Abstract: A recoverable tubular article comprising an elastomeric sleeve held in an expanded or extended condition and capable of recovering to its unexpanded condition of smaller diameter upon the removal of an outer restraint, an outer restraint, essentially tubular in configuration, bonded to said elastomeric sleeve, said restraint and said bond between the sleeve and the restraint being sufficiently strong to retain the elastomeric sleeve in its expanded condition under ordinary conditions of storage and said restraint being capable of being segmented and peeled from said elastomeric sleeve to permit said sleeve to recover to its original state.

Abstract: A water-condensing heat exchanger recovers heat from a hot flue gas, subjecting tubes of the heat exchanger to substantial thermal expansion and contraction, and corrosive constituents in the flue gas require that metal tube sheets be thoroughly insulated from the flue gas during operation in a water-condensing mode. The heat exchanger is constructed by heat-forming edge portions of holes in plastic sheets through holes in tube sheets, temporarily plugging the plastic-lined holes to limit diametrical reduction, and entering tubes through the plastic-lined holes sufficiently shortly after unplugging the holes that further diametrical reduction of the holes causes them to grip and fixedly locate the tubes relative to the tube sheets. The method of manufacture also concerns providing a fluroplastic coating, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, on the interior elements of the heat exchanger to inhibit corrosion thereof; such coatings are hydrophobic thus allowing falling condensate to be washed away easily.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for flanging a tubular article of a crystallizable thermoplastic polymer, particularly of a saturated linear polyester material such as polyethylene terephthalate, which has been heat-set to an elevated temperature, e.g. for producing bodies for processable food and beverage containers. The open end of the tubular body is applied to a flanging die and heated to a flanging temperature above the glass transition temperature but below the heat-set temperature of the polymer. The tubular body and the die are forced together so that the softened end of the tubular article is forced to move outwards until it abuts against a stop ring to form the flange. The residual shrinkage in the polymer material helps it to take up the precise contours of the die and to form a well-defined flange. The flanged end is then cooled, preferably to a temperature at least 20.degree. C. below the flanging temperature, before releasing the tubular body 10 from the die.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for heat shrinking projecting edges of heat shrinkable (but unshrunken) film onto articles such as cylindrical containers. The film is tightly wrapped around the bodies of the articles and the overlapping ends are held together by glue. The projecting edges of the articles are then heat shrunk onto the shoulders and/or curved lower ends of the bodies as the containers are transported and are caused to spin while being transported. In so doing the hot air is blown in a direction such that it does not blow directly onto the glue at the side seams. This may be accomplished by using a circular, turret type transport and by having blowers which blow hot air obliquely, rather than radially at the articles. Where the articles are closely packed, each article acts to shield the next article when its side seam is parallel to the flow of hot air.

Abstract: A differential pore-collapsed separation membrane particularly useful as a gas-separation membrane and a method of preparing such differential pore-collapsed membrane, which method comprises treating an asymmetric membrane, while under one-sided constraint, with a treating solution comprising a volatile nonsolvent and a swelling agent and/or a solvent, and drying the treated membrane, to provide for the controlled, differential pore collapse of the small pores of the top skin of the membrane to a smaller pore-size distribution in the membrane generally less than about 10 Angstroms.

Abstract: A tube package of plastic material which includes a tubular shell part together with end closures front and back. The shell part is constituted of a cylinder of molecular-oriented plastic material, and its front end closure of a curved shrunk portion of the extension of the shell part. The rear closure of the shell part is constituted of a transversely sealed portion of the shell part.

Abstract: A perfluorocarbon copolymer film which, upon heat shrinking, does not expand in the direction perpendicular to stretching.

Abstract: A greige fabric containing a polyester yarn having high and low shrinkage regions along the filaments, out of phase from filament to filament, is bulked by shrinking the unrestrained fabric, then heating the fabric sufficiently to make the fabric elongate in the direction of the polyester yarn.

Abstract: A display panel comprising a plurality of printing ink layers having the same patterns one another being formed on the surface of a transparent substrate by means of transferring operation and a semi-opaque layer existing among the printing ink layers adjacent to each other; a display panel obtained by forming a pattern involving arbitrary characters, figures or pictures on the surface of a substrate by means of transferring technique; and a process for forming such pattern.

