Abstract: A tubular member which is ideally suited as a drive shaft for transmitting power from an engine to a remote station such as the drive shaft for a helicopter tail rotor or a remotely mounted propeller or rotor and a method of fabricating said member. The tubular member has a cylindrical body portion and at least one conical end portion with an integral, radial flange upstanding therefrom. The wall of the tubular member is composed of a plastic having embedded therein at least one layer of continuous filaments of fibrous reinforcing material with each layer of such material comprising two adjacent thicknesses of filaments. The filaments are in parallel alignment in each thickness and in diagonal orientation between thicknesses at a first helix angle in the cylindrical body portion and at a second, greater helix angle, in the conical end portion.

Abstract: In producing a sheet of wood veneer having a large area adaptable for mass-production and adaptable to be made with various wood patterns, a log is divided into a plurality of individual flitches which are subsequently joined by adhesive to form a composite flitch. The composite flitch is subsequently sliced to form a sheet of wood veneer which may be joined to a substrate by adhesive. The sheet of veneer is formed while the wood is maintained with a moisture content more than the fiber saturation point of the wood.

Abstract: Water-color pictures having neat border edges rendering them suitable for framing are made by cutting a rectangular opening of a desired size through a ruled transparent plastic top sheet adhesively secured in removable fashion to a back sheet of water-color paper and removing the cut portion of the plastic sheet to provide a sight area within which a picture or the like may be colored. The remaining portion of the plastic sheet-framing the sight area prevents the watercolors from extending beyond the sight area, and upon completion of the coloring, the remaining portion of the plastic sheet is stripped from the back sheet, whereupon the back or mat sheet is then ready for framing and/or display.

Abstract: The invention provides surface elements such as tiles or panels consisting of a thin lamina of natural stone bonded to a backing consisting of a multicellular paper core material of substantially greater thickness than said lamina which at least on the side remote from the stone lamina has a skin of tenacious sheet material bonded thereto. The resultant composite element is extremely rigid, light and cheap to produce in comparison with solid stone and may be cut into any desired shape and used as a substitute for solid stone, but with the advantages of lightness, strength and low cost thus enabling such surface elements to be used for many purposes where the use of solid stone would be economically or practicably prohibitive.

Abstract: The present device is used in connection with floral arrangements which utilize a pot or vase with water therein, which water might spill or seep onto the surface of a piece of furniture, such as a table or the like. The device embodies a sheet of decorative foil which is cemented to a tray, which tray has an absorbent pad secured thereto by cement and to the bottom of the pot or vase, so when the decorative sheet is fashioned up around the container, the water will be held within the tray and the decorative foil sheet. One form of the invention provides for the tray to be made of a decorative sheet, with the absorbent pad to be placed on the flattened foil tray so that the decorative and protective device may be quickly formed about a pot when needed. This obviates the necessity of assembling the various components of the unit, at the time the floral arrangement is being made up.

Abstract: A block of plastic is provided with a cylindrical well having an axial pillar in its inner portions over which an annular ferrous ring is mounted. A cylindrical plug is inserted in the well along with a mixture of solvent and powder of the same material as the block, heat and pressure are applied to meld the plug and the block with the ring embedded therein and the block is ground and polished to provide a resultant contact lens that can be removed from the eye of a wearer by a magnet. In another embodiment, the ring can be of various colors for cosmetic effect and can be non-concentric with respect to its axis to provide an offset center of gravity to provide a desired rotational positioning of the lens in the eye of a wearer when the lens is of bifocal or similar type.

Abstract: Fired ceramic tiles having a rear surface which is provided with a series of fine ribs but is otherwise substantially planar are attachable to a wall or similar surface, without the need to apply a fixative to the surface, by reason of a plurality of bodies of adhesive material distributed over the rear surface of the tile body and projecting therefrom to a thickness of 0.75 to 1mm., the adhesive being a pressure-sensitive adhesive and being of such a nature that it will retain its coherent form both prior to and after mounting of the tile and will not flow or spread appreciably, each body of adhesive extending over a plurality of said ribs which are embedded therein, having a flat outer surface and being spaced from adjacent bodies of adhesive and from the edges of the tile body, and the adhesive material being protected by a peel-off film.

Abstract: A flexible, nontacky prepreg for use in bonding high voltage coils and inner cooling channels which comprises a fibrous mat material containing a high molecular weight epoxy and a sterically hindered anhydride. The resin comprises approximately 25 to 500% by weight of the fibrous mat material.

Abstract: In a cell comprising a pair of oppositely disposed, flat substrates, and an edge seal maintaining the substrates in spaced apart relation, a fabrication process in which the two substrates are disposed in oppositely disposed relation and in contact with a glass frit bead disposed therebetween, and spacer plates are disposed between the substrates between the bead and the edges of the substrates. The glass bead is heat softened and the two substates forced towards one another against the bead until further inward movement is prevented by contact of the substrates with the spacer plates.

