Abstract: A device and a method are disclosed for manually perforating a sheet of aluminum foil. The device includes a first member having a first surface with a plurality of apertures formed therein and a first guide member extending upwardly above the first surface. The device also includes a second member having a lower surface with a plurality of projections extending downwardly therefrom. Each of the projections can be simultaneously inserted into one of the plurality of apertures. A second guide member is formed on the second member and cooperates with the first guide member to permit the second member to move vertically relative to the first member. A sheet of aluminum foil can be placed between the first and second members, when they are spaced apart from one another, and the sheet of aluminum foil can be perforated by pressing the second member against the first member.

Abstract: A tough, water-proof building system which provides walls and wall sections for use on upright walls, ceilings, and floors, and appurtenances, as well as accessories which make such structures more versatile. The walls and wall sections can be designed to have vertical and horizontal strengths sufficient to be used in place of concrete, as an engineered solution, both above grade and below-grade, including in severe weather conditions. A wall section has inner and outer layers, and structurally reinforcing members which extend, typically as a layer and/or stud, the full height of the wall section, at spaced locations along the length of the wall section. The spaces between the structurally reinforcing members are optionally filled with rigid foam. An optional reinforcing stud is attached to, or overlaid by, the inner layer, and extends inwardly into the building from what is otherwise the inner surface of the wall or wall section.

Abstract: An accommodating intraocular lens, for use in an eye, is made from flexible, optionally elastic, bio-compatible lens body material surrounding a closed and sealed lens cavity which is filled with bio-compatible optical liquid, optionally a gel. The optical liquid has a refractive index sufficiently high to, in cooperation with the ciliary muscle, focus light, incident on the eye, on the retina, and to provide accommodation. The curvature of the front surface of the lens is deformable, by the pressure expressed by the ciliary body during the accommodative effort, thus to change the radius of curvature of the anterior body member and/or the posterior body member, thus providing smooth focusing, including from far distance in the relaxed state to near distance of less than 50 centimeters in the accommodative state.

Abstract: An array of nozzles is disclosed for forming multiple cellulose fibers. Each nozzle has a longitudinal central axis and includes a tube with a cross-section having a diameter through which an aqueous solution of cellulose and a solvent can be extruded into a molten filament. A first opening is present which surrounds each of the tubes. The first opening has a cross-section with a diameter, and each of the first openings is capable of emitting a pressurized gas which surrounds one of the extruded molten filaments. At least three second openings are spaced away from each of the first openings. Each of the second openings is capable of emitting a pressurized gas stream essentially parallel to the longitudinal central axis of each of the nozzles, and each of the pressurized gas streams functions to shroud one of the extruded molten filaments.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for extruding cellulose fibers. The apparatus includes a first member, a second member and a third member all secured together. Multiple nozzles extend outward from the first member and each is designed to direct an aqueous cellulose solution therethrough. As the aqueous solution is extruded, it is accentuated and accelerated by pressurized gas flowing through the first member and the second member and out through first openings formed in the third member. The pressurized gas at least partially surrounds each nozzle and shelters the molten filaments extruded therefrom. The third member also has multiple second openings formed therethrough which are also connected to a source of pressurized gas. The pressurized gas streams exiting each of the second openings function to keep each of the molten filaments from contacting an adjacent molten filament.

Abstract: A method of making tough, water-proof building panels depositing a first fiber-rich layer onto a support, the first fiber-rich layer having a width defined by first and second side edges, a length direction, and a top surface; placing foam blocks on the first layer, lengths of the foam blocks extending generally between the first and second side edges of the first fiber-rich layer; depositing a second fiber-rich layer onto the combination of the first fiber-rich layer and the foam blocks, thereby to develop an uncured precursor to the building panel; and curing the uncured precursor to the building panel thereby to make a generally rigid structural building panel.

