Abstract: A system for moving a carriage along a guide comprises: at least one sliding block that slidingly connects the carriage to the guide; a control shaft associated to the carriage; a driving unit suitable for moving said control shaft in rotation; and rotary-translatory connecting means between said control shaft and said guide. The control shaft is movable between a working position wherein it is connected to said guide for moving the carriage by said driving unit, and an idle position wherein it is disconnected from said guide for free manual pulling of the carriage through said at least one sliding block.

Abstract: Disclosed are a scanner and an image forming apparatus including the same. The scanner may include a scanning unit; a support unit configured to support the scanning unit; a first pinion rotatably disposed on the support unit and configured to move along a first rack of a first surface of a guide member; and a second pinion rotatably disposed on the support unit and configured to move along a second rack of a second surface of the guide member such that the direction of rotation of the second pinion is opposite to the direction of rotation of the first pinion, the second surface of the guide member being different from the first surface of the guide member.

Abstract: A mechanical transmission gear shifting assembly connected to a transmission with multiple gear selectors that, when moved in a back and forth motion, selects different gear ratios via a cam with a cam follower for moving gear selectors, in response to the same active cam surfaces. The assembly additionally includes a retractable stop dog, and detents for moving, stopping and holding the cam at all times, such that the cam moves in increments corresponding to sequentially increasing or decreasing selected gear states of the transmission.

Abstract: Provided is a lens driving device (1) including: a lead screw (4) connected to a motor fixed to a plate (2); a nut (5) which is threadingly engaged with the lead screw (4), and has a convex protruding portion (5a); a casing (6) fixed to the plate; a fitting groove (11) for fitting the protruding portion in the fitting groove (11) so as to regulate rotation of the nut, and movably guiding the protruding portion in a fitted state in a direction of an axial line (L1) to move the nut back and forth; and a lens frame (8) including a lens holding portion (8a) for holding a lens and an abutting portion (8b) abutting the nut, and formed so as to move in accordance with back-and-forth movement of the nut to move the lens back and forth in the direction of the axial line. At least one of the casing and the protruding portion has a tapered surface (13) formed so as to forcibly guide the protruding portion toward the fitting groove to gradually change to the fitted state.

Abstract: An engine-flywheel hybrid in which the engine power is varied mainly by the frequency of power cycles, not by the power per power cycle. The flywheel absorbs the energy from the power cycles and delivers energy. The rotary stop start mechanism stops and starts a crankshaft efficiently with minimal energy loss. This is accomplished by varying the offset of a double crank four bar linkage. The invention allows an engine's flywheel to be quickly be brought up to speed in about a half of a revolution, followed by combustion, expansion, and stopped one revolution after starting. Further, utilizing offset, the engine crankshaft will turn faster than the input shaft when the piston is at top dead center, shortening the time of highest heat transfer, making the engine more efficient. Also, that when used as an auto engine, the part load efficiency would be near the maximum efficiency of the engine, nearly doubling the miles per gallon of the auto.

Abstract: In a multi-chamber load-locking device which is placed between a loading station which places a wafer cassette which houses semiconductor wafers and a transfer chamber which conveys the semiconductor wafers and in which lock-loading device chamber space is divided into two by the vertical motion of a plate, a device which comprises: sealing means by which the chamber space is selectively divided into two by contacting the plate and a state of no airflow is caused; a cylindrical cam provided with the same axis as that of the chamber; and a rotary actuator dynamically connected with the cylindrical cam, wherein the turning moment of the rotary actuator is converted into the vertical thrust of the axis and the plate rises and descends.

Abstract: An intermittent transmission apparatus according to this invention, broadly, includes a driving element and a driven element. The driving element comprises a first cam having a first cam surface, a second cam having a second cam surface, and an intermediate member displaced between the first and second cams. The driven element comprises a driven element main body having recesses for contacting a plurality of rollers arranged on the intermediate member, bearings erected on the driven element main body to be pushed by the first cam surface, and bearings erected under the driven element main body to be pushed by the second cam surface. During non-drive period of the driven element, the bearings contact a circular arc surface of the second cam, and further the recesses contact the plurality of rollers, to restrict rotation of the driven element.

