Abstract: This invention relates to primary processing of animal hides and more particularly to methods for cleansing cattle hides and to apparatus for carrying out same. According to the proposed method, washing, soaking and removal of dung from the surface of the hides are carried out simultaneously and continuously under copious irrigation of the moving hides with water and the hides are then clamped in position essentially along the axis of movement, while the removal of dung is effected by carding their hair covering and subsequent removal of surface moisture.

Abstract: A locking cap for a threaded filler neck includes a closure member for engaging and closing the neck, a shell providing a hand grip and including a key-actuable lock, and a race disposed for rotation between the shell and closure. The race includes axially inwardly opening pockets, and the closure includes flexible pawl fingers for engaging the pockets to provide a driving connection between the closure and race which is positive in the cap-removal direction and torque-limited in the cap-advancing direction. The race also includes a set of peripherally spaced, radially inwardly projecting teeth, and the shell is molded to provide a pair of flexible drive fingers for engaging the peripherally spaced and radially inwardly projecting teeth to provide a driving connection between the shell and race which is positive in the cap-advancing direction and torque-limited in the cap-removal direction for free ratcheting of the cap when it is in position on the filler neck and locked.

Abstract: A locking cap for a threaded filler neck includes a closure member for engaging and closing the neck, a shell providing a hand grip and including a key-actuable lock, and a race disposed for rotation between the shell and closure. The race includes axially inwardly opening pockets, and the closure includes flexible pawl fingers for engaging the pockets to provide a driving connection between the closure and race which is positive in the cap-removal direction and torque-limited in the cap-advancing direction. The race also includes a set of peripherally spaced, radially inwardly projecting teeth. A lock-controlled bolt member mounted in a hub which is connected for rotation with the shell is movable by the lock to a cap-removal position. The bolt member engages driving teeth provided within the closure member.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle wheel cover locking means for use in deterring the theft of wheel covers, wheels and tires and also providing protection against the loss of wheel covers due to various road hazards, the locking means including a customized lock nut cooperating with a lock stem to releasably anchor a wheel cover to a wheel lug stud, and a customized wrench for applying the lock nut to and removing the lock nut from the lock stem to lock and unlock the wheel cover.

Abstract: A rotary cylinder lock with a lock cylinder rotatable in a casing, preferably a door handle housing of a motor vehicle, with the lock cylinder being pivotable into closed and open positions by at least one key associated therewith and insertable in the lock cylinder. The rotary cylinder lock is constructed such that a second key can be inserted into the lock cylinder with the second key having, at a location other than in cases of the main key, notches or projections or the like controlling additional locking members. The second key actuates, by pivoting, a switching unit which, if necessary, triggers a safety device so as to prevent unauthorized use of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A system for automatically bending wire into arcuate segments of different selected configurations utilizing a wire bending roll displaceable selectively by a stepping motor which is controlled by a microprocessor to bend a length of wire conforming to data retrieved from a computer. The wire is selectively advanced to a shear assembly where it is severed to a specific length and advanced through feed rolls towards the bending roll. Detection of the advancing severed length of wire locks in a strobe gear and the microprocessor with the stepping motor to determine the position of the wire with respect to the bending roll and to incrementally displace the bending roll in a controlled manner along an arcuate path to produce the desired bend in the wire.

Abstract: A taper-rolling machine comprises a four-high rolling mill having driven work rolls and means for adjusting one work roll and its back-up roll relative to the other work roll; a drawbar reciprocable relative to the rolling mill for drawing a blank through the mill; a mechanism for adjusting the adjustable work roll and back-up roll according to the position of the drawbar to effect taper rolling; and edger rolls acting on the blank to control the widthwise spread of the blank during rolling by the rolling mill.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming corrugated sheet material includes coacting rolls (10,11) by which material having corrugations with crests and intervening flanks is formed. The crests are closed up to one another by a first pair of rollers (22) which run at relatively high speed followed by a second pair of rollers (27) which run at a relatively low speed. The rollers engage the crests or the side edges of the material to control the rate of feed of the material between each pair of rollers.The invention finds application in forming corrugated metal sheet for heat exchangers.

