text:
110 W. New York Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
School-referendum recount continues at Elections Office in DeLand; may finish this evening
Elections supervisor: Outcome unlikely to change
By Pat Andrews
posted Nov 12, 2012 - 2:31:26pm
UPDATED 3:45 P.M. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14 — The Canvassing Board and elections workers continued the recount of the school-tax referendum this afternoon. They hoped to finish sometime this evening.
"We finished the precincts, and now, this is all early voting," Elections Supervisor Ann McFall said, as workers fed ballot pages through scanners.
There has been no significant change in the vote tallies, she and canvassing board members Joyce Cusack, who is vice chair of the County Council, and Judge David Foxman said.
Foxman said it's normal to see a little difference in any recount.
He first served on the Canvassing Board during the August primaries, and Foxman said it has been a very good experience. It gives him a new appreciation for the process, and for the elections workers.
The workers continued until 10:30 p.m. last night, and, "They're already here when I get here in the morning," he added.
McFall and Cusack both agreed the now-tired workers have done an outstanding job.
Cusack, whom County Chair Frank Bruno tapped to sit on the board in his place because he was running for office, said of the experience, "It gives me a whole new respect for sitting on the Canvassing Board. It's a long, tedious process, with no room for error. It's truly democracy at work."
Meanwhile, the School Board is working on Plan B — what to do without the extra funds the additional tax would have generated.
UPDATED 6 A.M. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14 — After a day of work and little indication that the results would change, Volusia County Elections Supervisor Ann McFall asked School Superintendent Margaret Smith whether she wanted to call off a recount of the Nov. 6 votes on a 1-mill tax for schools.
Smith and School Board attorney Mike Dyer declined, McFall said.
"I would have been happy to stop," the elections supervisor said.
McFall estimated the first two days of the recount had cost the county around $35,000.
On Tuesday, Elections Office workers continued to re-scan ballot pages on which voters had marked their preference concerning the new tax, which the School Board had hoped would help cover a $25 million annual deficit and forestall teacher layoffs.
The extra tax, which would have lasted for four years, would have added about $100 a year to the property-tax bill on a homestead worth $125,000.
The tax lost at the polls Nov. 6, with 103,948 "no" votes and 103,039 "yes" votes.
Because the difference was less than half of 1 percent, the recount that began Nov. 12 was automatic. However, the losing party — in this case, the School Board — could call it off if it appeared the outcome was unlikely to change.
Smith didn't want to take the matter to the School Board, McFall said.
On Tuesday, McFall said the tally so far had changed by six fewer "yes" votes and 11 fewer "no" votes. More than 900 votes would have to change to affect the outcome.
McFall expected the recount might be complete sometime today, Nov. 14.
"We're running precinct tapes now," McFall said Tuesday evening.
Poll workers continued to pass ballot pages through scanners as she spoke.
Kitty Garber of the Florida Fair Elections Coalition was at the Elections Office in the Volusia County Historic Courthouse to observe the recount. She said most of the most of the ballot-scanning machines were performing well, though they have a few years on them.
REPORTED EARLIER: The Volusia County School Board hoped to win support for a 1-mill extra property tax, generating an extra $26 million each of the next four years, to fund local schools. That hope was shattered by the unofficial election results.
The "no" votes totaled 50.22 percent, and "yes" votes, in favor of adding the additional property tax, trailed with 49.78 percent of the vote.
The difference is .44 percent of the 234,662 votes cast on the referendum, less than half a percent, which triggers an automatic recount. That is now under way, Monday, Nov. 12, in the Volusia County Historic Courthouse, 125 W. New York Ave. in DeLand.
Today, absentee ballots — 62,348 of them — are being re-scanned, under the eye of the Canvassing Board — Elections Supervisor Ann McFall, Judge David Foxman, and Volusia County Council Vice Chair Joyce Cusack. On those ballots, 6,514 voters didn't vote on the school-tax amendment, McFall said. As she spoke, poll workers re-scanned just one page of the absentee ballots — the page containing the vote on the referendum.
When that work is finished, elections staff will start on precinct results, probably this afternoon, scanning only the page containing the school-tax referendum vote.
Read our story on the referendum vote, and readers' comments.
All ballots containing undervotes, with no preference indicated on the referendum, and overvotes, with both "yes" and "no" marked, will be set aside and kept accessible, in case they are needed for a manual recount.
McFall said she doubts a manual recount will be necessary, nor does she suspect the recount will change the election results. That would require at least 900 more "yes" votes than were tabulated after the polls closed.
"Will 900 be found? I do not think so," McFall said.
The recount should be complete sometime tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 13, she said.
These results must be reported to the state by 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15; if a manual recount is necessary, it will be ordered.
The official certification of the election, or the official results of the Nov. 6 general election, must be submitted to the Florida Department of State no later than noon Sunday, Nov. 18.
Reader Comments
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The school board spent $11,000.00 to lease a web-based event calendar for a year. If you don't mind, because Margaret Smith recommended a "renewal", I can only assume they have leased this for a minimum of two years. I'm now going to use the figure of $22,000.00 (minimum)
Let's start here, this is my domain and it is kind of a shell where I use it for testing things like this. I've taken the liberty of installing an event calendar here:
If you go there and click on the event listed for November 20th.. the "Organizational School Board Meeting", you'll get a better idea of how it works. I've included something that the $22,000.00 (minimum) school board event calendar doesn't appear to include, and that is a map to the event.. see for yourself by clicking on that date.
It may not look the same visually (and purposely), but let me run down the list of options for the administrator of this event calender. Options include:
Create an event or regularly occurring events, create complex event descriptions with html and images, allow registration for the event, give pre-approval for user event registrations and allow users to create and manage events, subscribe to feeds of the events with any popular organizational tool (like Outlook), there are options to limit the events being displayed, by location, category etc. Full and small sized calendars for placement on the website, Google maps integration, booking options that include a ticket system.. payments.
Yep.. we can even charge and collect payment for facilities rentals.
Want a searchable list?
Event submission?
A quick look at events in list format?
Small calendar for the sidebar of the website? Look at the lower right side of this page:
I could go on.. but just how much more would you need it to do?
So there have it, Mr "engaged".. with a big cup of coffee to keep me company, I've just saved the taxpayers (us!) $22,000.00 (minimum) and I have yet to change out of my pajamas. This is about 1-1/2 hours worth of work.. there is much more that I could do if I wasn't in a hurry to give you an example.
It is not just a complaint, it is a reality.
Margaret Smith and the sitting school board members need to GO.
Again you are 100% correct, so I'll be back later with something to show you that might help change your mind about complaining vs. reality.
.. so as you probably already know Chit, these kinds of contracts are extremely hard to find. Most highly qualified creative people would have done this for a fraction of the cost, and probably been more cutting edge like using a responsive design.
Oh, and then there's that other component whereby companies actually use the people that they are paying handsomely.. to do the jobs they are paid to do.
I know that the out of control spending and lack of accountability within the school board is difficult to understand without examples, so here's one that I'll just throw out into the mix.
There are staggering examples.. if only you look.
The master event calendar on the new and very, Very, VERY expensive school board website that we as taxpayers have now paid for is kind of hard to find so I'll save you the time:
Now let's look at how much that cost us.
On 7/24/2012 The superintendent recommends approval to renew the Software Support Agreement (SSA) with Dean Evans and Associates, Inc., for the continued maintenance of the district's Event Management Systems (EMS) software effective August 2012 - July 2013.
$11,592.00 to lease a web-based event calendar for a year. Let me say that again.. $11,592.00 to lease a web-based event calendar.
This was done during this time:
Dec 13, 2011 Margaret Smith recommends approval (approved) $62,640 - The superintendent recommends approval to enter into an agreement with dataBridge, a Web Development Company, to design and implement the public access website for Volusia County Schools.
