Abstract: The specification discloses an apparatus (10) for handling and spraying a fluid on a tire (12) in which a plurality of arms (32, 33, 34 and 35) rotate about a center axis with a head (46, 48, 118 and 176) mounted on the distal end of each arm. A tire grasping finger set (56) is mounted on each head. The finger set (56) is operable to grasp a tire, move it in a circular path into a spray station, spin the tire while spraying the interior and exterior thereof, move the tire to an idle station, move the tire to a discharge station and then discharge the tire onto a conveyor table (114). A rotary indexer (32) is used to rotate the radial arms (32, 33, 34 and 35) with the indexer causing the arms to pause at 90 degree intervals. When the rotary indexer causes a pause, a clutch is disengaged to disengage the drive of an electric motor (26) from the rotary indexer, and a brake is applied to hold the position of the arms fixed for a time interval.

Abstract: A sealant applicator for applying a thin film donut like ring of sealant in and around the top of a rivet hole prior to the installation of a rivet and immediately after the rivet hole has been drilled. The applicator is characterized by having an air operated probe assembly which is held in a retracted position with the center line of the probe displaced from the center line of the rivet hole while the hole is being drilled. Upon the completion of the drilled hole the probe assembly is immediately moved into alignment with the center line of the hole and lowered onto the work piece and a premeasured amount of sealant is uniformly applied to the top of the hole prior to the assembly being retracted and the rivet installed.

Abstract: A method of uniformly applying a foamed adhesive to a normally moving substrate which is subject to stops and starts at irregular intervals. A uniform spread weight of adhesive is applied during a deceleration period and startups can be accomplished without causing puddles or gaps. The method is especially useful in conjunction with an automated plywood lay-up line. Foamed adhesive is supplied under pressure to an extrusion head. When a line stoppage is sensed a first valve above the extrusion head closes. Adhesive within the head continues to expand and fall onto the substrate, but does so at a descreasing rate during the deceleration time. As the substrate comes to a complete stop a second valve prevents further adhesive from being applied. Before a startup, the adhesive in the system is reconditioned by passing it into a recycle line until foam quality andpressure drop across the extrusion head have again assumed normal operating parameters. Only then is the substrate movement started.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system incorporating aligned cylinders through which a cable is moved. The cylinders have jet nozzles connected to respective manifolds which are adapted for receiving different fluids for treating the cable. Control apparatus is provided for operating the cylinder stages simultaneously, and permitting manual selection of any one or combination of such operations. With fluid applied to all nozzles simultaneously, the cable is successively blast cleaned with water, jet dried with air, and jet lubricated with oil. Also shown is control apparatus adapted to control a motor for moving the cable through the cylinders. The air drying station includes nozzles for moving the air tangentially and from the exit to the entrance end of the air cylinder, for drying the cable and preventing water from the cleaning station from entering the drying station.

Abstract: A hoist for dipping a package of lumber or other similar work product into a tank of liquid is fabricated basically as a weldment of readily available steel shapes and is of a rugged, reliable design. A vertically movable carriage with forwardly projecting prongs at its lower end receives a package of work product and clamps located above the prongs tightly clamp the package to the carriage during a dipping procedure. The hoist is designed to allow package delivery and removal, to and from the hoist, by a fork lift truck. After placing a package on the hoist the fork lift operator may push a single push button and a control system for the hoist thereafter causes the hoist to automatically go through a full cycle of operation including a immersion period the length of which may be manually adjusted.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheets of wrapping material from a roll formed of wrapping material web to a packaging machine which discontinuously operates at consecutive cycles. The device includes a transversal cutter provided with cutter blades for cutting single sheets of wrapping material from the web which has a new leading edge after each cut, and at least one intermittent motion feeding group for feeding the web to the cutter. A first independent electric stepping motor drives the feeding group and is controlled by a programmable electronic control circuit which controls the stepping motor to drive the feeding group in accordance with a predetermined sequence of motions in synchronism with the cycles the packaging machine, including momentarily driving the feeding group backwards to withdraw and detach the leading edge of the web from the cutter blades.

