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An apparatus is disclosed for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which includes a carrier housing, a main carrier support plate for guiding a plurality of yarn carriers through predetermined paths while dispensing fine denier yarns toward a braiding zone. Each yarn carrier has a spindle for mounting a molded bobbin, with a spindle tip having a recess engageable with resilient leg portions of a bobbin hold down member hingedly mounted for rotation relative to the carrier housing. Tension on the yarn controls rotational movement of the bobbin to dispense yarn therefrom, and the tension of the final braided suture product is controlled to form a product of predetermined uniform appearance.
1. An apparatus for braiding yarns comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of yarn bobbin carriers movably mounted on said frame, each said yarn bobbin carrier including an upright spindle for supporting a bobbin and a support member in adjacent relationship with said upright spindle for supporting a bobbin for dispensing yarn toward a braiding zone, said upright spindle having a generally tapered spindle tip portion and a grooved portion;
a substantially planar bobbin securement member made of a resilient material, said bobbin securement member attached to each said support member and having a pair of legs spaced apart from each other and configured and dimensioned to receive therebetween a portion of said spindle extending above said bobbin; and
means for hingedly supporting each said bobbin securement member to provide pivotal movement thereof between a first upright position substantially parallel to said spindle whereby said legs are disengaged from said spindle, to a second position whereby said legs of said bobbin securement member engage said grooved portion of said spindle tip portion of said spindle above said bobbin.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for hingedly supporting each said bobbin securement member comprises at least one aperture formed in said bobbin securement member and at least one corresponding aperture formed in said support member, said apertures in general alignment to receive a hinge pin therethrough.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said legs define an opening therebetween for reception of said spindle.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said leg portions are constructed of a resilient plastic material.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said grooved portion of said spindle is generally circumferential.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said tip portion of said spindle has a frusto-conical region.
7. A braider bobbin carrier comprising:
a carrier housing;
a spindle extending from said carrier housing and configured and dimensioned to receive a yarn bobbin mounted thereupon, said spindle having an upper spindle tip portion having a substantially frusto-conical shaped portion and a circumferential recess between said frusto-conical shaped portion and said carrier housing;
a securement support extending from said carrier housing substantially parallel to said spindle; and
a substantially planar bobbin securement member bingedly attached to said securement support, said bobbin securement member having a pair of legs spaced apart from each other and configured and dimensioned to engageably receive therebetween said upper spindle tip portion of said spindle, said bobbin securement member movable between a bobbin securing position in which said upper spindle tip portion of said spindle extends between said legs in engagement therewith, and an upright bobbin release position substantially parallel to said spindle disengaged from said upper spindle tip portion.
8. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 7 further comprising yarn guide means movably mounted to said securement support.
9. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 8 further comprising bobbin positioning means for selectively preventing rotation of said bobbin about said spindle, said bobbin positioning means movable in response to movement of said yarn guide means between a first position for preventing said bobbin from rotating on said carrier about said spindle and a second position permitting rotation of said bobbin.
10. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 9 wherein said frusto-conical shaped portion has a minor diameter relatively distal to said carrier housing and a major diameter relatively proximal to said carrier housing.
11. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 10 wherein said major diameter is approximately equal to the diameter of said spindle.
12. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 10 wherein said recess is defined by inclined surfaces, distal and proximal relative to said carrier housing.
13. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 12 wherein said inclined distal and proximal surfaces define an included angle of about 90�.
14. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 12 wherein said bobbin securement member comprises a substantially planar base portion and said legs extend longitudinally from said substantially planar base portion.
15. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 14 further comprising means for hingedly securing said base portion to said securement support.
16. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 15 wherein said legs define an opening therebetween for receiving said spindle tip portion.
17. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 16 wherein said legs are constructed of a resilient plastic material.
18. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 16 wherein said legs are disposed in said circumferential recess of said spindle when said bobbin securement member is in said bobbin securing position, and wherein said legs are released from said spindle tip portion when said bobbin securement means is in said bobbin release position.
19. The braider bobbin carrier or claim 18 wherein said legs are spaced apart letter than an outer dimension of said spindle tip portion so as to be forced apart by said spindle tip portion as said bobbin securement member moves from said bobbin release position to said bobbin securing position, said legs being formed of a resilient material to resiliently engage said recess when said bobbin securement member is in said bobbin securing position.
20. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 9 wherein a bobbin is mounted on each yarn bobbin carrier and each said bobbin includes a substantially cylindrical opening along the longitudinal axis thereof to receive said spindle.
21. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 20 wherein said bobbin has a segmented portion selectively engageable with said bobbin positioning means.
22. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 7 wherein said spaced apart pair of legs of said substantially planar bobbin securement member define a spindle engaging recess dimensioned such that engagement between said bobbin securement member and said upper spindle tip portion occurs when said bobbin securement member is moved to said bobbin securing position and said upper spindle tip portion is received within said recess.
23. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 22 wherein said spaced apart pair of legs are resiliently movable away from each other to cammingly receive said upper spindle tip portion within said recess and resiliently movable toward each other to provide cammed engagement with said circumferential recess of said spindle tip portion to secure said bobbin in position on said spindle.
24. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 23 wherein said substantially planar bobbin securement member is formed of a resilient material and said pair of spaced apart legs are monolithic therewith.
25. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 24 wherein said spaced apart pair of legs each have a tapered shape and said spindle tip portion engaging recess is disposed in a region of said legs of greater thickness than a remaining portion wherein structural support is provided to facilitate said camming engagement between said bobbin securement member and said spindle tip portion.
26. The braider bobbin carrier of claim 25 wherein said spaced apart pair of legs have a cross-sectional configuration in the region defining said spindle tip portion engaging recess which is substantially complementary to said circumferential recess in said spindle tip portion to facilitate said camming engagement between said pair of legs and said upper spindle tip portion when said substantially planar bobbin securement member is moved to said bobbin securement position.
27. An apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns to form a braided suture product which comprises:
a) a frame;
b) a plurality of yarn carriers associated width said frame for supporting a plurality of bobbins containing fine denier yarns, each said yarn carrier having an upright spindle to receive a bobbin mounted thereupon each said upright spindle having an upper tip portion of frusto-conical configuration extending above said bobbin, and a circumferential recess positioned between said upper tip portion and said yarn carrier;
c) a yarn guide support in adjacent relationship with said upright spindle;
d) means for directing said plurality of yarn carriers and said bobbins through predetermined paths while dispensing yarn from each bobbin toward a common braiding zone to form an elongated braid construction;
28. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 27 wherein a bobbin is supported on each yarn bobbin carrier and each said bobbin is rotatable on said yarn carrier for dispensing yarns to said braiding zone, and each said yarn carrier includes means for selectively preventing rotation of said bobbin and for selectively permitting rotation of said bobbin in dependence on the tension in the yarn.
29. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 28 wherein each said individual yarn carrier comprises a pivotal arm having yarn guide means for guiding yarn from said bobbin to said braiding zone.
30. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 29 wherein each said bobbin contains a plurality of radially extending segments positioned at least about a lower surface of said bobbin.
31. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns according to claim 30 wherein said pivotal arm is connected to an upstanding pawl arranged to enter into a space defined between said radial segments on each said bobbin in dependence upon the tension in the yarn so as to prevent rotation of said bobbin in dependence upon the tension in the yarn and to permit withdrawal of said pawl from said space when the yarn tension exceeds a predetermined value.
32. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 31 wherein resilient means provided to bias said pivotal arm against pivotal movement which causes withdrawal of said pawl from a space between said segments on said bobbin when the tension in the yarn exceeds about 7 grams.
33. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 32 wherein said resilient means is a coil spring arranged to bias one end portion of said pivotal arm to cause said upstanding pawl to enter into a said radial segments when the tension in the yarn goes below about 5 grams.
34. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 33 wherein said coil spring has a spring rate of from 0.6 to 0.7 pounds per inch.
35. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 34 wherein said yarn is arranged to be dispensed from said bobbin and to extend to said yarn guide means on said carrier in a manner to lift one end of said pivotal arm when the yarn tension exceeds a predetermined value of 7 grams so as to cause withdrawal of said pawl from said space defined by said radial segments on said bobbin thereby permitting rotation of said bobbin as the yarn is drawn therefrom by the tension produced at said braiding zone.
36. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 35 wherein said quick release means comprises a base portion and two resilient legs extending longitudinally from said base portion, said leg portions including adjacent arcuate sections which define an opening therebetween for reception of an upper portion of said spindle to retainably mount said bobbin on said spindle.
37. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 36 wherein said upper portion of said spindle includes a circumferential recess extending entirely thereabout, said recess correspondingly configured and dimensioned to be engaged by said arcuate sections of said leg portions.
38. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 37 wherein said spindle defines a longitudinal axis and said circumferential recess comprises a pair of adjacent surfaces inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis and inclined opposite with respect to each other.
39. The apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns of claim 38 further comprising means for pivotally securing said bobbin securement means to allow for pivotal movement of said base portion from a generally horizontal spindle engaging position to a generally vertical non-engaging position.
This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 07/605,554 filed on Oct. 30, 1990, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/569,079 filed Aug. 17, 1990.
The present invention relates to a device for braiding fine denier yarns and, more particularly, to an improved braider bobbin top holder particularly suited for use with a device for braiding fine denier yarns to make surgical sutures.
Braided products and apparatus for production of such products are well-knows. Typical of the braiding mechanisms used for such products are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 776,842 to Horwood, 1,154,964 to Bentley, 1,285,451 to Stanton, 1,358,173 to Penso et al., 1,486,527 to Larkin, 1,785,683 to Mallory, 2,079,836 to Brown et al., 2,200,323 to Barrans et al., 2,452,136 to Marti, 4,158,984 to Griffiths, 4,304,169 to Cimprich et al., 4,333,380 to Kozlowski, 4,716,807 to Fischer, 4,753,149 to Celani, 4,909,127 to Skelton et al. and 4,922,798 to Ivsan. British Patent Publication No. 138,069 dated Sep. 2, 1920 relates to improvements in such braiding devices.
