Abstract: A wheelchair platform free fall control system comprising use of a tension means, such as at least one spring, biasing together the long and short arms of a lever arm assembly that keeps the lever arm slide block in contact with a lifting arm during gravity-down deployment of said platform from an over-vertical stowed position to a horizontal transfer position. A compression means may be used in conjunction with the lifting arm assembly to assist in overcoming the resting momentum of the lift platform mass from over-vertical outwardly until gravity takes over. The tension means may be one or more springs and the compression means may be a gas spring. The forces are preselected to provide lifting assembly over-vertical assist while keeping the sliding block in substantial contact with an arm of the lifting assembly. The springs can be used with a stud/slot interlock. Torsion springs are preferably eliminated.

Abstract: A bulk cassette has a container chamber at its rear end, and an outlet port at its front end. A plurality of chips within the container chamber are discharged from the outlet port one by one in an aligned fashion. A chip case is detachably connected to the rear end of the bulk cassette and includes an internal container space within which a plurality of chips can be contained. The chip case has a supply opening at its front end so as to feed the chips from the container space to the container chamber of the bulk cassette. The chip case also has a receiving opening at its rear end so as to feed additional chips into the container space. A closure member is mounted to the rear end of the chip case to open and close the receiving opening. A pipe is inserted into the receiving opening for replenishment of chips.

Abstract: A tablet feeder has a partitioning member that allows tablets to be separated properly without causing any faults such as cracking in the pockets of the tablet array board. Tablets A accommodated in the tablet accommodating portion 2 are retained one by one into the pockets of the tablet array board 8, divided into two by the partitioning member 14, and thereafter discharged out at a discharge position. The partitioning member 14 has its partitioning portion 15 made up from a plurality of elastic bristles 17 in a comb-like shape.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a vending machine includes a number of failure control devices that monitor and control the functioning of the various components in the vending machine to ensure uniform quality of food products to be sold to a customer. One specific embodiment includes plurality of oven failure control devices, a freezer failure control device and a power failure control device. When a microcontroller in the vending machine determines the occurrence of a failure, the microcontroller displays a failure message on a customer display and discontinues vending food until the failure is corrected, for example, by an operator. In another aspect of this invention, the vending machine includes a mechanism for operating a door of a refrigeration compartment of the vending machine. The mechanism includes a motor driven rotary link coupled to a roller that moves in a slot of the door.

Abstract: An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the requested package.

Abstract: A governor for a moving device, such as an elevator, includes a primary assembly that generates a magnetic field and a secondary assembly extending through the generated magnetic field. The assemblies define a rotor and a stator that rotate at a relative speed that is proportional to the speed of the moving device. The stator is biased into a stationary position. If the relative rotational speed exceeds a predetermined limit, the bias on the stator is overcome by the interaction of the secondary assembly with the magnetic field. Movement of the stator away from the stationary position actuates an apparatus to prevent an overspeed condition of the moving device.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for dispensing bulk articles, comprises a housing having a receptacle and a dispensing chute, an article reservoir mounted on the housing above the receptacle, and a rotatable dispensing wheel disposed between the receptacle and the dispensing chute and operative to selectively dispense articles from the receptacle to the chute, the dispensing wheel having at least one article cavity for receiving and depositing a predetermined quantity of articles in the chute, the cavity defined by walls diverging away from an upper peripheral edge.

Abstract: A mobile screening apparatus for gravel and other aggregates includes a three sided box adapted to rest on the ground surface. A vibrating screen is located above the box in a tilted, or sloped condition, so that gravel deposited on the screen is in a fluidized condition. Relatively fine gravel particles (stones) pass downwardly through the screen into the box. Two upwardly divergent trough walls are rigidly secured to side edges of the screen to guide gravel particles onto the screen. A rotary motor is mounted on the undersurface of the screen to rotate an elongated shaft that acts as a counterweight to oscillate the screen in a generally vertical direction. The motor and elongated counterweight shaft are exposed so as to be readily accessible for inspection or maintenance purposes.

Abstract: An elevator drive machine includes a speed reduction unit, a driving sheave, and the first and the second driven sheaves formed over the driving sheave and arranged a triangle with the driving sheave. Each of the sheave has ratchet on its periphery, a pawl mechanism is mounted near the sheave. A speed limiter which includes a centrifugal speed limiter engaging with the gear of the first driven sheave and a three-branch lever, is provided on the side of driving sheave and the first driven sheave, When the dropping speed of the cab overruns the given speed, the three-branch lever moves so as to make the ratchet engage with the pawl, thus braking the driving sheave and the first driven sheave, quickly increasing the friction force of driving rope and immediately stopping the cab. It can prevent the rope from sliding on the sheaves, and has advantages of compact construction and low cost.

Abstract: An assembly including a dispenser for flexible sheets from a stack, which dispenser has manually separable top and bottom portions defining a cavity therebetween adapted to receive the stack so that the uppermost sheet in the stack can be manually pulled through an opening in the top wall.

Abstract: A door sill arrangement for an elevator has a profiled sill element with upper and lower grooves. First and second door panels of the elevator are provided with first and second sliding guides, respectively. The first and second sliding guides move in the upper and lower grooves of the profiled sill element when the doors are opened. Upper and lower plastic bars are attached to the first and second sliding guides, respectively. The upper and lower plastic bars are pulled by the front sliding guides, when the door panels are opened. The upper and lower plastic bars slide along through the upper and lower grooves and substantially fill or cover the grooves which would otherwise be exposed when the door panels are opened.