Abstract: During the axial shirring of tubular casings into shirred strands while the material is inflated with air under overpressure, oil is intermittently injected without propellant air against the inside of the casing, so as to lubricate the inner wall of the casing. This eliminates the need for the costly construction required to provide for the discharge of excess air and oil needed with the known continuous oil injection through two-component nozzle with propellant air, and at the same time it insures a more uniform distribution of oil with reduced oil consumption. The injection nozzle is a single compound nozzle which is connected via electromagnetic valves to a conventional injection pump.

Abstract: A coating material quantity control system for the coating of articles in a production line operation having a plurality of coating material dispensing devices. Each device is connected to a plurality of coating material feed lines carrying various coating materials, each associated with a separate flow control device. A program control device, upon initiation of the selection of a new coating material type, assures the sequence of the necessary changeover operations. A common control is provided for the flow control devices associated with each coating material dispensing device. The program control device also controls control parameters in each such common control for the selected coating material type, and for variations in size of that portion of the article being coated which is before a particular coating material dispensing device.

Abstract: A apparatus for applying a coating material to the inside seams of a series of can bodies which are moving along on can forming apparatus at high speeds. The apparatus comprises two spray guns mounted in tandem at the end of the can forming apparatus which are fired alternately so that each gun coats every other can body. The coating apparatus is designed so that coating material is only sprayed when a can body is above a spray nozzle so that errant coating material does not foul up the forming apparatus. The apparatus also provides for an adjustable nozzle on each gun so that each gun can be independently adjusted.

Abstract: A method of fabricating composite metal wires such as aluminium clad steel wires is disclosd which comprises providing a core of hard metal with a cladding of soft metal by extrusion. In fabricating a composite metal wire by extrusion, a core is generally aligned, polished, cleaned or otherwise pretreated before entering an extruder so that a high and variable tension is imparted to the core. By avoiding such tension variation and maintaining the core under a constant low tension and by electrically heating the core before the core enters the extruder, a composite metal wire of improved quality is fabricated in a stable manner.

Abstract: An apparatus for spray marking lumber boards with paint at predetermined locations while they are being conveyed past the device for further processing. A tachometer and a photoelectric unit are employed for determining the location and speed of the board. A solenoid-operated paint sprayer is used to deliver the paint to the boards. Electronic control circuitry is provided to activate the paint sprayer and properly coordinate the operation of paint sprayer with the location and speed of the board so the board is marked at the desired locations.

Abstract: Tablets are coated by tumbling a batch of tablets in a rotating coating pan and subjecting the tablets while they are in the pan to a plurality of treatment steps. Each of these treatment steps consists of a plurality of treatment cycles each including a dosing period in which a measured quantity of tablet coating liquid is introduced into the pan, a drying period in which drying air is supplied to the interior of the pan and an intermediate mixing period during which the tablets tumble in contact with the already introduced coating liquid for a pre-set time and no drying air is supplied to the pan. The temperature of the batch of tablets being coating in the coating pan is sensed by a sensor. The temperature of the batch of tablets at the end of a pre-set time interval from the commencement of the drying period is stored in a memory device as a reference temperature.

Abstract: A method of color marking logs wherein the logs are cut to predetermined lengths in a processing machine and are colored coded with one or a combination of different colors after the cutting has taken place. The colors correspond to predetermined information related to the log such as its length and are applied to an end portion of the log during a free fall after cut-off by means of automatically controlled paint sprayers. A sprayer for color marking the log is preset prior to its actuation by a signal corresponding to the predetermined log length.

Abstract: An automatic spraying apparatus comprising storage tanks each storing therein each one of at least two liquid components which are mixed to produce hard urethane foam, a pump for feeding said each liquid component under pressure, a spray gun for mixing said liquid components fed from said pumps and spraying the mixture, a mechanism for displacing said spray gun in a plane spaced apart from and substantially in parallel with a surface to be sprayed, and a control unit for controlling the displacement of said spray gun so as to follow a predetermined path.