Abstract: This invention provides an article for storing and dispensing tubes open at two ends and containing materials which are pure or must be protected from the environment or which are present in premeasured amounts. The article of this invention comprises a flexible tape for sealing the ends of the tubes, flexible tape being movable within a case to hold the tubes sealed in the case and discharge the tubes from the case. One embodiment is a cassette for tubes containing adhesive for splicing optical fibers.

Abstract: A dispenser for containing and dispensing a premoistened web of material (26) comprises a magazine (2) for containing the web of material and a dispensing portion (3) associated with the magazine and having an opening (20) for dispensing the web of material. A passage (23) extends between the magazine (2) and the dispensing opening (20) and is adapted to take up the web of material such that the latter forms a seal in the passage, which prevents drying of the web of material.

Abstract: Medication dispensing apparatus for hospital and nursing home use that can satisfy patient prescription requirements on a large scale. The apparatus includes a carriage for dispensing pills or other medication required by the prescription of a particular patient on command from a computer control system. The pills are automatically selected from a large array of bins, deposited in an individual patient tray and delivered to an inspection station where verification of the prescription is achieved by comparing the tray contents with a display of patient data.

Abstract: A method for feeding chip components to positions in which they can be picked up by transfer members, in which the chips are pushed out of a feed channel while being held between an ejection pin and a transfer member part. An elongated part of a transfer member is advanced into a feed channel into contact with one side of a chip, an ejection pin then advances to the other side of the chip and pushes the chip and transfer member out of the feed channel through a removal opening, and the chip is then held by the transfer member while the ejection pin retracts. Preferably, a cover plate prevents movement of the chips toward the transfer member until the member is in contact with the side of the chip.

Abstract: A child-proof dispenser includes a container (11) having an inner shell (15) covered by an outer shell section (18) to form an inner compartment (12) enclosing a coiled strip of blister-packaged drugs (13) or the like. The inner and outer shells are releasably interlocked together by central hub portions (31, 25) which support the outer shell for rotation relative to the inner shell. The outer shell is rotated away from a stop (46, 47) and against the action of a compression spring (48) to aline inner and outer dispensing openings (42, 45) in the inner and outer shells, respectively. An ejecting trigger (55) carried by the outer shell is moved relative to both shells against the strip in a guide passage (46) to advance a selected number of doses of drugs via the dispensing openings. Upon release of the shells, the compression spring moves the outer shell to a position to cover the inner dispensing opening.

Abstract: Apparatus for sequentially feeding headed fasteners such as rivets includes a carrier band of resilientily stretchable material with the fasteners driven through undersize holes equally spaced along the band, the band being advanced intermittently by a reciprocating actuator, toothed for simultaneous engagement with several of the fastener heads, to bring the fasteners in sequence between a striker and the entry to a delivery conduit, the striker being reciprocated to drive each fastener brought into alignment therewith into the delivery conduit, the fastener head being forced through the stretchable band, a jet of air through the striker impelling the fastener through the delivery conduit.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing articles carried on a web, the dispenser comprising a web, articles carried on the web, and a container for containing the web, the container having an aperature in a wall thereof for permitting the discharge of the web therefrom, and the container provided with a foldable flap, which flap is folded to form a ridge depending from the interior surface of a container wall in a region near the aperature, whereby the ridge inhibits the discharge of the web from the containers. The dispenser may additionally include a receptable for receiving and supporting the container, at least part of the receptable being deformable, the deformable part defining at least a portion of an orifice through which the web discharged from the container extends, the deformable part inhibiting the discharge of the web from the container.

Abstract: A packing machine is disclosed in which an apparatus for automatically stopping a pair of intermittently operated pinching rollers for transferring a strip-like plastics bag material is provided. The apparatus is a kind of emergency stop and is arranged to be automatically operated in case the bag material loaded in the machine has been broken.

Abstract: A repetitive combustion system for coating a work piece with particulate material is disclosed which utilizes an encapsulating tape having a plurality of discrete capsules each containing a predetermined quantity of the particulate coating material. The capsules are sequentially fed into a stripping chamber where the tape is clamped between inlet and outlet manifolds which provide a circumferential seal around the respective capsules so that pressure can be applied to an inlet face of the capsule. The inlet face is so configured as to admit air into the interior of the capsule which then swells and bursts the outlet face or otherwise passes through the outlet faces. The air pressure then injects the particulate material into the combustion chamber while the pressure in the combustion chamber is near the peak produced by combustion.

Abstract: An elongated web of stamps comprising a plurality of stamps connected together by a backing strip or longitudinally spaced transverse rows of perforations and formed into a roll is used in the dispensing apparatus disclosed. The stamp web is moved from the roll through an opening in the housing the distance required to position the desired number of stamps to be cut from the web each time the apparatus is actuated. To accurately position the web so that the web is cut along a connection between stamps such as a row of perforations, the web travels over a freely rotating indexing wheel having ridges positioned to engage the web at the connection between stamps only.

Abstract: A device for dispensing, one by one, a series of bodies arranged in a row within sealed compartments of an elongated sheet material which must be severed between its compartments for individually releasing the bodies in their sealed compartments. A container is provided for housing a strip of the sheet material and the bodies carried thereby in the sealed compartments thereof. This container has a wall formed with a discharge opening. A manually operable structure is carried by the container opposite to the latter wall thereof for reciprocating movement by the operator from a rest position first in a forward direction away from the rest position and then in a rearward direction back to the rest position.

Abstract: Smearing of graphics and scoring of gusseted bags on a roll during dispensing from a shipping, storage and dispensing container are inhibited by providing support in the container for that roll only at the margin and between the margin and the thickened portion at the inner fold of the gusset but not including such thickened portion.