Abstract: A web transport device transports a web wound on one shaft to the other shaft by rotatively driving the shaft on the take-up side and causing the shaft on the supply side to be driven. When it is desired to stop the feeding of the web, a brake is applied to the shaft on the take-up side and the shaft on the supply side and during the braking, the brake applied to the shaft on the supply side is temporarily released for a predetermined time, whereby slack of a predetermined amount or more is formed in the web between the two shafts. To prevent the instability of the stopped position caused by the formation of such slack, web guide members adapted to bear against the web are provided along a web feeding path.

Abstract: A roll of toilet tissue held for rotation by the front legs of a simulated stuffed animal used for training a child to use the toilet. The stuffed animal is formed of a washable and soft animal fur simulating fabric and colored to simulate animal skin. The fabric supported and maintained in the shape of an animal with a frame mountable to a fixed surface. The frame may be either permanently or releasably mounted to vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Abstract: A magnetic recording tape cassette includes a cassette casing for accommodating a pair of hubs around which a magnetic recording tape is wound. The casing is provided, in the front face thereof, with a magnetic head receiving opening and a pair of tape guide member receiving openings on opposite sides of the magnetic head receiving opening. A pair of resiliently displaceable tape supports are provided in the casing to be opposed to the respective tape guide member receiving openings. The tape supports cause the tape to span the magnetic head receiving opening in parallel to the front face of the casing when the cassette is not loaded in a tape recorder. The tape recorder is provided with a pair of tape guide members which are on opposite sides of the magnetic head and are inserted into the tape guide member receiving openings when the cassette is loaded into the tape recorder.

Abstract: A new and useful apparatus for storing and transporting reels of wire and dispensing the wire from the reels is provided. The reels are mounted on upwardly projecting spindles and retained there by their own weight, so that no removable parts are required to secure them to the cart. A guide is provided to restrict the lateral motion of the reel so as to prevent the wire from becoming tangled, to prevent pull on the wire from unseating the reel from the spindle and to align the wire with its intended objective such as a conduit. Additionally, a bar may be provided to frictionally contact the reel and retard its spinning after wire is withdrawn from the reel.

Abstract: A toilet paper dispenser (5) includes a roll-storing chamber (20) adapted for incorporation behind a room wall and a pair of facing guides for feeding rolls (10, 12), one at a time, to an exposed position at least partially in front of the wall. To this end, the chamber (20) has a front wall (35) formed with an opening (42) in a lower portion thereof commensurate with an aperture (30) in the room wall. Each of the facing guides includes a vertical channel (60) within the chamber (20) and a horizontal channel (62) contiguous therewith and extending to a point outside the chamber. The channels are sized and spaced to accommodate spindle ends (27) projecting beyond the end faces of a toilet paper roll to be dispensed. The end portions (67) of the horizontal channels are formed to support a roll in the exposed use position. One or both of the horizontal channels (62) may be formed with an open segment (75) that allows insertion and removal of the spindle.

Abstract: Videocassette tape spool including a wear button piece which is formed as a separate, small piece and which projects beyond one of the flanges of the tape spool. The wear button piece is molded of a highly abrasion-resistant polymer and is mounted to the hub of the spool by means of a cylindrical stud projecting from the hub and a hexagonal blind bore formed within the wear button piece which accepts the stud in an interference fit.

Abstract: Treatment apparatus for continuous web for producing diecut blanks (for example) has two sets of treatment rolls and the speed of these is adjusted so that although driven at web speed during the treatment portion of each cycle they are accelerated and retarded (or vice versa) during the non-treatment portion of each cycle so as to synchronize the treatment forms on the rolls with the required web areas and avoid wastage. The speed variation is by control of the drive motors for the rolls, but using roll-carried cams connected to gas springs so that energy can be absorbed during retardation and released during acceleration to supplement the motors and thus enable smaller motors to be used.

Abstract: A tape spool including two flanges interconnected by a hub providing a cylindrical tape winding surface is adapted for mounting on and rotation around a cylindrical pin extending from one of two spaced, parallel walls of a data cartridge by providing a bore extending through the hub and one of the flanges which closely but freely fits said pin, and a bearing protrusion extending from the other of the flanges into the bore wherein the extension of the pin from its cartridge wall is greater than the length of the bore to the bearing protrusion so that the spool is suspended above the wall for free rotation about the pin. Oscillation of the spool on the pin may be prevented by also providing a wear-button protrusion extending from the other of the flanges opposite and coaxial with the bore and a spring which extends from the remaining cartridge wall to contact the wear-button protrusion and force the spool into contact with the pin.

Abstract: A tension measuring apparatus measures the tension in a tow band being advanced under tension. The apparatus includes a sensing roll which is carried by a pair of torsion bars which carry strain gages. The apparatus occupies little space while defining relatively long moment arms for the torsion bars, so as to be highly sensitive, yet compact in design. The sensing roll can be swung between operative and inoperative positions.

Abstract: The changing diameters of the respective tape packs wound on the supply and take-up reel are continually measured. The measured diameters of each reel are compared to a stored minimum diameter value corresponding to an end of tape on that particular reel. When the apparatus is in a learning mode, the stored minimum diameter values for each reel are updated every time when a new measured value is smaller than the previously stored value. The last stored value is utilized for comparison in an end of tape detection mode, to allow stopping the tape transport mechanism before the end of tape would run off that reel to prevent damaging the transducers or the tape.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cable drum in the sidewalls of which--made of sheet metal--radial waves are formed; the dimensions of the wave increase as they advance from the center towards the flange. The corrugated side of the cable drums can be manufactured in different sizes by using one single tool. The cable drum can be produced either in a rigid, or in a collapsible form. In a folded state the width amounts about 1/8 of the rigid cable drum. For the transport and storage of the folded cable drum a container may be used with an enclosing dimension corresponding to a full cable drum, in which 7-8 folded drums can be transported and stored, respectively.

