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LATEST NewsFCI Announces New Forged Nozzles Selector App for iOS, Android, and PC Devices for Download
The Top 5 Standards of High Quality ASME Nozzle Forging
Forged Components' products carry a unique set of advantages for ASME nozzle forging as compared to our competitors. With over a decade of experience in the forging industry, Forged Components' system for integral self-reinforced connections and manufacturing facilities are set up for quality production. Continue reading
The Top 6 Advantages of Reinforced ASME Pressure Vessel Connections Forging
There are many advantages to seamless integrally reinforced nozzle manufacturing as compared to multi-component fabrication. Forged Components has over a decade of experience in the forged industry for a variety of applications. Continue reading
Download our new FCI Industrial Nozzle Selector App for iOS, Android and PC devices
Based on the overwhelming popularity of FCI's patent pending "Industrial Standard Self-Reinforcing Nozzle Selector," FCI is now introducing the electronic version for your PC, Continue reading
More Advantages of Forged Connections
The Forging Industry Association (FIA) outlines a series of advantages that forging offers in comparison to other processes such as casting that are used Continue reading
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Custom Forged Connections for Pressure Vessels
Forged Components, Inc. (FCI) is a global leader in the forging, machining and manufacture of integral self-reinforced connections for ASME pressure vessels – LWN, HB, I1, I2, I3 E, Q-Lip nozzles, butt weld stub end connections, studding outlets, and ASME B.16 Series A & B large diameter flanges and blinds.
FCI operates from 95,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing facilities at five (5) locations in Houston, Humble, Porter and Navasota, Texas. The forging and manufacturing facilities are equipped with 350 ton, 1700 ton and 2500 ton open-die hydraulic forge presses, 300 ton ring roll, heat treatment furnaces, and a wide range of machine tools including manual and CNC lathes, VTL's, milling machines and drills. Our corporate office, main manufacturing and storage facility in Humble, Texas is located on 19 acres adjacent to a rail spur, near major freeways and within 5 miles of the Bush International Airport.
In addition to pressure vessel connections, FCI produces forgings for the energy, petrochemical, refinery, power generation and the oil & gas exploration and production industries. Our extensive range of API-6A wellhead products include casing heads, tubing heads, casing hangers, tubing head adapters, casing and tubing spools, flanges, tees, crosses, and other wellhead components. Custom forged products include; extended barrel connections, large rolled ring forgings, cylinders, discs to 95" OD, mandrel rings, bar products, valve bonnets, high pressure valve bodies, elbows, tees, square and rectangular blocks. FCI is capable of producing open-die and semi-closed die forged shapes that weigh from 5 to 35,000 lbs.
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We've prepared our product catalog for you to download. Have the catalog of our inventory to look at, print, or take with you on your tablet or Smartphone. In the catalog, our products list the full range of specifications for you to view.
FCI – Industrial Nozzle Selector App
Based on the overwhelming popularity of FCI's patent pending "Industrial Standard Self-Reinforcing Nozzle Selector" FCI is now Introducing the electronic version for your PC, Android, and Apple Devices. Click on the App Icon below for installation.
Click Icon to Load Apple Phone or Mobile Device
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Click Icon to Load on PC and Laptops
Contact Forged Components for ASME Pressure Vessel Connections Manufacturing
Get started with your project for ASME Pressure Vessel Connections manufacturing by contacting Forged Components at 1-877-FCI-I123 or through email at email@example.com. As a global vessel nozzles manufacturer, we provide a wide range of standard and custom products.


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Apple gets personal with Apple Watch, first new product since iPad
Apple revealed its first new product since the iPad launched in 2010 — the Apple Watch, which is designed to be everything from a personal health and fitness trainer to a TV remote control. The …
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While NBC has marketed this year's Olympics as the first time viewers in America will be able to watch every bit of action live on their mobile and tablet devices, not everyone will be enjoying the …

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JPG Cleaner 2.6
Portability advantages
Since there is no setup pack involved, you can put the program files in any part of the hard disk and just click the executable to run.
Another option is to save JPG Cleaner to a USB flash disk or upload it online to access it from any computer without any previous installations.
What's more, the fact that it's portable means that it does not modify Windows registry entries, nor create extra files on the disk without your consent, thus leaving no traces behind after its removal.
Simple-to-use interface
JPG Cleaner does not put too much emphasis on looks. However, the interface is very simple to navigate. JPG files can be added to the task list using the file browser, folder view or drag-and-drop method. Batch processing is supported, so you can work with multiple photos at once to reduce the workload.
Easily configure output settings
It is possible to preview each photo and specify the output directory for saving the new files. Otherwise, JPG Cleaner can be set to overwrite the existing files. It may also create backups in case something goes wrong, keep the original file date and time, beep on task completion, as well as ignore or delete corrupt files, or delete the unknown ones. Settings can be saved for future runs.
Evaluation and conclusion
The app has minimal impact on PC performance, running on low CPU and RAM. There were no kind of issues throughout our evaluation, as it did not hang, crash or pop up error messages. All in all, JPG Cleaner offers a simple solution to reducing the size of JPG images, and it can be easily used.
Reviewed by Elena Opris, last updated on May 31st, 2014
- file size:
- price:
- developed by:
- Rainbow Software
- license type:
- Freeware
- operating system(s):
- Windows All
- category:
- C: \ Multimedia \ Graphic \ Graphic Others
In a hurry? Add it to your Download Basket!
- fixed JPGs with data before header not working
- fixed JPGs with JFIF+#1 does not display header type (DOS & W32Console)
- changed copy routine to use blocks with 'nice' size (32KB)
Application descriptionJPG Cleaner removes the useless information added by programs like Photoshop into the JPG files that is...