Feb 28, 2012 Margaret Smith recommends approval (approved) $42,240 - The superintendent recommends approval of the agreement with SGS Technologies. These services are for the development of the district SharePoint platform supporting the departmental and school website functions including document storage and will also facilitate the build-out of the district and school intranet structure.
August 15, 2012 Margaret Smith recommends approval (approved) $32,000 - The superintendent recommends approval to contract services with dataBridge, LLC (dB) to design and develop a new public-facing template to be used for creating school sites in SharePoint.
What are these people getting paid for.. is there not a ONE of them in this VERY large and VERY well paid "TECHNOLOGY" group with the programming skills to create their own event calendar, is there not ONE person that can respect the fact that this is OUR money they are spending?
Margaret Smith, school board members.. it is time for you to go.
I've said it before and I'll say it again..
They should be ashamed, they should be sorry.. and they should be running for the county line.
$56,674.48 Barnes, Patti Lynn -- Acct Analyst,Telecommunication
$70,619.48 Bridges, Janna C -- Manager, Computer Operations
$30,920.52 Brothers, Doada C -- Assistant Shift Leader
$50,505.00 Dunn, Frankie M -- Network Engineer II
$81,102.44 Engel, Judith A -- Manager, Software Applications
$55,237.52 Finnegan, Thomas Patrick -- Network Engineer II
$50,803.78 Hendrickson, Darlene E -- Information Systems Analyst
$75,713.56 Kilpatrick, James G Senior Systems Engineer
$74,895.48 Marple, Stephen E Manager, Network Engineering
$58,670.13 Rushworth Jr., Robert J Senior Computer Oper Spec
$37,800.52 Brett, Brenda Admin Secretary, MIS
$74,220.52 Steele, William Burdette Senior Systems Engineer
$62,700.00 Sylvia, Alison Quimby Senior Information Sys Analyst
$51,153.46 O'Brien, Jan Turner Specialist, Budget
$67,862.08 Willis, Lynn Senior Network Security Engin
$78,825.56 Woodward, Daniel P Senior Information Sys Analyst
$61,464.52 Testerman, Harold D Systems Engineer III
$36,189.72 Miller, Susan R Technician
$81,102.44 Bateman, Richard J Manager, Software Applications
$48,561.43 Erwin, Danny Wayne Network Engineer I
$45,269.08 Bray, Rosemary Computer Programmer III
$55,876.52 Lind, David E Systems Engineer II
$43,686.92 Hester, Elizabeth E Senior Security Adm Specialist
$26,660.10 Kennedy, Jennifer E Computer Technician
$68,573.56 Houde, Joseph E Systems Engineer III
$41,982.52 Cudlin, Robin Marie Senior Network Technician
$48,054.00 Holloway, Myrna A Computer Programmer III
$35,326.22 Horn, Douglas S Analyst, Forms And Reports
$30,654.23 Pla, Concepcion A Office Specialist II
$69,923.70 Delio, Audrey A Senior Information Sys Analyst
$38,169.44 Leon, James Specialist, Computer Operation
$37,773.94 Hinckley, Lianmei Computer Programmer
$38,149.93 Clayton, Michael Brian Computer Programmer
$36,939.06 Tsai, Mao-Chen Computer Programmer
$45,443.37 Donohue, Karen S Network Engineer I
$38,165.56 Rodenbaugh Jr, Hubert Earl User Support Analyst II
$41,138.68 Ayala, Carlos M Network Engineer I
$47,769.24 Erker, Jim W Computer Programmer
$65,128.25 Richmond, Kenneth D Manager, Systems Engineering
$64,573.50 Aten, Mitchell W Senior Information Sys Analyst
$54,646.72 Willingham, Pamela A Information Systems Analyst
$37,398.63 Williams, Lawanna C Computer Programmer
$21,750.86 Colon, Lisa M Office Specialist II
$28,886.96 Rodriguez, Priscilla E Office Specialist II
$44,373.58 Vaught, William R User Support Analyst II
$33,997.56 Turley, Tracy J Technician, Network
$36,244.10 Hilton, Matthew A Systems Engineer I
$29,570.23 Smith-Crawford, Aaron Technician, Network
$50,725.46 Venkataramani, Kalpana Senior Information Sys Analyst
$35,614.02 Risley, Jay Michael Specialist, Computer Operation
$34,696.48 Foley, Scott James Analyst, User Support
$88,937.37 Hoag, Jennifer J Assistant Director, Reptng Req
$76,125.10 Boulware, Donald P Executive Director, MIS
$67,004.73 Lacey, Bonnie D Analyst, FTE Data
$65,128.25 Leary, Mark Manager, Software Applications (promoted to Asst Director since published)
$84,931.42 Parsons, Keith T Asst Director, Application Sys
$71,641.06 Kennedy, Alex J Asst Dir, Operational Services
$42,383.87 Dykstra, Paula B User Support Analyst II
$41,155.56 Anastario, Carol Senior User Support Analyst
$37,757.45 Vanarsdall, Marianne D User Support Analyst II
$46,039.01 Kaloostian, Gina M Specialist, Student Accounting
$53,840.44 Whitaker, Mark C Senior Computer Technician
$48,240.49 Boudreau, Richard Allan Technician, Media Production
Wages unknown:
McDaniel, Emily - Web Developer
Levene, Jessica - Manager, Lrn Tech & Help Desk
Ackerman, Charles - Specialist, Learning Technology
Goodman, Chad - Technician, Media Production
Orzel, Jerry - Technician, Media Production
This list does not include everyone, there are User Support Analysts that are not showing up on this list. There are probably 12 or so of those positions each making $35,000+ per year. There may be other people and positions in the department missing from the list, as well.
and it is sad that all these highly educated (cough cough) educators DON'T KNOW MATH
not another nickel will the union run public school system see, sorry guys, you wasted all our money and taught our kids that socialism was great.............we won't pay another penny for that.
and I hear complaints of the close LOSS, the LOSS TO AMERICA WAS EVEN MORE RAZER THIN when you do the math in a nation where 200 million can vote.................2.5 million was the win, but you liberals are thrilled with that 'thin' victory but hate this one
liberals - our gas has doubled, our fees on everything have tripled, our food has tripled and you boys want MORE????
180 DAYS A YEAR in complete comfort.............and you 'checks for life' and CAN'T BE FIRED????
NO MO MONEY UNTIL WE SEE EVERY UNION WORKERS' PAYCHECK IN THE BUNCH. I want to know what union dues you boys are paying to the thugs AND STEALING FROM OUR CHILDREN
Yes, most of the problem is the bloated administration. But I still blame the lazy ***parents who do not care about the education of their children. Yes, some of these are in the so called "middle class."
My concern is that too many people will complain and then when election time comes around the status quo remains!
People, let's put words into actions and replace our School Board. That is a first step. In fact, can a School Board be abolished as one was in California?
Mr. "Letters?".. uh.. no.
Mr. Strickland makes some great points, as do others here. Times are changing and there is an emerging activism that will force change at the school board.
We know you're stinging from the loss of the tax hike. Be creative, do something different. Stop being afraid of change.
Look at the $74 million dollars paid to Volusia County vendors.. my money says there is some fat there. You have to start somewhere, and you have to actually want to start.
Stop the normal knee jerk reaction and try managing with some humility. Don't put a lot of energy into someone outside of the school board giving insight into what you do.. try to fix the things that defy logic fiscally.
I will part ways with at least one other and NOT lump in the teachers or support staff.. or even the school based management.
All of the accountability should fall on the shoulders of Margaret Smith and the school board members, first and foremost for allowing what is being allowed to happen.
There are some ways to save money.
1. Hire a new Superintendent and not pay $265,000 (salary and benefits). A younger, smarter person who actually is an innovator in education.
2. Phase out the bus system and work with Votran to provide transportation, one government bus system is enough.
3. Reduce administration posions by half. Especially in the county offices where whole floors of offices are filled with people administrering this that and the other, Mostly managing paperwork and getting in the way of teachers.
