Abstract: A yard sign for dispensing plastic bags for use in collecting domestic pet waste for later disposal includes a display panel attachable to the ground and a supply of waste bags dispensed from the rear of the sign through a slot. The display panel preferably has a contour that depicts a familiar object such as a dog or other animal. A dispensing slot or opening is preferably positioned at the location of the animal's mouth. Waste bags are stored on a continuous perforated roll on the back of the sign. In one embodiment of the invention, bag storage and dispensing is accomplished by the use of a hanger assembly including a mounting bracket and a U-shaped rod with one arm of the rod serving as a holder for a roll of bags. In another embodiment, bags are held and dispensed by a strap retained by snap fasteners on the back of the sign. In use, the sign is placed in a yard in an area convenient to a pet owner walking his or her pet to facilitate the pet owner's ability to dispose of pet waste.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring media (2) to and from an information transfer device (1) consisting of a media supply tray (36) for holding the media (2) and a drive roller (8). The first idle roller (10) forms a first nip for moving the media (2) from the media supply tray (36) to the information transfer device (1). The drive motor (4) is connected to the drive roller (8) for rotating the drive roller (8). The deflector (44) is located between the first nip and the information transfer device (1). The second idle roller (18) forms a second nip with the drive roller (8) for moving the media (2) from the information transfer device (1) to an exit tray (34) when the deflector (44) is in a second position.

Abstract: Strand-shaped winding material is continuously supplied to a coil, whereby the position of the winding material is observed with at least one video camera, whereby the data about the wrapping obtained in this way are conducted to a computer unit that initiates a corresponding readjustment. With reference to the coil axis and as seen in radial direction, the position of the apexes of the turns is identified for at least respectively two turns of the new winding ply, and, given a deviation of these apexes from a rated value, a readjustment is implemented in the delivery of the winding material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shutter system for use with an automated semiconductor chip handling device. The semiconductor chip handling device includes a track down which semiconductor chips travel. Reliefs are positioned on the track to prevent the semiconductor chips from escaping. A gap in the relief provides access to the semiconductor chips so that they may be removed from the track. A pair of shutters pivot between a first position where they cover the gap and a second position where the gap is uncovered so that chips may be removed from the gap without chips escaping from the track during normal operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating material, particularly excavated material is presented. The method and apparatus utilize a releasable and interchangeable screen assembly which is positioned on top of a frame having a slanted grate. The screen assembly includes bar members which traverse the top of the screen and inverted hook members attached to a top surface of the bar members to enable an equipment bucket to engage the inverted hook members in order to lift and move the screen assembly.

Abstract: This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an apparatus that will assist in sorting mailpieces which increases the efficiency of the mail sorting apparatus, provides an organized space for intermediate storage of mailpieces and provides ergonomic features that reduce injury to the mail sorting apparatus operator and increases productivity. The present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a mailpiece storage rack. The storage rack is used to hold partially sorted mailpieces between sorting passes in multiple pass sorting of mailpieces using a mail sorting apparatus or stores mailpieces after sortation and prior to delivery. The storage rack maintains the grouping, sequence and stack quality or alignment of partially sorted mailpieces which provides for more efficient refeeding. The rack is designed ergonomically for easy transferring of mail into and out of storage and also provides for organized workflow.

Abstract: A vehicle-sensitive sensor for a belt retractor for vehicle safety belt systems, comprises an inertia body displaceable in case of decelerations and accelerations of the sensor, and a two-armed lever. A first arm of the two-armed lever forms a coupling pawl, and a second arm of the two-armed lever is able to be engaged by the inertia body such that, in case of a displacement of the inertia body, the lever is pivoted so that the coupling pawl is directed into a clutch toothing.

Abstract: The apparatus is a carrier tape reel assembly formed of two reel halves. The reel halves include hub portions which further include male detent elements which are rotationally symmetric with each other and likewise include female detent elements which are rotationally symmetric with each other. The male and female detent elements, however, include rotationally asymmetric elements to assure that the two halves are properly aligned so that the open tape slots of the two reel halves are properly aligned. The male and female detent elements are further engaged by a longitudinal motion, without the need for rotational movement during engagement. Stacking apertures are formed rotationally midway between adjacent detent elements to permit the stacking of reel halves, whereby the reel halves are facing in the same direction, but are rotated so that the male detent elements pass through the stacking apertures free of detent engagement.

Abstract: The invention provides a plastic sorting method and apparatus, which, when plastic pieces comprising a plurality of types of resin plastics are agitated and frictionally charged, are able to impart the plastic pieces a necessary amount of charge or polarity for the thorough separation even if the difference in the amount of the different types of plastic pieces is large and to increase the recovery rate. If the amount of a specified type plastic pieces (1) to be recovered is small, the agitation and the electrostatic separation is carried out after adding the specified type plastic pieces (1) as auxiliary frictional charging material (21) into the frictional charging device (3), and the auxiliary frictional charging material (21) remains in the frictional charging device (3) and is used repeatedly.