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A postage stamp booklet dispenser mechanism uses a multi-position gate cam, which rotates about a central axis and controls the opening and closing of opposed pairs of gate members through which the stamp booklets are dispensed. The operative followers of each pair of gates alternately move between dwell and rest positions to thereby provide corresponding open and closed modes of operation, resulting in the selective dispensing of single booklets from a criss-cross stack. By disposing one pair of gate members in a position slightly offset from the gate cam's central axis, one of the gate members of that pair receives a slight preferential opening position to insure that the booklet dispensed when that pair of gates is opened, falls in the proper orientation onto the chute of the dispenser mechanism. Between each dispensing cycle, all four gates return to their rest positions to prevent inadvertent dispensing and "jackpotting" of the entire stored group of booklets.
1. Apparatus for dispensing at least two articles of a predetermined configuration and arranged in a criss-cross stack, comprising a storage magazine for receiving said articles in the form of said stack, delivery means for furnishing selectively dispensed ones of said articles from said magazine on demand in response to an input command, receiving means for allowing said selectively dispensed articles to be removed from said apparatus, gate means for alternately blocking and opening access to said delivery means for said stack, dispensing control means for governing the operation of said gate means through at least opened and closed cycles, and locating means for effecting said opening of said gate means in response to said dispenser control means in a preferred sequence to cause one of said articles to be furnished to said delivery means in a predetermined orientation, wherein said gate means includes a plurality of pivotable members adapted for controlled movement relative to said delivery means, said pivotable members being operable in opposed pairs, said articles in said stack being supported by cooperating ones of said pivotable members in accordance with said predetermined configuration of said articles, said dispenser control means including means for positioning said pivotable members to support or release said articles in said closed or said opened cycles respectively, said articles in said stack including one group in a first position and another group in a second position, said one group being disposed in longitudinal alignment with said receiving means and said another group being disposed in transverse alignment with said receiving means, and said dispenser control means includes a control cam for governing the sequential movement of said pivotable members of said gate means, said locating means including portions of said gate means and of said dispenser control means to effect said delivery of said one of said articles in said predetermined orientation, wherein said control cam has a central axis and said gate means has a central axis between each opposed pair of said pivotable members, said locating means including an offset gap between said central axes of said control cam and said gate means, said control cam being substantially circular in configuration and including a plurality of lobe and dwell segments corresponding to said opened and close cycles respectively, and said pivotable members of said gate means including at least a crossbar portion to support said articles during alternate ones of said opened cycles and during said closed cycles, and a projecting follower portion in contact with said lobe segments to cause said gate means to open for the dispensing of selected ones of said articles and in contact with said dwell segments to cause said gate means to close to prevent the dispensing of said articles.
2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said control cam includes a depending flange having alternating peripheral regions corresponding to said lobe and said dwell segments, and disposed in said delivery means to sequentially contact said projecting follower portion of said pivotable members of said gate means.
3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said delivery means includes a central cavity, and said crossbar portions of said pivotable members selectively block and unblock said central cavity to correspond to said closed and opened cycles respectively, said closed cycle being defined by said crossbar portions of more than one pair of said pivotable members occupying said central cavity while the corresponding projecting follower portions of said pivotable members reside at said dwell segments, and said opened cycle being defined by said crossbar portions of no more than one pair of said pivotable members occupying said central cavity while the corresponding projecting follower portions of said pivotable members reside in said lobe segments.
4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said crossbar portions of one opposed pair of said pivotable members in said opened cycle support at least one of said articles in said one group or said another group, and said crossbar portions of another of said opposed pairs of said pivotable members in said opened cycle unblock said central cavity to allow passage of one of said articles through said delivery means to said receiving means.
5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said crossbar portions of at least two opposed pairs of said pivotable members in said closed cycle support at least one of said articles in said one group and at least one of said articles in said another group, whereby said central cavity is blocked to prevent passage of said articles to said receiving means.
6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lobe segments comprise a plurality of indented cut-outs in said depending flange and said dwell segments comprise of plurality of substantially flat areas on said peripheral regions.
7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said plurality of said cut-outs and said flat areas alternate in pairs on said depending flange.
8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said receiving means includes at least a delivery chute having a lip for receiving said articles from said delivery means during said opened cycles, said lip being substantially parallel to said another group of said articles and substantially perpendicular to said one group of said articles, and said offset gap accommodates said projecting follower portion of one of said pivotable members having a longitudinal alignment within one of said lobe segments prior to the accommodation of said projecting follower portion of the other corresponding one of said pivotable members having a longitudinal alignment within another one of said lobe segments.
9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said predetermined configuration of said articles is rectangular, with a long and a short edge, and wherein said predetermined orientation of said one of said articles to be delivered includes one of said articles in said longitudinal alignment with one of said short edges positioned beyond said lip and above said delivery chute.
10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein the other of said short edges of the delivered one of said articles is initially on said crossbar portion of said pivotable member while the corresponding one of said projecting follower portions thereof is not yet accommodated in said another one of said lobe segments, said other of said short edges being released from said crossbar portion to complete said delivery when said projecting follower portion becomes accommodated in said another of said lobe segments.
This invention relates to dispensing equipment in general, and to a machine which selectively dispenses postage stamp booklets in particular.
In contemporary life, there are numerous items which are purchased by the consuming public through the use of machines or other impersonal devices or arrangements. This fairly commonplace activity is merely reflective of the need for access to retail merchandise on a continuous basis, often at irregular hours. Moreover, unattended sales are generally desirable because of their labor-saving aspects and basically trouble-free operation.
There are many situations where mechanized dispensing is utilized, to the mutual advantage of all concerned. Areas of commercial activity where this has already occurred include food products, cosmetics, financial institutions and a variety of miscellaneous fields which have in common the need for selectively dispensing non-perishable merchandise under suitably controlled conditions.
Among the parameters which usually must be monitored in automatic dispensing equipment are such factors as the number of units to be dispensed, the insertion of the proper amount of money, the avoidance of errors (e.g., multiple dispensings) and the temporary cessation of operation when the supply of merchandise is exhausted. But probably no single design element of these devices has received more attention than the actual distribution and delivery mechanism itself, governing just how the item is ultimately presented to the purchaser.
There has been no lack of activity among designers in trying to arrive at the "ideal" dispensing mechanism, for example with regard to vendable items like flat, rectangular booklets which are conventionally used to contain postage stamps. These booklets are relatively thin and are bound at one end, and are therefore readily capable of being "stacked" for storage and dispensing purposes. This relatively straightforward geometrical fact has been recognized by the prior art, leading to the accepted "criss-cross" stacking of such booklets to thereby establish a mode for alternate dispensing from each group in the stack.
Thus, the general approach of the prior art has been to stack these rectangular booklets in alternating orthogonal orientation, thereby forming an overall cruciform package, which is positioned in an appropriately shaped receptacle. Although a number of dispensing techniques have also been developed, the alternate criss-cross stacking configuration has generally led to use of a gravity-feed arrangement, coupled with some equipment to insure that only one booklet is dispensed at a time. However, despite the progress that has been made in the foregoing developments, certain problems still remain unresolved or unaddressed.
One area which has not been adequately attended to is the long-range life of the control elements in the dispensers. For example, while measured dispensing such as by using cams and cam followers has been utilized heretofore, it has been assumed that only a very few item can be dispensed for each cyclical movement of the cam (e.g., through a full rotation). Little or no consideration has been given to the very important concept of maximizing the number of dispensing positions effected through a given cycle of movement of a cam. This design omission can eventually result in more cam movement being required to provide relatively few dispensings, not to mention the shorter structural life of mechanisms which must labor harder to achieve a particular result.
Another problem that arises with prior art equipment is the jamming of machines by the improper or uncontrolled ejecting of booklets, with no way to monitor the sequence or direction in which the booklets move. In a gravity-feed system, a slanted chute is often used to receive and then deliver a selected booklet to the purchaser. As the booklet leaves the internal dispenser, presumably under some control, it does not always arrive at the uppermost lip of the chute, and occasionally falls back toward the dispenser and jams it, or else drops to the floor of the chassis of the machine without ever being fully dispensed. The consumer has conceivably "lost" his money, and the equipment will ultimately require servicing to remove and reload the errant booklet.
And even where some of these problems have been considered and perhaps even partially solved, another aspect of continuous and selective dispensing has been overlooked, namely the inadvertant discharging of the entire load of booklets. This condition, which may occur when the control mechanism is between regular discharge positions, is known as "jackpotting", and also requires the scrutiny of contemporary designers.
It is therefore an object of this invention to obviate one or more of the aforesaid difficulties.
It is another object of this invention to maximize the number of dispensing positions achieved in a given cycle of operation.
It is also an object of this invention to control the dispensing of postage stamp booklets by using a circular gate cam having multiple lobes and dwell positions;
It is a further object of this invention to provide a preferred orientation to one end of a stamp booklet to insure the proper dispensing configuration for the booklet.
It is still another object of this invention to furnish control of booklet dispensing equipment to avoid mass discharging of stored booklets.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when a particular illustrative embodiment thereof is considered, wherein a postage stamp booklet dispenser mechanism is provided as the main operative component of a stamp booklet vending machine. The stamp booklets, stacked in criss-cross fashion and loaded into a magazine which is mounted over the dispensing equipment, is controlled by the operation of a circular cam wheel which, through its rotational cycle, acts to alternatively open and close various gate members by pairs. This is accomplished by the provision of a cam profile having multiple sets of lobe and dwell positions, with the release gates of the dispenser being opened when certain portions of the gates encounter the dwell positions of corresponding cam elements, and with the gates being closed when they encounter corresponding lobe positions on the cam.
The booklets are loaded in a criss-cross fashion, i.e., with alternating booklets being perpendicular to each other throughout the stack, preferably as is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 668,204, filed contemporaneously herewith. The booklet magazine is correspondingly cruciform in cross-section to accommodate the loading of the criss-cross stack of booklets, which are fed by gravity downward into the dispensing area of the unit, assisted by the placement on top of the stack of a removable cruciform weight member.
During operation, and when appropriately activated by the insertion of the requisite coin amount, the cam moves through a portion of its rotation so that an opposed pair of underlying gate members can occupy opposite raised dwell positions on the cam member. Upon encountering the dwell positions in a given sequence, the gates rotate downward and thereby open up one of the two opposed "bays" to allow the appropriately oriented booklet at that location to be dispensed in a vertical, gravityfeed manner. The booklet then drops down onto a delivery chute and is provided to the consumer through an opening on the front of the machine. As the same cycle continues, the further movement of the cam causes the previously open gates to be closed as the follower portion of each cam travels toward the flat lobe of the cam to thereby maintain the previously opened gate pair in a closed position. At this point in time, both opposed gate pairs are closed and this will constitute the "rest" position for the system prior to another dispensing cycle. This advantageous arrangement, whereby all four gates (two pairs of two each) remain closed, is very desirable in machines of this type in order to avoid accidental dispensing of the entire load of vendable items, occasionally known as "jackpotting" in this technology.
One of the problems alluded to earlier is the possibility that in at least some dispensing cycles, the sequence or orientation of the item to be dispensed will not be sufficiently certain or affirmative to insure that it passes down to the dispensing chute and out to the consumer in the proper manner. These prior art problems related primarily to the possible inadvertent or improper tilting or slanting of the postage stamp booklet after it has been properly dropped from the stack during the dispensing cycle. But if the booklet does not move to the chute in the proper orientation, it may become "hung up" on the upper lip of the chute and conceivably jam the mechanism.
The present invention also attends to this problem by providing a preferential sequence for the dispensing of booklets in one of the two orthogonal orientations. (The other orientation does not require preferential treatment, since it is dropping its booklet laterally across the principal dimension of the chute and therefore the sequence or delivery direction for that booklet is not as critical as for the opposite one.) In order to establish the preferred dropping sequence, it is desirable to provide one of the two gates in the preferred pair with an "advance" dropping mode, whereby in the course of rotation of the controlling cam, that gate becomes operative to drop down into the "bay" prior to its opposed gate element in the same pair. As a result of this feature, the stamp booklet which is resting on that pair of gate elements follows the preferred dropping sequence so that the end of the booklet which is resting on the preferred advance gate member drops down into the chute first, followed shortly thereafter by the other end of the booklet. In so doing, the booklet is assured of falling into the chute in a selected and desirable dispensing orientation, following a discontinuous dropping motion.
This predetermined sequence is achieved by having that pair of opposed gate elements disposed with its center line slightly offset from the center line of the gate cam itself. In this manner, as the gate cam rotates and is about to activate that particular pair of gates for a dispensing step one of the two gates in the pair will drop down first because its follower portion will reach the dwell position of that particular cam segment slightly prior to its corresponding opposed gate member; then, after the preferred gate has dropped down, the continuation of the cycle will result in the second gate of the pair also dropping down, insuring the full dispensing of the booklet, but in the desired sequence described above. Of course, as the cycle continues to operate and prior to its conclusion, both of these gate members are then raised back to their rest positions, by their followers encountering the lobes of the gate cam, again establishing the four-way hold or protection position to avoid jackpotting and waiting for the next cycle to commence.
It is therefore a feature of an embodiment of this invention that a circular and rotatable cam interacts with multiple pairs of opposed gate members to dispense corresponding longitudinally oriented and criss-cross stacked booklets in a desired sequence.
It is another feature of an embodiment of this invention that the dwell or release positions of a circular cam member correspond to respective pair of opposed gate elements, with the cam furnishing a release command to the gate pairs every 30� of rotation of the cam.
It is also a feature of an embodiment of this invention that one pair of gate elements located proximate to the discharge chute of the unit is arranged with its center line slightly offset relative to the central axis of the cam, to cause one of the two gate elements to release slightly ahead of its counterpart during the cam's rotational cycle.
It is still a further feature of an embodiment of this invention that between dispensing cycles, all of the gate elements are in the up or closed position to provide a stable support for the stacked booklets and to prevent accidental dispensing of all stored booklets.
Additional objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more readily undestood when considered in conjunction with a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of the invention that is explained in the following detailed description and as shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outside housing of the dispensing machine, showing the front panel and indicating in phantom lines the opening of the rear door;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the interior of the dispenser, illustrating the booklet magazine, the cam, the gates and the base plate supporting the upper mechanism;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the main housing, showing the interrelationship of the assembled magazine and dispensing mechanism mounted over the underlying chute and delivery area, generally in solid line at the left of the drawing figure, and indicating the open version showing the rear door illustrated in phantom with the portions mounted thereon also presented in phantom lines, generally taken along the plane defined by the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main housing of the equipment in the closed position showing the placement of the magazine, the dispensing mechanism and the chute delivery box, taken along the discontinuous section line 4--4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the stacking magazine and its relationship in that view with the chute delivery box, taken from the line 5--5 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the cam and gates of the invention, indicating the drive arrangement for the cam and the relative offset between the center lines of the cam and one pair of gates, taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the cam and one opposed pair of gates, both being shown in the up or support position for the stacked booklets above the gates, taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 8 is a lower cross-sectional view through the cam, illustrating the alternating lobes and dwell positions of the cam as they encounter corresponding follower portions of the gates, causing one of the four gate members to drop down into the open bay in a preferred advance sequence to the others--this view is taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view through the cam and one pair of gates shown in FIG. 8, indicating the downward position of one of the two gates of that pair and the resultant preferred tipping of the corresponding booklet to be dispensed into the dispensing chute, taken along the line 9--9 of FIG. 8 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 10 is a stretched-out or layout view of the cam, showing one gate element in its preferred operating mode, whereby it drops down to release the end of the supported booklet while the gate is in the dwell position on the cam, with the next adjacent gate to be encountered in rotation (of the opposite pair) shown in the up or support position as its follower encounters the cam lobe;
FIG. 11 is a simplified schematic plan view of both pairs of gates in the up or support position to prevent jackpotting, which occurs after each dispensing cycle and prior to the next one;
FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a first dispensing cycle where the two opposed "horizontal" gate members are down because of their occupying the corresponding dwell positions on the cam, with the other pair gate members up and supporting a booklet (not shown); and
FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of the next cycle of operation, wherein the first pair of gates has resumed its support position, while the next pair of gates is now down to allow for the dispensing from the magazine of the next sequential stacked booklet in the criss-cross stack.
In considering the overall configuration of the equipment comprising this invention, the device 20 of FIG. 1 includes a main housing 22 and a front panel 24 having a plurality of functional mechanisms and openings. Thus, the stamp booklets to be dispensed by this invention and to be described below are delivered through opening 24A, with one such booklet 36A being shown in the dispensing area at that location. Also visible in FIG. 1 are a change return slot 24B, an exact change deposit slot 24C and a coin return activation button 24D. In its normal mode of operation, the unit has its rear door 26 both closed and locked, although for servicing and other access purposes, the phantom view of rear door 26' is shown indicating the manner of opening (see the directional arrow, also in phantom) in FIG. 1.
The internal components of the unit are best understood by considering the exploded view of FIG. 2 and the dual cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 (solid line and phantom portions) together. The entire dispensing mechanism is identified in FIG. 2 by the reference numeral 28 to the left, and consists, as principal components, of booklet magazine 30 and dispensing control mechanism 32; the latter includes cam 32A and supporting base plate 32C. Magazine 30 includes typical side panel 30A and upper flared lip 30B to accommodate the insertion of criss-cross booklets, such as are represented by perpendicular booklets 36A and 36B; such booklets may desirably be formed into a criss-cross stack by the technique and apparatus shown in copending application Ser. No. 668,204. When loaded, the booklets are kept in place by cruciform weight 38 which has elevated handle 38A for removal purposes. The magazine 30 is also provided with a pair of opposed sizing brackets 30C to allow for minor fit adjustments, as well as a conventional grouping of mounting brackets 30D for mounting magazine 30 to the housing (mounting not shown).
Considering the orientations ascertainable from the exploded view of FIG. 2 and from the solid line portion of FIG. 3, it will be seen that magazine 30 is disposed directly above cam wheel 32A, which, when operative, will rotate in accordance with the clockwise direction specified by directional arrow "R". Cam wheel 32A is provided with rest lobes 32A1 and operative "dwell" recesses 32A2, which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
The interrelationship of cam 32A and the gates which actually allow booklets to be dispensed is based upon the mounting of the cam on base plate 32C, over cavity 32L, which is a generally square opening having rounded corners and which is blocked by the alternating and sequential presence therein of the gates to be described. By briefly referring to FIG. 6 as well, it will be appreciated that cam 32A is mounted to base plate 32C by means of attachment devices which affix the cam to mounting posts 32E (see one of such posts illustrated in FIG. 2, to which reference numerals have been applied). The main flange 32 A/F of cam 32A is held in the center of a split retainer ring 32F which permits the cam to rotate freely therethrough. The retainer ring is held in place, providing a loose but not snug fit to the cam flange, by means of shim 32G, retaining ring 32H and retaining pin 32I. This arrangement is the same for all four mounting posts at each of the four corners on which the cam is supported and therefore the description thereof need not be repeated.
At the lower left of FIG. 3, a general illustration of the underlying receiving mechanism for the dispensed booklets is indicated in hidden lines, being associated with booklet dispensing opening 24A on the front panel 24 of the unit (see FIG. 1). Thus, as a booklet is dispensed from unit 32, it drops down into chute/delivery area 34 and lands upon slanted surface 34A of the chute. Then, by further gravity action, the booklet (not shown in FIG. 3) is delivered into the delivery area 34B and will be accessible to a consumer reaching for the booklet from the opening 24A, which constitutes the delivery area at the front panel 24 of the machine.
Returning to the structure of base plate 32C as seen in FIG. 6, in addition to mounting posts 32D for the gear and idler motors (shown only generally in FIG. 6), two opposed pairs of gate members are illustrated, namely one opposed pair consisting of elements 42A1 and 42A2, and the opposite pair having elements 42B1 and 42B2. As illustrated at the bottom of FIG. 2, gate element 42A has been elevated above its mounting bracket 44 for ease of description, but it will of course be appreciated that its normal position is mounted in that bracket as the other three gate members are shown to be. With all four gate members in their extended or support positions, the central cavity area 32L is sufficiently bridged so that booklets dropping down from magazine 30 (although not shown in the lower portion of FIG. 2) will not drop through cavity 32L and reach the chute delivery area 34. Instead, one group of stacked booklets will be supported on gates 42A1 and 42A2, while the other group of prearranged booklets will be supported on opposed gate members 42B1 and 42B2, all in the manner to be described hereinafter.
The right-hand side of FIG. 3, showing the dispenser mechanism 32 and magazine 30 in phantom lines as they appear mounted on rear door 26', also indicates the presence of flat cable wiring 40 and the lever and bell crank type of door locking mechanism 26A' and 26B'. These phantom portions are shown in full line in the view of FIG. 4, which also adds the positioning, relative to dispenser mechanism 32, of chute/delivery box 34 beneath the dispenser. However, the locking mechanism and the wiring, and their mounting on the rear door 26, are generally conventional and need not be described any further in this application.
A further understanding of the orientation of the various components of this invention can be obtained from a consideration of the plan view of FIG. 5, which indicates the mounting of magazine 30 over base plate 32C of the dispenser mechanism. Viewed above the center of magazine 30, which also has side panels 30A and flared upper lip 30B, is auxiliary weight 38 and its handle 38A, installed above a stack of criss-crossed booklets of which two such members, 36A and 36B, are shown in hidden lines below weight 38. Aside from wiring 40 which connects into the cam operating members (not shown) through multi-pin receiving jack 40A mounted on surface 44, the dispensing direction from magazine 30 towards chute/delivery area 34 is indicated by the double headed arrow 34C--the first portion of that arrow indicates the hypothetical dropping of a booklet into the chute 34A, while the second portion of the arrow indicates the completion of the booklet's journey to dispensing and delivery area 34B, from which communication is had to front opening 24A on the front panel 24 of the machine.
The basic construction and operation of the dispensing mechanism is best understood from an initial consideration of FIGS. 6 and 7, which provide a general illustration of the normal positions of the gate members relative to the cam wheel. From this vantage point, the blocking of cavity 32L by the upward or support positions of opposed gate members is clear, since neither of the perpendicular openings required for the dropping down of one or the other of booklets 36A or 36B is present in an orientation that would allow such booklet's dispensing. Instead, one pair of gate members 42A1 and 42A2 support illustrative booklet 36A, while the opposed pair of gate members 42B1 and 42B2 support their corresponding booklet 36B.
Overall dispensing control is provided under the influence of gate cam 32A, which rotates in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrows "R" in response to a generally conventional gearing mechanism driven from main gear wheel 32J, which has a toothed drive wheel 32J1 which meshes with teeth 32K1 of idler wheel 32K. As indicated by the rotational arrows on each of drive and idler wheels 32J and 32K respectively, clockwise rotational motion is ultimately imparted by the meshing of cam teeth 32B and idler wheel teeth 32K1. Drive wheel 32J is, in turn, driven by a gear motor (not shown) which is intermittently activated upon the insertion into the dispenser machine of the appropriately detected quantity of coins. Such coin activation mechanisms are conventional and are neither shown nor described in this application.
As cam 32A rotates, its upper flange 32A/F passes through the split opening in each of the four corner position retainer rings 32F, only one of which is numbered in FIG. 6. Each of the gate members of the two opposed pairs thereof is identically contructed and operates in generally similar fashion. Gate member 42B1, at the left of FIG. 6, has been selected for description because it is the one which receives preferred dropping consideration in this particular sequence of operation, although that type of performance can be associated with any of the gate elements, depending upon their orientation and geometrical replacement. The main cross-piece of the gate consists of bar 42C, which is linked to the mounting hub 42E by center support shaft 42D. Each of the four gate elements is mounted on upstanding opposed brackets 44 and is mounted for rotation therethrough by means of pin 42F. The operative portion of each gate element, i.e., the structure which is acted upon by the cam itself, is rearwardly projecting "follower" element 42G, which is perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 9. In this regard, when all of the gate members are in their up positions, supporting corresponding booklets 36A or 36B, the bar 42C and connecting portion 42D are arrayed horizontally, thus providing a substantially level support surface for the corresponding booklet. In order to achieve this position, the follower portion of the gate 42G must be in contact with the lobe 32A1 of cam 32A--this is illustrated at the left of FIG. 7 with respect to gate member 42A1 and at the right of that same figure with respect to gate element 42A2.
In order to achieve a dropping operation with respect to any given dispenser booklet, follower portion 42G must drop into the upper dwell portion 32A2 on the outline of cam 32A. Thus, considering the view of FIG. 7, if gate elements 42A1 and 42A2 were to drop down, the first of these clockwise and the second of these counterclockwise (thus providing a dispensing or dropping position for booklet 36A supported thereon), follower portion 42G would rise up into dwell opening 32A2 ; this arrangement will ultimately be described below with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9.
In order to effectuate the preferred sequential operation of gate element 42B1, so that proper dropping orientation for the "B" set of stacked booklets will be achieved as mentioned hereinabove, a differential or offset between the center lines of the cam 32A and one pair of gate members 42B1, 42B2 has been provided for in this invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8, the center line of cam 32A, identified by reference numeral 32A/L, is offset by a dimension 46 (illustratively 0.030 inches) from the center line 42B/L of the "horizontal" pair of gate members 42B1 and 42B2. This offset can also be appreciated by an examination of the bar portions 42C of gate members 42B1 and 42B2 in FIG. 6. It will be noted that these bar portions 42C are not precisely centered with respect to the booklets resting on them, by virtue of the offset dimension 46 previously mentioned. (See space between bars 42C and the left and right ends of booklet 36B in FIG. 6.) This will ultimately result in one of the cam wheel dwell portions 32A2 arriving at and activating one of the gate members slightly before the other, in this particular case referring to gate 42B1 being activated before gate 42B2. This creates the desired preferred drop sequence for booklet 36B.
A particular sequence of operation involving the preferred activation of gate element 42B1 of the corresponding "B" pair of gates, can best be understood by a consideration of FIGS. 8 and 9, together with the various mechanical and operational components heretofore discussed. The cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 8, which is through the cam wheel 32A itself, but above the gate elements, illustrates the position just as gate 42B1 has been activated and had dropped down out of sight; accordingly, the main portion of gate 42B1, and specifically bar 42C and connecting rib 42D, are not visible in FIG. 8, since they have dropped down to the position indicated at the left in FIG. 9. To achieve this position, the clockwise rotation of cam 32A progresses from the point where its intermediate rest lobe 32A1 has just passed the contact point with follower portion 42G of gate element 42B1. When this occurs, the sharp vertical slope at the end of lobe 32A1 allows follower 42G to move up into the cam dwell portion 32A2, which thereby correspondingly drops main bar portion 42C of that gate down. This is accomplished by movement of follower 42G through rounded recess 32M of base plate 32C, whereby it ultimately comes in contact with the upper dwell portion 32A2 of the cam. This establishes the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, whereby the absence of previously supporting gate 42B1 creates a preferential dropping cavity 32N for the left end 36B1 of booklet 36B to start dropping through.
At this particular moment in time, the opposite gate member of this pair, 42B2, has not yet opened because its follower element 42G is still being held in contact with the trailing portion of lobe 32A1 on the opposite side of the cam 32A (see right portions of FIGS. 8 and 9). In particular, that trailing portion of lobe 32A1 has not yet cleared past follower portion 42G of gate element 42B2 and consequently, that gate member is still horizontal, supporting the right end 36B2 of booklet 36B. Accordingly, booklet 36B begins its tilting drop into chute/delivery area 34, as shown in FIG. 9. The forward upper edge of bar portion 42C of gate element 42B2 acts as a fulcrum point for this tilting action of booklet 36B, as shown at the right of FIG. 9. When this preferred tilting sequence of operation has begun to occur, booklet 36B is caused to drop down onto chute 34A in the proper and virtually parallel mode indicated in FIG. 9, clearing the upper lip 34D of the chute 34, whereby it then slides down the chute 34A to the delivery area 34B (not shown in FIG. 9) and ultimately is removed through dispensing opening 24A in the front panel of the unit.
Shortly after the position illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 has been reached, the continued clockwise rotational movement of cam 32A causes the end of lobe 32A1 at the right of FIG. 9 to pass by the follower element 42G of gate 42B2. As a result, that gate element then drops down by virtue of its follower 42G moving up into dwell portion 32A2 on the right side of cam 32A in FIG. 8. Gate 42B2 then follows a generally identical pattern of movement to that already described with respect to gate 42B1, and should there be any uncertainty in the movement of booklet 36B downward towards the chute, the dropping of the bar portion 42C of gate 42B2 reinforces the initially introduced tilting action of booklet 36B. This, in effect, removes the last "obstacle" to the downward movement of booklet 36B and specifically allows end 36B2 of that booklet to pass downward through opening 32L, thus completing the delivery of booklet 36B onto the chute 34A and ultimately into the customer's hands.
It will be noted that during this sequence of operation, involving the preferential dropping down of the gate 42B1 and then the slightly time delayed dropping down of gate 42B2, thereby delivering booklet 36B onto delivery chute 34A, the opposed pair of gates consisting of elements 42A1 and 42A2, has not moved at all. This is attributable to the continuous contact between their respective follower portions 42G and corresponding lobes 32A1 which hold those followers in place as illustrated at the top and bottom of FIG. 8. That position for gate elements 42A1 and 42A2 also holds in the "vertical" stacking members, represented by lowermost booklet 36A, during this phase of the cycle. Until the next rotation of the cam has been completed, those two gate members will not drop down.
Moreover, once a dispensing cycle has been completed, each of the four gate elements is again maintained in its horizontal support position--this is the view shown in the illustration of FIG. 6 (and also FIG. 11 to be described below). This will provide, between each dispensing cycle, a full, four-gate element support position, so that between cycles, there is no chance that one stacked booklet in either direction will drop down accidentally or that indeed, the entire stacked load of booklets will somehow drop down accidentally. When viewed from the perspective of FIG. 8, it will be appreciated that after gate element 42B2 has dropped down (as described above), the follower portions 42G of each of gate elements 42B1 and 42B2 gradually begin to return to their horizontal positions by following the angular path from the uppermost dwell position down to the lowermost horizontal lobe position. (This will best be appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 10). In so doing, and again following the clockwise rotation indicated by arrows "R" in FIG. 8, the dwell portions for each of gates 42B1 and 42B2 will end and the lobe portions following those dwell portions will again support the followers 42G of each of the initially operative pair of gate members 42B1 and 42B2. This will return all four gate members to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 6, i.e., where all four gates are up and in their supporting modes prior to the activation of the next dispensing cycle. When that next cycle does occur, it will simultaneously drop down the other pair of gate members 42A1 and 42A2, with no preferred sequence or tilting being involved because of the relative orientation of those two gates with respect to the underlying chute--when considering FIG. 9 in this regard, it will be noted that the dropping down of a lateral positioned booklet 36A, across the width of chute 34A, generally does not require any "extra" tilting action in order to insure the proper dropping of that booklet.
A specific understanding of the geometric configuration of cam 32A can be gained from examining FIG. 10, which is a layout view of the cam, with all six dwell positions and corresponding lobe portions illustrated. The clockwise rotation of cam 32A is translated into a left pointing arrow "R" in FIG. 10, and each of the parts of the cam and the gates carry the same reference numerals as they did during the foregoing description.
The two gates which are illustrated in FIG. 10 are adjacent in the rotational sequence, namely gate 42B1, which receives the preferred initialization treatment discussed above, and preceding gate 42A2 in the rotation (i.e., the one which is to the right in FIG. 10 and which is 90� counterclockwise from gate 42B1 in FIGS. 6 and 8). At the time shown in FIG. 10, the preferred tilting sequence has just occurred--thus, follower portion 42G has moved upward into the uppermost open portion of dwell section 32A2, just barely having passed (in a right-to-left direction) the verical portion at the right end of lobe 32A1. As a result of this cam movement, the main bar portion 42C and its connecting rib 42D have dropped into a vertical orientation to allow for the end 36B1 of booklet 36B (not shown in FIG. 10, but see FIGS. 8 and 9) to drop down into the delivery cavity.
At the same time, gate element 42A2 remains in its horizontal position, supporting booklet 36A (not shown in FIG. 10). This is attributable to the continuous contact of horizontal lobe portion 32A1 and follower 42G of gate element 42A2. At this same time, just after gate 42B1 has dropped down, its counterpart 42B2 is about to drop down and join it in a dispensing mode as described above. Similarly, the counterpart to gate 42A2, namely gate 42A1, remains horizontal and, together with gate 42A2, continues to support booklet 36A in the horizontal and non-dispensing mode. But shortly after the position indicated in FIG. 10, the continued movement of cam 32A to the left begins to elevate gate members 42B1 and 42B2. This is accomplished by follower 42G moving downward along slanted surface 32A3, which connects dwell portion 32A2 with lobe portion 32A1. Gradually, follower 42G moves along the slant surface 32A3 and arrives at lobe portion 32A1, returning gate 42B1 to its horizontal position along with its counterpart, gate element 42B2. In this posture, all four gate elements are now horizontal and are supporting both components criss-cross stack.
In considering the view of FIG. 10, while it is noted that there are six dwell portions 32A2 and six corresponding lobe surfaces 32A1, it should be appreciated that there are actually 12 dispensing cycles in one full rotation of cam 32A. This is based upon the fact that each of the dwell areas 32A2 which achieves a dropping of a pair of gate elements, actually causes two droppings of a pair of gates in each cycle. Thus, the presence of six dwell portions and the existence of two pairs of gate "sets" throughout the cycle, results in a total of 12 dispensings per rotation.
In addition, the pairs of gates described above are only activated alternately, and with a total of 12 dispensings, each actuating point is only 30� apart out of a complete 360� of travel. In this respect, the gate cam need only travel 30� to obtain the next dispensing actuation, even though there are only six dwell and six lobe portions on the cam. This reduced travel and contact between the gates and the cam results in both longer life for the cam and in better control over the dispensing mechanism due to reduced operation of the cam, the followers and the motorized members.
An overall schematic view of the different manners of operation of the gate pairs is given in simplified form in FIGS. 11-13. In the view of FIG. 11, cam 32A is simply illustrated as an annular member, superimposed over cavity area 32L. In that particular illustration, all four gate elements (42A1 and 42A2 in the "vertical" orientation and 42B1 and 42B2 in the "horizontal" orientation) are in their level supporting positions. Any booklets would therefore be maintained similarly level without any individual dispensing or multiple "jackpotting" occurring. As the cam rotates to the position of FIG. 12, following the clockwise rotation of arrow "R" in each view, gate pair 42B1, 42B2 has opened by the means discussed above, allowing corresponding booklet 36B (not shown) to drop down into cavity 32L. Continued rotation of cam 32A will then return the four gate elements to the positions shown in FIG. 11, before reaching that shown in FIG. 13. (This four-way closed position and how it occurs has already been described with respect to the interaction of lobe portions 32A1 and follower portions 42G of the previously open gate pair.) Then, the orientation shown in FIG. 13 is ultimately arrived at, whereby "vertical" gate elements 42A1 and 42A2 will drop down as their followers enter the corresponding dwell positions, whereas the other opposed gate members 42B1 and 42B2 remain in their horizontal support positions for booklets 36B.
It has therefore been demonstrated that the present invention achieves a number of significant advantages in dispensing technology. In particular, the maximizing of dispensings per rotation of a cam controller is achieved by the particular interrelationship of cam followers and cam dwell and lobe portions. Significant cam savings in parts, service and labor are expected to be realized thereby. In addition, an intervening position whereby all four movable gate members continue to support corresponding booklets in a criss-cross stack between dispensing cycles is achieved, thereby preventing inadvertent dispensing and mass dropping of gravity-fed booklets. And finally, in order to minimize jamming of equipment and to insure proper sequential dropping of booklets oriented in a particular manner with respect to the delivery chute, an offset relationship between the center line of the cam and one particular pair of gate members causes one of that pair of gate members to drop down first, thereby insuring the proper delivery of those selectively oriented booklets.
It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous variations may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
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Being a Purina Certified Expert Dealer means that we offer a complete line of quality Purina feed products and have knowledgeable associates who care first about our customers, and their animals. Training is a key element for our Certified Expert staff and you can depend on us for Certified Expert advice!
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Expert Articles & Advice
How To Stop Or Minimize Excessive Shedding
November 1, 2014
One of the greatest hardships as a pet owner is dealing with unwanted hair in your home. Nearly every dog or cat no matter what their age sheds. Some breeds shed more than others, but all pets will do it.
Preparing Your Garden For The Colder Months Ahead
November 1, 2014
Autumn is right around the corner and for gardeners, this means winter is not too far behind. As winter begins to get closer and the temperature begins to slowly drop it's important to take action now to prepare your garden for the colder months that lie ahead.
Special Offers
Get prepared ahead of time!
Valid 11/01 - 11/30/2014


