Abstract: A floating metallized element assembly and method of manufacturing thereof are disclosed. The floating metallized element assembly includes a work piece of a plateable resin and a non-plateable resin including a front side and a back side. The work piece includes at least one plated decorative region on the plateable resin at the front side. The work piece also includes at least one network of the plateable resin at the back side. The work piece additionally includes a plurality of discrete current paths of the plateable resin extending from the at least one network to the at least one plated decorative region. The work piece also includes at least one non-plated decorative region of the non-plateable resin adjacent the at least one decorative region. Metal surfaces are adhered to and disposed on the at least one plated decorative region.

Abstract: A method for painting a work piece of plastic material. The method includes applying a first coating of an electrically conductive material to the work piece and electrically grounding the first coating. The method also includes electrostatically charging a paint to render the paint conductive for statically attracting the conductive paint toward the grounded first coating of the work piece. The method also includes overlying a mask of a non-conductive material over at least a portion of the first coating of the work piece and electrically insulating the mask. The work piece is then sprayed with the conductive paint to apply a layer of paint on the first coating with the mask preventing the conductive paint from being applied on the portions of the first coating of the work piece that are covered by the mask.

Abstract: A floating metallized element assembly and method of manufacturing thereof are disclosed. The floating metallized element assembly includes a work piece of a plateable resin and a non-plateable resin including a front side and a back side. The work piece includes at least one plated decorative region on the plateable resin at the front side. The work piece also includes at least one network of the plateable resin at the back side. The work piece additionally includes a plurality of discrete current paths of the plateable resin extending from the at least one network to the at least one plated decorative region. The work piece also includes at least one non-plated decorative region of the non-plateable resin adjacent the at least one decorative region. Metal surfaces are adhered to and disposed on the at least one plated decorative region.

Abstract: A method for painting a work piece of plastic material. The method includes applying a first coating of an electrically conductive material to the work piece and electrically grounding the first coating. The method also includes electrostatically charging a paint to render the paint conductive for statically attracting the conductive paint toward the grounded first coating of the work piece. The method also includes overlying a mask of a non-conductive material over at least a portion of the first coating of the work piece and electrically insulating the mask. The work piece is then sprayed with the conductive paint to apply a layer of paint on the first coating with the mask preventing the conductive paint from being applied on the portions of the first coating of the work piece that are covered by the mask.

Abstract: A wheel for a vehicle includes an inner hub portion that is configured to receive an axle therethrough and which defines an axis of rotation at a center thereof. The wheel includes an outer rim portion. A plurality of wheel spoke portions extend generally between the inner hub portion and the outer rim portion. The inner hub portion, the outer rim portion, and the plurality of spoke portions cooperate to form a wheel outer surface having a plurality of turbine openings. The outer surface of the wheel defines a wheel reference plane that is oriented generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The wheel outer surface is the side that face away from a vehicle. Each of the plurality of wheel spoke portions has an outer side adjacent the wheel outer surface, an inner side opposite the outer side, a leading side surface and a trailing side surface.

Abstract: Device and process for determining a distance to an object. The device includes a low coherence light source, at least one lens arranged to focus light from the low coherence light source onto the object and to collect light reflected and scattered from the object, and a window arranged between the lens and the object. An apertured element includes a circular aperture structured and arranged to form a circular light beam from the reflected and scattered light, and a detector system is structured and arranged to receive the circular light beam. The detector system is sensitive to light beam diameter. Further, a determining device is structured and arranged to determine a distance to the object based upon signals from the detector system.

Abstract: Device and process for determining a distance to an object. The device includes a low coherence light source, at least one lens arranged to focus light from the low coherence light source onto the object and to collect light reflected and scattered from the object, and a window arranged between the lens and the object. An apertured element includes a circular aperture structured and arranged to form a circular light beam from the reflected and scattered light, and a detector system is structured and arranged to receive the circular light beam. The detector system is sensitive to light beam diameter. Further, a determining device is structured and arranged to determine a distance to the object based upon signals from the detector system.

Abstract: Device and process for determining a distance to an object. The device includes at least one lens arranged to focus light from a source onto the object and to collect light reflected and scattered from the object. An apertured element includes a circular aperture structured and arranged to form a circular light beam from the reflected and scattered light, and a detector system is structured and arranged to receive the circular light beam. The detector system is sensitive to light beam diameter. Further, a determining device is structured and arranged to determine a distance to the object based upon signals from the detector system.

