Abstract: A device for dividing a card web comprised of a loose structure of fibers into successive longitudinal sections, comprises an air-permeable conveyor belt having a conveyor strand carrying the card web on one side thereof for conveying the card web in a conveying direction, a suction box arranged on a side of the conveyor strand opposite the one side, the suction box defining a suction slot extending transversely to the conveyor strand and facing the opposite side of the conveyor strand, and a screen arranged to close the suction slot and to open it periodically whereby suction is applied to the card web through the air-permeable conveyor belt and a respective one of the longitudinal sections is separated from the card web by sucking the fibers in alignment with the suction slot out of the card web.

Abstract: A multi-layered barrier glove having high tactility and dexterity characteristics includes an outer shell fabricated from relatively flexible and durable material, and a barrier insert disposed underneath the shell and fabricated from gas permeable, liquid impermeable material. An inner layer or insert may further be provided for adding comfort to the wearer. Specifically, the outer shell is a knit glove made out of aramid fibers for providing durability, cut resistance, and fire resistance identified by non-melt and non-flammable properties. The barrier insert is fabricated from porous polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE") that is shaped to fit inside the outer shell. The barrier insert provides the user with the barrier protection to protect the user's skin, while still maintaining the breathability.

Abstract: A roll of disposable aprons is formed from an elongated strip of plastic film having a portion along each side which is longitudinally folded over the remaining portion of the strip. The strip contains a plurality of latitudinal perforations at spaced intervals to enable the strip to be readily separated into discrete sheets. Each sheet has a cut-out portion near the top and centered latitudinally in the sheet. Each sheet also has a cut-away portion on each side of the hole portion which begins on the outside edge at the top of the strip, then runs inwardly and downwardly, and then ends on the outside edge of the strip. The cut-out portion defines a neck opening and the two strips of the folded-over portions adjacent and inward of the cut-away portions define two waist tie straps.

Abstract: A glove for sports and utility is provided with a method for creating multiple tensile forces along the length of the fingers and thumb and across the back of the hand through a point (30) of common force juncture located on the wrist proximate to the intersection of the base of the thumb and the wrist. These tensile forces yield continued improvement in fit and utility along multiple orientations of force lines across the back of the hand and along the fingers and thumb. These orientations of force lines are most advantageously aligned approximately perpendicular to the primary axis of closure of the human hand in grasping an object and the primary central axis of an elongated object being grasped.Further, the fit in the finger enclosures and at the fingertips is significantly improved, as is the glove fit around the wrist and across the palm of the user's hand. These tensile forces continue to function properly and remain adjustable by the user throughout the life of the glove.

Abstract: A device for attaching flexible articles, such as clothing items having an edge. The device includes a flexible strip which includes an end with a sewable edge, and a second end having a fastening device. The device may be sown to an edge of the flexible article, such as a pair of socks, allowing the user to temporarily join a pair of socks, for example, by taking at least two of the flexible strips and stitching the sewable edge of each flexible strip to an edge of each of the socks of a pair of socks. This allows the fastening of the second end of one flexible strip to the second end of the other flexible strip, so that the clothing items may be secured together when they are not being worn.

Abstract: A heat resistant limb brace (10) comprising a flexible liner (12) to be worn about the skin (14) on a limb (16) of a person (18). An insulation jacket (20) is affixed to the flexible liner (12) to protect the skin (14) from heat, so that the skin (14) will not burn. A non-slip cover (22) is attached to the insulation jacket (20), to prevent items (24) placed against the non-slip cover (22) from sliding off.

Abstract: In a needle loom for needling a fiber batt continuously moved through the needle loom, a horizontal driving apparatus connected to a needle bar for horizontally driving said needle bar to and fro is provided which is driven in synchronism with a vertical driving apparatus providing the needle bar with a reciprocating up and down movement by which needles affixed to the needle bar are stitched into the fiber batt to be needled. The timing of the horizontal and vertical movements imposed onto the needle bar is adjusted in a manner that the needle bar horizontally follows the movement of the fiber batt when the needles are stitched in the fiber batt, whereas in the horizontal return stroke of the needle bar its needles are out of the fiber batt.

Abstract: A face shield apparatus to prevent bodily fluids and foreign materials from splashing into the user's face in medical situations. In non-medical use, this invention relates generally to preventing non-impact exposure from liquid splash, dirt and dust. The apparatus includes a transparent face portion providing a flat viewing area in front of the user's eyes, a forehead barrier portion to protect the user against splash to the eyes from above, a head strap portion to fit around the user's head to hold the face shield in place, and a drape portion to protect against splash coming up under the shield. This drape portion features a fluid-impermeable fabric below the plastic to cover the user's chin and upper neck. Light pressure to the bottom of the fluid barrier fabric closes the fabric under the user's chin with fasteners.

Abstract: An apparatus for stuffer box crimping a synthetic filament thread includes a thread inlet duct for aspiring and guiding synthetic filament threads to a stuffer box. The apparatus includes a flow duct, the thread inlet duct preceding the flow duct, the flow duct and the thread inlet duct having a common longitudinal axis. The apparatus is provided with a nozzle having an outlet opening merging into the flow duct, for supplying a fluid under pressure. The two or more sets of nozzles may be arranged consecutively along the longitudinal axis of the thread inlet duct and the flow duct in a direction of thread transport.

