Abstract: A device to mix and extrude various ingredients including pastas, pastries, baked goods, hors d'oeuvres, and cookies. The device includes novel measuring, mixing and extrusion arrangements including: an automatic measuring cup; a way to continuously mix and extrude ingredients without intervening cleanings; a mixing and extrusion feed for handling different consistencies of ingredients; an integrated automatic cutter; motor cooling and extruded ingredient drying; as well as various safety devices.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the path that a web formed by striking a contoured surface baffle will take as it descends to a collection surface, in which the baffle is mounted on a pivot plate which will pivot and cause the web to leave the contoured surface baffle at the desired angle.

Abstract: A coextrusion system employs two or more extruders, each with a gear pump at its output connected to a coextrusion die. Different materials are extruded by each extruder. Varying the speed of one or both gear pumps varies the content of the extrudate. The gear pumps permit precise variation of the relative content of the materials extruded by the several extruders lengthwise along the extrudate. A display of a cross sectional dimension of the extrudate along a length of the extrudate permits observation of the lag that occurs between alteration of gear pump speed (or air pressure in the case of tubular or blown sheet extrudates) and the resultant change in dimension, so that a speed correction can be made at the appropriate time to compensate for differing shrinkage and stretching characteristics between the several extruded materials.

Abstract: Spinnerets are used to make synthetic fibers having the unique property of spontaneously transporting water on their surface. The synthetic fibers satisfy the equation(1-X cos .theta..sub.a)<0,wherein.theta..sub.a is the advancing contact angle of water measured on a flat film made from the same material as the fiber and having the same surface treatment, if any,X is a shape factor of the fiber cross-section that satisfies the following equation ##EQU1## wherein P.sub.w is the wetted perimeter of the fiber and r is the radius of the circumscribed circle circumscribing the fiber cross-section and D is the minor axis dimension across the fiber cross-section, and wherein the uphill flux value of said fiber is from 2 to 60 cc/g/hr when measured from a reservoir of synthetic urine test fluid along a 20 cm long ramp to an absorbent on an attached platform at 10 cm height.

Abstract: A mold for molding a semiconductor package which is capable of guiding a resin material for encapsulating a semiconductor device uniformly into the cavity and prevents the island portion of the support member from being exposed from the molding main body, the mold comprising a pair of mold members for encapsulating a semiconductor device held on the support member, and a gate for guiding a molding resin material into the cavity, the gate being provided in the parting face of parting face of at least one of the mold members, wherein the gate is defined by a U-shape groove including the slanted bottom face inclined at an elevation angle toward the cavity to orient the flow of the resin material, supplied to the gate, toward the half of the cavity defined by the other mold member from the gate, and wherein in the slanted bottom face, there is provided an auxiliary groove for making the resin material, generally guided along the slanted bottom face, partially oriented to a direction different from the direction o

Abstract: A collapsible core for concrete pipe making machines that are used in the dry cast process when lined pipe are to be produced. The collapsible core of the invention has a moveable front panel joined to two moveable side panels, all of the panels being connected to hydraulically powered linkage arrangements that will pull the panels straight back from the liner. The collapsible core is constructed so that when moveable panels of the core are retracted to collapse the core, the core panels are guided along radial lines of the core to pull the panels directly away from the pipe liner, thus practically eliminating the friction that causes bulging or pull out of the liner from the concrete pipe.

Abstract: An improved packing body is formed by forming a first end wall of a perforated strip into an interior convolution surrounded by a peripheral convolution containing the second end wall of the strip. The convolution may be in spiral form or concentric polygons such as cylinders joined by connector segments. Baffle elements can project from the surface of the strip at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the packing body. Tapered strip with the large end wall disposed to the interior can be bent into a shape approaching spherical.

Abstract: A rounder bar for use with conventional dough manufacturing equipment is used to convert a piece of dough into a spherical dough ball. The rounder bar includes a contact face used to engage and shape the piece of dough. The contact face has a gradually varying height and radius to form a compression section proximate the first end of the bar and a rounding section proximate the second end of the bar. A bumpy texture and coating on the contact face prevent the dough from sticking to the rounder bar.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming artificial fibers and a non-woven web therefrom includes a device for generating a substantially continuous fluid stream along a primary axis, at least one extrusion die located adjacent to the continuous fluid stream for extruding a liquefied resin into fibers, a member for entraining the fibers in the primary fluid stream, and a perturbation mechanism for selectively perturbing the flow of fluid in the fluid stream by varying the fluid pressure on either side of the primary axis to produce crimped fibers for forming the non-woven web. The inventive manufacturing method finely tunes non-woven web material characteristics such as tensile strength, porosity, barrier properties, absorbance, and softness by varying the fluid stream perturbation frequency and amplitude. Finally, the inventive apparatus may be implemented in combination with melt-blown, spunbond and coform techniques for producing non-woven webs.

Abstract: Apparatus for compressing mats of lignocellulose-containing material into board material is disclosed including a rotary compression roll having a perforated shell on its surface with axial ducts disposed within the rotary compression roll adjacent to that surface and a shoe adjacent to one end of the rotary compression roll in which the shoe includes a channel for injecting a processing medium into at least one of the axial ducts so that the processing medium is directed onto the mat in a processing section during compression of the mat by the rotary compression roll.

