Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a pliable wallcovering. The wallcovering replicates the appearance of aged, cracked plaster wall finishes, can be readily hung over existing walls, and is durable. In the method of making the wallcovering a putty-like joint compound mixture is applied to a pliable stretchable woven sheet. The sheet is comprised of strands forming interstitial openings extending through the sheet. The joint compound mixture is forced through the interstitial openings and is allowed to dry. The dried joint compound mixture is cracked in a manner which renders the wallcovering pliable.

Abstract: A method for attaching a composite elastic material to a gatherable article including the steps of stretching a composite elastic material; compressing said stretched composite elastic material to temporarily inhibit recovery of the composite elastic material; and attaching said temporarily inhibited composite elastic material to a gatherable article at least at two locations. Additionally, the temperature of the temporarily inhibited composite elastic material may be increased to facilitate recovery of the composite elastic material to within about 80 percent of its pre-stretched dimensions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous butt welding of strips and sheets by laser beams. The sheets or strips 1,2 are moved together in abutment and retained in the same level by tension rollers 3,4 on both sides and right and left of the welding gap. On at least one side of the strips or sheets the tension roller 3 comprises a hollow shaft 9,10 and roller shells 13, 14 pivotably mounted thereon. Both the hollow shaft 9,10 and the roller shells 13, 14 are formed with an aperture 18a, 18b through which the laser beam 25 of a welding head 19 disposed inside the hollow shaft 9,10 extends. The welding head 19 is so aligned that the focused laser beams 25 impinges through the apertures 18a, 18b in the hollow shaft 9,10 and the roller shells 13,14 on to the welding gap in the clamped zone of the strips or sheets 1,2.

Abstract: In a laminating apparatus wherein a predetermined length of a film cut from a continuous web is laminated onto a substrate having positioning holes, a method for forming alignment or indexing holes in the film which correspond with the positioning holes in the substrate includes detecting the position of the positioning holes, establishing the location on the film where the alignment holes are to be formed, and punching the holes in the film. The apparatus includes a hole-forming device positioned to move along the film transfer path, the operation of the device being regulated by a sensor for detecting the position of the positioning holes, a control device for setting the position of the hole-forming device relative to the film in response to the sensor signal, and a mechanism for displacing the hole-forming device to the proper location for forming the alignment holes.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for applying an elastic material (14) to a backing material (18) includes an applicator assembly (12) for applying a length of elastic material (14) to a bonding template (16), and a bonding template (16) for supporting the length of elastic material (14) relative to the backing material (18) for a bonding operation. Ultrasonic horns (104,106) bond the length of elastic material (14) to the backing material (18). The applicator assembly (12) includes rolls (32,36) for tensioning the elastic material (14) and a vacuum mechanism for selectively retaining the length of tensioned material (14) and releasing the tensioned elastic material (14) to the bonding template (16). A mechanism is provided for transferring the tensioned elastic material (14) from the applicator assembly (12) to the bonding template (16) while maintaining the elastic material (14) in the tensioned condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method making an incontinence diaper built up from a barrier layer (1) and a nonwoven layer (2) affixed thereto for providing two portions (6, 7) surrounding the lower part of the body and a crotch portion (8) connecting these portions. At least one elastic band (17, 18) extends from the central part of the crotch portion (8) along both side edges (11, 12) of said portion, in over both portions (6, 7) and along the entire length of the diaper with the elastic band (17, 18) being attached with a continuously varying tension in the diaper material. The tension in the elastic band (17, 18) is greatest at the crotch portion (8) and dimishes to approximately half its value over both the portions (6, 7).

Abstract: A compensated web transport for decorators, in which the motion of the web is matched with that of a container being decorated. Controlled motion of the web is used to reduce distortion in the transfer of labels to irregularly shaped containers.

