Abstract: In an object oriented software environment, a system and method is disclosed that addresses both state recovery and relationship recovery in the event of a system halt. The system is suited to enterprise-class distributed systems with extensive object relationships. Each essential object is saved in persistent storage. Essential values within each object are updated in storage according to a method within each object. After a partial or total halt of the system, the state of the software is reconstructed in a two phase process. In the first phase, the essential objects are restored from persistent storage, along with essential values. In the second phase, a method uniquely implemented by each object will reconstruct non-essential objects and variables. The second phase is ideally tailored to allow the system to be reconstructed even when the underlying hardware or software has been altered.

Abstract: An alarm switch assembly includes a housing having first and second surfaces and an opening defined therein that extends from one surface toward the other surface. The opening is further defined by at least four inner surfaces. A magnetic field generating device is disposed adjacent the opening and between the first and second surfaces, and a switch is disposed adjacent the opening and is opposed to the magnetic field generating device.

Abstract: An alarm switch assembly includes a housing having first and second surfaces and an opening defined therein that extends from one surface toward the other surface. The opening is further defined by at least four inner surfaces. A magnetic field generating device is disposed adjacent the opening and between the first and second surfaces, and a switch is disposed adjacent the opening and is opposed to the magnetic field generating device.

Abstract: The output of a high speed press or bindery is formed into stacks which are then combined into four stack "cubes". The cubes are handled as units and formed into tiers which can be loaded onto pellets. A pickup head for manipulating the cubes is carried by a transport device such as a gantry or robot arm. It has a top plate which is connected to the transport device. The top plate carries horizontal guide members from which depend four side panels. The side panels may be retracted to grasp the sides of the cube or extended to release the cube. Fingers mounted along the bottom edges of the side panels are designed to extend between the bottom sheets of the cube and the surface on which it sits. They can be locked into this position, permitting the cube to be lifted and transported by the pickup head. Also disclosed is a gantry-type transport device with a telescoping extender to which the pickup head is connected.

Abstract: There are disclosed method and apparatus for stacking the output ("documents" or "printed products") of a high speed printing press or bindery line. The documents are shingled on a linear infeed conveyor where they are also aligned, positioned, and counted, all at high speed. When the amount of documents desired for a stack have been counted or weighed or determined by stack size or height, further document flow is temporarily interrupted. The documents are speeded up in an accelerator to reduce the amount of shingling. They are ejected from the accelerator to glide through the air onto a stack starter surface which slowly descends as the stack is formed. The partially completed stack is transferred to a de-elevator and the stack starter returns to begin building a new stack. The de-elevator lowers the completed stack onto a receiving surface and rises to receive the next partially completed stack from the stack starter surface. A pusher then removes the stack from the receiving surface.

Abstract: The output of a high speed press or bindery is formed into stacks which are then combined into four stack "cubes". The cubes are handled as units and formed into tiers which can be loaded onto pallets. A pickup head for manipulating the cubes is carried by a transport device such as a gantry or robot arm. It has a top plate which is connected to the transport device. The top plate carries horizontal guide members from which depend four side panels. The side panels may be retracted to grasp the sides of the cube or extended to release the cube. Fingers mounted along the bottom edges of the side panels are designed to extend between the bottom sheets of the cube and the surface on which it sits. They can be locked into this position, permitting the cube to be lifted and transported by the pickup head. Also disclosed is a gantry-type transport device with a telescoping extender to which the pickup head is connected.

Abstract: A series of preformed panels are joined together at mating elongated male and female joint portions. The joint portions are secured together by a series of discrete spaced apart flexible tension members looped about portions of each panel.

Abstract: A swinging bucket centrifuge rotor has a plurality of peripheral cavities each adapted to seat a swinging bucket suspended from a fixed hanger. The hanger defines a hook which is adapted to support a cross-pin located in each bucket cap. Each bucket cap in turn is formed such that the shaft supporting the cross-pin is spring-loaded to permit its movement along the axis of the bucket. In this manner, a single rotor may accommodate different weight sets of buckets simply by varying the spring constant of the spring in the bucket cap.

Abstract: A swinging bucket centrifuge rotor has a plurality of peripheral cavities each adapted to seat a swinging bucket. Each cavity has a hanger which is slideably positioned in a receptacle in the rear of the cavity. The receptacle prevents rotation of the hanger about its path of movement. The extremity of the hanger forms a hook which is adapted to support a cross-pin located in the swinging bucket cap. The cross-pin is so positioned that the bucket must hang properly from the hook. In like manner the hook has an outwardly and downwardly sloping entrance opening which further aids in properly hanging a bucket.