Abstract: A sternum retractor device is disclosed suitable for temporarily maintaining a selected gap between two sternal stumps during cardiac surgical procedures. The device comprises a pair of jaws configured so as to be inserted between the stumps and shaped for firmly engaging the stumps, an actuator connected to the jaws for controlling their mutual closing and opening movements, and a member for controlled feed or withdrawal of a selected biocompatible actuator fluid in/from the actuator, thereby enabling the achievement and maintenance of the gap required between the stumps as well as the progressive reduction of the gap as a function of a patient's condition.

Abstract: An apparatus or maneuvering a TV camera remotely, for shooting in special conditions, so as to allow a cameraman to shoot without the need to move with the TV camera (15) and carry out a shot in special locations such as operating rooms or potentially hazardous industrial environments. The apparatus is formed by and articulated structure comprising a slide (3) vertically traversing on a column (2) with an end of a lifting arm (10), that is rotatable in a vertical plane about said end supporting at the other end a camera supporting arm (13), the latter being rotatable through 360.degree. about said end in a horizontal plane and comprising a mechanism (14) for imparting two rotatory movements about two perpendicular axes to the TV camera (15) mounted thereon. All the movements of the structure are independently driven; means for the remote control of said movements are provided.

Abstract: A machine for the production of an ornamental chain of the type formed by so-called "figure-of-eight" links, comprising a slide (23) for transferring a section of wire of prefixed length, folded in a U shape, from a unit (51) for supplying said section of wire to a calibrated tubular guide (34), holding the already formed chain, to engage it with the last formed link of the chain. The guide (34) is radially surrounded by tools for bringing together (55,56) and permanently joining (71,72) the ends of the arms of said U-shaped section engaged in the last U-shaped link, and tools for centring (73) the resulting closed link with respect to the axis of the guide (34).A push device (81) is further provided for performing an alternating movement away from and towards the last formed U-shaped link along the axis of the guide (34) so as to supply a force onto said link, causing at the same time sliding of the chain inside the guide and folding the closed link about its middle transverse axis.

Abstract: A machine for the production of an ornamental chain known as "bow-type" chain, the chain consisting of a sequence of large links, twisted in a figure-of-eight shape and incorporating a smaller link, linked together by smaller links. The machine comprises a first and a second station for forming and linking the small links and the large links and a transportation gripper which, beside transferring the chain in formation from one station to the other one, takes part in the formation of the links in both stations. An auxiliary gripper is provided which is integral with the transportation gripper, for the positioning of the smaller link on the large link, while the latter is twisted to incorporate the small link. Two small links for every large link are produced in the respective stations and, during the production of the small links to be incorporated in the large links, the large link production station is temporarily stopped.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing ornamental chains of the type known as "peacock eye", formed by a sequence of pairs of links, of the twisted type, each pair including one small and one large link, which are concentric, the large link engaging the large and small links of the immediately preceding and subsequent pairs. The apparatus is substantially of the type capable of producing chains having alternating links, and comprises, in association with the unit for producing the large links, devices for advancing the chain already formed towards an elevated collection unit and for moving the end length of chain, freely suspended, to bring it successively into alignment with the spiral of wire from which the large link is made and with the unit for forming the said large link already concatenated. A mobile pincer undertakes the transportation of the small links towards the production unit of the large links and the allocation of the latter to the first loop of the spiral.

Abstract: A machine for the production of paired chains including a feeding assembly for the chains, a welding assembly of the chains and a take-up device for the produced chain. The feeding assembly for the chains includes a transport mechanism thereof suitable for the engagement within corresponding side by side links and for realizing the simultaneous and intermittent advancement without modifying the symmetry of their reciprocal position with respect to the advancement axis. The transport mechanism, constituted in particular of needle-shaped members, is provided with a translational reciprocating motion in the advancement direction and of a reciprocating lifting and lowering motion in an orthogonal direction. The welding assembly, constituted of two equal assemblies in series, provides for the simultaneous movement of means delivering the welding flame and the welding material. The take-up device operates synchronously with the feed of the chains in order to maintain constantly taut the chain during the welding.

Abstract: A device for the automatic control of the feed of a tubular wire, made of precious or non-precious material, in goldsmith industry machine tools, that allows to maintain a predetermined orientation of the continuous longitudinal groove present on the wire itself. The device comprises the use of sensing means, in particular of the optical kind, for following the groove and its displacements within a predetermined operative band. Means are moreover provided for the rotation of the wire around its axis that are driven by said sensing means: when the groove goes out of said operative band, the wire is automatically rotated in one or the other sense up to bring back the groove within said band. This control is presently made upon sight by the operator.

Abstract: A machine for the manufacture of chains of the "rope chain" type for the goldsmithery industry, in which each link is taken from a spiral of wire by means of one or more cuts tangential to the internal profile of the winding. The cuts can be simultaneous or consecutive. The cutting unit includes a pair of blades, the cutting plane of which is adjustable with respect to horizontal so that it can be perpendicular to the coil winding to be cut; it also oscillates between two cutting positions in order to obtain separation of the link with two consecutive cuts in correspondence to two intermittent, 180.degree. one-way rotations of the coil. For chain-linking, a calibrated passage with a decreasing section is provided, in which the take-up unit, after having united a link to those already joined, forces the chain to advance, producing closure of the links with partial overlapping of their contoured extremities.