Abstract: The invention provides an improved casing material for locating, at door edges a brush-like material for preventing the passage of cold smoke, and an intumescent material which expands to obstruct. A tubular body has a slot for the bristles which project outwardly from a brush-base located inside the casing, and an internal housing for the brush base isolates the slot from an interior portion of the body. A second slot is provided opposite the first slot. The construction of the body is such that the slots can be opened locally so that the brush base can be fitted through the first slot and the intumescent material may be passed, in strip form, through the second slot.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting web material transversely to form sections has an arrangement for advancing the material a section at a time across a linear cutting edge. A linear guide parallel with the edge carries a circular blade which overlaps the linear cutting edge said blade being reciprocably driven along a linear guide. Each forward, and each reverse, cutting-stroke of the circular blade cuts off the then advanced section. The advancing arrangement is timed to operate between the ends of the forward strokes and the beginnings of the reverse strokes of the circular blade and vice versa. A preliminary advancing arrangement is provided for advancing a measured amount of web material to form slack which is taken-up by advancement of the material across the linear cutting edge.

Abstract: Structural honeycomb material is expanded to the open, hexagonally cellular state, by pulling it out in the expansion direction. It is then compressed across the expansion direction and fed through a throat where it undergoes further compression which creases the constituent material. On being allowed to re-expand, the material adopts a stable open-cellular state. The feeding of the material through the throat is accomplished by driving means which engages the material across the expansion direction. This is an improvement on feeding it between driving rollers having rotational axes parallel with the major axes of the cells. Satisfactory compression in the throat is more easily obtained, especially with small cell-sizes.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for packing articles, for example apples and other readily damaged fruits, in a close-packed array. A first feeder operates to pack a first supply of the articles in spaced-apart groups and a second feeder operates to fill the spaces between these groups. The feeders are preferably rotary members rotating in a vertical plane and having circumferential depressions. These depressions cooperate with peripheral confining barriers, eg. belts, to carry the articles downwardly and release them as required. The packages for receiving the articles, preferably pieces of expanded structural honeycomb material, may be carried under the feeders by a movable, synchronized conveyor. This conveyor may have protruberances for holding the honeycomb material expanded during filling. Unloading may be effected by raising the filled package into a confining frame in which it is then moved for deposition in a carton.

Abstract: The invention provides an assembly for accommodating service lines which comprises a length of ducting, a block of structural cellular material which fills the internal cross section of the ducting over at least a part of the length of the ducting, said block having cell walls which define cells which extend in the length direction of the ducting and on the cell walls a coating of intumescent material expandable to close the cells under fire conditions. With the block positioned where the ducting passes through a fire-resistant wall, the spread of fire through the ducting is usefully opposed. Using thermoplastic ducting, which has heretofore been contra-indicated, results superior to those obtainable with steel ducting are achieved.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating continuous unexpanded structural honeycomb material formed of permanently creasable material comprises rollers for drawing the material in the expansion direction whilst compressing it perpendicularly thereto so that it adopts a second unexpanded state. A guide receives the advancing material and permits slight re-expansion and a double acting severing device, e.g. a circular blade driven by a double-acting ram in forward and return strokes, severs the slightly re-expanded material to form cut lengths. The severing device may be located at the position of a guide of compact form, or at the outlet end of a guide in the form of a channel having at least one resilient wall. A receiving surface, formed in part by a conveyor belt may be provided to receive the cut lengths and allow them to expand. Guides for the expanded material may be arranged to discharge the expanded material from the receiving surface.

Abstract: Unexpanded structural honeycomb material formed of permanently creasable material is extended in its expansion direction and compressed perpendicular to the expansion direction, e.g. between pressure rollers, so that the cells adopt a configuration in which they have dimensions in the expansion direction which are large compared with their dimensions in the direction of compression and the creasable material is creased. On subsequently being allowed to expand, the material adopts a self-sustaining open cellular configuration.

Abstract: The invention provides for lapping a continuous length of unexpanded structural honeycomb material, a guideway for guiding the material downwardly to an outlet whilst restraining it from shearing movement, a reciprocable support for receiving the material from the outlet, and compensating means for permitting movement of the outlet relative to the support to compensate for the accumulation of material lapped by reciprocation of the support. Conveniently, the outlet has a pair of gates, one on either side, operable to prevent feeding of the material in the wrong direction. By making the feeding of the material through the outlet and the reciprocation responsive to the existence of a minimum head of material, the apparatus is rendered self-adjusting to the rate of supply of honeycomb material.