Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for manufacturing a laminated product. The method includes the steps of punching out components from a plate with a punch and a die and accommodating the punched components in a component accommodating cylindrical member, emitting a laser beam with a laser beam emitting device to a portion between adjacent components. The components are laminated, one on the other, in the component accommodating cylindrical member. The laser beam passes through a beam passage hole formed in the peripheral surface of the component accommodating cylindrical member. The beam passage hole is located through a predetermined rotational angle range of the component accommodating cylindrical member so as to weld the components to manufacture the laminated product. Also, the die and the component accommodating cylindrical member are rotated by a predetermined angle during the welding operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for installing face seamed stretched carpet, wherein the carpet seam is adhesively bonded to the floor or other substrate after stretching to eliminate peaking and profiling. A flexible, tear resistant release liner is used to isolate the adhesive used for bonding the seam to the floor, to prevent bonding prior to stretching of the seamed carpet. Once seaming is complete, the carpet can be stretched and anchored, and the release liner can be easily pulled out from underneath the stretched carpet to expose the adhesive, and the seam can be bonded to the floor simply by applying pressure to the top surface of the seam area along the entire length of the seam.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a method for splicing together a pair of drip irrigation hoses using splicing means internal to the pair of hoses. The pair of hoses are joined in axial alignment to form a junction with the splicing means interposed internal to each hose. A splicing means is bonded to an inside surface of each hose to fashion the pair of hoses and splicing means into a unitary structure using means for fixing the splicing means to another surface. A seal is formed using means for sealing circumferentially at the junction to create a water-tight seal.

Abstract: An automatic vessel supplying and labeling apparatus takes out a desired vessel from racks, supplies it to a predetermined position, supplies a desired label, corresponding to the vessel, to the position, and applies the label to the vessel in the predetermined position. A judging unit checks the label information on the vessel, and judges whether the label is correctly applied to the vessel, and the vessel is sorted into one of two places, one place for collecting vessels with correctly applied labels and the other for collecting vessels with not correctly applied labels in accordance with the result of judgment. The label is applied to the vessel after a sensor detects the label supplied to the predetermined position.

Abstract: A seamed flexible belt and process for fabricating the belt is disclosed.

Abstract: A Z-axis adhesive is produced by dispersing electrically-conductive particles in an organic binder and then imagewise exposing the material to electromagnetic radiation, preferably from a laser or a flash lamp, under conditions sufficient to transfer the particles from the binder to a receptor in a patterned fashion such that the resulting adhesive is a Z-axis conductor in the patterned areas. The patterned adhesive can then be used to establish electrical interconnection between facing electrodes of a number of different structures including semiconductor chips and a flexible printed circuit board.

Abstract: A smooth press comprises a smooth cylinder acting conjointly with a lower ribbed cylinder in order to apply a covering paper against a corrugating paper passing around the ribbed cylinder and includes a tractor arrangement downstream from the lower ribbed cylinder situated with respect to the smooth cylinder so as to form a contact angle of the covering paper against the ribbed cylinder. The tractor arrangement applies a tension force to the cardboard which creates a reactive radial pressure urging the cover paper against the corrugated paper at the contact surface of the ribbed cylinder.

Abstract: The invention is a sidewall for a cargo vessel having a seamless, snag-free interior liner. The wall includes an exterior skin that is rivetted to a first side of a supporting sidepost, and a seamless, snag-free interior liner that is mounted to the second side of the sidepost. The method for making the sidewall includes rivetting the exterior skin to the first side of the supports, and then gluing the seamless interior liner material to the second side of the supports with or without tension, and so that the interior liner is not at all pierced by fasteners, or only pierced in areas that are not likely to contact cargo. In a preferred embodiment, the interior liner is mounted to the second side of the supports under tension to maximize the interior liners' ability to absorb and deflect cargo impact and remain snag-free, sag-free and puncture resistant.

Abstract: A machine for cutting and moistening plastic tubes, and presenting: a reel about which the tube is wound; a feed device for feeding the tube in a given direction; a cutting device for cutting the tube to define a portion; and a dispensing device for dispensing adhesive on to an end of the portion. The machine also presents a gripping device for gripping the portion during cutting, and for conveying the portion to the dispensing device; and a detecting device which, following dispensing of the adhesive, detects the presence of the operator's hand gripping the portion, and de-activates the gripping device to release the portion into the operator's hand.

Abstract: An improved method for fabricating trailer length platform flooring from wooden blanks comprises selecting kiln dried lumber having a predetermined width and thickness and exhibiting preestablished strength and durability characteristics. The lumber is inspected for the presence of unacceptable defects and the defects are cut out to form defect-free blanks of varying lengths. The blanks are aligned successively in spaced end to end relationship with the trailing end of one blank facing the leading end of the next successive blank. The facing ends are then machined with interlockable vertically extending fingers, adhesive is applied to at least one of the ends, and the fingers are pressed together with a predetermined pressure to bond the ends of the blanks together. These steps are repeated resulting in a continuously growing composite plank comprised of end-to-end joined blanks.