Abstract: An apparatus for adhering a tape to a nonstraight edge of a generally planar workpiece has a stationary workpiece station, clamps retaining the workpiece stationarily in the station, a carriage displaceable adjacent the station parallel to the plane of the workpiece in generally perpendicular longitudinal and transverse directions, and a roller engageable with the workpiece and rotatable on the carriage about an axis generally perpendicular to the workpiece plane. The carriage is displaced in the directions relative to the stationary workpiece to roll the roller around the workpiece edge. A guide feeds a tape from a supply of the tape and an adhesive on the carriage to the roller. The tape is pressed by the roller against the workpiece edge as the roller rolls around the workpiece edge so that the tape is adhered to the workpiece edge.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for continuously sheathing solid or hollow profiles (1), especially tubes, with an extruded foam jacket (3) of thermoplastic synthetic resin is provided. To this end a foam jacket is extruded, slit open, and into the slit foam jacket (3) the solid or hollow profile (1) to be sheathed is continuously coaxially introduced at synchronous speed. The slit foam jacket is closed by welding after the introduction. The process steps of slitting the foam jacket, introducing the profile to be sheathed into the foam jacket, and closing the foam jacket (3) by welding are to be carried out at temperatures of the foam jacket above the glass transition temperature of the synthetic resin material of the foam jacket. After the slit in the foam jacket (3) has been closed by welding, the jacket cools down and snugly shrinks onto the profile to be sheathed.

Abstract: A method for the production of fibrous plaster boards for which a suspension is prepared from wet-digested fiber material and calcium sulfate dihydrate, the suspension is formed into a board with removal of water, and the dihydrate is recrystallized with heating at atmospheric pressure to a hemihydrate which is subsequently converted back into the dihydrate by the addition of water. For this purpose, the suspension is dewatered from a water content of about 300 to 600% to one of about 30 to 40% in dewatering equipment, the dihydrate is recrystallized in air and without pressure to the beta form of the hemihydrate and the water, required for setting, is aspirated through the board by suction.

Abstract: A moving web is folded at predetermined lengths at its opposite side portions so that the opposite side portions are opposed to each other at a predetermined angle with its central portion. Then part of each of the opposite folded portions is outwardly folded. These foldings occur so that a first folding line and a second folding line being opposed to each other at each side of the web include portions in non-parallel relationship. Elastic bands are affixed onto the web along the second opposite folded portions longitudinally and substantially in parallel to each other. When the web is flattened from the folded condition, the paired elastic band affixed onto the web at its oppsite sides each has a diagonal orientation symmetrically with respect to the direction in which the web moves.

Abstract: Manufacture of bundles of at least 1000 semi-permeable hollow fibres for use in filters such as, e.g., blood, plasma and dialysate filters, and in artificial kidneys. One or more hollow filaments are wound onto a reel until the formed package contains the number of filaments required for bundle formation. After which the package is cut into fibre bundles of the desired length. The package is held in one place of the reel and a free end is introduced into a sleeve having a length which is a number of times that of the length of the fibre bundle in the final filter. The sleeve is cut into fibre bundles of the desired length.

Abstract: An applicator for applying patches to a traveling web, such as in a bag forming machine, includes a vacuum cylinder with an outer perforated sleeve, an inner slotted sleeve and a stationary core with shaped pressure chambers for applying patches cut from a roll to the traveling web. Cutting blades are included in the perforate outer sleeve to sever patch material from a roll as the vacuum cylinder rotates. The outer perforate sleeve is replaceable with sleeves of different outside diameters to accommodate different patch locations.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for manufacturing a stretched surface recording disk wherein a laminate is formed by superposing magnetic sheets on upper and lower surfaces of a base with a bonding agent being interposed between the regions to be bonded, clamping both an outer annular portion and an inner annular portion of the resulting laminate, displacing the clamped inner annular portion including both magnetic sheets and the base relative to the clamped outer annular portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base, thereby stretching the laminate and bonding the magnetic sheets to the base while the annular portions are so displaced.

Abstract: A method for making a belt for use in papermaking includes a series of steps. A sheet of uncured urethane is wrapped on a polished mandrel. A woven fabric sleeve to serve as a supporting carcass is placed over the first sheet and shrunk onto it. A second sheet of uncured urethane is placed over the woven fabric sleeve. A nylon web is wrapped tightly around the second layer and the entire wrapped mandrel is heated, curing the urethane sheets and entirely bonding the sheets to encapsulate the fabric sleeve. The nylon wrap is removed and the surface of the cured urethane is ground.