Sutures intended for the repair of body tissues must meet certain requirements: they must be substantially non-toxic, capable of being readily sterilized, they must have good tensile strength and have acceptable knot-tying and knot-holding characteristics and if the sutures are of the bio-absorbable variety, the bio-absorption of the suture must be closely controlled.
Sutures have been constructed from a wide variety of materials including surgical gut, silk, cotton, polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyamides, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyglycolic acid, glycolide-lactide copolymer, etc. Although the optimum structure of a suture is that of a monofilament, since certain materials of construction would provide a stiff monofilament suture lacking acceptable handling, knot-tying and knot-holding properties, sutures manufactured from such materials have been provided as braided structures. Thus, for example, sutures manufactured from silk, polyamide, polyester and bio-absorbable glycolide-lactide copolymer are usually provided as multifilament braids.
currently available braided suture products are braided on conventional braider apparatus having yarn bobbin carriers which travel around the perimeter of a braider deck to result in a tubular type braid with the yarns crossing over each other on the surface of the braid. In larger suture sizes, e.g., 5/0 and larger, the tubular braid, or sheath, is constructed about a core structure which is fed through the center of the braider. Known tubular braided sutures, including those possessing cores, are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,187,752; 3,565,077; 4,014,973; 4,043,344; and 4,047,533.
Recent attempts to improve the flexibility, hand and tissue drag characteristics of braided sutures have resulted in new braid structures possessing a significantly greater number of sheath yarns for a given overall denier, the sheath yarns being fabricated from individual filaments of finer denier than filaments which are typical of known types of braided sutures. Braided sutures of this type are disclosed and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 491,215 filed Mar. 9, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,093 on May 28, 1991, and related applications. The foregoing application discloses sutures braided from yarns having a denier in the range of about 0.2 to 6.0 and, optionally, a core having a denier of from about 50 to about 2500 denier. Improvements in such apparatus and methods for continuously braiding fine denier yarns into fine braided products having predetermined construction and appearance suitable for use in body tissue repair are disclosed in parent application Ser. No. 07/569,079, now abandoned in favor of FWC application Ser. No. 08/702,344, incorporated herein by reference, and include a quick release braider bobbin top holder. The foregoing improvements and those of the present application may find application in the manufacture of both tubular braided structures and so-called spiroid braided structures, with or without a core.
The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for braiding elongate flexible members to form a final braided product, preferably a surgical suture made from fine denier yarns. The braided product may be of the type formed only of a tubular braided sheath, a substantially solid spiroid braid, or a tubular or spiroid braided sheath formed about a center core. In particular, the present invention is directed to improvements which make it possible to quickly mount and/or remove a yarn bobbin onto or from a yarn bobbin carrier with high efficiency and speed and to secure the bobbin to the carrier with a securing mechanism which is simple to operate, does not require a high level of dexterity, and which is not tiring or injurious to the muscles of the operator.
In the braider apparatus of the present invention a plurality of yarn bobbin carriers move about a main carrier support plate to dispense yarns toward a braiding zone where the yarns are braided together to form a final braided product, preferably a surgical suture. The preferred apparatus includes means for controlling tension on the yarns dispensed from the bobbins to form the braided suture product and to control the tension on the final braided product. Each yarn carrier includes a spindle onto which a novel molded bobbin having a central aperture is mounted for rotational movement relative to the spindle. Each bobbin has a number of radial segments engageable with a pawl on the carrier for selectively permitting rotation of the bobbin in response to yarn tension in order to control the dispensing of yarn from the bobbin.
In accordance with the invention, a bobbin top holder base is fixedly mounted relative to the yarn carrier adjacent the top of the yarn carrier spindle and, hence, adjacent to the top of a bobbin situated thereon. The bobbin top holder base has hinge pins, and a bobbin top holder is hingedly mounted to the bobbin holder base at the hinge pins. The bobbin top holder has two longitudinally extending legs defining a slot therebetween and, more specifically, a spindle engaging recess having an inwardly projecting radiused section to engage a corresponding circumferential recess in the spindle adjacent the spindle tip. The bobbin holder legs are formed of a resilient plastic material which is sufficiently flexible to permit the legs to spread apart as the legs are forced over the spindle tip, and resiliently reassume a rest position disposed within the circumferential recess of the spindle to hold the bobbin on the spindle.
In use, the bobbin top holder first is disposed in an unlocked or open position rotated away from the spindle to permit mounting of a bobbin loaded with yarn onto the carrier. After the bobbin is mounted, the bobbin top holder is rotated into contact with the spindle tip with sufficient force to cause the bobbin top holder legs to spread apart and mount over the spindle, resiliently resuming a rest or contracted position disposed within the circumferential recess of the spindle tip, thereby securing the bobbin on the carrier. The braider apparatus thereafter is operated to form a final braided product, preferably a surgical suture. In order to remove an empty bobbin, sufficient upward force is exerted on the bobbin holder legs to cause the bobbin legs to spread apart, leave the spindle recess, and become disengaged from the spindle. The preferred bobbin holder is injection molded of an elastomeric plastic material which is sufficiently resilient to permit many cycles of bobbin mounting without failure of the bobbin top holder.
The bobbin holder of the invention is convenient to use and advantageously improves the efficiency of the preferred braider apparatus.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a braider apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view with parts separated for convenience of illustration, showing the carrier housing assembly and bobbin top holder contructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially in cross-section, of the preferred yarn tension control system of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1 illustrating a yarn carrier engaged with a carrier plate and the main support plate;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the preferred bobbin;
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the bobbin, carrier, and bobbin top holder assembly constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrating the bobbin in cross-section;
FIG. 7 is a top view of the bobbin top holder constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the bobbin top holder taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the spindle tip constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the bobbin top holder mounting base constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the bobbin top holder mounting base of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a partial schematic view illustrating the path of the yarns and the formation of a braided suture on the present apparatus;
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 13--13 of FIG. 12 illustrating the take-up rollers and take-up clutch which form part of the invention;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 14--14 of FIG. 13 illustrating the novel take-up spool constructed according to the invention;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the quick-release system in the locked position for retaining the take-up spool on the apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the quick-release system of FIG. 15 in the release position;
FIG. 17 is an elevational view of a take-up spool contructed according to the prior art;
FIG. 18 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view taken along lines 18--18 of FIG. 17, illustrating the surface of the prior art take-up spool of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative take-up clutch construction for controlling take-up tension on the finished braided suture; and
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the suture take-up rollers of the invention in horizontal tandem positions.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an apparatus 10 for braiding sutures constructed according to the present invention. The apparatus 10 is supported on frame 12 which includes a horizontal support plate 14. Electrically powered motor 16 is arranged to drive the apparatus as will be described. In operation, motor 16 drives carrier plates 18 around main carrier support plate 20 along a predetermined path. A plurality of yarn bobbin carriers 22, only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1 for simplicity, are mounted to carrier plates 18 and dispense yarns from yarn bobbins 24 (see FIG. 6) as the bobbins and carriers follow a predetermined path around the main carrier support plate. The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is designed to drive the bobbin carriers in undulating paths in opposite directions around the main carrier plate in a known manner. However, alternate carrier path configurations also are contemplated, such as a spiral pattern in which all bobbin carriers move in the same direction around the main carrier plate. Spiral braiders, per se, are also known.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, yarns 3 dispensed from each bobbin carrier station are led to a braiding zone and formed into an elongated braided suture product. Tension on the braided suture product is controlled by driven tension rollers 26, 28 and take-up roller 30. Optionally, a core yarn bobbin 29 is mounted beneath support plate 14. The optional core yarn 31 maintained under tension is led through a core yarn tension detector 33 and a hollow tube 32 to the braiding zone, such that sheath yarns from the yarn carriers mounted on main carrier plate 20 are braided about the core yarn.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-4 and 6 the yarn carrier system and yarn tensioning system is illustrated. Referring initially to FIG. 4, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the base of a yarn carrier 22 mounted to carrier support plate 18. Carrier 22 has downwardly extending connector shoes 38, 40 which extend into guide channels in the main carrier support plate 20. The connector shoes traverse the respective guide channels as the yarn carrier is transferred between the respective carrier support plates 18. In an alternative contemplated arrangement the carriers are transported around the main carrier support plate in a spiral pattern.
As shown in FIGS. 2-3, yarn bobbin carrier 22 has a carrier housing 42 with a spindle 44 extending vertically therefrom to receivably engage bobbin 24. A yarn guide support 46 also extends from carrier housing 42 in a direction substantially parallel to spindle 44, and is shown in FIG. 2 as a pair of rods 46A and 46B. A yarn dispensing guide eyelet 48, preferably made from a ceramic material, is fixed to one A compensator eyelet 50, also preferably made from a ceramic material, slidably engages the other rod. Compensator eyelet 50 is connected via a compensator rod 52 to a compensator arm 54 for controlling the dispensing of yarn in response to tension exerted by the yarn on compensator arm 54 via compensator rod 52 and eyelet 50. Compensator arm 54 pivots about pivot pin 56 on carrier 22, as shown in FIG. 3. End portion 58 of compensator arm 54 is connected to compensator rod 52 while the opposite end portion 60 of pivot arm 54 engages pin 62 which is biased upwardly a light coil spring 64. Pin 62 is disposed in and moves upwardly and downwardly in slot 63. Pin 62 is connected to pawl 66 and arranged to float into and out of radial slots 68 on the lower surface of yarn bobbin 24. Pin 70 moves upwardly and downwardly in slot 72 in carrier housing 42 while traversing the moving arcuate slot 74 in compensator arm 54. Pin 62 is biased upwardly by spring 64 and, in turn, biases end portion 60 upward, pivotally rotating compensator arm 54 to urge arm end 58, rod 52 and compensator eyelet 50 downwardly. The upper ends of rods 46A and 46B are seated in and support a top holder support 76. Top holder support 76 has two substantially parallel vertical apertures 78, 80 configured to receive rods 46A, 46B, as by frictional engagement or by an adhesive disposed therebetween (see FIG. 11). Top holder support 76 includes a substantially horizontal yarn guide section 82 extending from support 76 and having a ceramic yarn guide eyelet 84 for guiding yarn dispensed from the bobbin toward the braiding zone. Top holder support 76 also has a pair of hinge pins 86, 88 (see FIG. 11) extending longitudinally therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to the spindle. Bobbin top holder 90 has a pair of hinge pin engaging legs 92, 94. Each leg has an enlarged hinge pin receiving section 96 having a hinge pin aperture 98 configured and dimensioned to receive hinge pins 86, 88. In this manner bobbin top holder 90 is mounted to top holder support 76 and is hingedly rotatable about the axis of hinge pins 86, 88.
