Abstract: A cutting insert has opposing first and second end surfaces, and a peripheral side surface (connecting the end surfaces. A central axis penetrates the two end surfaces. The peripheral sure surface includes an outwardly inclined first side surface part related to a major cutting edge and a second side surface part related to a minor cutting edge. The outwardly inclined first side surface part gradually extends outward from the cutting insert, heading from the first end surface to the second end surface. When a second virtual plane, which is substantially perpendicular to the central axis and passes through the major cutting edge, is defined, an inwardly inclined part, on a back side of the cutting edge, of the second end surface is inclined so as to become more distant from the second virtual plane, heading from the outwardly inclined first side surface part to the central axis.

Abstract: An indexable tangential cutting insert for a milling tool includes two opposing side surfaces and four identical lateral surfaces extending between the side surfaces. Each lateral surface of the insert is provided with a support surface configured to be supported by, on one hand, a corresponding support face of a pocket of a tool body providing an axial support to the insert in two of eight index positions and, on the other, a corresponding support face of the pocket providing a tangential support to the insert in two other of said eight index positions. Each lateral surface of the insert is provided with a single second support surface being concave as seen in a direction perpendicular to said side surfaces and extending diagonally across the lateral surface.

Abstract: In a circular cutting insert of the present invention, the upper side surface and the lower side surface each include: a plurality of planar restraining faces which are disposed sequentially in a circumferential direction of the upper side surface and the lower side surface so as to interpose a joint portion between each of the planar restraining faces and each have a side disposed on the side surface-intermediate line (N); and a plurality of antivibration restraining faces which are each disposed between two planar restraining faces adjacent through the joint portion and each include an inclined face, and the restraining faces of the lower side surface are disposed so as to be shifted with respect to the restraining faces of the upper side surface by a predetermined angle (?) around a central axis of a screw insertion hole.

Abstract: A cutting machine is employed to cut a window blind which includes a first support stem, a second support stem, and multiple slats. The cutting machine contains: a base, a cutting mount, a rotary cutting disc, a slidable cutter, a switch unit, and a positioning mechanism. The cutting mount includes a first through hole and a second through hole. The rotary cutting disc is configured to rotatably cut the window blind from the first through hole to the second through hole. The slidable cutter is configured to slidably cut the window blind from the second through hole to the first through hole. The switch unit includes a separation portion which moves upwardly and downwardly and has a cutting plate proximate to the slidable cutter. The positioning mechanism is configured to fix the window blind based on a desired cut length of the window blind.

Abstract: A laser brazing system including a torch body, a wire feed tip, a laser processing head, and a cooling collar. The torch body includes nozzle, mounting, and cooling sections. The nozzle section has a nozzle wall and a feed wire conduit. The cooling section has a cooling barrel, a coolant supply connection, and a coolant return connection. The wire feed tip has a feed wire outlet and is connected to one end of the torch body. The laser processing head directs laser light toward the feed wire outlet. The cooling collar is disposed on the nozzle section and includes a collar body and a coolant conduit. The collar body has a through-bore that receives the nozzle wall. The coolant conduit has an end portion attached to the collar body and a leg portion that transports coolant to and from the end portion.

Abstract: Provided is a plate-like heater for a bonding apparatus (30) including: a lower surface (31b) to which a bonding tool (40) is attached; and an upper surface (31a) to which a heat insulator (20) is attached. The upper surface (31a) is provided with a large number of capillary slits (35), and the large number of capillary slits (35) and a matching surface (21) of the heat insulator (20) attached to the upper surface (31a) form a large number of capillary coolant flow-paths (37) each extending from a cavity (36) to a lateral surface (33). This allows effective cooling of the heater for a bonding apparatus.

Abstract: An attachment to fit to a nozzle portion of an oxy-fuel torch that enables an operator to precisely cut a circle in a metal without having to move during operation is disclosed. The attachment includes a nut threadably attached to the nozzle portion that in turn holds a brass bushing that is concentrically and coaxially arranged inside a bearing within a bearing retainer. Further, a torch radius adjustment arm retainer is slidably locked to the bearing retainer via a dovetail joint and is configured to slidably receive a long arm of an L-shaped radius adjustment, further secured by a first thumb screw. The operator cuts the circle having a radius equal to distance between the nozzle portion and a replaceable radius pivot point threadably attached at end of a short arm of the radius adjustment arm by pivoting on said pivot point and rotating the torch in the circle.

