Abstract: An RFI/EMI shield is formed of interlaced conducting and non-conducting filamentary members. The shield takes the form of a sleeve with a longitudinal seam, the sleeve being biased so that free edges defining the seam are positioned in overlapping relation. A pair of filamentary drain members are positioned adjacent to each other and covered by one of the free edges. One of the drain members is continuously interlaced with the filamentary members forming the sleeve, the other is interlaced at a plurality of attachment regions arranged in spaced relation lengthwise along the sleeve. Between the attachment regions, the drain member floats on the surface of the sleeve and is extendible away from the sleeve for attachment to an electrical ground.

Abstract: Rigidized sleeving for protecting elongated items is disclosed. The sleeving is formed from an open mesh of interlaced filamentary members having flexible edge portions extending along the length of the sleeving. A stiffening matrix is attached to the mesh between the edge portions. The edge portions fold towards one another in an overlapping arrangement to create an inner space between the matrix and the edge portions where the elongated items are retained. The matrix has grooves or projections arranged lengthwise along the sleeving and designed to receive and retain the elongated items. Clips attach the sleeving to an external structure. Hook-and-loop fasteners retain the edge portions in overlapping interengagement.

Abstract: Braider carriers for multiple yarn packages include separate supports for separate packages and separate guides for the yarns from each package. Insulating tubular gaskets having low porosity and comprised of an insulating yarn and wire are manufactured using the carriers. A circular braider used in the manufacture of the gaskets is loaded with a group of carriers each carrying a single yarn package of insulating yarn. The multiple package carriers, each of which is selectively positioned between carriers of the first group, supply insulating yarn and wire.

Abstract: A woven sleeve is used for bundling elongated substrates. The illustrative embodiment is interwoven of monofilament warp members and fill yarns comprised of compliant material such as bulky multifilament yarn. Supplement monofilaments extending lengthwise of the fabric are separated into individual pieces, each including a section cradled in the compliant material of a fill yarn and are locked in the cradle position by at least one of the warp members. End sections of the individual pieces project outwardly and terminate in hooks which interlock with an exposed section of the compliant material to effect closure of the sleeve around the elongated substrates. A sleeve of the type described may also be provide with integral hooks to attach the sleeve to loop-type other loop material on a support surface.

Abstract: A sleeve having a longitudinally extending slit for covering wires or tubing is provided with a support layer of a continuous monofilament of formable metal wire or heat-settable monofilament formed into a multiplicity of spaced apart reversely bent crests and troughs. The continuous monofilament is bent to form a split tube having the crests and troughs in facing relationship. At least one outer layer is provided on said support layer. The outer layer may be an insulator such as a metal foil or metalized film, an abrasion-resistant material or a resilient sound-absorbing material. Inner layers may comprise insulating materials and/or felts, foams or other sound-absorbing materials. Various closure means for closing the longitudinal opening formed at the slit are disclosed.

Abstract: A braided tubular article (FIG. 1) comprises a tubular form of helically braided yarns to which is coupled a plurality of spaced axially extending restraining elements, conveniently as warp elements braided with the tubular form. The yarns are braided with a small helix pitch that permits the tubular form to be extended axially and contract radially onto a substrate as a protective sleeve. The warp elements are essentially inextensible and frictional coupling between then and the braid yarns inhibits extension of the article, permitting it to be handled and passed over a substrate before applying a deliberate extension force to overcome the friction and contract it into the substrate. The restraining elements may be other than branded warp elements and the extension-inhibiting coupling may be a disruptable bond instead of, or supplementing, friction. Frictionally acting warp elements permit the extended article to assume a bent form in one or more directions.

Abstract: A heat protective sleeve for the protection of elongated members is disclosed, the sleeve having a first sheet of insulative material with an outer reflective layer. Oppositely disposed edges of the first sheet have means for joining the edges to a portion of the first sheet in overlapping relationship to form a tubular sleeve. A second insulative sheet is attached to the outer surface of the first sheet inward from the edges. The second sheet also has a reflective layer on its outer surface and is attached to the first sheet along its edges, parallel to the edges of the first sheet, thus, forming an air pocket between the sheets. A stiff monofilament wire bent into a spiral or other shape is disposed within the air pocket to maintain the pocket shape. In use, the air pocket is positioned facing a heat source and the sleeve interposes a reflective layer, an insulating layer, an air pocket, a second reflective layer and a second insulating layer between the elongated members and the heat source.