4. Principals should work for teachers. Principals need to focus on helping teachers teach and not getting a raise or job in the county office. Currently principals owe their jobs to the Superintendent and have no loyalty to teachers.
Well, you get the idea. We could do it better and way differently.
Can you pleae provide a copy of the letter that YOU sent? Thanks.
Which one are you, anyway? I hate to have to keep referring to you as "enraged", it's just so informal.
Anyway yeah.. you are 100% correct, all of that milking of the system was starting to become a real burden on me and I resigned more out of fatigue than anything else. No one can put up with that kind of **** for long, geez.
Moving on, any other moves to give Aramark more money for less service and older equipment lately?
I referenced the Beacon story and my opinion that her statement was powerful.. and asked if she believes that the majority of Volusia County voters do not see the value of education, or if she was misquoted by the Beacon.
Her reply:
Dear Mr. Hale,
I was not misquoted...just coming from a different perspective.
Thank you for your request for comment/information.
Candace Lankford, District 1
Volusia County School Board
... the following was printed:
Lankford noted the school referendum lost by less than 1 percent of the vote. "It's heartbreaking," Lankford said. "And I think it's very shortsighted to not see the real value of education."
I have written her for a clarification (though she has not answered earlier requests).. it looks simple enough to understand, though.
Candace Lankford believes that the majority of Volusia County voters do not see the value of education.
What more do you need to know about this over paid part-time elitist?
BUT THE ONE THING THAT WOULD SAVE US ALL (TAX PAYERS), IS THE REMOVAL OF dr. smith. IT'S TIME FOR NEW MANAGEMENT AT THE TOP.
"Volusia County Elections Supervisor Ann McFall asked School Superintendent Margaret Smith whether she wanted to call off a recount of the Nov. 6 votes on a 1-mill tax for schools.
Smith and School Board attorney Mike Dyer declined, McFall said.
McFall estimated the first two days of the recount had cost the county around $35,000"
It is a culture of arrogance, nepotism, disrespect for employees as employees, as parents, and as taxpayers. The absolute refusal to cultivate ideas and input from good, intelligent, thinking people.
It is bad.
Don't believe me? Ask the actual working people (not the money wasters) in their Technology department about the $250,000.00 that was spent on support software. Bloated, commercial software that they continually gravitate towards.
While you are at it, ask them why they have highly paid programmers employed.. that do not do any programming.
When times are tough, you turn to your people and ask for their help and input.. you don't slam the door in their face because of some convoluted insecurities.
Margaret Smith is either a willing participant in the gross mismanagement of our money, or she is irresponsibly out of touch. Either way she needs to go as a way of sending a strong message to our School Board members that this kind of old school "educational establishment" way of operating, is over.
Then each of the school board members should be challenged in elections with vigor.. and simply showing their record will make a case for their replacement.
I challenge anyone to look through the minutes of past school board meetings:
.. and see if you can find even one meeting or vote where a school board member has cast a vote of dissent, after the queen has made her recommendation to approve especially as it relates to spending the taxpayer (our!) money.
Go ahead, at a minimum it will make for interesting reading.
Technology could help people learn to think which might be the best possible goal for our education system. Standardized test check the facts and not the processes of thinking. Textbooks contain errors because so many are outdated. Charles Dickens wrote of Mr.. Gradgrind, who just wanted to teach the facts, in the 19th century. This is the 21st century and we must do it differently in order to get a better outcome.
The financial well-being of any school district relies on the forward vision of its Superintendent and its board members.
There is no dedication, resourcefulness, or creativity on the part of the Volusia County School Board.
If you are not a part of the "back patting" circle of the grossly overpaid, as an employee of the Volusia County School Board with ideas or concerns you are considered a threat, or a "problem".
Arrogance. We need to keep digging, and we are.
As a previous poster correctly pointed out , the methods used to teach our kids ,are NOT working !!!! Does not any ONE in the School Board or the State look at the statistics and say "hey , maybe there's a problem here"? Apparently they don't. It's easier to say we need more money or else your childs education will suffer. Well guess what? It's too late. You are already failing not only my child but far too many children to get one more penny from us. Additionally over 60% of the students at this school receive either free or reduced lunch. Do you really think these parents can afford another tax hike? Ridiculous.
As suggested , it's time to go back to the basics. Families and businesses alike have had to cut back , looks like the School Board will FINALLY have to do the same. The fat is always thickest at the top - start there.
I would love to see the School Board administrators working and being tested in 30-40 year old portables with intermittent heat and air (if any), trying to learn from teachers that literally have mostly their own interest at heart. If it's good enough for my kids , it should be good enough for them.
This is but the tip of the iceberg on why I voted against this referendum , and until things change for the benefit of the students , I will continue to say no to ANY additional funding requests.
P.S. According to a couple of the Dads I've heard voice an opinion - they love the Principal and her wardrobe. I believe the term used was she dresses like a pole dancer. Another great example being set by our "leaders".
Then, I would send the trouble kids to ALC (Alternative Learning Centers) or to a home or to jail, etc instead of bouncing them from school to school. This would weed out these kids and the ones who want to learn won't be shifted all over the place due to the silly Class Size Amendment.
I would offer the option of allowing kids go to half day in school and half day on the internet. This should cut down on waste. And if there are some kids who cannot do this, I am sorry. My wife and I are teaching our kids outside of school anyway, so why not allow us parents to benefit from teaching our kids.
Finally, the current method of teaching kids is not working. We need a creative Board that can think outside of the box. Of course, this Board does not know how to think beyond some memo from Dr. Smith.
Do not vote one PENNY to this school board or county.
This county is all about wasteful spending as Pat Northey..Carl Persis and Frank Bruno
It does not matter how much money they get they will use the money to indirectly buy votes with it.
How we have this old and fading matronly leader of the gang.. "Ma" Garrett-Smith, and while the movie doesn't address it directly, her actions suggest to the viewer that there are early signs of dementia settling in.
Once the criminal mastermind, we sit in bewilderment as she hands over more and more of the gang's power to the unscrupulous (even by gang standards) Ty "Knee" Riceslinger.
The film documents the rise to power by the Ty "Knee" Riceslinger gang aided by his faithful personal assistant (wink, wink), Chinese underwear launderer and part-time hair stylist Yon Roung. We also have the Riceslinger heralded vacuum cleaner salesman/7-11 cashier/Kelly Girl turned enforcer - Dave "The Heel" Stiletto (oh stop it.. that tickles!), Charlie "Navy Seal(ed) With a Kiss" Gravedigger who can be seen here:
..and the clueless but well meaning screw-up Joe "The Mortar" Forder.
But I won't.
I could talk about the taxpayer expenses related to scuba-diving expeditions, the queen's carriage being repaired under the cover of darkness, less than honest men in high positions using school facilities for personal use, the "Schooldude" debacle, a $35,000 sidewalk to nowhere, the "4 Men and a Bucket" roofing crew, the logic defying and laughable way in which they have somehow convinced Margaret Smith that stripping schools of their "site-based" management of school custodians and the results (the results being schools that are not clean, at a higher cost), their "odd" and expensive relationship with an outside contractor, their policy of "ask no questions or become a marked man" and on and on, and yes.. even Jesus sandals.
But I won't.
Put the school board members on notice that if they do not replace her with a forward thinking and progressive business minded person, THEY WILL BE NEXT.
The move is underfoot right now.. Mr. and Mrs. school board member.
Your arrogance is being exposed.
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Mali is a country well known for its strong musical traditions. In a country where music is viewed as part of a cultural heritage, it is especially used as a means through which history is recorded. Music is considered to be Mali's "greatest and most important export product". It is also a tool of resistance. While most of Mali's popular musicians have been from the southern part of the country, northern Mali holds up as its own. A few of Mali's most renowned musicians are from the North, and thi … [Read more...]
