Abstract: A container for storage, transport and dispensing of liquid chemicals uses a collapsable thin film pouch which is sealed to a fitment and is positioned within a bottle or overpack. A retainer and cap hold the pouch and fitment in place within the bottle. The cap provides an inner seal and an outer seal which remain intact during shipping and storage. In use, the outer seal is removed and the container is connected to either a manual or an automated dispensing system which includes a valve probe which breaks the inner seal. In the manual system the bottle is inverted so that flow of liquid from the pouch is gravity assisted. In the automated system, the container is placed within a pressure vessel and air pressure is applied both to the outside of the bottle and also to the inside of the bottle to assist in collapsing the pouch and forcing the liquid out of the pouch.

Abstract: A spray head for use with a receptacle containing a liquid which is maintained under pressure by a propellant gas, thereby enabling a product to be packaged so that it is protected from coming into contact with the air, the spray head being of the type comprising a manually-operated precompression pump which includes a pump chamber comprising first and second cylinders (11, 15) capable of engaging telescopically, the chamber being closed by relative displacement of the cylinders, said first cylinder being integral with the pump outlet valve and being provided at one of its end with a circular sealing lip (12) capable of engaging against and of sliding along the wall of the second cylinder, which second cylinder is in communication with the inside of the receptacle, the wall being provided at at least one of its ends with relief (18) such that when the sealing lip lies over the relief and the relief causes sealing to be broken, a passage is opened suitable for passing gas at a rate of flow which is sufficient

Abstract: A dispenser comprising, a container having a chamber for retaining a flowable material, and a nozzle defining an outlet orifice. The dispenser has a device for pumping the material through the orifice. The dispenser has a first flowable material of a first regular color arranged in the chamber to be pumped first through the orifice. The dispenser also has a second flowable material of a second color which contrasts with the first color arranged in the chamber to be pumped last through the orifice when the chamber is nearly empty of the material.

Abstract: An automatic beverage dispenser having a multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including means for preventing color and flavor carryover from one drink to the next. The automatic dispenser includes an electronic control system with an on-board computer with a microprocessor which, when a drink vend signal is received by the electronic control system, first checks to determine whether a dark or light colored drink was requested, then checks the last vend to determine if it was a light or dark drink. If the drink ordered was a light drink and the previous drink was a dark drink, then the controller looks to see if the cup dispenser position is occupied. If it is occupied, the flush is delayed until it is free when the soda water will flush to cleanse the nozzle. After flushing, the vend is processed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet feeding device having a vibration member for generating vibration for feeding a sheet member. The vibration member is in frictional engagement with the sheet member, which is fed by vibration generated in the vibration member. The device further has a member for controlling the amplitude of the vibration of the vibration member according to the feeding speed of the sheet member whereby the sheet can be fed with a desired speed.

Abstract: Article handling apparatus comprises a carriage mounted to a support for to and fro movement along a path (A). An article conveyor is mounted on the carriage defined by opposed conveying surfaces for conveying articles relative to the carriage along a transport path substantially parallel with the path of movement of the carriage relative to the support. First and second drives are provided for moving the carriage and actuating the article conveyor respectively, whereby in one operating mode, when the carriage is moved by the first drive, the second drive causes a compensatory movement of the article conveyor such that the opposed conveying surfaces defining the transport path remain substantially stationary. The carriage is movable to either of two dispense positions at opposite ends of the carriage path such that when the carriage is positioned at a dispense position articles held on the carriage may be dispensed by suitably opening the article conveyor.

Abstract: A disk stacker is provided with a wiping member which moves in timed relation to the disk. The wiping member can be an elongated flexible wiping member attached at one end to the shaft which rotates the disk, a second end of the wiping member being free to contact a sheet near the output position of the disk. Preferably, the wiping member has length sufficient to extend beyond the diameter of the disk to contact the uppermost sheet on the stack and re-register it against the front registration wall if it has bounced away therefrom. A retaining wall can be provided around a portion of the sheet so that the wiping member does not interfere with the inputting of sheets into the slots in the disk.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a document delivery belt for conveying a document, a pulse output switch for supplying pulses in synchronism with driving of the belt, and a counter for counting the number of the pulses supplied. The extent that the delivery belt is driven is roughly controlled on the basis of the number of pulses supplied from the pulse output switch. After a predetermined number of pulses have been provided, the driving of the delivery belt is controlled according to time. According to the time control, the delivery belt is driven for a constant time period. The number of the pulses supplied during this constant time period is counted. If the counted value is different from a predetermined reference value, the delivery belt is driven until the counted value reaches the reference value. The delivery belt is thus controlled to accurately set the document in a predetermined position.

Abstract: A finisher for use with a copier, printer or similar image forming apparatus for stapling or otherwise finishing paper sheets sequentially driven out of the apparatus. The paper sheets entering the finisher one after another are collected on a tray. A paper sorting mechanism moves the tray in a reciprocating motion in a horizontal plane in a direction perpendicular to an intended direction of paper discharge onto the tray. The paper sorting mechanism has a paper pressing member movable in a reciprocating motion in interlocked relation to the tray, a paper positioning member for urging the paper sheet discharged onto the tray to a predetermined position, a drive source for causing the tray into a reciprocating motion, and a drive source for driving the tray in the vertical direction such that the tray receives paper sheets at an optimal level. A height sensor is associated with the paper pressing member for determining that the paper sheets sequentially stacked on the tray has reached a predetermined height.