Abstract: A method comprises: providing a weldment and a welded plate to which the weldment is to be welded, an end of the weldment to be welded to the welded plate being provided with a first welding face and a second welding face, the first welding face and the second welding face forming a pointed cone, the first welding face corresponding to a first welding area, and the second welding face corresponding to a second welding area; in the first welding area, welding being performed at the innermost side of the pointed cone to form a first welding pass; in the second welding area, welding being performed at the innermost side of the pointed cone to form a second welding pass, and then welding being performed at the outer side of the second welding pass to form a third welding pass adjacent to the second welding pass.

Abstract: A method of automatically setting a welding parameter for MIG/MAG welding including the following steps: initiating a parameter setting welding operation; detecting a response welding current at a present wire feed speed during the parameter setting welding operation; determining a first function mapping the response welding current to the set wire feed speed; determining a desired wire feed speed from the first function and the desired welding current.

Abstract: A wire feeding system, in particular for feeding a so called “cold wire” or wire with no tension nor signal running on its surface, in which the pulling or holding of the wire by the front wire feeder puts the rear pushing slave booster respectively into a pre-set active full motor torque or into a pre-set stand-by minimum motor torque, as needed. Alternatively, a wire feed system for feeding a so called “cold wire” or wire with no tension nor signal running on its surface, in which the rear pushing slave booster is remotely controlled by an optic sensor positioned nearby the torch and sensing the light of the torch welding or spraying arc.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a rotary changer including a rotator rotatable on a rotational axis extending vertically. An interlocking member is arranged to rotate integrally with the rotator and be movable in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis. The interlocking member has an interlocking groove interlockable with an outer peripheral surface of a nozzle inserted into the hollow of the rotator. Rotating the rotator with the interlocking member interlocked with the nozzle makes the nozzle replaceable.

Abstract: The invention provides a switching electrode which has a small variation in resistance value even when a large amount of current is repeatedly cut off and can carry a stable amount of current even when it is continuously used. In the invention, the switching electrode is used in a switch which includes a first switching electrode tip (21) and a second switching electrode tip (22), brings the first switching electrode tip (21) and the second switching electrode tip (22) into surface contact with each other to carry a current, and separates the first switching electrode tip (21) and the second switching electrode tip (22) to cut off the current. At least one of contact surfaces of the first switching electrode tip (21) and the second switching electrode tip (22) is a flat surface having an uneven portion.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a joined member and a joined member manufacturing apparatus which can manufacture a joined member with a joint portion having an appropriate hardness.

Abstract: A welding apparatus includes: a welding machine having a lower arm member, an upper arm member, and electrodes configured to advance and retreat; a robot device to which the welding machine is mounted; a support member including a vertical member substantially in a vertical direction, and a horizontal member substantially in a horizontal direction. The vertical member is mounted on one of the lower arm member and the upper arm member at a position away from the electrode of the one of the lower arm member and the upper arm member; and a parts-feeding device mounted to the horizontal member and configured to feed parts to the electrode.

Abstract: A spot welding method able to simply prevent liquid metal embrittlement cracks in spot welding of plated steel sheets, comprising, before spot welding, removing the plating at least in a zone including the inside of a circle centered at a scheduled location where the center of the nugget is formed and having an outer circumference of the inside of the outer edge of a weld affected zone or a zone at the mated surfaces of the steel sheets to be welded at the inside of a circle sharing a center of a scheduled location becoming the center of the nugget formed at the mated surfaces of the steel sheets and having an outer circumference of the inside of the outer edge of a weld affected zone.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of welding dissimilar metals, including: preparing a dissimilar metal bus bar composed of a plate-shaped first member made of a first metal and a plate-shaped second member made of a second metal disposed under the first member; folding one side of the dissimilar metal bus bar so that a portion of the second member is located on a portion of the first member; welding a lead made of the first metal on the first member; and welding a lead made of the second metal to the second member located on the portion of the first member, thus solving cracking or corrosion problems of a conventional welding process and also welding an over-lay clad metal with leads, thereby generating economic benefits and increasing the convenience of the welding process.