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Two weeks ago, I wrote a post discussing the attempt among Muslim leaders in Russia to prove that Russian Muslim women are modern and fashionable, unlike Muslims elsewhere. Soon after, fashion made headlines again, this time in the case of Mali, with Yahoo! News reporting on Darkar Fashion Week 2012.The event, which takes place in Senegal, has been attracting designers from all over Africa for the past ten years. The event has been reported to attempt to bring Africa forward in the … [Read more...]
Khaira Arby, The "Nightingale of Mali"
"My voice is a gift from God." Khaira Arby in an interview with Steve Hochman for Spinner.Reading through a list of upcoming acts at my local music venue, I came across a woman whose name I hadn't heard of before—Khaira Arby. Intrigued, I clicked on her act to learn more about her.Singing in four languages, Arby hails from Mali and performed in March at the SXSW music festival. Her latest album, Timbuktu Tarab (translated as "Timbuktu my land"), was released in 2010 to critical acclaim. In Ma … [Read more...]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Assistance programs help customers cut energy usageWritten by Kristen Criswell | | firstname.lastname@example.com
Columbia Gas of Ohio is offering customers assistance in reducing their gas bills through its new energy assistance program.
The program, Home Performance Solutions, starts with a home energy audit that identifies energy leakages within a home. Customers receive an audit report breaking down the problems and listing the estimated costs of repairs and estimated annual savings of the repairs. Customers who make suggested renovations using pre-qualified contractors are eligible for rebates.
"We've created a number of programs to help people use less gas, and the first step is figuring out where they need the help," said Chris Kozak, communications and community relations manager at Columbia Gas of Ohio. "We identify where the leaks are and then we know what sort of steps need to be taken to lower gas usage."
Approximately 20 percent of a person's gas bill is delivery costs, while 80 percent is price of the commodity, Kozak said. Home Performance Solutions is aimed at helping customers attack the largest portion of their gas bill, he said.
Columbia Gas customer Mary, who requested her last name not be used, had an audit performed on her 1950s-built home earlier this year. Following the audit, Mary made suggested repairs to her home to help lower her gas bill, she said.
While Mary can't determine her savings yet, as it's just getting colder, her house has been holding its temperature, she said.
"It's about the same all during the day and night even when it's warm or it's cold. Before it was on and off, on and off," Mary said. "I would highly suggest [the program]. I think people are very silly not to follow the suggestions because over the years the gas has gone up and the electric has gone up, why not try this? It's worthwhile."
Home energy audit
During a home energy audit, an energy auditor from Conservation Services Group (CSG) inspects a home and performs a number of energy efficiency tests.
Tim Yenrick, executive director of the American Red Cross Greater Toledo Area Chapter, had a home energy audit performed Oct. 8 to see what improvements could be made to his 1927 house. Yenrick paid the full fee for the audit.
"It's an older house so we're always putting money into it. If this is a way to save a few dollars in the long run, I'm interested in it," Yenrick said.
The energy auditor began his examination of Yenrick's home looking at walls using an infrared thermography camera. The camera helps measure differences in temperature, identifying areas of walls that lack insulation, said Justin Reed, energy auditor for CSG.
"There is no insulation or little insulation in the wall with color changes on the screen," he said.
The camera can also help identify areas of the home that may suffer leakage from the outside, Reed said. After completing a walk-through of the home with an infrared camera, Reed examines the attic, storage space and basement for energy inefficiencies.
"I check for areas where wires run into the attic or pipes into the attic. I look at areas like the chimney chase," he said. "I also look at the venting of the attic — it needs to be ventilated to allow heat and moisture to leave the attic area. Obviously, I look at if the insulation is there and how deep the insulation is."
Reed said insulation needs to be at least 10 inches thick to meet code and the more compressed insulation is, the lower its R-value, meaning less efficiency. Throughout the inspection, an auditor would note the lack of insulation and leakages for later tests within the house and for input into a computer following the audit, Reed said.
The next step in the home energy audit is examining the gas lines, furnace and water heater for gas leakages and checking the gas stove and oven for carbon dioxide output.
"We check to make sure [the burners] are not putting out a high level that could be hazardous to the occupants," Reed said. "We don't want anything to put high levels of CO2, when we're recommending making everything tighter."
In Yenrick's home, a small leak was found on a gas pipe entering his basement, and Columbia Gas was called out that afternoon for repairs.
"There are no minor gas leaks and any we find we'll send someone out right away to repair," Kozak said, noting that home energy audits can improve a home's safety.
The last portions of the home energy audit are the blower door test and testing the efficiency of the water heater and furnace.
During the blower door test, negative pressure of 50 pascals is created throughout the house, Reed said. By measuring the cubic feet of air per minute at that pressure, the amount of leakages within the home can be determined, he said. While the house has negative pressure, tests on the water heater and furnace are performed.
Following an audit, a computer analyzes the cost-effectiveness of making upgrades and the auditor provides a list of pre-qualified contractors to work on the house.
Yenrick found the audit helpful and hopes to implement some of the suggestions made, he said.
"We've already called three contractors and all three of them are coming in and making bids," Yenrick said. "They did a thorough job. The programmable thermostat was well worth the time and effort."
Through Home Performance Solutions, the home energy audit, a $500 value, is only $50. Those who participate in the home energy audit qualify for up to four energy efficient shower heads and a programmable thermostat, which will be installed the day of the audit.
The shower heads and thermostat have an estimated savings of up to $180 a year. The energy efficient shower heads save 2,737 to 3,650 gallons of water a year per person, saving on water bills as well, Kozak said.
Repairs and rebates
Rebates are available for customers who use pre-qualified contractors to make suggested energy-saving renovations. Each rebate amount depends on the work being performed and the number of suggested repairs being made, Reed said. Customers can qualify for rebates of up to 60 percent of the cost.
Individuals who have the home energy audit are welcome to use their own contractors, but won't be eligible for rebates on the repairs.
In addition, from now until the end of the year, if customers complete a recommendation that appears on their energy audit within 30 days, they can receive $250 from Columbia Gas, Kozak said.
Warm choice
Free energy audits and repairs are available for those who qualify through Neighborhood Housing Services and Columbia Gas' Warm Choice program.
Individuals and families with an income under 200 percent of the federal poverty level may qualify. For more information, visit www.nhstoledo.org.
Currently, there is a four-to-five-week wait for a home energy audit in Toledo, Kozak said.
First Energy does not offer an in-home audit, but has a free online tool that Toledo Edison customers can use to find ways to save energy. Customers can visit www.energysaveohio.com and use their Toledo Edison bill to access a self-audit, said Mark Durbin, First Energy spokesman.
"It's a handy online tool. You enter what your house is like and plug in information and it can tell how much energy you're using and how you can save money," he said.
For more information, visit www.columbiagasohio.com/hps. To schedule a home energy audit, call 1-877-644-6674.
Let us help you cut your energy costs!
Columbia Gas of Ohio and Toledo Free Press are teaming up to help you save money with a special mail-in insert deal.
For $5, individuals will receive an energy-saving programmable thermostat valued at $80. Details will be published in the Oct. 24 Toledo Free Press and will be available online through www.toledofreepress.com, www.twitter.com/toledofreepress and www.facebook.com/toledofreepress.


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Walks through the process of understanding the MODO workflow while learning to create 3D models and animations.
"Thank you for the great teachers, training, wide subject matter, and affordable pricing." —Bud S.
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Residents across Western Mass. looking to 'pay it forward'
Jason Dimitropolis, a Wilbraham firefighter and paramedic, worked around-the-clock as a first responder after the June 1 tornadoes hit Western Massachusetts. After experiencing the tragedy himself, he feels a connection to the tornado victims in the Midwest.
Were all in this together no matter where were from, he said.
His line of work is one where you act. So on Monday he boarded a plane to Indiana to help with the relief effort in Henryville where a category EF-4 tornado hit on Friday. He brought only a backpack with a few changes of clothes, food and donations such as gift cards, compact lens kits and towels to bring to victims.
Where is he going to sleep? He doesn't know. But, he packed a hammock just in case.
