A mechanical part-stream sampler includes a housing positionable over a conveyor belt from which material is to be sampled. The housing encases one or more cutter arms and adjustable cutters. The cutter arms rotate 360 degrees such that the cutters extract a sample of material from the conveyor belt and deposit the sample in a discharge chute in the housing for later analysis. A programmable logic controller and human machine interface screen can be used to operate the sampler and to control the timing and speed of the cutter arms.

Apparatus and method deliver consecutive foil leaves of a selected length from a supply of foil of indeterminate length. An actuator system maintains a cutter at an elevation above a shearing blade, and then releases the cutter, in response to a sensor sensing that a selected length of foil has been delivered, so that the cutter, biased by gravity, drops to shear a foil leaf of selected length from the indeterminate length of foil. Subsequently, the actuator system returns the cutter to the elevation above the shearing blade where the cutter is maintained in readiness for a next-consecutive shearing operation.

Apparatus and method deliver consecutive foil leaves of a selected length from a supply of foil of indeterminate length. An actuator system maintains a cutter at an elevation above a shearing blade, and then releases the cutter, in response to a sensor sensing that a selected length of foil has been delivered, so that the cutter, biased by gravity, drops to shear a foil leaf of selected length from the indeterminate length of foil. Subsequently, the actuator system returns the cutter to the elevation above the shearing blade where the cutter is maintained in readiness for a next-consecutive shearing operation.

A tubular product manufacturing apparatus successively delivers an injection molded tubular shaped body in the delivery direction. The manufacturing apparatus detects a defect on the surface of the molded body passing through the detection position in the delivery direction. The manufacturing apparatus separates a tubular product from the molded body. When a portion having a predetermined length in the molded body passes the detection position without detecting a defect, the manufacturing apparatus separates a tubular product from the molded body, which contains the portion having the predetermined length. When a defect is detected before a portion having the predetermined length in the molded body BT passes through the detection position, the manufacturing apparatus separates the defective tubular product from the molded body. The length of the defective tubular product is shorter than a good product length which is the length of the tubular product including the portion of the predetermined length.

A cutting apparatus includes a first motor to move a carriage, a second motor to cause a cutter to approach a work material, and a controller configured or programmed to control the first motor and the second motor. The controller includes a load detector to detect a load of the first motor, a storage storing a first relationship between the load of the first motor and a supply signal to the second motor, and a cutting pressure controller configured or programmed to control a cutting pressure applied from the cutter to the work material based on the first relationship and the load of the first motor detected by the load detector.

A cutting apparatus includes a first motor to move a carriage, a second motor to cause a cutter to approach a work material, and a controller configured or programmed to control the first motor and the second motor. The controller includes a load detector to detect a load of the first motor, a storage storing a first relationship between the load of the first motor and a supply signal to the second motor, and a cutting pressure controller configured or programmed to control a cutting pressure applied from the cutter to the work material based on the first relationship and the load of the first motor detected by the load detector.

An apparatus for clipping ends of a book of sheets includes a first detector for detecting a first end of the book of sheets, a clipper positioning system and a first clipper including a knife. The clipper positioning system is adapted to automatically position the first clipper to a proposed first clipping position based on the detected first end of the book of sheets. A method of processing a plurality of sheets includes assembling the plurality of sheets into a book of sheets, detecting a first end of the book of sheets to propose a first position for clipping the book of sheets, positioning a first clipper based on the detected first end of the book of sheets, advancing the book of sheets to an infeed conveyor, detecting, the presence of the book of sheets in the infeed conveyor, advancing the book of sheets to the first clipper, clipping the first end of the book of sheets, and advancing the book of sheets from the first clipper.

A stir stick forming assembly for a stir stick dispenser in a beverage vending machine comprises an inlet passage for a tape for forming the stir sticks, an outlet opening for the stir sticks, and, between the inlet passage and the outlet opening, a tape feeding assembly to feed the tape and a tape cutting assembly to transversally cut the tape and form the sticks. The tape feeding and cutting assemblies are driven by a single common electric motor and designed to feed the tape when the electric motor is rotated in one rotation direction and to cut the tape when the electric motor is driven in the opposite rotation direction under the control of a command and control unit.

An apparatus for cutting fiberglass insulation batting with a rotary blade where an elongate section of fiberglass insulation batting is manually pushed into an inlet of the apparatus whereupon the blade bites into the fiberglass insulation batting and whereupon the elongate now split section of fiberglass insulation batting begins to protrude from the outlet of the apparatus, whereupon the protruding sections of fiberglass insulation batting are manually grabbed and pulled through the apparatus further driving the rotary blade and further cutting the fiberglass insulation batting.

An apparatus for cutting fiberglass insulation batting with a rotary blade where an elongate section of fiberglass insulation batting is manually pushed into an inlet of the apparatus whereupon the blade bites into the fiberglass insulation batting and whereupon the elongate now split section of fiberglass insulation batting begins to protrude from the outlet of the apparatus, whereupon the protruding sections of fiberglass insulation batting are manually grabbed and pulled through the apparatus further driving the rotary blade and further cutting the fiberglass insulation batting.