Abstract: A gantry assembly and appurtenances therefor for a linear motor driven laser cutting machine. The gantry box is made of honey comb construction characterized by high strength, light weigh, high stiffness to weight ratio and vibration absorption. The gantry box is supported at each of its ends on a linear motor driven carriage by a torsion plate. The torsion plates are exteriorly flanked by protective panels which support a light weight cover for the upper part of the gantry assembly. The beam end of the gantry box is additionally attached to its gantry carriage by a snubber pin-snubber bushing assembly and by a gantry pin-carriage pin-link assembly. These last two assemblies, together with the torsion plates and gantry carriages, limit or restrain certain movements of the gantry box. The laser cutting machine is controlled by a high performance multi-axis motion controller.

Abstract: A card storage system for storing a sport or other collectible card in a pocket with a tool having a thin flat insertion panel including a width smaller than the opening of the pocket and longitudinally extending side edges and a front end generally transversely extending between the side edges. Longitudinally extending flanges having tapered forward ends extend upwards from a front side of the tool along corresponding ones of the side edges forming a channel between the flanges. A tapered edge, preferably having a narrowing width in the longitudinal direction, is provided at the front end of the insertion panel for spreading apart the opening of the pocket. A longitudinally extending flat extraction panel is connected to the insertion panel's back end and provided with a tapered edge at its front end which is itself of narrowing width for spreading apart the opening of the pocket to extract the card from the pocket.

Abstract: A system for heating and feeding polymer coated powder to a heated die cavity of a compacting press. The system includes at least one heated vertical pipe for heating the polymer coated powder and for delivering the polymer coated powder by gravity from source thereof to the entry end of at least one horizontally oriented auger conveyor. The at least one auger conveyor is heated and imparts heat to the individual powder particles through a mixing action. The at least one auger conveyor delivers the polymer coated powder to the heated hopper of a shuttle assembly. The shuttle assembly is shiftable between a retracted position wherein the polymer coated powder is discharged from the shuttle hopper to a heated powder ring, to an extended position wherein the polymer coated powder is discharged from the powder ring to the heated die cavity of the compacting press. The system heats the individual particles of the polymer coated powder to a temperature just below the coagulation point thereof.