Abstract: An ice cream dispensing apparatus allows the dispensing of half-gallon boxes of ice cream purchased at a supermarket. The dispenser is mounted in the home freezer portion of a refrigerator and each block of ice cream is placed in a special canister. The dispenser may be opened from the front, the ice cream inserted, and by pressing a switch, the ice cream is dispensed into a bowl or cone. The ice cream in the dispenser is pushed from one end while being cut from the other. The pushing mechanism and the cutting mechanism are driven by the same motor. The unit is easily removable from the freezer for cleaning.

Abstract: An auxiliary feeder apparatus for a punch press. The feeder picks up blank stock to be punched, transfers it to a work holding collet where the press punches a circular pattern of spaced holes or slots in the blank to form an electric motor lamination or the like. After punching, the feeder apparatus picks up the finished part and transfers it to a storage location while at the same time picking up and transferring a new blank to the collet for punching. The operation of the feeder apparatus is integrated with the operation of the punch press and is fully automatic. Controls in the feeder apparatus and press prevent the punch from operating when malfunctions, such as a part not properly positioned on the collet or two or more parts transferred to the collet, occur.

Abstract: A workpiece storing and handling apparatus particularly adapted for loading parts in a multiple spindle chucking machine wherein the spindles and chucks are indexible successively to a transfer station. A rotary part table has a circumaxial series of part receiving rests and is indexed to move the parts to a transfer station in succession. A gripper on a transfer arm engages a part at the transfer station and swings the same in a composite arcuate motion to a ready position in horizontal alignment with a chuck at the machine transfer station. The arm and gripper then move the part linearly in a horizontal plane to the open chuck and return to the ready position for arcuate return movement to the table transfer station. A transfer arm support shaft is swingable through an arc in a vertical plane by a fluid operable cylinder and is simultaneously rotated about its axis by a bevel gear arrangement to provide the required composite arcuate motion of the arm.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are described wherein an integrated saw mill includes conveyor means for feeding debarked logs, classifying the logs and storing them according to size, advancing a particular log, scanning and analyzing the log and determining its cut pattern, squaring off the log by chipping heads, collectively cutting the log in line in accordance with the predetermined cut pattern, simultaneously advancing on separate conveyor means each piece of lumber so produced, sorting and storing each piece of lumber in accordance with its size, and further discharging the lumber onto a sticker-stacker for transferring stacks to drying kilns.

Abstract: In a mechanism for cutting panels, including an approximately vertically standing backing structure for the panels to be cut and a lower panel edge support to define a work area through which a saw mounted on a carrier may be moved, the panels may be secured in their working position and moved into and out of the work area by means of a cantilever arm mounted on the backing structure outside the work area for pivotal movement, whereby a gripping device on the free end of the arm is moved into and out of the work area.

Abstract: An assembly for automatically feeding workpieces to and from a numerically controlled turret punch. A loader magazine having an adjustable volume for receiving a stack of workpieces is disposed on one side of a turret punch, and an unloader magazine having a similar adjustable volume for receiving a stack of workpieces is disposed on the opposite side of the turret punch. An ejector associated with a loader magazine ejects the top workpiece from the loader magazine to horizontally feed it into operative association with clamps of the turret punch. The turret punch clamps are moveable with respect to the punching tools, and the punching tools are moveable and operated to effect punching of the workpiece until it has a desired finished configuration.

Abstract: In an envelope edge slitter having a base, apparatus for feeding the envelopes one-by-one from the bottom of a stack at an input station to slitter blades in which an endless elastic belt extending around an eccentric pulley has an upper reach disposed in a slot n the base at the input station. The eccentricity of the pulley alternately brings the belt into and out of engagement with the lowermost envelope in the stack while the elasticity of the belt, the eccentricity of the pulley and the speed with which the belt is driven are such as to produce a whipping action of the upper reach of the belt which ensures that adjacent envelopes of the stack are separated and are fed one-by-one to the slitter blades.

