Abstract: A can dispenser includes a storage rack having a lowermost storage shelf extending downwardly at a slight angle to the horizontal toward a discharge end thereof. A pair of stops are secured to the discharge end along opposing sides thereof for preventing the stored cans from freely rolling out of the discharge end. A dispensing lever includes first and second ends and is supported for limited turning movement about a lateral axis to raise the second end of the dispensing lever when the first end thereof is forced downward. The second end of the dispensing lever includes a camming surface disposed between and extending generally behind the stops for raising a can to be dispensed off of the lowermost storage shelf and above the stops, while a catch surface disposed behind and below the camming surface temporarily prevents further advancement of the remaining cans in the storage rack.

Abstract: Modular electrical switches and shunts for use in programming electric/electronic equipment are disclosed comprising an electrically insulating, substantially rectangular housing, and a pair of elongated electrically conducting terminals secured to the base of the housing. Electrical switches of this invention contain an electrically conducting contact bearing disposed within the housing and adapted to be movable between a first position and a second position corresponding respectively to the "off" and "on" configurations of the electrical switch in response to the movement of a switch actuating member slidably disposed within the housing. A mounting bar and cartridge-dispenser for storing, transporting and installing and removing the above-described switches and shunts from integrated electrical circuits are also described.

Abstract: An envelope vending machine is shown for dispensing single envelopes. The machine includes a housing having a closed top, a closed bottom, and sidewalls therebetween, and an envelope dispensing slot in one of the sidewalls. A slotted partition having upper and lower surfaces and front and rear edges is supported in the housing generally parallel with the closed bottom. An envelope support member carried on the upper surface of the slotted partition has a depending flange which is received within the slot in the partition. A coin chute having a coin slide therein has a longitudinal extent received within the housing and engaging the support member depending flange whereby reciprocal movement of the coin slide in the coin chute reciprocates the envelope support on the slotted partition to thereby dispense an envelope through the envelope dipensing slot.

Abstract: Modular electrical switches and shunts for use in programming electric/electronic equipment are disclosed comprising an electrically insulating, substantially rectangular housing, and a pair of elongated electrically conducting terminals secured to the base of the housing. Electrical switches of this invention contain an electrically conducting contact bearing disposed within the housing and adapted to be movable between a first position and a second position corresponding respectively to the "off" and "on" configurations of the electrical switch in response to the movement of a switch actuating member slidably disposed within the housing. A mounting bar and cartridge-dispenser for storing, transporting and installing and removing the above-described switches and shunts from integrated electrical circuits are also described.

Abstract: A system for handling tubular containers includes apparatus for unloading the tubular containers from incoming cases within which the tubular containers are arranged in freely stacked rows, the apparatus including a pusher member for engaging the exterior of each container in a row of tubular containers and pushing the tubular containers from each case in row-by-row sequence at a level elevated relative to a selected delivery point, and a delivery ramp for receiving the pushed rows of tubular containers and enabling the tubular containers to descend to the delivery point in appropraite order and alignment. The cases have a slot-like access opening for the pusher member and an opposite egress opening for allowing each row of tubular containers to emerge from the case in response to actuation of the pusher member.

Abstract: A mechanism for dispensing container closures, one at a time, from a stacked array. A hand operated slide bar is positioned at the bottom of the closure stack. An upturned edge or finger is attached to the slide bar, thus enabling it to engage with the inside rim area of the closure and pull the closure from the stack. The finger on the slide bar is beveled so that it will slide beneath the container rim when the slide is returned to its inward position.

Abstract: The system dispenses, unloads and discharges film cartridges while unloaded film strips are cut, identified, spliced end-to-end and wound into a roll--all automatically. The system alternatively provides semi-automatic or manual handling of individual cartridges or film strips and is especially suited for unloading and splicing so-called "110" cartridge film.

Abstract: A dispenser for welding electrodes is disclosed. The dispenser comprises a tubular casing having a first internal elongate tubular cavity for storage of a plurality of the welding electrodes for dispensing one at a time therefrom. A top end closure has an axial opening dimensioned to permit the passage of one only of the electrodes from the cavity upon manual actuation of an axially-reciprocal pusher rod engaging the lower end of the electrode. The axial opening is provided with a friction grip disc which normally closes the opening, permits the passage of an electrode therethrough but exerts a friction grip on a stationary partly-dispensed electrode to prevent the same from returning to the cavity.

Abstract: A device for enclosing small objects such as coins when packing articles such as cigarette packets in a packaging machine, comprises a feed chute for the coins, a delivery chute in communication with the feed chute and containing a reciprocatable push rod to move the coins through the delivery chute, and a plate above the delivery chute outlet. The plate has a slot to permit the passage of the coins which are moved through the delivery chute and is reciprocatable in the feed direction of the cigarette packets so as to move between a first position blocking the delivery chute outlet and a second position in which the delivery chute outlet is open for the passage of the coins.Separate delivery chutes may be situated in parallel vertical planes, with a connecting feed chute between coplanar delivery chutes.

