Abstract: A two step process for ultrasonically welding together first and second thermoplastic pieces and welding a membrane between these two pieces. The first piece comprises an annular bead, the second piece comprises an annular energy director. The method comprises first ultrasonically cutting and sealing the membrane to the first piece using an anvil comprising an annular projection and at the same time creating a groove in the first piece. The annular bead is ultrasonically melted and thus welds the membrane to the first piece. The first and second pieces are then brought together so that the groove and energy director are aligned. Under ultrasonic action, the energy director melts within the groove creating a strong weldment without any voids or material flashing.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hand-held labeler having a housing with a handle, a thermal print head for printing on labels of a composite label web, a platen roll cooperable with the print head, a delaminator for delaminating printed labels, an applicator for applying printed labels, and a brake for arresting the platen roll to prevent loss of print registration during application of a label. The operative components of the labeler are readily accessible for servicing, and yet the labeler is simple in construction. The labeler has an improved print head mounting structure for facilitating precise alignment and pressure contact between the print head and the platen roll.

Abstract: An improved joint and method for providing the improved joint structure in joined or fused thermoplastic strap positioned about a package or article is disclosed. The improved joint includes means for increasing the peel separation resistance of overlapping portions of the joint above the peel separation resistance provided by a weldment between the overlapping portions providing for a joint strength that approaches the tensile strength of the strap material or weldment.

Abstract: A laminated wood panel manufacturing device is provided for use with daylight presses. A pressure strip is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the press. Parallel upper and lower lids are attached to the pressure strip and extend in a transverse direction toward the press. The lids are vertically adjustable by means of adjusting screws. The pressure strip assembly is moved in a transverse direction of the press so that, during pressing, the upper and lower lids abut upper and lower board layers of a laminated stack to press the board layers together in a transverse direction of the press.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for securing a bed of charcoal under pressure in a plastic material housing in the manufacture of charcoal filter canisters for gas masks. The bed of particulate charcoal is placed in the housing and covered with a retainer. A compactor is placed on the retainer and loaded to produce the desired compaction of the charcoal. An ultrasonic welder is then used to secure the retainer in place for one embodiment, a spring-loaded compactor is placed on top of the retainer and an ultrasonic nodal horn is placed over the compactor. The horn presses the compactor against the retainer with the necessary compressing force to compress the charcoal bed, while at the same time producing an ultrasonic weld around the periphery of the housing, welding the retainer in place. The compactor seats on a nodal point of the horn, so that ultrasonic vibrations are not transmitted from the horn through the compactor to the charcoal bed.

Abstract: A novel method is provided for reticulating adhesive-backed, perforated substrates. The method entails tacking a continuous sheet of viscous reticulating adhesive to one side of the substrate and then contacting the other side with heated air. The temperature of the air is regulated such that the adhesive softens and bubbles over the perforations but final cure is not initiated. The air is directed at a velocity such that the bubbles burst and the adhesive is redeposited onto the adhesive-side of the substrate.

Abstract: A heat sealing apparatus includes a pair of sealing jaws and means for closing the jaws, the first of said jaws having an electrical impulse sealing element mounted thereon, covered with a release sheet, and the second of said jaws having a resilient pad mounted thereon, covered with a release sheet, wherein a heat dispersing foil is between the resilient pad and the release sheet which covers the pad.

Abstract: A device with a first tape supply roll including a first length of tape helically wound about a first core with its adhesive coating on the side of its backing adjacent the core, a second tape supply roll comprising a second length of tape helically wound about a second core with its adhesive coating on the side of its backing opposite the core, and first and second hubs mounted on a frame for rotation about spaced parallel axes.

Abstract: U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,084 disclosed and claimed a method for making multiple-hook fasteners and the resulting multiple-hooks. A strand of stiffly flexible bendable settable polymeric plastic material is zig-zagged back and forth cross a centerline, with sharply doubled-back bends at each zig and zag. The present method enables the doubled-back bends in such a plastic monofilament to be shaped sharply by initially causing the strand to be nicked or scooped at predetermined intervals to predetermined depth and length by at least one laser beam. The pre-nicked strand is used by feeding it endwise at a predetermined feed rate into a zigzag station wherein it is confined and guided by side walls diverging in the downstream direction and appropriately configured to shape the pre-nicked strand into the desired zigzag configuration. In the zigzag station, its leading, i.e. downstream, portions are slowed down relative to the predetermined feed rate of its incoming, i.e.

