Abstract: In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a frame having longitudinal axis. The vehicle may include a steering assembly having a steering input and at least one wheel. The steering assembly may be coupled to the frame and configured to steer the vehicle based on input from a steering input. The vehicle may include a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. The vehicle may include a steering position sensor configured to detect steering input including a position of the steering input and at least one of i) a rate of change of position of steering input and ii) steering position time. The vehicle may include at least one controller configured to process a signal from the steering position sensor and, in response to the processed signal, drive the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, the first drive wheel being driven independent of the second drive wheel.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a frame having longitudinal axis. The vehicle may include a steering assembly having a steering input and at least one wheel. The steering assembly may be coupled to the frame and configured to steer the vehicle based on input from a steering input. The vehicle may include a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. The vehicle may include a steering position sensor configured to detect steering input including a position of the steering input and at least one of i) a rate of change of position of steering input and ii) steering position time. The vehicle may include at least one controller configured to process a signal from the steering position sensor and, in response to the processed signal, drive the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, the first drive wheel being driven independent of the second drive wheel.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a frame having longitudinal axis. The vehicle may include a steering assembly having a steering input and at least one wheel. The steering assembly may be coupled to the frame and configured to steer the vehicle based on input from a steering input. The vehicle may include a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. The vehicle may include a steering position sensor configured to detect steering input including a position of the steering input and at least one of i) a rate of change of position of steering input and ii) steering position time. The vehicle may include at least one controller configured to process a signal from the steering position sensor and, in response to the processed signal, drive the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, the first drive wheel being driven independent of the second drive wheel.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a frame having longitudinal axis. The vehicle may include a steering assembly having a steering input and at least one wheel. The steering assembly may be coupled to the frame and configured to steer the vehicle based on input from a steering input. The vehicle may include a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. The vehicle may include a steering position sensor configured to detect steering input including a position of the steering input and at least one of i) a rate of change of position of steering input and ii) steering position time. The vehicle may include at least one controller configured to process a signal from the steering position sensor and, in response to the processed signal, drive the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, the first drive wheel being driven independent of the second drive wheel.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a vehicle may include a frame having longitudinal axis. The vehicle may include a steering assembly having a steering input and at least one wheel. The steering assembly may be coupled to the frame and configured to steer the vehicle based on input from a steering input. The vehicle may include a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. The vehicle may include a steering position sensor configured to detect steering input including a position of the steering input and at least one of i) a rate of change of position of steering input and ii) steering position time. The vehicle may include at least one controller configured to process a signal from the steering position sensor and, in response to the processed signal, drive the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel, the first drive wheel being driven independent of the second drive wheel.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: A lift chair comprising: a lift that transitions the lift chair between a resting position and a standing position; a user interface that receives one or more user inputs indicating a request to transition the lift chair between the resting position and the standing position; a controller circuit communicatively coupled to the lift and to the user interface, the controller circuit configured to cause the lift to transition the lift chair from the resting position to the standing position, in response to a single user input, at a first speed over a first time period followed by a second speed over a second time period, the first speed being slower than the second speed.

Abstract: In apparatus for producing two-piece foil wrappers for wrapping bundles of cigarettes, a web of foil is cut alternately by two cylindrical cutters operating against fixed blades. A suction roller receives each successive newly cut end of the foil before the next cutter operates. Each resulting pair of foil wrapper pieces is then transferred to a suction drum having a sector arcuately movable thereon to produce an overlap in the wrapper pieces.

Abstract: In apparatus for feeding blanks for hinged lid packets, the blanks are supported in a stack by two pairs of pivotal claws which operate alternately so that at any given time only one pair of opposed claws supports the stack. A plunger device, having a central and two tiltable outer sections, engages the lowermost blank by suction and bends down opposite ends of the blank through a small angle, thus progressively withdrawing the blank from the stack.In a modification one pair of claws is replaced by fixed ledges, and a fixed finger is associated with each pivotal claw.

Abstract: A wrapping machine for cigarette packets has a cyclic drive for cutting the wrappers and feeding them towards cigarette bundles to be wrapped. The drive, which may take the form of a cyclic gearbox having an eccentric gear, passes through a clutch which can be disengaged at the minimum drive speed, for example when a bundle is missing or the wrapper web is being spliced.

Abstract: Packet blanks are fed stepwise along an elongated blank bed by a succession of pawls reciprocating along the length of the bed. Mechanism is provided for lifting the pawls at the end of their working strokes, and for lowering them at the end of their return strokes. In the event that the blank feed is to be interrupted, the mechanism can keep the pawls lifted without stopping reciprocating movement of the pawls.

Abstract: Wrappers of metallic foil are formed around groups of articles to be packed, in a machine which comprises a cigarette hopper, a cigarette bundle conveyor, a metallic foil feeding assembly, a foil conveyor, a cigarette compression device, a foil folding and tucking unit, a bundle transfer unit and a bundle orientation and ejection unit.Bundles of cigarettes are fed from the hopper into pockets on the bundle conveyor from which they are removed two at a time, at spaced locations, and pushed into the compression device. A single web of metallic foil is supplied to the foil feeding assembly which produces pieces of foil consisting of two overlapped portions which are fed, in turn, to the foil conveyors. The bundles are removed from the compression device and the pieces of foil are formed around the bundles as they are conveyed through the foil folding and tucking unit.

Abstract: In a soft packet, particularly for filter-tipped cigarettes, the narrow sides are reinforced by panels, which may be joined together at the bottom to form a U-shaped frame. The longitudinal edges of the panels may be curved, or bent perpendicularly inwards. Various moisture-proof wrappers are disclosed for directly holding the panels about the cigarettes, some incorporating tear guiding strips to assist opening of the top of the packet.

Abstract: A hopper for a cigarette-packing machine has a number of vertical channels each accommodating a single column of cigarettes, with their axes horizontal. Plungers reciprocating across the lower ends of the channels remove a selected number of cigarettes from each channel during each forward stroke. During each return stroke of the plungers, vanes interdigitated with the plungers support the cigarettes in the channels above the plungers, said vanes lowering before the next forward stroke of the plungers to control descent of the cigarettes on to a base plate.To allow faster operation of the hopper without increasing the speed of vane lowering so that cigarette descent is not sufficiently controlled, the plungers are pivotally mounted to permit them to be downwardly inclined during their return stroke and then allow vane lowering to begin earlier in each operating cycle.

Abstract: A machine for packing cigarettes in which packets, having one open end, are made by successively wrapping an inner layer of foil and an outer layer of paper round a former, transferring the open ended packets into a pocket on a conveyor, and then inserting a batch of twenty cigarettes into each packet. A plurality of packet-making devices, and batch-forming devices are provided, the conveyor being so positioned that each pocket first passes all the packet-making devices in succession and then all the batch-forming devices in succession.

Abstract: A packing machine for cigarettes comprises a carton blank reservoir, a carton blank hopper, a blank feeding device, a blank transfer conveyor, a bundle drum, a packet forming drum, a packet stacking unit and a packet orientation unit.Carton blanks are removed one at a time from the hopper by a suction device and fed intermittently by the transfer conveyor to a position adjacent a pocket in the packet forming drum, the blank then being pushed into the pocket so as to partially form it into a carton. Whilst on the transfer conveyor adhesive is applied to certain parts of the blank and initial holding of the blank takes place.Foil wrapped bundles of cigarettes are pushed, two at a time, into pockets provided on the bundle drum and transferred one at a time into a partially formed carton contained in a pocket on the packet forming drum.