Abstract: A ticket dispenser associated with a vending machine for vending goods or services of the type requiring the insertion of coins or tokens of a certain value in order to obtain the goods or services. The ticket dispenser provides for dispensing of a ticket by the machine in addition to the vending of the goods or services with the ticket being redeemable by the user of the machine for something of value in addition to the goods or services received. Ticket feeding pawls are employed for dispensing the tickets at a ticket delivery position, and the pawls are driven by coin operated actuating means of the machine so that the tickets are dispensed only upon insertion of sufficient coins or tokens. The pawls comprise a spring-loaded forward drive and locking pawl, and a spring-loaded retaining pawl. A ticket engaging baffle provides for simplified ticket removal.

Abstract: Repetitive-cycle object handling apparatus which includes, in combination, a feed station for accommodating a stack of slab-like objects of regular geometry, which are subjected to a feed force acting in the longitudinal direction thereof; a utilization station where objects fed seriatim from the feed station may be made to dwell before being moved on; a storage station for stacking one object at a time after the object has dwelled at the utilization station for a predetermined time interval; object transfer apparatus for sliding out a leading object from the stack at the feed station to the utilization station and, at the end of the predetermined time interval, to move the object on to the storage station; an object stacking ramp for guiding an object leaving the utilization station toward a stacking attitude at the storage station under the action of the object transfer apparatus; and preferably the apparatus further includes an object fulcrum disposed downstream of the object stacking ramp for enabling an

Abstract: An inverted conversion press for producing easy-open metal container ends is provided, which combines the functions of end and tab presses. The press includes a tab forming station and an end forming station, disposed one beneath the other and rendered alternately operative by a vertically-reciprocable slide assembly. A method for producing an article, comprised of assembled workpieces, is also provided.

Abstract: An automatic seed planter which includes an elongate, upwardly-opening V-shaped trough with front and rear ends defining a longitudinally extending, upwardly opening seed-conducting channel, a seed receiving chamber at the front end of the trough, elongate guide means in the chamber overlying the channel to pass seed from the chamber downwardly and longitudinally rearwardly into the rear end portion of the channel, means to vibrate the trough and cause seed in the chamber to migrate past the guide and into the channel at a predetermined rate, and a seed discharge opening at the rear end of the channel.

Abstract: A self-enclosed tablet dispenser for dispensing tablets into liquid-filled containers, such as swimming pools, including a first tube to hold the tablets, a base connected to the first tube with a horizontal passageway in which a plunger slidably reciprocates to move the tablet from the bottom of the first tube at one end of the passageway to the other end of the passageway, and a second tube connected to the base at the other end of the passageway to guide the tablet into the liquid by gravity means. The second tube may be open-ended on the bottom, or it may be closed so as to hold the tablets while allowing the liquid to enter and thus dissolve the tablets.

Abstract: A coiled vibrating feeder is provided for individually feeding a plurality of workpieces. An elongated enclosed tubular passageway is formed, preferably by coiling an elongate tube into a bundle having a plurality of generally concentric coil turns and including a charging end for receiving the workpieces to be fed and a discharging end. The coils are circumferentially vibrated about the axis of the bundle by alternating strong forward pulses and weaker return pulses so that the workpieces progress therethrough from the charging to the discharging end. A bonding material such as a plastic material or the like substantially engages all of the coils, thus increasing the rigidity of the bundle of coils, thereby increasing the efficiency of transferring the forces of the vibrations from the vibrator to the coils and hence to the workpieces to more effectively move the latter.

Abstract: A feed mechanism for can ends having curled, peripheral edge portions includes means for disposing a multiplicity of can ends in a stack, and gate means for providing underlying support for the ends disposed in said stacking means and for individually releasing ends therefrom. The gate means employs a pair of blades to successively separate the lowermost end from the stack, each of which blades is configured and adapted to provide smooth separation of the ends, and avoid damage thereto. The mechanism is particularly suited for high-speed operation.

Abstract: In apparatus for forming a succession of cookies into groups as the cookies leave the vertical output portion of a supply shaft in which they are grouped, there being a clamping device movable between a position in which it holds the cookies in the shaft and a release position in which it permits the cookies to descend in the shaft, adjustment difficulties are reduced by the provision of a depository element which can move up and down, and a pusher which moves to deposit a group of cookies leaving the shaft onto the depository element when the latter is in its raised position and which moves to push such group away from the depository element when the latter is in its lowered position.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding workpieces to and discharging formed articles from a blow mold station generally comprising base means reciprocally movable above a blow mold having one or more pairs of feed and discharge openings and including stop means for temporarily obstructing passage of a workpiece through said feed opening, means for limiting the movement of said stop means and further resilient means associated with said base means to allow continued movement of the portion of the base means containing said opening after said stop means has stopped so as to remove the obstruction at said feed opening provided by said stop means and thereby allow the workpiece to continue through the opening into the blow mold.