Abstract: A programmable exothermic reaction controller includes input/output control circuitry for inputting and outputting information to/from the controller, processing circuitry including user programmable parameters, wherein the parameters are programmable using the input/output control circuitry and an output connector connectable to an ignitor cable.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to achieve the combination processing that accelerates the processing speed while keeping the accuracy of finishing. In the combination processing consisting combination of stationary processing and synchronization processing, the processing of the section in the rows in an processing area is performed from a first end to a second end of a row, and then from the second end to the first end of the next row so that the processing is performed from side to side. The stationary processing is performed in sections having relatively low processing densities and the synchronization processing is performed in the other sections than the sections for the stationary processing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micromachining method for patterning a material. The pattern is made up of a plurality of points. Said method includes the following steps: —emitting a spatially and temporally coherent pulsed light beam; —dynamically shaping said spatially and temporally coherent pulsed light beam in a modulation plane of a dynamic optical modulation device by applying at least one phase modulation so as to shape said light beam in accordance with the plurality of points forming the pattern; and —focusing the thus-shaped light beam, by means of a focusing device, on one surface of said material placed within a working plane in a Fourier configuration relative to the modulation plane.

Abstract: To form a print design on a workpiece with a laser beam, the print design is divided into one or more straight line segments. For each of the straight line segment, coordinate data representing coordinate points is generated. The laser beam is scanned from a start point of the straight line segment toward an end point thereof via the coordinate points while irradiating the laser beam onto the start point, coordinate points, and the end point. The first part of the straight line segment following the start point and the second part ahead of the end point of the straight line segment are scanned at a speed lower than a designated top speed. An intermediate part between the first and the second parts is scanned at the designated top speed, whereby the peak level of the transient current flowing in the scanning section can be lowered.

Abstract: A nozzle includes a magnetic field generating section and a body. The body includes an opening from which a powder is ejected. The magnetic field generating section includes a coil, the coil disposed to generate a magnetic field when applied with a current, the magnetic field causing the powder supplied to an inside of the body to swirl around.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for direct writing of single crystal super alloys and metals. The method including heating a substrate to a predetermined temperature below its melting point; using a laser to form a melt pool on a surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate is positioned on a base plate, and wherein the laser and the base plate are movable relative to each other, the laser being used for direct metal deposition; introducing a superalloy powder to the melt pool; and controlling the temperature of the melt pool to maintain a predetermined thermal gradient on a solid and liquid interface of the melt pool so as to form a single crystal deposit on the substrate. The apparatus configured to generally achieve the aforementioned method.

Abstract: In a method for embodying a hotplate for a hob, at least one metallic layer and a further layer under the metallic layer are formed on an underside of the hotplate. After applying the at least one metallic layer and the further layer, at least one region of the metallic layer is changed by a laser light of a laser beam so that the further layer is recognized when viewing the hob on a topside.

Abstract: A laser irradiation method sets scan lines in an x direction in parallel, and in a y direction to be separate by an inter-scan-line distance Py corresponding to laser irradiation areas of a processing target object, orients a length direction of a linear laser spot with length Wy and width Wx in the y direction, and irradiates target object with the laser spot in each of irradiation positions arranged at width direction intervals ? while moving the laser spot relative to the target object along the scan lines. The method includes determining the inter-scan-line distance Py, the width direction interval ?, and a position shift quantity ?x (where, 0<?x<?) so that the irradiation positions on adjacent scan lines are shifted in the x direction by the position shift quantity ?x and a cumulative value of the applied laser intensity is substantially equalized.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided with a semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor element is provided on a first face of the semiconductor substrate. An energy absorbing film is provided on the first face, to absorb optical energy to generate heat. A first insulation film is provided on the semiconductor element and on the energy absorbing film. A second insulation film is provided on a second face of the semiconductor substrate, the second face being opposite to the first face. A first modified layer is provided on a side face of the semiconductor substrate, the side face being located between an outer edge of the first face and an outer edge of the second face. A second modified layer is provided on the side face between the energy absorbing film and the first modified layer. A cleavage face is provided on the side face between the first and second modified layers.

