Abstract: A lightweight, flexible oven door for horizontal coke ovens consisting of a thin-walled, flexible sealing plate, door body, a coking plate assembly extending into the oven from the sealing plate door body, knife edges mounted on the inner periphery of the sealing plate door body and adapted to be pressed against the coke oven door frame, and a plurality of flexible pressure-balancing lever systems that cooperate with the door locking bar assemblies and locking hooks. Each of the flexible pressure-balancing lever systems applies pressure at several points along the outer periphery of the sealing plate door body to press the knife edges on the underside thereof against the door frame to seal the oven against the atmosphere. Each of the pressure balancing lever systems includes a plurality of flexibly interconnected levers.

Abstract: Filter pads, which are made inherently stable by binders and by removal of the binders can be converted in packings to be maintained under substantially constant surface pressure between rigid filter brackets, are produced first as molded bodies from a suspension of filter aids in liquid by depositing granular, fibrous, or fiber-containing filter aids or mixtures of those filter aids in a casting mold, there being used high rates of flow while avoiding turbulences, and adding binders to the suspension so that the molded body can be stabilized by activation of the binder while drying. It is possible in this process also to manufacture multi-layered filter pads, it having been surprisingly found in those multi-layered filter pads that the layer assembly is kept intact during the filtration even in the filter packing that no longer contains binders.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a garment which is three dimensionally molded. The garment in the form of opposing sheets of fabric are fed from bolts of fabric to a molding station wherein a male mold section is provided in the shape of the three dimensional garment desired. A pair of opposing female mold sections close onto the male mold section sandwiching the sheets of fabric into the mold cavities. Heat is applied to mold the fabric sheets into the three dimensional garment. Simultaneously, an ultrasonic seamer cuts and bonds the periphery of the material around the mold. The mold cavity is then opened, portions of the mold are separated and the garment is then lifted off the male mold section.

Abstract: A hollow plastic baseball bat or the like has a preprinted plastic sleeve shrink fitted onto a portion of the bat to provide the bat with a metallic appearance.

Abstract: A process for upgrading the characteristics of moisture containing coal which comprises drying coal until the water content reaches substantially zero, rapidly heating the dried coal to a molding temperature of from 200.degree. to 400.degree. C. within a time of from 1 to 10 minutes, compression molding the dried coal under elevated pressure, oxidizing the molded coal and then steaming said oxidized molded coal in saturated moisture at from 80.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. from 2 to 8 hours to provide a dry upgraded coal having a decreased tendency to self-ignite.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming gas-filled spheres of metal, glass or other material, which produces spheres (12) of uniform size and wall thickness in a relatively simple system. The system includes concentric nozzles, including an inner nozzle (18) through which gas flows and and an outer nozzle (20), which jointly define an annular passageway (50) through which a liquid flows. The flow rates are adjusted so that the gas flows at greater velocity than does the liquid, out of their respective nozzles, e.g. three times as great, in order to produce an extrusion (30) which undergoes axisymmetric oscillations resulting in the pinch off into hollow spheres with very uniform spacing. The system is useful not only where gas-filled spheres are required, but also is useful to accurately control the dispensing of solid, liquid, or gaseous materials.

Abstract: Joints and leaks in pipelines or mains are sealed by injecting into the joint or leak a sealant by means of an expandible tubular pig which is moved endwise through the pipeline or main. The sealant is in the form of an anaerobically curable monomer which cures in the relatively air free conditions in the joint or leak. The pig forms within the pipeline or main an air-free space which communicates with the joint or leak and which is isolated from the fluid in the main. Nevertheless the pig is hollow to permit the flow of fluid therethrough while the joint or leak is sealed. The sealant is injected into the joint or leak by way of the space so that the sealant cures in situ in the joint or leak.

