Abstract: Apparatus for compression molding thermoplastic backed carpeting in deep draft molds wherein carpeting is precut into sheets, heated, positioned between the mold parts, clamped at selected locations around its periphery, differentially prestretched by tensioning actuators, compression molded, cooled and removed from the mold. Tensioning actuators draw the sheet material downwardly into the deep draft of the mold and further stretch the material in the region of shallow draft, uniformly thinning the material. Stretching of the material by the mold during the compression molding step is minimized in this method. Prestretching allows sheets to be precut to a smaller size than the mold for more efficient use of material and provides control of product thickness independent of mold draft.

Abstract: An apparatus for expanding polymer films such as PTFE films includes gripping the unexpanded film about its periphery with a number of symmetrically disposed gripping members each equidistant from the center of the film. The gripping members are simultaneously rotated through an arc away from the center of the film, as by pivotally securing each gripping member to the end of an associated expansion arm and rotating the end of each expansion arm away from the center of the film while maintaining the gripping members equidistant from the center of the film. The expansion arms are uniformly rotated by a geared shaft powered by a drive mechanism that extends through the wall of an oven for coupling to an external motor. Also disclosed is an expanded PTFE film made in accordance with such process.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for stretching and thinning dough. This apparatus consists of a plurality of conveyors 2,3, which are disposed in series so that the traveling speed of the downstream conveyor 3 is higher than that of the upstream conveyor 2, a roller 5 that reciprocates over a given distance 1.sub.2 transverse to the traveling direction of the dough, while reciprocating over a given distance 1.sub.1 in the traveling direction, and a roller 4 that reciprocates over a given distance 1.sub.1 in the traveling direction in synchronism with the transverse roller. The number of reciprocating strokes and the speed of both rollers are regulated to obtain a sheet of high quality dough with a uniform texture.

Abstract: A method for forming an inflatable catheter balloon from an initial length of tubing includes longitudinally stretching a first end segment of the tubing element and longitudinally stretching a second end segment of the tubing element. The longitudinally stretched tubing is then heated, blow-molded to radially stretch it and define a desired inflatable portion for the balloon, and cooled.

Abstract: A process for biaxially orienting amorphous polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate. The process includes steps of biaxially orienting a feedstock material in a deformation zone; reducing temperature of the material in a cooling zone; and annealing the material in an annealing zone. The process and apparatus produce a biaxially oriented material having enhanced optical quality and impact strength.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for manufacturing a stretched surface recording disk wherein a laminate is formed by superposing magnetic sheets on upper and lower surfaces of a base with a bonding agent being interposed between the regions to be bonded, clamping both an outer annular portion and an inner annular portion of the resulting laminate, displacing the clamped inner annular portion including both magnetic sheets and the base relative to the clamped outer annular portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base, thereby stretching the laminate and bonding the magnetic sheets to the base while the annular portions are so displaced.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a moving web of laminated composite material of the type having a relatively thin film layer adhered to a relatively thick paper layer for eliminating the tendency of the web to curl toward the film layer side thereof subsequent to being stored on a spool with the film layer of the web positioned inwardly of the paper layer of the web, the film layer and paper layer each having an exposed surface and an attached surface, the attached surfaces of the layers being adhered together, the paper layer having an outwardly positioned thickness portion which terminates at the exposed surface thereof, an inwardly positioned thickness portion which terminates at the attached surface thereof and an intermediately positioned thickness portion positioned between the outwardly positioned thickness portion and the inwardly positioned thickness portion, the outwardly positioned thickness portion being relatively stretched, the inwardly positioned thickness portion being relatively shrunk, the interme

Abstract: A thermoplastic tape having thick and wide end portions with a relatively thin and narrow stretched central portion between them is produced by a first pair of nip rolls running at a slow speed, and a second pair of nip rolls running at a higher speed. The tape between the nip rolls is intermittently moved away from, and toward said first nip rolls to stretch it to produce the relatively thin and narrow central portion. The second pair of nip rolls is mounted on a pivoted arm so that they are movable toward, and away from said first nip rolls. Alternatively, an idler roll between the two pairs is moved toward, and away from, the first nip rolls.

