Abstract: Apparatuses for forming blocks of compactable material such as snow, having a hollow upper body with a compression chamber within for containing and subsequently compressing the compactable material to form a block that can be used in connection with recreational activities. A lower body having a flat compression plate attached to a top end, is configured to slide within the compression chamber, the compression plate being capable of pushing the compactable material into a hinged lid that is attached to a top end of the upper body and acts to cover a top opening of the upper body. Ferromagnetic materials attached to the underside of the compression plate are configured to contact other ferromagnetic materials attached to the interior walls of the compression chamber, which at least temporarily arrests sliding movement of the upper and lower bodies, and allows a user to fill the apparatus with compactable material.

Abstract: There is disclosed a multi-material extruder and extrusion method for 3D printing, and more particularly to an apparatus and method that is adapted to extrude a wide range of materials for printing 3D structures. In an aspect, the apparatus comprises a frame adapted to receive a removable syringe or cartridge with a depressible piston in an extended position, the syringe or cartridge containing material to be extruded. An extrusion motor is under the control of an extruder logic module to determine how quickly the piston of the syringe or cartridge is to be depressed to achieve a desired rate of extrusion of the material. A flexible length of tubing connects the tip of the syringe or cartridge to an extruder nozzle, which nozzle is mounted to a stylus which may be hand-held or mounted to a chassis of a 3D printing device. A feedback signal is used to provide a feedback signal to the extruder logic module to determine the rate of extrusion of material.

Abstract: An additive production assembly and method is provided by the present disclosure. The assembly includes a tank containing radiation-curable liquid and has at least one radiation-penetrable sidewall, a projector that projects at least one beam to the sidewall, and a transportation assembly to transport an object. The beam acts through the sidewall and an area of the liquid close to the sidewall is hardened to form the object. The object is transported along a transporting direction (T) in a sideward direction away from the sidewall, as a result of which liquid flows into a gap between the object and the sidewall.

Abstract: A nozzle includes an ejection section and an acceleration section. A powder is configured to be ejected from the ejection section. The acceleration section is configured to allow the powder to circle around and is configured to accelerate the powder in a peripheral direction of the powder that circles around so as to transport the powder to an opening.

Abstract: An applicator repair system for an additive manufacturing (AM) system, and an AM system including the same are disclosed. The applicator repair system includes a repair device including a repair element configured to repair a damaged applicator element on an applicator of an AM system. The damaged applicator element is configured to distribute a layer of raw material on a build platform of the AM system. The repair device is positioned within a processing chamber of the AM system. A damaged applicator controller may be provided that is configured to cause repair of the damaged active applicator in response to the damaged applicator being identified as damaged.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for manufacturing and repairing fibre-reinforced composite materials are disclosed. In various embodiments, the apparatus and methods disclosed herein use a resin retaining/releasing device comprising resin having a viscosity that is temperature dependent for infusion into a region of a part. The resin retaining/releasing device may include a first sheet and an opposite second sheet at least partially enclosing the quantity of resin. The first sheet and the second sheet may be gas-permeable. The second sheet may be substantially resin-impermeable when the viscosity of the resin is above a threshold viscosity and resin-permeable when the viscosity of the resin is below the threshold viscosity.

Abstract: A device includes a source for at least one liquid plastic component, and a metering device. The source is configured to intermittently supply the at least one liquid plastic component for the metering device. A buffer device with a variable buffer volume is between the source and the metering device, and the buffer device is connected to the source via an inlet opening and to the metering device via an outlet opening.

Abstract: A method for processing coir comprising processing dry coir by shredding, hydrating the coir up to a specified moisture content, and pelletizing the coir. An apparatus for pelletizing coir comprising a metal disk having flat, cylindrical openings. A soil additive composition comprising coir, seed, basalt, root stimulant, lime, worm castings, fish meal, molasses, and polymer.

Abstract: A cheese moulding device with an enhanced level of hygiene.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for moulding three-dimensional products from a mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, in particular a meat mass. The method comprises the steps of filling a mould cavity, which is open on one side, with the mass of foodstuff starting materials which are suitable for consumption, which mould cavity is defined by a boundary comprising walls and base, in order to mould a moulded three-dimensional product, and the removal of the moulded three-dimensional product from the mould cavity. In the method according to the invention, during removal the adhesion forces between the moulded product and the boundary are eliminated virtually simultaneously along all the interfaces.

