Abstract: A method for a variable manufacture of concrete railroad ties, with or without prestressed reinforcement, is provided wherein molds are cleaned in a preparation station and provided with the reinforcements, and are subsequently filled with concrete in a concreting and shaking station. Then the railroad ties are cured by a heat treatment. All railroad ties are produced in multiple molds, preferably in quadruple molds having identical dimensions, and the heat treatment is carried out in heating chambers. The heating chambers are loaded and unloaded with the concrete-filled molds by means of a shelf servicing device, which also supplies the molds to a stress relieving and emptying station which leads to the preparation station. Furthere provided is an apparatus for implementing this method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a molding composition based on sinterable materials, comprising a) from 80 to 99.5% by weight of sinterable powder having a maximum particle size of 2000 &mgr;m, b) from 0.5 to 20% by weight of metallocene polyolefin wax, c) if desired, up to 19.5% by weight of a further dry lubricant, and to its use for producing shaped ceramic and powder metallurgical parts by pressing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement to the plates for the side containing in apparatuses for the continuous casting of thin flat products, said plates comprising: at least one insert (8) of a ceramic material; a plurality of joints (11) for the thermal expansion, the joints being constituted of a ceramic fibers material; a first casting (9) of a silica-alumina material containing ceramic fibers; a second casting (10) of a silica-alumina material having a high content of ZrO2; and a third casting (12) of a SiC-based thixotropic material; the arrangement being such that said at least a ceramic insert is arranged on said third casting (12) of a thixotropic material so that it assumes a substantially triangular shape, said first silica-alumina casting (9) based on a ceramic fibers material is arranged on said third casting (12) at the exterior area with respect to said at least a ceramic insert, said second casting (10) of silica-alumina material having a high contents of ZrO2 is arranged on said third

Abstract: A heat-resistant adhesive with excellent adhesion strength and an adhesion method using the adhesive which includes an easily carbonizable resin such as a polycarbodiimide resin and, as necessary, a powdery filler (e.g. graphite powder, carbon powder, coke powder etc.) and a pitch.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a decorated plate glass, including the steps of (a) attaching crystal ice to the top surface of a plate glass with an adhesive; (b) heating the plate glass containing the crystal ice at a high temperature for a short period of time causing the crystal ice to melt on the plate glass; and (c) quick cooling the plate glass.

Abstract: A gelcasting method of making an internally graded article alternatively includes the steps of: preparing a slurry including a least two different phases suspended in a gelcasting solution, the phases characterized by having different settling characteristics; casting the slurry into a mold having a selected shape; allowing the slurry to stand for a sufficient period of time to permit desired gravitational fractionation in order to achieve a vertical compositional gradient in the molded slurry; gelling the slurry to form a solid gel while preserving the vertical compositional gradient in the molded slurry; drying the gel to form a dried green body; and sintering the dry green body to form a solid object, at least one property thereof varying along the vertical direction because of the compositional gradient in the molded slurry.

Abstract: A plastic sheet is prepared which is a laminate sheet including one or more laminated layers or a sheet of a thick single layer at a high temperature using a polyolefin molding matrial including an inorganic filler and a polyolefin resin as a substrate material. The plastic sheet is cooled by passing between a lower endless matal belt and an upper endless metal belt disposed on top of the lower belt, each belt being disposed with tension along a loop surrounding two rolls, moving along the loop and being cooled by direct contact with cooling water.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for beginning the formation of a paper web on a traveling forming wire, or between a pair of converging forming wires, includes a headbox on a papermaking machine for projecting a stock stream onto the forming wire, or between the forming wires over the porous face surface of a forming shoe. The forming wire or wires are looped to travel in a continuous path, and within at least one of the looped forming wires is the forming shoe, which is porous by way of grooves or openings over at least a portion of its face surface. The grooves are in the surface of the forming shoe which engages the inner surface of the looped forming wire to define a portion of the path of travel of the forming wire adjacent the headbox from which the stock stream is projected onto, or between, the forming wire(s). The grooves extend in the surface facing the forming wire from a point downstream of the leading edge in the nose portion of the face surface of forming shoe in the direction of forming wire travel.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to reduce variations in dimensional accuracy such as the outer-diameter accuracy and roundness of a flare shape and the concentricity between the bulb portion and the flare portion. According to the present invention, a lower mold (1) formed of a metallic material and forming a recess flare shape (1a) that is subjected to surface treatment forms a flare shape (21b) almost identical to the flare shape (1a) by means of the rotational motion of a rotating head portion (2). An upper mold (10) is fitted in the lower mold (1) to form a flare-shaped gap portion (13), into which glass is forced to form a flare shape (22).

Abstract: A cold isopressing method in which first and second layers of at least two layers are formed within an isopressing mold and the second of the layers is isostatically pressed against the first of the layers to compact the second layer. The layers can be formed from different materials, for instance granular materials or slurries. Each layer can additionally have different levels of materials. The granular materials can have pore formers to produce intermediate porous layers. Channel forming materials can be positioned between layers during isopressing. Alternatively, the first layers can be preformed by extrusion, slip casting or injection isopressing molding. One or more of the layers can have two or more regions of different ceramic materials.