Bobbin top holder 90 has a substantially planar section 100 extending from legs 92, 94 and a pair of spindle gripping legs 102, 104 defining therebetween a slot 106 and a spindle engaging recess 108. FIG. 7 is a top plan view of bobbin holder 90. Referring now to FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view of the bobbin holder taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 7, it can be seen that spindle engaging recess 108 is configured with an outwardly tapered entrance wall 110, a substantially cylindrical barrel section 112, an inwardly projecting radiused section 114, and an outwardly tapered exit wall section 116. Preferably, entrance wall defines an angle of about 10� to 20� relative to the axis of recess 108, and exit walls 116 define an included angle on the order of about 90�. The spindle engaging recess is symmetrical about its vertical axis, except for slot region 106, and is identically configured in both legs 102, 104. As shown in FIG. 8, spindle engaging recess 108 is disposed in a region 140 of legs 102, 104 of greater thickness than the remaining portions of the legs in order to provide structural support surrounding the spindle engaging recess.
Referring again to FIG. 2, spindle 44 is provided with a bobbin holder engaging tip 118 configured to be disposed in spindle engaging recess 108 to secure bobbin top holder 90 to spindle 44 and, hence, bobbin 24 on spindle 44 (see FIG. 6). The preferred spindle tip configuration for engaging recess 108 is illustrated in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, spindle tip 118 has a spindle engaging shank 120 connected to a spindle tip body 122. Spindle tip body 122 has a substantially cylindrical proximal base 124, a spindle tip recess 126 defined by a pair of inclined walls 128, 130, and a substantially frusto-conical distal tip section 132. Distal tip section 132 and recess 126 may be joined by a substantially cylindrical transition section 134. Shank 120 is configured to be received in a hollow recess in spindle 44 to fixedly mount spindle tip 118 to spindle 44. Fixed mounting of tip 118 to spindle 44 may be accomplished by friction fit of shank 120 in the spindle recess, by providing an adhesive or combination of adhesive and friction between the shank and recess, or most preferably by providing mutually engageable threads on the shank and within the recess. In the preferred embodiment wherein threads 131 are provided, a slot 136 may be provided in distal tip 132 for engaging a tool, such as a screwdriver. Inclined walls 128, 130 preferably define an interior angle on the order of about 90�, and the walls of frusto-conical distal tip 132 preferably define an angle of about 20� relative to the tip axis. As in the case of spindle engaging recess 108, spindle tip 118 preferably is symmetrical about the axis thereof.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the bobbin 24 preferred for use with the unique yarn dispensing system according to the present invention is shown. Bobbin 24 is integrally constructed of a lightweight material such as molded nylon or other plastic material. The bobbin is constructed to have an overall weight of about 20 grams and a minimum diameter dimensioned so as to reduce inertial forces on the delicate yarns used to make the braided suture. In order to reduce tension on the yarns further, the number of radial segments 138 which control the release point of the bobbin have been reduced to nine segments as shown. The bobbin includes a hollow cylindrical opening 140 configured to slidably receive spindle 44 with bobbin 24 being rotatable about the spindle (see FIGS. 2 and 6).
In contrast, in prior art bobbin and carrier assemblies a metal bobbin is mounted over a shaft and engages and is fixed by screw mounting so as not to rotate relative to the top surface of a metal plate on the carrier. The bottom surface of the metal plate has twelve or more segments to engage the carrier pawl. The prior art bobbins are also of smaller diameter than the bobbins of the present invention, and yet weighed about 50 grams. The combined bobbin and and metal plate adaptor of prior art braiders have a total weight of about 85 grams. The increased diameter and light weight of the present bobbin, together with the integral pawl engaging segments and reduced number thereof, further reduce the force which must be exerted on the yarn in order to unwind the yarn from the bobbin.
In particular, the unique braider bobbin of the present invention is specifically constructed to adapt the apparatus for braiding fine denier yarns applicable to fine sutures and is preferably constructed having the following characteristics:
a) reduced mass integrally molded nylon construction of approximately 20 grams, as compared to prior art bobbins of approximately 50 grams, and prior art bobbin and adaptor assembly weighing about 85 grams;
b) reduced number of pawl engaging segments 138 which are integrally molded with the bobbin, preferably 9 segments, not more than 11, versus prior separate adaptor structures having 12 or more pawl engaging segments and higher mass. This structure produces greater circumferential spacing between segments, permitting improved engagement by pawl 66 at high rotational speeds;
c) bobbin diameter approximately 20 mm as compared to lesser diameter prior art bobbins. This feature reduces the tension force on the yarn required to turn the bobbin and stabilizes the bobbin and yarn movements; and
d) unitary construction bobbin, injection molded nylon 6 or other moldable plastic permitting relatively large diameter bobbin at reduced weight with close tolerances (i.e. �0.15 mm) for precision in winding from flange to flange.
In use, bobbin 24 is mounted onto spindle 44 with the bobbin top holder 90 in the open or unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 2. When mounted, radial slots 68 on bobbin 24 engage pawl 66 on carrier housing 42. Braiding yarn 3 is led from bobbin 24 through dispensing eyelet 48, compensator eyelet 50 and guide eyelet 84 and upward to the braiding zone (also see FIG. 6). As will be explained in greater detail below, bobbin top holder 90 is rotated and locked into the position shown in FIG. 6 to hold bobbin 24 on spindle 44 during braiding.
During operation of the braiding apparatus, yarn is drawn upwardly by the braiding system. Yarn is dispensed from bobbin 24 until the tension on the yarn exceeds a predetermined value and draws compensator eyelet 50, rod 52 and compensator arm end portion 58 upward (see FIGS. 2-3). The opposite end 60 of arm 54 depresses pin 62 against spring 64, causing pawl 66 to withdraw from slot 68 in the bobbin 24. Removal of pawl 66 from slot 68 permits bobbin 24 to rotate about spindle 44 to dispense more yarn. As further yarn is dispensed, the tension in the yarn is reduced below a predetermined value until the force of spring 64 again urges arm end portion 60 upward, rotatably pivoting arm 54 so that end portion 58, rod 52 and compensator eyelet 50 move downward. Pawl 66 simultaneously re-enters radial slot 68 in bobbin 24 to prevent further rotation of the bobbin until the cycle is repeated.
Preferably, fine denier multifilament yarns in the range of about 0.2 to 6.0 denier are dispensed from bobbin 24, with the tension of the yarn dispensed from bobbin 24 closely controlled within a precise range. The tension of the yarns is controlled within a precise range, particularly by selecting a spring 64 which is within a predetermined range of spring rates. Prior art braiders utilized a spring 64 of significantly greater spring rate than is contemplated herein due to the fact that braiding was accomplished with heavier braiding materials. In addition, in prior art braiders pin 70 was also arranged to be biased downwardly by a spring positioned centrally within spindle shaft 44. In the present apparatus the central spring has been eliminated and spring 64 has been selected to have a reduced spring rate in the range of from about 0.6 to 0.7 pounds per inch. The standard spring on such braiders having a much higher spring rate on the order of about 0.9 to about 1.0 pounds per inch. Reducing the spring rate reduces the tension force on the yarn necessary to cause pivot arm 54 to rotate and withdraw pawl 66 from slot 68, thereby permitting the bobbin to rotate and pay out additional yarn. The reduced spring rate accommodates the relatively lower tensile strength associated with yarns of aforementioned preferred denier range suitable for producing braided sutures. The production of such sutures is thus carefully and precisely controlled to accommodate the fine character, not only of the finished braided suture, but particularly of the yarn components thereof.
As previously noted, bobbin 24 is constructed of a lightweight moldable material such as nylon and defines a central axial opening 140 extending the length of the bobbin to receive the carrier housing spindle (see FIGS. 2 and 6). With bobbin holder 90 disengaged from spindle 44 and rotated away from the spindle, such as in the substantially vertical bobbin holder position shown in FIG. 2, the bobbin may be mounted over the spindle with spindle 44 received within opening 140. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 6-9, after bobbin 24 is mounted over spindle 44 with pawl 66 seated in a bobbin slot 68, bobbin holder 90 is rotated about hinge pins 86, 88 until inwardly projecting radiused section 114 on each bobbin holder leg 102, 104 contact the angled surface of frusto-conical distal tip section 132. Preferably, contact between section 114 and tip section 132 occurs slightly before holder 90 reaches a position perpendicular to the axis of spindle 44. Exerting force on holder 90 to urge holder 90 against spindle tip 118 causes holder legs 102, 104 to be spread apart slightly by the camming action of frusto-conical tip 132 against section 114. Legs 102, 104 are spread apart until radiused section 114 is mounted over the distal tip section 132 and thereafter resiliently return to their rest position and become disposed within recess 126, as shown an FIG. 6. Thus, maximum spreading of legs 102, 104 occurs when radiused section 114 is disposed at cylindrical section 134 having substantially the same diameter as spindle tip base 124. In the locked or hold down position illustrated in FIG. 6, inwardly extending radiused section 114 is disposed in recess 126 with outwardly extending exit wall 116 juxtaposed to distal recess wall 130 and the lower radiused section 114 disposed adjacent proximal inclined recess wall 128. Cylindrical section 112 is disposed around spindle tip base 124. As shown in FIG. 6, the maximum diameter of tip 118 approximates the diameter of spindle 44 to facilitate mounting and removal of the bobbin onto and from the spindle.
