Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A tank cap apparatus, comprising:
a tank opening member having an opening engagement element and a sealing surface;
a cap constructed and arranged to close the tank opening member through rotation about a rotation axis, the cap including a cap engagement element for engaging the opening engagement element; and
a gasket interposed between the cap and the sealing surface of the tank opening member to seal a gap therebetween;
wherein the opening engagement element is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cap, the predetermined angle being an angle at which the gasket is compressed according to a closing operation of the cap; and
wherein the cap engagement element has a guide surface that engages with the opening engagement element by a rotation of the cap in a closing direction while the cap is inserted into the tank opening member, an angle of the guide surface for contacting with the opening engagement element being constructed and arranged to decrease with a rotation of the cap during the closing operation.
2. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide surface has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface inclined respectively at an angle of a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cap, an angle of the first inclined surface being greater than the predetermined angle of the opening engagement element, an angle of the second inclined surface being substantially equal to the predetermined angle.
3. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the gasket is a C-ring.
4. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tank cap apparatus is configured such that the cap engagement element is engaged with the opening engagement element by rotation of the cap by an angle of 180 or less.
5. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a tilt-preventing rib formed on an outer circumferential portion of the cap between the cap engagement element and the gasket, the tilt-preventing rib being constructed and arranged to come into contact with an inner wall of the tank opening member, thereby preventing the cap from tilting upon application of a cap-tilting force.
6. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the tilt-preventing rib is disposed above an outer circumferential portion of the cap exclusive of the cap engagement element.
7. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the tilt-preventing rib extends to a radial height substantially equal to or greater than a radial height of the cap engagement element.
8. A tank cap apparatus, comprising:
a tank opening member having an opening engagement element and a sealing surface;
a cap constructed and arranged to close the tank opening member through rotation about a rotation axis, the cap including a cap engagement element for engaging the opening engagement element; and
a gasket interposed between the cap and the sealing surface of the tank opening member to seal a gap therebetween;
wherein the opening engagement element is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cap, the predetermined angle being an angle at which the gasket is compressed according to a closing operation of the cap; and
wherein the cap engagement element has a guide surface that engages with the opening engagement element by a rotation of the cap in a closing direction while the cap is inserted into the tank opening member, an angle of the guide surface for contacting with the opening engagement element being constructed and arranged to be greater than the predetermined angle of the opening engagement element.
9. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the gasket is a C-ring.
10. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the tank cap apparatus is configured such that the cap engagement element is engaged with the opening engagement element by rotation of the cap by an angle of 180 or less.
11. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a tilt-preventing rib formed on an outer circumferential portion of the cap between the cap engagement element and the gasket, the tilt-preventing rib being constructed and arranged to come into contact with an inner wall of the tank opening member, thereby preventing the cap from tilting upon application of a cap-tilting force.
12. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 11, wherein the tilt-preventing rib is disposed above an outer circumferential portion of the cap exclusive of the cap engagement element.
13. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the tilt-preventing rib extends to a radial height substantially equal to or greater than a radial height of the cap engagement element.
14. A tank cap for closing a tank opening member provided with an opening engagement element formed in an inclined state at a predetermined angle, comprising:
a casing main body including (i) a flange formed in an upper portion the casing main body, (ii) a gasket holder disposed underneath the flange, and (iii) a cap engagement element formed underneath the gasket holder;
a gasket held by the gasket holder, the gasket sealing a gap around a sealing surface of the tank opening member; and
a cover rotatably mounted over the flange;
wherein the cap engagement element has a guide surface constructed and arranged to be engaged with the opening engagement element by a rotation of the cap in a closing direction while the tank cap is inserted into the tank opening member, an angle of the guide surface for contacting with the opening engagement element being constructed and arranged to decrease with a rotation of the cap during the closing operation.
15. The tank cap in accordance with claim 14, wherein the guide surface has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface inclined respectively at an angle of a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cap, an angle of the first inclined surface being greater than the predetermined angle of the opening engagement element, and an angle of the second inclined surface being substantially equal to the predetermined angle.
16. The tank cap in accordance with claim 14, wherein the tank cap is configured such that the cap engagement element is engaged with the opening engagement element by rotation of the cap by an angle of 180 or less.
17. The tank cap in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a tilt-preventing rib formed on an outer circumferential portion of the casing main body between the cap engagement element and the gasket, the tilt-preventing rib being constructed and arranged to come into contact with an inner wall of the tank opening member, thereby preventing the tank cap from tilting upon application of a cap-tilting force.
