Abstract: Apparatus comprising an implement for extracting charges of uniform size of articles from a mass of the articles and delivering the charges to a receiver. The implement has a chamber for receiving the articles to form the charge. The chamber has a mouth through which articles are drawn into the chamber by applying a vacuum to the chamber. The implement then delivers and deposits the charge by releasing the vacuum. The chamber has a vent with an air permeable article barrier for access to a vacuum generator.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising an implement for extracting charges of uniform size of articles from a mass of the articles and delivering the charges to a receiver. The implement has a chamber for receiving the articles to form the charge. The chamber has a mouth through which articles are drawn into the chamber by applying a vacuum to the chamber. The implement then delivers and deposits the charge by releasing the vacuum. The chamber has a vent with an air permeable article barrier for access to a vacuum generator.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising an implement for extracting charges of uniform size of articles from a mass of the articles and delivering the charges to a receiver. The implement has a chamber for receiving the articles to form the charge. The chamber has a mouth through which articles are drawn into the chamber by applying a vacuum to the chamber. The implement then delivers and deposits the charge by releasing the vacuum. The chamber has a vent with an air permeable article barrier for access to a vacuum generator.

Abstract: A hinge feeder for feeding open hinges at a predetermined orientation to a receiver ready for use by an automatic door hinger. A dispenser is provided to hold a stack of closed hinges. The orientation of the top end and hinge joint of each hinge is sensed and the hinges sequentially dispensed at a uniform orientation, except for the pinhead location, to a rotator that rotates those hinges to bring their top ends to a desired side. The hinges are then opened by a leaf turner, fed to a stacker and the opened and oriented hinges then deposited in a stack by a stacker.

Abstract: A rotary router for routing at a smaller and a larger diameter, alternatively, and of shifting between the two modes semi or fully automatically. A mandrel carries a first cutter cutting at smaller diameter and a carriage mounted on the mandrel rotates around the same axis and carries a cutter cutting at a wider diameter. The carriage is moveable long the mandrel between a rearward position where the second cutter is inactive and the first cutter is exposed for cutting and a forward position where the second cutter is at an exposed cutting position adjacent and outside the first cutter and the first cutter is inactive for lateral cutting. An interlock device is provided for the mandrel and carriage that stops axial movement of the carriage beyond the forward position and stops rotational movement between the mandrel and the carriage while the carriage is at the forward position.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling and feeding of groups of fasteners such as screws to an applicator or applicators for applying workpieces such as hinges to a base at a series of worksites. A dispenser at a charging site receives from a fastener feeder a charge of the groups of fasteners needed at all of the worksites of the series and then moves consecutively to each of the worksites to dispense a group of fasteners to an applicator at each worksite. A plurality of passageways extend from a fastener receiving side at the top to a fastener discharge side at the bottom of the dispenser, one passageway for each fastener to be dispensed. The discharge ends of the passageways register with receiving apertures at the applicator at each site. A series of gates at positions along the passageways selective hold and release groups of fasteners at their respective positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for handling and feeding of groups of fasteners such as screws to an applicator or applicators for applying workpieces such as hinges to a base at a series of worksites. A dispenser at a charging site receives from a fastener feeder a charge of the groups of fasteners needed at all of the worksites of the series and then moves consecutively to each of the worksites to dispense a group of fasteners to an applicator at each worksite. A plurality of passageways extend from a fastener receiving side at the top to a fastener discharge side at the bottom of the dispenser, one passageway for each fastener to be dispensed. The discharge ends of the passageways register with receiving apertures at the applicator at each site. A series of gates at positions along the passageways selective hold and release groups of fasteners at their respective positions.

Abstract: A screw feeder adapted for rapid changeover of screw types. The feeder has a collator section having a floor with slots to collate random screws into rows and an enclosure about the floor for retaining random screws on the floor. The screws are collated by tilting the floor in the slotted direction to raise and lower the upstream end relative to the downstream end and are fed downstream along the slots into slots in a dispensing section. The collator section enclosure has a gate closure at the upstream end of the floor and the slots on the floor extend completely to the upstream end so that, with the gate open and the collator section oscillated to tilt the slots downward toward the upstream end, the screws in the slots will slide to the upstream end and out of the enclosure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing and feeding to a workstation elongated articles which are vertically stackable and have a substantially common longitudinal dimension. Articles of different shape are sequentially dispensing from separate dispensers onto a common pathway and fed to the workstation along that pathway. Articles of each shape are dispensed onto the pathway from a group of articles all having that shape in common and the articles dispensed from all the groups are fed sequentially along the common pathway in a downstream direction to the workstation. The dispensers are arranged in tandem in the pathway direction to the workstation and each is positioned above the pathway and oriented to dispense elongated articles with their longitudinal directions transverse to the pathway direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing and feeding to a workstation elongated articles which are vertically stackable and have a substantially common longitudinal dimension. Articles of different shape are sequentially dispensed from separate dispensers onto a common pathway and fed to the workstation along that pathway. Articles of each shape are dispensed onto the pathway from a group of articles all having that shape in common and the articles dispensed from all the groups are fed sequentially along the common pathway in a downstream direction to the workstation. The dispensers are arranged in tandem in the pathway direction to the workstation and each is positioned above the pathway and oriented to dispense elongated articles with their longitudinal directions transverse to the pathway direction.