Referring again to FIG. 6, with bobbin top holder 90 in the locked or hold down position engaging spindle tip 118 the relatively thick section 140 is disposed within the open area 142 on bobbin 24 radially within radial segments 138, with the remaining portions of legs 102, 104 disposed above and away from radial segments 138. In the event bobbin 24 rides up slightly, as may occur during yarn dispensing, thick section 140 abuts the flat central region on the end of the bobbin to prevent further upward movement of the bobbin. However, at no time does bobbin holder 90 engage radial segments 138 or otherwise obstruct rotational movement of the bobbin about spindle 44.
In order to remove a bobbin from the apparatus, i.e. after all the desired yarn has been dispensed from the bobbin during braiding, upward force is exerted on bobbin top holder 90, such as at the distal areas of legs 102, 104. This causes inclined wall 130 on tip 118 to cam against exit wall 116 of recess 126 and spread apart legs 102, 104, thereby causing inwardly projecting radiused section 114 to spread apart and become disengaged from recess 126. As radiused section 114 is removed from spindle 118 over frusto-conical distal tip 132, bobbin top holder legs 102, 104 resiliently return to their rest position wherein the separation distance of radiused sections 114 on each leg approximates the minimum diameter of spindle tip 118 within recess 126. At this point bobbin top holder 90 may be further rotated about hinge pins 86, 88 until holder 90 is rotated to a position such as shown in FIG. 2 out of the way to permit removal of the empty bobbin and/or placement of a new bobbin loaded with yarn to be dispensed for braiding.
The bobbin carrier and spindle may be made of metal, such as stainless steel, with top holder support rods 46A, 46B made from the same or different metal, e.g. aluminum, or a rigid plastic material. Ceramic eyelet 48 may be mounted to rod 46B by wrapping a metal wire around both the eyelet and the rod to fix the eyelet to a central region of the rod. Ceramic eyelet 50 may be mounted to rod 46A by similarly wrapping a metal wire around the eyelet and around rod 46A, to permit slidable movement of the wire relative to rod 46A. Preferably, compensator rod 52 is integrally formed of the same wire which connects ceramic eyelet 50 to rod 46A. This may be accomplished by wrapping the wire around eyelet 50, looping the wire around rod 46A, and extending the wire to engage compensator arm end section 58, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-3. Top holder support 76 preferably is made of a rigid plastic material, such as nylon. Top holder 90 is made of a plastic material which is sufficiently flexible and resilient to deform and permit legs 102, 104 to repeatedly be spread apart and mounted over spindle tip 118 through multiple cycles, such as an elastomeric nylon material. Advantageously, both top holder support 76 and bobbin top holder 90 may be injection molded at relatively modest cost. Spindle tip 118 should be made of a rigid metal material, such as a zinc coated steel.
As will be appreciated, the bobbin top holder of the present invention facilitates quick and easy placement and removal of a bobbin relative to the spindle and bobbin carrier. Advantageously, the top holder of the invention does not require any pinching or gripping action by the user, such as to unscrew a prior bobbin holder, thereby minimizing the effort which must be exerted by the user to engage or release the bobbin top holder and reducing the time required to change bobbins on the carrier. These reductions in exerted energy and time contribute to increased efficiency in the braiding operation, which efficiencies become considerable in operating a large number of braiding apparatus each having multiple yarn carriers.
Referring now to FIGS. 12-15, the take-up system for the braided suture product is illustrated. FIG. 12 illustrates the final formation of the braided suture and the take-up roller system leading to final winding of the finished product on take-up spool 144. In particular, core yarn 1 and sheath yarns 3 are formed into a final braided suture 5 which is first directed to take-up "tensioning" rollers 146, 148 and thereafter to final take-up spool 144 where the product is systematically wound in uniform layers about the spool. The braided product 5 is wound continuously about rollers 146, 148 to stabilize the product prior to winding about take-up spool 144. Ceramic eyelets 150, 152 and 154 guide the suture from the braiding zone to the take-up rollers and then to the take-up spool without abrasion or other damage.
Take-up clutch 156 is shown in FIG. 13 to precisely control the tension on the finished product via final spool 144. Clutch 156 is mounted on spool shaft 158 and includes internal clutch shaft 160 having first clutch plate 162 at one end secured to shaft 158 by set screw 164 for rotation with the shaft. Molded nylon pulley wheel 166 is slidably positioned over clutch shaft 160 for slidable rotation relative to clutch plate 162. Second clutch plate 168 is connected by screw 170 for rotation with clutch shaft 160. Screw 170 is fitted loosely in a slot (not shown) for movement in the longitudinal direction of shaft 160 to permit clutch plate 168 to move toward and away from pulley wheel 166 by pressure of coil spring 172 when spring 172 is compressed by turning knurled wheel 174 which is fitted by threads 176 about the end of shaft 160 as shown. Thus, by threadedly rotating wheel 174 clockwise to advance the wheel toward the spring 172 the force transmitted by the spring on the clutch plate 168 is increased, thereby increasing the friction forces between pulley wheel 166 and clutch plates 168 and 162. By turning wheel 174 counterclockwise, the wheel moves outwardly of shaft 160 and the spring force is reduced thereby reducing the friction forces and permitting free rotation of pulley wheel 166.
Referring further to FIG. 13, pulley wheel 178 is connected to shaft 180 which is driven by chain 182 shown schematically in the FIG. Chain 182 is powered by power driven sprocket 184 and thereby produces rotation of shaft 180 via large sprocket 186 at a reduced rate of rotation in accordance with the selected ratio of the size of sprocket 184 to the size of sprocket 186. Pulley wheel 178 is in turn connected to endless drive belt 188 which is fabricated of a suitable, flexible elastomer material and has a circular cross-section and elongated construction.
Referring once again to FIG. 13, shaft 180 contains diamond shaped guide grooves 190 for reception of similarly shaped members formed integrally with product guide member 192 such that continuous rotation of shaft 190 will produce alternating repeating movement of the guide member 192 arranged to move in the direction of arrows "C" and "D" as the shaft 190 rotates. Plate 194 attached to guide member 192 contains ceramic suture guide 154 which guides the finished braided suture received from take-up rollers 146, 148 through ceramic guide 152 affixed to support arm 196 to take-up spool 144.
In operation, as shaft 180 rotates, guide member 192 traverses the right hand portion of the shaft. The guide member 192 alternates from the direction of arrow C to the direction of arrow D in a repeating manner to guide finished braided suture product onto spool 144 in successive uniform and even layers. The tension on the braided suture may be selectively increased or decreased as desired, by turning clutch adjustment knob 174 as described previously. The capability to adjust the tension on the finished product as it is being wound onto spool 144 is significant. As the diameter of the final package increases, the ratio of the linear speeds between the take-up spool 144 and the grooved rollers 146, 148 increases thereby increasing the tension on the finished product. Adjustment of the tension on the finished product is then possible by adjusting clutch 156 to maintain appropriate tension on the suture with a high degree of accuracy and control.
Referring once again to FIG. 13 in conjunction with FIG. 14, the braid take-up roller system is illustrated. As can be seen in FIG. 14, the take-up rollers 146, 148 are configured to include relatively sharp "V-shaped" grooves for braided suture take-up to facilitate appropriate contact with braided suture products of a wide range of sizes, including extremely small suture diameters. Further, since the braid is continuously wrapped around the rollers 146, 148, it has been found that it is possible to increase the number of grooves, i.e. wraps, for a given length of rollers, thereby increasing the friction contact area between the braided suture product and the rollers. This facilitates increased control over the finished braided suture product and minimizes slippage between the suture and the rollers. Preferably, the suture is wound around take-up rollers 146, 148 in a FIG. 8 configuration, as shown in phantom in FIG. 12.
As can be seen in comparing the rollers shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 with the prior art rollers (see FIGS. 17 and 18), it will be readily appreciated that the contact between the product and the rollers is increased with the rollers constructed according to the present invention as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In addition, it is noted that the take-up rollers constructed according to the invention are of machined plastic material, such as nylon, as opposed to the molded prior art rollers shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. The prior art rollers were of molded construction and included mold part lines 198, an imperfection which does not adversely affect braided products of heavy duty construction, i.e. rope construction; however, the braiding of fine denier sutures as contemplated herein requires take-up rollers of improved construction having smooth surfaces which not only avoid adverse affects on the suture product, but which also produce sufficiently controlled friction to permit take-up of the product without damage. The smooth surfaces of the machined plastic rollers 146, 148 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 achieve these objectives.
Referring to FIG. 14, the take-up rollers of the present invention are machined to include grooves having inclined side walls terminating in a flat bottom surface. The overall depth "d" of the groove should be dimensioned to accommodate a range of suture sizes. A depth range of about 0.1 to 0.2 inches may be appropriate, and a depth of about 0.16 inches is preferred. The width of the flat bottom of the groove, shown as dimension "w" in FIG. 14, is preferably about 0.002 inch. The inclined surfaces define an angle φ with the outer surface of the take-up roller. It has been found that appropriate angles are within the range 55� to 65�, and preferably about 60�.
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the quick connect/quick release feature utilized to retain the take-up spool 144 on shaft 158 shown in FIG. 13. Shaft 158 is dimensioned to receive pin 200 and includes a groove 202. A generally endless looped lock member having a cut-out portion 204 shaped to receive pin 200 is positioned within the slot and is rotatable from a position transverse of the shaft 158 as shown in FIG. 15, to a position in alignment with shaft 158 as shown in FIG. 16. The position of lock member 206 shown in FIG. 15 retains the spool 144 on shaft 158 and is secured in position by appropriately dimensioning space 202 relative to pin 200. The position of lock member 206 shown in FIG. 16 permits ready removal of the take-up spool 144 for replacement with an empty spool. Thus, the quick release feature of lock member 206 facilitates ready replacement of a full spool 144. As shown in FIG. 13, member 144c is fixed to shaft 158 by pin 144d. Pin in slot engagement of pin 144a in slot 144b restrains spool 144 mounted on shaft 158 against rotation relative to shaft 158.
