Abstract: A common vacuum header for CVI/CVD furnaces is provided. A vacuum system may comprise a furnace environment in fluid communication with a vacuum environment via a common vacuum header. The furnace environment may have one or more furnaces. The vacuum environment may have one or more vacuum pumps configured to provide a desired pressure to the furnace environment via the common vacuum header. A vacuum control system may monitor the common vacuum header and each vacuum pump, and may change the exhaust flow from the vacuum environment based on the monitoring.

Abstract: A female closure element comprising a U-shaped channel element including a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed webs extending from the base portion and terminating in hooks extending nonlinearly from the webs and facing each other. The hooks each include a projection extending nonlinearly in a direction facing away from each other. The female closure element may be employed with a male closure element having a U-shaped channel element including a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed webs attached to the base portion and extending therefrom, the webs terminating in hooks comprising hook portions facing away from each other and hook projections facing toward each other. The closure elements may be employed with containers to provide thereto improved ease of occlusion and controlled separation characteristics.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a reclosable container stock with adhered occludable closure strip portions, said apparatus comprising a rotatable lay-on roll having circumferential grooves therein, means to advance the closure strip portions to the lay-on roll, a rotatable casting cylinder positioned opposite the lay-on roll, means for extruding a molten plastic film onto the casting cylinder so that the film adheres to the closure strip portions, and means for cooling the resulting reclosable container stock with adhered closure strip portions.

Abstract: Interlocking closure fastening devices having controlled separation characteristics are provided wherein the interdigitating hooks on one side of each closure element are longer, and/or larger than the interdigitating hooks on the opposite side of each closure element. In another embodiment, the controlled separation characteristics are obtained by forming the profile portion of the closure elements from stiffer plastic material. Combination of the two embodiments provides optimum controlled separation characteristics.

Abstract: A female closure element comprising a U-shaped channel element including a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed webs extending from the base portion and terminating in hooks extending nonlinearly from the webs and facing each other. The hooks each include a projection extending nonlinearly in a direction facing away from each other. The female closure element may be employed with a male closure element having a U-shaped channel element including a profile portion comprising a base portion having a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed webs attached to the base portion and extending therefrom, the webs terminating in hooks comprising hook portions facing away from each other and hook projections facing toward each other. The closure elements may be employed with containers to provide thereto improved ease of occlusion and controlled separation characteristics.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing integral interlocking closure film stock useful in making reclosable containers by extruding a film of molten thermoplastic material onto a casting roll, extruding closure elements to contact and join said film at a point between about one inch and about five inches prior to the tangency line of the film on the periphery of the casting roll, partially cooling the closure elements with liquid coolant starting anywhere within the region between the closure element extrusion exits, and the tangency line of a film of molten thermoplastic material and the periphery of the casting roll, and further cooling the closure elements by directing them past additional cooling assemblies. Stripping means are employed to remove liquid coolant from the cooled integral interlocking closure film stock material produced.

Abstract: A reclosable container features ridges near the opening of the container to provide improved gripping of the container by the user during the opening and loading of the container.