Abstract: A meat cutting band machine for slice cutting soft meats. The machine comprises a base and a vertical band blade support frame secured to the base. A pair of band blade wheels are rotatably supported in a spaced apart manner on the band blade support frame. A flat band blade is drivingly supported about the wheels. A drive is provided to rotate the wheels and the blade. An opening is provided in the band blade support frame to expose a meat cutting area along a straight path of the band blade. A stationary table is secured below the meat cutting area. A horizontally displaceable meat support table is displaceable on an axis parallel to the plane of the flat band blade to displace an end portion of a piece of meat placed on a support surface thereof against a cutting edge of the band blade.

Abstract: A chain of interdigitating coupling elements on a pair of slide fastener stringer tapes is gapped and severed into a short length of chain with coupling element residuals or debris left on the tapes at the gapped chain portion. The chain is then manually fed between and into engagement with a pair of vertically aligned circular brushes driven for continuous rotation to scrape the coupling element residuals off the tapes. A pair of guide troughs guide the chain into alignment with the brushes, each guide trough having a pair of converging sidewalls confining one of the brushes solely to frictional engagement with the chain.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting patterns from successive contiguous segments of an elongated layup of sheet material has a zoned vacuum table which includes an endless bristle mat conveyor, for shifting a layup along the table to position a segment of the layup in the cutting zone of the table and for holding the layup segment in the cutting zone, and a carriage assembly, which moves a cutting mechanism relative to the table and in cutting engagement with the segment to cut patterns from the segment in response to signals from a programmable controller. A rotary encoder mounted on the carriage assembly has a pinion which engages a rack carried by the conveyor to detect movement of the carriage assembly relative to the conveyor when the carriage assembly returns to its starting position after completing its cutting cycle.

Abstract: An automotive window is manufactured by silk screening a pattern of a ceramic paste on a piece of glass having peripheral dimensions greater than the peripheral dimensions of the window. During the silk screening, portions of the screen extending beyond the pattern are supported by glass portions extending beyond the window to prevent bending of the screen near the pattern. The piece is scored through the pattern to define the window or a window blank within the piece and thereafter the glass around the window is removed. The window is then tempered at which time the ceramic paste fuses to the window.

Abstract: Apparatus for dividing a fibrous mineral blanket comprising means for slitting the blanket into batts, a suction chamber having one or more narrow openings adapted for contact with the side edges of the batts, and a vacuum pipe extending into the chamber for educting air and airborne particles from the chamber and the side edges of the batts, where the vacuum pipe has its eduction opening positioned near the bottom of the chamber.

Abstract: A block of material such as a clay is fed onto a support comprising spaced apart supports, and a cutting frame, having tensioned cutting wires, is moved in a substantially vertical plane through the block and between the supports so that the cutting wires cut completely through the block without interruption of the cutting motion. The cutting wires lie in a plane extending at an acute angle to the plane of feed of the block. The cut block is then removed from the support. Feeding of the block onto the support and removal of the cut block from the supports occurs in a single plane and are effected substantially simultaneously by means of a pushing device. The method and apparatus of this invention is particularly applicable to the cutting of individual clay batches into a number of individual brick mouldings. An advantage of a preferred embodiment of this invention is that cut portions can be produced without marking of the cutting surfaces and/or the cutting edges of the cut portions.

Abstract: In a band saw (10) particulaly adapted for cutting meat, blade scrapers (25, 26) remove debris from the band saw blade (18) and throw it laterally and forward of the blade (18) into an enclosure (40), which can be removed without the use of tools for cleaning and for disposing of the collected debris. The location of the blade scrapers (25, 26) is slaved to the location of the saw blade (18) to automatically maintain the proper relationship for most efficient debris removal without adjustment.

Abstract: In a band saw (10) particularly adapted for cutting meat, blade scrapers (25, 26) remove debris from the band saw blade (18) and throw it laterally and forward of the blade (18) into an enclosure (40), which can be removed without the use of tools for cleaning and for disposing of the collected debris. The location of the blade scrapers (25, 26) is slaved to the location of the saw blade (18) to automatically maintain the proper relationship for most efficient debris removal without adjustment.