Referring to FIG. 19, an alternate construction of a tensioning take-up clutch is illustrated at 210. Clutch 210 is operative similar to the clutch 156 described previously, but includes split pulley 212 having an outer annular portion 214 and inner portion 216 separated by ball bearings 218. Thus, the construction shown permits precise control over the tension exerted on split member 214 by frictional engagement with members 162, 168 independently of friction between split member 216 and clutch shaft 160. The foregoing alternative structure facilitates improved accuracy in the control of the tension exerted on the final braided suture. FIG. 20 illustrates an alternate arrangement for tensioning and take-up rollers 146, 148. In the arrangement shown, rollers 218, 220 are positioned longitudinally and driven by common belt drive 222. Finished braided suture product 5 is shown. Configuring the take-up rollers in this open-ended configuration facilitates winding of suture material onto the rollers in setting up the apparatus for braiding.
It will be readily appreciated that the features of the present invention as described hereinabove make it possible to produce a fine denier braid capable of application as a suture for surgery. More particularly, the braiding apparatus is well suited for high speed production of consistently high quality final braided suture products having an overall suture denier ranging from as low as about 50 denier to as large as about 4,000 denier. Core yarns will have a preferred denier of from as low as about 20 denier to as high as about 2,400 denier, and sheath yarns will have a denier of from as low as about 0.2 denier to as high as about 6.0 denier.
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To view more pictures and information please visit our website www.classiccarliquidators.com. After viewing the vehicle you may give us a call at 903-891-0000 and... More
Price: $24,795 Type: Used Year: 1971 Make: Buick Model: GS Body Style: 2-DOOR HARDTOP Stock 102291 Mileage: 2727 Engine Size: 350 Transmission: Automatic Exterior Color: Red Interior Color: Black Vin: 434371H102291 866-230-2851 Contact Us Any Buick fans looking for a cool looking ride. Here is an attractive driver just for you.... More
RARE, RARE, RARE!!! The Buick GS was known as the business mans muscle car!! This is 1 of 26 Buick GS 400... More
Excellent, Very Rare GS455 Stage 1. Full Numbers Matching 'High-Torque' 455ci 360hp V8 with 4spd Transmission (One of Only 664 produced w/Manual Trans). Additional... More
GR Auto Gallery is pleased to present this 1972 Buick Gran Sport Hardtop Coupe for purchase. With the success of the Pontiac GTO, Buick... More
Up for sale is this beautiful 1969 Buick GranSport 400 Convertible. The vehicle has undegone a full rotisserie restoration in 2009 by the previous... More
1 of 67 made. The Holy Grail of Buick Muscle! Restored, Documented, Numbers Matching, Protect-o-plate, Sloan Documentation, lots of service records documenting milage at... More
Rare (one of 1040) real 1970 GS 455 with lots of factory options must be sold by estate. Believed to be an original numbers... More
1970 Buick Gran Sport Drag Car1970 Buick Gran Sport Drag Car built by PMR Race Cars in Rancho Cucamonga CA.Complete back-half and mid-section in... More
1968 Buick GS California, 350 CID 4 Barrel, automatic. Beautiful Maroon Metallic paint with black interior. Interior is not cracked, torn or worn. All... More
Just Toys Classic Cars is very proud to present an extremely rare car that you are not going to find 50 of at every... More
1966 Buick Gran Sport, This is a fully restored original with the original 401 Nailhead 325 HP, original automatic transmission, original factory air which is... More
1969 Buick Gran Sport Convertible. Stage One 400 cubic inch. Totally stock. Numbers matching. Build sheet. All refurbished parts NOS. Starship Enterprise Ram Air. Rare Dual Stage... More
PRICE REDUCED: Solid unrestored mechanically sound 1971 Buick GS. This is a true 455 cubic-inch car with the factory Muncie manual 4-speed. The car... More
REAL GS 455 FROM TEXAS. I WAS JUST UNDER IT & WOW THE METAL IS AS DRY AS IT GETS. THE FLOORS, FRAME, INNER... More
This 1970 Buick Grand Sport Hard Top Coupe features a 455 V-8 8cyl Gasoline engine. It is equipped with a 4 Speed Manual transmission.... More
1969 Buick Gran Sport GS 400, Fully documented Canada built car in true mint condition - as new in all aspects - all original -... More
Original owner. Excellent Restoration. All documented original paper work. High quality clear-coated blue metallic re-paint on new NOS fenders and quarter panels. Interior leather Bucket... More
GR Auto Gallery is pleased to present this 1971 Buick Gran Sport sports coupe for purchase. With GM's introduction of the Pontiac GTO trim... More
House of Kolor Black Pearl metallic paint exterior. Hand sewn Custom Leather Seats, custom dash, complete center console (front and back). Custom gauges, power windows, push... More
Cameo Cream, All Black Interior, Brand New Cloth Top and Vinyl boot cover. Stage One Ram Air Hood (functional) 400 cu.in. motor with Holly 4-... More
1972 Buick "Gran Sport" Stage I "Lemans Blue" Arrival Blue GSX Stripes, Stunning White Bucket Seats w/Console & White Vinyl Top, Factory Rear Wing, "Ram Air"... More
Matching Number 455 C.I. Engine, Power Steering, Power Brakes, Factory A/C, Hood Tach, Speed Alert, Original Build Sheet, Call for Complete Details... More
BUICK: 1970 GS455, Stage 1, 65,800 miles, #s match, stock, buckets, console, $35,900; more info/photos available on Craigslist Cleveland. 216-676-9127, OH.... More
BUICK: 1972 Gran Sport, very rare 4-speed, 1 of 102 produced, Stage 1 hardtop, new interior with bucket seats, original blue with GSX paint... More
BUICK: 1970 Gran Sport, 1 of 67 made, the Holy Grail of Buick muscle! Restored, documented, numbers matching, Protect-O-Plate, Sloan documentation, lots of service... More
BUICK: 1968 Gran Sport convertible, 400 V8, automatic, ps, pb, p/t, a/c, cinnamon brown and white top plus interior, solid car that is very... More

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Quietly, the search is on for a chief executive officer for the Indy Racing League.
The Indianapolis-based series has been without such a person since Tony George resigned in June. Brian Barnhart and Terry Angstadt are the presidents of the competition and commercial divisions, respectively.
Jeff Belskus officially is CEO of the IRL, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions and Radio Network, and that's a lot for one person.
"Jeff Belskus can play only so many roles," Belskus said Thursday.
The situation was created when Joie Chitwood resigned as IMS president and chief operating officer to join International Speedway Corp., and Charlie Morgan, the president and CEO of IMS Productions, moved to Emmis Communications.
Belskus said there "is no active search" for any of the leadership positions, but it's clear his radar is on, particularly as it relates to the IRL. Three names have surfaced as possible candidates:
Randy Bernard, CEO of Professional Bull Riders.
Mark Miles, president and CEO of Central Indiana Corporate Partnerships and chairman of the 2012 Super Bowl committee.
Zak Brown, founder and CEO of Just Marketing Inc.
Bernard, who is based in Los Angeles, recently visited Indianapolis and the Hulman-George family, in part to share strategies related to growth through Versus. Miles and Brown are based in the Indianapolis area.
Belskus said an organizational chart prepared for next week's company executive retreat in Orlando, Fla., shows opportunities to fill the vacancies.
"Filling (them) is an option, and we are considering all of our options," he said. "I'm happy with the staffs that we have and we have some very capable people, but if we need to shore up the ranks, we can.
"We've certainly lost some executive-level people over the last six months."
Around the IndyCar Series
Two-time IndyCar runner-up Davey Hamilton and his sponsor, Hewlett Packard, will compete in at least three races this season, including the Indianapolis 500, with a team to be named later. One of those races is at Texas Motor Speedway, where he suffered severe foot injuries in 2001.
According to Chip Ganassi, whose engineer, Ben Bowlby, is working on a radical IndyCar chassis design, the unveiling of the Delta Wing project is likely to be during the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 12-21. The media preview is two days prior.
Honda hopes a new safety feature will reduce the chance of an IndyCar driver leaving his pit box with the fuel nozzle still attached to the car. A sensor will monitor the fueling device and prevent the driver from shifting into gear until it has cleared a pre-set distance.
NASCAR loosens rules
NASCAR announced Thursday it will relax some on-track rules in an effort to improve racing.
Among the biggest changes, bump-drafting will be allowed again on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega, and a bigger restrictor plate will provide more horsepower at Daytona. The Sprint Cup season opens Feb. 14 with the Daytona 500.
NASCAR chairman Brian France said safety enhancements over the past few years allowed for the changes.
"It's time for us to allow the drivers to drive," he said. "We don't want the rules and regulations to get in the way of great racing. NASCAR is a contact sport."
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch has signed a multiyear contract to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing. His brother, Kurt, had his option picked up by Penske Racing. . . . The NHRA will try four-wide racing for the first time during the March 25-28 event at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. . . . Avon's Melanie Troxel has sponsorship to return to the NHRA this season with an eight-race schedule. . . . The engine company owned by longtime IndyCar sponsor John Menard won a key award Jan. 14 in Europe. Menard Competition Technologies was presented the Motorsport Industry Association's Business Excellence Award for its design and engineering work on the Superleague V12 racing engine.
(317) 444-6409 or e-mail email@example.com.


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whats the remedy now? Shall we throw away the baby with the bath water? I mean, what do we do? What should be our reation to these life decadence? What action shall we take? What is the solution???
