Abstract: A pelting method which utilizes a roller which is engaged with the pelt at the head region of a worked up carcass which has been worked up so that the pelt can be removed by rolling substantially as a sheet. The rolling is effected in such a way that the inside of the pelt is exposed around the roller as the roller winds the pelt completely from the carcass. After the pelt has been removed the roller is reversed to allow the easy removal thereof.

Abstract: An overall system of transporting and handling seed cotton comprising apparatus for and process steps of (a) compressing seed cotton after gathering thereof, (b) storage, (c) transport and (c) decompression and dispersion prior to ginning, is designed around (1) a transport pallet and (2) a pallet and module load discharge and manipulation apparatus adapted to manipulate the loaded pallet, separate the load and the pallet and treat the load.

Abstract: A drill bit for drilling holes of a given diameter in wood or similar material comprising a drill body having a series of stepped cylindrical portions increasing in diameter from the small entry end of the drill to the full diameter of the hole to be drilled whereby the drill body is of generally conical shape. Each of the cylindrical portions extends in a helical direction, and a single flute extends generally lengthwise of the drill body to provide cutting edges for the cylindrical portions and a discharge path for material cut from the workpiece. The flute extends generally parallel to the axis of the drill and forms approximately a right angle in transverse cross section, occupying approximately one fourth of the cross sectional area of the drill body. A male thread extends helically along each of the cylindrical portions excepting the largest full diameter portion and projects radially outwardly from each of such portions to engage the walls of the workpiece and thus feed the drill through the workpiece.

Abstract: A unit set of multiple plies includes superimposed top, intermediate and bottom plies each being devoid of any tear lines which may form a stub, and each being coated on selected surfaces thereof with chemicals which are capable of reacting with one another to produce a colored mark. The top and bottom plies are interconnected by means of a removable glue flap, and portions of the glue extend through holes lying along a margin of the bottom ply so as to thereby interconnect the intermediate and bottom plies together. The top ply is coated front and back and the intermediate ply is coated on its back surface with a micro-encapsulated color precursor, while the bottom ply is coated front and back and the top surface of the intermediate ply is coated with a record-developing material. Upon application of pressure to the set, colored marks are formed on the intermediate and bottom ply top surfaces as the reactive components of the coatings on mating surfaces react.

Abstract: A bag at a filling station is automatically filled with loose fruit, such as apples, while the mouth of the bag is held open by a pair of finger gripping assemblies. Upon the conclusion of the filling operation the finger gripping assemblies, which are mounted upon a pivotable transfer arm, are swung away from the filling station to carry the filled bag into the throat of an automatic bag tying machine with the upper end of the bag being bunched together into a neck within the throat of the machine. When the bag is fully received in the throat of the machine, the machine is pivoted downwardly to bring the lower face thereof into engagement with the fruit in the bag. Thus, when the tie is thereafter applied about the neck of the bag within the throat of the machine a tight package is formed which will facilitate the later handling thereof and which will be more attractive to the ultimate consumer.

Abstract: A box opening apparatus for automatically opening the closed (unsealed) flaps of cartons delivered on a conveyor. The initial lifting of the longitudinal flaps is by a stream of air or by vacuum. Thereafter the undersides of the slightly lifted flaps engage a blade which urges the flaps upward, with helical rails completing the opening of the longitudinal flaps. A drag link engages the rear lateral flap, pivoting the flap open as the carton moves along the conveyor. A hook member is coupled to an endless chain moving substantially faster than the conveyor and synchronized with the movement of cartons on the conveyor. The hook member is disposed and synchronized to engage the underside of the front lateral flap when in the closed position, and to move in an upwardly and then downwardly sloping direction followed by a horizontal trajectory segment to rotate the flap to the open position.

Abstract: Apparatus for placing flexible packages in a rigid container incorporates an infeed chute and diverter gate system for directing packages into a rotatable load head in preselected fashion. After the load head is filled, the packages are released therefrom into an empty shipping container located below the load head. The apparatus incorporates a control system which activates the components of the system in preselected cyclic fashion to enable continuous packaging in a rapid manner. The apparatus is especially suitable for the handling of flexible packages of fluid products such as milk. A method of effecting continuous packaging is also described.