Abstract: A protective glove is made of fabric of interwoven metal rings. The metal rings are interwoven in such a way that the fabric is substantially more flexible, without forming folds, in a longitudinal direction (L) than in a perpendicular direction thereto. The longitudinal direction (L) is the longitudinal direction of the fingers. The protective glove is further provided in the area of the wrist with a slot oriented towards the fingers and bridged by a closing strip arranged on the glove. The closing strip is also made of interwoven metal rings and is interwoven with the glove.

Abstract: A one touch tension adjustment device for a goggle attachment holes. Each end of an expandable strap is passed through the attachment holes in the goggles and through a tension adjustment stopper and finally to a connection means. This arrangement creates an overlapping area of the strap. A sliding area for allowing the tension of the goggles to be controlled is also created. When the connection device is released, the tension adjustment stoppers slide toward the attachment holes of the goggles along the sliding area until the tension adjustment stoppers abut the attachment holes and thus allow the tension of the strap to be reduced without causing the goggles to become dislodged from the face of the wearer.

Abstract: A knee pad includes first and second protective paddings hinged to another. A stretchable fabric has an edge secured to an edge of both the first and second paddings. An opposite edge of the fabric has releasable fasteners for releasably securing the opposite fabric edge to opposite edges of the paddings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for continuous crimping of a thermoplastic material thread. According to the method, a transporting medium is pressurized, the transporting medium is heated, and a thread is transported, with the transporting medium, though a conveyor duct and out of an outlet opening of the conveyor duct at a transporting speed. The thread is transported from the outlet opening of the conveyor duct to an inlet opening of a stuffer box. The thread is compressed into a plug in the stuffer box by decelerating the thread. The plug is transported from an outlet opening of the stuffer box at a plug speed that is lower than the transporting speed such that the plug is cooled and opened to form a texturized and tensioned thread. At least one parameter of the plug is measured. The at least one measured parameter is compared with a target value of the at least one measured parameter.

Abstract: A fire resistant fabric (10) suitable for use as an inner thermal barrier layer in a layered firefighters' turnout garment (30). The fabric is a 3-end knit fleece having stitch yarns (12), tie yarns (14), and nap yarns (18), all made of fire resistant fibers. The nap yarns are pulled away from the stitch and tie yarns to form a fleece.

Abstract: A knit athletic sock having a leg section and a foot section which includes a sole section intermediate a toe section and a heel section having internal-facing terry loops to form a cushion. A breathable instep panel is positioned atop the sole section, wherein the instep panel extends from the wearer's ankle to the toe section. A transition zone is located between the foot section and the leg section to provide additional comfort and durability.

Abstract: A multi-component ballistic package for a ballistic vest comprises a first sub-panel on the strike side of the vest having overlying plies of woven ballistic fabric, a second sub-panel behind the first sub-panel comprising overlying plies of woven ballistic fabric, a third sub-panel behind the second sub-panel comprising overlying layers of ballistic fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheets, and the fourth sub-panel behind the third sub-panel on the body side of the vest comprising overlying layers of ballistic fiber-reinforced plastic sheets. The individual plies and layers of each of the sub-panels are secured together as separate units to form, in one embodiment of the invention, a four-component structure. The preferred woven fibers are 180 denier high molecular weight extended chain polyethylene fibers. The preferred fiber reinforced sheet material comprises unidirectional extended chain polyethylene fibers.

Abstract: Swimming caps having enhanced non-stick properties, and compositions and methods useful in producing such caps are disclosed. The present methods comprise contacting at least a portion of the outer surface of a swimming cap with a mixture comprising water, a reactable silicon-containing component and a starch component to form a coated swimming cap including a coating of the mixture on at least a portion of the outer surface of the swimming cap; and subjecting said coated swimming cap to conditions effective to remove water from the coating and to form a finished swimming cap having enhanced non-stick properties relative to the swimming cap prior to the contacting.

Abstract: The present invention is a protective guard for use during sports such as snowboarding. It comprises a substantially rigid dipartite sleeve adapted to receive the distal forearm, wrist and proximal portion of a hand; thumb receiving region at one end of the sleeve to receive and partially surround the base of the thumb of a user and retaining straps to hold the sleeve on the arm of a user.

Abstract: A back-reinforced two-piece upper torso assembly for an articulated diving uit. The upper torso assembly includes a lower hollow rigid body of rounded shape for housing a diver's upper trunk, an upper hollow rigid body of rounded shape for housing a diver's head and being seated upon the lower hollow rigid body, and a clamping and sealing mechanism releasably coupling the upper hollow rigid body to the lower hollow rigid body about adjacent seated portions thereof so as to form a watertight joint therebetween wherein the upper hollow rigid body can rotate relative to the lower hollow rigid body. The upper torso assembly also includes a reinforcement structure connecting the upper hollow rigid body to the lower hollow rigid body along adjacent rear portions thereof so as to permit a lifting load applied to the assembly during water entry and exit to transfer to the lower hollow rigid body in such manner as to avoid stressing the watertight joint therebetween.

Abstract: A method for separating woody material from plant fibers is disclosed which includes the provision of a plurality of woody material bending regions with the plant material being fed to a first and then a second one of the bending regions as bending and pulling surfaces are moved through the bending regions. The bending and pulling surfaces move through the regions at different operating speeds so that the bending and pulling surfaces in adjacent bending regions will pull on the plant material to separate the fibers from the woody material. As the bending and pulling surfaces primarily impart a pulling or stripping force on the fiber along its length where the fiber has its most strength, the woody material can be dislodged and stripped away lengthwise with minimal damage or breakage of the fiber. The step of providing bending regions can include the step of providing first and second sets of fluted rollers having bending and pulling radially extending flute surfaces.