Abstract: A process for producing a drawn product of a crystalline polymer having tenacity and high modulus, which comprises compressing a gel-like material prepared from a solution of a crystalline polymer in a solvent (i.e. a gel-like sheet material (A) consisting of gel-like particles of a crystalline polymer and a solvent which is prepared by cooling a solution of a crystalline polymer in a solvent, or a gel-like film material (B) which is prepared by casting a solution of a crystalline polymer in a solvent) at a temperature lower than the temperature at which the gel-like material is dissolved, whereby removing a part of the solvent contained in the gel-like material, and drawing the compressed material, preferably using a drawing die. The drawn product is particularly useful as a tension member for optical fiber cable.

Abstract: A robotic base compartment has an interior locating surface. A plurality of pins extend squarely from the locating surface. The pins are located by pre-assembly machining and the extending pin surfaces are coated with a release agent. A robotic component plate, such as a gear-carrying plate, is assembled in the base compartment, with clearance slots surrounding the locating pins. After adjustably positioning the gear elements with one another by shifting the component plate, the slots are filled, for at least a portion, with a pourable hardenable material such as epoxy which is then allowed to harden. The components may thereafter be disassembled and reassembled without the loss of precision location. The assembly method obviates the need for manual drilling and reaming of pin holes at assembly and the attendant chip contamination that results therefrom.

Abstract: Silica spheres are prepared in a process comprising:(a) preparing a silica hydrosol by mixing an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate with an aqueous solution of an acid;(b) converting the hydrosol into droplet form;(c) aging the droplets in a fluid to produce hydrogel particles;(d) partially drying the hydrogel particles at 10.degree. to 60.degree. C. in air having a relative humidity in the range of from 45 to 95%, to a water content in the range of from 0.3 to 1.3 kg/kg solids;(e) decreasing the cation content of the hydrogel particles by ion-exchange in an aqueous medium to less than 10% w, calculated on dry material; and(f) finally drying the hydrogel particles to obtain silica spheres.

Abstract: A strip-like pattern sheet has a plurality of patterns and register marks spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in its longitudinal direction. The pattern sheet is transported from a supply roll to a take-up roll in such a way that it covers the opening of a female mold. At the upper stream of the female mold, the register marks are detected so that a pattern-sheet-holding-and-transferring means holds the pattern sheet at a predetermined position and heats it. The pattern sheet is displaced by one pitch so as to cover the opening of the female mold. The softened pattern sheet is pressed by a compressed air against the cavity surface of the female mold with the cavity being evacuated. Thereafter the holding-and-transferring means is returned to its initial position and the female and male molds are mated so that molten resin is injected into the molding cavity defined between the female and male molds so that a pattern is imprinted on the surface of a molded article or finished product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making concrete pipe having substantially uniform density throughout the length of the pipe has a packerhead which is rotated and lifted within a mold, and a conveyor for feeding concrete into the mold. A combined conveyor speed and packerhead lift control operates in response to the amount of power used to rotate the packerhead to slow the speed of the conveyor to a desired speed and change the lift speed of the packerhead when the load on the motor for rotating the packerhead exceeds a selected upper load limit or falls below a selected lower load limit.

Abstract: An in-mold label dispenser (22) for a blow molding machine is disclosed as including a dispensing head (56) mounted for rectilinear movement along a first axis A between a label magazine (48) and an open mold (28) and having a label carrier (58) mounted on the dispensing head for rectilinear movement between retracted and extended positions along a second axis B transverse to the first axis A. Rectilinear movement of the dispensing head (56) along the first axis A and coordinated extending and retracting rectilinear movement of the label carrier (58) along axis B transfers a label (50) from the magazine (48) to the mold (28) in preparation for the blow molding operation. The label dispenser (22) has particular utility when provided with a pair of the label carriers (58) to simultaneously transfer a pair of labels (50) to the open mold (28) within the confined space limitations involved.

Abstract: The process for the production of double-walled mouldings for the reduction of sound in vehicles and engines in general by means of a single pressing operation consists in introducing into a compression mould a double package, each individual package consisting of a layer of prepolymer fibres and a foil of thermoplastics material. The foils of the individual packages are situated facing one another and a medium under pressure is blown in between these foils, in order to cause each package layer to be pressed against the internal face of the corresponding half-mould. The compression mould is heated to a temperature which is sufficient to cause complete melting of said foil and complete polymerization of said prepolymer fibres.