Abstract: A softbox for a spotlight includes a device for mounting the softbox to the spotlight such that in operation, the spotlight shines through the softbox. For limiting the emerging angle of the light shining through the softbox, a light control grid is mounted at the light emitting aperture of the softbox. For mounting the light control grid to the light emitting aperture of the softbox, a frame surrounds the light emitting aperture of the softbox. The control grid for being mounted to the softbox is manufactured by fixing adjacent strips of a light absorbing material to one another.

Abstract: Door frames, frame kits, component parts, jamb coverings, and depth extenders, all constructed with fiber reinforced pultruded structures, for entrance doors to buildings, both garage entrance doors and personnel entry doors. Some embodiments have a closed back wall. Others have an open cavity at the back wall to receive a reinforcing substrate. Some embodiments include a pultruded nosing block. Some embodiments comprise a pultruded depth extender, mountable on a jamb base to extend the depth of a door jamb. A mounting finger and a locking stud on the depth extender are mountable in cavities in the jamb base. A depth extender can be used to extend the depth of either a garage door frame or a personnel entry door frame. In an in-swing door frame, a door latch-side abutment surface is located on the side wall of the jamb base.

Abstract: A tough, water-proof building system provides wall, ceiling, and floor structures, as well as accessories. The walls can be designed to have vertical and horizontal strengths sufficient to be used in place of concrete, as an engineered solution, both above grade and below-grade, including in severe weather conditions. Walls have inner and outer layers, and structurally reinforcing members extending, typically as a layer and/or stud, the full height of the wall, at spaced locations along the length of the wall. The spaces between the structurally reinforcing members are optionally filled with insulating foam. An optional reinforcing stud is attached to, or overlaid by, the inner layer, and extends inwardly into the building from what is otherwise the inner surface of the building panel/wall panel. A building floor can be supported from the load-bearing wall, at locations on the floor support members which are below the top of the load-bearing wall.

Abstract: A tough, water-proof building system, and methods of making the system elements and constructing buildings, which provides wall, ceiling, and floor structural panels and corresponding walls, ceilings, and floors. The walls can be designed to have vertical and horizontal strengths sufficient to be used in place of concrete, as an engineered solution, both above grade and below-grade, including in severe weather conditions, such that no concrete need be used except for floor slabs. Panels have inner and outer layers, and structurally reinforcing members. Structurally-reinforcing members extend, typically as a layer and/or stud, the full height of a wall, at spaced locations along the length of the wall. Spaces between the structurally reinforcing members are optionally filled with rigid foam. An optional reinforcing stud is attached to, or overlaid by, the inner layer, and extends inwardly into the building from what is otherwise the inner surface of the building panel.

Abstract: A disposable waste containment article is disclosed along with a combination of using two articles simultaneously. The article includes a bodyside layer having a first surface and an outer perimeter, and a garment facing layer having an outer perimeter approximately coincident with the outer perimeter of the bodyside layer. An absorbent layer is positioned between the bodyside layer and the garment facing layer. A seal secures the bodyside layer to the garment facing layer. The seal is located inward of the outer perimeters. An ingress is formed in the bodyside layer and is aligned with one of the waste orifices present in a human body such that waste from the human body can pass through the ingress and be collected in the waste containment article. The waste containment article also includes a body adhesive for securing the first surface to the wearer's body.

Abstract: A blister package and a method of forming and filling the blister package are disclosed. The blister package includes a first member having a three-dimensional bubble, a peripheral flange having a major portion and a minor portion, and at least one area bounded by a perforation line which is capable of being broken. The major portion is folded to create at least one channel and the minor portion has a hook hole formed therethrough. A securement mechanism is formed with the minor portion. The securement mechanism includes a hinged tab and first and second cooperating attachment members. The blister package further includes a second member sized and configured to be slideably received within the at least one channel when the securement mechanism is in an open position. The second member is retained within the at least one channel when the securement mechanism is in a closed position.

