Abstract: A potato piercer having a top assembly with a handle. The top assembly includes a first plate having a bottom surface and a plurality of piercing stakes secured to the bottom surface. The potato piercer further includes a bottom assembly having a second plate and a plurality of piercing stakes secured to the top surface of the second plate. The potato piercer has a housing sized and configured to receive a potato for piercing. The housing has a roof with a plurality of apertures for receiving the top assembly stakes, a floor with a plurality of apertures for receiving the bottom assembly stakes, and a cavity for receiving the potato. There is an actuator assembly operatively coupled to the top and bottom assemblies, whereby a force applied to the handle causes the actuator assembly to translate the potato piercer from a non-piercing configuration to a piercing configuration.

Abstract: Provided are decorative glass and light-transmitting decorative glass products which are outstandingly decorative by processing a surface of a translucent glass plate, typically used as building materials or for other uses, without impairing the strength of the glass itself. The surface of the translucent glass plate 1, which is 4 to 25 mm in thickness, is impressed to form a plurality of radial cracks 7 each having a diameter of 0.01 to 3.0 mm, so that dots of the cracks 7 form an arbitrary character or pattern to thereby manufacture the decorative glass product. The light-transmitting decorative glass product includes the decorative glass, and a light source which is disposed so as to allow a highly directive irradiating beam to be incident upon any one of the four sides of the translucent glass plate 1 and enter the translucent glass plate.

Abstract: A trim hold down box apparatus is disclosed for assisting in the separation of trim cut from an edge of a sheet by a cutter prior to the sheet being transferred from a forming wire of a forming section to a press section of a paper making machine. The apparatus includes a frame which is adjustably secured to the former and is disposed downstream relative to the cutter. A box cradle is secured to the frame and a trim box is movably connected to the box cradle such that floating of the trim box with the forming wire is permitted. The arrangement is such that the forming wire is disposed between the trim and the trim box. A biasing arrangement extends between the trim box and the box cradle so that biasing of the trim box relative to the forming wire is permitted. The trim box has a first and a second end and the first end of the trim box is connected to a source of partial vacuum. The second end of the trim box cooperates with the forming wire and is disposed in a vicinity of the trim.

Abstract: A device is particularly well suited for introducing a continuous length of food stuffing into an elongated food product. The device uses a tube having opposite, open ends and an inner wall defining a longitudinal passage extending between such opposite ends. The length of foodstuffing is received in this longitudinal passage. The tube is inserted into the food product being stuffed, and a pointed cap on the end of the tube guides it through the food product. A ram is used in conjunction with the tube to keep the foodstuffing material in substantial registration with the ends of the food product and to assist in withdrawing the tube after the foodstuffing has been deposited in the food product. An optional parallel knife assembly is used to create an incision extending through the food product to ease the subsequent insertion of the foodstuffing therein.

Abstract: Open-cell plastic foam sheets with smooth, closed surfaces are heated up to a predetermined temperature after extrusion, are thermoformed in a thermoforming unit with the aid of a vacuum on both sides and are thermoset. One of the two closed surface skins of the plastic foam sheet is perforated with the aid of needles 4 arranged movably in a mold block 11. The mold block 11 is a component part of a thermoforming unit 10 and, together with a further mold block 9, forms the mold of this thermoforming unit. The mold block 11 for the inner side 13 of a plastic foam sheet 16 includes a male mold 1, a cooling plate 2, a vacuum plate 3, the movable needles 4, a needle plate 5, springs 6 for the return of the needle plate and also diaphragms 7 and a mounting plate 8, which are held together by screws 30.

Abstract: A reseal is partially perforated by stretching the reseal membrane, establishing contact between one side of the membrane and an anvil, and by effecting partial penetration of the membrane with at least one cutting edge from the other side of the membrane to a predetermined distance from the anvil. Multiple partial perforations may be made with one or more cutting edges.

