Abstract: In various embodiments, a method of making a cutting mat backing includes creating a roving by wrapping a fiber material around a rotary cylinder under tension to form a plurality of layers. Each of the plurality of layers is angled with respect to a central axis of the rotary cylinder and the roving has a normalized axial flexural rigidity of from 2 lbf.in2 to 30 lbf.in2 over a beam width of 1 inch and a ratio of normalized circumferential flexural rigidity to normalized axial flexural rigidity of from 1:1 to 30:1. The method further includes infusing the roving with a polymer resin and curing the resin via electromagnetic radiation to form the cutting mat backing. Cutting mats including the cutting mat backing are also described.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a method of making a cutting mat backing includes creating a roving by wrapping a fiber material around a rotary cylinder under tension to form a plurality of layers. Each of the plurality of layers is angled with respect to a central axis of the rotary cylinder and the roving has a normalized axial flexural rigidity of from 2 lbf.in2 to 30 lbf.in2 over a beam width of 1 inch and a ratio of normalized circumferential flexural rigidity to normalized axial flexural rigidity of from 1:1 to 30:1. The method further includes infusing the roving with a polymer resin and curing the resin via electromagnetic radiation to form the cutting mat backing. Cutting mats including the cutting mat backing are also described.

Abstract: An instrument for facilitating the accurate trephination of donor corneal tissue. The instrument can easily accommodate different sizes of trephines and provides for proper and accurate positioning of the donor tissue to ensure a proper central cut of the tissue. The instrument utilizes an integral base and stand that supports a moveable piston which drives the trephine through the tissue carried by a cutting block supported on the base.

Abstract: The coupling of the present invention is adapted for use with a micromanipulator and a pair of pipettes. The micromanipulator comprises a pair of elongated arms and linkage connected to the arms for moving the arms in a plurality of directions. The coupling includes a housing having an arm receptacle at one end and a pipette holding device at the opposite end. A ball and socket swivel is provided within the housing and comprises a movable socket member which is matingly engaged with a spherical ball. The ball is connected to the pipette holding device. A threaded bolt engages the movable socket member and is adapted to cam the socket member into frictional engagement with the ball so as to lock the ball and socket joint against movement.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of controlling a multi-bin sheet collator. Adjacent collator bins are treated as one virtual bin and sheet feeding is controlled appropriately by skipping bins if the number of sets to be collated equals or is smaller than half the number of bins. Thus, multi-page documents having a number of pages exceeding the capacity of a single bin can be collated. In a combined copier/collator the number of copies selected by the operator determines the number of sets, and thus the size and grouping of the virtual bins.

Abstract: A copier/collator installation wherein the copier's output copy sheets are collated into sets in a multi-bin collator. The collator bins are vertically stacked.Vertical stacking of the electrostatically charged and heated copy sheets, which therefore tend to curl, is enhanced by providing collator bins having electrically nonconductive walls. The bottom sheet-receiving walls are formed to have a generally concave cross section, facing upward. Considering the direction of sheet movement, this concave surface extends generally transverse the sheet movement. Pivoted and biased paper stabilizing wires hold down the leading portion of the sheet stack in the bin, and also absorbs the sheet's kinetic energy as the sheet enters the bin. A flexible, electrically nonconductive plastic flap, at the bin's entrance or mouth, holds down the sheet's trailing portion, and also absorbs the sheet's kinetic energy.