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How do you spark a movement in a conservative community? A Q&A with Razia Jan, founder of the Zabuli Education Center.
Most Recent from YES! Magazine
"The Tribe" has no spoken dialogue at all—viewers must search for meaning through body language and emotion. This is why it works.
Economist Kate Raworth explains why economic growth shouldn't be the only measure of a nation's wealth.
Should we treat robots sort of like animals, or strictly as tools? Researcher Kate Darling says the time has come to take these questions seriously.
These New York City middle-schoolers opened up about their experiences with race and racism in WNYC's "Being 12" series.
From the Current Issue
Fania Davis explains how Truth and Reconciliation Commissions can help communities heal from a history of racial violence and oppression.
These communities are helping residents take steps towards healthier lives by making walking a priority.
There are a number of bikesharing trends to be excited about this year, from better technology to increased access in low-income communities.
Be present, question assumptions, and be loud! Social transformation starts with everyday people working for change.
In the new documentary "Just Eat It," filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer swear off grocery shopping for six months and eat only food that would otherwise be thrown out.
I never thought farming would mean owning a post office. But looking at my community and our need to define ourselves as a place, that seems to be our family farm's next job.
She showed us that we liberate ourselves through our actions. She reminded us, in the midst of deep sorrow, that we, who want to see a better America, must keep living, fighting, breathing, doing.


text:
Mochitest is an automated testing framework built on top of the MochiKit JavaScript libraries. It's just one of the automated regression testing facilities Mozilla developers have at their desposal. Tests report success or failure to the test harness using JavaScript function calls.
Mochitest's use of JavaScript function calls to communicate test success or failure can make it unsuitable for certain types of test. Only things that can in some way be tested using JavaScript (with chrome privileges!) can be tested with this framework. Given some creativity, that's actually much more than you might first think, but it's not possible to write Mochitest tests to directly test a non-scripted C++ component, for example.
Try not to use Mochitest
Yes, really. For many things Mochitest is overkill. In general you should always try to use one of the lighterweight testing frameworks. For example, if you only want to test a single XPCOM component then you should use xpcshell. On the other hand there are some things that Mochitest cannot do, or isn't designed to do. For example, for visual output tests you should try to use the reftest framework. For more information on the different types of automated testing frameworks see Mozilla automated testing.
Running Mochitest
The Mozilla tinderboxes now run Mochitest as part of the build process, so anyone committing changes to the source will know pretty quickly if they've broken something. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to run Mochitest before committing new code. This is especially true if the code changes are large or would be difficult to back out.
To run Mochitest you need to build Mozilla with your changes, change directory to $(OBJDIR)/_tests/testing/mochitest, and run the command:
> perl runtests.pl
This will open your new build with a document containing a "Run Tests" link at the top. To run the tests simply click this link and watch the results being generated. If any tests have failed this will be reported.
Writing new Mochitest tests
A basic document on Writing MochiTest-based unit tests has already been started. (Maybe the basic stuff from that document should be moved here and that document should give the matter more detailed treatment?)
Adding new Mochitest tests to the tree
Once you've written a new test you need to add it to the Mozilla source tree and tell the build system about it so that the Mozilla tinderboxes will run it automatically.
New Mochitest tests should go somewhere close to the code they are testing. For example, if you create a new test for some HTML feature, you probably want to put the test in the directory mozilla/content/html/content/test or mozilla/content/document/content/test. If a test directory does not exist near the code you are testing you can add a new test directory as the patch in bug 368531 demonstrates.
To tell the build system about your new test you need to add the name of your test file to _TEST_FILES in the test directory's Makefile.in.
Before committing your new test and the Makefile.in changes, do run Mochitest in an up to date trunk build to check that you will not unexpectedly turn the tree orange.
Checking your new tests
Before committing a new test you should check that it does actually pass as you expect it to. To check your test, first export it to the Mochitest directory by running the command:
> make
in the object directory corresponding to the test file's location in the source tree. Now open Mochitest as described above, but this time, instead of clicking on the "Run Tests" link, search for your test and click on it.
For answers to frequently asked Mochitest questions see the Mochitest FAQ. (Information between these two documents could really do with a lot of reorganization.)


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- Willamette
- Our Stories
- 2010
- August
- From Farm to Plate
VIDEO: Students and faculty discuss Zena Farm and the summer sustainable agriculture program. (1:45)
Related Material
Student farm supplies fresh produce to Willamette campus
Next time you pick up a green salad or grilled summer vegetables in Willamette University's Goudy Commons, check to see where the lettuce and the green beans came from — they might have been grown by students next to you in line.
About a year ago, a group of students interested in farming and sustainable agriculture worked with Willamette's Center for Sustainable Communities to create a garden at Zena Forest, the university's outdoor research station. This summer, the project expanded to a half-acre plot that will continue to supply Bon Appétit, Willamette's food-service provider, with sustainably-grown produce for campus.
Organizers hope Zena Farm will become a community resource by providing a place to conduct sustainable agriculture research and to host food-related classes for students and area residents.
The educational portion of the project began this summer when six students participated in the six-week Summer Program in Sustainable Agriculture. When they weren't learning to care for the lettuce, garlic, arugula, beans, potatoes and peas in the garden, the students took two for-credit courses to learn about the origins of agriculture, agricultural policy and agroecology, and they visited local farms for inspiration.
Getting Zena Farm started:
Jennifer Johns, associate director for sustainable agriculture programs: "I was hired to help get the farm up and running, and to organize the summer program. The students and I discussed the best ways to develop the farm, and several of them also started a club to support our efforts, the Alternative Agriculture Community."
Katy Giombolini '10, environmental science major, one of the founders: "We started by building a small garden behind Zena's farmhouse, and that helped us develop ideas for planting techniques. Then we cleared a larger field and planted a cover crop during the winter to prepare the soil for growing food."
Why they wanted a farm:
Johns: "By selling our food to Bon Appétit, we are closing the food circle and helping Willamette take one more step towards being a sustainable university. We're not trying to make people farmers here — we're trying to give them a more global perspective on how food is produced and how to become a more responsible, sustainable citizen."
Giombolini: "It was nice having the freedom to try new things. None of us really knew what we were doing, but we tried different techniques, and learned from the experience. I'm going to Maine after graduation to work on a farm, and my experiences at Zena helped me get that job."
About the summer program:
Johns: "Through classes, hands-on instruction and field trips, we wanted to give students the opportunity to delve into the theoretical background of sustainable agriculture and experience the practicalities of growing their own food."
Susa Lynn '12, history major, summer program participant: "Through my classes at Willamette, I have enjoyed studying how different systems interact with each other. This program has showed me how the agriculture system affects the political and economic systems, and how they're all part and parcel of each other."
Why they enjoy the farm:
Giombolini: "It's so beautiful and peaceful at Zena. It's fun to be able to say, 'I helped get this project off the ground.'"
Jonnie Dunne '10, environmental science major, one of the founders: "A group of us met out there every Sunday, and it was relaxing to spend time in a beautiful place with a community of people working towards the same goal. By helping to plan the farm — and making decisions on how to control pests, water flow and nutrients — I've been able to put many of the ideas I learned in ecology into practice."
Also on campus: Kaneko Garden
Students and faculty also planted a vegetable garden near Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) and Kaneko Commons, Willamette's newest residential facility.
The project brings together TIUA and Willamette students who are interested in gardening. The students keep part of what they produce, donate some to a local food bank and grow plant starts for Zena's garden.


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Wal-Mart spooks stock market, Dow down 61
NEW YORK — Wal-Mart spooked the stock market Wednesday — helping push stocks lower for a fifth straight day .
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 61 points, or 0.4 percent, to 15,273.26. The Dow was dragged down by Wal-Mart after Bloomberg News reported that the world's biggest retailer is cutting orders with suppliers as unsold merchandise piles up.
Wal-Mart spokesman Dave Tovar said the report was misleading and that in some categories, the discounter was ordering more, and in other areas it was ordering less.
"This is business as usual," Tovar said, noting that it was part of an ongoing process of managing the seasonality of the business based on consumer demand.
Wal-Mart fell $1.10, or 1.5 percent, to $74.65, taking the rest of the market with it.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell five points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,692.77. Its fiveday losing streak is the longest this year.
The Herald-Dispatch welcomes your comments on this article, but please be civil. Avoid profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, accusations of criminal activity, name-calling or insults to the other posters. Herald-dispatch.com does not control or monitor comments as they are posted, but if you find a comment offensive or uncivil, hover your mouse over the comment and click the X that appears in the upper right of the comment. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal Facebook page, uncheck the box below the comment.


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This time last year, we still had several feet of snow and only ventured outdoors in a heavy coat and gloves. This weekend, you would have found me soaking up the sun and spying on my peonies and hydrangea poking out of the ground, putting two wheels of rubber to pavement, or walking through downtown in a dress.
For the past few weeks, I grew anxious to dust off my road bike for the first time. Though it was still drizzling Saturday morning, it was above 50 degrees, so we headed out for a cruise around town for a 10-mile ride. I could definitely tell that cycling indoors all winter had kept me in shape and improved my form overall. I felt smoother when transitioning to a stand for climbs and keeping my body low instead of bobbing up and down. When you're cycling indoors, you have limited options for focusing your thoughts: the form of the instructor and people cycling in front of you, your own burning legs and short breath, or the blaring music. I quickly remembered how poorly that environment stacked up to being outdoors, shifting down low on the steep hills and then flying down the other side or peddling faster to stay within the draft of your partner.
After recovering, we spent the rest of the day lounging. I read a few chapters of a great work-related book outside on the deck and then headed downtown to celebrate a friend's birthday by laughing, trying new meats like rabbit and mussels at Solera and sipping drinks by a fire outdoors. A friend was nice enough to drop me off at my car afterwards, but unfortunately it turned out to be the wrong street. I walked around downtown Minneapolis at 1:30 AM lost, in 4 inch heels, trying to find my car. There had to be a hiccup in the weekend somewhere, right? I did finally locate my ramp after Kevin was halfway into town on his way to pick me up. Ooops, false alarm!