Abstract: A method for cutting and maintaining in separate segments a gummous comestible, comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a disk-like template above the comestible, the template having a plurality of radiating extending slots; (b) positioning a cutting tool above one of the slots; (c) folding a sheet of wax-like material over the cutting edge of said tool and about both sides thereof; (d) simultaneously holding each side of said wax-like sheet against the sides of the tool and pressing said closely held sheet and tool into the gummous comestible; (e) withdrawing the cutting tool while permitting the material, as a result of the friction and surface tension of said gummous comestible thereagainst, to remain in the gummous comestible; and (f) repeating each of the above steps for each of the radiating extending slots of the template through which a corresponding cut and placement of the wax-like sheet material is desired, whereby a separation into segments, in accordance with the relative position of each of the

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for cleaning a continuous web of material (1), for instance a paper web, whereby the web of material is brought to pass through a suction chamber (2) having inlet (12) and outlet (13) for the web of material and one or more air outlets (11), for instance at the bottom thereof, which outlets are connected to a suction source. A means (4) for working the web of material (1) may be provided inside the suction chamber. The inlet (12) and the outlet (13) have substantially the same cross-section area. The amount of air entering the suction chamber through the web inlet (12) is restricted to cause a greater amount of air to flow into the suction chamber through the web outlet (13) than flows into the suction chamber through the web inlet (12).

Abstract: A machine for applying a reinforcing tape to a workpiece positioned on a support. A unidirectional feeder advances a set length of tape onto a pad pivotable between a loading position adjacent a cutter and a tape applying position over the workpiece. The cutter, provided with a self-cleaning blade, severs the tape so that the set length remains on the pad. The pad has a roughened surface and a retainer. A driver pivots the pad so that the tape, which is immobilized thereon by the roughened surface and the retainer, is pressed onto the workpiece.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for slicing semiconductor materials into wafers is disclosed.

Abstract: The high speed rotary cutters of a machine for automatically severing whole poultry bodies into separate portions are provided with nozzles which direct jets of cold water against the major areas of both surfaces of the cutters to increase their efficiency, and an enclosure which confines the water thrown off from the cutters is provided with a grid which prevents the severed portions from coming into contact with the water being removed from the enclosure.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for cleaning the surface of a disc cutting blade used for slicing bakery products. The apparatus includes a pair of arms disposed on opposite sides of the disc cutting blade, with the extreme end of each arm having a scraping device projecting toward the blade surface. The arms are pivotally mounted remote from the blade about an axis transverse to the blade rotational axis, thus permitting the arms to swing toward and away from the blade and each other. The arms are normally biased to a position in which the scraping device has engaged the blade. The arms are mounted in a frame assembly that is rotated about an axis that is parallel to and spaced from the blade axis, thus permitting the arms and scraping devices to arcuately sweep across the blade surfaces. A cam and cam follower are provided for spreading the arms away from each other as the blade scraping devices sweep toward the blade edge, so that the blade edge is not engaged and damaged.

Abstract: A sugarcane pith and rind separation unit comprising a power driven rind gripping roll, a power driven pith milling roll in close spaced relation, said rolls having surface indentation and being driven at such rotational speeds so as to accept incoming longitudinally split sugarcane stalk halves, flatten them, and mill out the pith away from the rind, and a pith deflecting plate or shroud positioned at the output of the two rolls, said plate having shaped surfaces for causing the rind and pith to travel further on separate paths and having, adjacent the leading edge and closely positioned in the output side of the pinch between the rolls, an elongated cylindrical roller of relatively small diameter and adapted to be driven at a rotational speed such as to effectively move any fibrous material that might cause clogging and binding out of the confined region between the rolls and the deflecting plate and pass to the output.

Abstract: A punch apparatus is provided to punch holes in an article by the use of a die punch. The die punch is forced through the article to be punched. A cleaning device is extended into engagement with the die punch when the die punch is in a position penetrating the article. This enables a cleaning of the die punch. The cleaning device is then retracted so that the article can be detached from said die punch.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for cutting clay columns, while continuously moving the clay columns in a generally horizontal direction. One or more clay columns are moved in a given generally horizontal direction A, prior to and during and subsequent to cutting. At least one cutting wire disposed in a generally vertical plane and disposed at an angle of substantially less than 90.degree. with respect to the direction A is moved toward, into engagement with, and through the clay column while the clay column is continuously moved, to provide at least one cut through the column disposed in a plane that is parallel to a line extending in the direction A. The clay column is substantially rectangular in cross-section, and the wire is moved so that it moves at a diagonal through the column, first contacting the leading upper corner of the column, and last contacting the trailing lower corner of the column as it passes through the column.