Abstract: First and second bodies of heat recoverable polymeric material are fusion bonded together with their directions of recovery at an angle to each other, the bond preferably being cross-linked after bonding to enable the resulting article better to withstand the recovery forces encountered in use. The invention is especially useful for making wraparound tubular enclosures for "T"'s and bends which enclosures in use will recover radially about two tubular axes.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for forming a magnetic thin film on a base film, a heat treatment process of a thin film sheet consisting of the base film and the magnetic thin film, and an apparatus for performing heat treatment of the thin film sheet. Tension applied to the thin film sheet is substantially equal to that applied to the base film when the magnetic thin film is formed thereon. Then, the thin film sheet is treated with heat. The thin film sheet is heated with a given temperature gradient to a reactive temperature at which heat shrinkage occurs, while the tension is being applied thereto. Thereafter, the thin film sheet to which the tension is still applied is cooled with substantially the same temperature gradient as applied in heating.

Abstract: There is provided a method of continuously producing a highly oriented heat shrinkable single layer of amorphous styrene foam or a composite of a thermoplastic film and an amorphous polystyrene foam to form a heat shrinkable two-layer sheet that is easily stored without substantial shrinkage at ambient temperature, the outstanding single-layer sheet or two-layer sheet being adapted for heat shrinking rapidly to form a label around a container or a cup.

Abstract: A modified polymeric membrane having an excellent separating property is produced by applying, to a porous polymeric membrane, a volatile treating liquid containing a modifying agent which consists of at least one member selected from:(A) volatile dissolving organic liquids each capable of dissolving therein at least 1% by weight of the porous polymeric membrane at a temperature of 25.degree. C.; and(B) volatile shrinking organic liquids each capable of causing the porous polymeric membrane to shrink at a shrinkage of 3% or more.

Abstract: A method of strengthening the neck portion of a hollow blow-molded bottle-shaped container of a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate resin, which has the steps of heating the neck portion from 140.degree. to 170.degree. C., inserting a die pin of a predetermined shape into the opening of the neck portion, blowing cooling air to the neck portion, thereby shrinking and whitening the neck portion. Thus, the method prevents improper shrinkage deformation of the neck portion due to the thermal influence of the bottle-shaped container.

Abstract: A method of forming a non-tunable head for a drum, banjo, tambourine, or similar musical instrument is described. A highly oriented crystalline polymeric film is immersed into a liquid solvent bath containing a halogenated methane compound until the film swells to become sufficiently soft so that it can be draped. The film is then removed from the solvent bath and preferably mechanically wiped to remove solvent remaining on its surface. The film is securely attached to an annular member before it dries, and is then dried by allowing the solvent to evaporate. As the film dries, it shrinks to substantially its original dimensions to provide a constant tension in the head. The heads formed by this method have sufficient tension to provide an effective musical tone without the utilization of clamping or stretching means which must be periodically readjusted to maintain a desired tension in the head.

Abstract: A shrink-fit article is made by extruding a silane-grafted polymer which foams, at least at its surface, and cross-links. Upon completion of foaming and cross-linking, the article is expanded while (still) warm and cooled in the expanded state.

Abstract: The texture, structure and/or color of an exposed surface of a high-polymer material is influenced by subjecting localized areas of this exposed surface to the influence of a high-energy electron beam, and by treating the exposed surface before and/or during and/or after such exposure to the electron beam with a monomeric vinyl substance which grafts onto the locally irradiated areas so as to cause the latter to shrink relative to the remainder of the material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a dampening roll cover useful in a flat-bed printing process, comprised of hygro-thermally shrinkable fibers which do not shrink due to exposure to ambient mositure during storage. Such dampening roll covers are prepared by preliminarily shrinking a cylinder of a fibrous fleece comprised of hygro-thermally shrinkable fibers to the extent of about 3% to about 50% in length to compact the fibrous structure of the cylinder.

