Abstract: A method of assembling a tire having one or more reinforcements or supporting inserts in the sidewalls is provided. The reinforcements are positioned onto one or more air impermeable layers. One or more reinforcing plies are positioned over the reinforcing supports and suspended therebetween. A gas pressure is used to expand the one or more air impermeable layers away from the forming drum and against a reinforcing ply. As such, the creases or wrinkles in the one or more reinforcing plies can be avoided along with other non-uniformities such as deradialization and/or an uneven overlap where the ends of a ply are joined.

Abstract: A method of assembling a tire having one or more reinforcements or supporting inserts in the sidewalls is provided. The reinforcements are positioned onto one or more air impermeable layers. One or more reinforcing plies are positioned over the reinforcing supports and suspended therebetween. A gas pressure is used to expand the one or more air impermeable layers away from the forming drum and against a reinforcing ply. As such, the creases or wrinkles in the one or more reinforcing plies can be avoided along with other non-uniformities such as deradialization and/or an uneven overlap where the ends of a ply are joined.

Abstract: A rain gutter roll forming machine wherein the final forming station has the exit drive rollers removed therefrom. The forming rollers for the lower front and back corners of the gutter are mounted for rotation about a single substantially horizontal axis and are supported by a camber adjustment plate. The camber adjustment plate is pivotable about a pivot point which is substantially within the plane of the bottom wall of the gutter. Accordingly, the relative pressures applied to the gutter by the corner forming rollers can be varied to compensate for longitudinal curvature of the gutter due to differential drag on the front and back gutter walls.

Abstract: A shear assembly for a roll forming machine which forms a rain gutter. A pair of coplanar blade members separated along a vertical line are caused to first move vertically downwardly, then have their lower ends pivot outwardly and, finally, have their upper ends pivot outwardly. The last motion is accomplished with enhanced mechanical advantage to cut through multiple layers of metal at the upper end of the gutter.

Abstract: A roll forming machine for forming a rain gutter wherein an internal guide assembly uses rollers to contact the finished surface of the partially formed gutter.

Abstract: Software management methods and apparatus for performing software configuration management operations and for supporting build processes are described. Both implied and explicit dependency relationship information is captured and intelligently used in an automated fashion avoiding or reducing the need for human tracking of such relationships. Temporary or non-persistent data elements used during various phases of the software development process are automatically detected, including for example environment variables and their values and the versions of tools used to operate on the software components. A persistent association is created and stored between the normally temporary data element(s) and the software component(s) they affect. Implicit dependencies between data elements and software components are also automatically updated and revision-controlled, making historical and current implicit dependencies persistent.

Abstract: A roll forming machine wherein a single operator can quickly replace roll forming stations to change the desired lateral profile and wherein adjustments to the lateral positions of the roll forming stations can be quickly effected. This is accomplished by mounting the roll forming elements on short tooling rail sections which in turn are mounted on longer mounting rails which are used as platforms whereby all the adjustments are preset so that all setup work is performed prior to installing the tooling rails. Because the tooling rail sections are shorter, they may be inserted in, and removed from, the machine by a single operator without requiring the partial disassembly, and subsequent reassembly, of the entry and shear assemblies.

Abstract: A roll forming machine for a debris shedding rain gutter having a lower trough and an upper hood, wherein independent adjustments are made to the front wall of the trough to insure that its upper edge is behind the forward end of the trough. An independently adjustable kick forming station is provided to create an inward bend near the upper end of the front wall. A block is adjustably mounted to a cross-member of the machine to press the front wall inwardly to insure that the angle where the front wall joins the bottom wall of the trough is approximately ninety degrees.

Abstract: An alkali metal secondary electrochemical cell, and preferably a lithium ion cell, provided with a removable gas relief valve, is described. The gas release valve is positioned on the casing, in fluid flow communication between the inside thereof and the exterior. This gas release valve serves to eliminate cell gases that build up inside the casing during the cell's formation stage. Once the lithium-ion cell has completed formation, the gas release valve is removed and replaced with a hermetic closure. Removal of the gas release valve and sealing of the cell takes place in an environment in which no outside gas is capable of being introduced inside the casing. The cell can also be provided in a tank filled with inert gas and a filter which separates the cell gas from the inert gas. When cell formation is completed, the cell hermetically sealed.

Abstract: An alkali metal secondary electrochemical cell, and preferably a lithium ion cell, provided with a removable gas relief valve, is described. The gas release valve is positioned on the casing, in fluid flow communication between the inside thereof and the exterior. This gas release valve serves to eliminate cell gases that build up inside the casing during the cell's formation stage. Once the lithium-ion cell has completed formation, the gas release valve is removed and replaced with a hermetic closure. Removal of the gas release valve and sealing of the cell takes place in an environment in which no outside gas is capable of being introduced inside the casing. The cell can also be provided in a tank filled with inert gas and a filter which separates the cell gas from the inert gas. When cell formation is completed, the cell hermetically sealed.