Abstract: A cut-off machine includes a housing having a top surface with an elongated slot therethrough. A rotatable cutting disc is mounted within the housing for raising and lowering movement through the slot to cut workpieces supported on the top surface. Elevating means is selectively operable for moving the cutting disc in raising and lowering directions. Clamp means on the top surface clamps workpieces thereagainst for cutting by the disc. A cover moves between open and closed positions for selectively covering the clamp means and the top surface in outwardly-spaced relationship thereto. Slot blocking means beneath the top surface moves between blocking and unblocking positions for selectively blocking movement of the disc upwardly through the slot. Selective operation of control means for the elevating means is also dependent upon safety control means operated by all of the cover, clamp means and slot blocking means.

Abstract: An enclosure or housing for removal of sawdust generated by a saw blade rotating on a shaft located below a work table. A portion of the rotating saw blade projects above the top surface of the work table to engage and saw material being moved on the work table. The saw portion below the work table is located in the chamber formed by the enclosure and the chamber is connected with a source of suction. The enclosure straddles the saw rotor shaft, and its side walls have U-shaped upwardly opening slots through which the rotor shaft extends, located at each side of the saw blade. The slots and one side wall top edge have air seals between the saw blade and said slots and top edge. The saw blade is located parallel with and close to the unsealed enclosure side wall and is spaced a greater distance from the opposite sealed side wall. A top guard having a cover chamber may enclose the portion of the saw blade projecting above the work table. When used, the cover chamber also is connected with the source of suction.

Abstract: An ultramicrotome has a chuck for holding a specimen block and a stationary knife assembly. A radioactive means is mounted on the ultramicrotome for discharging static electric charge on the chuck, the specimen, and the knife assembly.

Abstract: A machine for cutting cardboard and similar articles comprises a stationary platen mounted on the machine frame and an oscillating movable platen pivoted thereon to receive sheets one at a time from a magazine, means for delivering the sheets from the magazine to the moving platen, means for giving an oscillating movement to the moving platen and pivoting it, into contact with its stationary platen, blades for cutting the sheet on the moving platen and suction means on a pivoted chassis for removing the cut sheets and transferring them to a horizontal delivery conveyor and a rotary brush for wiping the surface of the moving platen.

Abstract: A mechanical fibrillator for use with a split film tape extrusion system which comprises means for guiding the tape through the fibrillator, rotating cutter means in the fibrillator, means for forcing the tape into contact with the rotating cutter means, and means adjacent the cutter for collecting dust created during fibrillation.

Abstract: A slitter having slitting blades juxtaposed to the periphery of a bristle-face anvil roll is provided with a dust collector adjacent the interface between said blades and roll. The dust collector includes a housing having a slot for receiving dust and a manifold chamber. Spaced partitions in the housing provide communication between the manifold chamber and specific portions of said opening.

Abstract: Apparatus to cut or shear loop pile fabric by moving the loop pile fabric to be cut or sheared over a rotating cutting member which cuts the loops in the fabric but prevents the fabric backing material from being cut by the use of guard members for the cutting blades.

Abstract: Guide apparatus for a rotary saw having a circular saw blade freely moveable longitudinally of an arbor which includes a pair of guide plates mounted in a frame on opposite sides of and parallel to the saw blade and adapted to be adjustably positioned longitudinally of the arbor. Each of the plates have a plurality of spiral grooves formed in its face. The grooves have open loading ends, relative to direction of rotation of the saw, opening out of edges of the guide plate so that rotation of the saw blade induces a flow of air into the grooves. The grooves are effectively closed at trailing ends so as to develop air cushions between the saw blade and the guide faces and thus stabilize the saw blade between the guide plates. Means is also provided for introducing a lubricating liquid into the open ends of the grooves.

Abstract: The invention deals with a trim removal system for equipment used in cutting biscuits from a continuously moving strip of dough. The cutter consists of an endless conveyor entrained over a pair of spaced sprocket assemblies positioned beneath the advancing dough sheet. Dough cutting rings project upwardly from the conveyor. As the dough is advanced it is pressed onto the rings. A biscuit size piece passes through the center of each ring and is deposited in a container positioned to receive it. The trim removal belt is provided with a multiplicity of holes of just the proper size to fit over the rings so that the upper run of the belt rests in contact with the upper surface of the conveyor. Guides are provided for bringing a belt into engagement with the upper run of the conveyor at an oblique angle and for raising the belt and trim from the surface of the conveyor at a predetermined oblique angle. The trim is then returned for remixing with fresh dough.