Abstract: A safety control system for power operated equipment which ensures operator safety by immediately disconnecting the power drive from a power driven rotating member, such as a toothed feed shaft of a meat skinning machine or a moving blade of a band saw, and then positively stops and then reverses the direction of movement of the rotating member, upon a metal conductive glove worn by the operator, contacting the blade or toothed shaft. The operator's glove is electrically connected to a safety mechanism and upon the glove completing a circuit upon contact with the rotating member or equipment immediately disconnects the power drive from the rotating member by actuating a clutch or tensioning cylinder. A trigger mechanism then is actuated and permits a positive stopping element to engage and stop the moving element.

Abstract: A movable table 1 which rests on a mechanism with two upper parts 3 and two lower parts 4, situated on a fixed counter table 2 under which there is an electromagnet 6, which attracts a counter-weight 5 joined by way of bars 7 to a central ball-and-socket joint of an articulated safety mechanism in such a way that when the electromagnet 6 is disconnected the counter-weight 5 falls, the mechanism folds and the table 1 descends. Under the table 1 and the counter-weight 5, there exist some cylinders and stops 3, 11 which damp and limit the table's descent. The safety mechanism is housed in slots situated under the table 1 and on top of the counter table 2 and its central ball-and-socket joint is formed by the insertion of the lower shaft of the upper part of the mechanism in an upper half tube of the lower piece of the same mechanism.

Abstract: A safe lift device for a slicing machine as provided which enables at least a portion of the slicing machine to be raised from the table or counter upon which it rests. Intermediate the two legs to be raised, a retention leg is pivotally attached to the slicing machine. Also connected to the slicing machine and the retention leg is a lever arm assembly. As the lever arm is raised, the retention leg descends toward the table or counter. Continued raising of the lever arm causes the retention leg to exert a downward force on the table, and thus an upward force on the slicing machine. A ratchet and pawl mechanism connected to the retention leg and the lever arm assembly allows the user to lock the lever arm while the slicing machine is in a raised position thus preventing the slicing machine from falling. A safety switch disenables the motor driving the slicing knife as soon as the machine is lifted approximately one inch or more.

Abstract: There is disclosed an interlock between a wood working tool and a dust control system in which a standard pressure switch, which can be activated by negative or positive pressure, is located in the dust collector duct which extends to the wood working tool. The switch is electrically connected to the magnetic starter for the wood working tool. The pressure switch responses to a sensed condition of subatmospheric pressure in the dust collector duct to provide power to the woodworking tool, thus insuring that the dust collector system must be functioning to permit operation of the wood working tool. When the dust collector duct becomes blocked or the dust collector fails to function for any reason, the pressure in the duct rises, automatically activating the interlock and interrupting the power supply to the woodworking tool.

Abstract: A device for slitting a metallic foil which is continuously fed along a path comprising a support base having an elongated guide formed therein, the guide defining a generally linear guide path, and the support base being positionable adjacent the foil path and a blade holder dimensioned to be received within the guide and be movable along the guide path, the blade holder dimensioned to hold a cutting blade having a linear cutting surface wherein the linear cutting surface is oriented generally parallel to the guide path; and a reversible drive member secured to the base operable to reciprocally move the blade holder along the guide path at a controllable rate of speed.

Abstract: A saw-blade tensioning arrangement for band saw and like machines which includes a hydraulic cylinder (6) having arranged for movement therein a piston (7) which is intended to activated saw-blade tension control means (2). The blade tension is, in this way, dependent on the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The arrangement includes means for pneumatically regulating the hydraulic pressure, these means including a pneumatically operated pressure booster (10) and means (19, 20, 35) for activating the pressure booster at the end of a working stroke of the hydraulic piston, therewith to tension the saw blade to the desired working tension, this working tension being determined, inter alia, by the blade width.

Abstract: A device for preventing a collision between a work holder (20) and a tool in numerical control equipment for a turret punch press. A region occupied by the work holder (20) in a mechanical coordinate system, is stored in a work holder region storing memory (4), and the sizes of a plurality of tool posts of a turret (24), or the sizes of tools received in the tool posts, are stored in a tool post shape storing memory (4). At the time of tool selection, a punching inhibit computing circuit (1) computes a punching inhibit region for a selected one of the tools on the basis of the stored contents of the work holder region storing memory (4) and the tool post shape storing memory (4). Immediately before the execution of a punch command, a collision preventing circuit (1) checks whether the position of the selected tool is within the punching inhibit region or not, and if so, it stops the operation of the machine.