Sunday we got down to business. When you have several remodeling projects in the works, other items can really stack up and take a toll. We were able to knock off a few things to help us sleep a bit better at night!
Items happily checked off the list this weekend:
- Aerated the yard by plugging thousands of identically shaped tubular dirt turds
- Raked out the garden beds to prep for planting
- Painted the woodshop windows
- Finished my first Pinterest-found project, a measuring cup cabinet organizer
- Rebuilt salvaged but new-to-us woodshop lights
- Sucked up remaining leaves hiding around shrubs
- Framed artwork
- Shopped for a River Birch tree and a Blueberry bush
Photos from the weekend:
New woodshop lights picked up at Bauer Brothers Salvage
Completed measuring cup organizer (this kitchen organization idea and others here)
The amazing firepit we enjoyed all to ourselves at Eden bar (at Chambers hotel)
Here's a few examples of what other folks have on their Spring project list:
- Includes Eco-decorating: http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2011/03/my-spring-project-list/
- An audit of springy plants in bloom over in WI: http://melissawestemeier.blogspot.com/2012/03/garden-march.html
- Some indoors projects: http://myersmaison.blogspot.com/2012/03/spring-forward-project-list.html
Did you happily check off your spring projects a few weeks early?


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ZBB EnerSection Power & Energy Control
The ZBB EnerSection provides a firm, dispatchable, renewable power plant for daily energy management needs and emergency operations for distributed generation applications. Its configurable architecture integrates multiple AC and DC power generation sources discreetly with one or multiple types of energy storage units with any combination of utility, bi-directional grid-tie inverters, stand-alone inverters for off-grid AC power, and/or DC outputs to provide critical DC power.
ZBB invertery assembly in Milwaukee, WI


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Just wait till the next storm comes and FEMA only provides tent cities, if your lucky. No a/c, no fridge, no private bathrooms, and the list goes on. Want to take a guess how many will be yelling for FEMA trailers then? I'll take a guess and say quite a few. FEMA needs to tell them to go suck an egg and deal with it. Didn't like what they got the last time, let's try tents this time.
Dang BLB, is that the best you guys got? Go from one crook to another. One that will steal you blind to one that will burn the town down after he is done. WOW, just WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OHH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! What will everybody do now that they can't blame BP.
btr: with 2 lane roads and police I would suggest you give them plenty of room. Wait behind them until you can pass in the oncoming lane when nothing is in the lane coming at you. As fore Fire/EMS, they will probably have flaggers directing traffic around the scene.
Well, to help you out with your problem: If you can't get by then you need to stop until you can do so safely. If you are on a 4 lane road you should move to the left lane and slow down. If they are in the left lane, move to the right lane and slow down. I don't unserstand how this can be so hard for the motoring public to understand? I suppose it is because they have never been in the situation of taking care of someone on the side of the road, trying to get equipment from place to place. If you are in that big of a hurry to get somewhere then maybe you should leave a lil earlier to adjust for unforeseen problems. Or better yet, maybe you should volunteer some of your time at your local Vol. Fire Dept. and see if you don't feel the same way after a few "close calls". All we are asking is that you move over when possible, and when not possible then slow down to at least 15 mph below the speed limit when passing us. If you can't get by us safely. STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They probably have because the government has allowed them to stay on welfare for their entire life. We need welfare reform in this country ASAP. No one should be allowed on welfare for more than 6 months at a time in a one year period, and 5 years total. PERIOD. If you have kid after kid then go get a job and support them. If any agency pays your bills for you then they pay the bill, not you. If you get food stamps then there shoud be a food distribution center where EBT cards are redeemed for food. NOT Wal-Mart and such. T-Bone steaks, Ribeye steakes, name brand potato chips and ice cream are not required to survive.
Prayers go out to her family. But it goes to show, don't steal and think you won't get shot. The other 3 teens will likely face murder charges from this. As they should!!!!!
Reatred, you need to check your sources. People who do not live on DI have to pay to launch and park. I don't know this fom picking up trash, I know it from launching my boat and parking the truck and trailer. For me it is a cheaper fee than launching from say Fowl River or the Bayou with the price of fuel. So unless they quit charging since last summer then they still charge for off Island people. PLease know the facts that apply. I have reciepts to prove my point, and I'm sure others do as well. We have been complaining about it to no avail. A State owned public dock and we get charged by City of DI. Would be nice to know if the State found out about it and told nucklehead Collier that it was illegal for him to do that. But it could be that they no longer charge for all those things. I find it hard to believe Collier did the right thing though.
Mayor Jeff Collier, looks like you have yourself a problem. The people of Mobile County and the State of Alabama are tired of paying your bills. I suggest you raise the taxes on the Island to pay for it, or have a fundraiser. The taxpayers already have to pay to go to the beaches, launch a boat, and park on "your" Island. Use that money to pay to fill the holes that you were told from the beginning would cause problems. Have anyone living South of Dauphin Island bridge to pay for this mistake made by the City of Dauphin Island.
Mistertripod, if you would take the time and learn how to read and artical you would know that he will not be release till April. That said, no he is not walking free, but should be. They used a law that they have never tried anyone else on cause they couldn't get him on anything else. How many people have been arrested for drugs and had guns have been charged with this crime? NONE! Hope he will be out soon myself. I have never thought he killed her, and no proof he did. END OF STORY. Enjoy your retirement Newcome.
I personally believe he has more questions to answer than just,"if he has a permit". By law you cannot just shoot someone because they are breaking into your garage when you get home, You call the police and wait elsewhere. He is not, nor ever was a LEO. You also cannot ramp up the scale of violence with a handgun. Meaning, if someone if fighting you with fists you can't pull a gun to protect yourself. There are way too many unanswered question in this story, from the Mayors office. Sounds to me he wants us to believe he is above the laws that we have to abide by. If he doesn't watch out he could be looking at a lawsuit from the perp that went into his garage. One reason for that is I never saw a story where he broke into the garage, or that the garage door was closed when the Mayor left, but open upon returning. If that garage dor was open when the man walked in the Mayor my be looking at a major Civil case.
What Mike Dean needs to do is put up a fence at the Dauphin Island bridge to protect Mobile County taxpayers from DI residents from taking anymore money. The county needs to limit what they give Dauphin Island , as a city, and they need to raise their own money. Raise their tax base from what people buy on the Island. So much money is wasted, on a daily basis, from DIPD driving their patrol cars to Mobile City limits, where they live, to the extention of the Fire Dept. taking their City owned vehicles off the Island to drive around. It is time Dauphin Island pay for itself or drop it's cityship and quit charging people for going to public places.
Mr. Mather, by your second paragraph, I agree that the crime rate in Mobile is dismal. But you assume that by raising the compensation and resourses will help? If you ask most police officers why they do the job they will tell you that they LOVE what they do. So it should have nothing to do with money, now should it? Me personally, I could care less if these people are walking around with their pants down. It shows their stupidity. The Police Dept. needs to be out on the streets stopping speeders going 80 mph. on the Interstate when the speed limit is 65. They need to be stopping drivers for not having their headlights on in the rain. Illegal lane changes, etc.. They won't even do that which is part of their job, which they LOVE so much.
Let's not stop at unemployed, we need to add the welfare to the list of workers. Put them to work and get them off of welfare checks. This law could be the best thing all the way around, if you think about it, in a money burdened State. The Welfare and Unemployment System wouldn't be wiped out but it would be knocked in the jaw if the State government would say "Here are your options : Loose your benefits or go to work where you are needed." Government already subsidizes the farmers so their hands are in that cookie jar, just let them grab another cookie (So to speak). There are to many on welfare and unemployment who feel 1) It pays better than working 2) Can't afford to get off of it. Let's not give them the choice anymore. I for one am tired of paying their bills and will support anything that puts an end to welfare that lasts more than 3 months. As for the Immigrants, go back to the country you are from and get a work VISA and come back and work all you want. you can then stay for 6 months to a year before you have to go back home to renew your VISA. It's a simple process I see happen every 6 months at the plant farm I used to work at in Mobile. As a matter of fact, Went by there this weekend and no one is running cause everyone is here legally. The owner wouldn't hire them if they weren't. Let's do this the right way folks, welfare and unemployment can now work cause there are plenty of jobs. All the farmers have to do is call the wefare office and unemployment office. If they refuse to work, CUT THEM OFF!!!! Illegals get your paperwork right and them come back to the USA and enjoy yourselves.
Bay Rd. and Pioneer Rd. area off DIP in the Fowl River area is where the tornado was.
You have no clue what your talking about. TK is building on to the complex every day. They aren't going anywhere now or in the future. More rolls of steel come out of TK than any other plant in AL at the moment. Have you been there? Didn't think so!!! I have, many times, deliverd parts to the complex they are building and expanding. At this moment they are laying in more dirt for another building for more expansion. They hire on, a daily basis, more workers to fill the workforce, use local companies to expand the facility. All you have to do is visit the area and ask any of the 1000's of dump trucks, container trucks, and flat beds that run out of there on a daily basis if they are "mothballing' the project and I'm sure they will tell you the same thing. And that is that your a complete moron just trying to spew crap. Crawl back under the rock you live and sip on you bottle of Mad Dog or Thunderbird.
First off, It isn't YOUR family's air. Last time I looked it didn't belong to you nor your family. If I want to smoke in public then I will. It is my right just as it is your right to move away from my smoke. I promise that I will not hold a weapon to you and make you stay near me. Secondly, if I am inside a building that is smokefree I will not smoke within those walls. Why? because those are the rules! If I am outside I will smoke where I please, if you don't like it move away from me. If your worried about your son beathing toxic air you better not let him out of the house. Mobile is full of toxic air along with alot of the nation. No air is perfectly safe unless you live in a bubble. Well nevermind, as overprotective as some of you are to your most innocent precious children you probably do have them in a bubble most the time. Live life people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ran into a problem close to this many years ago. Though , not a bayliner, the boot broke around the motor. Bildge pump cannot handle that much water at one time and have to be quick on your feet on thinking. Good thing for us we were not but 3 miles from the dock. Nevertheless a bad situation and my prayers go out to the families of these men. May the Good Lord bring back the lost, take the perished into his kingdom, and make well who has been rescued.