text:
John Legend's "You and I (Nobody in the World)" Video
You Don't Want to Miss John Legend's Heartwarming New Music Video
by Maria Mercedes Lara 4 Reactions 380 Shares Print
John Legend got some major star help for his newest music video for "You and I (Nobody in the World)." The new video features John's wife, Chrissy Teigen, and Orange Is the New Black's Laverne Cox, who is fresh off of her groundbreaking Emmy nomination for her hit Netflix show. (Laverne is the first openly transgender woman to get a nomination in the award show's history.) The two stars are joined by a cast of women — varying in ages, body types, and races — as they look at themselves in an unseen mirror. Watch the whole video above!
Back to Homepage Comments Read More Laverne CoxChrissy TeigenCelebrity CouplesMusic VideosMusicJohn Legend
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- This poster is sure to get you excited for the new Peanuts movie — Moviepilot
- Hilary Duff looks back on her time as Lizzie McGuire — HuffPost Entertainment
- Frozen beats out Barbie in toy sales and confirms its world domination — Moviefone
- See who has signed on to guest host The Late Late Show next year — Splitsider
- Watch these movies on Netflix before they expire Dec. 1 — Vulture
- Escape from your family drama with these Thanksgiving TV episodes — BuddyTV
- Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman are heading to the small screen — HitFix
- 14 movie special effects that surprisingly weren't CGI — Cracked
- Little-known facts about Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester — Gossip Girl
- 30 tech gifts that will make you miss the '90s — POPSUGAR Tech