Abstract: An assembly for manufacturing a plastic piston using a first mold and a second mold, each mold having an axial recess, centering element, core element and contact face. The second mold is movable toward and away from the first mold and can be connected to the first mold using a transverse slide on the first mold and a holding apparatus.

Abstract: In addition to a feeding structure for pieces of dough and a removal device, the device for the production of pretzels displays a working platform, a stand with a holding device and two grippers set up on its underside, a structure for measuring the position of the pieces of dough, and a structure for the control of the grippers. In addition to the working platform, retaining clips that can be transported lengthwise from the pieces of dough with sensors assigned to them are provided in the area taken up by the ends of the pieces of dough before the looping process; the sensors are independent of one another and can be transported independently of the end of the piece of dough until they have reached the end of the piece of dough, after which the retaining clips are closed to grasp the piece of dough at a definite place.

Abstract: An HMDS tank for use in an integrated circuit fabrication process includes a tank configured to hold HMDS having an first inlet port configured to receive a carrier gas below an HMDS surface level, an outlet port configured to release said carrier gas saturated with HMDS above the HMDS surface level, and a second inlet port configured to receive HMDS. A sensor is positioned in the tank at a predetermined HMDS level and configured to generate a sensor signal when the HMDS surface level falls below the predetermined HMDS level. A processor is coupled to the sensor and configured to generate a fill signal in response to the sensor signal to initiate introduction of HMDS into the tank through the second inlet port. In another embodiment, the HMDS tank further includes a second sensor positioned in the tank at a low HMDS level. The processor is also coupled to the second sensor and configured to generate an alarm signal in response to the second sensor signal to warn an operator of a low HMDS level in the tank.

Abstract: A device for producing a continuous formed confection of frozen dairy product and flavoring gel combined in co-extensive strips. The device includes an extrusion die provided with a shaping bore for extrusion-forming the frozen dairy product and a channel downstream of the shaping bore for laying on the frozen dairy product a continuous bead of flavoring gel. The invention also extends to a novel valve for regulating the flow of flavoring gel to the extrusion die and to a novel disposable receptacle for storage of flavoring gel.

Abstract: A coextrusion system employs two or more extruders, each with a gear pump at its output connected to a coextrusion die. Different materials are extruded by each extruder. Varying the speed of one or both gear pumps varies the content of the extrudate. The gear pumps permit precise variation of the relative content of the materials extruded by the several extruders lengthwise along the extrudate. A display of a cross sectional dimension of the extrudate along a length of the extrudate permits observation of the lag that occurs between alteration of gear pump speed (or air pressure in the case of tubular or blown sheet extrudates) and the resultant change in dimension, so that a speed correction can be made at the appropriate time to compensate for differing shrinkage and stretching characteristics between the several extruded materials.

Abstract: A mold assembly and sprue configuration for dental investment casting includes a ring shaped casing, a base and a cover all made of resilient plastic material and fictionally engaged with each other. The base includes a raised neck having a top surface with a sighting bead for use in mounting wax forms on the sprue, positioned within the casing. The sprue includes a post for engaging a blind bore in a hub of the base. The cover includes a downwardly extending plug which extends into the body of the casing, and a curved lip with recess for facilitating the pouring of investment solution into the mold. The sprue has three spokes and a ring which are all triangular in cross-section to reduce the amount of metal needed in the precision casting to be made with the invention and also to provide a convenient flat upper surface for mounting wax forms to the sprue.

Abstract: An apparatus for making carbon discs for brake disc assemblies by feeding continuous strands of fibrous carbon material from spools into a die, the volume of the carbon material so dispensed being continuously monitored. A cutter terminates the dispensing operation and a debulking plate urges all of the fibrous carbon material so dispensed into the die alone. The material is compressed within a cylindrical annular die and, in one embodiment, is submitted to a convection curing oven where the preform is cured. Subsequently, the preform is carbonized, densified, and machined to form a final carbon disc brake. In another emobodiment, a dry preform is fabricated, obviating the need for curing and carbonizing.

Abstract: A redistributing device for use with melt flow exhibiting boundary layer flow and centralized flow comprises a body including a melt flow inlet end and a plurality of melt flow outlets. A first flow diverter is included for distributing at least the boundary layer flow among the plurality of the melt flow outlets. A second flow diverter is included for distributing at least the centralized flow among the plurality of melt flow outlets.

Abstract: A mold conveying arrangement includes a mold having at least one well for receiving chocolate to be conveyed through molding workstations. The mold extends along a longitudinal direction between opposite end regions, and also extends along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The mold has projections generally extending in a downward direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions. A movable conveyor extends along the transverse direction below the mold. The conveyor engages the projections and moves the mold along the transverse direction.

Abstract: An improved pinch-point gap adjustment mechanism for a dough sheeter having two counterrotating rollers, one of which is horizontally moveable, is disclosed. The pinch-point gap adjustment mechanism incorporates a lever-action arrangement to provide mechanical assistance to an operator adjusting the pinch-point gap. The lever-action incorporated by the current invention distributes input forces for pinch-point gap adjustment across the height of the moveable roller. The disclosed invention allows for smoother pinch-point gap adjustment such that binding of the slider plates is minimized. The preferred sheeter head assembly permits an operator to release the front roller from the same operator location as where adjustments to the pinch-point gap are made.