Ciba-geigy Corporation

Coinstar, Inc.

Cx Corporation

Tapistron International, Inc.

Kew Import/export Inc.

David L Davis

Allen E Fleckenstein

Terrence R Langford

Sean E Gorman

Milton R Sigelmann

Michael J Black

Milan Bizic

Charles T Higgins

Richard A Dolf

John M Havard

Hans-Ulrich Schlapfer

Paul D Barker

A coin discrimination device which provides for positive transport of coins past a sensor is provided. In one embodiment, a rotating disk, slightly inclined to the vertical, includes a plurality of pockets for receiving coins from a hopper bowl. The disk and bowl are configured to efficiently load the pockets with no more than one coin per pocket. As the disk rotates, the coins, which are thus registered in a desired location in the pockets, are transported by the rotating disk past a sensor. When, based on the sensor data, the item in a pocket is recognized as an acceptable coin, a controllable ramp is lowered to divert the coin out of the pocket and into a path to place the coin in an acceptance bin or bag.

Positive drive coin discrimination apparatus and method

An improved apparatus which can be used for cleaning and/or sterilizing tubular items. A container is partitioned into two chambers with the item to be cleaned and/or sterilized is positioned to extend through the partition such that one opening lies in one chamber and another opening lies in the other chamber. A flexible membrane is positioned to affect each chamber. By deforming the flexible membrane, inward and outward, a flow between the chambers is created. This flow must pass through the hollow item. Mechanical pressure from the flow cleanses the interior of the tubular item and if a sterilant is used as the medium, then the interior portion of the hollow item is also sterilized.

Cleaning and sterilizing mechanism

An apparatus for tufting yarn in a backing comprising a yarn applicator for penetrating the backing and implanting the yarn therein and an electric motor for supplying a predetermined length of the yarn to the yarn applicator. The electric motor is operable to selectively advance the predetermined length of yarn to the yarn applicator, and alternatively, hold the yarn or retract the yarn from the applicator. Desirably, the electric motor is a stepper motor, and more desirably, the apparatus comprises a plurality of stepper motors for selectively feeding yarns to a row of reciprocable hollow tufting needles for producing a patterned tufted product. According to one aspect, the tufting apparatus composes a modular supply system and a corresponding modular control system. Pattern information and timing signals are sent to modular yarn control units by a remote process control computer system. According to another aspect, an apparatus for tufting yarn in a backing is provided wherein a flexible yarn supply tube extends from the outlet of a stationary manifold to the inlet of a reciprocable needle mount for a hollow tufting needle, so that during reciprocation of the needle, yarn does not move relative to a yarn feed path due to the reciprocation of the needle. This allows for yarn to be fed to the needle during the entire needle reciprocation cycle. A yarn movement monitoring apparatus, a yarn movement managing apparatus, a needle assembly for tufting yarn in a backing, and a knife assembly for mounting to a frame and cutting yarn implanted into a backing by a hollow needle are also encompassed.

Apparatus and method for producing patterned tufted goods

An envelope feeder (20) for use in a photographic order-finishing station, including a base (22) to which a retaining plate (28) is mounted. A stack-holding tray (30) is biased toward the retaining plate to compress a stack (18) of envelopes placed therebetween for feeding. Suction heads (50) move arcuately to contact and grip the outermost envelope (36) on the stack by application of a partial vacuum, and the move back to peel and lift a portion of that envelope from the stack. A shuttle assembly (52) with a plurality of narrow shuttle fingers (108) is included for insertion between the partially lifted outermost envelope (36) and the underlying envelope (68) to split any adhesions formed between them and separate the outermost envelope from the stack. After insertion of the shuttle assembly, the suction heads release the envelope and latching tabs (114) mounted on the shuttle assembly rotate to project outwardly toward the retaining plate, engaging the outermost envelope so that it is removed from the stack as the shuttle assembly is retracted. The removed envelope is fed into an envelope receptacle (48) as it is removed from the stack.

Envelope feeder with separator shuttle assembly

A film strip stacking device is provided for use in an order finishing station in conjunction with the negative cutter to accept film strips from the negative cutter which cuts the film into strips. The strips are collected into a stack which can then be loaded into a film sleeve prior to return to the customer. The film strip stacker of the present invention includes a channel divided into an upper and lower portion. The upper portion being adapted to receive initially the film from the negative cutter and including parallel rails movable to contact the film strip after it is cut and while it is in the upper portion of the channel and force the film to deform sufficiently to snap past the shelf members supporting the film into the lower portion of the channel. A pusher blade is movably mounted on the base of the film stacker and operable to contact an end of the film stack to push the stack out of the channel and into a film sleeve held in communication with the lower portion of the channel. The rails contact the edges of the film where there is no image to minimize the potential for damage to the image-containing portions of the film strip. Preferably, a sleeve opener mechanism is provided in conjunction with the stacker and operable in timed relation with the pusher blade to open the film sleeve to allow easy entry of the stack into the film sleeve as the pusher moves the stack from the second channel into the film sleeve. Also, the operation of the rails, the pusher blade, and the sleeve opener are all controlled in timed relation to the action of the knife in the negative cutter.

Photographic film stacking device

Growing community of inventors

Indianola, WA, United States of America

David L Davis