Abstract: A vending machine for dispensing articles such as scrub garments. The machine defines plural rows of slots for receiving articles, with the rows vertically stacked so that slots in each row form vertical columns with slots on adjacent rows. A separate lockable user door closes each slot level. A slot door assembly between the slots and the user door operates to open a particular slot, and only that slot is accessible when the user door for that level is unlocked and opened. The slot door assembly comprises separate user doors numbering one less than the available slots and slidable to expose any one column of slots at a time. A slot access mechanism moves adjacent the slot doors and extends to engage and displace the slot doors blocking a particular column of slots, so that one slot in that column becomes accessible upon opening a particular user door.

Abstract: A lifting platform for motor vehicles has at least one scissor-type framework with at least two lower scissor levers that cross each other and two upper scissor levers that cross each other. Either the upper or lower of two pivotably connected scissor levers is configured with a slot shape of a type which opens toward the other scissor lever, and this other scissor lever sinks at least most of the way into this slot when the platform lift is in its lowered position. Instead of a U-shaped slot configuration, the upper or lower of two pivotably connected scissor levers may have an L-shaped profile opening toward the other scissor lever and permitting it to sink into the crook of the L.

Abstract: The invention concerns a door structure for an elevator which allows a service engineer to easily adjust a gap between a vibration damping engaging mechanism on a cage sliding door, the width of which varies through the opening/closing operation of the cage sliding door, and each of vibration damping members spaced predetermined distances apart from both sides of the vibration damping engaging mechanism. In the door structure, the vibration damping engaging mechanism includes movable engaging vanes spaced predetermined distances apart from the vibration damping members. The movable engaging vanes are operated such that when the sliding door is present near to the full close and open positions, the spaces are larger than those when the sliding door is present in the middle of the opening/closing stroke of the sliding door.

Abstract: A plastic bag holder is disclosed. The plastic bag holder comprises a housing formed of a front wall and a parallel back wall with parallel side walls therebetween. Each of the walls has upper edges and lower edges and with side edges therebetween. A rectangular bottom wall with side edges is coupled to the lower edges of the front and rear and side walls with an open top thereabove. All the walls are formed of a rigid material but with a slot in the front wall and an aperture in the bottom wall. The side walls have outwardly extending projections. A lid is formed with a top wall and linear front and rear and side edges and with trapezoidal side walls extending downwardly at an angle therefrom. The lid has a rectangular shoulder on its interior surface located at an intermediate extent of its side walls and with downwardly extending gripping fingers adjacent to the lower edges thereof. The lid is formed of a material with limited resilience.

Abstract: A combined stairway and hoist so constructed that it can be adapted in many fields of use, especially for handicapped people in buildings and public transportation. The stairway together with the platform can be raised and lowered by means of parallel stays which at one end are pivotally connected to a support at the upper end of the stairway, the parallel stays along their length being pivotally connected to a number of additional stays which are connected to respective steps and are vertical in operating position.

Abstract: A sensor dispensing instrument (20) includes a sensor magazine (26) that contains a plurality of blood glucose sensors (38) disposed in sensor slots (30A-J). Each of the sensor slots (30A-J) is in fluid communication with a desiccant cavity (50A-J) in which desiccant material is disposed. The front and rear walls (34, 32) of the sensor magazine (26) are sealed with burst foils (40, 42) so as to seal the sensor slots (30A-J) and the desiccant cavities (36A-J). The sensor instrument (20) has an outer housing (22) with a laterally extending magazine opening (24) adapted to receive the sensor magazine (26). A pivot rod (28) is moved through the magazine (26) and is locked into an operating position. The magazine (26) is rotated on the pivot rod (28) until a detent arm (48) on the instrument housing (22) engages a detent groove (50A-J) on the magazine (26) to position the magazine (26) in a sensor feeding position.

Abstract: In this overspeed governor, an overspeed condition causes, by way of coupling elements (15,15'), a brake (5) comprised in the overspeed governor to engage a rope pulley (3) which, due to friction, brakes the rope driving the rope pulley itself and thus triggers the safety gear of the elevator. In the invention, the rotation of at least one coupling element (15,15') provided in the overspeed governor and rotating with it is braked by a frictional force which is applied to a braking point (31,32) on the coupling element (15,15'). The combined effect of the braking action and the rotation of the overspeed governor turns the coupling element (15,15') into a position in which the brake (5) is activated so as to engage the rope pulley (3).

Abstract: A system for dispensing individual sheet material segments from a roll of sheet material in which the sheet material is separated into individual segments by perforated tear lines. The sheet material roll is continually positioned on support rollers with the lead end of the sheet material passing through a nip defined by the rollers and a member which is biased against the rollers to resist rotation thereof. After passing through the nip the end of the toweling proceeds through a restricted opening. Pulling of the end-most segment by a consumer causes the end-most segment to be separated along the perforated tear line separating it from the adjoining, following segment.

Abstract: A feeder system for sequentially supplying a plurality of cuvettes or other objects to a conveyor track. The system includes a cassette, an escapement, and an actuator. The cassette retains the objects/cuvettes in at least one substantially vertical stack over the conveyor. The escapement is movable between a first position in which the escapement supports the bottom object in the stack, a second middle position in which the escapement supports both the bottom object and the object above it and a third position in which the escapement continues to support the object in said stack above the bottom object and releases the bottom object to be deposited on the conveyor. The actuator moves the escapement between the first, second and third positions. Novel apparatus for use in the system, including a stick for loading cuvettes into a cassette and a cuvette particularly adapted for stacking, are also provided.