"If you know someone involved, if you're exposed to it long enough, it's going to affect you," he said.
For residents who can't make the trek to the Midwest, they are pulling their resources at home.
It meant a lot to us after our tornado -- the outpouring of support we got, said Monson resident, Kimberly Luscombe-Baker. Now the Monson volunteer team has said OK, heres a chance to give back."
Since last week, Monson residents have been actively pooling their resources to assist those living in Harrisburg, Illinois -- one of the communities hit hardest by the tornadoes. The small town of 9,000 residents, a size similar to Monson, was devastated by a category EF-4 tornado last Wednesday. The tornado damaged approximately 300 homes and reportedly killed six people.
Though Monson fared better on June 1, the recent outbreak of 109 tornadoes across 10 states has brought a flood of traumatic memories back to residents, many of which feel compelled to help the victims in the Midwest.
'They seem to be having the same issues and have the same questions: 'Where do we go for this, how do we know who needs help,'" said Karen King, the founder of Monson's Street Angels. King also set up a Facebook group for Harrisburg residents to mirror the efforts of the Monson Facebook group. The group, Harrisburg Tornado Help has garnered more than 100 "likes" since it was created last Friday.
The Monson Facebook page was filled with discussions on how Monson could help in the recovery and Luscombe-Baker initiated an effort to purchase gift cards at local stores such as Krogers, Home Depot, CVS, Walmart and more so that victims can buy supplies they need to recover. She is also acting as a collection point for care packages to send the Harrisburg Fire Department. Luscombe-Baker said she got the idea from a friend who used to live in "tornado alley," but wasnt sure how to get started at first.
I could have said to one friend wouldnt this be a great idea and nothing wouldve happened. But I posted the idea in the Monson Facebook group and presto! she said.
Monson Tornado Watch 2011 is an active Facebook group with more than 2,000 members that has been instrumental in Monsons recovery, from organizing volunteer efforts to acting as a pool of resources and information.
Drawing upon her networking experiences after last Spring's tornado, King, a realtor at REMAX Prestige, contacted realtor, Cheryl Winters in Harrisburg to answer some questions residents were having.
King said Winters was grateful for the advice and said, "This is what humanity is about; paying it forward."
Anna Meiler can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Follow her on Twitter @anna_meiler
Photo Courtesy of: Paula Nelson/AME Photography: firstname.lastname@example.com
View more pictures of the tornado destruction.
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About the authors
Students in Steve Fox's Investigative Journalism & the Web class at UMass-Amherst have teamed up with the Globe to take a close-up look at the painful process of rebuilding from the June 2011 tornadoes that killed four and devastated communities in the Springfield area. Their work will also appear in the Boston Globe. Steve joined the journalism faculty at UMass-Amherst in 2007 and has 25 years of experience as an editor and reporter for print and online publications, including 10 as an editor at The Washington Post's award-winning website.


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National Guard Bureau
WASHINGTON, July 28, 1998 The International Year of the Ocean
What is a tsunami?
A cataclysmic wave generated by undersea earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
How many eggs does a shrimp produce in one spawning?
About 500,000
(Approximately 400 million pounds are caught in the United States per year, with Texas and Louisiana having the biggest catches)
How much sea water evaporates into the atmosphere in a typical year?
About 80,000 cubic miles -- enough to put the contiguous United States under 372 feet of water
(Approximately 24,000 cubic miles returns to land as rain, sleet and snow)
If you could remove all the salt from the oceans, how much land would it cover?
Spread evenly over all of Earth's land surfaces, the salt would be more than 500 feet thick
How many miles of coastline does the United States have?
95,000 miles
What connection do peanut butter and toothpaste have with the ocean?
Both contain carrageenan, which comes from sugars found in marine red algae


text: Exclusive to The Stationery Studio! A 2-Pad Set in White or Ecru Paper. Enjoy 100 sheets per pad. Set includes 2 pad which are 5.5" x 8.5". Total 200 sheets. All pads printed with same imprint. Typestyle only as shown. Flat printed in your favorite ink color. Enjoy our coordinating note cards also available! Pen not included. The initial design and the text will all be printed in your selected ink color.


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Häggån Project
Ownership: 100% Aura
Aura's wholly owned Häggån Project is in the top two largest undeveloped uranium resources globally, covering 110 square kilometres in the Storsjön District in Central Sweden. The Häggån Project forms part of a large uranium field where the uranium occurs with molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and zinc in black shales. The first uranium operation from the Alum Shale began at Kvarntorp in southern Sweden in 1965. The shales form a near continuous sheet throughout the section of the project that Aura drilled in its 2008 -2011 programmes, with thicknesses ranging between 20 metres to more than 250 metres.
In relation to metallurgical testwork, Aura has received exceptional results from two stages of bacterial heap leaching, with tests indicating up to 85% uranium extraction, as well as 58% nickel and 18% molybdenum. Bacterial heap leaching is a widely-used, low cost extraction technology which has demonstrated value at the Talvivaara nickel copper mine in Finland. Click here to view the bacterial heap leaching process.


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While working on my story for the December issue of COMMENTARY about the twentieth anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, I spoke with Pavel Palazchenko, who was Mikhail Gorbachev's translator and advisor during Gorbachev's term in office, and with Robert Amsterdam, who until two years ago represented the jailed "oligarch" Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Both men had something to say about the future of Russian democracy.
Given the steady protest movement and pro-democracy momentum we're seeing in Russia I think they are worth sharing. Here is what Palazchenko told me about the current Russian "stability" versus the drive for change:
So far as whether this is some kind of stasis and that this is here to stay for a long time, no I don't think so. I believe that Russia will make another attempt to create a democratic society or a society that is closer to the democratic ideal than what we have now…
Why is Russia less than Turkey or Mongolia or Estonia or other countries where there is democracy today, [even] imperfect democracy?
Russia is not backwards. People are educated, young people have a chance to travel…. Based on what I see around myself, they are no different from others and absolutely, definitely they will–when the circumstances are right–they will not only demand democracy but I think they will be more ready for democracy than people think.
For his part, Amsterdam directly challenged the popular theory that Russians aren't interested in or cut out for democracy. "Russians have no damage to their national DNA," he told me. "No Russian child is born with a driving desire to lose his freedom. No Russian child is born desperate to have to pay a bribe in order to reach university. It's not in their genetic makeup."
What about those who say a Russian attraction to authoritarianism was forged over centuries of such rule? "Let those people spend a day with Russian democrats, and understand the heroism of Russia," he said.
Will the Russian public be able to upend the status quo? It is no easy task, but this month's protests, coming just in time for the twentieth anniversary of the great liberation of the Russian people, certainly doesn't lack for symbolism.


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Proud WINNERS of the NZ AA "SPIRIT of HOSPITALITY AWARD" 2007 for excellence in home hosting. Absolute lake edge quality accommodation, quite and peaceful, with fly fishing on the doorstep. Great food, warm hospitality. Free use of fishing gear.
Offering luxury accommodation and warm hospitality, Panorama is the perfect retreat where you can relax, unwind and feel at home away from home. You will be close to many attractions and away from Sulphur smells and smoke free.
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|Ken Klein has been in the cosmetics industry for more than 35 years with finished goods houses, as well as raw material suppliers. Before joining Cosmetech Laboratories, Klein was technical director for Van Dyk and prior to that was manager of technical services at Henkel. He is a fellow of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and of the American Institute of Chemists. He is a frequent speaker at scientific conferences in America, as well as in Europe and South America. Klein writes a monthly column for Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine, and has the distinguished honor of being the 2002 recipient of the esteemed Spirit of Sam Award.
Well-known dermatologist Albert Kligman, MD, once said, "Wear a sunscreen every day of your life, or live as shady a life as possible."
