Abstract: Super-smooth rounded or formed articles made of thermoplastic materials including various poly(methyl methacrylate) or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers are produced by immersing the articles into a bath, the composition of which is slowly changed with time. The starting composition of the bath is made up of at least one solvent for the polymer and a diluent made up of at least one nonsolvent for the polymer and optional materials which are soluble in the bath. The resulting extremely smooth articles are useful as mandrels for laser fusion and should be useful for a wide variety of other purposes, for example lenses.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of shaped, electrically conductive articles from silicon powder by sintering the powder while it is being pressed or sedimented in a mould at a temperature of 1150.degree.-1250.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere and in the presence of boron oxide, optionally followed by adding a further amount of boron into the sintered shaped article. The boron oxide, which is used in an amount of 0.1-11% by weight, based on the silicon powder, can be added in the form of an aqueous solution.

Abstract: A machine for automatically forming croissants, brioches and the like comprises a pastry flattening out stage, a cutting stage, a cut triangle spacing and orienting stage, a triangle aligning stage and a forming stage, the sheet pastry triangle spacing and orienting stage include, substantially a mechanism, effective to reciprocate on two wheels, in such a way as to take up the sheet pastry triangles and release the sheet pastry triangles at the forming machine, the reciprocating movement being transmitted to the mechanism by two side tie-rods, pivoted at one end to a cam and, at the other end, to an intermediate point of a lever supporting the mechanism at the rear portion, the mechanism comprising a plurality of cams and transmitting elements acting on catching movable elements effective, during the advancing stroke, to spread apart and rotate through a 90.degree. angle.

Abstract: A method of producing long life precision abrasive articles for use in metal removal operations. In this method abrasive particles are impinged against the inner surfaces of a rotating cylindrical mold by centrifugal force. During rotation of the mold a metallic matrix is deposited electrolytically on the inner surfaces of the mold until a matrix supporting the abrasive particles is formed. The matrix is then removed to receive core material and the core is then machined to the finished dimensions. The method is carried out at low temperatures, thereby avoiding heat distortion of the end product.

Abstract: Curing of plastic material or rubber for use as electrical insulation is effected by mixing with the plastic or rubber composition 0.1 to 25 weight percent of a crosslinking agent and subjecting the resulting mixture to a UHF electric field. The crosslinking agent used has the characteristic of being excited by the UHF electric field to produce radicals which effect crosslinking of the plastic or rubber composition and of decomposing or combining with the plastic or rubber in the crosslinking process to form decomposition or reaction products which are not excited by an alternating current electric field. Hence, the crosslinking agent does not adversely affect the electrical insulating characteristics of the crosslinked material even when used for insulating alternating current circuits. The composition is free of conventional fillers such as carbon black which retain their electrical activity.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for thermoforming an all plastic carton used to house a fluid with integral, kidney-shaped depressions in adjacent side walls of the carton to serve as handle members to aid in pouring the fluid contents from the carton. A pair of mandrels are inserted through opposite ends of a tubular enclosure formed from the carton blank. The mandrels are provided with a toroidal shaped cavity where they meet inside the enclosure. The enclosure is heated and a pair of complementally shaped, dies are rotated exteriorly of the enclosure into the toroidal cavity in the mandrels on adjacent sidewalls of the carton to form the handle depressions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a structure having an inner surface in the form of at least one segment of a sphere. An inner support is mounted at a fixed point from which a radius can be struck to define the inner surface of the structure. An elongated radial member is pivotally connected at one end to the inner support with its other end being movable vertically and horizontally. A forming member at the other end of the elongated member has an outer surface in the shape of the inner surface of the segment to be formed. An actuator moves the elongated member horizontally and vertically to selected positions to place the outer surface of the forming member opposite and adjacent the inner surface of each segment being formed. A forming material is applied to the outer surface of the forming member while it is opposite and adjacent the inner surface of the segment being formed to form each segment directly on the forming member.

Abstract: Silicone putty-like substance is made by mixing dimethyl silicone gum with a boron compound (e.g., boric acid) and a reinforcing filler, and making sheet stocks of the mixture. The sheet stocks are placed on perforated trays in a heating oven and heated at a temperature of about 350.degree. F. to about 500.degree. F. for several hours. The volatiles produced during heating (cooking) of the sheets stocks are removed from the oven by passing air through the perforated trays in order to obtain high bouncing putty which minimal amount of inferior product.

Abstract: An improved method of making a silver chloride and copper chloride-containing electrode comprises forming a minimum melting point mixture of about 47% by weight of silver chloride and about 53% by weight of cuprous chloride and melting this mixture e.g. at about 255.degree. C., cooling the resulting eutectic, as by casting the same, to form solid pieces, and then grinding the eutectic to a powder of e.g. about 100 mesh. This powdered eutectic is then uniformly mixed with a predetermined desired amount of additional particulate cuprous chloride and the resulting mixture is heated in a mold to above the melting point of the eutectic therein to cause the eutectic to melt and bind the particles of cuprous chloride together. Normally the eutectic is in a concentration of about 10% by weight and the additional particulate cuprous chloride is in a concentration of about 90% by weight of this mixture.