Abstract: An elevator overspeed protection apparatus includes a brake apparatus which makes use of eddy currents. The brake apparatus includes a magnetic spring placed on a car in the proximity of a pickup of the elevator overspeed protection apparatus such that, when an arm of the brake apparatus is in a horizontal condition, a displacement of the pickup is prevented with a strong attracting force by the magnetic spring, but when the arm is inclined obliquely, the attracting force of the magnetic spring is prevented from acting upon the pickup. Due to the construction, the brake apparatus operates stably and with certainty and has an increased life.

Abstract: A device for and method of ergonomically removing parts from a parts bin, so that an operator does not have to unnecessarily bend to remove parts, using an open-ended container, a platform removably contained within the container, and a mechanism for lifting the platform which is, also, removably contained within the container. The mechanism for lifting the platform may be a manually operated or automatically operated scissor-type jack, hydraulic cylinder, or pneumatic cylinder. Also, the platform may be vertically adjusted by a spring whose spring constant is chosen to correspond to the weight of the parts within the bin.

Abstract: A water lift for lifting a series of vertically oriented wafers arranged parallel to one another in a cassette. The wafer lift comprises a lift plate and an actuator mechanism for raising the lift plate. The lift plate has a contact surface for engaging the edge of each of the wafers. The a contact surface extends upward at a predetermined angle so that, when the lift plate is raised and contact surface engages the edges of the wafers, each wafer is lifted incrementally higher than the preceding wafer. The actuator mechanism includes a bell crank rotatable about a pivotal axis for transforming rotational motion into translational motion. The bell crank has first and second crank arms that extend radially from the pivotal axis and an arcuate member that extends circumferentially between and joining the crank arms. Thus, the arcuate member forms the circumferential perimeter of the bell crank.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a stack pusher apparatus which is used for pushing a workpiece such as a stack of printed circuit cards between rest locations. The pusher apparatus includes an articulated engagement unit which permits reasonable tolerances relative to the dimensions of the workpiece to be pushed or moved. In addition, a pneumatically driven control mechanism for moving the stack pusher apparatus is described.

Abstract: A wheelchair lift system enabling wheelchair accessibility between stair levels for persons incapable of traversing stairs under their own power. The key of the invention is a free-rolling, wheeled platform suspended between two arcuate tracks which are lifted and lowered by synchronized, reversible, worm-gear drive mechanisms. The platform and tracks are mounted on a frame in which also resides peripheral equipment needed to raise and lower the system. A seven-foot-high portal frame supports the drive mechanism which comprises pivoting, worm-gear type drive motors, turning long worm-gears extending vertically downward from the top of the frame to the floor and engaging pivoting worm-gear heads that are attached to the arcuate tracks, while allowing normal access to the stairs.

Abstract: Broadly, the present invention provides a folded sheet dispenser with a vertical end opening extending into the top with a unique, new and novel, internal control plate which controls the one at a time consecutive removal of folded sheets in a horizontal and somewhat vertical direction from within the dispenser and through the end opening. This folded sheet dispenser with the end opening and the internal control plate are the two basic features of this invention which can be combined in the refillable, molded plastic design as well as with the disposable cardboard design.

Abstract: An elevator governor rope brake assembly is disclosed for slowing governor rope movement upon the occurrence of unintended movement of an elevator cab. The assembly comprising a governor sheave over which a governor rope passes, with a pivotally mounted brake disposed about its outer circumference on a pivot arm for slowing the governor rope movement. The pivotally mounted brake being capable of pivoting along a clockwise and counter-clockwise arcuate path, each of the arcuate paths intersecting the outer circumference of the governor sheave at symmetrical locations at an angle sufficient for the pivotally mounted brake to engage the governor rope with sufficient force to slow the governor rope movement. Spring loaded releasing detents are used for initially positioning the pivotally mounted brake vertically. Flyweights on the governor sheave actuate the detents and release the pivotally mounted brake from the initial vertical position upon the occurrence of unintended movement of the elevator cab.

Abstract: There is provided a nurser liner that facilitates stacking and nesting of the liner while maximizing liner capacity. In particular, it permits a plurality of the liners to be contained within a container having limited internal space while allowing the liners to de-nest properly and individually from the container. The nurser liner includes a rim that is located at one end of the liner and a step that is located a predetermined distance from the rim. In addition, the outer walls of the liner are slightly tapered inward from the rim. The step and the tapered outer walls insure uniform spacings between nested liners for easy dispensing, optimal spacing between liners and maximum liner capacity.

Abstract: A device for dispensing single doses of powdered medicament has a housing for holding a container which has a number of sealed apertures containing individual encapsulating doses of medicament. The container can move relative to the housing to allow each aperture in succession to be brought into registry with an airway which communicates with a mouthpiece. The device includes a piercing member, such as a pin, which can be inserted into a selected aperture to break its respective seals. The configuration and movement of the pin are such that this action expels substantially no powder from the aperture.

Abstract: An integrated business card and information dispenser device, for dispensing one or more pieces of information or business cards with each stroke of the dispensing lever, which can be mounted permanently or temporarily using a variety of mounting means, the device having a business card and information storage area and a dispensing means, the device also having a secured, locking article storage area, the device being waterproof and having various indicia display surfaces.

Abstract: A unit for transferring cigarette portions from a dual rod cigarette manufacturing machine to a filter assembly machine; the transfer unit presenting a launching device for successively receiving pairs of cigarette portions arranged side by side and traveling in an axial direction, and for simultaneously feeding the portions in each pair--still substantially axially, but imparting to them a transverse component--into respective adjacent seats of a conveyor device wherein the seats for receiving the cigarette portions are parallel to the cigarette portions, and travel crosswise to the traveling direction of the cigarette portions.