Abstract: Apparatus, a method for extruding and expanding tubular products of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and the products produced thereby are provided. In the apparatus, at least one helical groove is placed in the wall of the extruder tip or die. Preferably, at least one groove is machined in the tip having a pitch angle of 45 degrees and at least one groove is machined in the die having a pitch opposite that (135 degrees) of the tip groove. In the expanded products produced according to the invention, at at least one radial position within the wall of a tube substantially all of the longitudinal axes of the nodes are oriented at an angle between about 85 degrees and about 15 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

Abstract: A phase-adjustable coaxial cable connector is provided which adjusts the length of the phase path of the system without changing the length of the connector. The electrical path length is adjusted by relative rotation of electrical conductors in the connector.

Abstract: An optical transmission line is provided comprising an elongate light guide surrounded by a layer of a porous plastic, preferably expanded, porous polytetrafluoroethylene, and having at least one reinforcing strand, such as a wire, positioned outside of the porous plastic layer, this entire assembly encased in a resin sheath having a rectangular cross-section such that the light guide is positioned at the center of the cross-section of the resin sheath along the length of this transmission line. Multiconductor flat cable is provided by bonding a multiplicity of these optical transmission lines together. The transmission line is useful for transmitting optical energy signals.

Abstract: A cell harvesting kit and a method for harvesting cells from a vein of a patient are provided. The cell harvesting kit has a packaging container containing three trays, a support holding the components needed for cell harvesting, and three vials containing enzyme solutions and salt solution, respectively. The three trays include an outer tray having a lid engaged with the outer tray to preserve sterility, a component tray within the outer tray, the component tray having a sealed lid and having a shelf about its perimeter for supporting a support member having depressions therein for holding the components needed in cell harvesting, and a third tray contained within the component tray, the third tray comprising a process tray with a trough in which an excised vein may be placed for harvesting.A method for harvesting cells from a vein of a patient is also provided.

Abstract: A cable truss dome which is not triangulated is constructed from a plurality of cables under tension and compression members arranged in triangles having non-common sides. The cable truss dome is adapted for spanning large areas where the cables form a low shallow arch which supports a flexible membrane as a covering. The non-common vertex of the formed triangles are connected to similarly placed vertical sides of other triangles through continuous nested tension rings.

Abstract: A high speed electrical transmission line is provided comprising a signal conductor having an open cell, continuously porous, polymeric insulating material surrounding the conductor, the insulating material having a plurality of openings fused therein, the walls of the openings being solid, fused polymer which provide compressive strength for the otherwise highly compressible porous insulating material. The preferred polymer is expanded, porous polytetrafluoroethylene. The openings may be formed by a laser or by other means.

Abstract: An improved flexible shielded electrical coaxial cable is provided having a shielding layer surrounding a core line, wherein the shielding layer comprises a plurality of metal wires helically overwrapped about the core line, adjacent wraps being in close contact, wherein the improvement comprises at least one strip interwoven in a stitching manner among the metal wires of the shielding layer. The strip is preferably a strip of expanded, porous polytetrafluoroethylene. The cable is highly flexible and useful in robots, for example.

Abstract: A connector for a flat cable having a plurality of conductors disposed parallel to and apart from each other within an insulator is provided, which connector comprises a cover having a channel adapted to support a terminal portion of said flat cable in a state wherein said terminal portion is bent, and a connector body having a plurality of contact terminals corresponding to the number of said conductors, said contact terminals extending through said connector body and being inserted into said bent terminal portion supported by said cover in such a manner that said contact terminals are in electrical contact with corresponding conductors, respectively, said connector body being adapted to clamp said cable having said contact terminals inserted thereinto between said connector body and said cover.

Abstract: A detector for detecting leaks of a corrosive liquid such as strong acids or bases is provided comprising a light guide core having a covering which generates heat upon contact with the liquid to the detected, thereby changing the light transmissivity of the light guide, which change can be measured. The covering comprises a porous polymer having a salt within its pores such as an ammonium salt which dissolves in the liquid to be detected and generates heat thereby.

Abstract: An electrical transmission unit line is provided comprising a porous dielectric layer having positioned on one side thereof a pair of narrow, parallel elongated electrical conductors and on the other side thereof, opposite the pair of conductors and extending transversely across both wires of the pair and parallel thereto, a wide ground conductor. An electrical transmission line having a plurality of such unit lines is also provided. The porous dielectric is preferably porous, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The transmission lines are covered with an electrically insulating material, preferably a nonporous plastic.

