Abstract: A system for securing a plurality of tape pancakes includes a compressible core support on which the pancakes can be mounted. An interior rod having a head fits and is received within the core support. A nub on the inside surface of the core support engages a groove on the outside surface of the interior rod to provide a threaded engagement between the interior rod and the core support. Rotation of the interior rod within the core support after the head contacts the end of the core support provides an axial compression load onto the core support to hold together the pancakes. This axial compression also expands the baffles which contact and tighten against the inside of the tape pancake cores and provide a radial force to secure the pancakes in place.

Abstract: A magnetizable layer can be applied to a flexible backing web by gravure coating at high speeds by independently driving the backing web at a speed that is substantially different from the surface speed of the gravure roll. Especially high coating speeds have been achieved when the gravure roll rotates oppositely to the direction in which the backing web is advancing. In one embodiment, a nip roll presses the backing web against the backup roll, there is a gap between the gravure roll and a backup roll, and an idler roll is positioned downstream of the gap to force the backing web into contact with the gravure roll over a short arc. When that backup roll has a hard surface such as metal, its surface can be machined with precision, and that precision can be maintained in spite of exposure to solvent vapors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming a fastener member having a base and a plurality of headed stems arranged in columns and rows and projecting from the base. The fastener member is formed by injection molding a molten material into a base mold, sacrificial stem mold and head mold, wherein the material is solidified. After the base mold and head mold are removed, the stem mold may be removed to release the fastener member.

Abstract: An interengaging fastener member having a plurality of headed elements, which can reduce the noise generated due to the relative movement between the headed elements engaged with each other. The fastener member 10 is made of polymeric material as a one-piece molded article, and includes a generally flat base 14 and a plurality of headed elements 18 projecting from the base 14. Each headed element 18 has a stem 22 arranged on and projecting from the base 14 in a predetermined spaced relationship, and a head 24 formed at the end of the stem 22 and having a contour swollen from the periphery of the stem 22. The head 24 is defined by a generally flat surface 26 adjacent t the stem 22 and extending radially outward from the periphery of the stem 22, a curved surface 28 bulging out with an apex and arranged at an opposite side of the generally flat surface 26 from the stem 22, and a transition surface 30 formed from a second curved surface for connecting the generally flat surface 26 with the curved surface 28.

Abstract: To knife-coat elastic liquids without the presence of flow instability, the extension rate in the upstream region of the coating bead is kept low by increasing the distance over which the liquid must accelerate. The onset of the flow instability is delayed by insuring that the upstream liquid-air interface of the coating bead is relatively long and flat. This is accomplished by allowing the elastic liquid to pull itself over a relatively large distance out of a trough and into the knifing passage. The liquid is able to ascend into the knifing passage by virtue of liquid tension developed by the extensional flow in the upstream region of the coating bead.

Abstract: A changeable label pad has a base label layer which can be adhesively attached to a recording media container. A first adhesive having a first strength attaches the base label layer to the container. At least two label segments are attached to the base label layer. The label segments combine to cover most of the base label layer and the label segments are separated from each other. A second adhesive having a second strength which is weaker than that of the first adhesive attaches the label segments to the base label layer. The total area of all of the label segments in a layer of label segments is less than the total area of all of the label segments in an underlying layer of label segments.

Abstract: An easily controllable method to adjust the die slot exit gap to produce an accurately controlled flow from the slot exit across the width of a die provides movable back seats at the back of the die that cause the front and back portions of the die plates to move simultaneously to produce a change in the die slot exit gap. At least one actuator is located between the front and back seats of the die to increase or reduce its length to bend the first plate around the front seat thereby to increase or decrease the first exit gap.

Abstract: A parallelepipedal storage container is formed of at least two sections. Each section is foldable to separate the section into a central base wall and two side walls. The adjacent base and side walls can be oriented at right angles to each other. The storage container is formed by mating the sections so that the side edges of the side walls on one section are disposed adjacent the side edges of the side walls of the other section to form edges of the storage container. The sections are secured together using a tongue and groove connection to mate the sections along respective edges. Three and four section containers can be formed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of drying a substrate uses a condensing surface located within 15 cm of the substrate on the side of the substrate being dried. The liquid from the substrate is evaporated and then condensed on the condensing surface without applied convection. The condensed liquid is removed from the condensing surface while the condensed liquid remains liquid. Evaporation can be performed by heating the substrate without applied convection.