Abstract: A process for forming hollow articles from a thermoplastic polymer sheet material. Polymer sheet material is heated to a forming temperature and clamp between a ported mold plug and a jacketed mold cavity. The mold plug is moved into the mold cavity to stretch the material into the cavity. The clamping is released during the moving of the plug and a substantial portion of the air trapped between the material and mold cavity is evacuated. Pressurized forming gas is injected through flow means around the mold plug to further expand the material into the mold cavity. Thereafter, the injecting of forming gas is discontinued and coolant is flowed through the jacketed mold cavity and a cooling fluid is injected through the ported mold plug against the material while the pressurized forming gas is simultaneously purged from the area between the mold plug and expanded material through the flow means.

Abstract: A system for producing generally concavo-convex synthetic plastic containers and like articles, such as picnic plates wherein a mold station has a stationary intermediate mold with projecting male mold parts on one side and directly opposite recessed female mold cavities in alignment therewith on the other side. A first movable mold, on the side of the intermediate mold having the male mold parts is provided with recessed mating female mold cavities of the same dimensions as the said cavities in the intermediate mold and a second movable mold on the other side of the intermediate mold has aligned projecting male mold parts mating with the cavities in the intermediate mold. A pair of heated, moldable synthetic plastic webs are advanced in unison to opposite sides of the intermediate mold and are later removed in unison from the mold station. The heated sections of the webs are moved in unison to opposite sides of the intermediate mold when the said first and second movable molds are separated therefrom.

Abstract: A profiled strip, particularly for application to the exterior of an automotive vehicle, is a hollow plastic blow molding with a rear wall for application to the surface of the vehicle and an exposed front wall in which there is a strip of transparent material enabling viewing of the interior of the hollow profiled strip. A decorative trim strip is disposed within the hollow of the molding and is visible through the transparent strip. To manufacture the profiled strip, a tubular extruded profile is extruded around the decorative strip. The decorative strip has adhesive on one surface thereof for adhering to the front wall of the profiled strip. The rear wall of the profiled strip has openings through it through which air is blown for blowing the decorative strip against the front wall for adherence thereto.

Abstract: Apparatus for the manufacture of insulating building elements including at least one inner insulating panel and two outer spaced apart concrete slabs having well trimmed outer surfaces, and reinforcements to space apart the two slabs thus forming a continuous cavity. The apparatus rests on a working plane and includes a pair of opposed side boards and two vertically spaced rectangular frames supported by said side boards in superimposed parallel relationship. Connecting devices extend between the frames for positioning each one of the frames in adjustably spaced apart relationship at the level of each concrete slab, and define therebetween an opening through which reinforcements can be introduced or removed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing hot volatiles and moisture from particulate plastic material being fed for injection or extrusion molding by a plasticizing screw which rotates in a heated barrel. Flow control means, such as a conveying screw or rotary valve, drop the particulate material downward through a vertical feed passage extending to an opening in the barrel. At the same time, suction is applied to remove hot volatiles which are released through the opening in the barrel as the particulate plastic material is gradually melted as it is compressed by the screw. The rate of feed of the particulate material is restricted so that the barrel of the plasticizing screw is only partially filled near the opening, thereby improving the withdrawal of the gases from the barrel. The incoming particulate material is preheated by a continuous flow of hot air through it as it passes through a tubular guide member.

Abstract: A tubular article with a closed end is formed from a thermoformable polymer material, e.g. a high molecular weight saturated linear polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate, by forcing a punch (21) through the plane of a pre-heated and clamped sheet (13) of the polymer, centrally within an annular die (10) so as to draw the sheet into tubular form without exerting compressive stresses on the sheet between the punch and die, the punch being maintained at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the polymer, e.g. by passing cooling fluid through internal passages (16), and being moved at a speed of at least 1/2 meter per second to effect the drawing. The punch head (21) may be convex or concave to produce a shaped closed end on the article, e.g. for making a pressure-resistant container, and the punch may co-operate with a shaped movable anvil (201) at the end or at an intermediate point in its stroke.