Abstract: A tough, water-proof building panel, made of fiber-reinforced polymer, is useful in making structural walls, ceilings, and floors of buildings. Upstanding such walls can have vertical and horizontal strengths sufficient to be used in place of concrete, as an engineered solution, both above grade and below-grade, including in severe weather conditions. Panels effectively have inner and outer layers, and structurally reinforcing members. Structurally-reinforcing members extend, typically as layer and/or stud, the full height of the wall panel, at spaced locations along the length of the panel. Spaces between the structurally reinforcing members are optionally filled with rigid thermally insulating foam. Optional reinforcing studs are attached to, or overlaid by, the inner layer, and extend inwardly into the building from what is otherwise the inner surface of the building panel. Panels can be made by e.g. assembling pre-fabricated blocks and/or webs, by evacuating a mold, and by pultrusion.

Abstract: A tough building system and buildings and associated accessories which make such structures more versatile. Support accessories can include a fiber-reinforced polymeric composite support bracket, adapted to be mounted to a top of a foundation wall, and to support an edge of a slab of concrete adjacent the top of the foundation wall, or to support brick fascia, or to support ends of floor joists adjacent an inner surface of said foundation wall. Support accessories can also include a load-bearing, and load distributing support pad, adapted to be used as an interface support/footer between an underlying natural base and an overlying constructed structure. The support pad has a plurality of fiber-reinforced polymeric layers, optionally stacked one on top of the other. The pad has a load bearing capacity of at least 1000 pounds per square foot. The support pad may be a pultruded product.

Abstract: An overend unwind system for unwinding tacky elastomeric fiber threads such as uncoated spandex thread, capturing the ballooning affect of the thread as the thread leaves the spool, applying a first-stage tension control on the thread adjacent where the thread leaves the spool, feeding the unwound thread to a nip in a downstream process, and applying a final tension increment to the thread adjacent where the thread enters the downstream process. All thread guide surfaces encountered by the thread after leaving the spool, and while the thread is under designed operating tension, are moving surfaces, such that the tensioned thread thereby experiences a reduced level of drag as the thread traverses its path of travel from the spool to the downstream process.

Abstract: A log staircase is disclosed along with a method of producing components for the log staircase. The log staircase includes an elongated stringer capable of angularly extending from a lower level to an upper level. The stringer has an outer circumference with a notch formed therein. A protuberance extends upward from the notch. The log staircase also includes a tread having a semicircular periphery with a flat surface. An opening is formed in the semicircular periphery of the tread. The opening is designed to mate with the protuberance to retain the flat surface crossways to the stringer. The method includes cutting a number notches and protuberances in each of a pair of stringers, and cutting a pair of openings in a predetermined number of treads which are capable of mating with the protuberances to retain each of the treads crossways to the pair of stringers.

Abstract: A pre-packaged, flexible container of ice and air is disclosed. The pre-packaged, flexible container includes a first member having a hermetically sealed outer periphery which encloses a cavity. The cavity has a volume of less than about 20 cubic inches. The flexible container also includes ice and air contained within the cavity. The ice is present as an individual piece or as multiple pieces. The remainder of the cavity is occupied by air. The air fills at least about 50% of the volume of the cavity. Furthermore, the container, ice and air have a combined weight of less than about 5 ounces.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a bio-mass processing system, and method of processing waste bio-mass, wherein one or more mixers mixes a bed of bio-mass material such as manure at substantially any and all locations in a defined length and width portion of the bed, in a dryer. Heated air percolates upwardly through the bed. Separation apparatus separates a relatively dryer fraction of the bio-mass material from the dryer. The separated finished product from the dryer is optionally fed to a boiler where the dried bio-mass material is burned. Heat of combustion from the boiler is used as dryer heat for drying the bio-mass feed material in the dryer. Excess heat is optionally used to produce steam, which powers a turbine, which powers an electrical generator. Residual ash from the combustion process comprises about 2% by weight of the solids content of e.g. a feed stream coming into the dryer.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of an air laid web in which individual cellulose fibers or textile fibers or their blends can be conveyed and distributed by air uniformly to any desired width onto a forming zone composed of either a foraminous screen or a fibrous polymer matrix on top of a consolidating vacuum box.