Abstract: A ceramic insulator and a method for the production thereof are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of pressing ceramic batch around a contoured arbor having at least two longitudinally extending fins to form an outer piece having a bore with grooves therein corresponding to the fins, removing the arbor from and contouring the piece to a desired external shape, pressing ceramic batch to form an inner piece, and contouring the inner piece to fit within the bore of the outer piece. The inner piece is then positioned within the bore of the outer piece and both pieces are fired whereby the insulator is produced in which the contoured surface of the inner piece closes the grooves in the bore of the outer piece to form slots extending longitudinally within the ceramic insulator. Also disclosed is a method which involves firing the inner piece, positioning the fired inner piece within the bore of the unfired outer piece, and then firing both pieces together.

Abstract: A method of making an electrode for a lead acid battery which comprises compressing an active material composition into adherent contact with an apertured electrical conductor characterized in that compression is applied to the active material and electrical conductor so as to compress the active material to planar form adherent to the conductor except in the region where it is wished to form an aperture through the active material where compression is not applied or is applied to a lesser extent such that the active material can be readily displaced from the non-compressed region by means which do not displace the active material from the remainder of the compressed electrode.

Abstract: A method for producing coated, molded, fiber-reinforced thermoset plastic articles having an adherent coating in heated matched metal molds.The coating composition includes(A) a blocked polyisocyanate which is the reaction product, essentially free of unreacted -NCO radicals, of e-caprolactam and organic polyisocyanate;(B) a polyepoxide-polyacrylate which is the reaction product, essentially free of unreacted epoxy radicals of a polyepoxide and acrylic or methacrylic acid;(C) ethylenically unsaturated polyester resin;(D) copolymerizable alpha-beta ethylenically unsaturated monomer;(E) an initiator for addition polymerization;(F) a catalyst for the reaction of --NCO radicals and --OH radicals;(G) fillers, such as inert particulate fillers, pigments, mold release agents.The coating composition is applied in the matched metal mold after a fiber-reinforced thermoset plastic articles has been shaped within the mold.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel method for forming a ceramic lining layer on the inward surface of a hollow body such as a pipe. According to the invention, a thermit mixture, for example, composed of aluminum powder and an iron oxide is placed in the hollow space of the hollow body, which is rotated at a high speed so as that the thermit mixture is pressed against the wall of the hollow body by the centrifugal force and the thermit mixture is ignited, for example, by contacting with an acetylene flame.

Abstract: The method for producing articles from thermosetting resins, more particularly articles having a complex, variable shape such as spectacle frames, comprising in bottom casting liquid thermosetting resin into a mold and causing the resin to set in a field of centrifugal force.

Abstract: An apparatus for molding a concrete pipe in which a belt conveyor runs parallel to the axis of a molding flask and is adapted to longitudinally move in the molding flask within the range between both ends of the molding flask. The belt conveyor is subjected to intermittent longitudinal movement at a fixed traveling distance in response to a prescribed degree of compactedness of concrete attained in each position where the belt conveyor stops.

Abstract: Durable bipolar fuel cell collecting plates are molded from resin bonded graphite and furfural wetting agent.

Abstract: A method of densifying an article formed of reaction bonded silicon nitride is disclosed. The reaction bonded silicon nitride article is packed in a packing mixture consisting of silicon nitride powder and a densification aid. The reaction bonded silicon nitride article and packing powder are sujected to a positive, low pressure nitrogen gas treatment while being heated to a treatment temperature and for a treatment time to cause any open porosity originally found in the reaction bonded silicon nitride article to be substantially closed. Thereafter, the reaction bonded silicon nitride article and packing powder are subjected to a positive high pressure nitrogen gas treatment while being heated to a treatment temperature and for a treatment time to cause a sintering of the reaction bonded silicon nitride article whereby the strength of the reaction bonded silicon nitride article is increased.

Abstract: Silicon (Si) is cast into thin shapes within a flat-bottomed graphite crucible by providing a melt of molten Si along with a relatively small amount of a molten salt, preferably NaF. The Si in the resulting melt forms a spherical pool which sinks into and is wetted by the molten salt. Under these conditions the Si will not react with any graphite to form SiC. The melt in the crucible is pressed to the desired thinness with a graphite tool at which point the tool is held until the mass in the crucible has been cooled to temperatures below the Si melting point, at which point the Si shape can be removed.

Abstract: An improved fibrous scouring material is disclosed, that material comprising a fibrous band in the form of a three-dimensional lattice of drawn irregular fibers obtained from a plastic bilaminar film, those fibers being helically crimped and self-bonded together at their mutual contact points, the helically crimped fibers exhibiting sharp corner-edges and being interconnected by helically crimped fibrils. The thickness of the fibers is typically between 100 and 200 microns. The process for manufacturing such scouring material is also disclosed, which process includes steps of extruding a bilaminar film, drawing and fibrillating the film, stacking the fibrillated lattice and thermally treating same to induce crimping and self-bonding.

Abstract: A fused abrasive grain, useful for inclusion in coated abrasives and bonded abrasives, consists essentially of alumina; titanium oxide containing from about 0.42 to about 0.84% titanium, by weight of the abrasive grain, present as a reduced titanium oxide having an average oxidation state lower than in Ti.sub.2 O.sub.3 ; from about 0.05 to about 0.3% by weight carbon; from about 0.02 to about 0.1% by weight Na.sub.2 O; and from 0 to about 0.1% by weight total of calcium and silicon oxides. The grain before roasting has a gain on ignition of from about 0.4 to about 0.7% by weight, and is produced in an electric furnace by fusing high-purity titania, alumina containing Na.sub.2 O as the only significant oxide impurity, and carbon, followed by crushing and roasting the fused grain.