Abstract: Labeling machine of the stack fed type in which the labels are precut and arranged vertically in a horizontal stack. Pressure is applied to the rear of the stack to move the stack forwardly as the labels are dispensed to a label transfer mechanism such as a vacuum drum. Air is blown into the stack from the bottom at the forward end of the stack to separate the foremost label, which is picked up from the stack by a rotating vacuum wheel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for integrally bonding two latex surfaces is disclosed, together with a latex bag having integral loops and/or holding straps which is made by the process. Briefly, a first curing latex surface such as a strip of curing latex, is held against a second curing latex surface such as the curing surface of the bag, so that the two surfaces form an integral bond. Preferably, a few drops of latex are added to the interfacing area prior to bringing the two surfaces into contact.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving components having overlapping surfaces and welding the components together with the use of ultrasound. An ultrasound emitter receives a high frequency current and converts it into mechanical ultrasonic vibrations having the same frequency. A transmitter transmits the ultrasonic vibrations to a sonotrode which focuses the ultrasonic vibrations on the components to be welded together. The sonotrode is provided with a circumferential collar and means are provided for lowering the collar during the welding process so that a part of the collar tangentially contacts the overlapping surface of one of the components. The part of the collar which tangentially contacts the overlapping surface introduces ultrasonic energy into the components. The ultrasonic emitter, transmitter and sonotrode are rotatably mounted via a vibration node of the transmitter.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photographic film package comprising a light-tight film casing having an exposure opening, a rolled film disposed on one side of the exposure opening in the light-tight casing, a removable light-tight container having a film winding spool therein disposed on the other side of the exposure opening in the light-tight film casing, and an externally operable film winding member for winding the rolled film around said film winding spool of the light-tight film container. The lens-fitted photographic film package is assembled by the steps of winding film withdrawn from a light-tight film container in a roll in a darkroom; loading the rolled film and the light-tight film container in separate respective receiving chambers formed in a main body section of the lens-fitted photographic film package; and fixing a back cover section to the main body section so as to assemble light-tightly the lens-fitted photographic film package.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium disk with substantially improved tolerances comprising:a hub including a center portion and recessed flange portion, the center portion having a planar drive surface; a magnetic medium, including a side zero and a side one; and an adhesive bonding the side one of the medium to the flange of the hub, wherein the side zero of the medium is fixed a precise, desired distance .alpha. from the plane of the drive surface and the total indicated runout of the hub used divided by the total indicated runout of the distance .alpha. is greater than one. A method and apparatus for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium disk with substantially improved tolerances by applying ultrasonic vibrations to the medium and a hot melt adhesive until the precise desired distance .alpha. is achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for welding vinyl window and door frames. The apparatus includes a counting circuit or the like for measuring the time taken for burning off a selected length of a thermoplastic frame member. This time can be used to calculate a sufficient or optimal period for performing a heating or plastification step. Once the ends of the frame members are properly heated (plastified), they are fused by urging them towards each other. The fused members are then cooled for a period of time which also corresponds to the time required for burn-off. The apparatus further includes a heating plate which is pivotable between an operating position and a retracted position. The heating plate is also movable so that different surface portions can be used during burn-off and heating phases.

Abstract: First and second members (e.g. pipes, fittings) of cross-linked polyolefinic material such as polyethylene having a melt flow index (MFI) of zero are joined using a third member of polyolefinic material such as polyethylene having a higher MFI e.g. 0.3. The first member 10 and the third member gripped by clamps 18, 20 of a butt fusion machine are pressed against opposite faces of a heater plate which is then withdrawn and the members are pressed together by the clamps. Only the third member is upset to form beads 24, 26. Part of the third member is removed leaving a stub part 16. The second member is joined to the stub's face 36 using the heater plate. The part 16 is upset leaving a thin wafer 48. The two interfaces 30, 50 limit the growth of cracks in the wafer to prevent their propagation through the pipe thickness under hoop stress. The beads are preferably removed at each stage.

Abstract: A wafer mounting device for automatically adhering wafers individually on a polishing plate surface for polishing the surface of the wafers. The wafers are stacked in a wafer cassette and are taken out from the wafer cassette one-by-one, and transferred to an adhesive coating section of the device by a wafer carrying means. The surface of each of the wafers is coated with an adhesive wax in a coating section. Afterward the adhesive coated wafers are carried out from the coating section by the carrying means. The wafers are taken out from the carrying means and the surfaces thereof are reversed by a reverse chuck means. The polishing plate is disposed in a position automatically where the reversed wafers arrive, and the wafers are automatically adhered onto the surface of the polishing plate.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed and method for using same wherein a life vest is formed by a single heat sealing operation which effectively forms a front and rear sealed chamber for flotation and effectively interconnects a neck member therebetween for providing a neck gusset also heat sealed in place simultaneously therewith. The apparatus includes a heat sealing body jig for simultaneously sealing of four layers of pneumatically impervious material with respect to one another to form two flotation chambers. Also a neck sealing jig is included as a two member configuration pivotally secured with respect to one another to allow a neck member to be stretched thereover to facilitate attachment thereof by sealing with respect to both flotation chambers. The neck jig includes attachment means for quickly securing the neck material in place.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat sealing thermoplastic articles includes a heater movable reciprocably in a longitudinal direction, and two opposed transversely reciprocable and pivotable carriers, each supporting a thermoplastic workpiece to be bonded. Two opposed heating surfaces of the platen heater are inclined and diverge in the longitudinal direction, to give the heater a "V" configuration. The carriers may be pivoted to a corresponding "V" configuration to position each workpiece against an associated heating surface of the platen. Following heating of the workpieces, pneumatic or other force applying cylinders urge the carriers toward one another as the heater is withdrawn from between them. Cam surfaces on the heater cooperate with cam following rollers on the carriers to control the position of the carriers during withdrawal of the heater, and permit rapid and accurate engagement of the thermoplastic articles after withdrawal.

Abstract: An apparatus for pressing laminated composites formed of two glass layers and one interposed thin plastic layer presses the glass/plastic composite while the glass/plastic composite is in a vertical position. A horizontal conveyor delivers the composite to the apparatus, and a tipping device places the composite in a vertical position. A suction cup unit, which is rotatably mounted on a supporting shaft, receives the composite from the tipping device. A movable carriage moves the supporting shaft, suction cup unit, and composite to a pair of pressing rolls. The pressing rolls receive the composite therebetween and press the composite layers together. Another rotatably mounted suction cup unit removes the composite from the pressing rolls and delivers the composite to another conveyer. The arrangement allows highly curved glass/plastic composites to be pressed with no risk of breaking the glass and without requiring manual intervention.