Abstract: A process for producing a sheet-like material of split fibers, and an apparatus therefor are described. The process includes the steps of introducing a plurality of continuous fiber bundles into a liquid contained in an inclined splitting unit which is gradually widened toward the lower end thereof, the unit being divided into a plurality of grooves so that each fiber bundle travels in the liquid flowing in the corresponding groove, splitting each fiber bundle by the action of the liquid flowing in the groove while gradually widening the flow toward the lower end of the groove, uniformly arranging the resulting split fibers in a subsequent inclined splitting frame, and continuously placing the thus arranged split fibers on a rotating conveyor to form the sheet-like material.

Abstract: Several embodiments of reduced crosstalk ribbon cable having alternating twisted and straight sections of indefinite length are disclosed, crosstalk being reduced by differing starting positions of alternate twisted pairs, differing lay of alternate twisted pairs, and variation in lay along the length of alternate twisted pairs. A preferred embodiment uses offset starting positions, and a lay in alternate twisted pairs substantially longer than that of adjacent pairs, becoming shorter to minimize the nontwisted portion resulting from the time to bring adjacent pairs into planar alignment. An apparatus for making such cable is also disclosed, having several wire supply twisters and several second twisters, removing the twist inserted by the wire supply twisters while forming twisted pair ribbon cable sections, allowing indefinitely long twisted sections. Twisters are provided in two groups operating in opposite directions, preventing curl of the cable.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for continuously attaching an elastic member to discrete portions of a moving web to impart an elasticized character to predetermined portions of the web while preserving the inelastic character of the other portions of the web.

Abstract: Several embodiments of reduced crosstalk ribbon cable having alternating twisted and straight sections of indefinite length are disclosed, crosstalk being reduced by differing starting positions of alternate twisted pairs, differing lay of alternate twisted pairs, and variation in lay along the length of alternate twisted pairs. A preferred embodiment uses offset starting positions, and a lay in alternate twisted pairs substantially longer than that of adjacent pairs, becoming shorter to minimize the nontwisted portion resulting from the time to bring adjacent pairs into planar alignment. An apparatus for making such cable is also disclosed, having several wire supply twisters and several second twisters, removing the twist inserted by the wire supply twisters while forming twisted pair ribbon cable sections, allowing indefinitely long twisted sections. Twisters are provided in two groups operating in opposite directions, preventing curl of the cable.

Abstract: Reinforced plastic (FRP) panels of substantial width are manufactured continuously in a machine utilizing two stainless steel belts, with an inner belt trained about a driven rotating heating drum and an idler sheave. An outer belt is trained about the inner belt as it passes around the drum and also about three idler sheaves, two being employed to direct the outer belt about the inner belt and the third being employed for tensioning and tracking purposes. An additional idler roll is employed as a nip roll where the two belts join substantially tangent to the heating drum. Both belts may have substantially horizontally flights for application of heat curable resin. A fiberglass or other reinforcement mat is fed into the nip. The resin such as unsaturated polyester may be fed in controlled doctored amounts of liquid form to provide a bead or puddle at the nip into and through which the mat is drawn. The heat of the drum initiates the cure to form a wide controlled thickness reinforced sheet.

Abstract: A method is described for making a fiber-reinforced composite film sheet (fiber/film laminate) by continuously forming a first planar lap from a plurality of machine-direction (MD) fibers, continuously forming a second planar lap from a single fiber as transverse-direction (TD) reaches which are connected by 180.degree. loops by stretching the fiber between a horizontally diverging pair of chain assemblies, continuously straddling both laps with a pair of co-extruded films which extend sidewardly beyond the loops, vertically converging the films and fibers to form a sandwich, edge sealing the sandwich within strips close to its side edges but inwardly of the loops, lifting the loops from the chain assemblies, sidewardly smoothing and tautening the sandwich, and laminating the sandwich with heat and pressure to form the composite film sheet.

Abstract: In order to organize a plurality of fiber lightguides (33--33) into a planar array (40), so that they can be bonded together between two tapes (34--34) to form a ribbon (32), the fiber lightguides are payed out from individual supply spools (51--51) and advanced toward a takeup (43). Interposed between the supply spools and the takeup is at least one surface (72) past which the lightguides are advanced and which is effective to organize them contiguously into a single layer array (76). The surface is made with a curvature which is convex in the direction of advance of the fiber lightguides and which is concave in a direction transverse to the direction of advance. The single layer array (76) is advanced past and in engagement with another surface (86) which reforms the array into a planar configuration after which the lightguides are bonded together to form the ribbon (32).

