Abstract: A re-winder box for an electronic game box wherein a pair of electrical cables are each connected between the game box and a respective player manipulative controller. The re-winder box is dimensioned to support the electronic game box on the top thereof, and is provided with a pair of wind-up spools for the controller connected cables, and a pair of recesses in the front wall thereof for storing the controllers when not in use. The re-winder box provides a neat and uncluttered appearance to the game box and surrounding area when the game box is not in use.

Abstract: An improved control assembly is provided for supporting a helically coiled flexible conductor between two components that are movable relative to one another. The control assembly is slidably movable along a support rod in response to movement of one component relative to the other and is floatable upon the support rod to enable the control assembly to maintain proper alignment with the support rod along the length of the rod. In addition, as convolutions of the coiled conductor are discharged over a knob at the end of the control assembly, the control assembly is rotationally indexed around the support rod so that wear of the interior surface of the control assembly is evenly distributed around the internal bore of the control assembly.

Abstract: A connecting system for trolley rails at a shunt where tracks for a transport vehicle such as a magnetic levitation type linear motor car are turned off. A first trolley rail is supported on a stationary track girder and a second troley rail is supported on a movable track girder. A movable track girder can be moved from a position where one end thereof is aligned to a first stationary track girder to a position where the end thereof is aligned to a second stationary track girder. A third trolley rail is movably supported in a longitudinal direction thereof on a supporting member which is rotatably supported at one end thereof to a base portion of one end of the first trolley rail. A first slant surface is formed on each of end portions of the first and second trolley rails at an acute angle. Both end portions of the third trolley rail are formed with slant surfaces inclined at obtuse angles with the top peripheral edge of the third trolley rail.

Abstract: A conductor rail is made of an aluminum conductor bar covered with a stainless steel contact cap. The cap is pressed against the top of the conductor bar during assembly and is permanently clamped to the bar by integral ears deformed over and down onto doubled over edges the side legs of the contact cap, holding the outer legs of the contact cap in tension, holding the cap against the top of the conductor bar.

Abstract: A toy vehicle track with toy vehicles having an electric drive motor disposed in the chassis thereof. The track is formed of segments which are connected by plugging together. The electric drive motor in the vehicles is supplied with electricity via collectors and conductors placed in the track for uninterrupted operation over a period of time. When electrical connection with a net fails or is terminated, the vehicles can be operated over a further preset length of time. The segments are removably or fixedly connected with conductors along the entire track. The vehicles have collectors in contact with the conductors and a chargeable power source serving as an electric buffer. The power source and the collectors are simultaneously in permanent connection with the drive motor. If the power supply is cut off from the electric net, the internal power source is automatically activated, and permits further operation until discharged.

Abstract: The cord winding device of the present invention includes a housing within which a spring biased spool is engaged. The biasing spring is internal of the spool, creating a simple device which is small in size. Engagement of the spool to the housing is created with a yoke-like structure, allowing the device to function without regard to its orientation. The spool is provided with a high walled helical channel in its outer surface, within which a single layer of cord can be secured with turns of the cord being isolated from one another. The cord is pinched in position when placed at a severe angle from its coiled angle. Further, a double contact rotary contact assembly which is able to accommodate up to eight conductors is provided within the housing, creating devices by which current can be transferred from conductors of a fixed in position terminal end cord to conductors of the cord rotatably secured to the spool within the device without causing twisting of the cord.

Abstract: A system and method for automated processing of articles include a plurality of storage units separated by aisles through which customers can pass to select articles for processing. The selected articles are identified by tags applied thereto from identification record members provided to the customers, and are placed on conveyors located adjacent to the storage units for transportation to a checkout station where they are collected, their prices are totalled, and payment is made. The articles are then further transported to a plurality of bagger stations where they are bagged and released to the customer after verification that payment has been made.

Abstract: A collector shoe for a collector with a carbon brush and a support has, between the carbon brush and supporting element, a galvanically applied metallic layer, which, at least at one end, either extends itself over the carbon brush at an angle, its extension which forms an angle being at least partially molded onto the supporting element or embedded into the latter and designed as an electrical connection element, or is linked with an electrical element which extends beyond the carbon brush, forms an angle and is similarly molded onto the supporting element or embedded in the latter. An advantageous process for producing said collector shoe consists producing the carbon brush with excess length, covering it in the metallic layer and then cutting it to length, and consequently bending the projecting metallic layer into the angular shape and embedding it in the directly molded-on supporting element of synthetic material.

Abstract: A system for controlling the movement of carriages in a conveyor system is disclosed in which individually powered carriages are controlled so as to stop a carriage at a designated position on the conveyor rail. Electrical contact wires extend along the conveyor rail and are electrically connected to controller units on each of the carriages by electrical contacts sliding along the electrical contact wires. Certain ones of the electrical contact wires have electrical discontinuities which define boundaries of first and second zones. The electrical discontinuities form a normally open electrical circuit with the controller units of each of the carriages, thereby keeping such controller units in the inoperative or "off" position. In this position of the controller unit, the power unit of each of the individual carriages drives the carriage along the conveyor rail.