text:
It was a question always in the back of the minds who follow online safety: what with all the sting operations run by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces around the country (and so visibly for so many "predator" shows by Dateline NBC), don't those predators get more cautious about making "dates" with fictitious 14-year-olds? Of course they don't know at the time that the "teens" they talk with are really law enforcement people well-trained in, but wouldn't they get some clues or get cautious and stop getting "stung" so easily? Answer: Apparently not, which says something about what a sickness pedophilia is. "Despite the publicity then and now, the bad guys haven't gone away. They've quietly multiplied. Trading child porn online and grooming underage targets in chat rooms has exploded nationwide," reports the Associated Press in an in-depth look at the subject, both big-picture and a specific case. The AP adds that – in Wisconsin, anyway – their arrests have more than quadrupled in the past 10 years. See also "Pennsylvania case study: Social networking risk in context."
Stings still working, ICACs overworked
By Anne Collier on March 25, 2009 in NetFamilyNews
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The One Good Thing project
The vast majority of things that happen online are positive. Let's tell that story - together. Learn more
NetFamilyNews – by Anne Collier
- Takeaways from premier US anti-bullying conference
- Do surveys about parents' concerns increase digital-parenting confidence?
- The next version of 'Internet safety': A look under the hood
- Perfect digital parenting doesn't exist
- Less parental control, more support of kids' self-regulation: Study
- Social media snapshot: Indonesia
- Of young people's (not just digital) citizenship
- About our strange way of understanding teen sexting
Analysis & News – by Larry Magid
- Anonymous apps get bad raps, but they fill gaps: The good side of anonymity
- Americans lack confidence about controlling privacy
- Survey finds parents mostly OK with kids' use of tech
- Time to redefine and de-silo online safety efforts
- Tech and Ebola — Facebook's initiative and the Ebola Care app
- Media guidelines for reporting on youth risk surveys
- Online harassment is a problem we all must confront
- Digital citizenship applies to adults as well as youth: Conversation with Rebecca Randall of Common Sense Media