Abstract: An electrical transmission line of the twisted pair of coaxial cable type is provided. One line has a center conductor, a porous plastic dielectric disposed around the outer periphery of the conductor, the dielectric having specific gravity of 0.5 or less, and having a plastic dielectric sheath disposed around the outer periphery of the porous dielectric, the outer sheath having a melting temperature which is 60% or less than the melting temperature of the porous plastic dielectric. The porous plastic dielectric may be in tape form helically wrapped around the conductor, preferably at a wrap angle of 20 degrees or less. The preferred porous dielectric is expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

Abstract: A dielectric sheet material useful in electronics applications is provided. The material preferably is porous, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) having a plurality of through-holes. The walls of the through-holes are solid, sintered PTFE which impart a high degree of compressive strength to the otherwise highly compressible porous PTFE. The through-holes having solid walls may be formed in the material by a laser or by other means.

Abstract: A water-vapor-permeable, waterproof, highly elastic film of expanded, porous, unsintered polytetrafluoroethylene having impregnated within the pores of the porous film, on both sides thereof, a water-vapor-permeable resin, for example, an elastomer containing urethane bonds and a hydrophilic group(s) in its molecular structure. The film of this invention is useful in clothing, tents, and various applications where water vapor transmission characteristics and waterproofness are simultaneously desired. The film has elongation percentage in at least one direction exceeding 40% and durability in repeated stretching to 80% of its elongation percentage of more than 200,000 cycles.

Abstract: A device is provided which passively reminds persons seated in an automobile to fasten his or her seat belt. The device comprises seat belt clip means having a projection extending therefrom which, when the seat belt is disengaged, is positioned so that the projection extends into the space normally occupied by a user of the seat and to the back of a person who sits in the seat, thereby causing discomfort until the person properly engages the seat belt. When the seat belt is properly engaged, the projection stows unobstrusively out of the way of driver and controls.

Abstract: Dielectric materials having low dielectric constant are provided, the materials comprising fabrics impregnated with thermosetting resins, at least a portion of the fibers in the fabrics being fluorocarbon fibers. Also provided is a method of manufacture of these dielectric materials. The dielectric materials are useful in the fabrication of multilayer printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A coaxial cable and a bare wire are aligned in parallel relationship and affixed within insulation covers which have openings therein so as to partly expose both the bare wire and the outer conductor of the coaxial cable at the atmosphere, forming a leak detecting sensor. By the use of resistance meters, the core wire of the coaxial cable is utilized to detect both the presence and the location of a leak.

Abstract: A sensor for detecting leaks of a corrosive liquid is provided comprising a pair of plate electrodes made of a conductive metal which is corroded by the liquid to be detected spaced apart and separated by an inner sheet of an electrically insulating material, the inner sheet having a plurality of through-holes, this entire construction being sealingly encased between a pair of outer insulating sheets, at least one of which has a plurality of through-holes. In use, if a leak occurs the liquid passes through the through-holes in the outer insulating sheet, dissolves a portion of one electrode and passes through the through-holes in the inner sheet to the second electrode, causing a short circuit resulting in a rapid and accurately measurable decrease in the resistance in the circuit and, therefore, detection of the leak.

Abstract: Exercise apparatus is provided comprising a bar-like rigid cross member having a length approximately the width of a person's shoulders, and two elongate tubular hand-gripping members affixed to the cross member in substantially parallel relationship, the tubular members being in substantially perpendicular relation to the cross member, each tubular member being affixed to the cross member so as to be freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the tubular member.

Abstract: An electrical transmission line is provided comprising at least one elongate signal conductor, one or more other conductors placed away from and substantially parallel to said signal conductor, all conductors encased in an outer insulating resin covering having a rectangular cross-section, the signal conductor(s) being further encased in an inner insulating porous resin covering, the porous resin covering having an electrical shielding layer thereover.

Abstract: A high speed electrical transmission line is provided comprising a plurality of elongate conductor wires arranged in parallel relationship and encased in an outer insulating covering jacket having generally a rectangular cross-section and wherein each conductor is further encased within the outer jacket in an insulating covering of a porous resin material.