Abstract: Labelling equipment is provided for applying heat shrinkable wrap-around labels to contoured surfaces of containers. The equipment includes a label carrier having a wheel rotatable about its axis, a vacuum system coupled to the wheel to retain labels on the wheel, a feeder for directing containers individually to the wheel adjacent the periphery of the wheel to receive a label, and a drive system for receiving containers from the bottle feeder and for rolling the containers upon receiving the label from the label carrier.The container is supported on a platten having a diameter corresponding to the greatest diameter of the container so that the label depends in a skirt from the container. The container is subsequently transferred to a smaller platten and passed over a heated plenum to shrink the skirt to the contours of the container.

Abstract: Wool fiber is moistened and compressed, and the moistened wool fiber is heated in a metallic mold. Said wool fiber is intertwined in the mold and forms a core of a ball.

Abstract: An induction furnace utilizes a channel-shaped induction coil disposed along a mandrel movement line within a cup-making machine to produce eddy currents within a conductive grid arranged intermediate between the induction coil and the mandrel movement line and also within the mandrels themselves. Cylindrical thermoplastic sheet blanks are mounted on the mandrels, and as a result of the heat generated by the eddy currents within the conductive grid and mandrel itself, shrink about the mandrel to produce a finished container conforming to the surfaces of the mandrel. The induction coil is driven by a high frequency alternating current power supply and may be controlled by the placement of a thermocouple within the furnace. By varying the permeability of the inductive grid and the forming mandrel, the mandrel temperature may be controlled separately from the temperature applied to the exterior surface of the cylindrical blanks of thermoplastic material by the conductive grid.

Abstract: Shaped articles, particularly tubular shaped articles, are formed by a process comprising molding a crosslinkable synthetic plastic material into a first molded shape, crosslinking the plastic material at a temperature in excess of the crystalline melting point of the material, subjecting the crosslinked first shape to a working operation to form a second configuration shape and subjecting specific areas of the second shape to a heat treatment thereby forming a deformation in the specific area. Extruded tubular materials subjected to a stretching operation tend to seek their original shape upon heat treatment thereby making the degree of deformation possible nearly equal to the degree of stretching.

Abstract: A method for making decorated battery casings wherein a thin walled heat shrinkable plastic tubing is cut to size, placed on a support member such as a mandrel, heat shrunk, decorated with decorative materials and protective coatings thereon and crimped at one end. The casing is then removed from the mandrel, placed upon a cell or battery and crimped at the other end to complete the battery or cell encasing procedure. The procedure is particularly efficacious in providing metallic decorated plastic battery casings.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of making socketed pipe-fittings of synthetic plastics material by injection moulding. Prior to starting the injection moulding process a sealing ring is held in somewhat pinched condition with reduced outer diameter at the level of means to be formed on the socket for receiving the sealing ring. During the injection moulding process the sealing ring is held in this condition and is isolated from the moulding cavity. After sufficient, but incomplete cooling of the socket formed, the sealing ring receiving means are partially and temporarily deformed, and the sealing ring is released to enable it to spring into the partially deformed ring receiving means. Thereafter the ring receiving means reassume their original form, thereby firmly gripping the sealing ring.

Abstract: A process for the production of a marker sleeve assembly which comprises deforming a substantially non-cross-linked web of polymeric material at a temperature below the crystalline melting point or softening point of the material to render the web heat-recoverable, fusing together parts of the web or parts of the web and at least one other polymeric web to define a plurality of radially inwardly heat-recoverable marker sleeves, disposed in side-by-side relationship and preferably separable and subsequently cross-linking the resulting assembly.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of heat-treating a biaxially oriented polyolefin film by constraining the film against shrinkage, heating the constrained film to at least the minimum stress relaxation temperature of the polyolefin, and thereafter cooling the treated film to a temperature below the alpha-relaxation temperature of the polyolefin.The film is preferably heated rapidly to the required temperature and cooled rapidly therefrom. The resultant films exhibit good modulus and thermal shrinkage characteristics. The heat-treatment may be supplemented by a conventional heat-setting operation to improve heat-sealing characteristics of the treated films.