The one thing he forgot to put into the Bill was to make it like several other states. It you refuse to a roadside DUI test then you subject yourself to automatic arrest, suspended license for 1 yean min., and forced BAC blood test at the jail. Then when it goes to court the arresting police officer will have the proof he needs to get the max. Nevada does it along with a couple other states.
You can play BINGO all you want. Most churches, VFW's, Vol. Fire Dept. have bingo you can play on any given night of the week. What you cannot do is play illegal slot machines like these machines were. And as for Crying Wolf aka wowling wolf, your crap is getting old.


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Jarryd Wallace
LONDON--Georgia sophomore Jarryd Wallace qualified for the 400m final after running a personal best of 53.51 in the first round Friday night.
"We're thrilled that Jarryd was able to qualify and run his personal best," said Jeff Wallace, Jarryd's father and Georgia's head women's tennis coach. "Running in the final tomorrow is going to be a thrill that is going to last him a lifetime."
Though Wallace didn't finish in the top three in his heat to qualify on his heat finishing place, he was one two runners who qualified on their finishing time.
Wallace's time was nearly 2.5 seconds better than his previous best. It was also only the third time that Wallace had ever run the 400m on his prosthetic leg.
The top seed in Saturday's 400m final will be South Africa's Oscar Pistorius who stopped the clock at 48.31 in the first round.
The finals are scheduled to take place on Saturday at 4:57 p.m. EST. Wallace is competing in the T44 classification which is for athletes with a single below knee amputation or athletes who can walk with moderately reduced function in one or both legs.
Wallace is one of 23 coaches and athletes with Southeastern Conference ties that is participating in the 2012 London Paralympics.
All events can be viewed live on www.paralympic.org. A schedule of the live streaming can be found here: http://www.paralympic.org/Events/London2012/Schedule.


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Hold down Control (PC) or Command (Mac) key + mouseclick to select more than one option
|Avg. Dinner Entrée
|Greater than $25
|$18.01 - $25
|$12.01 - $18
|$7.01 - $12
|Less than $7
Posted by Anonymous on 08/11/2012
I have eaten at the LA Burrito on Bedford before but ordered delivery today from the one on wilson. MISTAKE they were rude when I placed my order, very short and quick to just get me off the phone. When they arrived with my phone the delivery guy was also rude and quick with me, I couldnt find my keys so it took me a minute to get downstairs, he was obviously annoyed. I tipped him well, and went back to my apt. When I opened the bag my order was all wrong. I called to ask them to correct it, their response was that it was my fault because he can't understand what I was saying, english is my first language. They said that if I wanted the correct order I would not only have to pay the cost difference but another delivery fee. I felt this was ridiculous told them to forget it and gave the burrito to my roommate.
Posted by Anonymous on 01/15/2012
Their huge burritos go bow chicka wow wow in my mouth. Had to stop myself from stuffing it in all at once.
Posted by L.A Burrito on 04/22/2011
great fish burritos
Posted by Candace on 02/05/2011
Good restaurants are hard to come by in this part of Brooklyn and LA Burrito is awesome. The burritos are huge and delicious, the staff is super friendly, they deliver, take ccs and they have vegan options! Also they have fantastic coffee. I love this place and order once a week!
Posted by LateNightBoozer on 01/09/2011
Say what grilled veggie nachos! They saved my hungover life. And not to mention soooo good!!! By far my new favorite local Nacho Spot!
Posted by Anonymous on 12/29/2010
Ordered delivery, even though roads are still a mess-- was fast & friendly. Food good (not great, not awful).... But nice to have Mexican delivery that accepts credit cards in the neighborhood.


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Release Date:
January 21, 2003
Rating: pg - Adult Humor, Not For Children, Adult Language, Adult Situations
This zany British comedy finds a homeless hobo (Ringo Starr) being adopted by the world's richest man, Sir Guy Grand (Peter Sellers). Setting sail on the luxury liner The Magic Christian, Sir Grand tests the limit of human avarice. With money to motivate the greedy, Laurence Harvey combines his Hamlet soliloquy with a striptease. A vile cesspool of excrement is seeded with cash and the money-hungry dive right in. Wilfred Hyde White is the drunken captain, Yul Brynner is uncredited in his performance as a chanteuse ******, and John Cleese is the director of Sotheby's auction house. Roman Polanski, Richard Attenborough and Raquel Welch also appear in this offbeat comedy. Paul McCartney wrote and produced "Come and Get It," the first international hit from the power-pop group Badfinger. John "Speedy" Keene wrote "Something In The Air" and performed the track with his group Thunderclap Newman. Sellers, Cleese, Graham Chapman and Terry Southern co-authored the screenplay taken from Southern's novel. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Genre: Comedy
- Category Farce, Satire, Absurd Comedy
- Run Time: 01 hr 41 min
- Language: English
- Picture Format: pan_and_scan
- Lead Actor: Ringo Starr , Isabel Jeans , Caroline Blakiston , Christopher Lee , Peter Sellers
- Supporting Actor: Graham Stark , Robert Raglan , Dennis Price , Peter Myers , Victor Maddern , David Lodge , Jeremy Lloyd , John Le Mesurier , Hattie Jacques , David Hutcheson , Peter Graves , Kenneth Fortescue , Freddie Earlle , John Cleese , Patrick Cargill , Peter Bayliss , Tom Boyle , Spike Milligan , Laurence Harvey , Leonard Frey , Richard Attenborough , Raquel Welch , Clive Dunn , John Lennon , Sean Barry-Weske , Joan Benham , Fred Emney , Wilfrid Hyde-White , Ferdinand "Ferdy" Mayne , Roman Polanski , Guy Middleton , Kimberly Chung , Yul Brynner , Graham Chapman , Patrick Holt , Leon Thau , Frank Thornton , Michael Trubshawe , Edward Underdown , Michael Aspel , Harry Carpenter , John Snagge , Alan Whicker , Terry Alexander
- Director: Joseph McGrath
other Info.
- Online Item #: 11533358
- Store Item Number (DPCI): 246-03-2953
- Made in the USA or Imported


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The Texas A&M University System and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have joined forces to fight world hunger.
Representatives from both entities signed a memorandum of understanding in Rome, Italy, formalizing a partnership that could have a regional, national and international impact, the university system announced Friday.
"Our organizations share a common interest in enhanced global and local actions to achieve food security, enable sustainable livelihoods and sustainably manage natural resources; and we agree that interdisciplinary solutions, innovations and sharing of technological and scientific advances are necessary," FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo said in a statement. "Hunger cannot be defeated by any organization or entity on its own. We recognize that through strategic partnerships, we can support member countries more effectively in eliminating hunger."
Under the agreement, signed by Semedo and Craig Nessler, Texas A&M AgriLife Research director, the two organizations will carry out initiatives to strengthen agricultural production innovations, land and water management practices, and plant and animal health to improve food security, according to a press release from the university system.
Closer to home, the collaboration between the A&M system and the FAO could provide students with more opportunities to "gain international experience learning from leading experts, doing field work and making an impact on global health," said Melissa Berquist, associate director of the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases, a Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence headquartered at Texas A&M.


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|Ralph Jackson Wright (updated)
|Monday, 19 March 2012 08:50
Ralph Jackson Wright 81 of Glasgow died Saturday, March 17, 2012 at Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green. Born in Cumberland County, he was a son of the late Charity O. and Mabel Tompkins Wright. Ralph was a former truck driver, heavy equipment operator, mechanic and a farmer. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by 4 children, Juanita Cox (Allen) of Bowling Green, Charles Jackson Wright (Monisa) of Woodburn, KY, Bernice F. Greene of Tyler, TX and Martha Nell Thomas (Jessie) of Glasgow; 2 step-sons Anthony David Lyle (Peggy) and Terry Burks (Alice); 9 grandchildren Christopher Cox (Jennifer), Susan Cox Harmon (Stephen), Frank Wright (Shannon), Alex Wright (Megan), Robert Jackson Wright, Layne Greene Grimes (Jonathan), Catherine Greene, John David Thomas (Lindsay) and Charles R.Thomas; 8 great-grandchildren Kayla Harmon, Kathryn Harmon, Trey Arnold, GraysonCox, Maverick Wright, Elliot Jackson Wright, Grace Ann Thomas and Luke Thomas; 2 step-grandchildren David Christopher Lyle and Karen Kozac (Shane); 1 step-great grandchild Nathan Kozac; 4 sisters Linda Bybee (Jerry) and Jo Elmore of Louisville, Freda Simpson (Troy) of Park City and Becky Spear (Bill) of Glasgow; 1 brother Billy Wright (Betty) of Glasgow and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife Betty Madison Wright, 4 brothers and 1 sister.
Funeral services will be 11:00 AM Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at the A. F. Crow & Son Funeral Home with burial in the Chestnut Grove Ridge Cemetery in Cumberland County. Visitation will begin at 4:00 PM Tuesday.


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I've just noticed the "rating option" in my profile. I didn't know it was there. In fact I don't really know what it is about and I'm sorry I rated member Airchallenged by clicking on the small stars (I was just checking if he/she also had 4 stars in his/her profile because I thought it was maybe linked to the rank on the boards).
I'm sorry if my question sounds stupid.
All the best to everyone and especially Gino (thanks for all the good work here!).
Edit: in fact there are 5 stars so it can't be linked to the rank.. Yes I'm stupid AND I'm blind.
Edited by Morgy, 23 October 2007 - 12:54 PM.