Abstract: An apparatus for shirring a tubular casing in which the compression of the shirred stick is produced by employing a tapered mandrel positioned between shirring wheels. The taper is carefully chosen to produce uniform shirring and compression.In the drawing (FIG. 3) is shown part of a shirring machine comprising a pair of shirring wheels 21.22 located on opposite sides of a mandrel 15. The mandrel 15 has a tapered section 27 which begins immediately upstream of the line 27B joining the centers 21A, 22A of the shirring wheels and continues a substantial distance downstream of the line 27B. Back pressure is generated by rolls 28, 29.A preferred rate of taper is about 1 in 5 but the rate of taper may be anywhere in the range 1 in 4 to 1 in 30.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating a dispersed dot half tone picture from a continuous tone picture involves the making of a thresholding decision at each picture element to decide whether or not a dot is printed in the output picture and is characterized in that cumulative weighted sums of the errors between the original continuous tone picture and the output half tone picture at each picture element are held for each column of the picture matrix and from these column sums of errors a sector sum of errors is formed and used in the thresholding decision. The column and sector sums of errors are up-dated by simple recursive relationships. Edge enhancement is introduced in a simple manner obviating the need to calculate a local greyscale average. Distracting patterns of dots in the output picture are broken up by the use of carefully selected threshold values.

Abstract: A rolling loop camera has a rotor which is arranged to clamp successive frames of the film against the surface of a fiber optic device. The rotor comprises a number of clamping devices with gaps between them, which devices roll over the film on the said surface. The gaps between the clamping devices receive the film which has been formed into a loop by supply means and the movement of the rotor causes the loop to roll across the said surface, thus placing the next frame on the surface for exposure. The film between the supply means and the loop is essentially supported by only the resilience of the film, and thus sliding of the film along a stationary surface while the loop is being formed is avoided. Each clamping device comprises a group of rollers and may include a belt supported by the rollers. As the rotor is operated, the clamping devices move around an endless path which in one embodiment is circular and in another embodiment is oval.

Abstract: A loom in which each warp yarn passes through a retraction region and a shedding region, and in which means are provided for creating gaseous fluid flow along each warp yarn so that the yarns, or those that are not otherwise restrained, are moved to form a loop in the shedding region, the loops, or selected ones of them, being separated from the warp yarn sheet by gaseous fluid flow to form a shed, and means are provided for mechanically displacing portions of the yarns in the retraction region to move the yarns longitudinally into a path of predetermined length so as to draw the yarns into tension in the shedding region to close the shed. The means for drawing the yarns into tension may also be employed to draw the fell of the woven fabric against a fixed reed to beat up the inserted weft yarn.

Abstract: A kite comprising a kite body in the form of a plane sail supported by spars and a rudder formed integrally with the kite body. Two control strings are coupled to the rudder by way of a bridle, the control strings controlling movement of the rudder with respect to the kite body by causing the rudder to be in operation turned into the airflow supporting the kite body thereby to control the attitude of the kite body relatively to the airflow.

Abstract: A cross-winding machine comprises a winding mandrel and means for rotating the mandrel so that yarn supplied thereto is formed on the mandrel into a cross-wound package. Reciprocably movable doffing means transfer a wound package on the mandrel to a position which permits winding of a further package. A package support extends in alignment with the end of the mandrel and receives and supports packages successively doffed by the doffing means, thread severing means being provided which operate to cut thread between the mandrel and the package support.