Abstract: The invention includes a device for separating a toner hopper from a mounting member so that the cartridge can be reliably resealed and refilled with toner for repeated use. A container holds the cartridge while leaving the outer edge of each of the spacers exposed. In one embodiment, the container is provided with wheels that travel in a track. The container moves linearly along the track past a blade that cuts through the outer edge of the spacers. In a second embodiment, the container is positioned on a rail aligned to pass between two spaced-apart blades. The rail is mounted on a linear bearing so that the rail moves linearly past the blades to cut through both of the outer edges of the spacers in a single pass. This allows the hopper to be separated from the mounting member. Finally, a vacuum system is provided for removing waste debris.

Abstract: Linerless labels are produced by feeding a tape having a release coated face and an adhesive face to a hardened anvil vacuum cylinder, utilizing a non-stick circumferential surface feed roll. A knife blade on a cutting cylinder is rotated into contact with the tape at the anvil cylinder to cut the tape into linerless labels, and release liquid is applied to the blade after each cut. From the anvil cylinder the labels are deposited on a plurality of spaced conveyor tapes of circular cross section with the adhesive faces contacting the conveyor tapes. A vacuum chamber assists in holding the labels on the conveyor tapes. The release coat faces of the labels conveyed by the conveyor tapes may be heated and then printed with hot melt ink from an ink jet printer.

Abstract: An automatic label applicator includes means for scanning a group of touching objects to determine their unique coordinates, and means responsive to the coordinates for automatically applying labels to the objects. A robotic arm is controllably movable in horizontal and vertical directions to align the applicator with individual objects disposed in a stack of objects.

Abstract: Plastic tube sections are connected together by providing a pair of tubes each of which is inserted into the holder of a welding device in a bent condition so that each tube has a primary tube section and a secondary tube section with the primary tube sections being aligned with each other and the secondary tube sections aligned with each other. The tubes are heated by a wafer to create four separate tube sections which are then joined together in a dual weld wherein one of the welds joins the primary tube sections together and the other of the welds joins the secondary tube sections together. The welded primary tube sections are then separated from the secondary tube sections. Communication between each pair of tube sections is achieved by pressing the tube section open at the weld.

Abstract: A smooth, seamless arcuate-shaped inside corner is formed between a counter top and a splash board, both made from a filled polymer material. The counter top has a top surface, while the splash board has an end edge orthogonal to a front surface. The two articles are joined to form a butt joint therebetween, and a bead of a filled epoxy material is formed along the inside corner of the butt joint. A smoothing tool, which has a smoothing surface of the desired curvature, is used to smooth the bead. When cured, the bead matches the color and texture of the two articles and provides a smooth, seamless, arcuate-shaped inside corner. The filled epoxy comprises an epoxy resin and a hardener in a ratio of about 2:1 resin:hardener, together with a filler and/or a colorant. The filler comprises a mixture of alumina trihydrate and particulates in a ratio within the range of about 75:25 to 25:75 alumina trihydrate:particulates.

Abstract: A fitting formed as a welding sleeve has, preferably, two heating elements and is provided in the region of the plug contacts with a plate which can be inserted into a recess. On the plate is arranged a resistor and the connections for measuring the ohmic resistance by means of a welding apparatus. By measuring the resistance, the type of the fitting can be identified and the current to be fed to the welding apparatus determined.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method for bonding together molecularly homogeneous objects including optical and semiconductor members. In particular, such method involves forming micro-thin grooves using high precision laser ablation in one of two surfaces to be bonded together. An adhesive is then flowed into such a groove to form chemical bonding of the members. Such bonding essentially eliminates the formation of an adhesive layer in the interface between the bonding surfaces allowing optical contacting in addition to the chemical bonding.

Abstract: A strip of resilient material is clamped uniformly across the width of the material at a first position by vertically spaced clamps which are separated to stretch a section of the material beyond the elastic limit. The stretched section of material is released and transported on a horizontal conveyor to a second position where the stretched section is cut by a cutter providing edges of reduced thickness which are suitable for overlapping other stretched edges of reduced thickness for splicing.

Abstract: A mount apparatus according to this invention has a mount head for pressing a semiconductor chip on a mount substrate through an adhesive layer. A position sensor for discretely detecting the position of the mount head in a pressing process every predetermined time interval is arranged in the mount head. A non-defect/defect determination unit is also arranged, and the non-defect/defect determination unit performs non-defect/defect determination of the adhesive layer on the basis of the position detected by the position sensor.

Abstract: An improved laid-on labeler is designed for substantially increased operating speeds when compared to prior art systems. The labeler includes an articulating labeling arm with a label peel blade. The labeling arm is attached to a support structure at a pivot point immediately above and below which are a respective pair of deflecting idler rollers through which a continuous label web is fed. With the label web being supported at the pivot point of the labeling arm, torque on the labeling arm from starting and stopping the label web is minimized. The label web passes between a drive roller and respective nip rolls on both a pay-out and a take-up side which relieves differential tension on the label web as it passes over the peel blade, thus minimizing or eliminating tearing and breaking of the web as drive speeds increase. Control is via a PLC, which also controls a variety of optional features.