An apparatus and method for cleaving a liquid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a load lock chamber containing a cleaving module, a cryo-cooler, a vacuum chamber configured to receive the cleaving module from the load lock chamber, and a gate valve between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber. The cleaving module is configured to cleave a crystalline sample holder and the liquid sample. The liquid sample includes one or more liquid phase materials and is cleavable by the cleaving module when in the solid phase. The cryo-cooler is configured to cool and/or maintain a temperature of the sample holder and the sample below the melting point of each of the liquid phase materials. The gate valve has at least one opening therein configured to (i) allow the cleaving module to enter and exit the vacuum chamber and/or (ii) permit gaseous communication between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber.

Disclosed herein are plaster boards that include first and second layers of hardened plaster material, a liner attached to the first layer of hardened plaster material, and a first material (e.g., a polymer material such as a viscoelastic polymer) adhered between the liner and the second layer of hardened plaster material. The liner includes one or more structurally weakened regions each extending substantially from a first edge to a second opposing edge of the plaster board. The structurally weakened regions of the liner may facilitate creation of a fissure that propagates substantially within a plane within the plaster board. Methods for making the plaster boards may involve drying wet plaster material while it is in contact with a liner having structurally weakened regions, processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with wet plaster material, or processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with hardened plaster material.

An optical fiber cutter includes a base that includes a pair of clamps, a blade member moving base that includes a disk-shaped blade member and is configured to move the blade member and bring an outer circumferential edge of the blade member into contact with a surface of the optical fiber, and a pressing that press-bends a scratched portion of the optical fiber to cut the optical fiber. The blade member is rotatably fixed to the blade member moving base to change a position of the outer circumferential edge to be in contact with the optical fiber. The base further includes a rotating member that is rotatably fixed to the base and configured to rotate to transmit power to rotate the blade member, and power transmission between the blade member and the rotating member is releasable.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for removing material from a surface of a carrier. The apparatus comprises a buckling mechanism that comprises a gripper configured to engage the material. When engaged with the material, the gripper is movable relative to the surface of the carrier to move the material relative to the surface of the carrier and to form a buckle in the material. The apparatus also comprises a separation mechanism that is coupled to the buckling mechanism and comprises a wedge that is movable relative to the surface of the carrier to be insertable into the buckle formed in the material.

A procedure is provided for evaluating the score, snap and edge appearance of wallboard panels, and includes scoring a wallboard panel with a knife at a constant and known force using a benchtop board scoring device; snapping the scored panel in a Universal Board Testing Machine to measure the breaking force, forming a snapped panel edge; measuring a cleanliness of the snapped panel edge by placing a straight edge against the snapped panel edge and measuring gaps between the snapped panel edge and the straight edge in a plurality of locations on a face of the panel, and a plurality of locations on a back of the panel; and averaging all of the measured gaps to create an Index Score.

A device capable of separating a remnant from a product part irrespective of a shape of the remnant. The device includes a first attraction part which attracts a first part and is moved downward; a second attraction part provided movable relative to the first attraction part to attract a second part; a jig which comes into contact with a back surface of the second part to prevent the second part from moving downward; and further a position maintaining part which maintains a position of the second attraction part relative to the first attraction part when the first attraction part is moved downward to separate the first part from the second part.

A method and an apparatus are provided for opening value document packages in which value documents are packaged by a packaging material. A region of the packaging material is heated by hot air such that the packaging material opens along a cutting pattern. A system is also provided that includes such an apparatus and a value document package.

Embodiments of a ticket burster employ a dividing wall that is movable between different positions to facilitate dispensing tickets of different sizes, and a sensor that detects and communicates the position of the dividing wall to a controller. The controller communicates with feed motors to selectively operate feed drive rollers independently or in unison depending upon the detected position of the dividing wall.

A separation unit for separating a web material along preformed lines of weakness. The separation unit includes a first roller, and a second roller having a rotational axis extending parallel with the rotational axis of the first roller. The rotational axis of the second roller is positioned at a distance from the rotational axis of said first roller. Each of the first and second rollers is provided with at least one protrusion element. Outer portions of the protrusion elements on the first roller are partially overlapping with outer portions of the protrusion elements on the second roller with a radial overlap length, thus forming an undulating passage for a web material between the rollers. The distance between the rotational axes of the first and the second rollers is adjustable, enabling the radial overlap length in the undulating passage to be variable. Also, a dispenser including the separation unit.

Systems and methods are described for controlled crack propagation in a material using ultrasonic waves. A first stress in applied to the material such that the first stress is below a critical point of the material and is insufficient to initiate cracking of the material. A controlled ultrasound wave is then applied to the material causing the total stress applied at a crack tip in the material to exceed the critical point. In some implementations, the controlled cracking is used for wafering of a material.