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Effective Color Contrast
"This Web page contains three basic guidelines for making effective color choices that work for nearly everyone. Following the guidelines are explanations of the three perceptual attributes of color -- hue, lightness and saturation -- as they are used by vision scientists."
Material Type: Reference Material
Date Added to MERLOT: April 10, 2009
Date Modified in MERLOT: June 02, 2010
Submitter: Cathy Swift
Reviewed by members of Editorial board for inclusion in MERLOT.Editor ReviewVery good quality; in queue to be peer reviewedavg:
- User Rating (not rated)
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- Personal Collections (1)
- Accessibility Info (none)
Primary Audience: College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional
Mobile Compatibility: Not specified at this time
Language: English
Cost Involved: no
Source Code Available: unsure
Accessiblity Information Available: unsure
Copyright: yes
Creative Commons: no
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text:
Got this from Brewer's Friend, home brewing resources
"Brew house efficiency is the calculation of the overall efficiency of your brewing system. It takes into consideration the percent of potential grain sugars that are converted in the mash, effectively washed during the latuer and all wort losses in your system. If you do not accurately calculate the brew house efficiency of your brewing system you will find it very difficult, of not impossible, to anticipate the OG of the recipes that you are brewing. Here are some helpful equations to calculate efficiency in your brewing system: The following equations assume 10 pounds of 2-row pale malt in 5 gallons of water, with a mash/lauter efficiency of 75%.
Calculating Extract Potential:
((grain points)*(pounds of grain)) / (volume in gallons) = extract potential
((36)*(10)) / 5 = 72 or 1.072
Calculating recipe OG:
(potential points) * (brew house eff.) = OG
(72) * .(75) 75% = 54 or 1.054
Calculating Efficiency:
(measured points) / (potential points) = efficiency
(54 or 1.054) / (72 or 1.072) = 75%
Calculating Brew house Efficiency:
(Measured Points * Actual volume) / (Potential Points * Target Volume) = Brew house Efficiency
((54) * (4.5 gallons)) / ((72) * (5.0 gallons)) = 67.5%"
And here's a good explanation also: http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/1...-beer-brewing/
OK, but how do you calculate MASH efficiency?
I think this will cover it:How to Brew - By John Palmer - Mash Efficiency


