Bell + Howell Company

Datatape Incorporated

Bio Cybernetics International, Inc.

Rafn Stefansson

Dwight G Westover

Thomas J Heinz

Dae Shik Park

Raymond M McManaman

Merle Westover

An orthotic trauma device is provided including an elongated orthosis body adapted to be wrapped around a portion of a body, the orthosis body being formed of a pliant material be easily cut with cloth-cutting scissors; a detachable fastening device provided at distal ends of the elongated orthosis body to releasably secure the distal ends to one another; and means for adjusting the tightness of the orthosis body operatively associated with the detachable fastening device. A pulley system for use in an orthotic device includes a pair of pulley banks arranged in a first and second of the pair of pulley banks detachably connected to a first distal end and a second distal end of the orthosis body respectively, a first bank of which is adapted to be detachably disposed on a first distal end of an elongated orthosis body and a second bank of pulleys adapted to be detachably disposed on a second distal end of the elongated orthosis body; and a cable interconnecting the two pulley banks and running through a pulley on each of the pulley banks in alteration, such that shortening of the cable pulls the pulley banks together and tightens the orthotic device with the aid of a mechanical advantage.

Orthotic trauma device

A magnetic tape cassette recording/reproducing apparatus includes a magnetic tape cassette loader which allows easy insertion and removal of a cassette relative to the apparatus and which positively locks the cassette within the apparatus during recording and reproducing operations. The magnetic tape cassette loader includes a cassette holder that is tiltable and slidable relative to the recorder to permit easy insertion and removal of a cassette therein; a handle and latch assembly for handling and latching the cassette holder in the recorder; and an interlock mechanism for locking and unlocking the latch mechanism in response to actuation by a magnetic tape threading apparatus.

Magnetic tape cassette recorder having a slidably and tiltably mounted

Methods and apparatus for printing information on a sheet of material provide a circular platen with a first peripheral portion having a first radius and a second peripheral portion having a second radius exceeding the first radius. Such circular platen is mounted for rotation about an axis adjacent a print head. A sheet entry gap is provided between the platen and the print head by moving the first peripheral portion about the mentioned axis into first proximity to the print head, and a sheet is entered into such entry gap between the platen and the print head. A print gap relative to the print head is provided by moving the second peripheral portion of the platen about the mentioned axis into second proximity to the print head at the entered sheet. Since the mentioned first proximity is larger than the latter second proximity, jamming of the entering sheet at the print head is effectively avoided. On the other hand, the resulting smaller proximity readily permits realization of whatever small print gaps are typically required by dot-matrix print heads or other printing devices which print the desired information on the sheet at the print gap.

Information printing methods and apparatus

Methods and apparatus for transporting sheets from a stack advance each top sheet from the stack in turn to a first location and reject any adjacent sheet moving along with such top sheet from the stack. The advancing top sheet is driven at the first location away from the stack at a predetermined speed, which is preferably higher than the speed at which each sheet is advanced to the first location, whereby a delay may be realized between the time a given sheet leaves the first location and the time at which the next succeeding sheet is advanced at the first location. Each advanced top sheet is also engaged at a second location while such top sheet is still being driven at the first location until such top sheet has been driven past the first location. At that time, such engaged top sheet at the second location is accelerated away from the first location at a speed higher than the mentioned predetermined speed, so that successive sheets are positively separated from each other, preferably by intervening gaps, in the disclosed transporting systems.

Sheet feeder systems

Methods and apparatus for transporting a sheet first toward and then along a registration edge provide a support for the sheet having a sheet support surface adjacent the registration edge and a first drive wheel rotatable about a first axis for driving the sheet on the support surface. A second drive wheel rotatable about a second axis extending at right angles to the support surface is provided at the first drive wheel. Such first wheel is initially positioned at an angle to the registration edge and is rotated with the second wheel through a third wheel about the first axis, with the sheet being brought into peripheral engagement with the first drive wheel to transport the sheet on its support surface to the registration edge. The third wheel with the first wheel is then swiveled about the second axis and about the second wheel, toward parallel relationship with the registration edge. The swiveled first wheel is then further rotated with the second wheel through the third wheel about the first axis to transport the sheet along the registration edge. In practice, the third wheel with the first wheel may be laterally moved relative to the second wheel equidistantly about the second axis to swing the first wheel toward parallel relationship with the registration edge.

Angular-linear sheet transports

Methods and apparatus for ascertaining movement of a device from a first position to a second position couple a ratchet member and pawl combination to that movable device. Clicks indicative of the movement of the device are generated by effecting relative motion between the ratchet member and pawl in accordance with the movement of the device from the first to the second position. An ascertainment is then made from the generated clicks whether the movement of the device has in fact resulted in the desired movement from the first to the second position. The invention is of particular utility in the monitoring of character segments in printing devices, but is not limited to such an application.

Position monitoring methods and apparatus

Methods and apparatus for handling or for stacking sheets provide servo power and pass the sheets seriatim from a first region to a second region. The provided servo power is transmitted through each of the sheets during passage thereof from the first region to the second region and the sheets are handled or stacked in the second region with the transmitted servo power.

Growing community of inventors

San Marino, CA, United States of America

Rafn Stefansson