Abstract: A hollow fitting assembly is secured with a pressure-tight seal in a hole which is disposed in a curved wall of a vessel. A body barrel portion of a hollow body element is inserted through the hole from a concave side of the vessel wall. A force-distributing washer is inserted over the free end of the body barrel portion such that a concave face of the washer faces the hole, and a flat face of the washer faces away from the hole. A pusher flange is screwed onto the free end of the body barrel portion. Jack bolts are screwed into internally threaded apertures of the pusher flange and are brought into abutting relationship with the flat face of the washer so that upon tightening of the jack bolts, a flange portion of the hollow fitting compresses a seal ring against the concave side of the vessel wall to form a pressure-tight seal around the hole. An externally threaded hollow connection member is attached to a threaded interior of the body barrel portion.

Abstract: A hollow fitting assembly is secured with a pressure-tight seal in a hole which is disposed in a curved wall of a vessel. A body barrel portion of a hollow body element is inserted through the hole from a concave side of the vessel wall. A force-distributing washer is inserted over the free end of the body barrel portion such that a concave face of the washer faces the hole, and a flat face of the washer faces away from the hole. A pusher flange is screwed onto the free end of the body barrel portion. Jack bolts are screwed into internally threaded apertures of the pusher flange and are brought into abutting relationship with the flat face of the washer so that upon tightening of the jack bolts, a flange portion of the hollow fitting compresses a seal ring against the concave side of the vessel wall to form a pressure-tight seal around the hole. An externally threaded hollow connection member is attached to a threaded interior of the body barrel portion.

Abstract: An improved multifilamentary tow of carbon fibers is provided which possesses a novel physical configuration that better enables it to undergo impregnation with a matrix-forming resin to form quality composite articles. The individual filaments of the tow are randomly decollimated and commingled with numerous filament cross-over points throughout the length of the multifilamentary tow in order to create a multitude of interstices between adjacent filaments which are well adapted to receive and retain a matrix-forming resin as evidenced by the ability of the filaments when subjected to the flaring test described herein to resist lateral expansion to a width that is as much as three times the original width. The tow commonly comprises approximately 1,000 to 50,000 filaments. Also, the filaments of the tow are substantially continuous and contain at least 70 percent carbon by weight (preferably at least 90 percent carbon by weight).

Abstract: An improved multifilamentary tow of carbon fibers is provided which possesses a novel physical configuration that better enables it to undergo impregnation with a matrix-forming resin to form quality composite articles. The individual filaments of the tow are randomly decollimated and commingled with numerous filament cross-over points throughout the length of the multifilamentary tow in order to create a multitude of interstices between adjacent filaments which are well adapted to receive and retain a matrix-forming resin as evidenced by the ability of the filaments when subjected to the flaring test described herein to resist lateral expansion to a width that is as much as three times the original width. The tow commonly comprises approximately 1,000 to 50,000 filaments. Also, the filaments of the tow are substantially continuous and contain at least 70 percent carbon by weight (preferably at least 90 percent carbon by weight).

Abstract: An improved process is provided for the thermal conversion of a multifilamentary tow of an acrylic fibrous material wherein the filaments are disposed in a substantially parallel relationship in a multifilamentary tow of carbonaceous fibrous material which contains at least 70 percent (preferably at least 90 percent) carbon by weight. During at least one stage of the process the multifilamentary tow is subjected to the impingement of at least one stream of a liquid whereby the parallel relationship of the filaments is disrupted in the substantial absence of filament damage with the filaments becoming decolumnized to a degree sufficient to enable the resulting carbonaceous fibrous material to be more readily impregnated by and dispersed within a matrix-forming resin. In a preferred embodiment such impingement is carried out following a thermal stabilization step and prior to a carbonization step while the multifilamentary tow is simultaneously completely submerged within a liquid.