Abstract: The current that drives the motor for a slicing blade is continuously monitored to detect when it rises above a threshold level. This threshold level is related to the resistance to the rotation of the blade that is presented by a product being sliced. When this current rises above the threshold level, the slicing operation is momentarily interrupted. The threshold level is adjustable in accordance with the number of slices that is desired to be trimmed. While the slicing operation is interrupted, the first few irregular slices from the leading edge of the product can be carried away from the location of the slicing blade. Then slicing can resume with the first slice in the first full draft being a full slice.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the tractive force generated by a cylinder-piston assembly on a member to be moved thereby comprises a spring mounted between the cylinder assembly and the member to be moved such that the force generated by the cylinder-piston assembly is transmitted to the spring to effect movement of a first portion thereof with respect to a second portion thereof. An actuatable switch comprises the first switching element mounted for movement with the first portion of the spring and a second switching element fixedly mounted to the second portion of the spring, the two switching elements configured to actuate the switch when a predetermined path of travel of the first portion of the spring is exceeded.

Abstract: A multiple gob glass shearing mechanism in which the sets of opposed shear blades are supported for movement toward and away from each other in a straight line or with parallel motion. One set of shears is mounted on a shear guide that can be adjusted up or down relative to the holder of the opposed set of shears. This adjustment is for the purpose of adjusting the tension on all the sets of blades simultaneously and can be affected when the shears are in operation. The drive for the shears may be unlatched for safety purposes when out of position and when put back into operation the shear blades will not close unless the latch is refastened.

Abstract: A control device for a small press is provided with means preventing overloading of the drive motor, a timer for detecting when an operational cycle of the press has exceeded a normal value, and a position detector which notes the position of a cam of the press. The power switch of the drive motor is tripped to suspend the flow of current to the motor upon an indication of the foregoing, e.g., a detected over-current, an excessive cycle time, or an operation end position of the cam.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for automatically mounting reversal film in slide frames, the edge of the film being notched at predetermined intervals, the notches are utilized for feeding the film through the framing apparatus which comprises a pivoted notch-engaging pawl on a reciprocatable carriage and two electrically parallel switches acting independently on a clutch of driving means for the carriage. One of the switches is mounted on the carriage and is operable by the pawl and the other is operable by a rotary cam plate.

Abstract: High-speed spooling machines for yarn or thread are subject to the difficulty that, if the yarn or thread should break between a yarn cleaning, that is, size sensing and cutting apparatus and the takeup spool, stray remnant filamentary pieces may occur due to operation of the cutter apparatus since the thread size sensing apparatus may provide an erroneous "cut" signal upon absence of any thread in the sensing field. To prevent such operation, a thread sensing element is interposed in the path of the thread being spooled which, upon break of thread, will provide a "no tension" signal which will be below a predetermined threshold level. This signal is then used to inhibit operation of the cutter, regardless of the output of the thread size sensing element.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the delivery of material from a spool or the like to a machine which is to perform some work upon the material and draws the material from the spool. The apparatus includes a shaft for accommodating and fixedly securing the spool thereon, apparatus for positioning the shaft at a predetermined location wherein the positioning apparatus also permits the free rotation of the shaft about the longitudinal axis thereof, apparatus for providing a pulsed electrical signal upon rotation of the shaft, the pulsed electrical signal device having an element thereof directly coupled to the shaft for rotation as a result of the rotation of the shaft, and apparatus for indicating the output of the pulsed electrical signal device wherein the apparatus which does work on the material can be shut off if the material being fed from the spool becomes tangled, snarled, or otherwise jammed or is consumed.

Abstract: An arrangement for protecting tools in a hydraulic press against overloading if a foreign object or body is present in a tool space of the hydraulic press. A displacement or travel switch monitors at least a portion of a path of movement of a press ram with a control member providing an output signal during a predetermined movement of the press ram. A control circuit evaluates a sequence of the output signals of the displacement or travel switch and the control member in such a manner that a fault signal is formed when the additional switching device provides an output signal prior to an output signal of the displacement or travel switch. The control member is arranged in a path of force of at least one component of the hydraulic press and is constructed as a signal transducer operating virtually stationarily as a function of pressure.