Abstract: The present trimming apparatus is capable of trimming the margins of three-dimensional workpieces with the aid of strip steel knives which are driven, preferably by pneumatic piston cylinder means in any desired direction. The workpiece such as the dashboard of a car, is held on the outside thereof by a workpiece support which has such a shape and cut-outs that the strip steel knives may be moved through the workpiece support. A counter-holder presses the workpiece against the outer support. In this combination of elements the workpiece may be trimmed from any direction from its outer side inwardly. The trimming tools may be operable in sequence and may also be supported on a carriage which shuttles back and forth between a trimming station and a loading and unloading station. Power savings may be in the order of 90% as compared to the power requirements of conventional stamping tools.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for acting on angle irons or the like. A vertical stack of angle irons is provided and the angle irons are fed one at a time to a punching position. At the punching position a hole of selected size is punched in the angle iron, and the angle iron is fed from the punching position in a linear direction of movement to a cutting position. The length of the angle iron to be cut is determined by measuring the length of angle iron in the direction of movement past the cutting position, and the angle iron is cut at the cutting position. Each cut angle iron is removed from the cutting position in a direction normal to the linear direction of movement of the angle iron to the cutting position. A computer may be provided for controlling operation of all motors to affect selection of punch sizes and cutting blades, and to affect operation of all the power mechanisms.

Abstract: A machine for forming beveled webs, particularly for use in truss structures, includes a feed table upon which a wooden board is placed. A saw is shifted into cutting relation with the board to sever a web which drops into a hopper. A pusher displaces the web from the hopper and along a guide surface and eventually forms a row of webs which is pushed toward a beveling station. At the beveling station, a pair of cutters are situated at opposite sides of the guide surface and each include co-axially arranged router heads. The router heads are of frusto-conical configuration and form a cutting angle through which the webs pass. Top and bottom bevels are cut in the ends of the web by the router heads. The vertex of each cutting angle is spaced from the respective web end to form a flat on the web between the top and bottom bevels. The cutters are mounted for rotary adjustment to vary the inclinations of the router heads, and thus of the bevels being formed.

Abstract: Apparatus for die cutting sheets of die cuttable material comprises endless conveyor means, a plurality of platens sequentially mounted on the conveyor means, a respective cutting die mounted on each of the platens, storage means for retaining a plurality of sheets of die cuttable material in a stack, means for removing a respective one of the sheets from the bottom of the stack and positioning the sheet on the cutting die of a respective one of the platens as the platens are continuously, non-reversingly conveyed by the conveyor means and means for pressing the sheet onto the cutting die sufficiently to cause the die to cut through the sheet as the platens are continuously, non-reversingly conveyed by the conveyor means.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying and positioning wooden blanks relative to spaced rotating saw blades. The blanks are fed into a hopper and are lifted from the hopper on dogs carried on opposed conveyer chains. Inclined members are carried adjacent the run of the chain for engaging the wooden blanks as they are raised on the dogs forcing improperly positioned wooden blanks off the conveyor chain. A spring biased pivotal arm is provided for forcing the wooden blanks against a guide rail for properly positioning the blanks for sawing.

Abstract: A lay table is placed adjacent to a cutting table with the tables in end-to-end relationship so that layups of limp sheet material may be prepared on the lay table and then be moved onto the cutting table for a cutting operation. A sled formed by a low friction, non-stretching, sheet material is first placed on the lay table and the layup is then formed on top of the sled. Motor-driven cabling extends between the cutting table and the lay table and when a layup is to be moved, the sled is coupled to the cabling and pulled by the cabling with a layup thereon onto the cutting table. The layup on the cutting table is then clamped in position, and the cabling pulls the sled out from between the layup and the cutting table.

Abstract: A component feeder mechanism for feeding electronic components which are not taped together into a component lead forming machine. The feeder mechanism includes a frame having a guide track extending therethrough along which the component leads pass to enter the lead forming machine. A spacer disc is rotatably mounted on the frame and has notches at the peripheral edge thereof which move along the guide track and which serve to move the lead wires one at a time along the guide track to transfer the components from a feeder magazine to the forming machine. The components are spaced from one another a distance equal to the peripheral distance between the notches at the edge of the spacer disc. The spacer disc is driven by a transmission which serves to synchronize the rotation of the spacer disc with the forming machine.