18. The tank cap in accordance with claim 17, wherein the tilt-preventing rib is disposed above an outer circumferential portion of the casing main body exclusive of the cap engagement element.
19. A tank cap for closing a tank opening member provided with an opening engagement element formed in an inclined state at a predetermined angle, comprising:
a casing main body including (i) a flange formed in an upper portion the casing main body, (ii) a gasket holder disposed underneath the flange, and (iii) a cap engagement element formed underneath the gasket holder;
a gasket held by the gasket holder, the gasket sealing a gap around a sealing surface of the tank opening member; and
a cover rotatably mounted over the flange;
wherein the cap engagement element has a guide surface constructed and arranged to be engaged with the opening engagement element by a rotation of the cap in a closing direction while the tank cap is inserted into the tank opening member, an angle of the guide surface for contacting with the opening engagement element being constructed and arranged to be greater than the predetermined angle of the opening engagement element.
20. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein the gasket is a C-ring.
21. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein the tank cap apparatus is configured such that the cap engagement element is engaged with the opening engagement element by rotation of the tank cap by an angle of 180 or less.
22. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 21, further comprising a tilt-preventing rib formed on an outer circumferential portion of the casing main body between the cap engagement element and the gasket, the tilt-preventing rib being constructed and arranged to come into contact with an inner wall of the tank opening member, thereby preventing the tank cap from tilting upon application of a cap-tilting force.
23. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 22, wherein the tilt-preventing rib is disposed above an outer circumferential portion of the casing main body exclusive of the cap engagement element.
24. The tank cap apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein the tilt-preventing rib extends to a radial height substantially equal to or greater than a radial height of the cap engagement element.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An escalator having a twin chain drive system, each chain comprising links consisting of two side plates interconnected by hollow sleeves on which are mounted load bearing rollers, said links being pivotally connected together to form a chain by linking plates and pins that are inserted through holes in the linking plates, and through the bores of the sleeves, characterised in that the hollow sleeves of pairs of selected sleeves spaced at intervals along the length of the chains, each have a bore that is provided with a double tapered surface that converges at a radial plane midway between the side plates of the respective link, and means for carrying a lateral constraint wheel, there being provided an axle comprising a spindle located in the tapered bores of the sleeves of each pair of sleeves of each chain, a spacer assembly located between the sleeves of each pair of sleeves, and means for clamping the chains and said spacer together axially thereby to hold the chains a predetermined distance apart, abutting surfaces of each sleeve of each pair of sleeves and the spacer assembly being of complementary curved shapes that permit relative movement between the spacer assembly and each sleeve of each pair of sleeves whilst maintaining the alignment of the axis of each sleeve of each pair of sleeves orthogonal to the sides of the links of the chain, there being further provided on one end of each axle a rotatable guide wheel that in use engages a guide rail adjacent only one side of one of the chains.
2. An escalator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a step or pallet of the escalator is attached to each axle.
3. An escalator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide wheel has a circumferential slot with opposing axially facing side walls that in operation engage the guide rail to provide lateral restraint.
4. An escalator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the guide rail has a cross sectional shape that is of a complementary shape to that of the slot.
5. An escalator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.
6. An escalator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.
7. An escalator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide wheel has a circumferential slot with opposing axially facing side walls that in operation engage the guide rail to provide lateral restraint.
8. An escalator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide rail has a cross sectional shape that is of a complementary shape to that of the slot.
9. An escalator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.
10. An escalator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.
11. An escalator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.
12. An escalator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer assembly comprises a central tubular sleeve that has a fitting at each end that carries an insert and the insert is provided with a curved surface that co-operates with a curved surface on each sleeve of the pair of sleeves.

1. A method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate a newspaper at the time of printing, comprising the following steps:
removing a pipe roller from the printing press;
inserting a perforator assembly in place of said pipe roller, said perforator assembly being:
(a) a center shaft held in position by a split collar;
(b) perforating roller rotatably mounted on said center shaft;
(c) perforating wheels for pressing against said newspaper and said perforating roller to make perforations in said newspaper;
adjusting said perforating wheels with respect to said center shaft;
setting left and right limits of said perforating wheels; and
lowering or raising said perforating wheel so that said perforating only occurs at selected times.
2. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 1 wherein said inserting step includes attaching mounting brackets at each end of said center shaft and mounting a support shaft there between, said perforating wheels being supported by said support shaft.
3. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 2 wherein said lowering or raising occurs by applying pressurized air to pneumatic cylinders to lower or raise said perforating wheels.
4. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 2 includes a further step of securing guide brackets to said support shaft, said guide brackets securing guide rods there between, said guide rods being generally parallel with perforating roller.
5. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 4 wherein said guide rods slideably mount a perforator head mounting brackets thereon, each of said perforator head mounting brackets having a perforator wheel rotatably mounted thereon, a threaded drive shaft threadably extending through each said perforator head mounting bracket to move each said perforator wheel left or right before beginning to perforate.
6. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 5 wherein the position of each said perforating wheel is set by a motor turning said threaded drive shaft to move said perforating head mounting bracket and said perforating wheel.
7. The method of retrofitting a printing press to perforate the newspaper at the time of printing as recited in claim 6 wherein multiple perforating wheels are set by repeating many of the above steps.
8. An apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing, the apparatus replacing an existing roller mounted on a press frame, said apparatus comprising:
perforator assembly brackets attached to each side of said press frame;
a center shaft extending between said perforator assembly mounting brackets;
a perforating roller rotatably carried on said center shaft;
support shaft generally parallel to said perforating roller and held adjacent thereto by said perforator assembly mounting brackets;
guide rods mounted on, and generally parallel to, said support shaft;
perforator head mounting brackets slideably mounted on said guide rods;
threaded drive shaft for moving said perforator head mounting brackets along said guide rods;
perforating wheels mounted on said perforator head mounting brackets, said perforating wheels being pressed against said paper and said perforating roller during perforation and raised when perforation is not desired.
9. The apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing as recited in claim 8 further includes pneumatic cylinders on said perforator head mounting brackets for said pressing said perforator wheels against said paper and said perforating roller or raising said perforator wheels.
10. The apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing as recited in claim 9 wherein each perforating wheel has a separate said threaded drive shaft.
11. The apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing as recited in claim 10 wherein limits are mounted on said guide rods to prevent said perforating wheels from moving outside of predetermined limits.
12. The apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing as recited in claim 10 wherein said threaded drive shafts are rotated by drive motors to move said perforating wheels to predetermined locations.
13. The apparatus for retrofitting a printing press to perforate a paper at the time of printing as recited in claim 12 having a control box to set conditions for said perforations.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A navigation apparatus for deriving a movement distance of a moving body on the basis of the number of pulses generated within a predetermined period accompanied with movement of the moving body and a conversion coefficient from the number of pulses to a movement distance, the navigation apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect the number of pulses;
a measuring unit configured to measure measurement data comprising at least a movement velocity and an accuracy reduction index on the basis of a signal received from a satellite, the measurement data measured every measurement timing;
a first determining unit configured to determine validity of measurement data at each measurement timing on the basis of measurement data measured at the measuring unit;
a second determining unit configured to determine whether to derive the conversion coefficient using the measurement data determined valid at the first determining unit; and
a deriving unit configured to derive the conversion coefficient on the basis of a movement velocity of the measurement data measured at the measuring unit and the number of pulses detected at the detector when the derivation is determined at the second determining unit, wherein the first determining unit reflects measurement data at a measurement timing that depends on a change of a period required for measuring the accuracy reduction index when determining validity of measurement data at a predetermined measurement timing.
2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control an output timing of the number of pulses from the detector to match with a measurement timing of measurement data at the measuring unit, the controller configured to output the number of controlled pulses to the deriving unit.
3. A navigation apparatus for deriving a movement distance of a moving body on the basis of the number of pulses generated within a predetermined period accompanied with movement of the moving body and a conversion coefficient from the number of pulses to a movement distance, the navigation apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect the number of pulses;
a measuring unit configured to measure measurement data comprising at least a movement velocity and an accuracy reduction index on the basis of a signal received from a satellite, the measurement data measured every measurement timing;
a first determining unit configured to determine validity of measurement data at each measurement timing on the basis of measurement data measured at the measuring unit;
a second determining unit configured to determine whether to derive the conversion coefficient using the measurement data determined valid at the first determining unit; and
a deriving unit configured to derive the conversion coefficient on the basis of the movement velocity contained in the measurement data measured at the measuring unit, and the number of pulses detected at the detector when the derivation is determined at the second determining unit, wherein the deriving unit controls a detection timing of the number of pulses at the detector in order to match with a measurement timing of measurement data at the measuring unit, and then derives the conversion coefficient.