Abstract: A solder paste whereby metal does not flow out of a joint during a second or subsequent reflow heating stage. The solder paste exhibits high joint strength at room temperature and at high temperatures, excels in terms of temporal stability, exhibits minimal void formation, and can form highly cohesive joints. The solder paste comprises a powdered metal component and a flux component, the powdered metal component comprising: a powdered intermetallic compound that comprises copper and tin and has metal barrier layers covering the surfaces thereof and a solder powder including tin as a main component. Neither the powdered intermetallic compound nor the solder powder contains a copper-only phase, inhibiting the elution of copper ions into the flux.

Abstract: A flux formulation includes an activator and a protic solvent. The activator may be glutaric acid, levulinic acid, 2-ketobutyric acid, 2-oxovaleric acid, or mixtures thereof. Suitable protic solvents include alkanediol, alkoxy propanol and alkoxy ethanol. The flux formulation may be a no-clean flux formulation that may be used in the soldering of electronic circuit board assemblies, for example, in conjunction with a support fixture having a planar back surface that minimizes vibrations during processing that might otherwise cause misalignment between a chip and a substrate prior to solder reflow.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a badge or insert for a golf club head that can eliminate undesired gaps between the insert and the peripheral sidewall of the cavity that receives the insert. In one embodiment, a golf club head comprises a main body comprising a cavity, which defines a central surface and an inner peripheral surface at least partially surrounding the central surface. An insert comprises a central portion and a deflectable portion coupled to and extending along a peripheral edge section of the central portion. The deflectable portion has a shape corresponding to and contacting a corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity. The deflectable portion forms a press-fit engagement with the corresponding section of the inner peripheral surface of the cavity that retains the deflectable portion in a deflected state relative to the central portion.

Abstract: A method of producing a medical cutting instrument. Medical cutting instrument is provided which stably exhibits high joint strength obtained by brazing. Cutting instrument is configured by providing a working section to a front end of a shank section. Working section consists of a carbide or a ceramic, shank section being constructed from round stainless steel bar or round tool steel bar. Shank section and working section are connected through a brazed section. Brazed section is portion at which shank section and working section are brazed together while brazing surfaces, which are provided with protrusion sections formed on shank section and/or working section, are caused to be in contact with each other. Protrusion sections each have sloped surfaces having an apex, and the height of the sloped surfaces is set in range of 0.5%-8%, inclusive, of the diameter of the brazing surface of the shank section.

Abstract: A PIP Trace Heating Connection Assembly A pipe-in-pipe (PIP) trace heating connection assembly in the annulus of a PIP pipeline comprising at least first and second conjoined PIP stalks having inner and outer pipes and the annulus thereinbetween, the first PIP stalk having a first trace heating cable (22) located along its inner pipe, and the second PIP stalk having a second trace heating cable (24) located along its inner pipe, the first and second heating cables have cable ends and heating cable terminals on the cable ends, and a flexible intermediate connecting cable (40) having first and second intermediate terminals secured to, the heating cable terminals of the first and second trace heating cables respectively to form a secured electrical pathway between the first and second trace heating cables.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus production system is disclosed. The electronic apparatus production system comprises a transmission rail in the form of a substantially closed loop, a plurality of storage trays circulating on the transmission rail, each of the storage trays comprising a plurality of holding portions to hold a plurality of components with different shapes, an automatic distributor configured to mount the components with different shapes on respective holding portions, and an automatic assembler configured to grip the components on the storage tray.

Abstract: A hybrid fastener comprises a composite body having a tip, and a metal sleeve surrounding and locked to the tip.

Abstract: Provided is a device discharging chips, which is configured to allow smooth transfer because it is possible to absorb transformation of connecting pins due to a force generated while chain driven belts are operating as well as smoothly discharging a coolant and chips.

Abstract: An electric working machine comprises a motor, a switch, a drive device, a brake device, and a failure determiner. The switch is configured for operation by a user, has an on-state and an off-state. The drive device is configured to drive the motor in response to the switch being placed in the on-state. The brake device is configured to control deceleration of the motor to a stopped state in response to the switch being placed in the off-state. The failure determiner is configured to monitor deceleration of the motor during controlled deceleration and to determine whether the brake device has failed based on the monitored deceleration.

