Abstract: An apparatus for growing and harvesting a tangled mass composed of sprouted seed grain, including a plurality of overlying movable (relative to the frame), substantially planar surfaces having a length, each surface movable (relative to the frame) between a first position and a second position, each surface configured to receive a layer of seed grain that is permitted to grow for a predetermined period of time on each surface in the first position, the layer of seed grain becoming a continuous tangled mass of sprouted seed grain. After the predetermined period of time, a surface of the plurality of surfaces is moved to the second position, such that the mass associated with the moved surface is at least substantially removable from the moved surface due to gravity.

Abstract: An apparatus for growing and harvesting a tangled mass composed of sprouted seed grain includes a plurality of overlying immobile, substantially planar surfaces having a length. Each surface is configured to receive a layer of seed grain that is permitted to grow for a predetermined period of time on each surface, the layer of seed grain becoming a continuous tangled mass of sprouted seed grain. An extraction device removes the mass from each surface. A cleaning device removes debris from each surface prior to each surface receiving a subsequent layer of seed grain.

Abstract: An automatic tape feeder for use in component placement machines includes a novel sprocket wheel for driving component carrier tapes to a gross position by an electric drive motor. Before the electric drive motor reaches the final position desired, it is deactivated or turned off. A novel indexing cam is connected to the sprocket drive wheel. A spring loaded pawl or positioning cam is moved into a vee-shaped groove on the indexing cam so as to achieve an actual fine position of the indexing cam as well as the teeth on the sprocket wheel. By first achieving a gross position with the drive motor and then a fine position with an indexing cam and pawl, it is possible to achieve a positioning accuracy in a pick up station which is as accurate as the sprocket holes and component pockets in the carrier tape. The present invention has achieved accuracies of ± one 1,000th of one inch which exceeds positioning accuracies of devices known heretofore.