Abstract: A knock-down artificial Christmas tree is provided utilizing a plurality of branch-retaining rings or holders for connecting the branches to the vertical support pole of the tree, alternating with spacers between those rings. The retaining rings and the spacers are comprised of, advantageously, molded thermoplastic, and the spacers are textured on the outer surfaces thereof to simulate the trunk of a tree, thus negating the necessity to wrap or hide, or otherwise mask an unsightly supporting pole for the tree. The branch-retaining rings, together with the alternating spacers, upon assembly of the tree, serve to place the branch-retaining rings and their associated branches in preselected, spaced fashsion along the trunk, to provide rapid assembly and disassembly of the tree. To impart a natural appearance, the branch-retaining rings are configured to accommodate differing numbers of branches in different areas of the tree.

Abstract: Contoured end structures are disclosed for trim strips of the character particularly suited for mounting on an automobile to provide protective and decorative interior or exterior trim for the vehicle. The end structures have various configurations and are produced by removing a portion of the trim strip material between side portions thereof to define V-shaped notches or recesses and then deforming the remaining portions of the trim strip adjacent the recess to close the recess and bring laterally opposite edges thereof into juxtapositional relationship. The juxtaposed edges are then bonded by heat sealing to complete the forming operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for making a molded pulp product such as a plate or the like which has an upper liquid impervious layer integrally secured thereon. The pulp product is formed on a foraminous mold and, together with the mold, is heated to the softening temperature of a liquid impervious thermoplastic sheet material which is caused to be cut to size by engagement with a cutting edge on the mold whereafter the severed portion is drawn by suction and bonded to a selected surface area of the pulp product.

Abstract: A friction disc comprises continuous longitudinally co-extensive generally parallel glass strands wound spirally in the plane of the disc; short, generally parallel glass strands extending normal to the plane of the disc along said spiral; non-ferrous metal chips or wires; and a heat curable cement binding said glass strands and non-ferrous metal chips or wires together. The friction disc is made by forming a glass fabric with warp rovings of continuous parallel glass strands and fill rovings of continuous parallel glass strands; impregnating the fabric with a heat curable cement; winding the glass fabric onto a mandrel to form a spirally wrapped cylinder; slicing the cylinder into disc preforms; and molding the disc preforms under heat and pressure. Either non-ferrous metal wires are included in the fabric or non-ferrous metal chips are deposited on the fabric prior to wrapping the fabric onto the mandrel.

Abstract: A composite product such as a lid for a container comprises a sheet material blank and a peripheral moulding formed thereon, wherein a marginal portion of the blank is displaced to project from the general plane of the central panel of the blank and the peripheral moulding includes an inner marginal portion bonded to the said marginal portion of the blank and is shaped so that on longitudinal shrinkage of the moulding the central panel of the blank will bow in a direction conforming with the direction of displacement of the marginal portion of the blank.

Abstract: An adjustable tile trim which can be constructed of tile itself, wood, plastic, or any suitable material, which has two inner surfaces substantially at right angles to each other, one of which abuts the front face of a cabinet, and the other surface fits over the terminating front edge of the tile, both surfaces being cemented. If the tile terminating edge is receded from the edge of a counter, a filler such as mortar is placed between the terminating tile edge and the face of the cabinet for structural strength and other purposes. Hence, the necessity of trimming the tile to the trim has been obviated in that the trim can accommodate any range of termination setback from the face of the counter and the trim is adjustable in a vertical plane to accommodate any thickness of tile.

Abstract: The present invention has for its object a device for loading paper in a printing machine. The printing paper formed by a strip of white paper and a strip of carbon paper wound together bears a lead-in end made of thin cardboard, preferentially having the shape of a trapezium, or trapezoid whose small base is stuck to the white paper and whose large base is stuck to the carbon paper for the easy insertion of that double paper in the machine, whereas the support of the roll of double paper is mounted in a tilting position on the machine for the loading of the roll of paper.

Abstract: A substantially non-compacting carpet padding of controlled resiliency in flat sheet form comprising a mixture of staple fibers having lower indexes of resiliency and memory than is desired for such padding and flexible foam plastic granules having a greater index of resiliency than is desired for such padding and having a high index of memory, said fibers and granules being interengaged and interrelated whereby the fibers are acted upon by the granules to compensate for their lack of resiliency and memory and the granules are acted upon by the fibers to buffer and to compensate for their excess of resiliency.

Abstract: Overlapped fabric end portions define a fabric double layer. A plurality of partial loops are formed in the double layer extending alternately in opposite directions transversely of the double layer to define a transverse row of loops. Elongated substantially rigid rod means extends through the row of loops for splicing the fabric end portions together.

Abstract: A veneer product of a supporting stratum and a veneer of naturally-occurring, slabable stone material is provided where the thickness of the veneer of the stone material is such that it would not otherwise be generally capable of being manoeuvred or handled without breaking. Such stone material as marble, granite, and other architecturally useful and decorative materials are particularly contemplated. The supporting stratum may be such as plywood; but is more usually a cellular honeycomb material adhesively bonded to one surface of the thin stone material slab.

Abstract: A length of insulation material is wrapped about an article to be insulated. A layer of fabric is affixed to the insulation material, one end of the fabric being of a length to overlap the opposite end thereof. Fastening means on the overlapped ends of the fabric provide a secure connection of the fabric about the insulation material.