text:
Probably the best Tai Chi club in London!
Wu's Academy Bethnal Green is almost unique among London Tai Chi clubs in having its own permanent premises, and offers eight beginner classes a week. Unlike many other Tai Chi clubs, this Academy has direct lineage from the current hereditary Grandmaster of the Wu Family style, one of the five main traditional styles of Tai Chi recognised by the Chinese national martial arts bodies. Sifu Gary Wragg is Grandmaster Wu Kwong Yu's senior disciple and instructor in Europe.
Sifu Gary Wragg's skills, honed over more than 40 years, and the breadth and depth of his knowledge of all aspects of Tai Chi (not only the Wu Family style which he teaches), are seriously impressive. Although the club takes the martial art part seriously, at the heart of all the training are the traditional aims of good health and longevity.
The Academy caters for all ages and abilities, and classes are mixed. The syllabus is meticulously constructed to teach from the most fundamental principles up to advanced techniques at each student's own pace, and covers Tai Chi, Chi Kung (Qigong) and the martial applications of Tai Chi, including empty-hand self-defence, and the traditional Sabre, Sword and Spear forms. The club team regularly wins medals at major UK and overseas competitions.
I should declare a personal interest - I started at Wu's Academy at age 56 and now, at 64, am enjoying it more than ever. Tai Chi has also pretty much eliminated the low back pain which plagued me for 25 years. I can't recommend Tai Chi, and this club in particular, highly enough.
Mike Selby


text:
G4 party, Slave Leia debauchery (pic)
Sometimes all you need is a room, some music, and a whole mess of stormtroopers.
G4's Comic-Con party at the Hard Rock Hotel was a great example of a rather minimalist design (square room with bar in middle) still turning out a good vibe. G4 billed the party as an "Empire Strikes Back" 30th anniversary celebration, which had geeks pointing out that the Slave Leia models should have technically been at a "Return of the Jedi" party.
The rock stars of the Thursday's event were familiar faces from "Attack of the Show," whose panel tomorrow is getting a serious ballroom upgrade after Comic-Con underestimated the show's popularity last year, leaving thousands of fans unable to get in. Alison Haislip will be joining the panel for the first time tomorrow, perhaps not surprising with insiders wondering if Olivia Munn will continue on the show now that her profile is going through the roof on "The Daily Show."


text:
Marshall Used Cars Cambridge
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The average woman eats 29 percent more saturated fat per day than is healthy, experts say. Cut back with these tweaks.
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2014 Holiday Gift Guide: Get Pretty With These Fashion and Beauty EssentialsShopping for pretty things makes the act of holiday shopping
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text: The single off his full length LP "The Unseen" with two previously unreleased tracks, "BS" and "Dinosaur Brain Beat." All production and rhymes are tackled by Madlib – with one of our favorite Stones Throw pic sleeves ever, a nice homage to the cult classic La Planete Sauvage soundtrack. (Back in print!) © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.


