Abstract: A method for manufacturing preforms for polymer optical fibers having an index of refraction that is variable over the radius, in which a core of preform material is coated with coating material for forming the preform until a predefinable diameter is reached, the refractive index of the coating material being varied in conformance with a predefinable profile along the radius of the emerging preform.

Abstract: Two flat fiber bundles of non-twisted filaments are arranged in an overlapped relationship or in a parallel and adjoining relationship, and held by a gripper at two points spaced apart from each other in the filament-extending direction. Compressed air is injected from a nozzle to the overlapped portion of the fiber bundles between the holding points at a plurality of positions arranged in the direction transverse to the filament-extending direction to cause the adjacent filaments to be entangled. The nozzle is moved across the fiber bundles while injecting air. Filaments are thus opened and rotated by the injected air, and thus entangled. A fiber bundle joining apparatus includes support sections and a receiving section provided in a base, a gripper cooperating with the support sections to grip overlapped ends of fiber bundles therebetween, a nozzle, and a regulating member to temporarily hold the fiber bundles and to allow the lower fiber bundle to be slackened.

Abstract: Method and device for connecting the end of a flattened tube of plastic foil to the beginning of a subsequent tube, said tubes being used in particular for applying sleeves onto bottles or like objects. The leading end of the beginning of a flattened tube is provided with an obliquely cut away corner at both longitudinal edges. The thus established two loose lips are separated from each other and the end of the spent tube is slid between the lips and fixed in relation to said lips. The materials of said tubes are melted together by a short-time, pressurized supply of heat.

Abstract: In a method for the production of brushes consisting of a bristle support and bristles mounted thereon and combined to at least one group having a defined cross-section with at least two different types of bristles, the bristles of a bristle type are combined into a partial group and the partial groups forming a bristle group are combined into said bristle group and subsequently, the bristle group is mounted to the bristle support. The bristles of each partial group are formed in a surrounding guide of a shaping device into a cross-section corresponding to their partial cross-sections in the bristle group, and the partial groups are then combined while maintaining their partial cross-section in the guides to form the cross-section of the bristle group. A device for carrying out this method and brushes produced in this fashion are also described.

Abstract: A reinforced structural member having a tubular member and a support structure. The tubular member has a sidewall that defines a hollow interior portion. The support structure is formed from a composite material and bonded to the sidewall in at least two predetermined locations. The support structure is positioned within the tubular member and configured to transmit force between the predetermined locations so as to prevent the tubular member from being crushed in response to the application of a force of a predetermined magnitude to the tubular member. A method for forming a reinforced structural member is also provided.

Abstract: A composition used in making wallboard is provided. The composition requires at least fly ash, water and a first binder. The composition is located between two members that together form the wallboard. In one embodiment, at least the first binder is part of a foamable solution and part of a binder solution. In this embodiment, the fly ash, foamable solution and binder solution are combined in a mixer. The output of the mixer can be regulated based on detection of a magnitude related to viscosity of the composition. During the process for making the wallboard, the composition is sandwiched between the two members and subject to both preheating and subsequent heating stages. During the preheating, a sufficient number of bubbles associated with the binder are maintained in order to achieve a predetermined density based on the closed cells that are formed after the water evaporates.

Abstract: A method for end-to end joining of paper rolls into a continuous core master is provided. The primary goal of the method is to produce usable paper roll cores from those returned for recycling after use. According to the aforementioned method, the ends of core sections are reworked into complementary shapes required for mating a joint, glue is applied to the complementary mating surfaces of the joint, the ends of the core sections are pushed in an axial direction abutting each other and the glue is set. The cross section of the cores is trued circular at least over the area of the joined core sections by applying a radial, compressive trueing force on the joint. The trueing force is also used for braking axial travel of the core sections during the joining of the core sections. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of providing void spaces in gypsum wallboard and in a gypsum core composition such that the weight of the gypsum product is reduced without deleteriously affecting its mechanical properties. More specifically, the invention provides a method of providing void spaces in a gypsum wallboard comprising the step of adding air bubbles having different relative stabilities to a gypsum slurry, wherein the less stable air bubbles are sufficiently unstable such that they coalesce on contact with each other in the slurry to form larger air bubbles, and the weight ratio of the less stable air bubbles to the more stable air bubbles initially added to the slurry is such that there are a sufficient number of more stable air bubbles to prevent a majority of the less stable air bubbles from becoming large enough to rupture before the slurry sets sufficiently to prevent the slurry from filling void spaces left by ruptured bubbles.

Abstract: The roll forming machine comprise a series of rollers 14, 20, 28 and 36 for shaping a fabric 13 such as a fabric impregnated with a curable matrix. A feed roller 36 is provided for feeding a length of material 37 such as a tow of fibres onto the fabric during or subsequent to the shaping process. The roll forming process is particularly useful in the manufacture of blade stiffeners for an aircraft wing.

Abstract: Gypsum plaster compositions with improved adhesion to plastic surfaces and metal surfaces comprise from 10 to 90% by weight of gypsum plaster, based on the total weight of the composition, and also, where appropriate, other additives, and a combination of: a) one or more water-redispersible polymer powders based on one or more vinyl ester, (meth)acrylate, vinylaromatic, olefin, 1,3-diene, or vinyl halides monomers, and optionally other monomers copolymerizable therewith; and b) one or more alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal salts of short-chain fatty acids having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon skeleton and from 1 to 4 carboxy groups, and which contain no OH groups.