There is no doubt that exposure to sun will have deleterious effects on the skin. Some of these effects, such as age spots and wrinkles, may seem minor, and others, such as skin cancer, are quite severe. Years ago, sun worshipers craved exposure to the burning rays and a dark tan was a great thing to have. Teenagers believed that by applying baby oil, they would maximize their tan while getting protection from the sun. Today, everyone knows better—or they should. It has been estimated that for every burn a person experiences during a lifetime, the chance of getting skin cancer increases by 10%.
Sunscreen technology
The world of ultraviolet rays (UV) is divided into the following areas:
UVC (200–290 nm). This radiation is the most energetic, but mainly is absorbed by the ozone layer. Even at the North and South
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No. 2 Express Golf Captures Lakeland Invitational, Clinches OCCAC ChampionshipApril 30, 2013
Concord, OH---The No. 2 Express golf team clinched the OCCAC championship today with a first place finish in the Lakeland Invitational at Little Mountain Golf Course.
The victory marks the fifth straight OCCAC tournament championship for the Express this year. Today marked the closest victory of the five.
The Express shot a 300 as a team, five shots better than Columbus State. Cincinnati State (309), Lakeland (324) and Lorain County (345) rounded out the five team field.
Ash Alstadt of Columbus State and Matt Nickoson of Cincinnati State each shot a 72 to take home first place individually.
The Express was led by Darren Gessner, who shot a 73 to tie for third place, while Jason Glass (74) finished just behind him, Brandon Hoelzer(75), Blaze Hogan (76), Luke Berger (76) and Walter Dorosh (77) finished in seventh through 10th place.
Timothy Dawkins was the final Express golfer. He shot an 82.
The Express captured their fourth OCCAC championship today. It is their first title since 2009.
With one OCCAC tournament left this season, the Express can't fall out of first place even with a last place finish.
Hoelzer remains in first place in the overall individual OCCAC standings, while Gessner sits in third place. Hogan and Berger are in fifth and sixth place.
The Express will host the Owens Invitational at Belmont Country Club on May 5. They will then host a Ryder Cup format tournament the following day, although that day doesn't count in OCCAC standings.


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Abstract available in
Claims available in
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
Feb. 9, 1971 OBERTSON 3,562,041
C.A METHOD AND APPARAT FOR THE ULTRASONIC JOINING OF MATERIALS ACCORDING TO A PATTERN Filed Oct. 26, 1967 v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FINISH PARTS COLLE ON STATION I N VIZN TOR. CLIFFORD A. ROBERTSON his (ATTORNEYS Feb. 9, 1971 c. A. ROBERTSON 3,562,041
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE ULTRASONIC JOINING OF MATERIALS ACCORDING TO A PATTERN Filed Oct. 26. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 Z 5a V "nu u J Mum A m INVENTOR. CLIFFORD A. ROBERTSON BY v saw/4 4%,
hls ATTORNEYS United States Patent 01 ice U.S. Cl. 156-73 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus for the ultrasonic joining of materials according to a pattern, at least one of which contains a thermoplastic. The elements to be joined are engaged between an ultrasonically vibrating member having an elongated working tip and a back-up or anvil means having a narrow raised surface corresponding to the desired pattern. The pattern is formed by moving the backup or anvil means and the materials conjointly relative to the working tip so that the materials are joined in accordance with the pattern; as successive parts of the pattern surface traverse the working tip. The elongation of the working tip is in a direction angled to the direction of motion so as to minimize the area of contact at any instant of time between the working tip and the raised pattern surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the joining of materials, at least one of which contains a thermoplastic, without the application of external heat.
One way of joining'thermoplastic materials or materials containing a thermoplastic is by heating them from an external source to soften or fuse the thermoplastic and permit its fiow. 'Where both materials being joined are thermoplastic and the heat is sufiicient to fuse both of them, the two materials coalesce and upon rehardening become securely joined together. Where only one of the materials is a thermoplastic or where that material is a mixture of a thermoplastic and another material, a bond can still be obtained where the other object has a suitable surface structure by penetration of the fused thermoplastic into the structure of that other object.
While methods involving the direct application of eX- ternal heat to accomplish softening or fusion of the thermoplastic materials generally provide satisfactory results, these methods also have disadvantages which may create serious problems and sometimes make their use impossible. For example, it is not unusual for an object otherwise well suited for manufacture by welding or heat sealing to join together two or more parts to also include parts of materials that would be adversely affected by the high temperature required to fuse the thermoplastic. Among other disadvantages are the high cost of apparatus needed to provide the high temperatures necessary for welding or heat sealing, the amount of space required for the equipment and the need for careful control of the process conditions to avoid burning or distorting the materials. Sometimes, burning or distortion are unavoidable, and some other type of connection, which may be less suitable or more expensive, must be resorted to. In other instances, the design of the product may be compromised by discarding materials that would otherwise be best for the purposes of the object and changing over to materials that can endure the heat of fusion. Also, the structure, geometry or dimensions may have to be altered to adapt the object to the process.
It has heretofore been proposed to employ ultrasonic 3,562,041 Patented Feb. 9, 1971 energy in place of heat to join materials containing thermoplastic. The vibratory energy is converted into heat in localized areas at the region to be bonded without affecting portions of the materials other than at the joint.
Exemplary techniques of joining thermoplastic materials using ultrasonic energy are described in Balamuth et al. U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,224,915, 3,254,402 and 3,272,682, all of which are assigned to the assignee of this invention. These patents concern methods of and apparatus for forming seams which are either straight lines or are in geometric forms which can readily be provided by either shaping the ultrasonic vibrating tool or by imparting motion to the tool relative to the work. Although the techniques of these patents are useful for the purposes that they are intended and provide good results, they are not well adapted to the forming of seams of relatively large area or complex geometry, such as seams extending around irregularly shaped objects or seams that are angularly related, curved, or have angularly related portions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided, in accordance with the present in vention, a novel and improved technique for joining materials, at least one of which contains a thermoplastic, which is especially advantageous for forming seams of irregular shape but is also useful in forming seams of relatively simple geometric form. In general, the apparatus of the invention can be used in any situation in which a single straight or moderately curved form of ultrasonic tool cannot be used. Also, where the seam to be made involves angularly related portions, such as rectilinear shapes and, usually, any shape having a sharp corner, the method and apparatus of the invention may be preferred over those disclosed in the Balamuth et al. patents since the invention can be accomplished to form a seam with only one joining step, whereas the Balamuth et al. methods adapted to such seam forms will usually require several steps to complete the seam with the desired geometry.
More particularly, the method and apparatus of the invention involve the use of a suitable ultrasonic blade or tool having an elongated working tip, such as the tools shown in Kleesattel et al. U.S. Patent No. 3,113,225. The materials to be joined are moved generally transversely relative to longer dimension of the tool, while being urged toward the working tip, thus producing a force pattern between the members to be joined as they traverse the tool that traces out the shape of the seam to be formed. Where, for example, the objects being joined are two sheets of relatively thin material, the static force between the sheets that traces out the shape of the seam is provided by an anvil having a raised surface defining the seam pattern and the anvil is moved conjointly with the two sheets of material being joined relative to the ultrasonic sealing tool. In other instances, the shape of the seam may be defined by an element of one of the objects being joined. For example, the top rim of a container can serve as the anvil or back-up for the ultrasonic tool, and the other member may be a closure for the container. In any event, the objects to be joined and the pattern anvil, where one is used, are moved conjointly relative to the tool, and the seam is progressively formed as the pattern flange or other pattern surface traverses the tool. In referring to moving the objects to be joined and the pattern relative to the tool, it will be understood, of course, that either the objects and the pattern surfaces or the tool may be stationary while the other moves relative to it.
Although other geometric forms of ultrasonic vibrating tool can be used, it is advantageous to use an ultrasonic tool having a straight working tip, inasmuch as a straight tool gives more uniform results in operation and is not as expensive to produce as curved or other forms of tools. It is also preferable to provide a slight convergence in the downstream direction between the operative faces of the working tip of the tool and the anvil or other back-up, thus providing for smoother entry and passage of the objects being joined through the equipment.