Abstract: A reinforced laminate and the method and apparatus for the manufacture thereof which includes the embedding of reinforcing wire elements in plastic layers and plastic laminates to provide reinforced structures, producing a reinforced corrugated laminate including a corrugated layer with plastic layers applied to one or both sides thereof, producing a wire grid, corrugating the grid and applying overlying plastic layers and combining the planar and corrugated structures with cushioning and resilient foam materials.

Abstract: A multilayer felt band, particularly for paper manufacture consisting of rmoplastic material where at least one layer comprises storage spaces having the shape of channels obtained by melting binding portions of fibers, the channel walls being inclined with respect to the surface of the felt band at angles between 0.degree. to 80.degree..

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making multi-conductor cable. The multi-conductor cable comprises a plurality of insulated wire conductor pairs, each of said insulated conductor pairs having alternating twist and straight portions and comprises alignment means for precisely aligning both the twisted portions and straight portions of said insulated conductor pairs in a predetermined, laterally spaced, relationship with respect to each other.The alignment means of the multi-conductor cable of this invention comprises a laminated plastic sheet, initially formed from first and second plastic sheets or films, the laminated film having(a) a plurality of precisely spaced encapsulating ducts formed therein, each encapsulating duct containing either an individual, insulated, straight portion of a conductor or an insulated conductor twisted pair and(b) nip areas extending laterally between, and joining, each of said precisely spaced encapsulating ducts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing optical fiber ribbons featuring an optical fiber payout arrangement for directing a plurality of optical fibers into parallel paths in a predetermined plane of travel; a vacuum assisted fiber guide for accurately positioning the fibers into a precise, coplanar parallel array; means for bringing together the arrayed fibers and a ribbon-like supporting medium to form an optical fiber ribbon with outer segments of the supporting medium extending beyond the outermost fibers; cutting means for separating the outer segments of the supporting medium for the optical fiber ribbon; and means for advancing the outer segments to thereby advance both the ribbon-like supporting medium and optical fibers in unison through the manufacturing apparatus.

Abstract: A precision resistor wherein the resistor wire is deposited in a sinuous pattern on the adhesive surface of a thin, flexible tape of electrical insulating material. In winding the tape onto a multibobbin coil form the intermediate flanges of the coil form have a flat portion of reduced radius. A coil of tape is wound on one bobbin with the adhesive side against the bobbin and is passed over the flat portion of an intermediate flange. At the crossover the tape is pressed to conform to the shape of the flange and then passed around the axial body of the adjacent bobbin to commence the winding of the next coil of tape on the adjacent bobbin.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness of the kind including a plurality of conductive leads having their thermoplastic sheaths fused to a thermoplastic backing tape includes first and second rollers between which the leads and the thermoplastic tape pass in use. The rollers press the tape against the leads and at least one of the rollers is driven so that the leads and the tape are driven between the rollers as a result of rotation of the rollers. A hot air blower is movable relative to the rollers between an operative position and a rest position. In the operative position the hot air is blown onto the tape and the sheaths of the leads immediately before they pass between the rollers so that when pressure is applied to them by the rollers the heated surfaces fuse together. The rest position of the heater is spaced from the rollers so that hot air issuing from the heater is not directed onto the rollers.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for producing honeycomb paneling comprising the steps of supplying two continuous webs of felted fibrous material, continuously impregnating each web with a liquid resin, continuously applying the webs to the two major faces of a rigid pre-formed honeycomb core having cells extending through its thickness, applying depthwise pressure to the laminated assembly to cause the cell edges to be embedded in the thickness of each web to produce substantial fillets between the webs and cells, and curing the webs in situ to form rigid bonded panel facings of fiber reinforced plastic, and means to carry out the above method steps.