4. A navigation apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect the number of pulses generated within a predetermined period accompanied with movement of a moving body;
a measuring unit configured to measure measurement data comprising at least a movement velocity and an accuracy reduction index on the basis of a signal received from a satellite, the measurement data measured every measurement timing;
a controller configured to control a detection timing of the number of pulses at the detector to match with a measurement timing of measurement data at the measuring unit;
a first determining unit configured to determine validity of measurement data at each measurement timing on the basis of measurement data measured at the measuring unit;
a second determining unit configured to determine whether to derive the conversion coefficient from the number of pulses to a movement distance of the moving body using the measurement data determined valid at the first determining unit and the number of pulses whose detection timing has been controlled at the controller; and
a deriving unit configured to derive the conversion coefficient on the basis of the movement velocity contained in the measurement data measured at the measuring unit, and the number of pulses whose detection timing has been controlled at the controller when the derivation is determined at the second determining unit.
5. A method for deriving a conversion coefficient, the method comprising:
detecting the number of pulses generated within a predetermined period accompanied with movement of a moving body;
measuring measurement data comprising at least a movement velocity and an accuracy reduction index of the moving body on the basis of a signal received from a satellite, wherein the measurement data is measured every measurement timing;
determining validity of measurement data at each measurement timing on the basis of measured measurement data;
determining whether to derive the conversion coefficient using the measurement data determined valid; and
deriving the conversion coefficient on the basis of the movement velocity contained in the measured measurement data and the number of pulses detected when the derivation is determined, wherein the determining validity comprises reflecting measurement data at a measurement timing that depends on a change in a period required for measuring the accuracy reduction index when determining the validity of measurement data at a predetermined measurement timing.
6. A method for deriving a conversion coefficient, the method comprising:
detecting the number of pulses generated within a predetermined period accompanied with movement of a moving body;
measuring measurement data comprising at least a movement velocity and an accuracy reduction index on the basis of a signal received from a satellite, the measurement data measured every measurement timing;
controlling a detection timing of the number of pulses in order to match with a measurement timing of measurement data;
determining validity of measurement data at each measurement timing on the basis of measured measurement data;
determining whether to derive the conversion coefficient from the number of pulses to a movement distance of the moving body using the measurement data determined valid, and the number of pulses whose detection timing has been controlled; and
deriving the conversion coefficient on the basis of the movement velocity contained in the measured measurement data and the number of pulses whose detection timing has been controlled when the derivation is determined.
7. A navigation apparatus for deriving an angular velocity of a moving body on the basis of an output value of an angular velocity sensor provided to the moving body and a conversion coefficient from the output value of the angular velocity sensor to an angular velocity, the navigation apparatus comprising:
a measuring unit configured to measure measurement data, the measurement data including at least an azimuth of a movement direction and a movement velocity on the basis of a signal periodically received from a satellite;
a decision unit configured to determine an effective range for an integration value of output values from the angular velocity sensor over a predetermined period on the basis of the movement velocity contained in the measurement data as measured at the measuring unit;
a determining unit configured to determine suspense of deriving of the conversion coefficient to determine whether to derive the conversion coefficient when the integration value of the output values from the angular velocity sensor over the predetermined period is not included in the effective range determined at the decision unit; and
a deriving unit configured to derive the conversion coefficient on the basis of a difference in the azimuth of the movement direction for the predetermined period, and the integration value of the output values from the angular velocity sensor over the predetermined period as obtained from measurement data measured at the measuring unit when the derivation is determined at the determining unit.
8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the decision unit determines an effective range as the moving velocity decreases.
9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to control an output timing of an output value from the angular velocity sensor to match with a measurement timing of measurement data at the measuring unit, the controller configured to output the output value of the controlled angular velocity sensor to the determining unit and the deriving unit.
10. A method for deriving a conversion coefficient, the method comprising:
periodically measuring measurement data, the measurement data including at least an azimuth of a movement direction and a movement velocity of a moving body on the basis of a signal received from a satellite;
determining an effective range for an integration value of output values from the angular velocity sensor over a predetermined period on the basis of the movement velocity of measured measurement data;
determining suspense of deriving of a conversion coefficient to determine whether to derive the conversion coefficient when the integration value of the output values from the angular velocity sensor over the predetermined period is not included in the determined effective range; and
deriving the conversion coefficient when the derivation is determined, wherein deriving the conversion coefficient is based on a difference in the azimuth of the movement direction for the predetermined period and the integration value of the output values from the angular velocity sensor over the predetermined period as obtained from measured measurement data.