Where the method and apparatus are used with relatively flexible materials, such as thin plastic film or fabrics, it may be desirable to impart an added vibratory motion of relatively low frequency, say 1 to 1000 c.p.s., and high amplitude to either the tool or the anvil or other backup to provide an intermittent, wider gap between them and thus facilitate entry of the work materials. This technique can also be employed to vary the seam form, such as to provide a broken-line, partially interrupted, or other varying seam form.
The apparatus of the invention is well adapted for use in automated equipment. For example, a series of anvils may be carried by an endless conveyor which brings them repeatedly and successively past the sealing station. Meanwhile, the objects to be joined can be suitably conveyed to and through the sealing station and then move on to other operating stations, such as a shearing operation for cutting an object out of web materials after the desired seams have been formed.
One important advantage of the invention is the versatility that it provides. For one thing, the method can be employed with various materials, including materials which contain not only thermoplastic materials but other materials as well. Moreover, as mentioned above, only one of the materials need have a thermoplastic content, the other material having a surface structure adapted to be sufiiciently impregnated by the fused thermoplastic material of the first object to form the desired bond between the objects. In addition to being adapted to various materials, the method and apparatus can also be used with various forms of material, such as sheets of various thicknesses, plates and even relatively large masses. The materials may have been previously formed into objects or devices, the objects or devices being of innumerable forms, of hollow or solid construction, and of various materials. Although it is preferable that the seam or seams to be made in a single pass using the apparatus of the invention occur in a single plane, the apparatus and technique can be adapted to curvatures by using a curved tool or conducting the object past the tool in a suitably curved path. The seams may be continuous or segmented, for example in a form resembling sewed stitches, and perhaps the most important advantage of the method and apparatus of the invention resides in the ability to form seams of varying widths and almost any shape, including relatively complex, irregular shapes. The invention offers the further important advantage of enabling the formation of seams of large area by virtue of the progressive formation technique.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, in generally schematic form, of one embodiment of the apparatus, the embodiment being incorporated into a machine for making articles from plastic film, fabric or other web materials;
FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a vibrating tool and anvils suitable for use in the equipment illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an end view in section of segments of the tool and anvil of FIG. 2, the view being on a larger scale;
FIG. 4 is an end view in section of a modification of the invention, the principal feature being the provision of a drum carrying the pattern anvils;
FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention suitable for joining covers to receptacles; and
4 FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a form of the invention embodying superimposed low frequency, high amplitude vibratory movement between the tool or anvil, the two figures illustrating the equipment in different stages of its operating cycle.
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings is for joining sheet materials, and the environment in which it is depicted is a machine for manufacturing shirt cuffs by a continuous process. As mentioned previously, the materials to be joined may take various forms, and in the illustrative machines, the materials being joined can be fabrics which are made of thermoplastic fibers or at least contain thermoplastic fibers blended with natural fibers, such as a polyester fiber-cotton mixture. It will be apparent, nonetheless, that the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is well suited for forming seams between two plastic films, between a plastic ifilm and a fabric, or between a plastic film or a sheet of material containing a thermoplastic and various other materials in sheet form. The apparatus and method of the invention can also be used for joining more than two elements. Further, the machine, by installing different pattern anvils, can be adapted for the manufacture of numerous objects from those materials.
The basic apparatus for forming seams between two sheets of material consists of an ultrasonic vibratory tool 10 and an anvil 12, the anvil and tool being mounted so as to press together two pieces of material delivered between them with a predetermined static force, as will be described in more detail below.
The invention may employ a vibratory tool 10 of any of a number of various types, for example, those shown and described in Kleesattel U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,225 referred to above, and reference may be made to that patent for a complete description of the vibrating tool 10. Sufiice it to say here that the tool 10 includes a vibratory memher or head 13 that is set into ultrasonic vibration by means of one or more transducer units 14 which are coupled to the head 13 by shafts 16. The specific design of the vibratory head 13 may be tailored to the particular materials being joined. The tool is mounted in a holder (not shown) which preferably includes suitable adjusting means for properly positioning the tool relative to the work and which holds it in engagement with the work against the anvil with a predetermined force. Suitable mountings are well known in the art and need not, therefore, be described or shown.
The materials to be joined, specifically the fabrics from which the shirt sleeve cuffs are made, are delivered in web form, as indicated by the references W1 and W2 in the drawings, from supply reels 18 and 20, respectively, and are suitably guided through the space between the vibratory tool 10 and the anvils 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there is an endless series of anvils 12 carried by a suitable conveyor mechanism 22 which may, for example, be in the form of a pair of chains to which the opposite ends of the several anvils are hingeably linked, the anvils straddling the chains. As the anvils cross the upper traverse in the direction indicated by the arrows, they pass over a suitable fixed support 24 which serves as a back-up to take the forces of engagement between the vibratory head 12 and the anvil surface.
Referring particularly to FIG. 2, each of the anvils 12 is constituted by a plate 12a formed with an upwardly extending flange 12b having an upper surface in the form of a narrow band defining the pattern for the seam to be made between the two fabric webs W1 and W2. More particularly, the flange 12b is generally rectangular in plan, except for rounded edges that will constitute the ends of the cuff. In addition to the seams defining the border of the cuff, such seams being equivalent to the stitching conventionally found in shirt cuffs, each of the pattern anvils 12 includes a boss which is positioned to form a seam at the buttonhole and which will reinforce the perimeter of the buttonhole after it is slit through the seam portion.
The series of anvils 12 and the webs W1 and W2 are moved conjointly under the vibratory tool and in the course of sliding past and along the working tip 13a of the tool head 13 the webs W1 and W2 are brought under the influence of 1) static pressure between the vibratory head and the raised pattern surface of the pattern rib 12b of the anvil and (2) ultrasonic vibration of the head 13. The combination of static pressure and ultrasonic vibration acting on the webs W1 and W2 causes the thermoplastic materials in the webs W1 and W2 to fuse at the points of forceful contact and permits them to either coalesce, where the contacting materials are both thermoplastic, or causes the thermoplastic material to flow into the porous structures of other materials.
In this way, a fusion bond or seam between the two webs is formed along the pattern surface flanges and bosses of the several anvils 12. The formation of the seam is, of course, progressive beginning with the leading edge of the pattern and tracing out along the pattern surface as the anvil 12 and webs W1 and W2 pass along the tool 10. As shown in detail in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the smooth passage of the webs W1 and W2 past the working tip "13a of the vibratory tool head 13 is facilitated by slightly tapering the tip of the head in the direction of movement of the webs W1 and W2 to form a converging space, as indicated by the angle A. The entry and passage of materials between the tool and anvils can be further facilitated by imparting low frequency, high amplitude vibration to either the tool or anvils, as described below.
Although it is not necessary to do so and good results can be otherwise obtained, it is nonetheless desirable to orient the pattern rib or its equivalent relative to the working tip so that a minimum total band of contact between the tip and pattern surface takes place at any given time. In this way, the energy required to drive the head 13 can be kept at a minimum. For example, with the shirt cuff pattern of the anvils 12 in the drawings, the axis of the pattern flange 12b may be slightly skewed on the base 12a so that its longer edges lie at an angle to the longer dimension of the working tip of the head 13. In this case the straight parts of the pattern are progressively traced out upon relative movement, rather than being formed at one time as they would be if the head were parallel to them.
Upon leaving the welding station, a seam S forming the outline or border of a shirt cuff and a seam H constituting reinforcement for the buttonhole have been formed by the fusion of the thermoplastic content of the fabrics and the coalescence or penetration of the fused materials such that, upon resolidification, strong bonds are formed between the fabrics.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the webs W1 and W2, with the seams S defining the borders of the cuffs then formed, pass from the welding station to a shearing station where a suitable shearing head 30 comes down in timed relation to the movement of the conveyor to sever away the shirt cuff from the two webs. The cutting head may, for example, include a blade formed to coact with the outside edge of the pattern flange 12b. While the scraps of the webs W1 and W2 leave the conveyor, the shirt cuff will usually remain on the pattern anvils 12 and will be carried around on the anvils and deposited in a suitable receptacle, designated in the drawing by the legend Finished Parts Collection Station. In the event that the shirt cuff fails to fall clear of the scraps, a suitable vibrating device 32 for shaking the cuff free may be provided. The scrap can then be taken up on a scrap reel 34 and periodically removed for disposal.
