Abstract: A form tie for use in constructing building components and structures, including but not limited to concrete walls, concrete sandwich walls, and concrete foundations is disclosed. The form tie includes a central body portion and two end portions. The two end portions each include a taper that decreases in width inwardly toward the center of the form tie. Also disclosed is a clamp device for releasably securing the form tie to a form assembly. The clamp device includes a tapered passageway that grips a taper of the end portions of the disclosed form tie. Also disclosed is a form assembly including a first form wall, second form wall, and at least one form tie and clamp device of the present invention.

Abstract: A method of producing an umbilical includes providing an elongate flat metal strip, providing an elongate service carrier, encasing the service carrier in an insulation that is strain tolerant and high temperature tolerant, forming the metal strip into a tube shape around the insulated service carrier, and thereafter welding the edges of the metal strip to form a tube surrounding the insulated service carrier. The method may further comprise coiling the umbilical onto a spool. Such an umbilical may be useful for carrying fluids, power, control signals, or the like into a well.

Abstract: A method for assembling or disassembling spokes of a tubeless wheel includes following steps: selecting a rim, assembling an adaptor onto an assembling tool, assembling the adaptor to the position hole, assembling a spoke, assembling the spoke to the adaptor and disassembling the assembling tool from the adaptor. Therefore, a user can assemble or disassemble the spokes easily and conveniently.

Abstract: A sports racquet with enhanced string vibration damping has grommets with elongated barrels on many of the cross strings. The internal diameter of the barrels is selected so as to preserve a minimum clearance between the cross string and its enclosing barrel, thereby mitigating vibration. The barrel lengths vary as a function of their distance from the top of the frame, so that their free ends are positioned near the nearest main string.

Abstract: According to the invention, an extendable member is disclosed. The extendable member may include a structure having a first state and a second state. The structure may be deformable between the first state and the second state. In the first state the structure may include a compact form. In the second state the structure may include a hollow longeron having a slit along the entire length of the hollow longeron. One or both longitudinal edges along the slit of the hollow longeron may have lateral protrusions. The lateral protrusions of a longitudinal edge may act in such a way with the other edge, and possibly its protrusions, to at least partially inhibit relative motion of the edges.

Abstract: A load transfer device is provided to connect concrete elements including, but not limited to, sandwich and double wall panel wythes, roof, floor, balcony and canopy members, and pavement. The device may be used to connect and transfer loads between the components of sandwich and double wall panels. The device includes two load transfer members positioned at an angle with respect to one another. Additionally provided are a retention housing for retaining one or more load transfer members at their angled positions and a depth locating means for retaining one or more load transfer members at their proper depth. Also provided are sandwich wall panels and double wall panels employing the load transfer device and methods for manufacturing sandwich wall panels and double wall panels employing the disclosed load transfer device.

Abstract: A load transfer device is provided to connect concrete elements including, but not limited to, sandwich and double wall panel wythes, roof, floor, balcony and canopy members, and pavement. The device may be used to connect and transfer loads between the components of sandwich and double wall panels. The device includes two load transfer members positioned at an angle with respect to one another. Additionally provided are a retention housing for retaining one or more load transfer members at their angled positions and a depth locating means for retaining one or more load transfer members at their proper depth. Also provided are sandwich wall panels and double wall panels employing the load transfer device and methods for manufacturing sandwich wall panels and double wall panels employing the disclosed load transfer device.

Abstract: A process to manufacture a frame using renewable wood product(s) is described.

Abstract: There is disclosed a cutting mechanism 22 for severing elongate fibre reinforcement material 14 in composite material lay-up equipment 10, the cutting mechanism 22 comprising a cutting element 60 and a counteracting element 76 which cooperate to sever fibre reinforcement material 14 extending through the nip between them, the cutting element 60 being mounted on an elongate arm 44 which is pivotable about a pivot axis A spaced from the nip, to displace the cutting element 60 relatively to the counteracting element 76 to perform a cutting stroke, the mechanism 22 further comprising guide means 52 arranged to guide the fibre reinforcement material 14 through the nip in a feed direction transverse to the pivot axis A, and an actuation device 84 for driving the elongate arm 44 in a cutting stroke, the actuation device 84 acting on the elongate arm 44 at a position away from the cutting element 60. There is also provided composite material lay-up equipment 10 comprising the cutting mechanism 22.

Abstract: There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipment 10 for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material 14 to an article 12, the equipment 10 comprising: a support head 20; a cutting mechanism 22 carried by the support head 20 for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fibre reinforcement material 14. The cutting mechanism 22 comprises a plurality of cutting elements 60 coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head 20 and a cassette 65 removably attached to the support head 20 and having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements 76 statically mounted thereto. Each cutting element 60 is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element 76 to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements 60, 76 cooperate to sever a length of elongate fibre reinforcement 14 material extending through the nip formed between them.