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- South America »
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Radio Intensity is an internet radio station from Santiago, Chile providing Rock and Pop music.
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Random, double parking in the ghetto in order to talk to friends, buy drugs, etc.
Sue was delayed 5 minutes by all the ghetto lane traffic blocking her way.
by wayno December 17, 2004
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when your smoking glass gets so hot that the tar resin runs into your mouth
I took a big ole hit of my hitter the other day and right at the end i caught the honey pot money shot
by ripper1213 May 10, 2011
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This little Crosman is a real kick to shoot. It's an affordable way to plink away to your hearts content. This thing will tear up tin cans with the best of them.Published 2 days ago by Ken in Mesa, AZ
This is just the best pellet gun i ever owned they are quiter than a glock 18 shot. Pretty big l, but of course even betterPublished 26 days ago by Kerwin Bacajol
I have this gun works well but I droped mine any of you know where to find onePublished 26 days ago by Tanner P.


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1/4 Photos of Roasted Green Beans - Ww Core
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These are wonderful, and they go fast! This is a great recipe for fresh green beans, even when the beans are out of season and might be a little tough. The natural sugar in the beans caramelizes, giving this dish lots of flavor.
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David Corn: During the 2008 campaign, when Barack Obama bluntly vowed "we will kill bin Laden," he did not know that one of the most consequential moments of his presidency would be deciding whether to make good on that vow. In fact, his fierce campaign pledge to resort to unilateral action to get Osama bin Laden, should he be hiding in Pakistan, was slammed by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain as reckless talk.
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In 2007, Mitt Romney injected himself into the Democratic primary campaign and criticized Barack Obama for vowing to go after "high-value intelligence targets" in Pakistan with or without permission. Romney said "I do not concur in ... Read Post
Delivering on vow to kill bin Laden boosts Obama Read Post
by toma Back in August of 2007, Senator Barack Obama, candidate for U.S. president, made it clear that Pakistan's borders wouldn't act as impediments to American efforts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden: "There are terrorists hole... Read Post


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Being in love is fabulous! It gives special powers and any issue is regarded as being less important. Sometimes, love really destroys some limitations and everything becomes simpler and more pleasant. Love is everywhere and it should be everywhere until the end of world. Of course, love must be present both in the hearts of the designers and also in their works. Unfortunately, we aren't specialized in love problems, but we are in the position to give you some pieces of advice about how to deal with the matter of love in logo design.
As in reality, it's not an easy task to deal with love related logos, but there are some specific advantages to keep in mind. Firstly, Continue Reading »


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The discovery of the Patos-Marinza field in 1928 was a major milestone for Albania's energy history. However, plagued by inefficient management and obsolete technologies, Albania's oil production declined and was on the brink of extinction in the post-independence transition period. Following a shift away from Communism in 1992, Albania has been increasingly welcoming of foreign investment for the development of its extensive petroleum resources by offering favorable fiscal terms both before and after cost recovery.
Landing on Bankers Petroleum's Acreage
Bankers Petroleum (OTCPK:BNKJF) is an underfollowed heavy oil producer. It came in Albania in 2004 in order to revive the Patos-Marinza heavy oilfield and is Albania's largest producer and foreign investor currently. The Patos-Marinza field is the largest onshore oil field in continental Europe with 7.7 billion barrels of original oil in place (OOIP). Bankers holds a 25-year license under an existing agreement with state-controlled Albpetrol and the National Petroleum Agency of Albania, and has an option to renew for additional five years. The company currently produces its black gold exclusively from its 44,000 net acres in the Patos-Marinza oilfield.
Bankers has also a 100% interest in the Kuçova oilfield where it will drill the first horizontal well in Q3 2013. The Kuçova oilfield is estimated to have 297 million barrels of original-oil-in-place. Bankers is focused on creating a plan of development for this field, incorporating many of the extraction techniques utilized in the Patos-Marinza field.
Furthermore, Bankers holds a 7-year exploration license on a 185,000 acre block named Block F, which is contiguous to the Patos-Marinza field and is prospective for natural gas. However, two exploration wells in this Block have been dry and suspended.
A Production Growth Generator
Bankers has been in a sequential production growth mode since 2004 when it took over operations in Albania. The production has increased from 400 bopd to approximately 18,300 bopd in Q3 2013, and the company has invested over US$1 billion in the development of the Patos-Marinza field, helping to improve local environmental, health and safety standards, as well as benefiting Albania's economy. Average oil production was 17,886 bopd in Q2 2013, 6% higher than 16,919 bopd in Q1 2013. The company's average production for 2012 was 15,020 bopd, 15% higher than 2011 average production of 13,051 bopd.
Bankers has not achieved this production growth accidentally. Apart from applying modern exploration techniques (horizontal drilling) and reactivating the existing wells, Bankers is also progressing on the secondary and tertiary recovery front. The company has been implementing several techniques like reduced space pattern drilling, water flood and polymer flood to increase the internal rate of return (IRR) of its wells. The expansion of water flood and polymer flood patterns will continue with additional wells to be converted to injection in the second half of 2013.
The company's CapEx in 2013 is $247 million and is fully funded from projected cash flow, based on an average $102.50 Brent oil price. Bankers maintains a strong financial position with cash of $33 million and working capital of $117 million in Q2 2013. It has drawn $115 million of its $230 million approved credit facilities.
Bankers gets robust pricing with netbacks higher than $40/bbl at $100 Brent. The average realized sales price Bankers is currently receiving for export sales is approximately 80% of Brent (an increase of 13% over the 2012 average realized pricing of 71% of Brent). Bankers also benefits from the fact that there is a VAT exemption for all oil and gas exploration goods and services, and the Law allows 100% export of crude oil at Brent based oil prices. Both factors help Bankers generate strong cash flow for 2013 which is expected to be approximately $260 million, bringing the Net Debt to Cash Flow ratio (annualized) down to 0.32 times. Since the D/CF ratio is so low, the company has a lot of liquidity and financial flexibility to support and expedite its growth during the next months.
Bankers' Valuation
The company's stock has been trading in a tight range since 2012. It has fluctuated from $2.4 to $3.3 more than once since then, generating significant returns for many traders who have been disciplined enough to buy and sell it in this tight range. The upside breakout can take place any time not only because of technical reasons but primarily due to fundamental ones.
To support this bullish call, I'll estimate the company's value first and compare it to its peers later with three different ways. I have to note that an investor can hardly find a publicly traded heavy oil producer. After all, my list includes Pacific Rubiales (OTCPK:PEGFF) that operates in South America, Baytex Energy (NYSE:BTE) that operates in the US and Canada, and Berry Petroleum (NYSE:BRY) that operates exclusively in the US.
1) Per Production and Reserves: With current Enterprise Value at approximately $1 billion, production at 18,300 bopd and 139 million barrels of oil (MMbbl) of proved reserves, Bankers trades at $54,640/bopd and $7.19 per barrel of oil (BBL) of proved reserves. Let's check out the peers now:
Baytex Energy
Berry Petroleum
Pacific Rubiales
Enterprise Value
($ million)
(73% heavy oil)
(50% heavy oil)
(50% heavy oil)
Proved Reserves
Per Production
Per Proved
Applying the average metrics of the peers above on Bankers, I get the following:
A) Per Production: 18,300 bopd X 88,130 = $1.61 billion.
B) Per Proved Reserves: 139 MMbbl X 25.36 = $3.53 billion.
To minimize the gap between the results, I'll use the average enterprise value which is $2.57 billion.
2) Per Cash Flow: With Enterprise Value at $1 billion and cash flow (annualized) at approximately $260 million, Bankers currently trades 3.85 times its annual cash flow. Let's check out the peers now:
Baytex Energy
Berry Petroleum
Pacific Rubiales
Enterprise Value
($ million)
Cash Flow
($ million)
Using the average metrics of the peers, I get that Bankers' enterprise value should be: 260 x 7.38= $1.92 billion.
3) Per Net Asset Value (NAV): The most recent presentation calculates Bankers' NAV, based on the latest report of the independent reserves evaluators:
1P (Mbbls)
2P (Mbbls)
Net Present Value At 10% After Tax
($ millions)
Per Share*
(*): Common shares outstanding as at June 30, 2013 (millions): 254,502,049 (Basic).
To minimize the gap between the results, I'll use the average valuation which is $5.56/share (basic).
Additional Factors Weighing On The Valuation
On the positive side, it must be noted that:
1) Bankers' production is 100% heavy oil while the production of the peers contains natural gas too.
2) Bankers' core focus area is easily accessible to the regional and international markets. The area does not suffer from an infrastructure shortage and the proximity to pipelines and sea routes helps the company export its black gold. Albanian crude can be refined, and in addition to the Albanian refineries, this is being done by Spanish, Italian and Greek refineries along the Mediterranean coast. Albanian heavy oil is currently being exported by small tankers to these countries.
On the negative side, a discount factor is the country's risk. Albania had a leftist Government for many years and is one of the poorest countries in Europe amid concerns over transparency and corruption. Several frictions have also happened between authorities and foreign investors in Albania, and the government has taken the following decisions that have raised eyebrows:
1) In 2011, Albania cancelled a concessionary agreement for seeking oil and gas with Texas-based Sky Petroleum. The license affected covered 17% of Albania's total area. It would have given the Texas company exclusive rights to three exploration blocks totaling approximately 5,000 square km. In May 2013, the International Court of Arbitration rejected all claims of Sky Petroleum and ordered this company to pay to the Republic of Albania 383,000 Euros in expenses.
2) In May 2013, Czech power group CEZ launched arbitration proceedings against Albania after the country's power regulator revoked the distribution license of CEZ's local unit in a dispute over prices and imports.
3) In 2011, Albania had a conflict with Canada's Empire Mining which halted operations in Albania after its concession area was suddenly halved. In 2012, the company won a lawsuit against the Albanian Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Energy which had violated the applicable Albanian mining law, and finally recovered its Bulqiza-Batra chromite license.
My Takeaway
I sum up the results from the three different calculation methods above to estimate Bankers' enterprise value based on the metrics of its peers:
1) Per Production And Proved Reserves = $2.57 billion.
2) Per EV/CF = $1.92 billion.
3) Per NAV = $5.56/share (basic).
The average price of the first two methods is $2.25 billion which translates into $8.5/share (basic). The average price between $8.5 and $5.56 is $7.03/share. This is an upside of 90% from the current levels. Even if this price of $7.03/share is discounted by an additional 20% (assuming the negative factor above outweighs the positive ones), there is still an upside left of approximately 50% from the current levels of $3.7.
Albania is looking at the prospect of becoming self-sufficient over the next 5-10 years, by eliminating the need for oil imports. Therefore, the country has still a long way to go in order to experience its energy renaissance and independence. Despite this, Bankers is very attractively priced at the current levels and well positioned to benefit from Albania's energy plans, continuing its growth for the foreseeable future.