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention;
in general it is the same as illustrated in FIG. 1, except that the pattern anvils 12 are replaced by a rotatable cylinder or drum 50 having a series of pattern flanges 52 equivalent to the flanges 1% on the anvils 12. The working tip 54a of the vibratory tool 54 may be tangent to the drum or tapered in the direction of rotation. When it is tangent, the curvature of the drum provides a converging space that facilitates passing the webs along the tool; tapering or sloping the tip provides a greater convergence where desired.
As mentioned previously, the pattern anvils 12 will not be required where one of the objects being joined itself includes a formation adapted to serve the function of defining the seam pattern in the form of a raised surface or flange which coacts with the vibratory head 13 to exert force along the seam. For example, the rim of a receptacle, assuming the walls of the receptacle have sufficient rigidity to support the force required for the ultrasonic seam-forming process, may form an appropriate seam-defining surface. Where one of the objects itself is of an appropriate form to function as an anvil, the objects may be fed onto a suitable conveyor and conducted through the process in a manner similar to that carried out in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 shows, in generally schematic form, an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention along the lines of that described in the preceding paragraph for joining material supplied for a supply roll as a web W3 to rigid objects 0, such as plastic receptacles or boxes carried on a suitable conveyor 122. The conveyor 122 traverses a support or backup 124 which enables the tip 113a of an ultrasonic tool 113 to be urged against the objects 0 and web W to form a seam or joint along the rim or any other projecting surface on the object. The objects, with the web joined to them, pass to a shearing station where a shearing tool trims the web, leaving the sheet joined to the object. The waste material is wound onto a reel 134, while the objects are deposited on a slide 136 for removal and packing or further processing.
The embodiment of -'FIG. 5 is well suited for joining not only sheets to objects of various forms and materials but also for joining two objects in which one or both has a surface defining the pattern for the seam. The vibratory energy is transmitted through the object engaged by the blade to the interface in much the same manner as through a sheet of relatively thinner material. As another modification of the principle of the invention, objects of relatively flexible material having irregular shapes can be nested in suitable carriers which have a pattern surface defining the seam and depressions adapted to receive or nest parts of the object.
As described in connection with the preceding embodiments, it would be preferable to orient the objects 0 relative to the tip 113a of the ultrasonically vibrating tool so that only short segments of the pattern outline are in sealforming relation at any given time.
FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate as a further modification of the apparatus and method the superimposition over the primary ultrasonic vibration of the tool of vibratory motion of relatively low frequency, say 1 to 1000 c.p.s., and high amplitude to the equipment to intermittently form a wider gap between the tool and anvils and thereby facilitate the entry and passage of materials between them. The low frequency vibratory motion may be imparted to either the tool or the anvils by any suitable mechanism. In the form shown generally schematically in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a rotary cam 200 periodically moves the tool 13 downwardly against return springs 202, the amplitude of vibration of course being established by the cam design and the frequency by the rate of rotation. The frequency can be made variable by driving the cam with a variable speed drive.
The above-described embodiment of the invention is intended to be merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous variations and modifications of it without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
I claim:
1. Apparatus for joining two or more sheet-like elements, at least one of which contains a thermoplastic material in accordance with a desired pattern, comprising a vibratory member capable of supporting ultrasonic vibrations and having a Working tip, anvil means having a raised pattern surface corresponding to the desired pattern, the working tip and pattern surface being positioned in facing relation to receive the elements between them, means for effecting relative movement between the working tip and the anvil means, with the elements to be joined remaining in fixed position relative to the pattern surface defining means during such relative movement, the working tip being elongated in a direction angled to the direction of motion so that there is a minimum area of contact at any instant of time between the working tip and the raised pattern surface, and means holding the vibratory member and said raised pattern surface in engagement with the elements to hold them together with a predetermined force as they pass relative to and in engagement with the working tip.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is a plurality of anvils, and further comprising means for carrying the anvils along an endless path which brings them repeatedly and successively into operative relation to the vibratory member.
3. Apparauts according to claim 1 wherein the opposed faces of the working tip and the raised pattern surface are formed relative to each other such that they are convergent in the direction of movement of the elements relative to the working tip.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for imparting to the vibratory member a secondary vibratory motion which is of substantially less energy but of substantially greater amplitude than the ultrasonic vi- 8 brations in such a manner that there is provided periodically between the vibratory member and the raised pattern surface a gap which facilitates the entry and passage of elements between them.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of the elements to be joined constitutes the anvil, having a raised surface thereon corresponding to the desired pattern.
6. A method of joining two or more sheet-like elements, at least one of which contains a thermoplastic material, in accordance with a desired pattern comprising the steps of generating ultrasonically varying forces along a line having finite width, moving said elements to be joined relative to said line of forces to apply said forces across the surface of one of said elements, said movement being in a direction angled to said line of ultrasonic forces, and firmly supporting said two elements in contact with each other only at the successive limited areas defined by the changing intersection of said line of forces with the desired pattern, whereby the application of said ultrasonic forces seals said elements in accordance with said pattern.
7. The method according to claim 9 further ccmprising the step of orienting said line of ultrasonic forces with respect to said pattern so as to minimize the area of contact, at any instant of time, of said line of forces and said pattern.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,633,894 4/1953 Carwile 156-580X 3,088,343 5/1963 Balamuth et al 228-1UX 3,092,945 6/1963 Wizelman 156583X 3,205,114 9/1965 Gross 156380 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner J. J. DEVITT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.
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I would find the top 4 posters on this website...then blow it up with dynamite
I'm glad I came to syracuse.com to get my news. this was posted two days ago on espn. Every story on this website has been published before. how do you get away with it?
Why are there fireworks before the 4th? Not everybody has the luxury of an accommadating work schedule like yourself...Deal with it
Cheeta: go back to your shed where you came from where everybody, and I mean everybody, shares the same last name
Like I said, you guys keep watching college basketball and AHL Hockey, I'll watch real talent with superstars.
Then go watch you college basketball games..catch a Crunch game too. Those guys are full of talent. All of you say they are overpaid, you would be the first one to sign a multi-million $ contract IF you had the chance.
Good for them...90% of the people that post on here don't even have that..
Might as well call it 4 lawsuits when Mahoney pays us for violating a union contract...coming soon. What a slimeball she is...Sincerely, the food service workers from the Corrections Dept.
Got my boxing gloves, meth pipe and a case of Pabst...I'm ready
I think it would be a nice gesture to clean the trash from posting on syracuse.com. Oh wait, there might only be 3 or 4 people left to post. All the fake tough guys, racist, ignorent people on here should be put in the trash...scumbags
Ask your school district in the"burbs" why they don't have any programs like this...
I'd much rather smell patchouli than arrogance, ignorance,and stupidity...just sayin...
It's so funny to see all the tough, racist people on here that hide behind their computer for hours...you are the same people that roll up your windows and look straight ahead at a stoplight...
You also can't fix everything with duct tape...
Everyday is April Fool's when I read the comments on here...90% of you are uneducated, racist, biased idiots. I have no idea how you make it through day to day alive...
She doesn't need to wear gloves...it's going to cooked.
George Foreman???add a tribal tat to his face and that is the real Mike Tyson
wow...How is he not caught yet? The picture is so clear and it's very easy to tell who that is.
It's not the breed of the dog... it's how it is raised. Just like most of you uneducated fools on this message board with loser kids. Should your kids be banned too because you don't know how to raise them? Morons...
Disgusting, ridiculous and not right at all.