Abstract: An electric oscillating tool has an electric motor having an output shaft, an eccentric shaft that is connected to one end region of the output shaft, and a weight that is connected to the other end region of the output shaft. A blade as a tool accessory is driven to reciprocally rotate around a spindle by reciprocating motion of the eccentric shaft in a transverse direction of the electric oscillating tool. The weight is driven to cancel out the inertial force of the eccentric shaft, so that the output shaft is stably rotated.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes: a holding section that holds a material to be polished; a polishing body that polishes the material to be polished held by the holding section; a head that supports the polishing body via an elastic mechanism; a driving mechanism that causes the head to be moved in a Z coordinate direction; a control unit that controls the driving mechanism; and a position sensor that measures a position of the polishing body with respect to the head. The load control is performed based on a measurement value of the position sensor and a spring constant value of the elastic mechanism.

Abstract: During polishing of a substrate a first signal is received from a first in-situ monitoring system and a second signal is received from a second in-situ monitoring system. A clearance time at which a conductive layer is cleared and a top surface of an underlying dielectric layer of the substrate exposed and determine based on the first signal. An initial value of the second signal at the determined clearance time is determined. An offset is added to the initial value to generate a threshold value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the second signal crosses the threshold value.

Abstract: A method includes polishing a wafer on a polishing pad, performing conditioning on the polishing pad using a disk of a pad conditioner, and conducting a heat-exchange media into the disk. The heat-exchange media conducted into the disk has a temperature different from a temperature of the polishing pad.

Abstract: A RAMO4 substrate is formed from single crystal represented by a formula of RAMO4 (in the formula, R indicates one or a plurality of trivalent elements selected from a group consisting of Sc, In, Y, and a lanthanoid element, A indicates one or a plurality of trivalent elements selected from a group consisting of Fe(III), Ga, and Al, and M indicates one or a plurality of bivalent elements selected form a group consisting of Hg, Mn, Fe(II), Co, Cu, Zn, and Cd). An epitaxially-grown surface is provided on at least one surface of the RAMO4 substrate. The epitaxially-grown surface includes a plurality of cleavage surfaces which are regularly distributed, and are separated from each other.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) system, and an associated method to perform a CMP process. In some embodiments, the CMP system has a rotatable wafer carrier configured to hold a wafer face down to be processed. The CMP system also has a polishing layer attached to a polishing platen and having a front surface configured to interact with the wafer to be processed, and a CMP dispenser configured to dispense a slurry between an interface of the polishing layer and the wafer. The slurry contains charged abrasive particles therein. The CMP system also has a film electrode attached to a back surface of the polishing layer opposite to the front surface. The film electrode is configured to affect movements of the charged abrasive particles through applying an electrical field during the operation of the CMP system.

Abstract: A sanding machine housing device includes at least one housing element and at least one energy accumulator receiving interface. The housing element at least partially defines a drive axle plane and an output axle plane. The energy accumulator receiving interface is arranged on the housing element and configured to receive at least one energy accumulator device in a releasable manner. The energy accumulator receiving interface includes at least one receiving guide element that has a main guide axis which is at least essentially transversal to the drive axle plane and the output axle plane.

Abstract: Polishing pad cleaning systems and related methods are disclosed. A rotatable platen comprising a polishing pad in combination with a fluid, such as a polishing fluid, contacts a substrate to planarize material at the surface thereof and resultantly creates debris. A cleaning system introduces a spray system to remove debris from the polishing pad to prevent substrate damage and improve efficiency, a waste removal system for removing used spray, used polishing fluid, and debris from the polishing pad, and a polishing fluid delivery system for providing fresh polishing fluid to the polishing pad, such that the substrate only receives fresh polishing fluid upon each complete rotation of the platen. In this manner, within die performance is enhanced, the range of certain CMP processes is improved, scratches and contamination are avoided for each polished substrate and for later-polished substrates, and platen temperatures are reduced.