Abstract: A multi-layer web or strip is produced from a single strip, by folding this single strip on itself, forming alternate loops in zig-zag form, the second portion of a loop partially covering the first portion of the same loop and being covered in the same proportion by the first portion of the following contiguous loop. The present invention is applicable to the continuous manufacture of multi-layer sheets for cleaning, hygiene or mechanical purposes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for the making of a three dimensional filament reinforced foam insulation member. Generally parallel arrays of vertically stacked fabric or cloth having filaments running in an X-Y axis are reinforced by third axis Z directional filaments pre-cut to a desired length and inserted down through openings referred to as vertical columns hereinafter through the said array. The Z filaments are air directed through the stack of open weave. After the formation of the filament reinforced weave the assembly is impregnated with foam to form a unitary member. The apparatus to form the article and carry out the method above consists of a conveyor carrying stacked open weave fabric through an open ended enclosure wherein there are provided first vertical tubes and second vertical tubes. The second vertical tubes are injected into the stack or array of open weave. The first vertical tubes are telescopically inserted into the tops of the said second vertical tubes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a new and improved apparatus for aligning and bonding a pre-perforated flexible repair tape to the side edge portion of an elongated strip, such as motion picture film, having damaged sprocket feed hole perforations located therealong. Film to be repaired is fed continuously from a supply reel to a repair station comprising a grooved pressure roller cooperating with a sprocket roller specifically designed to more precisely align the preformed feed holes of the tape with the damaged feed hole locations of the film, and to bond the tape and film together in the aligned condition, the laminated tape and film thereafter being directed over an exit ramp to a storage reel for collection.

Abstract: A pile weatherstripping has a continuous length of a resin anchorage base with even lengths of filaments secured to opposite sides of the base along the length of the base and extending away from the base in the same general direction on each side of the base. The filaments are long enough and dense enough to form insulating pile rows extending out of a retainer slot in which the anchorage base has an interference fit. A sheet resin fin preferably extends continuously outward from the base between the filaments on the opposite sides of the base, and such a weatherstripping is preferably made by wrapping a multifilament yarn around a plurality of bases, securing the yarn to opposite sides of the bases, and then slitting to separate each individual weatherstrip.

Abstract: A reinforced matting of melt-spun, interlooped, substantially amorphous and continuous synthetic thermoplastic filaments of which one set of filaments is applied with random penetration to a flat, latticed structure such as a fabric mesh or wire screen while another set of filaments may be added to form at least one and preferably several additional rows of interlooped filaments adhered to the first set of filaments carried by the latticed structure as a reinforcing member.

Abstract: In the production of safety glass with a plastic sheet as an intermediate layer, wires such as electrical heating wires, are fixed on the plastic sheet in their final (for instance, undulating) shape in a stressfree condition.

Abstract: A fabric, a method for its fabrication and an apparatus for its manufacture where a group of parallel yarns are fused with another group of parallel yarns perpendicular to the first group of yarns at predominantly lateral or peripheral portions of the resulting junctions by a high frequency current.

Abstract: This invention involves manufacturing a conveyor belt by applying tension on a group of steel cords used as the belt tensile member, wrapping the tensioned steel cords with the rubber sheet to make a core body, sticking a based duck or a breaker and a covering rubber sheet in turn on said core body to build a belt, vulcanizing the belt and winding the resultant belt, in which the application of the tension to the group of steel cords is carried out by a plurality of pulleys on which hang a plurality of like weights respectively, and a winder.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness includes a platform upon which the harness leads are supported. Each of the leads comprises an outer thermoplastic sheath containing a conductive core, and the apparatus is provided with a thermoplastic tape dispenser whereby thermoplastic tape can be dispensed onto the harness leads. A heater is provided for heating the mutually presented surfaces of the leads and the tape, and a pressure member urges the heated surfaces of the tape and the leads into contact so that the sheaths of the leads fuse to the tape. The heater, the dispenser and the pressure member define a unit which is movable along the length of the leads fusing tape to the leads as it progresses. The heater means can take a number of different forms including hot air blowing apparatus and radiant heating apparatus.

Abstract: A pile weatherstripping has a continuous length of a resin anchorage base with even lengths of filaments secured to opposite sides of the base along the length of the base and extending away from the base in the same general direction on each side of the base. The filaments are long enough and dense enough to form insulating pile rows extending out of a retainer slot in which the anchorage base has an interference fit. A sheet resin fin preferably extends continuously outward from the base between the filaments on the opposite sides of the base, and such a weatherstripping is preferably made by wrapping a multifilament yarn around a plurality of bases, securing the yarn to opposite sides of the bases, and then slitting to separate each individual weatherstrip.