Abstract: A method of making a thermally-protective coating on a thruster structure, the method consisting in: continuously measuring out and mixing (14) at least one polyurethane and a mixture of polymerization agents in which specific fillers have previously been dispersed; coating a rotating cylindrical support surface (2) by continuously casting a strip (18) of touching turns of the resulting mixture; and pre-polymerizing the resulting coating at ambient pressure so that said polyurethane becomes polymerized sufficiently to be capable of being stressed mechanically.

Abstract: An electrical cable and a method for manufacturing the electrical cable are provided in which a plurality of insulated conductors have an inner protective layer extruded thereabout. A plurality of longitudinally extending ribs or fins or exterior ribbed or finned surfaces are formed outward of the inner protective layer between which exist a plurality of voids. An outer insulation layer and the self-sealing material can be formed sequentially or simultaneously in the same operation as the fins or ribbed surface and the inner layer or in a subsequent operation.

Abstract: A tufted carpet includes a primary backing having a back side and a face side, and a secondary backing. The carpet includes tufts of yarn sewn through the primary backing so as to be exposed on the face side and to form a plurality of back stitches on the back side. The yarn of the tufted carpet is a thermoplastic material having a yarn melting point. The secondary backing is a thermoplastic material in the form of a fluid-impervious film or a fabric having a softening temperature that is no lower than the yarn melting point, or a laminate having an inner and an outer layer, in which the outer layer comprises a thermoplastic material having a softening temperature that is no lower than the yarn melting point.

Abstract: In order to produce a nonwoven fabric having elastomeric properties spun filaments (1), consisting preferably (but not essentially) of cellulose material such as cellulose acetate or solvent spun rayon, not in yarn formats, are corrugated or crimped in an overfeed process, as in stuffer box (6), into stabilized three dimensional batts. A proportion of filaments (3) of a thermal memory material, such as modified polyester, in a stretched format are included. The resulting batt is then subjected to controlled hydroentangling and a controlled heat treatment to yield three dimensional nonwoven fabrics with elastomeric properties due to contraction of the stretched filaments. Elastomeric memory material activated to shrink by ultrasonic treatment may be used in place of thermal memory material. The elastomeric properties can be adjusted to suit end-use requirements and applications are envisaged in the medical and hygiene areas.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for laminating a suspended particle device (SPD) film which comprises forming a suspended particle device film; positioning the suspended particle device film within an unlaminated stack of components for forming a laminated suspended particle device film, wherein the stack comprises at least one hot melt adhesive sheet or film contacting an outer surface of the suspended particle device film; subjecting the unlaminated stack to at least a partial vacuum, preheating the unlaminated stack of components under the vacuum for a time and at a temperature selected to permit at least partial degassing of the stack and applying a sufficient net pressure to the stack at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to produce a laminated suspended particle device film from the unlaminated stack.

Abstract: A fiber placement machine has a creel that supplies a fiber band to a presser member that applies the fiber band to a tool or form. The presser member is part of a head that is attached to the creel of the machine by a wrist that provides movement about yaw, pitch and roll axes with respect to the creel. The fiber band is supplied by a fiber band delivery system that is associated with the wrist and that is characterized by a capability to twist the fiber band in two stages about the yaw axis or the roll axis.

Abstract: A composite pressure vessel includes an endcap with first and second layers. The first layer is a thermoplastic layer and the second layer is a thermoplastic and glass fiber composite layer. A method for making the vessel includes placing commingled thermoplastic and glass fibers in a heated mold to melt the thermoplastic. The molten thermoplastic and the glass fibers are molded into the endcap shape. An outer surface of the pressure vessel is finished in accordance with another aspect of the invention. A pressurizable bladder with an inwardly facing surface is deflated. The outer surface of the vessel is heated to soften the thermoplastic. The pressure vessel is positioned in the bladder so that the inwardly facing surface of the bladder is adjacent to an outer surface of the pressure vessel. The bladder is pressurized to move the bladder inwardly into contact with the adjacent surfaces to each other.

Abstract: The invention is generally directed to an intraluminal catheter with an improved transition between a proximal shaft portion and a more flexible distal shaft portion and a method for making the same. The improvement provides enhanced flexibility, reduced bunching, and kink-resistance, thus, facilitating advancement through tortuous anatomy. The present catheters may be used for either or both angioplasty and stent deployment.

Abstract: Devices and methods for inflating and sealing packaging pillows from a material web are shown for consistently producing high-quality packaging pillows. A web of material is advanced past an inflation nozzle, inflated with gas, and sealed closed by a sealing element. The temperature of the sealing element is monitored using a thermocouple connection and automatically adjusted using a closed-loop system. A sealing clamp parallel to the sealing element maintains two sheets of the web in contact through the sealing step. The inflation nozzle is provided with two inflation outlets: a first outlet inserting gas longitudinally into the web of material, and a second outlet inserting gas laterally into the material. Gas input is controlled with the use of relief valves to maintain pillow quality at all stages of production.

