its rest position substantially abutting the cover (12), the spring (34) bearing on the shell (10). According to the invention, the spring (34) comprises a mechanism enabling its extension to be limited when the shell (10) and the cover (12) are not fixed to each other.

Abstract: In the hydraulic apparatus (1) according to a first aspect of the present invention, mid-pressures between the inlet side and outlet side pressures of a first and a second pressure compensating valves (4, 4') are permitted to act on the flow rate decreasing side pressure receiving surfaces (4b, 4b') thereof through first and second mid-pressure supplying means (13, 13'), thereby restraining operational error and malfunction of the pressure compensating valves (4, 4'). In the hydraulic apparatus (20) according to a second aspect of the present invention. when actuating valves are made to assume neutral position, holding pressures of hydraulic actuators (5, 5') are permitted to act on flow rate decreasing side pressure receiving surfaces (4b, 4b') of pressure compensating valves (4), (4') so that spools of the pressure compensating valves are held at compensating position, thereby improving the response of the hydraulic actuators (5, 5') to lever actuation.

Abstract: An apparatus powered by solar cell photon energy having a motor for rotating a drive shaft by the use of compressed air. The motor comprising: a housing having a circular cross section with a drive shaft extending therethrough; a rotor having concave cups on its exterior surface mounted on the drive shaft within the housing; ports extending through the housing to cause rotation of the rotor; a plurality of sources of compressed air positioned adjacent to the housing. The apparatus further includes an alternator and/or a system for converting solar energy into mechanical energy comprising a battery chargeable through solar panels to generate power for reciprocating pistons to thereby generate the compressed air.