Abstract: An apparatus for blocking an ophthalmic lens blank for working the lens includes an alignment station for supporting and aligning the lens blank relative to a target image and a transport means for moving the lens from the alignment station to a blocking station while maintaining lens orientation. The blocking station includes a support for a lens block, support for the lens, and a mechanism for injecting heated liquid bonding material between lens and block which solidifies on cooling to join the lens and block.

Abstract: A device for tracing a surface such as one defining the lens opening of an eyeglass frame includes a tracer element moved automatically about a rotational axis surrounded by the traced surface and arranged perpendicularly to the area enclosed by the surface. As this rotation occurs a carrier for the tracer element is moved along a second axis extending perpendicularly to the rotational axis in response to a position error signal developed by the tracer element to maintain the position error signal at a substantially zero value through the use of feedback circuitry. The positions of the carrier about the rotational axis and along the second axis are repeatedly captured during the tracing movement to provide point data defining the shape of the traced surface. Results are a smooth steady movement of the tracer element along the surface with a minimum amount of force being exerted on the traced surface by the tracer element.

Abstract: A highly accurate positioning system used in connection with a photoplotter assembly employing a dual axis drive system having low mass and low inertia components. The drive elements of the system are low cost, high tensile strength drive bands that orient the driven members with high accuracy, low noise and require no lubrication. A photoplotter head and a moveable work table are similarly mounted to a base structure in a slideable manner utilizing a recirculating ball guide assembly and a flat rail roller assembly. The drive bands are moved by friction drive motors and a closed loop feedback control system orienting the photoplotter head and the work table relative to each other and utilize input only from the actual placement of the photoplotter head and the work table in calculating further movements. The work table is a lightweight element formed from a honeycomb infrastructure that provides individual vacuum chambers to hold a workpiece down on the work surface without external holding means.

Abstract: An indexing system for selectively orienting one of a series of arcuately oriented different sized and/or shaped apertures formed around an aperture disc used in a photohead for exposing upon a photosensitive surface detailed graphic information using a light beam. The aperture disc has formed thereon, equidistantly spaced indicators in the form of slots allowing radiant energy generated by a light emitter to impede upon and energize a split cell photosensitive detector. A control system rotates an aperture wheel to a next selected position at a first velocity until a selected aperture is within the vicinity of the next selected position and subsequently rotates the aperture disc at a second slower velocity to precisely position the next selected position in registry with the light beam.

Abstract: An indexing system for selectively orienting one of a series of arcuately oriented different sized and/or shaped apertures formed around an aperture disc used in a photohead for exposing upon a photosensitive surface detailed graphic information using a light beam. The aperture disc has formed thereon, equidistantly spaced indicators in the form of slots allowing radiant energy generated by a light emitter to impede upon and energize a split cell photosensitive detector. A control system rotates an aperture wheel to a next selected position at a first volocity until a selected aperture is within the vicinity of the next selected position and subsequently rotates the aperture disc at a second slower velocity to precisely position the next selected position in registry with the light beam.

Abstract: A highly accurate positioning system used in connection with the photoplotter assembly employing a dual axis drive system having low mass and low inertia components. The drive elements of the system are low cost, high tensile strength drive bands that orient the driven members with high accuracy, low noise and require no lubrication. A photoplotter head and a moveable work table are similarly mounted to a base structure in a slideable manner utilizing a recirculating ball guide assembly and a flat rail roller assembly. The drive bands are moved by friction drive motors and a closed loop feedback control system orienting the photoplotter head and the work table relative to each other and utilize input only from the actual placement of the photoplotter head and the work table in calculating further movements. The work table is a lightweight element formed from a honeycomb infrastructure that provides individual vacuum chambers to hold a workpiece down on the work surface without external holding means.

Abstract: A photoplotter having a photohead that moves in one coordinate direction and a film table movable in another coordinate direction employs a dual-axis, single mirror and reflector interferometer system for measuring movement of the film and photohead relative to one another. The photohead is mounted on a bridge over the movable film table and a first interferometer mounted on the head cooperates with an elongated mirror at the edge of the table for measuring the relative position of the film and head in the first coordinate direction. Another interferometer mounted on the bridge cooperates with a retroreflector on the head to measure movement of the head relative to the film in the second coordinate direction. The two measurements from the interferometers are employed as feedback signals in a closed loop positioning system for the photohead and table.

Abstract: In a belt and pulley system wherein motion is transferred between the two members, the belt is a metal belt having a pulley engaging face made of a relatively soft material and the pulley is one having a regular pattern of small hard protuberances, such as formed by knurling, on its belt engaging face which press into the soft metal of the belt to form permanent depressions arranged in a matching pattern which mesh with the protuberances to provide a positive slip-free motion transfer. The belt and pulley drive may be used advantageously in a device such as an X-Y plotter for accurately positioning, with good repeatibility and fine resolution, an associated member driven in one coordinate direction by the metal belt driven in turn by the knurled pulley.

Abstract: A manual control valve for installation in a vacuum system including a contiguously-zone vacuum table permits an operator to progressively increase or decrease the number of energized vacuum zones of the table. The valve includes a housing having an outlet securable to a vacuum source and a plurality of inlet passageways connectable with the table so as to communicate with the respective vacuum zones. A plug is rotatably received in the housing, and a network of passageways within the plug and housing interact upon rotation of the plug with respect to the housing to provide communication between the housing outlets and various ones of the housing inlets. The valve also includes indexing means by which the plug is releasably held in place at each of several rotational positions with respect to the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a natural tobacco leaf from a continuous, flexible conveyor belt to a generally flat leaf receiving member at a preselected position in the normal path of travel of the belt. The apparatus includes a plenum box having a pressure opening defined by a peripheral edge of the box, an arrangement for forcing the belt and box from the normal path position toward the receiving member at the preselected position and a mechanism for creating a positive pressure adjacent one surface of the belt to force the leaf from the belt onto the receiving member.

Abstract: A device for cutting a piece of a flat workpiece at a selected location identifiable by two or more binary coded numbers which device includes a cutter, a cutting platen having an upper workpiece supporting surface and a lower portion, a plurality of upstanding, shiftable members, a guiding arrangement on the platen adjacent the lower portion for loosely receiving the members, an arrangement for moving the members in accordance with the coded numbers and a structure for forcing the cutter against the cutting surface. In accordance with another aspect, the shiftable members are movable by binary fluid motors each including a series of axially aligned fluid actuating units having strokes corresponding to binary numbers and an arrangement for actuating certain of these units in the fluid motor to move the shiftable members in accordance with the extended condition of the binary motors.

Abstract: A device for cutting a piece of a flat workpiece at a selected location identifiable by two or more binary coded numbers which device includes a cutter, a cutting platen having an upper workpiece supporting surface and a lower portion, a plurality of upstanding, shiftable members, a guiding arrangement on the platen adjacent the lower portion for loosely receiving the members, an arrangement for moving the members in accordance with the coded numbers and a structure for forcing the cutter against the cutting surface. In accordance with another aspect, the shiftable members are movable by binary fluid motors each including a series of axially aligned fluid actuating units having strokes corresponding to binary numbers and an arrangement for actuating certain of these units in the fluid motor to move the shiftable members in accordance with the extended condition of the binary motors.