Abstract: A method of making a joint, and the joint thereby produced, in which a first element comprised of low cohesion material is joined to another element of a structure, at a position at which opposed surfaces of the first element and the other element are adjacent and generally abutting, by driving at least one nail through the first element and into the other element at a nailing point at said position. Prior to driving the nail, a nailing cavity is formed adjacent the abutting surfaces at the nailing point that extends outwardly therefrom in the direction of the surfaces and that extends a substantial distance normal to the nail direction.

Abstract: A receptacle having a floor with parallel slots to receive and collate screws in a collating section and to queue them in a queuing section of the slots which has an intersecting escapement for depositing screw individually into receivers. The receptacle reciprocates to tip the slots downwardly in one slot direction and then the other. A retainer overlying the queuing section excludes loose screws and retains the queued screws in the slots during tipping. The retainer moves away from the slots when the receptacle is tipped downward toward the collating section to permit displaced screws to clear to the collating section. A gate at the leading edge of the retainer closes off the margin between the retainer and the floor to entry under the retainer of loose screws outside the slots. Screw conduits leading from the escapement reciprocate with the receptacle and connect with stationary receivers through articulations.

Abstract: A machine for attaching hinges to a door having a carriage movable and longtitudinally positionable along a door edge into which the following elements are integrated:1. A receiving block for receiving a hinge and screws and positioning them for application of the hinge to the door edge. The block contains apertures for receiving the screws and, subsequently, screw bits for driving the screws through the block. The block is movable from a hinge and screw receiving position to a hinge applying position.2. A hinge magazine for individually feeding hinges to the hinge block.3. A screw feeder for feeding screws individually to the hinge block.4. A screwdriver unit having individually operated screwdrivers each positioned to have its bit received by an aperture in the receiving block and each having an air motor for rotating its screw bit and an air piston for independently moving its screw bit forward to drive a screw.

Abstract: A machine for attaching hinges to a door and jamb member in an automatic or semi-automatic manner with the door edge and jamb face positioned in a generally vertical plane. The machine comprises a framework with a movable and longitudinally positionable carriage on which the following elements are integrated.1. An apparatus to hold a magazine of approximately 12 hinges (or butts) with fingers to move one hinge upward and position it on a receiving block, the fingers being retractable and movable downward to a ready position.2. A second apparatus to hopper feed screws from above apparatus number 1, wherein the screws move downward into apertures through the receiving block positioned for alignment with screw holes in the hinge leaves of the hinge positioned on the opposite side of the block.3. The third apparatus has means for rotating the loaded receiving block 90 degrees to a generally vertical plane, moving it against door edge and jamb face and engaging individual screwdriving motors to attach the hinge.

Abstract: A chair constructed for alternate use as a conventional seat and back rest is adapted for ready conversion of its back rest to a knee rest. Novel converting means provide for independent conversion, movement, and fine adjustment of the seat and back-knee rests for greater flexibility and maximum comfort.

Abstract: A chair is equipped with a seat rest cushion and support and a separate back rest cushion and support. The cushions are mounted on the chair frame and interconnected by a mechanism which permits swinging the back rest cushion downwards to a knee rest position while tilting the seat rest cushion forward to enable a person to assume a knee rest position on the chair. Also, further adjustments of the seat rest cushion to act as a back rest and the knee rest cushion to act as a seat rest provides a lounge chair. All of this out of the same original chair. Additional embodiments provide an additional cushion for a person while in a knee rest or lounge position of desired.

Abstract: Attachments and adjustments are applied to conventional chairs which provide a knee rest normally positioned in a retracted position beneath the seat cushion. Special mechanisms permit withdrawal of the cushion to a position facing the seat cushion and tilting the seat cushion to permit use of the chair in a knee rest position and provide for return of the cushion to its original position. Related mechanisms provide for corresponding adjustments to the seat rest and the back rest to effect conversion of the chair from conventional to other uses. The latter include adjustment of the seat rest and back rest to convert the chair for use in a lounge position.