Abstract: An arrangement for protecting tools in a hydraulic press against overloading if an object is present in a tool space of the hydraulic press. A displacement switch monitors at least a portion of a path of movement of a press ram with an additional switching device providing an output signal during a predetermined movement of the press ram. A control circuit evaluates a sequence of the output signals of the displacement switch and additional switching device in such a manner that a fault signal is formed when the additional switching device provides an output signal prior to an output signal from the displacement switch. The additional switching device may be constructed as a switch element which provides an output signal in dependence upon a pressure or a speed of flow of a pressure medium in a hydraulic circuit.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with a safety device which protects an operator's fingers from the needle and includes a ring suspended over the presser foot of the machine. The suspended member is movable by finger pressure applied thereto in any direction and when so moved, completes an electric circuit to shut off the machine.

Abstract: A torch head is provided for an oxygen-cutting torch machine comprising, in combination, a torch head; a first torch mounted on the torch head for cutting perpendicular cuts; and a second torch mounted on the torch head for cutting at an angle to the perpendicular; the mounting for the second torch having two parallel side shaft members and two parallel cross shaft members, each pivotably attached to the other at spaced locations so as to define a parallelogram swinging means in which the four members move pivotably and in parallel together; the second torch being pivotably mounted to one of the side members so that the second torch can be positioned at an angle to the perpendicular according to the relative movement of the parallelogram members; a reciprocably movable drive means mounted on the torch head for swinging the parallelogram swinging means; a shaft member rotatable about a point fixed to the torch head and having two spaced pivot mountings, one on each side of the fixed point, one pivot mounting b

Abstract: A straight line shearing mechanism which includes a unique pneumatic control system to cause the operation of the shears. One feature involves the cushioning of the piston member of the pneumatic cylinder assembly on the return stroke. Another feature is the provision of an automatic retract to open the shears in the event that the shear blades do not complete their cutting stroke. Also, one blade of a set of shear blades may tilt in the event of excess tension between the blades. Additionally, one shear blade is pivotally adjustable about a pin member having an axis extending in the direction of travel of the blades. Further, the drop guides are horizontally adjustable relative to its associated shear blade in the direction of travel of the shear blade and also adjustable about a vertical axis.

Abstract: An emergency system for stopping the endless band blade reeved around a plurality of pulleys rotatably mounted on the base of a cutting apparatus. The system has a bearing rotatably mounted on the base and held in contact with the band blade at all times and an amplifier electrically connected to the band blade by the bearing. When the human body comes into contact with the band blade, the electric charge potantial of the body is amplified by the amplifier and energizes relays which interrupt the current supply to the motor for driving the band blade and, at the same time, actuate an electromagnetic brake and an electromagnetic clamp brake to brake the pulley coupled to the motor and the band blade to immediately stop the band blade.

Abstract: A shear machine having a blade for cutting successive increments of material from flat sheet work stock has a cutting zone guarded by a curtain of light. Photosensitive means actuates a brake to stop blade motion if an object extends through the light curtain towards the cutting zone. Hold-down mechanism is operated by a lever or the like situated outside of the guarded region to enable the final portion of a sheet of work stock to be manually held in place at the cutting zone without penetrating the light curtain. The plane of the light curtain inclines towards the front of the shear machine enabling the hold-down mechanism control lever or the like to be situated on the machine above the cutting zone where it may be reached without interception of the light curtain by the operator.

Abstract: A monitoring system is disclosed for measuring and classifying the decelerating capabilities of a machine, such as a punch press. The monitoring system includes a timing circuit for measuring the elapsed time from the initiation of brake application to the stopping of the press. Means are provided to distinguish between a regular top-stop in a single stroke press cycle from an emergency stop and to shut down the press if the stopping time is excessive for the type of stop being executed. The monitoring means is provided with a self-checking system which performs dynamic self-checking at the initiation of braking, at the stopping of the press, and at the initiation of clutching. In each self-checking cycle a fault simulating signal is propagated through two independent paths or through a path which has been previously checked.

Abstract: An insulated saw blade for use with the automatic safety brake for rotary blade equipment, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,230, to stabilize the capacitance field produced by the blade. The blade has an inner metallic part which is secured to the arbor of the saw an insulating ring rigidly secured to the inner part and extending completely therearound and an outer metallic ring rigidly secured to the insulating ring and having the saw teeth formed thereon. The insulating ring has a roughened surface on its opposite sides to assist in gripping the brake when applied thereto.