Abstract: The present invention is related to pneumatic stripping for use with metal forming machines, including neckers, that are used in the production of thin shell vessels such as beverage cans (60). In prior art devices, pneumatic stripping has been advantageously used for removing a beverage can (60) from the punch portion (18) of a die set (16); but this use of compressed air has been accompanied by objectionably high noise levels. The present invention provides an expansion chamber (50), that is formed by a recess (48) in an end (30) of the punch (18) and that reduces the noise level of pneumatic stripping. Principle uses include noise reduction on machines that are used to inwardly dome the bottom of beverage cans and on machines that are used to neck down the open ends of beverage cans.

Abstract: A measurement system wherein an acoustic distance measuring transducer is moved over a flat reference surface, measuring the distance from the transducer to a calibration surface and then to a test surface. The transducer is moved along a path within a ring while the top edge of the ring is used to support the calibration surface and then the test surface. The ring is mounted for rotation so that the transducer can scan a supported surface at a locus of points. Scans across the calibration surface and then the test surface are compared to measure deviations of the test surface from calibration surface.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an in-flight testing of projectile and mor fuzes. A microminiature electronic circuitry in a cartridge form is designed to attach to any of the large caliber shell or mortar fuzes. The test-cartridge is a recoverable, reusable, high-g hardened device. The system for sampling and recording projectile fuzes during a period of target impact comprises: a power supply; a timing and control logic unit; an accelerometer; an amplitude encoder; a shift register; and an interface connector to transform stored information of the fuze functioning characteristics to a ground station readout unit.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for detecting leaks in a pipeline when the flow is in a transient or steady condition. A mathematical model of the pipeline is constructed and real pressures and real flows are compared at various locations in the pipeline with predicted pressures and flows of the model at such locations. Leaks in the pipeline are indicated when upstream of the leak real pressure decreases and real flow increases with respect to the model and downstream of the leak real pressure decreases and real flow decreases with respect to the model.

Abstract: A method of inspecting wax patterns for use in the lost wax casting process comprises coating the pattern with aluminum by vapor diffusion and subsequently inspecting the coated pattern using inspection apparatus adapted for the non-contacting dimensional inspection of electrically conductive workpieces.

Abstract: A monitoring device for monitoring the operation of a vehicle internal combustion engine having inlet ducting for admitting a fuel/air mixture into the engine comprises vacuum sensitive apparatus for sensing the degree of vacuum in the inlet ducting, speed sensitive apparatus for sensing the rotational speed of the engine, and warning apparatus including gates, multivibrator circuitry, a loudspeaker, and a recorder. When the degree of vacuum falls below a predetermined vacuum value, warning bleeps are issued by the loudspeaker and recordings are made on the recorder. The warning apparatus is operative in response to the vacuum sensitive apparatus and the speed sensitive apparatus to provide a predetermined vacuum value which is a stepwise increasing function of rotational speed sensed.An inclined mercury containing capsule is provided to inhibit bleeping and recording when the vehicle is inclined at more than a predetermined angle to the horizontal in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Abstract: A hammer drill has a housing provided with a tool chuck in which a tool is to be mounted. A drive is provided which is capable of rotating and/or axially impacting the tool chuck. This drive includes a piston reciprocable in axial direction of the tool chuck, a drum rotating on a shaft extending parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the piston and provided with a circumferentially extending cam track, and a transmitting arrangement which travels in part in engagement with the cam track and which has another part connected with the piston to reciprocate the same.

Abstract: A fluid measuring device comprises flow meter for measuring quantities of flow or flow rates of fluid and flow rectifiers arranged upstream and downstream of the flow meter, whose rectifier elements or cells are sized and positioned such that a ratio W.sub.1 /D of a smaller width W.sub.1 of the cells to an inner diameter D of a passage for the fluid is less than 0.2 and a ratio L/W.sub.1 of a distance L between the flow meter and the upstream flow rectifier to the smaller width W.sub.1 of the cell is within 5.ltoreq.L/W.sub.1 .ltoreq.25, thereby improving an accuracy of measurement without increasing losses of pressure.

