Abstract: Pliers are disclosed for the treatment of ingrowing nails on the human body. The pliers comprise first and second jaws. The upper jaw has a support member on which there is mounted an electrical heating wire. A slot in the lower jaw is adapted to receive the support member and wire.In use, the pliers grip are ingrowing toe nail, and an electric heating current is applied to the wire, to cause local heating of the nail. The nail thus softens, and can be bent back into better shape, which shape is retained upon subsequent cooling of the nail. The lower jaw is of a relatively great heat mass, so as to ensure that no undue heating of the nail plate occurs. Control circuitry is provided for controlling the heating current through the heating wire, optionally in dependence upon a detected temperature.

Abstract: Potatoes carried on a roller table conveyor are presented in transverse rows at an inspection area illuminated by a lamp from a first direction and observed by a line imaging camera along a second direction arranged by a mirror to be approximately at right angles to the first direction. The camera scans repeatedly across each row and provides an output detection signal representing the reflected radiation. The camera observes a sharply illuminated boundary of the potatoes against a dark background a micro-computer processes the detection signal to provide an information signal representative of the length of a potato along the direction of its row. Size grading, for example, may be effected by directing potatoes along different routes by deflecting fingers controlled in dependence upon the information signal. An operator may observe potatoes in the inspection area by means of a television camera and monitor, and may indicate by a lightpen a potato to be rejected by the subsequent deflecting fingers.

Abstract: An article sorting apparatus provides a continual indicator stream which is directed by operation of an indicator member onto a selected article of several articles conveyed through an inspection area. The position of the indicator member when the stream impinges on it is detected to generate a position-dependent signal which is fed to a deflector to deflect the selected article from the path followed by the other articles.