Abstract: A dental amalgam dispensing instrument has an amalgam dispensing head having a dispensing passage slidably receives a rectangular section dispensing passage with an amalgam feed passage intersecting the dispensing passage. A straight rectangular section feed plunger slides in the feed passage and is slidably carried by a handle that is detachably mounted on the head. The dispensing passage in the head is formed as an elongate channel opening toward the front of the instrument and a detachable cover plate closes the front of the channel.

Abstract: A dental amalgam dispenser unit having a detachable discharge head, the dispenser having a plunger with a front amalgam-advancing tip and rearwardly disposed ratchet teeth and a pawl comprising a slidably mounted sleeve and a cantilever spring projecting rearwardly therefrom. A dental amalgam loader assembly is also described for loading the dispenser discharge head. The loader has a plunger and advancing means for advancing the forward portion of the loading plunger a predetermined distance into the bore of the dispenser head.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for purging air from containers, such as pouches, while in the ambient atmosphere, which apparatus uses a continuous flow of a neutral purging gas at a pressure between a range of about 1"-2" of water that is directed into the open end of the container through a flow control valve having a flat surface overlapping the open end of the container and disposed substantially parallel to and within about 1/8th inch from the open end of the container.

Abstract: A container filling system and method is disclosed which includes a filling valve which receives a product through an inlet port in the side of a vertically movable cylinder having a vertically moving plunger therein that opens and closes the port. While the port is open and product is metered into the pouch, steam is directed through the filling valve to purge air from the product and from the pouch and to clean the product from the plunger. The system also includes pouch spreading fingers which leads the filling valve cylinder into the pouch to assure proper opening of the pouch. A dynamic parallelogram linkage is provided to move the filling valve and finger operating mechanisms vertically as a unit and includes resilient means which raises the filling valve above the top of the pouch in the event the power means which actuates the linkage fails.

Abstract: A no pouch - no fill device with a memory system is disclosed for controlling two spaced filling valve systems at sequentially filled products into a pouch when the pouch is at different filling stations in response to the detection of a properly opened pouch by a vacuum detection system located at a pouch opening station upstream of the two filling stations. If no pouch or an improperly positioned pouch is sensed at the opening station, the no pouch - no fill device will prevent actuation of the filling valve system when the absence or improperly positioned pouch eventually enters the filling stations.

Abstract: A machine for repitting peach halves which have previously been subjected to a pitting operation, but wherein the peach halves are not completely pitted because of split or fragmented pits remaining attached to the fruit. The machine automatically feeds the peach halves, centers them relative to a pitting knife, and re-pits the halves to remove any pit fragments which have escaped the initial pitting operation. Since the initial pitting is done by first cutting whole peaches in half along their entire planes and the resulting peach halves cannot be repitted in the same machine, the present peach repitting machine provides a recovery system for the primary pitting operation in order to increase the overall yield without hand-pitting.

Abstract: This invention relates to fillers and filler valves for filling open top containers with liquids or liquid bearing materials. The filler valve of the invention is particularly useful for filling containers with carbonated or other gas containing beverages, such as beer or the like. The valve has four major elements comprising a cylinder having a filling port, a foot valve, a piston having a charging port and a plug valve. The valves are piston-type elements and cooperate with cylindrical seating surfaces formed at their respective ports. The foot and plug valves are provided with resilient seals for seating with the aforesaid cylindrical seating surfaces. At the conclusion of the filling operation, the foot valve is raised from its open position into engagement with the plug valve while the latter is sealed with the charging port. The foot valve is then raised to lift the plug valve until the foot valve seals off the filling port while the plug valve remains seated.

Abstract: An instrument for cold conization of the cervix includes a pair of round nose, pivoted blades which are advanced by a camming mechanism as the instrument is rotated. During rotation of the blades they are progressively cammed to their closed position by a sliding actuator, thereby providing a continuous helicoid cut. The blade operating mechanism does not protrude beyond the diameter of the blades themselves at any time. In one form of the invention a screw mechanism causes automatic advance of the blades to produce a helicoid cut upon rotation of the body by the actuator.