Abstract: A method of making an inexpensive injection molded propeller for mounting on a drive shaft. The drive shaft is attached to the hub of the propeller by a chemical and thermal shrink fit and by deformation due to the rotational forces of the propeller thereby producing a positive locking hub on the drive shaft. The propeller may be used, not only for remote piloted missiles and aircraft, but can also be used with different types of boat inboard and outboard drives, vehicles and equipment requiring a propeller having a positive locking system for securing the propeller or the like to the drive shaft.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of pretreating a plurality of high temperature heat set yarn bundles, e.g. polyester, that have different heat histories but are otherwise identical, to enable said yarns to be dyed uniformly. The method comprises measuring the pre-melt crystallization temperature of each polyester yarn bundle and thereafter heat treating each yarn bundle at a uniform temperature that is at least the same as or higher than the highest measured pre-melt crystallization temperature. Also disclosed are a method of uniformly dyeing polyester yarn bundles that are treated in a plurality of high temperature heat setting units and a method of determining the evenness of the internal temperature of high temperature heat setting apparatus.

Abstract: A method of making a one-piece container of heat shrinkable thermoplastic foam from sheet stock in which a longitudinally seamed cylindrical sleeve made from such material is placed on a forming mandrel providing the essential shape of the container. An end portion of the sleeve extends cantilever fashion beyond the mandrel. The sleeve is heated to soften it and shrink partially to conformity of the mandrel and shrink to a small elongate tube a fraction of the sleeve's original diameter. The heat softened sleeve is pressed against the bottom end of the mandrel to form a container bottom, and at the same time the other opposite end of the sleeve is upset to form a bead for the container opposite the bottom end.

Abstract: Extrusion of a single phase melt of acrylonitrile polymer and water directly into a steam-pressurized solidification zone and stretching the nascent extrudate in at least three stages while it remains within the solidification zone provides fiber which is readily relaxed.

Abstract: A welding sleeve useable for connecting of pipes formed from thermoplastic material, is formed from a tubular body of thermoplastic material and a coil disposed on its inside surface. The coil has a resistance wire encased with thermoplastic material. The windings of the coil (4) are bonded into a compact coil which is inserted into the heated tubular body while it is simultaneously widened. As the result of a partial contraction of the tubular body also of the coil a firm connection develops between the oil and the body. Furthermore, the tubular body has a frozen-in, latent, radial contraction strain as a result of the widening, which during heating during the welding process, eliminates the radial play between coil and the pipes and produces a welding pressure.

Abstract: A high voltage insulator bushing is formed of wound insulating foils and is provided with conductive parts which are at different electric potentials and with a wound insulator body arranged between the conductive parts. The wound insulator body contains layers of an embossed insulating foil which consists of a plastic material which shrinks above a predetermined temperature. The embossed insulating foil is subjected to a thermal shrinking treatment prior to being wound as part of the insulator body. Such preshrinking prevents further shrinkage which would occur when the high voltage bushing is operated. Smooth insulating foil may be wound as part of the insulator body so as to be interposed between the layers of the embossed insulating foil. The gaps and voids which are formed between the layers of insulating foils caused by the irregular surface of the embossed insulating foil are filled with an insulating medium.

Abstract: A method of forming a non-tunable head for a drum, banjo, tambourine, or similar musical instrument is described. A highly oriented crystalline polymeric film is immersed into a liquid solvent bath containing a halogenated methane compound until the film swells to become sufficiently soft so that it can be draped. The film is then removed from the solvent bath and preferably mechanically wiped to remove solvent remaining on its surface. The film is securely attached to an annular member before it dries, and is then dried by allowing the solvent to evaporate. As the film dries, it shrinks to substantially its original dimensions to provide a constant tension in the head. The heads formed by this method have sufficient tension to provide an effective musical tone without the utilization of clamping or stretching means which must be periodically readjusted to maintain a desired tension in the head.

Abstract: To manufacture a tubular battery separator with a closed end, a tubular body is formed from a sheet of a separator material with a preponderant content of stretched thermoplastic fibers; the overlapping edges which occur welded together; a disc fitted to the inside diameter inserted from one end into the tubular body to a position near the other end leaving an overhanging edge; the overhanging edge softened by heating, causing it to shrink; and the softened and shrunk edge pressed against the disc so as to join the disc to the tubular body.

