Abstract: A process of production of a continuous plastic sheet (2) includes the forming of at least one layer cast in the liquid state of this plastic material, or a reaction mixture of reactive components, on a mobile support of glass plates (1) placed edge to edge and carried by a conveyor, followed by the setting of the layer formed on the surface of the glass plates and pulling off the set sheet. Strips (3) of flexible material are inserted between the adjacent glass plates. The adjacent edges of the glass plates are covered, before the casting is performed, by a ribbon (4) of a material nonadherent to the glass, which overlaps the section of the inserted strip or strips. After having been positioned on the glass plates, the ribbon is made temporarily adherent to the latter upstream from the casting in the liquid state by electrostatically charging with opposite charges the glass plates and the ribbon.

Abstract: A method for attaching a polymethylmethacrylate haptic having a colored core to an optic of an intraocular lens, containing the steps of providing the periphery of the optic with a pair of intersecting holes, inserting an end of the haptic into one hole, inserting an end of a polymethylmethacrylate anchor strand having a colored core into the second hole so that the end of the anchor strand and the end of the haptic intersect, aiming a laser capable of a transmitting energy of a visible wavelength at the intersection of the first and second holes, firing the laser through the optic at the point of intersection of the end of the haptic and the end of the anchor strand, wherein the optic transmits, but essentially does not absorb, the laser energy and the core the anchor strand and the core of the haptic absorb a portion of the laser energy sufficient to fuse the end of the anchor strand and the end of the haptic at their point of intersection.

Abstract: A polyurethane film of excellent optical quality is prepared by applying to a substrate, by reactive casting or reactive spraying, a reaction mixture of an isocyanate component and a polyol component containing at least one long difunctional polyol having a molecular weight between 500 and 10,000, containing at least partial ethylene oxide segments, with the percentage by weight of ethylene oxide segments relative to the total weight of the polyurethane being greater than 20%, at least one short diol as chain extender, with the ratio of free NCO groups of the isocyanate component to free OH groups of the polyol component being between 1.5 and 2; and contacting a surface of said applied material intended to face toward the outside of the safety glass with a surface treatment compound of an acrylic derivative or isocyanate having a functionality greater than 2.

Abstract: A method and system for replicating microstructures surface relief patterns, such as diffraction patterns including holograms, by casting. A liquid casting resin is held between a surface relief master of the microstructure to be replicated and a substrate while the resin is hardened by actinic radiation curing. Application of resin to edges and discontinuities of the master is avoided in order to reduce undesirable build-up of resin on these areas of the master. The hardened resin surface relief replica may optionally be coated with a discontinuous graphical pattern of a clear or colored paint that eliminates the effect of the surface relief pattern in the regions so coated.

Abstract: Biodegradable free fill expanded polyurethane foam packing materials are formed by pumping liquid starch or sugar, diisocyanate, polyols and a catalyst into a mixing head. The mixture is released from an exit port in the mixing chamber as a sticky material. At predetermied intervals air blasts chop the sticky material mass from the exit port. The material beings expanding as it drops through a curing chamber against upward warm air currents. When the materials expand to full size and dry to a non-tacky surface, the materials are released from the chamber and collected for use as packing materials. The materials have a bionutrient starch or sugar content of about 40% or more, making them readily biodegradable by microbes. The polyurethane components are broken down into very small sizes and convert to urea, making the products highly suitable for disposal in landfills and as soil amendment and fertilizers.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of contact lenses, especially individually fitted contact lenses, and a contact lens production system therefor is described, wherein the topography of the surface of the eye is measured three-dimensionally, the geometry of the rear face of the lens is determined so as to fit the topography measured, the optical effect of a lachrymal lens which is formed between the rear face of the lens and the surface of the eye is determined, the geometry of the front face of the lens is determined taking into account the optical effect of the lachrymal lens and the sight correction to be achieved, and the data so obtained for the lens geometry of the front and rear faces of the lens are stored and transferred to a control arrangement for the manufacture of the lens in a machine tool.

Abstract: A method of processing polycrystalline material by performing multi-axis crystal alignment utilizing anisotropies in the crystalline structure including the step of providing a polycrystalline material in a fluid suspension or malleable form having a magnetic moment. An external force to which the material is reactive is applied to align the individual crystals along a first axis. A magnetic field is applied to orient the magnetic moment of the crystals along a second axis, transverse to the first axis. The crystalline material may have a magnetic moment associated with a rare earth element of the material.

Abstract: A method and a device are disclosed wherein a shrinkable polymer material is formed in situ in a mold without defects and with no internal stresses. A monomer or polymer solution is injected into the mold and solidified sequentially through the mold by exposure to an agent such as ultraviolet radiation, with simultaneous addition of monomer or polymer solution into the area of the mold not yet exposed to the solidifying agent. By controlling the rate at which the solidifying agent is moved across the mold and the monomer or polymer solution is injected into the mold, the resulting product completely fills the mold and is stressfree.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for casting lenses using male and female mould halves, which comprises placing a polymerizable liquid composition into the female mould half, introducing a male mould into the female mould along a substantially vertical axis until the male mould touches the surface of the liquid composition and then allowing the male mould to fall under its own weight into the female mould half and curing or allowing the polymerizable composition to cure. Also included is apparatus suitable for carrying out the casting process which comprises a substantially horizontal support for the female mould, a holder for releasably holding the male mould, means for moving the holder towards and into the female mould along a substantially vertical path passing through the axes of the moulds and means for detecting contact between the male mould and the surface of the liquid composition and causing said holder to release the male mould.