Abstract: A sports racquet with increased string vibration damping has grommets with elongated barrels. The barrels conform closely to the strings, are capable of absorbing vibration, and may be placed on the main strings, the cross strings, or both.

Abstract: A process for making a lightweight laminated panel material for construction of cargo containers includes providing a high performance fabric layer, placing film adhesive layers over both sides of the high performance fabric layer, placing protective surface film layers over the film adhesive layers to form a pre-lamination stack, and placing release layers over the protective surface film layers. The pre-lamination stack is heated, compressed, and maintained at the temperature and under pressure to form a lamination stack. The lamination stack is cooled to an intermediate temperature and released from pressure, cooled further, and the release layers are removed.

Abstract: A method of processing bamboo to produce bamboo composite blocks for use in a wood frame. The method includes forming rectangular bamboo stickers, wherein a rectangular bamboo sticker comprises of consistent dimensions as to at least one other of the rectangular bamboo stickers, steaming the rectangular bamboo stickers, kiln drying the rectangular bamboo stickers, and acclimatizing the rectangular bamboo stickers. The method also includes assembling the rectangular bamboo stickers to form bamboo composite blocks, and hot pressing the bamboo composite blocks.

Abstract: A wheel hub includes a wheel rim and a support. The wheel rim has an inner rim surface, an outer rim surface and a connection concave. The wheel rim is composed of a metallic layer and a carbon fiber layer. The outer rim surface has an outer wall to be the metallic layer. The wheel hub is composed of the metallic layer and the carbon fiber layer. Compared to the conventional wheel hub made of a single metallic material or a carbon fiber material, the wheel hub made of metal and carbon fiber of the present invention is light in weight, endurable, and cost-effective. The outer wall of the outer rim surface of the conventional wheel hub is easily to be damaged by an external force when in use, which result in a break of the carbon fiber to lose the strength of the carbon fiber.

Abstract: A leaf spring manufactured from composite material has a variable cross sectional area. The leaf spring is manufactured by die forming a core of a constant cross section, then winding fibres onto the core to create a spring with a variable cross section and then cutting the spring to size. A ply lay-up station is shown which winds fibre onto a die formed workpiece as it moves through the station.

Abstract: Various shape memory polymer (SMP) devices are disclosed. Many of these SMP devices can be used as attachment and/or release mechanisms for any number of different applications. These SMP devices can use various characteristics of the SMP material to allow for various shape changes. These shape changes, in some embodiments, can be used to provide for release and/or attachment devices, for example, SMP bolts, SMP screws, SMP collars, SMP pillars, SMP panels, and/or SMP rivets, to name a few. An SMP device can include a first geometric state and a second geometric shape. The first geometric shape can restrict motion of two distinct objects relative to one another and the second geometrical shape can allow motion of two distinct objects relative to one another.

Abstract: Systems and methods for the prevention or dissolution of hydrates in an undersea well. One example system includes a submersible isolation bell for capturing effluent being exhausted from the well, and an umbilical. A power cable supplies electric power to the submersible isolation bell, for example for heating of the interior of the submersible isolation bell to prevent or discourage the formation of methane hydrates and the precipitation of other byproducts. Diluents may be supplied to the submersible isolation bell to further discourage the formation of hydrates and precipitation of other byproducts. The diluents may be heated locally at the submersible isolation bell, using electric power supplied by the power cable. A conformable seal may substantially seal the submersible isolation bell to a riser or other structure at the wellhead.

Abstract: A reflector is provided according to various embodiments. The reflector may include a backing structure having various configurations. The backing structure, for example, can comprise a plurality of trusses, flexible couplings, stiffeners, and crossbeams in any number of arrangements.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward rollable and collapsible structures. These structures, for example, can include a plurality of tubular longerons with a slit or gap that extends along the longitudinal length of the longerons. Such longerons can be combined in an arrangement that creates a structure. The structure can be collapsed and the longerons rolled either singularly or as a group into a stowed configuration.

Abstract: A composite structural element and a method for making same are provided. The element includes a polymer foam core and at least one fibrous layer adhered to the polymer foam core by epoxy. Nano-particles are suspended in the epoxy prior to curing; preferably they are mixed with the hardener before it is mixed with the resin. The polymer foam core is preferably an exothermic foam such as polyurethane, and heat generated by the exothermic foam cures the epoxy, thereby causing the fibrous layer to adhere to the foam core. The nano-particles may be made from at least one of carbon, a ceramic, tungsten, a carbide, titanium, zircon, aluminum, silver, or boron. When carbon nano-particles are used, the strength of the composite is greatly increased, and the curing time of the heat-curable epoxy is significantly reduced. Ceramic nano-particles can be used to increase penetration resistance and provide increased ballistic protection.