Abstract: Hand-held surgical instruments include magnetic couplings which impart simultaneous reciprocal rotary and longitudinal motions or oscillations to a distally located workpiece. In preferred embodiments, the magnetic couplings include a drive shaft, an output shaft coaxially aligned with the drive shaft relative to a central axis, and drive and driven magnet assemblies connected operatively to the drive and output shafts, respectively. The drive and driven magnet assemblies include permanent magnets arranged to translate continuous rotation of the drive shaft into simultaneous rotary and longitudinal movements of the driven magnet assembly relative to the drive axis. A resilient support member exhibiting torsional and longitudinal resiliency (e.g., an annular elastomeric disc) is most preferably operatively connected to the output shaft to allow for such simultaneous rotary and longitudinal movements thereof.

Abstract: An oscillating-piston engine, comprising a housing, in which several pistons configured as two-armed levers are arranged pivotably, respectively, around a pivot axis being parallel to a central housing axis and moving commonly in a revolution direction. The pistons comprise running surfaces on a side facing away from said housing inner wall, which are guided alongside at least one control cam, when the pistons revolve in the housing, of a centrally housing-fixed cam piece, in order to control pivot movements of the pistons in the revolution. The control cam is configured as an inner contour on the cam piece, alongside of which the pistons are guided supported to a side of a centrifugal force via the running surfaces, The cam piece comprises another inner contour configured as a control cam alongside of which the pistons are guided supported to a direction of the central housing axis via the running surfaces.

Abstract: A pressing machine includes a first connection device rotatably carried on an eccentric portion of a crankshaft, a second connection means for connecting the first connection device to a moving member, and a restriction device for restricting the moving direction of the second connection device to a reciprocating direction of the moving member. The second connection device includes one or more eccentric shafts each provided with a main shaft portion and an eccentric shaft portion each of which has an axis extending in the axial direction of the crankshaft, each of the eccentric shafts being rotatably connected at the main shaft portion thereof to the moving member and also rotatably connected at the eccentric shaft portion thereof to the first connection device.

Abstract: A parallel shaft drive controls rotational and translational movement of a driven hub. The drive is useful in indexing and other types of machines.

Abstract: A device for picking up and placing articles on a moving conveyor or assembly line, comprising a conveyor including a support adapted to be moved in a first conveyor shaft, an article station adjacent the conveyor, an article handling device support assembly adjacent the conveyor, an arrangement mounting the article handling device support assembly for movement along an article handling path, and a reciprocating drive connected to the conveyor and to the article handling support assembly to move the article handling support assembly in timed relationship to the conveyor.

Abstract: A rotary transfer member carries means for picking up a sheet-like article from the top of a supply stack supported within a hopper having an open top and an open bottom. An indexing mechanism includes means for intermittently rotating an output shaft in response to a continuously driven input shaft, and the transfer member is supported for rotation with the output shaft and also for axial movement relative to the output shaft. The transfer member is moved axially in response to linear movement of a follower which engages a cam connected for continuous rotation with the input shaft. Supply stacks of articles are successively elevated into the hopper from an index table by a power driven jack mechanism, and a set of magnets are positioned adjacent the hopper for magnetically spreading and spacing the articles within the upper portion of the supply stack within the hopper.

Abstract: A rotating device for supporting containers in labelling machines which incorporate a plate rotating about a vertical axis, comprising at least one tubular body rotatably supported parallel to the axis of rotation of the device at the periphery of the plate and provided at its top with a cap for supporting the bottom of a container. A rod is rotatably guided in this tubular body and is provided at its top with means for peripherally retaining the container bottom, and an elastic member which urges this rod in the sense of bringing the retaining means beyond the container support plane on the cap. Furthermore a gear wheel is keyed on the tubular body and provided with elements angularly distributed on it and engaging with a stationary guide concentric with the axis of rotation of the device so as to keep the gear wheel fixed with respect to the plate, and a toothed sector arranged to engage with this gear wheel and concentrically rigid with the guide at the portion where the label is passed to the container.