Abstract: In a method of shrinking screw caps (2) on to the mouths (1) of containers (13), the screw caps are acted upon by a hot gas jet (7, 8) from nozzles (3, 4), along a feed path (6), from both sides. The flow axes (7, 8) are displaced relative to each other so that there are no pressure build-up and stagnation effects. The resulting advantageous temperature pattern at the nozzles means that savings in heating output can be attained. In addition, there is no longer any need for the bottles to be rotated about their own axis (10).

Abstract: Method for making a medicated IUD including a preexisting contraceptive intrauterine platform and an attachment formed as a cylindrical sleeve of base polymer containing a drug such as an antifertility agent. Local controlled release administration of the drug is added to the contraceptive effect of the preexisting platform. The IUD attachment can be made by centrifuging a medical grade of RTV silicone rubber to remove reinforcing fillers therefrom. A selected quantity of the drug is mixed into the fillerless silicone rubber, and the drug and silicone mixture is injected into a multicavity mold. After the mixture sets and the sleeves are removed from the mold, the sleeves are trimmed, then swollen by immersion in a solvent, and slipped onto a stem of the chosen IUD to shrink about the stem. An outer covering over the sleeve can control the drug release rate and impart greater strength to the fillerless silicone rubber of the attachment.

Abstract: A process for producing three-dimensional, mirrored acrylic products using forming techniques eliminates micro-fracturing of a vacuum deposited reflective metal coating by preshrinking a sheet of acrylic before the sheet is mirrorized and formed into the desired three-dimensional shape. Preshrinking is accomplished by heating the sheet to forming temperature and allowing the heated sheet to cool at room temperature before the sheet is formed. Deposition of the metallic reflective coating is performed after the preshrinking step.

Abstract: A process of marking fly fishing lines includes the steps of selecting a heat shrinkable tubing having predetermined shrinking temperature characteristics and marking the tubing with a size coding positioned to allow the marks to be cut off to indicate any of a range of fishing line sizes or weights. The tubing is then cut to form small sections with the marking thereon and may then further be cut to remove marks to indicate one size. The tubing is slipped onto a fly fishing line and immersed in a heated liquid, such as water, or water having salt added thereto, to shrink the tubing onto the fishing line without damaging the fishing line.

Abstract: An elastic roller composed of an axial core member and an elastic, liquid retentive layer of foam structure with uniform layer thickness surrounding the circumference of said core member, said elastic roller further comprising a flexible, liquid permeable member in the form of a cylinder or sleeve having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of said roller, said flexible member being disposed to cover the circumference of said roller and having extensions extending beyond both side ends of said roller and being shrunk along the ends of said elastic foam structure layer at both sides, respectively, so as to cover also said side ends of the layer with said flexible member. A method of making the elastic roller is also disclosed.

Abstract: Cross-linkable polyethylene blended with a copolymer of isobutylene and a conjugated diene is capable of being crosslinked, bonded, stretched and recovered without a significant loss of strength characteristics or seal.

Abstract: A branch-off seal between a heat-recoverable sleeve, such as a tubular or wrap-around sleeve made from cross-linked polymeric material, and two or more substrates such as electrical cables is effected by using one or more clips the outer legs of which are positioned over the outer surface of the sleeve so as to form an appropriate number of conduits and applying heat to cause the sleeve to shrink about the substrates positioned within the conduits. The preferred clips are formed as a trident, the central leg of which extends into the heat-recoverable sleeve and is provided with a layer of a hot-melt adhesive or another sealant so as to enhance the seal formed at the branch-off.

Abstract: A platen including an annular surface adapted to heat seal a piece of film to the lip of a cup, and a central projection which is hotter than the annular surface to cause greater shrinkage in a central portion than in the surrounding portion of the sealed piece of film. This shrinkage of the central portion and the resultant gathering of the surrounding portion results in a planar central portion of the sealed film with radially projecting ridges and grooves around its periphery. The ridges and grooves draw visual attention to the central portion and features, such as perforations for a straw-hole, located therein.