Abstract: A chuck key holder in which a manual force is applied to handles of clamp members on one side of a drill chuck to position a chuck key that is rotatably mounted on a support to which the clamp members are pivoted in properly located spanning engagement with the chuck on its other side. Spring biasing of the clamp members from the closed clamping position about the chuck toward an open position moves ejecting portions of the clamp members against the chuck to automatically withdraw the chuck key once the manual force is released from the handles. Clamping portions of the clamp members are located between the handles and the axes of pivotal connection between the support and the clamp members. Partially circular clamping surfaces of the clamping portions have first ends adjacent the ejecting portions and second ends adjacent stops on the clamp members for limiting the extent of closing movement without the chuck between the clamp members.

Abstract: A multi-spindle drill head for use with a machine drive, comprises a main assembly, comprising a first housing member having at least one main spindle which is rotatably supported therein and which is adapted to be connected to the machine drive. A main gear is affixed to the main spindle for rotation therewith and it drives one or more secondary gears on secondary spindles. Each secondary spindle contains a drive pinion which becomes oriented in meshing engagement with a connecting gear which is rotatably mounted on a second housing part which is adapted to be fastened to the first housing part. The connecting gear is rotatably mounted in a position to drive a pinion of a drill spindle. The main spindle itself may contain a lower portion with a drive pinion which may be engaged with a connecting gear to drive the pinion of the drill spindle.

Abstract: A system for notching tubes to facilitate their joinder to other tubes or rods, in which a first portion of the notch is formed by a rotary cutting action extending progressively inwardly into the tube side wall and then outwardly in an arcuate path, and the second portion of the notch is formed by a plunging, shearing action which simultaneously punches the entire second portion of the notch out of the wall of the tube. The apparatus for forming each of the notches preferably includes a pair of die halves which together define a tube receiving passage intersected by a tool receiving passage, and a cutting tool positioned in the tool receiving passage. The tool is provided with a substantially axially extending rotary cutting edge for forming the first portion of the notch and a shearing edge for punching out the second portion of the notch when the tool is plunged through the wall of a tube positioned in the intersection of the tube and tool receiving passages.

Abstract: A method for use in packaging compressible material in flexible-walled containers. The method comprises loading the container in a holding means having rigid means for confining the container to a desired, filled shape and then moving the holding means in sequence past work stations where the container is filled with compressible material, the material is compressed, the filled container is closed and the closed, filled container is removed from the holding means.The invention also includes apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: This relates to the formation of packages of containers, particularly those formed by heat shrinking a plastics material wrap around a plurality of containers and wherein the package is intended to be picked up by engaging an upper central portion of the wrap. A reinforcing strip is interlocked with upper portions of central ones of the containers. The reinforcing strip is divided in roll form and is first perforated to interlock with upper portions of containers, then is applied to adjacent pairs of containers followed by pressing the reinforcing strip down to assure interlocking thereof with two adjacent containers of two adjacent pairs of containers with the strip being severed between the two adjacent containers while held in place relative thereto. The containers are continuously moving during the application of the reinforcing strip and a single movable support is provided for all of the apparatus components. The movable support is driven by a plurality of cooperating cranks.

Abstract: A chuck wherein the jaws are mounted on the outer ends of rods slideably arranged in the chuck body to incline radially and axially inwardly from the front face of the chuck. The rods are slotted on their radially outer sides for engagement with an axially shiftable actuator. The actuator and the chuck body have an axially central passageway therethrough for directing coolant to the front face of the chuck or for accommodating a workpiece ejector rod.

Abstract: A collet chuck has a sleeve which is resiliently flexible radially and provided with two axially spaced work-gripping surfaces and two axially spaced conical surfaces on its outer and inner peripheries, respectively. In response to axial movement of an actuator on the chuck body, the collet sleeve is first shifted axially to engage one of said conical surfaces with a similar surface on the chuck body to displace one of the gripping surfaces radially into engagement with one section of a workpiece. Continued movement of the actuator causes a conical surface thereon to engage the other conical surface on the collet sleeve to displace the other work-gripping surface radially into engagement with another section of the workpiece displaced axially from the first section.

