Abstract: A machine operator holds a chicken carcass to a circular saw, or a casting to an abrasive cut off wheel. Considerable risk to the hands is minimised with a controllable (about 10 ms) wheel stop mechanism, optically triggered when a gloved finger enters a hazardous zone. (An option uses a conductive glove trigger). An electromagnet releases a powerful spring mechanically linked to opposing brake shoes, forcing them against both sides of a brake disc. The brake disc and the cutting wheel share a shaft but are located in separate compartments. Incident reporting over a network is included.

Abstract: An active safety apparatus adapted for a disk or circular knife or saw is based on optical surveillance apparatus. The apparatus provides a precise boundary for a protected volume surrounding the blade. The apparatus creates four corner edges for the protected volume, which is a cuboid or a right frustrum. Appearance of an operator hand, recognized by glove color, in the protected volume causes immediate, active stopping of a servomotor used to rotate the saw blade.

Abstract: A shaping or cutting machine, especially a skinner, at which an operator hand-feeds material to be cut or shaped toward a blade. Hand proximity detection devices are provided for operator safety; machine-vision across a surveilled volume before the blade, and conduction sensing devices. The blade is mounted on a rapidly retractable frame. Power from release of a spring physically moves the blade to a safe position if a hand is sensed. A gripping roller is driven by a rapidly stoppable motor.

Abstract: Optical imaging apparatus and a machine vision camera system for an alarm protecting a person's hands when working at a motorized cutting or abrading machine, uses trains of sets of mirrors to define four spaced-apart viewpoints and transfer non-overlapping scenes on to an image sensor of a single camera. An optical axis from each viewpoint allows a cuboidal protected volume to be created. The cuboid may have vertical sides. Recognizable objects inside that volume cause the machine to stop, while objects near but outside the volume cause the apparatus to raise an alarm.

Abstract: A guide for a blade of a bandsaw includes a head and two molded, replaceable shoes that constrain the blade. Each shoe is symmetrical, having four side faces as a thick diamond-shaped frictional border for blade contact. The back of the shoe is a replica of the front. Internal sides of each diamond profile have a resilient web having strips that reversibly lock with grooves against a parallelogram raised from the head surface to retain the shoe carry rubbing forces from the blade. The shoe may be removed, turned through 180 degrees, or flipped over.

Abstract: Optical imaging apparatus and a machine vision camera system for an alarm protecting a person's hands when working at a motorized cutting or abrading machine, uses trains of sets of mirrors to define four spaced-apart viewpoints and transfer non-overlapping scenes on to an image sensor of a single camera. An optical axis from each viewpoint allows a cuboidal protected volume to be created. The cuboid may have vertical sides. Recognizable objects inside that volume cause the machine to stop, while objects near but outside the volume cause the apparatus to raise an alarm.

Abstract: An active safety apparatus adapted for a disk or circular knife or saw is based on optical surveillance apparatus. The apparatus provides a precise boundary for a protected volume surrounding the blade. The apparatus creates four corner edges for the protected volume, which is a cuboid or a right frustrum. Appearance of an operator hand, recognized by glove color, in the protected volume causes immediate, active stopping of a servomotor used to rotate the saw blade.

Abstract: A shaping or cutting machine, especially a skinner, at which an operator hand-feeds material to be cut or shaped toward a blade. Hand proximity detection devices are provided for operator safety; machine-vision across a surveilled volume before the blade, and conduction sensing devices. The blade is mounted on a rapidly retractable frame. Power from release of a spring physically moves the blade to a safe position if a hand is sensed. A gripping roller is driven by a rapidly stoppable motor.

Abstract: The safety attachment provides preferably 4 video cameras mounted around a bandsaw blade and looking parallel to the blade direction. Each camera CCD sensor is partly scanned in mode 1. In mode 1 an axis corner of each scanned area is aligned with the camera axis, produced to the table, defining a corner of a parallel-sided protected volume including the entire exposed blade. The blade is rapidly braked when the attachment detects a glove intrusion. In the alternative fully scanned mode 2 the protected area extends outside the mode 1 area and a warning only is emitted on intrusion.

Abstract: Machine vision apparatus tracks a distinctive object in relation to a hazardous location on a work surface of a modified band saw in two, three, or four (3-D+T) dimensions, and calculates whether to send an “immediate shut-down signal” to the band saw. Cameras and an image processor are mounted on the band saw. The signal causes an integrated blade-arresting or stopping mechanism to immediately shift the idler wheel, removing blade tension and disconnecting the blade which is then braked to a complete, safe stop before an approaching blue-gloved hand can touch the blade.

Abstract: The safety attachment provides preferably 4 video cameras mounted around a bandsaw blade and looking parallel to the blade direction. Each camera CCD sensor is partly scanned in mode 1. In mode 1 an axis corner of each scanned area is aligned with the camera axis, produced to the table, defining a corner of a parallel-sided protected volume including the entire exposed blade. The blade is rapidly braked when the attachment detects a glove intrusion. In the alternative fully scanned mode 2 the protected area extends outside the mode 1 area and a warning only is emitted on intrusion.

Abstract: Machine vision apparatus tracks a distinctive object in relation to a hazardous location on a work surface of a modified band saw in two, three, or four (3-D+T) dimensions, and calculates whether to send an “immediate shut-down signal” to the band saw. Cameras and an image processor are mounted on the band saw. The signal causes an integrated blade-arresting or stopping mechanism to immediately shift the idler wheel, removing blade tension and disconnecting the blade which is then braked to a complete, safe stop before an approaching blue-gloved hand can touch the blade.

Abstract: A shellfish positioning and opening apparatus having at least one processing lane whereby the apparatus includes the following stations of an in-feed and singulation station followed by a reorientation assembly station utilizing a vision system and a holding and opening assembly station. The said processing stations are operatively connected in that order together to receive shellfish having meat therein to position said shellfish according to their shape and orientation to enable shellfish to be halved so that one shellfish half has the shellfish meat thereon.

Abstract: An automatic machine that holds, inflates, then securely knots ordinary latex party balloons without using accessories includes a filling nozzle, surrounding clamps, and a balloon neck stretcher. Two closable jaws can be raised, lowered, advanced, retracted and twisted about the stretched neck so that a knot is formed in the stretched neck prior to release of the balloon. Mechatronics techniques make the required motions. An optional supply mechanism pre-mounts balloons on rows of nozzles on parallel sliding strips, so that a particular strip can be selected and moved to cause inflation and knotting.

Abstract: A shellfish positioning and opening apparatus having at least one processing lane whereby the apparatus includes the following stations of an in-feed and singulation station followed by a reorientation assembly station utilizing a vision system and a holding and opening assembly station. The said processing stations are operatively connected in that order together to receive shellfish having meat therein to position said shellfish according to their shape and orientation to enable shellfish to be halved so that one shellfish half has the shellfish meat thereon.