Abstract: A holder for compressing a filter of a cigarette includes a first portion having a cylindrical body having an axial through hole, the cylindrical body having an inner side formed with a semi-cylindrical recess, a first mouth piece hinged connected to an end of the cylindrical body and formed with a curved inner side which decreases in diameter from a top to a bottom thereof, the first mouth piece having two first engaging edges, a second portion having a second mouth piece and a semi-cylindrical portion at an end of the second mouth piece, the semi-cylindrical portion being configured to engage with the semi-cylindrical recess, the second mouth piece having two second engaging edges configured to engage with the first engaging edges of the first mouth piece, whereby when in use, a cigarette filter is inserted into the first portion and then the first mouth piece is engaged with the second mouth piece to compress the filter thereby decreasing the amount of nicotine and tars form passing therethrough.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for forming a three-dimensional object by planar deposition of forming materials includes containers for holding molten forming materials, mechanical piston or screw members in the containers for pressurizing the molten forming materials in each of the containers, and an adjustable planar nozzle mechanism coupled to the containers through which the pressurized molten forming materials flow to form variable width planar jets that are deposited in layers onto a substrate movable along three axes to form the three-dimensional object. The adjustable planar nozzle mechanism includes cooperating position controllable plates for forming a variable width planar nozzle opening. The edges of the planar nozzle opening are advantageously non-parallel at the ends of the nozzle opening to ensure uniform thickness of the deposited planar jets.

Abstract: A press forming machine for optical devices which manufactures, an optical device from silica glass with a high glass transition point. A transparent quartz tube surrounds an upper die unit, lower die unit, fixed shaft, and moving shaft to form an airtight chamber inside it. Infrared lamps are arranged along the outer surface of the transparent quartz tube, and a reflecting mirror is arranged behind the infrared lamps. A cooling gas jacket is formed to cover the rear surface of the reflecting mirror. The inner-diameter side wall surface of the jacket and the reflecting mirror have many through holes. A cooling gas is sprayed from the interior of the jacket toward the transparent quartz tube through the through holes, thereby cooling the reflecting mirror, quartz bulbs constituting the outer surfaces of the infrared lamps, and the transparent quartz tube.

Abstract: A cigarette manufacturing system includes a feed hopper for feeding cut tobacco at a preselected rate to a cigarette rod forming device which in turn feeds formed cigarette rods to a filter tip attaching device. A tobacco recovery system is provided which includes air conveying conduits in flow communication with the rod forming device, the filter tip attachment device and a tobacco dust and useable tobacco particle separator wherein particles of tobacco dust and useable tobacco particles recovered from the rod forming section of the cigarette maker and the filter tip attaching device are separated. The useable particles are re-fed back into the feed hopper. The tobacco dust is transferred to a tobacco dust recovery collector. The tobacco dust and useable tobacco particles separator include a centrifugal curved conduit in combination with a classifying chamber having a bottom outlet for removing useable tobacco and a top outlet for removing tobacco dust.

Abstract: This invention relates to paper comprising aldehyde modified cellulose pulp prepared using nitroxyl radical mediated oxidation and further containing selected additives comprising aldehyde functional polymers or polymers containing functionality capable of reacting with aldehyde groups and having improved strength properties. This invention further relates to paper made from aldehyde modified cellulose pulp where an hydroxyl group containing polymer is added to the paper to provide wet strength properties.

Abstract: A process for making articles from perlite material includes grinding raw perlite to a particle size <200 &mgr;m. The ground perlite is mixed with ground silicon carbide powder and moisture added in an amount to achieve a homogeneous mixture having the property of being thixotropic. The mixture is introduced to a mold and agitated to assume the shape of the mold. The agitation is then halted and the material permitted to stiffen to a solidified green molded structure. The molded structure is then removed from the mold and heated at a temperature and time to react the silicon carbide reacts forming carbon dioxide, which induces a foamed structure to the material, and amorphous silicon oxide which fuses with the perlite. The structure is then cooled to yield a resultant fused, foamed perlite article, which may take the form of a building brick, block or panel structure.

Abstract: A shaped sintered fibrous porous body exhibits a structure with a three-dimensional corrugated or undulating shape and porosity.

Abstract: In a process for manufacture of dense, amorphous quartz glass granulate by production of a porous granulate from amorphous SiO2 powder and vitrification of the granulate, a porous SiO2 granulate is exposed to a fuel gas flame and is finely dispersed, heated and vitrified therein. The fuel gas flame is more flexible as concerns adjustment of the temperature than in known processes. It is in particular possible to set higher temperatures. The granulate can be exposed to very high sintering temperatures in the fuel gas flame without sintering into agglomerates. At the same time, heat resistance problems of sintering containers such as furnaces and melting pots are avoided. In addition, contamination of the SiO2 granulate by contact with the walls of sintering or vitrifying containers is eliminated. The process makes it possible to economically produce a highly pure and dense quartz glass granulate.

Abstract: A method for making a BaTiO3-based dielectric having a high dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss wherein, a BaTiO3-based body is subjected to a pre-heat treatment in a hydrogen (H2) atmosphere or a reducing atmosphere containing mixed gas of hydrogen and nitrogen in a ratio of hydrogen:nitrogen=5 to 100%:0 to 95% prior to a sintering process in the manufacture of dielectrics, in order to obtain a reduced average grain size of BaTiO3. By virtue of the reducing average grain size of BaTiO3, a BaTiO3-based dielectric having a high dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss is obtained.

Abstract: A tobacco product is formed by rolling moistened tobacco leaves about a cylindrical form casing and allowing the leaves to dry to form a shell. After the form casing is removed a consumer can fill the shell with crushed tobacco leaves of a favorite blend, thereby eliminating some steps in the making of a “roll-your-own” tobacco product.