Abstract: A process for detecting and signaling the defrosting, even temporary, of frozen products which consist in providing a detecting device consisting of a closed container having therein a colorless and a colored element which, under frozen conditions, are separate from each other but will admix and form a single colored mixture on defrosting. The presence of said single mixture indicates that defrosting has taken place. The device is also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A simplified downhole pressure reading instrument. It has a cylindrical body which holds a charge of gas at one end. There is a concentric cylindrical element which slides longitudinally inside the body with a low friction seal between them. The body has an opening at the other end from the gas charge, to admit the downhole fluid pressure. And, there is an arrangement for taking a reading of the maximum compression of the gas charge by the longitudinal movement of the inner cylindrical element.

Abstract: A measuring shaft intended to be fixed in a hole is equipped with strain gauges or similar devices for sensing a load. The inner end of the measuring shaft is threaded to engage with threads provided in the bottom of the hole, and the outer end of the measuring shaft is fixed in relation to the hole so that the measuring shaft like a part unseparated from the walls of the hole but nevertheless detachable, accompanies the motions of the said walls.

Abstract: Force applied to marginal edge portions of a panel by opposed walls of a groove of curtain wall system is measured by mounting a pair of spaced blocks in the groove. Moveable jaw members are mounted in space between the blocks and moved apart into engagement with walls of the groove until the distance between outer surfaces of the jaw members is approximately equal to the width of the blocks. Thereafter, the force applied to the jaw members is measured.

Abstract: An ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter for measuring flowing fluid by reflection of sonic waves from particles in the fluid is provided with a discriminating circuit including a comparator amplifier connected to the received signal that produces a zero-flow output from the flowmeter when the signal received by the receiving means is produced by vibration of the reflecting particles in a zero-flow condition.

Abstract: A gas driven and gas lubricated gyroscope, especially for low pressure and vacuum operation, comprising a spherical rotor and spherical bearing formed by two bearing half parts joined along mating equatorial plane surfaces, at least one of the bearing half parts being provided with driving gas inlet channels formed into the equatorial surface. The bearing half parts also comprise spaces for draining the driving gas from the turbine blades of the rotor.

Abstract: A link and pivot mechanism is provided in which a pair of equal length links are connected pivotally at centers. The movement of these two links is scissor-like and is precisely controlled by the complete mechanism to produce four cycles per revolution. In one embodiment, said links osscilate about an imaginary fixed diagonal line while an interconnected crankshaft rotates. In another embodiment, said crankshaft is fixed and the mechanical approximation of said diagonal line rotates even as said scissor links osscilate about said diagonal line. Either embodiment provides a precisely controlled relationship between the crank angle (the angle between the crankshaft throw and said diagonal line) and the two angles between said scissor links. This relationship provides for a four cycle single revolution displacement mechanism, with four displacement regions, in which all movement is that of pivoting links.

Abstract: The device for producing vibratory forces shown in the drawings comprises a pair of plates mounted on a structural frame. There are three rows of gears on each plate which are intermeshed so that all may be driven from a drive input to one of the gears in the central row. Drive means provide the input to the driven gear of each plate through one of the journals for mounting the plates on the frames. Weights are mounted eccentrically on each of the gears and are thus rotated synchronously between extreme outward and inward positions to produce, by centrifugal force, vibratory forces parallel to the planes of the plates. Means, operative through the other journals for pivotal mounting the plates, simultaneously and synchronously pivot the plates between aligned positions wherein the centrifugal forces are nullified and essentially no vibrations are produced and parallel positions wherein the vibratory forces are at maximum.

Abstract: A ball/ramp force producing system is provided for use in infinitely variable ratio torque transmissions of the type which transmit torque by means of rolling friction contact between pairs of traction surfaces. The ball/ramp system applies a thrust force to a pair of conical traction elements to force the elements into frictional engagement with their respective other traction surfaces. The system includes a collar assembly splined to a support shaft with conical traction elements mounted on the shaft on each side of the collar assembly. Complementary helical ball/ramps are formed on each side of the collar assembly and on the respective cone bases with force transmitting balls located in the ramp sets. Rotation of the collar assembly or the traction elements with respect to one another causes the traction elements to advance in opposite axial directions along the shaft to initiate and maintain engagement between the respective traction surface pairs.

