Abstract: First and second complementary articles of hardware are fed to a single attaching station by first and second reciprocating feed-in fingers, respectively. Different types of first articles are selected during initial retraction of the first feed-in finger for advancement to the attaching station along a first path during advancement of the finger. Different types of second articles are selected during initial retraction of the second feed-in finger for advancement along a second path to the attaching station during advancement of the finger. During its retraction, the first finger is diverted from its first path at least when it would engage the first selected article. If the second selected article is disposed so as to be engaged by the second finger during its retraction, the second finger has a cooperating surface to cause it to move from the second path beneath the second selected article.

Abstract: Two mating fastener elements are attached to material at a setting station through a first electric motor. The motor rotates a cam for causing a first pivotally mounted arm to move a support, which supports one of the fastener elements, towards a ram, which is moved by a second pivotally mounted arm attached to the cam rotated by the motor. A second electric motor, which makes at least one revolution and may make a plurality of revolutions during each energization of the first motor, is energized when the first motor, which makes one revolution during each energization, is energized. Each of two hoppers has a plurality of one of the fastener elements. The second motor activates a knife blade in each of the two hoppers so that one of the knife blades moves upwardly in its hopper while the other is moving downwardly to feed the fastener elements within the hopper therefrom for receipt by the support or the ram.

Abstract: A two prong symmetrical shaped element is connected to a non-symmetrical shaped element on opposite sides of a material by disposing the two prongs in two holes in the non-symmetrical shaped element, which is a hook or an eye. The non-symmetrical shaped element is supplied from a hopper through a feed chute to a guide channel in which it is advanced to a setting station where it is attached to the two prong element by cooperation of an anvil and a ram. When the non-symmetrical shaped element is a hook, its orientation is changed by a rotatable transport stop disposed betwen two portions of the feed chute during advancement of the hook through the feed chute. When the non-symmetrical shaped element is an eye, its orientation is changed during its advancement through the guide channel prior to its disposition at the setting station.

Abstract: Monitoring apparatus is disclosed for monitoring the operating condition of transmission facilities of communications transmission technology, whereby signal collectors (stations) of a signal collecting device collect trouble reports acquired in monitoring the transmission. The monitoring apparatus should collect trouble reports in as economical a manner as possible and should keep further criteria for the quality of the monitored transmission devices ready for interrogation, as needed. This is achieved by a monitoring apparatus having an evalution and memory device which periodically registers measured values. The measuring device can be advantageously employed for monitoring line terminal equipment in PCM transmission facilities.

Abstract: The invention refers to a releasable tubular clamp for connecting cylindrical or profile tubes. In order to provide a releasable tubular clamp for interconnecting cylindrical or profile tubes wherein the press force is increased and after assembly a greater degree of compactness and stiffness is present, a longitudinally running longitudinal rib (1) open towards the interior is provided which prior to clamping exhibits a U-shaped (ear-shaped) cross section and whose legs after clamping abut in parts whereby the clamping jacket in an adjoining area exhibits a cross section deviating from a circular contour.

Abstract: A cut segment of a strip of material is clamped intermediate its ends, prior to being cut, by two separate clamping elements. In one embodiment, one of the clamping elements is cammed towards the other clamping element as the clamping elements are moved to position the cut segment at a position for attachment to other material by a sewing machine, for example. This forms a loop or slack portion between the clamped portions of the cut segment so that attachment of the free ends of the cut segment produces a large loop when each end of the cut segment is attached to the other material. In another embodiment, one of the ends of the cut segment may be folded to form an overlapped portion for attachment to the other material so that a double thickness of the cut segment is attached to the other material. This embodiment still has one of the separate clamping elements movable towards the other to form a loop or slack portion between the clamped portions of the cut segment.

Abstract: A strip of material is advanced a first selected distance along a feed path past a cutter. Then, the free end of the strip of material is gripped by a gripper and pulled a second selected distance so that the strip of material is disposed across a path of a reciprocating frame. The frame is advanced so that a retainer holds the portion of the strip of material to be cut at the time that it is cut by the cutter. The ends of the cut segment, which is held by the retainer, are folded by two pairs of folding pins supported by the frame to form a folded loop. The folded loop is advanced to a sewing machine, when a sewing machine operator activates a switch, to position the folded loop on a sewing plate with the frame being retracted after the folded loop is clamped to the sewing plate and prior to sewing. The movements of the frame and the gripper are controlled from a single driven cam shaft having three cams thereon with one having a plurality of cam profiles.

Abstract: An article is clamped in a predetermined position on a support, which is movable along a reciprocating path by a stepping motor. This movement of the support positions selected and spaced portions of the article at a fixed location at which a fastener element is attached to an edge of the article. The movement of the stepping motor is controlled by a computer program whereby the selected and spaced portions of the article are spaced from each other as desired.

Abstract: A vertically fed strip of material is cut into segments of selected lengths by a movable cutting knife cooperating with a fixed knife in which both of the knives are mounted in a frame for rotation between first and second cutting positions. When the knives are in the first cutting position, a segment is cut from the strip of material at a first angle other than orthogonal to the feed path. Rotation of the frame positions the cutting plane of the knives at a second angle to the first angle and other than orthogonal to the feed path to cut the segment, which is held prior to being cut at the first angle, to produce a pointed end.

Abstract: A hollow, tubular blank is provided with annular, radially inwardly and/or outwardly extending protrusions by means of rolling or upsetting. These protrusions are provided with gearing teeth by means of an annular drawing die and a plug, one of these or both being provided with a gearing-forming profile.

Abstract: A selected length of a strip of material is intermittently fed past a cutting position having cutting means. The cutting means is activated only after a selected number greater than one of the selected lengths of the strip of material has been intermittently fed past the cutting position. The selected number of the selected length of the strip is variable so as to cut the same number of the selected length of the strip each time or to cut a varying number of the selected length of the strip in a sequential pattern. The selected length, which is fed during each intermittent feeding, also is variable.

Abstract: The articulated mountings for vehicle seats includes two hinged parts, one part being formed with a spur gear and the other part with a geared rim of larger diameter and engaging the teeth of the spur gear. The gear rim is mounted for rotation on a pivot axle. The axle supports for joint rotation an eccentric disk which in turn supports for rotation the spur gear. To eliminate backlash in the bearing surfaces and in the meshing teeth of the gears, the eccentric disk is coupled to the pivot axle on a non-circular coupling section which engages two opposite sides of the eccentric recess in the eccentric disk but permits radial displacement of the latter. A setting mechanism preferably in the form of a resilient cushion or in the form of a biasing spring keeps the eccentric disk in its eccentric position.

Abstract: Selected lengths of a strip of material are cut either continuously in an automatic mode or each selected length is cut in a manual mode by manual activation of a switch. When the thickness of the strip of the material being cut exceeds a predetermined thickness or is less than a predetermined thickness, this difference is sensed so that this portion of the strip of the material is cut as soon as it ceases to exceed the predetermined thickness or be less than the predetermined thickness. In the automatic mode, automatic cutting may be stopped after this portion of different thickness has been cut either every time or every other time, and manual activation is required to start another automatic cutting.