Abstract: A punching, reading and printing machine for document cards having a hopper holding the cards in vertical disposition, card transporting means moving the cards out of the hopper into horizontal disposition in a horizontal card path and closely spaced punching, reading and printing mechanisms operative on the cards while in the horizontal path. The punching mechanism includes a row of punches extending transversely of the card path each made active by an interposer and a leaf spring actuator for the interposer, and the printing mechanism includes a row of print hammers extending longitudinally of the card path and an electromagnet and armature for each of the print hammers. The interposer springs extend longitudinally of and over the path of card travel preceding the punches, and the armatures extend transversely of the machine for shortening the machine and rendering it more compact.

Abstract: A storage systems for storing and retrieving rod-shaped material, includes a plurality of pallets for accommodating the material, each pallet has a material-supporting bottom inclined transversely to the length dimension of the pallet; a device for storing the pallets; a withdrawal apparatus for retrieving a selected one of the pallets from the storing device; a positioning device in the withdrawal apparatus for adjusting the longitudinal and transverse position of the pallet and for lifting the pallet against stops in the withdrawal apparatus; an apparatus for lifting the material out of, and lowering it into a pallet disposed in the withdrawal apparatus. The apparatus has at least two lifters arranged serially with respect to the length of the pallet disposed in the withdrawal apparatus. The lifters are moved in unison vertically through apertures provided in the bottom of the pallet for engaging and moving the material with respect to the pallet.

Abstract: A support plate is permanently fixed on the table of the press, which plate has mounted on the top thereof rollers, lateral guides and an abutment. Sets of tools are used, each of them comprising an upper tool and a lower tool. They are connected together by guiding columns and safety upright, so as to have always a constant total height. When being installed the sets of tools are located, or removed by moving the bed-plate of the lower tool on the rollers of the support plate. After placing and locating the tools, the bed-plate of the lower tool is clamped on the support plate and the bed-plate of the upper tool is clamped on the slide member of the press. After removal of the safety upright, the press is then ready to operate.

Abstract: An automated envelope opener receives a stack of unopened envelopes of varying sizes, types and shapes, and feeds these envelopes individually to a cutting station. An edge of each envelope is automatically aligned with a reference surface, whereby each such aligned envelope edge can be cut at the cutting station by a rotating multi-toothed cutter and stationary anvil which are also aligned with the reference surface. In a preferred embodiment, means are additionally provided for shingling and stacking the envelopes after they have been cut open.

Abstract: Slabs of gum stacked in a top-loaded magazine and successively fed from the bottom of the magazine by a reciprocable pusher mechanism are advanced by line pressure along a generally predetermined first path to a rotary trimming and scoring mechanism which trims, scores and further advances each successive slab. Another pusher mechanism receives each slab advanced by the trimming and scoring mechanism and transfers it to a conveyor which carries it along another path generally normal to the first path and to a breaker and an associated wrapping machine. Each mechanism which advances the slab is driven in timed relation with the wrapping machine. The magazine is supported to pivot to an inactive position to facilitate access to the trimming and scoring mechanism.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding objects to a transport mechanism and transport and delivery mechanisms for the objects, and, in particular, apparatus for feeding books to, transporting them through the cutting stations of and delivering them from a two-station, three-knife book trimmer. The feed mechanism includes a hopper for holding books, a prestripper for stripping a book from the hopper and moving it part way to the front knife cutting station and pushers, which continue to feed the book to the first cutting station, with means coordinating the prestrippers and pushers. The transport mechanism includes a plurality of displaceable, e.g. upper transport belts and a plurality of belts in opposition to the displaceable ones, e.g. lower transport belts, which clamp the book, respectively, from above and below. While clamping the book, the transport belts travel with it to the side knife cutting station, halt for side knife trimming, and then move the book beyond the second station to the delivery mechanism.