Abstract: A method of laminating a structure comprises at least two layers and a photopolymerizable adhesive composition between the layers, at least one of the layers being opaque, colored, or reflective. One or both of the layers is transmissive to actinic radiation in wavelengths in the range of greater than 400 nm and up to 1200 nm. The photopolymerizable adhesive composition absorbs radiation in the identified spectral region of the radiation transmissive layer. Curing is effected by directing radiation in the identified spectral region through the radiation transmissive layer and produces a laminated structure. An underfilled flip chip assembly on an integrated circuit board substrate can be prepared by the method described above.

Abstract: A belt (1), and a method of forming a belt (1), with at least one row of teeth (5) formed on at least one surface of the betling (1). To improve the tooth formation of the belting (1), and the abrasion of the belting (1), the outer surface of the teeth (4) are formed with the disclosed bi-directional stretch woven fabric (7). The warp (10) and weft (11) yarns are formed of a core yarn (12) about which is helically wrapped at least one yarn (13 or 14), forming a scaffold construction. The bi-directional stretch characteristics of the fabric (7) permit greater deformation of the fabric (7) while forming the belt teeth (5).

Abstract: A method for making wallboard or backerboard sheets which are relatively lightweight, strong, and which have good fire resistance, thermal insulation, and sound absorbing properties includes forming core material having opposing first and second major surfaces and comprising aerated concrete, securing at least one face layer on at least one of the first and second major surfaces of the core material, and cutting the core material and at least one face layer secured thereto into a plurality of wallboard or backerboard sheets. The provision of aerated concrete for the core provides many key advantages over conventional gypsum wallboard sheets, and/or conventional backerboard sheets, such as gypsum greenboard or cementitious backerboard, for example. In one class of embodiments, the method may further include curing the core material prior to securing the at least one face layer thereto. In another class, the method may further include curing the core material after securing the at least one face layer thereto.

Abstract: Cellular cushioning material and a method for its production is described. In one scenario, the method includes providing a pre-welded sheet to a user comprised of at least two layers of plastic pre-welded to have a plurality of diagonally oriented, inflatable sleeves extending substantially the entire width of said sheet, and a longitudinally extending air entry passage. Each of the inflatable sleeves has an opening for allowing entry of air from said air entry passage into said sleeve. The user inflates the cellular cushioning material on an as-needed, real-time basis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a front plate for plasma display panels with the transparent substrate, electroconductive member and optical film fast adhered to each other, easily produced by a simple process, and excellent in productivity. The present invention further provides a method of producing the same. The present invention provides a front plate for plasma display panels comprising a transparent substrate laminated, at least on one side, with an electroconductive member and at least one type of optical film to form a monolithic structure, wherein (a) two types of adhesive layers of tackifier layer and heat-bond film are orderly placed between the optical film as the outermost layer and the adjacent member, and (b) the transparent substrate, electroconductive member and at least one type of optical film are pressed under heating.

Abstract: A slider and suspension of a hard disk drive are joined with a low modulus epoxy adhesive. The slider and suspension are set in a bonding jig while they are moving from process to process or subjected to a thermosetting treatment in a controlled temperature chamber. The slider and suspension must be kept bound together with the bonding jig until the adhesive is cured through a thermal treatment. The low modulus epoxy adhesive is cured with heat from a laser beam. In addition, a resistance value of the head disposed at the slider is measured so as to monitor the temperature of the head, thereby deciding both output and irradiation time of the laser beam for obtaining a desired strength of the bond within a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A method for making a shoe includes the steps of preparing an outsole, an upper having an insole, a cover strip, and a mold, placing the outsole, the upper, and the cover strip in the mold cavity such that the outsole and the insole are interconnected by the cover strip to confine an inner space thereamong, closing the mold, filling a foamable material into the inner space, and permitting the foamable material to expand to form a foamed midsole that is enclosed by and that is bonded to the outsole, the insole, and the cover strip.

Abstract: Imageable seamed intermediate transfer belts having a large seam surface area, and marking machines that use such imageable seamed intermediate transfer belts. The seamed intermediate transfer belt having an inner surface and an outer surface having predefine surface properties for the purpose of imaging. A belt is formed from a semiconductive substrate having a first end and a second end that are mated to form a seam. An adhesive is disposed over the joint whereupon joint can be burnished or overcoated with a material that substantially imitate predefined surface properties of the belt.

Abstract: A method for preparing an end of a thermoplastics tube (1) is provided, wherein the tube is manufactured by spirally winding and welding together of a hollow profile (1a) having a substantially rectangular cross section. The method includes the following steps: cutting the end of the tube by a planar transversal section; extruding a second hollow profile (2) having a rectangular cross section and an outer shape essentially similar to Fat of the hollow profile (1a) from which the tube (1) is manufactured; spirally winding the extruded second hollow profile (2) around a drum having a diameter corresponding to inner diameter of the tube (1); cutting a loop (2a) from the second hollow profile (2) in a length corresponding to circumference of the tube end; joining the ends of the loop (2a) to each other, whereby a ring (2b) is formed having the same inner and outer diameters as the spirally wound tube (1); placing the ring (2b) against the cut tube end; and welding the ring (2b) to the tube end.

Abstract: A machine which inflates and seals pillows in packaging is compact in overall size, can be conveniently operated to produce varied lengths of strips of inflated pillow-type packaging as needed, can begin production of inflated pillow-type strip packaging immediately after being held out of a production cycle for some period of time, and applies a heated sealing element directly to and in sliding contact with a web of film to securely seal the inlet port of an inflated pillow while the pillow is under pressure and as the web of film is continuously and uninterruptedly advanced through the machine.