Abstract: A positive displacement type substance sampling and dispensing device comprises a central plunger formed from a first material. A plunger housing is formed from a second material having a melting point lower than the first material, the housing being formed by molding and setting the second material on to the surface of the plunger so that the plunger can slide in the housing to draw a substance into it.

Abstract: A gun for applying cable ties includes a pinch wheel for acting on the flat tail of the tie to drive the tie from the gun, the tie being guided (as it is advanced, tail-first) around a nose loop guide. The tie finishes with its head engaged with a threader which is then lifted to lift the tie head and thus cause the tail to pass through the head aperture, become interlocked therein and project from the lower side of the head. Then the threader is lowered to lower the head and engage the projecting end of the tail with a pinch wheel which serves to tension the tie. The ties are fed from a bandolier of side-by-side ties in which they are interconnected at their heads and tail tips by continuous strips running along the edges of the bandolier, successive ties being cut from the bandolier while leaving the two strips intact.

Abstract: A daisy wheel printer wherein a non-contacting sensor (24) is employed to detect the rotational position of the daisy wheel (10) by response to the interrupting action of the character stalks (12, 14) and to produce a train of pulses providing positional information in accordance with said interrupting action. In accordance with the invention, each stalk of the daisy wheel is divided by a longitudinal slit (26) into two or more branches (28, 20) thereby to increase the frequency of the interrupting action and, for a given rotation of the wheel, to cause the sensor to produce a train of pulses (32) containing a number of pulses which is an integral multiple of the number of stalks passing the sensor.

Abstract: A daisy wheel printer having a daisy wheel (10) with a central disc portion (12) and character stalks (14), wherein a masking disc (20) is attached coaxially to the daisy wheel, the mask being larger than the central disc portion of the wheel so that it obscures the daisy wheel stalks in a radial zone of the wheel inwardly of the character petals (16). The mask (20) is provided with a single slit (26) over the interstice between a unique pair of character stalks (14A, 14B), to thereby define a unique datum or home location on the daisy wheel. This datum slit is detected by means of a light source (28) and light-sensitive detector (30) which emits a pulse each time the datum slit passes through a light beam directed towards the detector at the radial zone of the daisy wheel whereat the datum slit is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for injecting gas under pressure into liquid held in a bottle 5, primarily for injecting carbon dioxide gas into beverages in order to make "fizzy" drinks in the home or other small establishments, comprises a base member 1 including a platform 4 to support the bottle. A housing member 2 is pivoted to the base member about a generally horizontal axis 3 spaced horizontally from the platform so that when the apparatus is opened the bottle can be placed upon, or removed from, the platform. When the apparatus is closed, a dip tube 9 penetrates through the open top of the bottle to permit the injection of gas from a cylinder housed within the base member under the control of a lever 11.

Abstract: A method of reproducing characters or symbols in place of orthodox typing or printing comprises applying ink to successive points on the paper or other surface by means of a transducer forming a typehead, and building up each character by steering the transducer under the control of digitally stored information which may be selected from the store by a keyboard. The characters can be built up as a series of overlapping dots and each character may have a number of key points, the transducer moving along one of a limited number of pre-set paths from each key point to the next.

Abstract: A combination of a turntable for playing phonograph records, a lid covering the turntable, tone arm for tracking record grooves, and a cleaning element mounted on the lid for movement into contact with a constant annular area on the top side of the record for cleaning. A counterbalance weight controls the pressure of the cleaning element upon the record.