Abstract: A method and an extrusion device for producing a foamed body. A plastics melt is produced inside the casing of a first extruder. The plastics melt is conveyed to an outlet die of a second extruder. The conveyed plastics melt has a foaming agent and expands after being fed through the outlet die. Before the plastics melt is fed through the outlet die, variations in temperature between different radial positions over the cross-section of the plastics melt are reduced by an extruder screw device which has a number of screw spindles distributed around the periphery. The plastics melt which is thus thermally homogeneous is fed through the outlet die.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cutting apparatus including a jig having a seating jig on which a machining target is seated and a fixing jig matched with the seating jig to fix the machining target, a cutter configured to cut the machining target along reference scheduled cutting lines, a first carrier reciprocating to allow the fixing jig to match with the seating jig or to be spaced apart from the seating jig, and a cooler configured to cool the machining target down to a reference temperature.

Abstract: A pump feeder includes a hopper, a first mixing paddle, a second mixing paddle, a first auger, a second auger and dual outlets. The hopper receives edible material in the form of a thick, viscous base and mix-ins, and includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The first and second mixing paddles are located within the upper chamber and cause movement of the edible material within the upper chamber for both breaking apart and mixing of the edible material. The first and second augers are located within the lower chamber and cause movement of the edible material from a first end of the lower chamber to a second end of the lower chamber. The outlets are located at the second end of the lower chamber and connected to an inlet of a pump which further compresses the mixed edible material for delivery to an extruder die and cutting assembly.

Abstract: A stamp system includes a top portion and a bottom portion, each shaped to resemble a slice of bread. The top portion has a lower surface that forms a pattern to be stamped into an edible item. The bottom portion has an upper surface that is configured with a tray that is shaped to carry an edible ink. The stamp system is used to stamp both a physical impression and a pattern in edible ink onto an edible item, such as a sandwich made of sliced bread.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire includes a tread, side walls, beads, a carcass, a belt layer, an inner-liner layer, and a sealant layer. The inner-side surface of the inner-liner layer to which the sealant layer is adhered has profile that satisfies L1<L2<L3, L1?5 mm, L2?9.5 mm, and L3?11 mm, where L1, L2 and L3 represent heights in a radial direction measured from a base height point to the inner-side surface of the inner-liner layer at positions located in an axially inward direction from an axial outer edge of the belt layer by 5%, 10% and 15% of a maximum width of the belt layer, and the base height point is a point on an axial-direction line through the intersection where a radial-direction line passing through the axial outer edge of the belt layer intersects the inner-side surface of the inner-liner layer.

Abstract: A thermoplastic pelletizer providing enhanced pellet yields with reduced fines contamination. The pelletizer includes a cutting rotor and a feed assembly for feeding plastic to the cutting rotor. The pelletizer further includes two chutes—a first chute arranged to collect pellets, and a second chute arranged to collect fines. A vacuum is drawn on both chutes to assist in the collection of both pellets and fines in their respective chutes. Compressed air is directed past the cutting rotor to the first chute to assist in moving pellets from the cutting rotor to the first chute.

Abstract: A system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated, an extruder, at least two screws, and a drive coupled to the screws for axially rotating the screws. The extruder includes an inlet for receiving the material, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The screws are provided within the housing of the extruder. The screws have a plurality of compression and release stages that create mechanical heat which is directly applied to the material to change the mechanical properties of the material thereby facilitating a conversion of a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state as the screws rotate and move the material longitudinally along the screws to produce a final product, for example, a feed tub for use as an animal feed.

Abstract: A system for additively manufacturing a composite structure is disclosed. The system may include a print head configured to discharge a matrix-coated reinforcement, and a support configured to move the print head in multiple dimensions during discharging of the matrix-coated reinforcement. The system may further include at least one cure enhancer located offboard the print head, and a controller in communication with the support and the at least one cure enhancer. The controller may be configured to selectively activate the at least one cure enhancer to expose the matrix-coated reinforcement to a cure energy during discharging of the matrix-coated reinforcement.

Abstract: The purpose of this invention is to take a given food product such as loose hamburger meat and form it into multiple patty shapes with the use of a compacter within a container and a cutter. The patties should be formed without the user having any direct contact with raw meat.

Abstract: A CIPP liner feed roller for manipulating and feeding CIPP liner by pulling CIPP liner from a liner source and feeding it to where it is needed. The CIPP liner feed roller generally includes a main roller attached to a frame, a clamping roller attached to the frame and configured to be in parallel with the main roller, wherein the distance between the clamping roller and the main roller can be adjusted using one or more actuators, a drive unit comprising a motor configured to control the rotation of the main roller within the frame, a controller coupled to the drive unit and the one or more actuators, wherein the controller is configured to control the rotation of the main roller and the distance between the clamping roller and the main roller, and a support beam attached the frame and configured to be in parallel with the main roller.