Abstract: In order to make a non-planar plastics material article, a starting material has at least one ring of holes or depressions and is pressed so that the part which is within the ring is moved generally at right angles to the plane of the ring with respect to the part which is outside the ring, thereby stretching, into orientated strands, zones between adjacent holes or depressions in the ring; in the finished article, the strands interconnect the two parts.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for stretching and shaping generally rectangular, refrigerated, thermoplastic sheets for ultimate use as interlayers in curved laminated glass units. The apparatus includes a frame assembly having spaced apart clamping assemblies for supporting the transverse edges of the sheets and means for urging the clamping assemblies apart during the heat-softening of the sheets to laterally stretch and distort the sheets into their final desired shapes.

Abstract: An apparatus for molding and stretching at high speed an attachment device integrally composed of a synthetic resin and comprising a head, a cross-bar and a filament integrally connecting the head and the cross-bar to each other is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a fixed frame, two movable frame portions, four mold members, two cam rod members, and a cam shaft. The two movable frame members are movably connected to the fixed frame. The four mold members are positioned on the two movable frame members, the mold members being movable relative to one another. The two cam rod members are secured to the fixed frame, and the cam shaft member is mounted on one of the mold members. When the movable frame members are moved relative to the fixed frame, they cause the cam shaft to move along one of the cam rod members, thus causing two of the mold members to be pulled away from the remaining two mold members, thereby stretching the filament connecting portion of the attachment device.

Abstract: A stretching machine for plastically straightening an extruded product from an extruding press is disclosed, in which a fixable tail stock and a cylinder operated slidable head stock provide the extruded product with a plastically straightened effect in an automatic operation. Means for variably adjusting the speed of the sliding movement of the head stock and means for automatically changing the sliding direction of the head stock are provided in the stretching machine. The method of operation of the stretching machine includes moving the head stock back toward the tail stock by a small amount after the extruded product has been plastically straightened so that the head stock can be easily disengaged from the extruded product.

Abstract: This invention provides a simple and advantageous method for producing plastic moldings with good surface gloss, very excellent transparency and high stiffness from crystalline polypropylene sheets manufactured by a generally employed industrial method without adversely affecting mechanical strength, shape retention at high temperatures and other properties according to a thermoforming process. This invention, more specifically, concerns a method for producing transparent polypropylene molded articles, characterized by heating a polypropylene sheet at a temperature higher than the melting point thereof, stretching it by more than 5%, rapidly cooling it to a temperature of not more than 120.degree. C., and then subjecting the thus treated sheet to thermoforming at a temperature below the melting point of the sheet.

Abstract: A plastic foamed sheet of excellent quality is produced by using an apparatus comprising a preheating chamber including a conveyor means for continuously conveying a thermoplastic resin sheet containing a heat-decomposable blowing agent in the horizontally supported state and a heating means for heating the sheet to a temperature lower than the decomposition temperature of the blowing agent, and a foaming chamber connected to the preheating chamber and including a heating means for heat-foaming the sheet as it is continuously conveyed while being perpendicularly suspended from the terminal end portion of the conveyor means.

Abstract: Self-bonded, balanced nonwoven fibrous fabrics having fibers uniaxially oriented and junction points of biaxially oriented film tissue and fibers in the plane of the fabric, the fibers being primarily oriented in the machine direction with the biaxially oriented film tissue being oriented in the cross direction. The nonwoven fabrics are produced by extruding a molten polymer radially from a circular die, quenching and then drawing the extrudate.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a method for increasing the production of stretched flat film webs of thermoplastic material in which a melt of thermoplastic material is extruded from a slot die, the melt is solidified to form a film, the film is transversely stretched, the stretched film is heat-set, divided into narrower webs, and wound up, the improvement comprising extruding the melt from a slot die wider than the die normally employed for the production of a preliminary film, which usually corresponds to the width of a transverse stretching frame, dividing the melt in the longitudinal direction into at least two films, superposing the film webs, and transversely stretching said superposed webs. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the method.

Abstract: Polymeric film is stretched by pulling the film over a first roller which is heated and over a second roller which is cooled, the second roller rotating at a greater peripheral speed than the first roller. The necking-in of the film in the gap between the two rollers is considerably reduced if a heat-transfer liquid is applied betwen marginal portions only of the film and the corresponding peripheral portions of the second, cooled, roller.