Abstract: A blast cleaning system has a nozzle configured to deliver a pressurized blast cleaning media. The blast cleaning media includes a pressurized fluid and water ice particles as the primary blast cleaning component. The system includes an input hopper configured to accept supplied water ice in bulk form from an outside source. The system further includes a particle sizing module configured to produce the water ice particles for the pressurized blast cleaning media from the supplied water ice after the supplied water ice has been accepted into the input hopper.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) that are less susceptible to liquid metal embrittlement damage due to the use of at least one transition layer between a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) layer and a substrate. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a PCD layer, a cemented carbide substrate, and at least one transition layer bonded to the substrate and the PCD layer. The at least one transition layer is formulated with a coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”) that is less than a CTE of the substrate and greater than a CTE of the PCD layer. At least a portion of the PCD layer includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions and a metal-solvent catalyst occupying at least a portion of the interstitial regions. The diamond grains and the catalyst collectively exhibit a coercivity of about 115 Oersteds or more and a specific magnetic saturation of about 15 Gauss·cm3/grams or less.

Abstract: Thermally stable diamond constructions comprise a diamond body having a plurality of bonded diamond crystals, a plurality of interstitial regions disposed among the crystals, and a substrate attached to the body. The body includes a working surface and a side surface extending away from the working surface to the substrate. The body comprises a first region adjacent the side surface that is substantially free of a catalyst material and that extends a partial depth into the diamond body. The first region can further extend to at least a portion of the working surface and a partial depth therefrom into the diamond body. The diamond body can be formed from natural diamond grains and/or a mixture of natural and synthetic diamond grains. A surface of the diamond body is treated to provide the first region, and before treatment is finished to an approximate final dimension.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing bonded abrasive articles, for example vitrified bonded grinding wheels. A bondable abrasive composition is prepared including abrasive particles, a binder medium and a gamma-pyrone pore inducing material, such as ethyl maltol. A precursor abrasive structure is formed from the composition. The gamma-pyrone pore inducing material is removed from the precursor abrasive structure to provide a porous precursor abrasive structure that is further processed to provide a bonded abrasive article. In some embodiments, the binder medium includes a vitreous bonding material, and the bonded abrasive article is a porous vitrified bonded grinding wheel.

Abstract: Methods for joining an ultra-hard body, such as a thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP) body, to a substrate and mitigating the formation of high stress concentration regions between the ultra-hard body and the substrate. One method includes covering at least a portion of the ultra-hard body with an intermediate layer, placing the ultra-hard body and the intermediate layer in a mold, filling a remaining portion of mold with a substrate material including a matrix material and a binder material such that the intermediate layer is disposed between the ultra-hard body and the substrate material, and heating the mold to an infiltration temperature configured to melt the binder material and form the substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to liquid metal embrittlement (“LME”)-resistant superabrasive compacts, methods of making the same, and drill bits incorporating the same. The LME-resistant superabrasive compacts include a braze-resistant region on one or more portions of a substrate expected to be under residual tensile stress and susceptible to LME during brazing.

Abstract: An open-end wrench is provided. A push head of an operating handle is accommodated in a coupling slot of a jaw. A portion of an inclined guide surface, first and second clamping surfaces and a swing support point normally extend to a jaw opening. When the open-end wrench is used to screw or unscrew a hexagonal screw member, a first entrance guide surface and a second entrance guide surface of the jaw guide a pair of sides of the hexagonal screw member for the hexagonal screw member to enter the jaw opening, and five sides of the hexagonal screw member can be clamped quickly to enhance the convenience for screwing or unscrewing the hexagonal screw member. In addition, the hexagonal screw member won't slide out of the jaw opening during the backswing process of the operating handle so as to screw or unscrew the hexagonal screw member stably.

Abstract: A slogging wrench (10) comprising: a ring socket (36) for receiving a nut or a bolt head (NBH, NBH?); an elongate body (20) for receiving blows from a mass to transmit torque to the ring socket; and a tool-free locking mechanism (22,24,26,26?,28,30) for retaining a nut or a bolt head in the ring socket. The locking mechanism comprises a slider (22) operable to engage a nut or a bolt head in the ring socket; a channel (24) for guiding movement of the slider towards and away from the ring socket; and an actuator (30,74) manually operable to move the slider with respect to the ring socket. The channel (24) opens into the ring socket (36) via an internal periphery (40) of the ring socket. The locking mechanism comprises a resilient member (34) biasing the slider (22) towards a nut or a bolt head (NBH, NBH?) in the ring socket (36).