Abstract: A sliding gear keyed or splined to a main shaft has external teeth selectively engageable with either of two driving gears on a pair of continuously rotating countershafts and in its neutral position is releasably coupled by one or more ball checks to a surrounding control ring for joint axial motion. The ring is provided with beveled surfaces enabling its frictional rotary entrainment by similar surfaces of the driving gears upon a limited axial shifting of the sliding gear in one or the other direction.

Abstract: Control lever assembly for cable operated apparatus in which ends of cable cores are connected to lever with simple structure eliminating clevis and locked pin to provide compact, easy-to-service anchors. Independently adjustable drag or friction device reduces accidental creep of lever, and/or indexing device provides resilient positive location of lever. Lever is journalled for swinging and mounts a rotatable member having a first anchor structure and a support member secured to the rotatable member and having a second anchor structure spaced from the first anchor. A cable fitting has journals and is secured to the end of the cable and fits between the support member and rotatable member to anchor the cable thereto. Axle pin passing through the fitting journals fitting in aligned recesses of rotatable member and support member.

Abstract: A steering wheel assembly having an energy absorbing sleeve 13 supported on a hub 12 and a steering wheel 14 supported on the sleeve. The energy absorbing sleeve has a plurality of concentric, substantially rectangular rings 19 formed in stepped relationship to provide essentially crush force throughout its range of usable crush.The steering wheel 14 comprises an armature 15 forming a housing 22 for the energy absorbing sleeve, the upper end of the housing being complementary to the rectangular configuration of the sleeve. The armature further has an annular rim core 24 and a plurality of spokes 25 extending from the housing to the rim core. The housing 22, the spokes 25 and the rim core 24 are integrally molded of plastic, preferably a polycarbonate selected for its impact strength over a wide temperature range.

Abstract: A portable drive unit for a valve actuator includes a portable two-cycle or four-cycle gasoline engine and a gear reducer. The gasoline engine is bolted, through vibration damper means, to the housing or gear box of the gear reducer. The gear box is clamped to the valve actuator through an annular clamp and clamp-receiving adapter structure which also includes vibration damper means. A flexible sleeve coupling in the bore of the annular clamp and clamp-receiving adapter couples the output shaft of the gear reducer to the handwheel input shaft of the valve actuator.

Abstract: A transmission for use in a motor vehicle having a torque converter; an auxiliary speed change-gear assembly coaxial with the torque converter; an intermediate shaft extending through the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; a countershaft extending in parallel to the intermediate shaft of the auxiliary speed change-gear assembly; and a final reduction-gear assembly for transmitting a driving force from the countershaft to wheel axles. The auxiliary speed change-gear assembly provides a plurality of forward speed range drives including overdrive and reverse drive and has an output driving gear. A driven gear is mounted on the countershaft and meshes with the driving gear.

Abstract: A differential assembly includes a case (12), an input (30) for effecting rotation of the case, pinion means (36, 38) associated with the case, a pair of side gears (32, 34) meshing with the pinion means, a first output shaft (26) connected to one of the side gears and a second output shaft (28) connected to the other of the side gears. The differential assembly further includes a first gear train (54) associated with the first output shaft and rotatable therewith, a second gear train (52) associated with the second output shaft and rotatable therewith, and a third gear train (30, 70) associated with the casing and rotatable therewith. A first clutch (80) is provided for interconnecting the third gear train and the first gear train to enable the third gear train to supply additional torque through the first gear train to the first output shaft when the rotational speed of the input exceeds the rotational speed of the first output shaft by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A single-stage high-ratio compound planetary gear system has gears configured for optimal tooth profile contact to minimize Hertzian stresses under relatively high contact loads characteristic of high-ratio gearing. Criteria is established for determining the optimal line of action required to attain a substantially constant relative radius of curvature between the teeth of a mating set and optimal tooth geometry for maximal contact between mating teeth.

