Burroughs, Inc.

Other

Unisys Corporation

System Development Inc.

Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, Inc.

Edward A Wojtowicz

Ermenegildo Fiorentino

Clifford J Bader

S James Lazzarotti

Eugene T Mullin

Paul M Wojtowicz

William G Rau

George Edward Lund

Jess Nadel

Robert J Leadlie

Raymond Joseph Ouimet

An impact sand anchor features a body and a plurality of cantilever beams. The cantilever beams define an interior volume between the cantilever beams. The cantilever beams are generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the impact sand anchor in a first position. When the cantilever beams are driven into the sand, as by a trapped cylindrical hammer, the force of sand packed into the interior volume causes the cantilever beams to move radially away from the longitudinal axis to a second position. The movement of the cantilever beams to the second position wedges the impact sand anchor into the sand.

Impact sand anchor

Apparatus for measuring the static coefficient of friction (SCOF) of the surface of an operating conveyor belt comprises a friction roller rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, a friction roller actuator for moving the friction roller between a retracted disengaged position and an advanced engaged position, and a friction roller drive motor selectively operable, in one instance, for permitting free wheeling rotation of said friction roller when rotatably engaged with the conveyor belt and, in another instance, for rotating said friction roller about the friction roller axis in a direction opposite the direction of movement of the conveyor belt. A sensor continuously senses the current drawn by the friction roller drive motor and a computer is responsive to the output of the sensor when it reaches a maximum value for calculating the SCOF of the surface of the conveyor belt, the SCOF being a function of the maximum current drawn by the friction roller drive motor. Then, for cleaning the conveyor belt the apparatus comprises a brush roller rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, a brush roller actuator for moving the brush roller between a retracted position disengaged from the conveyor belt and an advanced position rotatably engaged with the conveyor belt, and a brush roller drive motor for rotating the brush roller about the brush roller axis when the brush roller is engaged with the conveyor belt.

Conveyor friction measurement and cleaning system

An apparatus (10) for producing a singulated flow of correctly oriented flats (100 or 160) includes an input conveyor (12), a plurality of singulating conveyors (14, 16, and 18), and a skew correction station (20). A stack of flats (100 or 160) is deposited onto an inclined surface (42) of the input conveyor (12). The input conveyor (12) produced a running shingle of flats by frictionally engaging and pulling the bottom most flat in the stack. The plurality of singulating conveyors (14, 16, and 18) convert the running shingle into a singulated flow using frictional, inertial, and gravitational forces. By advancing conveyor (16) while halting conveyor (14), a flat (102) is pulled from underneath flat (108) with flat (108) remaining stationary. By operating conveyor (16) in a pulsed acceleration mode, passenger flat (122) is separated from underlying flat (120). By angling the conveyors (14, 16, and 18) in an upward direction, rearward gravitational force passenger flats (134 and 136) down conveyor (14). Halting the conveyors (202, 204, 206, 208, and 210) of the skew orientation station (20) can achieve forward gravitational separation of passenger flat (150). The skewed orientation of mail piece (200) is adjusted by selectively lifting the belts (202 and 206) and driving the belts (202 and 206) in opposite directions.

Apparatus and method for automatically and continuously producing a flow

The present disclosure describes an antenna which may be collapsed and stored in a compact configuration and readily released from storage to assume a deployed operative state. More specifically, the antenna is a wire member comprised of a straight section and an integral transverse helical spring section. The antenna lends itself to storage about the axis of a right circular cylinder while permitting full deployment parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latter. This arrangement permits the storage of potential energies of torsion and bending respectively in the helical spring and straight portions of the antenna, and permits continuous motion in these planes to effect antenna erection and deployment.

Collapsible antenna assembly

The present disclosure describes a latch assembly wherein structural members are coupled to each other by an electric match-type device interposed therebetween. The latter device generally comprises a body portion having electrical connections thereto and a rigid mass of combustible material firmly adhered to an extremity thereof. At least a pair of the structural members are individually coupled to the combustible material. Remote activation of the match by the passage of electric current therethrough results in the firing of the combustible material and the consequent opening of the latch through the elimination of the coupling force between the structural members.

Remotely initiated separation latch assembly

The present disclose describes a device which has particular utility in clamping printed circuit boards which are exposed to high shock conditions. This device includes a clamping bar which is permanently deformed in its fabrication process such that it assumes a curved or arcuate configuration. Employment of the clamp device involves physical contact between the edge of the printed circuit board and the bar, and the application of forces to the extremities of the latter, by mechanical fasteners to cause it to become substantially planar. The latter condition provides an evenly distributed high clamping force to the board without any high stress points which might cause board fractures. Accordingly, the present device increases the reliability of printed circuit boards as well as the electrical components mounted thereon, by providing exceptional printed circuit board rigidity.

Clamp device for retaining printed circuit boards under high shock

The present disclosure involves a system for storing and processing articles such as mail flats which cannot be processed on standard letter mail equipment. The system includes mechanical carriers for transporting and remaining with the articles throughout the processing cycle. A recirculation buffer subsystem provides temporary high density random storage which dynamically allocates the system output resources through computer control. In the buffer, the destination-encoded carriers are kept continuously moving in a closed serpentine path. Based upon system priorities, selected carriers may be taken out of buffer storage independently of the other carriers and the former reassigned to output accumulation racks where they remain until outputted from the system. The recirculation buffer subsystem provides a balance between system input and output, thereby substantially improving efficiency and providing savings in cost and space requirements.

Growing community of inventors

Bryn Mawr, PA, United States of America

Edward A Wojtowicz