Abstract: A method for producing an article of the present invention includes: a supply step of supplying a first web; a first bonding step of bonding the first web and an elastic together; a placement step of placing a second web so as to sandwich the elastic between the first web and the second web; and a second bonding step of bonding the first web, the elastic and the second web together at a plurality of locations.

Abstract: A charge roller that includes a metal core, an elastic member configured wrapped around the metal core, and film members is disclosed. Each of the film members is wrapped around each end of the elastic member in a circumferential direction of the metal core such that at least a part of each of the film members exists at every position around the ends of the elastic member in an axial direction of the metal core. Portions of the film members do not overlap each other in an radial direction of the metal core.

Abstract: A process for preparing a fiber reinforced polymeric foam composite includes introducing a foamable mixture into a low binder expandable fiber mat and then expanding the foamable mixture into a polymeric foam between top and bottom facing sheets such that the fibers of the low binder fiber mat become dispersed within the polymeric foam, wherein the low binder fiber mat is part of a composite web that further comprises a support web. Such a composite web is particularly useful for preparing reinforced polymeric foam composites that contain a fiber reinforced polymeric foam having a thickness of greater than two inches (5.08 centimeters) and fibers substantially distributed therein.

Abstract: A multilayer composite has a generally adhesion resistant, protective layer and an adjacent second polymeric film. The composition of the protective layer includes a fluoropolymer and the second polymeric film is a polymer free of fluoropolymer. The size of the protective layer facing the second polymeric layer is rendered bondable to the non-fluoropolymer of the second polymeric layer prior to assembling the layers in the composite. The composite is well adapted to being produced in a vertical coating tower. The tower utilizes a carrier web onto which the fluoropolymer layer and second polymeric layer are deposited from respective casting films. Mirror image composites can be formed simultaneously on opposite sides of the carrier web.

Abstract: A method of making mutually-reinforced elastic strand/film composites and laminates in which film breakage, strand breakage, and strand alignment problems are minimized or avoided. The method includes casting an elastomeric adhesive film onto a chill roll, extruding elastic strands onto the film while the film is on a chill roll, and stretching the film and strand composite. The stretched composite may be laminated between two facing sheets. Additionally, tension in the composite may be controlled through film composition, strand composition, add-on rate, stretching the composite, and combinations of any of these approaches.

Abstract: A fabricated microstructure includes a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are capable of providing substantially parallel adhesive force at a surface of between about 60 and 2000 nano-Newtons. A flexible shaft supports the protrusions, and a flexible member or beam is attached to the shaft to form a manipulator or gripper device.

Abstract: An electrospinning apparatus including a spinning dope main tank, a metering pump, a nozzle block, a collector positioned at the lower end of the nozzle block for collecting spun fibers, a voltage generator, a plurality of units for transmitting a voltage generated by the voltage generator to the nozzle block and the collector, said electrospinning apparatus containing: a spinning dope drop device positioned between the metering pump and the nozzle block, the spinning dope drop device having (i) a sealed cylindrical shape, (ii) a spinning dope inducing tube and a gas inlet tube for receiving gas through its lower end and having its gas inlet part connected to a filter aligned, side-by-side, at the upper portion of the spinning dope drop device, (iii) a spinning dope discharge tube extending from the lower portion of the spinning dope drop device, and (iv) a hollow unit for receiving the spinning dope from the spinning dope inducing tube provided at the middle portion of the spinning dope-drop device.

Abstract: An anisotropic electrically conducting interconnect is disclosed in which an adhesive comprising particles having a breakable coating of at feast one electrically nonconductive material is compressed between a first contact and a second contact. Compression to two contacts breaks the breakable coating exposing an electrically conducting material which makes contact with the first and second contacts. The electrically conducting material may be a metal conductor or a two-part reactive conductive resin/catalyst system. Also disclosed are processes for making such electrical interconnects and adhesives for use in making electrical interconnect.

Abstract: A method of producing an intermittently elastic web. The method includes providing a first longitudinally extending web having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and an intermediate portion located between the first and second lateral edges. The method also includes joining a first elastic element to the intermediate portion in a longitudinally extending wave shape, the wave shape having wave crests and wave troughs.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a laminated net, and more specifically to a laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric and knitted net to be utilized as rounded bale wrap, wherein the wrap maintains the integrity of the bale during, pick-up, transport, and storage. The net of the present invention is laminate to nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric provides additional coverage to the rounded bale so as to maintain the compact shape of the bale during pick-up, transport, and storage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing continuous belts is disclosed. The belts are formed from plastic films and are used as transfer belts in electrographic printers and copiers. The ends of the film are welded together by abutting their front faces and the ends are held together under pressure while being heated by radiation to a temperature to cause welding of the ends.