Abstract: An indexing device for use with a machine tool comprises a housing supporting a rotatable face plate. The face plate is connected to be driven by a drive unit which includes a motor. The drive unit can be detached from the housing and replaced the other way round where this is convenient in use of the device, for example to position the motor so that it will not come into contact with any part of the machine tool to which it is fitted.

Abstract: A ski sharpener for simultaneously honing the vertical and horizontal surfaces of a ski edge which comprises a base member having a base portion and a connected side portion disposed at right angles to provide a support or base against which a plurality of file sections are longitudinally and vertically spaced to provide an intermittent filing surface in two planes disposed normal to one another whereby the intermittent filing surfaces are arranged to simultaneously engage the vertical and horizontal surfaces of a ski edge in a honing operation. In one form of the device the ski sharpener is provided with one set of intermittent filing surfaces, and in another form the ski sharpener is provided with a plurality of sets of intermediate filing surfaces whereby the degree of coarseness of each set varies.

Abstract: In a ratchet tool having a toothed driving, a complementary coaxial, generally cylindrical rotatable toothed core within the ring, and a core-carried pivotal toothed double-ended pawl secured within the core and selectively positionable to intercouple the driving ring with the core for positively driving a core-carried tool element in each of two opposite torque-transmitting modes, improved means for pivotally shifting the pawl to a selectable mode of torque-transmitting core rotation, the improvement comprising finger actuable pawl-shifting means responsive to finger pressure applied along a vector which includes a force component directed axially into the core to effect, through intercoupling linkage, pivotal radial shifting of the pawl, alternately, between first and second driving-ring-engaging operational positions, and in which the pawl shifting means is conveniently manipulable with the same hand used to hold and to operate the tool.

Abstract: There is disclosed a technique for tightening threaded fasteners in which values of offset torque, initial tension rate relative to angle, final tension rate relative to angle and other joint related factors are empirically determined by instrumenting a plurality of fasteners of the type ultimately to be tightened. In one embodiment, torque and angle are monitored during tightening. Calculations are conducted, while tightening, to determine the tension prevailing in the bolt at a particular angle of advance. By using the calculated tension value and the particular angle of advance, an instantaneous position of threading advance on the tension-angle curve of the fastener is established. From this instantaneous position, it is determined how much greater angle of advance or how much torque is required to tighten the fasteners to a final desired tension value. The same technique may also be used merely to monitor tightening which is terminated by a different tightening strategy.

Abstract: Cut lengths or segments of photographic strip material, particularly photographic film, are stacked as they are discharged from a photographic film cutter. The device for stacking the cut lengths includes a tray, an arm, a base, and a guide. The base is connected to the film cutter, and supports the film tray with the first end of the tray positioned closely to the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm is positioned in generally overlying position with respect to the tray and is pivotally connected to the tray at the second end of the tray furthest from the discharge end of the film cutter. The arm preferably has a "W" shaped cross section which provides two lines of contact with the cut lengths of film which are deposited between the tray and the arm. The guide provides a guiding surface parallel to the path of the cut lengths along their front edges. The guide may take a plurality of positions to accommodate films of different widths.

Abstract: A trimming saw arrangement comprises a root-cutting station, a trimming station, and a feed line for advancing timber, perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, through the stations and to a sorting station having a sorting conveyor. The stations include a plurality of cutting or trimming places arranged one after the other in the feed direction and a distribution flap and conveyor for distributing arriving timber to the respective places responsive to the amount of timber accumulated in a storage bin associated with each cutting or trimming place.

Abstract: A tool for cutting a textile cot from an associated mandrel is provided wherein such tool is particularly adapted to be attached to one of a cooperating pair of machine components which are relatively movable toward and away from each other and a mandrel with a cot to be cut supported on the other component whereupon the cot is cut axially along its length upon relatively moving the components toward each other.

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: Apparatus for slicing and/or dicing bacon has an elongated U-shaped trough of stainless steel which receives pieces of bacon and wherein a pusher advances the material to be comminuted forwardly into the range of one or more knives. The trough is removably installed in the chamber of a frame which consists of cast aluminum.