Abstract: Open-cell plastic foam sheets with smooth, closed surfaces are heated up to a predetermined temperature after extrusion, are thermoformed in a thermoforming unit with the aid of a vacuum on both sides and are thermoset. One of the two closed surface skins of the plastic foam sheet is perforated with the aid of needles 4 arranged movably in a mold block 11. The mold block 11 is a component part of a thermoforming unit 10 and, together with a further mold block 9, forms the mold of this thermoforming unit. The mold block 11 for the inner side 13 of a plastic foam sheet 16 comprises a male mold 1, a cooling plate 2, a vacuum plate 3, the movable needles 4, a needle plate 5, springs 6 for the return of the needle. plate and also diaphragms 7 and a mounting plate 8, which are held together by screws 30.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a fissured, acoustical ceiling panel wherein the pins used to fissure the panel are roll applied thereto. The pins are embedded in flexible, resilient polymeric plates, and a plurality of the plates are attached to a rotary drum which is used to apply the fissuring pins to the surface of the panel. The invention also includes the method for manufacturing the polymeric plates which are molded and formed with the fissuring pins embedded therein.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a hole in an article comprising wood or wood products includes a piercing tool having a punch extending therefrom. One of said piercing tool and article is moved relative to the other such that the piercing tool is positioned in a desired location relative to the article. The punch is propelled outwardly with a sufficient impact load to create a hole in the article and then retracted.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel apparatus for punching or drilling of a plurality of elongate, slanting bores or holes in a substantially solid slab made of a relatively rigid, penetrable material such as plastic. The apparatus comprises a punching or drilling chamber having a substantially planar top wall. A series of spikes angle downwardly and at an angle from the top wall. A feed end allows slabs of material to be fed into the punching chamber onto a planar support bed, where the slab is secured from further movement relative to the support bed. The support bed is movable in reciprocating motion upward and downward in the punching chamber in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axes of the spikes which extend downwardly from the top wall of the chamber. During the upward motion, the slab of material is forced into the spikes which pierce the slab and forms the elongated bores or holes therein. In the downward cycle, the spikes are withdrawn from the slab of material.

Abstract: A tining machine capable of tining or perforating Kaiser and onion buns and other similar crusty rolls or loaves (and, with minor modifications, English muffins) serves to produce a product that stays together around its entire diameter thus retaining freshness and which at the same time may be readily pulled apart by the consumer in the general manner of a tine-split English muffin.

Abstract: A perforating device and a method for perforating double length filter cigarette assemblies, in which cigarettes are transferred from the drying drum, of a plug assembler onto a first conveyor which conveys them into the space between a straight flight of the first conveyor and a parallel flight of a second conveyor. The speed of the first conveyor is varied cyclically relative to that of the second by means of a speed modulator, so that the cigarettes are rolled in successive steps during their travel through the device so as to present successive different segments of the outer circumferential surface of the central filter portion to a perforator device.

Abstract: A device for perforating the edges of individual bakery products to facilitate the separation of the products into portions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for perforating the walls of an assembled filter element used on smoking products including a continuously moving conveying means for receiving a plurality of said filter elements and means for retaining said assembled filter elements on said conveying means, a plurality of piercing elements positioned at right angles to the direction of movement of said assembled filter elements, and a means for manipulating the piercing elements so that it penetrates and withdraws from the walls of the filter element.

Abstract: A muffin splitter having a muffin conveyor and tining assemblies located to either side of the conveyor for tining the muffins as they move along the conveyor. The tining apparatus may be deactivated to permit muffins to be passed along the conveyor without tining.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for incising on a film to be processed the precise contour of a required photographic image so as to obtain a process block for prints in which such photographic image is to be inserted. The apparatus comprises a data input unit capable of detecting the precise contour by causing a light pen to trace the general contour of a required image on a photocopy; an output unit capable of incising the contour on a film to be processed by receiving signals of the positions of the precise contour detected by the input unit; and a control unit capable of performing a control operation, such as relay, comparison, etc. of the signals between the input unit and the output unit.