Abstract: An arrangement for loading a tape cartridge in a deck of a magnetic tape transport has a motor-driven pair of cams engaging different ones of a pair of pivotally mounted elongated arms disposed beneath the deck with one of the arms mounting a pawl extending through an aperture in the deck. Rotation of the cams causes movement of the pawl-mounting arm enabling the pawl to engage a ridge at the underside of a tape cartridge being loaded in the deck and push the cartridge into the region of an operative position adjacent a magnetic transducer assembly. Movement of the other elongated arm in conjunction with the pawl-mounting arm slides a fork assembly beneath the deck so as to raise three different pins coupled thereto and mounted within the deck.

Abstract: A folding device for a machine for treating, particularly steaming, folded printed fabrics is described. The device is constituted essentially by a rotary arm lift (S) which lifts individual support rods (20) for the folded fabric in succession from a condition in which the rods are suspended from endless conveyor chains (10) to a condition in which the rods (20) rest on rails (28) located above the active passes (16) of the chains, which draw the rods (20) carrying the folded fabric (F) through the treatment chamber (1) of the machine.

Abstract: A reel for material of tape-like configuration, especially magnetic tape, comprises two side flanges which are rigidly connected together to form a flange unit, and a hub firmly clamped between said side flanges. Advantageously, an essentially continuous gap is provided between the flange unit and the hub to accommodate any radial deformation of the winding surface. The novel reel is particularly suitable for computer and video tapes which exert considerable compression on the hub when they are wound.

Abstract: Disclosed is an especially convenient system for dispensing rolled sheet material such as toilet paper or the like. The system has a vertically mounted rotary member disposed for rotation about a horizontal axis with several vertically disposed cantilevered spools for supporting sheet material.The rotary member is preferably mounted within a vanity cabinet adjacent a toilet seat, with an opening cut in the cabinet wall at the place on which a roll of toilet paper would ordinarily be mounted. A plurality of toilet paper rolls can be placed upon a plurality of spools, and the rotary member rotated to bring a roll within the opening for ready access by a user. There is a bracket on the cabinet adjacent the opening, and an elongate key-lock that slides through the bracket and into the roll and spool within the opening, to lock the roll against axial displacement along the spool. When one roll is exhausted, another is had by rotating the rotary member until another roll enters the cabinet opening.

Abstract: A tape cassette, in particular a video cassette, comprises two flanged reels and, between the flanges of each reel, a spring member as a biassing means to prevent the tape from slipping off the roll or folding over. The spring members can be attached to the side walls or rear wall of the housing, and their free ends constantly bear against the peripheries of the tape rolls. In specific embodiment the spring member advantageously includes the braking spring for a reel-braking device. By using a conductive material on one or both sides of the spring member and appropriately arranging the spring member relative to a tape guide element or to an element grounded on the tape recorder, it is possible to directly prevent tape loop formation, which is a cause of tape slippage and folding-over. Moreover, tape winding and unwinding are improved.

Abstract: The tension arm position of a tape recorder is sensed and any change in position is added as a correction factor to the capstan tach or tape timer tach count generated during a reel tach period. To this end, the tension arm position signal is clamped to ground at the start of the capstan count. At the end of the capstan count, the tension arm position is sensed to provides a value that is proportional to the change in the position that has occurred during the capstan count. The value is then added to the capstan count to provide a corrected capstan count that no longer contains a tension arm error and constitutes a precise tape remaining output signal.

Abstract: A strap accumulator for use between strapping apparatus and apparatus for dispensing strap from the outside of a mill-wound supply reel, includes a coil holder for accommodating a ribbon-wound coil of dispensed strap. The outer diameter of the coil is constrained by an expandable spring steel hoop biased to a contracted condition. Motor-driven feed wheels feed strap from the supply reel through a gap in the hoop to the outside of the coil along the inner surface of the hoop. The coil is laterally retained by side structure having an aperture permitting withdrawal of strap from the center of the coil. The natural expansion of the coil holds the hoop expanded for opening a switch to deenergize the feed motor. Withdrawal of strap from the coil contracts it, allowing the hoop to contract for closing the switch and energizing the feed motor to feed more strap to the coil. Safety switch means are provided to deenergize the strapping apparatus in the event of malfunction of the accumulator.

Abstract: A tape tension sensor unit comprised of a light source; a light detector; a rotating arm member having disposed thereon a plurality of reflecting surfaces. When the tape is in a non-tensioned state, gravity rotates the arm to a downward position such that an incident light beam is reflected by a plurality of surfaces to the light detecting source, such that when that tape is in a tensioned condition, the tape rotates the arm to an upward position, causing the reflected light to be misaligned and not be incident on the detector. The appropriate logic circuit is connected to the light sensor such that the condition of a tape is sensed and the appropriate command for the tape drives motors is given.

Abstract: A holder for a yarn package having a yarn carrier wherein a lip is confined between wedging members and supported by an outwardly extending bracket member and a mounting plate.