Abstract: Woven fabric sleeves are comprised of interwoven glass fiber yarns or similar mineral or ceramic fiber yarns, and hybrid yarns or wires utilized as fill yarns. The fill yarns preferably consist essentially of glass or ceramic fibers with resiliently settable polymeric materials and/or resilient formable wires or combinations thereof. The wires or hybrid yarns are resiliently set to form resilient hoops yieldably imparting to the fabric side edges a tendency to move into adjacent or overlapping relationship. In one form of the method of making a sleeve, the hybrid fill yarns are resiliently set by placing the woven fabric in a folder, applying heat to cause the fill yarns to assume a set in the wrap around or folded condition and then cooling so that the product is resiliently maintained in the set condition. In an alternative method of making the product, the product is woven on a shuttle loom and one or more wires are used as fill yarns. The wires are fed from pretensioned spools.

Abstract: A tubular article of resilient material used as a protective sheathing for wires, hoses or other elongated substrates is provided with substantially circumferentially extending corrugations and a longitudinally slit side wall to allow for installation over the substrates. Fastening means in the form of hook-and-loop fastening tape is applied to the abutting edges of the slit so that the hooks and loops interlock when the slit is closed. The hook-and-loop tape protects the fingers of the worker during installation of the tubular article, prevents relative movement of the slit edges caused by turning and twisting forces, thereby eliminating undesirable noise during use and the need for taping following installation.

Abstract: Convoluted tubing for automotive wiring harnesses and other elongated substrates is provided with sound dampening qualities by filling the valleys between convolutions with a flexible, resilient foamed composition, such as silicone rubber, and foaming the composition to cause expansion of the foam so that ribs of foam project radially from the valleys. In a preferred embodiment, spaced apertures are formed in the valleys to allow the expanding foam to form radially inwardly projecting fingers which contact the wiring harness and act to dampen vibrations. The corrugated tubing may be axially slit and the slit allowed to be filled with the foamed composition which, when foamed, eliminates noises caused by movement of the edge surfaces of the slit when torsional forces are applied to opposite ends of the tube.

Abstract: A tubular article useful for bundling wire or cables or for creating a seal between two surfaces, such as an oven and an oven door, is provided with externally applied attachment clips. The clips are formed from separate pieces of wire, each of which is bent at an acute angle at its mid-point to form a head portion and a pair of shoulders which fit into an aperture on one of the surfaces to be sealed. The clip further includes crossed intermediate portions followed by transversely extending base legs. The base legs are passed through the wall of the gasket and clinched so that they extend back towards the crossed portions. Gaskets are disclosed comprised of yarn, such as glass fiber yarn, interbraided with stainless steel wire. The spacing between clips may be varied to accommodate variations in aperture spacing and/or to provide tubular articles which are braided and are capable of varying in diameter at different locations along surfaces to which they are attached.

Abstract: An oven door seal comprises a braided tubular gasket of wire and a mineral fiber, such as glass fiber, a ceramic or quartz or mixtures thereof. The gasket has the characteristic of a braided structure of radial expansion upon axial compression and radial contraction upon axial extension. Clips of resilient wire are prebent in a common plane so as to have an apexed head formed near the mid point of the wire intermediate parallel sections and crossing end sections are disclosed. The clips are inserted into the gasket with the crossing ends spanning one or more filaments in the lattice structure of the braided tubular gasket and the crossing ends pass through the wall structure and are deflected generally parallel to the wall as the clip wire sections at the apex flex together. The apertures are formed in the oven door perimeter at different spacings depending upon the gasket diameter desired along the edge having a particular spacing and the clip inserted at equal spacings in an oven door.