Abstract: A method of preshrinking a semipermeable membrane or blood bag of the type used in an artificial-kidney coil dialyzer, so as to prevent or minimize shrinkage of the membrane during sterilization of the dialyzer. The preshrinking method of the present invention includes the steps of passing the membrane through a humidity chamber in a free-hanging state and then into a warm air drying chamber. The amount of membrane shrinkage can be controlled by varying the residence time, the temperature and the humidity of the chamber. By preshrinking the membrane to approximate the amount of shrinkage which normally occurs during the sterilization, substantially all shrinkage during sterilization is eliminated.

Abstract: A method of making a bond structure and a bond structure are provided that produce concurrently a peel bond and a lap bond. One end of a sheet to be joined to a second end of the same or other sheet is folded back on itself and on end of the other member inserted. The two pairs of contacting surfaces thus formed are subsequently bonded to each other. The bonding may be by any means and the clamping force across the bond during bonding need be applied from one side of the sheet only. By insuring that the peel bond fails before the material, a flat lap bond may be achieved by causing only the peel bond to fail.

Abstract: A tubular band of pre-decorated heat shrinkable material is positioned over the bulbous or central portion of a seasonal ornament and the ornament-band assembly is then subjected to a heat source and the band is permanently shrunk onto the outer surface of the ornament, thus providing a surface decoration therefore.

Abstract: In the packaging field certain types of packages are manufactured from pre-shaped, cylindrical casings made from a heat-shrinkable laminate. The casings are formed by winding a material sheet around a mandrel and subsequent sealing together of the overlapping ends of the sheet. However, because of the stiffness of the material the leading end of the sheet protrudes tangentially from the mandrel during the winding and prevents an accurate adaptation of the material sheet to the surface of the mandrel.According to the method and arrangement of this invention this disadvantage is avoided in that the leading end of the sheet is pre-heated on the side facing the mandrel to such a degree, that the shrinking is initialled. The shrinking of one side only results in that the leading end of the material sheet is given a curved shape with a radius that coincides with the radius of the mandrel, and consequently the leading end is no longer an obstacle to the winding.

Abstract: A heat-recoverable wrap-around device is made from heat-shrinkable sheet material, two opposed edges of which may be secured together by fasteners so as to form a sleeve prior to recovery. Each edge region is provided with a strip of rigid material lying generally in the plane of the sheet. The strips may be bonded or embedded within the sheet material, or positioned in terminal loops therein, and are preferably so designed that they can be deformed into an interlocking relationship which withstands the recovery forces.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide the method of altering the size of tetrafluoroethylene tubing which is only available in limited combination of wall thicknesses and diameter. The method includes the steps of sliding the tetrafluoroethylene tubing (12) onto an aluminum mandrel (20) and clamping the ends of the tubing to the mandrel by means of clamps (24). The tetrafluoroethylene tubing and mandrel are then placed in a supporting coil (25). The supporting coil with the mandrel and tetrafluoroethylene tubing are then positioned in a insulated steel pipe (28). The steel pipe is normally covered with a fiber glass insulator to smooth out temperature distribution therein. The entire structure is then placed in an oven which heats the tetrafluorethylene tubing which is then shrunk by the heat to the outer dimension of the aluminum mandrel. After cooling the aluminum mandrel is removed from the newly sized tetrafluoroethylene tubing by a conventional chemical milling process.

Abstract: A sealing device comprising a hollow body member having a plurality of spaced apart external deformable flanges and provided with a sealant on its external surface, preferably between the flanges. The device may be used to seal a supply line within a duct by pushing it within the duct so that the flanges are deformed, the sealant preferably being provided in a generous amount so that it fills the remaining gaps between the flanges after such deformation. The hollow body member may then be sealed to the supply line using, for example, a heat-shrinkable sleeve. The device may also be used to couple and repair hollow substrates such as gas and water pipes.

Abstract: A method for forming a filter of electrically charged electret fiber material, consisting of a high molecular weight, nonpolar polymeric substance, comprising drawing, charging, and fibrillating a foil of said high molecular weight substance. The fibrillated foil is wound and then crimping is effected.