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Immigrants in the United States represent a growing portion of America's small business owners, with companies ranging from dry cleaners to technical consulting services.
That's according to a report released Thursday by the Fiscal Policy Institute.
It's based on an analysis of 2010 data from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey.
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The report says 18 percent of small business owners in the U.S. are immigrants.
That's an increase from 1990, when immigrants made up 12 percent of small business owners.
The report said that immigrants were the owners of 37 percent of restaurant and other food service businesses.
They also owned 49 percent of grocery stores, 37 percent of nail salons and other personal care services, and 20 percent of computer systems design and related services.
More breaking news
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- Inclement weather affecting Thanksgiving travelers
- NY Assembly to review unregulated lenders


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May 23, 2014 - Industry News
AAA projects 36.1 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 1.5% increase from last year, with more than eight in 10 driving to their destinations.
Tags: Security, AAA, Safety, Traffic Congestion, National Safety Council, Crash-Related Injuries, Highways, Cargo Theft, FreightWatch
March 11, 2014 - Industry News
Deborah A.P. Hersman is stepping down as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board to become president and CEO of the National Safety Council, the council announced.
Tags: National Safety Council, NTSB
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Taking a look at the prospects that fit in Denver. National Football Post
Click here to see our previous draft reports.
The Broncos were the talk of the NFL during free agency when they signed Peyton Manning and traded away last season's No.1 QB, Tim Tebow, to the Jets. Looking ahead to the draft, Denver has some needs in the secondary, along the D-Line and could target the RB position as well as a developmental QB. Here are the prospects we see as the best fit for the Broncos' roster.
ICONSouth Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore.
Stephon Gilmore CB, South Carolina: Is a "plus" sized corner with good quickness and fluidity. Needs to clean up his footwork in off/zone concepts, but has skill set to play near the line, check receivers and turn and run. Should be able to fight for a starting role during his rookie year in more of a zone scheme.
Janoris Jenkins CB, North Alabama: If he can put it all together off the field, he's got the ability to develop into a very good cover man in the NFL and despite his size he's going to be a really tough guy to separate from in just about any scheme he plays in.
Tydreke Powell DT, North Carolina: A naturally talented kid, just plays too high and doesn't play up to his skill set. Is worth a flyer in camp as a late round/free agent type upside prospect, but needs to learn to play lower.
Billy Winn DT, Boise State: Winn is a bit of a tweener who will get looks as a 43 DE, a 34 DE and a 43 one gapping DT. I think he's best suited to play 34 DE as he has the power to anchor on the edge and offers some pass rush ability as well. Either way, the guy looks like a starting caliber defensive lineman in any number of schemes.
David Wilson RB, Virginia Tech: He's a compact kid who runs stronger/harder than you would expect from a guy his size. Has a dynamic quality to his game both inside and in the open field, and looks capable of maturing into a very good NFL running back early on in the NFL.
LaMichael James RB, Oregon: A quick footed, fluid scat back that doesn't break many tackles, but has the ability to make NFL defender miss and accelerate quickly toward daylight. Will be limited inside, but as a 3rd down/special teams type option I think he can be a better NFL runner than Falcons 5th round pick Jacquizz Rodgers because of his ability to make defenders miss consistently.
G.J. Kinne QB, Tulsa: Kinne has a little Jeff Garcia/Bruce Gradkowski to his game. He will fall on draft day because of his size, but is your typical gritty QB prospect that is the son of a coach and in my view will find a way to make a roster and potentially fight for playing time down the line.
Aaron Corp QB, Richmond: He has a nice sized frame and throws a pretty football. He's going to need some time, but is worth a draftable grade.
Click here to see the NFP Big Board
Follow the NFP on Twitter: @FootballPost
NOV 25 Jeff Fedotin
Does Mike Evans deserve Rookie of the Year?
Tampa Bay wide receiver has a TD in four straight games.
NOV 20 Joel Corry
Will there be first ballot Hall of Famers in 2015?
A detailed look at the eight candidates vying for that unique honor.
NOV 18 Dion Caputi
Cleveland quarterback Brian Hoyer has overcome long odds to put his team in contention for a playoff berth.
NOV 13 Joel Corry
The NFL's most underpaid players
10 players who are delivering big returns for their respective franchises.


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Tenkara Iwana 11ft 6:4 Carbon Telescoping Fly Fishing Rod Fishing Angling
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What is the difference between ubercart module and commerce module in drupal?
Which is better for building a "groupon like" site?
What is the difference between ubercart module and commerce module in drupal?
Which is better for building a "groupon like" site?
Ubercart is your best choice at the moment. If you are talking about Drupal 7, in a little while Drupal Commerce will become the best choice but it is still somewhat a moving target. Once it matures a little the power that using Entities/Fields with Rules brings to it is enormous and if you needed to develop Groupon functionality from scratch I think it would be quicker out the gate and more extensible/flexible down the road.
It depends on your situation, but if you're goal is to simply and easily recreate a Groupon site, you can get 90% of the way there by installing the Open Deals Distribution profile:
This is a Commerce install profile (distribution) and it seems to fit your use case quite well.
You'd then use the Mailhandler suite of modules and once you get to scale you could use an external email service provider like MailChimp or CheetahMail.
The Commerce platform is highly extensible, as is Ubercart, but since it uses the Entity paradigm you have more control over how to display your content with Views/ Panels. Check here for a list of the current contrib modules: http://www.drupalcommerce.org/contrib/all
Drupal Commerce will become the future Ubercart, I believe. It is still in alpha development though and on the project page it says there are no upgrade paths supporting version to version- your best bet is still Ubercart.
There's a healthy and helpful discussion on the drupal.stackexchange.com forum about ubercart/drupal commerce: