Abstract: A building-mounted awning. The awning includes a support frame, and a covering provided over the support frame to act as shelter from precipitation, or act as a shade from the sun. The support frame is attached to the building at only one location along a width of the support frame by a single bracket attached to the building.

Abstract: A building-mounted awning. The awning includes a support frame, and a covering provided over the support frame to act as shelter from precipitation, or act as a shade from the sun. The support frame is attached to the building at only one location along a width of the support frame by a single bracket attached to the building.

Abstract: A building-mounted awning. The awning includes a support frame, and a covering provided over the support frame to act as shelter from precipitation, or act as a shade from the sun. The support frame is attached to the building at only one location along a width of the support frame.

Abstract: A micro-cantilever beam is constructed from a thermoplastic polymer material. In a method of designing a micro-cantilever beam, at least one of a plurality of dimensional factors is selected so as to create a beam geometry. A material that the beam will be constructed from is selected so that the material and the beam geometry give rise to a predetermined mechanical figure of merit in the beam. In a method of manufacturing a micro-cantilever beam, a geometry for the micro-cantilever is selected beam. The micro-cantilever beam, according to the geometry, is formed from a thermoplastic material.

Abstract: A foldable plastic or laminated paperboard footstool which can be used for resting an individual's feet and which can be easily assembled from a plastic or laminated paperboard, or corrugated plastic or paperboard blank.

Abstract: An improved flexible towpreg tape of a known geometry and a method of production therefor. The improved flexible towpreg tape is formed from a plurality of reinforcing filaments fusion coated with matrix forming material, the reinforcing filaments being substantially wet-out by the matrix forming material, and the towpreg tape having multiple plies with an average thickness less than about 100 microns. The method of production for the improved flexible towpreg tape includes the steps of coating the reinforcing filaments with the matrix forming material in a manner causing interfacial adhesion of the matrix forming material to the reinforcing filaments; forming a towpreg by heating the matrix forming material contacting the reinforcing filaments until the matrix forming material liquefies and coats the reinforcing filaments; and forming the towpreg tape under pressure and elevated temperature in a means for creating a known tape geometry.

Abstract: An improved flexible towpreg tape of a known geometry and a method of production therefor. The improved flexible towpreg tape is formed from a plurality of reinforcing filaments fusion coated with matrix forming material, the reinforcing filaments being substantially wet-out by the matrix forming material, and the towpreg tape having multiple plies with an average thickness less than about 100 microns. The method of production for the improved flexible towpreg tape includes the steps of coating the reinforcing filaments with the matrix forming material in a manner causing interfacial adhesion of the matrix forming material to the reinforcing filaments; forming a towpreg by heating the matrix forming material contacting the reinforcing filaments until the matrix forming material liquefies and coats the reinforcing filaments; and forming the towpreg tape under pressure and elevated temperature in a means for creating a known tape geometry.

Abstract: A non-woven towpreg fabric and a method of production therefor. The non-woven towpreg fabric is fabricated from a plurality of flexible, multiply towpregs, comprising towpreg plies which comprise reinforcing filaments substantially wetout by a matrix forming material, which then are bonded together to form the fabric. The method of production for the non-woven towpreg fabric involves spreading the reinforcing filaments, coating the reinforcing filaments with the matrix forming material in a manner causing interfacial adhesion, forming the towpreg plies by heating the matrix forming material until the matrix forming material liquefies and coats the reinforcing filaments, cooling the towpreg plies in a manner while said towpregs remain substantially unconsolidated until the matrix forming material solidifies, overlapping a plurality of the towpreg plies, and bonding the towpreg plies together. Multidimensional fabrics, preforms and composite articles also can be formed by this invention.

Abstract: A method for producing microcellular foam from a semi-crystalline polymeric material. The material is heated to its melting point at an elevated pressure and then saturated with a uniform concentration of a gas. The pressure is then lowered causing bubble nucleation and growth within the material. The material is then quenched to prevent further foaming. Bubbles on the order of 5 .mu.m in diameter are produced with a bubble density of approximately 10.sup.10 bubbles/cm.sup.3.