Abstract: Rotary slitting apparatus for slitting paperboard material including a pair of coacting knife holders for mounting on parallel adjacent rotatable shafts, such holders having thin flexible annular slitting blades clamped thereon at a slight angle to a plane normal to the axis of the shafts so that the blades overlap slightly to provide scissors-action cutting of paperboard material passed between the heads.

Abstract: A plurality of a signal peak detection circuits connected in cascade for operation on a complex waveform input signal, for generating a reference signal having peaks occurring in time with the peaks of the fundamental frequency component of the input signal. The reference signal is processed for producing a voltage proportional to the period between successive signal peaks, which voltage is successively stored and monitored at select times for comparison of the relative magnitude changes in the voltage, for updating an output control voltage.

Abstract: The operation of the chorus generator of FIG. 3 may be summarized as follows. The generation of a realistic chorus tone depends upon the simultaneous amplitude and phase modulation of a tone signal which initially has little or no choral characteristics. When a tone signal generator is so modulated, the derived audio tone from a loudspeaker will exhibit choral characteristics. A random low frequency signal generator serves as an input to both the amplitude and phase modulation channels. The amplitude modulation signal is merely a suitably delayed replica of the low frequency signal. The phase modulation signal is derived from the low frequency signal by first modifying its amplitude excursions by means of a function generator and then filtering the derived signal by means of a suitable non-minimum phase shift filter.

Abstract: A bass bridge for a piano is provided wherein a runner is fixed to the soundboard, an apron is fixed to the runner and is cantilevered therefrom along one edge, and a bridge cap is fixed to the other edge. The runner and apron have a plurality of slots extending therethrough substantially perpendicular with the bridge cap.

Abstract: A sealing element is characterized by an upset metal disc having a central opening and reversely positioned annular grooves, and an annular sealing member in each groove. The sealing element as a sealing washer provides for effective sealing engagement with the head of a fastener and the surface of an article being fastened to seal the fastener opening in such article. The sealing element may also be employed as a valve seat and seal in a check valve assembly in which a biased poppet element is carried by the sealing element and is responsive to fluid pressure for controlled passage of fluid through the check valve assembly.

Abstract: An arrangement for mounting an object to a support structure has a mounting element insertable into a mounting hole of the support structure, a flexible container arranged to accommodate an adhesive substance and to be inserted into the mounting hole prior to the mounting element, and an abutment member arranged to abut against an outer face of the support structure and provided with the slot. When the flexible container inserted in the mounting hole is pulled out from the latter and through the slot of the abutment member the adhesive substance is squeezed from the container into the mounting hole so as to anchor the mounting element insertable into the hole.

Abstract: A cartridge feed apparatus for two cartridge belts is structured such that the cartridges are infed relatively closely to the lengthwise axis of the weapon barrel, and there can be employed a spring sleeve which is shorter than the stroke of the breechblock head. There are provided respective slides for feeding or forwardly advancing both of the cartridge belts. One of these slides for feeding a cartridge belt and defining a first slide and a further slide defining a second slide during return motion of the spring sleeve, successively engage with the same groove of the spring sleeve. A first transmission element transmits the movement of the first slide to the second slide and a second transmission element transmits the movement of the second slide to the remaining slide defining a third slide.

Abstract: An armored vehicle comprising a motor, roller members and a transmission for transmitting drive from the motor to the roller members. The vehicle comprises a body including a highly armored main central cell surrounding the personnel and essential mechanical members of the motor and transmission, and a much lighter exterior protection surrounding the main cell and extending beyond the roller members.

Abstract: A marine or naval firing weapon which is particularly suitable for fighting targets in zenith and additionally is capable of taking into account the movements of the vessel during aiming. The firing weapon comprises a first alignment axis which does not extend in zenith and a second alignment axis arranged at right angles to the first alignment axis. A support is mounted to be rotatable about the first alignment axis and a firing weapon is mounted upon the support for rotation about the second alignment axis. The first alignment axis does not extend into the target area and is inclined with respect to the horizon.