Abstract: A continuous tape supply apparatus is provided in accordance with the present invention for supplying tape at a substantially consistent tension to a tape applicator machine having an indexing demand, such as a box sealing and taping machine. In general, the continuous tape supply apparatus includes plural tape sources, such as in roll form, from which tape can be supplied to the tape applicator machine, a splicing station for splicing the tape from at least one of the tape sources to another of the tape sources, a means for causing the splice and thus the changeover of tape from one source to another, and a tension control means for providing the tape from the continuous tape supply apparatus at a substantially consistent tension under an indexing demand. Preferably, the splicing mechanism also splices tape in the reverse order from the other tape source station back to the first tape source stations.

Abstract: A box for storing cassettes includes a base, a cover, and a plurality of side walls. One of the side walls is a spine side wall which has a window formed as an opening that permits viewing a label on the cassette. A transparent external pocket wraps around at least part of the spine side wall and at least part of either the base, the cover, or both. The transparent external pocket is the only physical barrier to prevent access to the inside of the box at the window. The external pocket permits viewing a label on the cassette and can receive a sheet of information that is readable through the transparent external pocket.

Abstract: An improved braking system for a rotatable roll support hub for a roll product of web material is capable of providing a smoother and progressive braking action which uses a less powerful compression spring. This can be achieved by utilizing a friction element that has frustoconical shaped friction surfaces. Specifically, the friction element comprises a frustoconical disc that floats between a similar frustoconical surface that rotates with the roll support hub and an opposite similar frustoconical surface on the pressure disc. Preferably, a rim flange is provided as part of the pressure disc that forces the friction element into wedged engagement on the frustoconical friction surface of the roll support hub. The advantages are achieved for providing a smoother progressive braking action which is applicable to any roll support hub on which a controlled braking force is desirable.

Abstract: A parallelepipedal storage container is formed of at least two-sections. Each section is foldable to separate the section into a central base wall and two side walls. The adjacent base and side walls can be oriented at right angles to each other. The storage container is formed by mating the sections so that the side edges of the side walls on one section are disposed adjacent the side edges of the side walls of the other section to form edges of the storage container. The sections are secured together using a tongue and groove connection to mate the sections along respective edges. Three and four section containers can be formed.

Abstract: An apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of paper together is disclosed. A pair of clamping plates presents one edge of the sheets for binding after a jogging plate aligns the edges. After a solid hot melt adhesive material sheet is placed along the edge of the sheets, a heating platen heats and melts the hot melt adhesive material sheet and causes the liquid adhesive to bind the sheets together. The method of binding the stack of a plurality of sheets of paper includes positioning a plurality of sheets between the clamping plates, vibrating the sheets to square and align their edges, clamping the aligned sheets of paper, presenting the aligned edge of the paper to the heating platen, placing an adhesive hot melt material sheet on the edge of the sheets, heating and melting the hot melt adhesive material sheet onto the edge, and removing the bound sheets from the apparatus.

Abstract: Magnetic tape is wound onto a roll at high speeds. Each strand of tape wound onto the roll is precisely superimposed over the previously wound strand by alignment devices including a pre-wrap alignment roller, a packwheel, and a post-winding final alignment guide roller. The final alignment guide roller locates the edges of the strand being wound in positions which are coplanar with the edges of the previously wound strands on the outside of the roll. The tape is aligned and locked in place on the roll by a combination of air removal and alignment and re-alignment steps during air removal.

Abstract: A plurality of simultaneously applied coating fluids is coated on a substrate by moving the substrate along a path through a coating station. A plurality of flowing layers of coating fluid is formed in face-to-face contact with each other to form a composite layer. This composite layer flows at a speed that is sufficiently high to form a continuous flowing composite layer jet to the substrate surface for the coating width regardless of the direction of flow of the fluid jet.

Abstract: A web inspection system that inspects a moving web for defects has an enhanced video signal preprocessing capability. The enhanced video signal preprocessing is provided by a preprocessing circuit which has a maximum signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio that is no greater than an inherent maximum S/N ratio of a raw video signal as generated by a charge-coupled device CCD camera. The preprocessing circuit is preferably DC-coupled to the CCD camera to receive the raw video signal and generate an analog filtered video signal using an adaptive feedback loop that preserves a fidelity of the raw video signal in generating the filtered video signal. By improving the video signal preprocessing, the overall defect detection consistency of the web inspection system is improved.