Abstract: A pill dispensing device for use in dispensing a capsule from a blister pack which comprises first and second hingedly connected members, the second member having a support area and an aperture formed within the support area and having a resilient cushion element mounted within the support area. The first member has a pusher element extending outwardly therefrom, the arrangement being such that when the first and second members are moved in a hinged manner with respect to each other, the pressure element will push the capsule through the blister package to be dispensed thereby making the dispensing relatively easy despite a lack of strength or flexibility on the part of the user.

Abstract: A method and/or apparatus for reducing the maximum speed of a lift truck when a fork carriage exceeds a fork carriage trip height and a limit switch positioned at the trip height to detect trip height has failed. Using lift truck control signals, a calculated fork carriage height is determined and compared to the trip height which corresponds to the limit switch position. When the calculated height reaches the trip height and the limit switch does not provide a sensed signal, a latch is set in a non-volatile memory which limits the maximum truck speed until the limit switch is again operable.

Abstract: A lifting carriage for use on an industrial truck is connected to a lifting frame which moves vertically along a lift mast. The lifting carriage includes a rotatable guide roller arrangement for adjusting the position of the lifting carriage. The guide roller arrangement includes a first pair of horizontally spaced guide rollers and a second pair of horizontally spaced guide rollers which are vertically spaced from the first pair of horizontally spaced guide rollers. The position of guide rollers of the first pair of guide rollers is not movable relative to the lifting carriage and the position of the guide rollers of the second pair of guide rollers is movable relative to the lifting carriage in a direction having a horizontal component.

Abstract: An article dispensing device including a cabinet defines a dispensing path viewable from outside the cabinet and a plurality of randomly operating elements for possibly diverting an article travelling along the path. A bonus article is dispensed if a primary article successfully negotiates the dispensing path without being diverted. The average rate of operation of the diverting device increases with each diverting device encountered by the article along the dispensing path. For each diverting device, the average rate of operation is greater when an article nears than at other times.

Abstract: The subject matter of the patent relates to an elevator with an elevator cage 10 guided in rucksack-type manner on a mount frame and a counterweight 15 connected to said elevator cage through a cable control. Therein two equiaxed rolls 20, 21 are disposed on said counterweight and two rolls 16, 18 parallel to the axes are disposed one beside the other on the upper crossbeam and equal numbers of ropes are guided about one roll each on the counterweight and on the crossbeam, wherein the rope ends acting on the guide section of said elevator cage are defined at the lateral ends of said guide section in symmetry with the central axis of said elevator cage. The individual ropes 25a, 25b, 26a, 26b, over their entire lengths run in parallel with one another in one plane within the mount frame 4 guiding said elevator cage 10 and said counterweight 15.

Abstract: A lead dispensing storage container that can be opened or closed by a single hand. The container body has a lead case formed therein, and a lead outlet allowing release of leads one by one. A gate member mounted in the container body can be moved to open or close lead paths between the lead case and lead outlet. An elastic arm portion forces the gate member to move in direction to close the lead paths. The number of parts is reduced, and supplying leads can be made easier by a case that has a lead supply opening projecting from the tip thereof. A leading end of the case has an inclined slope toward the lead supply opening therein, and a chuck containing leads having a knocking portion that is pressed into the case so that it can be opened by the knocking portion being pushed to press an opening actuator toward the inclined slope or is closed by an elastic force as the opening actuator is released.

Abstract: The arrival of each of four dual-hoistway shuttle elevators S1-S4 is synchronized with a selected one of ten local elevators L1-L10, or ten low rise elevators L1-L10 and ten high rise elevators H1-H10 at a transfer floor 26 by limiting 140 the speed of the shuttle, gradually 149, or rapidly 154, 155 decreasing the speed of the shuttle, delaying a local elevator by holding its doors open for extra time, or controlling the speed of a local elevator, by cancelling or avoiding hall calls. Empty local elevators may be allowed to remain at the high end of the building, or compelled to travel to the lobby if needed. Elevators approaching a transfer floor may be synchronized by adjusting the speed of one of them until the remaining distance is the same for both. Hall calls may be prevented, cancelled, or negatively biased in dependence upon the tardiness of a local elevator.

Abstract: A vending machine installation includes a misting accessory which discharges an evaporative cooling mist and is provided for interactive operation by a customer purchasing a product. The misting accessory is disposed above the vending machine or machines and includes a mist nozzle assembly within a simulated beverage bottle surrounded by a simulated bed of ice. Also provided is a sound generator for simulating the sound of gas escaping from the opening of the container of the beverage in response to vend signals generated by the customer operating the machine. The sound generator and the mister are initiated simultaneously. The simulated beverage bottle may be provided with a hinged bottle cap which flips open during operation of the mister. A pavilion incorporating vending machines and an array of misting nozzle assemblies provides evaporative cooling to persons within the pavilion.

Abstract: A Transport apparatus includes a vertically extending frame, three plate assemblies mounted on the frame and three assembly drives connected to the plate assemblies for vertically moving the plate assemblies in the frame. The frame surrounds a transport column which includes a bottom work position, a middle storage position and a top storage position. Each plate assembly includes a carriage adjacent a side of the frame, a rectangular plate, a hinge between the carriage and plate and a pair of hinge drives for rotating the plate between a horizontal load supporting position in the transport column and a vertical position adjacent the column. The assemblies are lowered to the under position with horizontal plates supporting pallets filled with work parts. After the work parts and pallets are removed, the plates are rotated to the vertical and moved up to storage positions.