Abstract: A pinch roller is rotatably provided around a roller shaft by way of a bearing member and abutted against a capstan roller by way of a magnetic tape to rotatively drive the capstan roller, thereby causing the magnetic tape to run. The bearing member has a groove portion formed on a longitudinal center portion of an outer periphery thereof so as to form flange portions abutting against an inner periphery of the roller member in both longitudinal sides of the groove portion. The diameter of portions of the inner periphery of the bearing member where oppose to the flange portions are enlarged than the diameter of a portion where opposes to the groove portion.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing ferrite particles from a material flow introduced into the apparatus. The apparatus has a housing supporting a magnetized roller with which the material flow is brought into contact with to extract the ferrite particles. The roller has an outer surface which extracts and captures the entrained ferrite particles along a highly magnetized pathway formed by a spiral extending along and circumventing a portion of the outer surface of the roller. The spiral can be an exposed magnetic pole exerting a radial magnetic force induced from a magnet core in contact with the spiral on entrained ferrous particles in the material flow, thus attracting the particles to the magnetic poles on the pathway.

Abstract: A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a “soda straw” collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches.

Abstract: In the case of an open-end spinning machine, threads are wound onto bobbins with random crosswinding. A so-called antipatterning is hereby necessary, which is usually achieved by so-called wobbling. During wobbling, the speed of the winding shaft and/or the speed of the traverse gearing is periodically altered. A first variable speed motor is provided for driving the winding shaft and a second variable speed motor is provided for driving the traverse gearing. A control device controls the variable speed motors and sets the wobble curves. The constant delivery speed of the yarn withdrawal shaft, on which a speed transmitter is disposed, serves as the master speed for the control device.

Abstract: A table separator is provided, wherein the table separator comprises a plurality of solid-bottom trays and a plurality of dimples for facilitating separation of degerminated corn into endosperm and germ fractions, the dimples being aligned in linear juxtaposition on the surface of the trays and having a center portion raised with respect to the perimeter of the dimples.

Abstract: A bobbin plate is described which is provided with yarn catching slits, with whose aid a yarn reserve winding is formed on a rotating empty bobbin tube. The bobbin plate comprises a base body as well as a nipping ring which can be pressed onto the base body and which nipping ring is flexible at its front side. The base body as well as the nipping ring are each provided with yarn catching slits in such a way that the caught thread can be nipped between the base body and the nipping ring. The supporting surface, on which the bobbin tube is disposed on the nipping ring, is so designed that a relative motion between the bobbin plate and bobbin tube is prevented.

Abstract: A vibrating screen supported by springs and vibrated via rotating gear sets. The gears are provided with off center weights synchronized to produce angularly directed vibration for moving the material from end to end on the screen. The gears are lubricated with a bath of low viscosity lubricant which is vibrated to form lubricant spikes that extend into the path of the weights to be propelled by the weights into the gears. The weights are substantially crescent shaped at their leading end to avoid hammer like impact of the lubricant and to thereby reduce heat generation.

Abstract: A truck mounted particle screener for mounting atop the dump body of a dump truck having a support frame, a screen deck, a plurality of spring assemblies connecting the screen deck to the support frame, and a vibrating mechanism attached to the screen deck for imparting the vibratory motion to the screen deck.

Abstract: A device for winding conical cross-wound bobbins has a creel pivotably mounted about a pivot axis and receiving the conical bobbin, a yarn guide traversing alongside the creel, and a yarn accumulator adapted to accumulate and pay-out a stored length of yarn. The prevailing instantaneous driven diameter (da) of the cross-wound bobbin (24) is detected by a first sensor device (48, 48′), the prevailing instantaneous position and/or the direction of travel of the yarn guide (36) is detected by a second sensor device (50, 50′), and the sensor devices (48, 48′, 50, 50′) are connected to a control device (46) which supplies a control signal for a drive (40) of the yarn accumulator (32) as a function of the signals supplied.

Abstract: An easily tear-off tissue holder includes a base, a shaft connected with and standing on the base, a fix rod connected with the shaft and having a slide hole for an upper small diameter connect rod of the shaft to fit and move up and down therein, and a press member connected on top of the fix rod to press down the fix rod and an elastic cylindrical member. When the press member is pressed down the fix rod and the elastic cylinder member, the elastic cylinder member with vertical slots and of narrow strips defined by every two neighboring vertical slots may elastically bend diametrically outward to push an inner wall of a cylindrical shaft of a coil tissue to stop the coil tissue immovable for easily tearing off a proper length of the tissue, by which the coil tissue may not be smeared in tearing off action.

Abstract: A webbing retractor for webbing belt retraction and restraint of a vehicle occupant during sudden deceleration. In a preferred embodiment, the webbing retractor includes a spring, and is for connection to an axially rotatable shaft having a locking device. The locking device includes a rotator coaxially rotatable with the shaft and a locking mechanism. The spring resiliently urges the shaft to retract the webbing belt, which can be ordinarily unwound against the spring tension. During sudden deceleration, the locking mechanism is activated and limits or prevents unwinding of the webbing belt. The retractor includes wall portions provided at the rotator and the shaft, with the spring disposed between these portions. A hole for insertion of the spring is provided between the wall portions. The hole is sized such that the spring must be at least partially compressed for insertion therethrough. The arrangement facilitates insertion of the spring, and stable connection of the spring in the assembly.