Abstract: The housing of a delivery unit is engaged with a predetermined part of the body of an image forming apparatus, the housing being pivotable upwardly from the body. An endless belt is wound on a pair of pulleys. One of the pulleys is mounted on a first shaft which is secured to the housing which is latched in position on the body while the other pulley is mounted on a second shaft that is movable with respect to the housing. The second shaft is attached to the body, and the endless belit is stretched to restrain the housing from being unlatched and pivoted upwardly from the body. The delivery unit is attached without use of screws. Accordingly, the delivery unit may be readily placed in its operating position on the body with no possibility of the photoreceptor being damaged. In an image forming apparatus having electric component elements disposed under the delivery unit, the maintenance of the element is facilitated.

Abstract: An automatic printing machine for producing successive duplex prints forms an image on a first side of successive print substrates, transports successive substrates having images on a first side through the machine to form images on the opposite side of the substrate.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for the extraction of pack blanks (10) from a blank magazine (25). A special problem with high-performance packing machines is the extraction of blanks from the blank magazine (25) of the packing machine, especially thin cardboard blanks which are produced outside the packing machine. The "transfer rollers" so far mainly used herefore take a lot of time and are ponderous due to their complex motions. In order to extract respective lowermost blanks (10) from a blank magazine (25), there is provided an extractor in the form of a blank segment (39) which grasps a blank at one side and leads the blank (10) with slight deformation, namely in an acute angle, to the plane of a conveyor track (38). Because of the very sparse movements of the blank (10) during extraction, the extraction process can be performed within short strokes.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for registering a sheet in punch press or other apparatus having a control system carrying out a programmed position of the sheet during punching operations, in which a movable locator plate is urged into an advanced position along an axis of movement so as to be displaced when the sheet is moved a fixed distance along one axis. A distance transducer generates a continuously varying electrical signal corresponding to the displacement of the locator plate from its advanced position, which signal is transmitted to the control system to modify the part program in accordance with the actual location of the sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for folding sheets and for slitting the folded sheets to form adjacent parallel rows or streams of folded sheets being conveyed by belts into a stacking station. A jogger located adjacent the conveyor belts may jog folded sheets laterally to indicate a predetermined count of sheets in a column. The folded sheets in each column are fed by the belts upward against stops. A generally horizontal support holds a container to receive parallel streams of on-edge vertical folded sheets each of which is pushed into the container while on-edge and vertical by a succeeding folded sheet. The container is removed having parallel rows of on-edge, vertically positioned, folded sheets stacked therein.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus has opposed sheet transport guide baffles defining a sheet transport path having an upstream and downstream direction and, a switch adjacent the path to detect the presence of a sheet in the path, the switch having a main switch body fixedly mounted adjacent the path, a switch actuator movable between a rest position and a switch actuated position including an actuator arm having a free end and being pivotally mounted on an actuator pivot at the other end to the main switch body and movable between a position associated with the said rest position and switch actuated position, a switch actuator tip pivotally mounted to the free end of the actuator arm and movable between a first position extending the length of the arm into said path detecting the presence of a sheet in the path and a second position pivoted toward the sheet transport upstream direction out of the sheet transport path, the actuator tip being spring biased to the first position enabling positive switch actuation by

Abstract: A conveying apparatus delivers a succession of printing products in a first imbricated formation to a take-over region where the products are transferred to a delivery conveyor and conveyed away in a second imbricated formation. In the takeover region, the successive products are formed into an arched configuration, when viewed perpendicularly to the direction of their travel. This assists in ensuring that the products are delivered singly to the delivery conveyor even if the products are received at the takeover region in congruent fully overlapping pairs.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus for separating individual sheets (1b, 1c) of different stiffness from stacks (1d) thereof, the stack is pressed under the urgency of a spring force against separating rollers (9) and the sheet supply container (1) has an inclined front wall surface (10) on its front wall (4) upon which the stacked sheets are supported. A pair of arms (12) carrying separating elements (3) on their lower ends are carried on the supply container side wall (1a) for substantially parallel movement therealong. The arms (12) are implemented as linearly-movable switch sides (13) which are reciprocally displaceable between a lowered position in which the separating element end surfaces (15) rest against the supply container front wall surface (10) or the front region (11) thereof, and an upper or raised position in spaced apart relation to and providing a well-defined clearance (16) relative to the topmost sheet in the stack (1d).

Abstract: The present invention is related to a sheet member feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet member such as an envelope. The feeding apparatus has a pair of opposed contacted rotary members such as rollers and comprising a releasing member for releasing the contact between the rotary members provided on at least one of the rotary members in areas where front corners of the sheet member pass through. The feeding apparatus is applicable to a printing system, reader system and the like.

Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a belt conveyor having shingled sheets which includes aligned crowned belt pulleys rotating endless belts. A vertically movable table is located such that the conveyor propels the sheets falling downwardly to form a pile of sheets thereon. A fork unit moves inwardly across the stacker as a temporary support during pile removal. A brake and clutch unit is connected to the pulleys. A sheet control includes pivoted fingers aligned with the belts and secured to a shaft. An actuating arm pivots the shaft to move the fingers into engagement with said aligned belts on the downstream side of the pulleys. A pneumatic control provides a conjoint control to actuate said brake and pivot the finger shaft for momentarily stopping sheet movement in synchronism with the actuation of the fork.

Abstract: The present invention consists of an improvement device for the squeezing of tubes containing paste, in particular toothpaste. The device in question consists of a tubular casing which can be affixed to the wall, inside which slides a piston fitted with a suitably shaped slit, into which the closed end of the tube containing the paste is inserted. The open end of the tube rests on the base of the said casing and the paste flows out through a hole present on the same base. The piston is pushed forwards by a threaded rod topped by a knob. As the piston slides, the sides of the slit produce, thanks to their particular shape, pressure on the tube which forces out the paste.