Abstract: A transportation system (10) including electric vehicles (12) is disclosed. The system (10) comprises a roadway (14) having a load bearing surface, an electric power rail (16) extending longitudinally along the roadway (14) and having a power bus and a default electrical potential level, the rail (16) being divided into individually engergizable, longitudinally aligned segments (20), and control circuits (38) associated with each energizable segment (20) for connecting each segment (20) of the power rail (16) either to the power bus or the default electrical potential level upon actuation.

Abstract: A cable winding device (16) for stowage of a supply cable (18) connecting for example a central aircraft supply system of an airport to a supply plug connection of an aircraft is proposed. The cable is unwound from or wound onto the cable winding device, which is preferably of the drum type, via a peripheral opening (40). The free end of the supply cable has a plug unit (22), preferably with control functions. To protect the cable, a guide element enclosing at least sections of the supply cable extends from the cable winding device, to which guide element is allocated a centering element extending from the plug unit and surrounding at least in sections the section (20) of the supply cable extending from the plug unit.

Abstract: A railway track circuit for protection of an extended track block having a master unit at one end of the block and a satellite unit at the other. Each master and satellite unit having transmitting and receiving capabilities. The output impedance of the transmitters or of the receivers is of a low impedance as connected to the rails. Through an alternative transmit and receive sequence a link-up between the master and satellite units provides detection of broken rail and/or shunts from each end of the track circuit. The use of low impedance and detection at both ends of the section permit extended length track circuits.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining one or more operating characteristics of a vehicle mounted to and movable on a rail. A magnetic strip is mounted to the rail, and is provided with alternating regions of flux and no-flux. The vehicle is provided with a magnetic sensor, which senses the alternating flux regions of the magnetic strip as the vehicle move on the rail and outputs a signal in response thereto. The signals output by the sensor are processed by a micro-controller, to determine the vehicle speed, location and/or displacement from a predetermined point. The system is advantageously employed in any number of applications, such as in factory automation systems, automated material storage and retrieval systems, overhead crane control systems or the like.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing machine is provided and is of the type having a cup station, a cup holder for holding a plurality of cups, a cup delivery for delivering one of the cups at a time to the cup station, a beverage dispenser for dispensing beverage to the cup station, and controller for controlling operation of the cup delivery and the beverage dispenser. The controller being adapted to initiate a cycle of operation of the machine upon activation of the controller wherein the cup delivery delivers a cup to the cup station from the cup holder and the beverage dispenser dispenses a predetermined quantity of beverage to the cup in the cup station. The improvement comprises a detecting mechanism for engaging and detecting the presence of a container inserted into the cup station prior to activation of the controller.

Abstract: A vending machine for newspapers and magazines, where, inside a compartment (12), a couple of rotating discs (21) are forseen. Due to gravity, the discs (21) rest on the pile of newspapers or magazines and, by pushing down onto the top copy of the pile, send the newspaper or magazine down a chute (15) to a retrieving outlet. The discs (21) are fitted on a shaft (23) which is directly or indirectly operated by an electric motor (24) which is started due to a signal coming from the coin box and which stops following the falling of the copy.

Abstract: A railroad flat wheel detector having a housing anchored to one side of a railroad rail enclosing an arrayed plurality of light source-photodetector pairs whose respective optic axes are tangent to the locus of the lower rim edge of passing wheels rolling along the track. The photodetector outputs are operatively connected to trigger a flat wheel alarm when the increased wheel flange rim overlap with the supporting rail, caused by a flat sector of a passing wheel, obscures a portion of the light and thereby briefly reduces the light intensity sensed by one or more of the plurality of photodetectors.

Abstract: A transportation system for use with a roadway including conductive sections on the roadway so that electric vehicles having contact members thereon may contact the conductive sections. The sections extend in the direction of travel along the roadway and have spaces therebetween to prevent short circuiting by the contact members. Alternate sections are connected continuously to a reference voltage and the remaining sections are each connected through a switching device to a source of power when the vehicle is proximate thereto power.

Abstract: A process for producing a crossing frog with moving point (1) for very long railway switches incorporated in long welded rails. The frog also comprises a cradle (2) in two elements (3 and 4), one molded and the other not molded. The method comprises welding, on a point side of the frog, the molded element (3) of the cradle (2) to the rolling rails (7) of an intermediate track of a branch, fixing parts (5 and 5') to the moving point (1) so as to form the non-molded element (4) of the cradle (2); rigidifying the non-molded element (4); interconnecting, by means of a non-welded joint, the subassembly formed by the molded element (3) welded to the rolling rails (7) and the subassembly formed by the non-molded element (4) formed by the parts (5 and 5') and the moving point (1), and finally, welding the moving point (1) to the rolling rails (9) on a heel side of the frog.

Abstract: A system for positively determining that an engineman has actually activated a manual whistle valve to sound a pneumatic warning horn on a railway vehicle having a low pressure and high pressure sensing apparatus for conveying signals to an event recorder for monitoring and recording the pressure of an air supply source and the sounding of the pneumatic warning device.

Abstract: The invention concerns a system for sensing train wheels which employs a slotted detector bar. Optical resistive and piezoresistive strain gauges may be coupled to the detector bar as well as enhanced mechanical and electrical components. Optional equipment including an optical sensor, and pulse and frequency modulators improve noise immunity and reduce power consumption.