Abstract: A device and method for molding food articles of raw finely divided beef and similar tissue containing food material that is normally subject to uneven shrinkage during cooking comprising supply means for the material, a mold having a mold opening to form the articles and means for projecting the material under pressure across the mold opening from one edge thereof to fill the mold opening with pressurized material and shape said article.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for automatic, rhythmic wrapping of heat-shrinkable sleeves around containers, from a hopper where the sleeves are stacked flat to a device for continuous shrinking of these sleeves.The machine comprises in particular: means for extracting the sleeves one by one from the hopper, causing them to open very slightly; means for opening each sleeve substantially into a semicircle, then conveying it to a vertical plane above a conveyor for the containers to be wrapped; means enabling the sleeve to receive its final circular form, then to be placed gradually around the container to be wrapped.Application to wrapping sections of preprinted or decorated shrinkable plastic sections of sheathing and bracelets around various containers such as bottles, food and aerosol cans, etc.

Abstract: A small hand-held tubular device, utilizes gas under pressure in a replaceable cartridge carried in the device, to be controllably fed to a hollow needle for skinning purposes. The interior of the tubular body of the device is sealed at the end opposite the needle by a screw cap which, when screwed inwardly presses the tip end of the cartridge against a sharp projection inside the body, thereby piercing the tip of the cartridge. The tip of the cartridge seats on a rubber washer surrounding the piercing point which prevents release of gas under pressure from the pierced cartridge to the needle, until the screw cap relieves the pressure exerted thereby on the cartridge. Capillary feed grooves in a disc having the sharp projection, serve to control the rate of flow of the gas to the needle.

Abstract: An improved method for handling and transporting thermoplastic materials such as chewing gum base is disclosed. Chewing gum base, formulated as a hot viscous blend, is initially extruded and then pelletized. The pellets are subsequently cooled in a liquid medium such as water. Instead of drying the pellets and coating the pellets with a lubricating powder for packaging and shipment, a slurry of the cooling medium and pellets is conveyed to bulk containers or railroad tank cars for transport to the customer-user, a chewing gum manufacturer. By transporting in a liquid the tendency of the tacky pellets to agglomerate is eliminated, and the prior steps of drying and coating the pellets with a lubricating power are unnecessary. The customer-user, in the case of chewing gum base, furthermore, does not have to separate agglomerated pellets before use, and the pellets need only be strained and conveyed directly to a blender for formulation into chewing gum compositions.

Abstract: A web of flat polyethelene stock is drawn from a supply roll by a web feed mechanism, to be fed thereby up over a tube former then down, in tubular configuration, about a material fill pipe and then to and through pouch forming and weighing stations. A first spring biased nip roller, of the web feed mechanism, urges the flat polyethelene stock into engagement with one side of an appropriately powered drive roller, of the web feed mechanism, to effect the unreeling of the stock from the supply roll and to direct same up towards the tube former; while a second spring biased nip roller, of the web feed mechanism, urges the tubular stock into engagement with the other side of said drive roller to draw the stock down through said tube former and to and through said pouch forming and weighing stations.

Abstract: Aparatus for cutting out the vent of a fowl, having at least one cutting means with a hollow cylindrical knife rotating about a center pin, which is axially reciprocable and rotatable relative to the knife, and a helical hook concentrically mounted within the knife and rigidly coupled with the pin; the relative movement of the center pin and the knife being controlled in such manner, that the center pin is first inserted into the vent opening of the fowl and than rotated over a limited angle, so that the hook grips the vent in a corkscrew-like manner, after which the hook holding the vent and the knife are moved towards each other, so that the vent is cut out, and finally the knife and the pin are withdrawn and the cut out vent is released by rotating the hook in the opposite direction while restraining the vent.