Abstract: A hydraulic or pneumatically actuated muscle has an elongated elastomeric tubular bladder covered by a tubular braid. The bladder has a fold or invagination along its length. The process for forming this bladder can employ a fixture in the form of a threaded rod. A tubular elastomer is wrapped into the v-shaped thread on the rod. Then the wrapped rod is subjected to heat to set a fold into the tubing. The invaginate bladder can be subjected to a second, mild heat treatment to reduce curling.

Abstract: A method of making a collagen-hydrogel is shown. The method comprises the steps of forming a radical free polymer of a hydrophilic monomer; mixing the hydrophilic monomer with a stock solution of collagen in the presence of a weak solution of ammonium persulfate and sodium metabisuleate forming a clear viscous monomer solution; and heating said viscous monomer solution in the presence of a crosslinking agent to polymerize the same into a three dimensional polymeric meshwork having collagen from the stock solution of collagen interdispersed within the three dimensional polymeric meshwork.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an one-end closed ceramic double tube, which includes the steps of extruding a ceramic double tube having inner and outer cylinders, drying the ceramic double tube, forming at least one passage in one end of the inner cylinder of the ceramic double tube so as to communicate an inner space of the inner cylinder with a gap formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, sealing the one end of outer cylinder proximate the one end of the inner cylinder, and firing the ceramic double tube.

Abstract: A novel spinneret for producing superfine fibers having a total denier of not less than 20 denier and a monofilament denier of not more than 1.1 denier when winding up upon spinning is disclosed. The spinneret has nozzle orifices arranged in a lattice pattern extending toward a quench direction and the right angled direction to the quench direction. The arrangement is provided so as to satisfy the following formulas (1) to (4):(1/5)D.ltoreq.P.sub.i (P-1).ltoreq.(1/2)D (1)(1/2)D.ltoreq.Q.sub.i (Q-1).ltoreq.D (2)Q.sub.i /P.sub.i .ltoreq.2 (3)Q(P-1).ltoreq.H.ltoreq.P.times.Q (4)wherein D is an effective diameter of the spinneret (mm), P.sub.i is a nozzle orifice pitch in the quench direction (mm), P is the maximum number of nozzle orifices arranged in the quench direction, Q.sub.i is a nozzle orifice pitch in the right angled direction to the quench direction (mm), Q is the maximum number of nozzle orifices arranged in the right angled direction to the quench direction and H is a total number of the orifices.

Abstract: A process for making an electrically conductive pattern on a substrate including forming a patterned adhesive layer on the substrate, applying a conductive metal powder to the adhesive layer, and in a second coating pass, applying a powder containing supplementary elements to the pattern. The patterned substrate is fired to volatilize theadhesive layer and sinter the powders. This process can be used to make printed circuits on ceramic substrates which are useful in hybrid circuits, for example.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for deregistering drawn crimped nylon multifilament tow includes the steps of stretching the tow under constant controlled tension at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the nylon. The apparatus includes means for sensing the tension of the tow between the feed and draw sections of a stretching device and producing a signal representative of the tension sensed and a controller for changing the speed of the draw section actuated by said signal.

Abstract: A method and a device are disclosed wherein a shrinkable polymer material is formed in situ in a mold without defects and with no internal stresses. A monomer or polymer solution is injected into the mold and solidified sequentially through the mold by exposure to an agent such as ultraviolet radiation, with simultaneous addition of monomer or polymer solution into the area of the mold not yet exposed to the solidifying agent. By controlling the rate at which the solidifying agent is moved across the mold and the monomer or polymer solution is injected into the mold, the resulting product completely fills the mold and is stressfree.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing plastic package for semiconductor according to the present invention comprises the steps of: forming a mold product of plastic package for semiconductor, which contains therein a semiconductor chip, by molding resin by means of a transfer press; heating the mold product to postcure it during transportation from the transfer press to a heating chamber while the mold product is kept by heaters at a temperature higher than a glass transition temperature of the resin for a predetermined period of time; and further heating the mold product in the heating chamber while the mold product is kept at a temperature substantially equal to the glass transition temperature of the resin for another predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A method of producing a pure enstatite material involves dissolving thermally decomposable magnesium and silicon compounds, generating an aerosol from the solution(s), subjecting the aerosol droplets to a thermal influence to convert the droplets into solid particles, dispersing the particles in an organic liquid to form a colloidal sol, subjecting the sol to a gelling agent to form a semi-solid gel, drying the gel and sintering the dried gel to a dense enstatite body.

Abstract: Method for machining flat, circular disk-shaped recording media, for example, audio, video or ROM compact disks, for the purpose of improving their surface quality and their dimensional stability, employs a lathe having a driven lathe spindle (7), a vacuum chuck (8) for holding the recording medium or substrate (15, 15'. . . ) to be machined, and a carriage (9) for holding and guiding the cuting tool (5) magazine (14) hold the machined and unmachined substrates, there being further provided a robot (10) held on the base (2) or bed (4) of the lathe and having a gripper arm (11) with gripping tongs (12) movable in several planes which transport the substrates from one magazine (14) to the vacuum chuck (8) or from the vacuum chuck to the other magazine, the stacking axes (L) of the two magazines extending at an angle to the horizontal plane (E), and the magazines being maintained within the range of action of the gripper arm (11) with gripping tongs (12).

Abstract: As an article of manufacture, an ovenable shaped article formed of polyethylene terephthalate having a degree of crystallinity of at least 20%, said crystallinity being substantially uniform over the whole of the shaped article, and a process and apparatus for making same.