Abstract: Device and process for determining a distance to an object. The device includes a low coherence light source, at least one lens arranged to focus light from the low coherence light source onto the object and to collect light reflected and scattered from the object, and a window arranged between the lens and the object. An apertured element includes a circular aperture structured and arranged to form a circular light beam from the reflected and scattered light, and a detector system is structured and arranged to receive the circular light beam. The detector system is sensitive to light beam diameter. Further, a determining device is structured and arranged to determine a distance to the object based upon signals from the detector system.

Abstract: A method of determining a distance to an object, includes the steps of: focusing light from a light source onto the object using a lens; collecting light that is reflected and scattered from the object using the lens; focusing the collected light onto a plurality of light detectors; establishing an exact position of a focal point of the focused light; and determining the distance to the object using the exact position of the focal point.

Abstract: A relatively inexpensive process for making plastic components having textured chrome finishes that may have fine, crisp, clean lines and intricate details includes steps of electroplating a layer of etchable metal on a surface of a plastic article, typically preserving the surface of the etchable metal, etching a desired relief pattern on the layer of etchable metal, typically cleaning and activating the surface of the relief patterned etched metal layer, and electroplating a layer of decorative metal on the relief patterned etched metal layer.

Abstract: An improved process for permanently attaching an overlay to a wheel disc, wherein the overlay is aligned and spaced apart from the wheel disc. A mold is created by a combination of the overlay, wheel disc and localized nests that engage at predetermined times during foam filling to close the mold. The mold is adequately sealed so that there is no foam leakage as the foam expands to fill the mold and, therefore, no final trimming of excess foam is required. The improved process is capable of accommodating a wheel having turbine openings therein.

Abstract: A wheel and overlay assembly employing an overlay configured to more fully control the aesthetic appearance of the assembly. The wheel and overlay assembly employs an overlay that more completely establishes the decorative appearance of the assembly, thereby enabling the use of a standardized wheel whose design and construction considerations are based almost solely on the structural requirements of the assembly. As such, the overlay is adapted to enable the functions of structural integrity and outward appearance of the assembly to be addressed separately, resulting in a more fully integrated appearance in which the two-component construction of the assembly is fully concealed, such that a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs is achieved due to the reduced functional demands on the wheel.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus and electrode configuration within the sensor apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of an aqueous fibrous composition. The electrode configuration includes an elongated ground electrode and at least one segmented electrode to form an array of measurement electrode cells. The electrode configuration further includes an array of reference electrode cells formed by a plurality of reference electrodes built into the array of measurement electrode cells. The measurement electrode cells and reference electrode cells have a different sensitivity to water weight of the aqueous fibrous composition and the same sensitivity to conductivity of the aqueous fibrous composition. The measurement apparatus obtains simultaneous resistive measurements from both measurement and reference cells and determines the ratio of the measurements such that the affects from conductivity is canceled out of the measurement ratio.

Abstract: A system of providing fast machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD) basis weight adjustments using a simultaneous multi-point water weight sensor which provides independent MD and CD measurements is described. The water weight sensor is placed under the wire of the sheetmaking machine and provides fast wet end water weight measurements which are converted into predicted dry end basis weight information and used to control operating variables of machine elements in the sheetmaking machine to compensate for high frequency process variations. MD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence the MD dry end basis weight and CD wet end measurements are used to control operating variables of machine elements that influence CD dry end basis weight.

Abstract: A sensor imbedded roller for detecting changes in properties of a material and a measurement apparatus including a fixed impedance element coupled in series with a variable impedance sensor imbedded roller between an input signal and a reference potential (e.g. ground) is described. The sensor, which includes an electrode configuration, is imbedded into a roller such that when it rotates it comes in contact with the material being measured and its impedance varies. The variable impedance of the sensor relates to changes in property of the material being sensed which can then be related to changes in other physical characteristics of the material such as weight, chemical composition, and temperature. Sensor imbedded rollers can be placed in a sheetmaking machine to measure the pre-formed and post-formed paper product.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus and electrode configuration within the sensor apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of an aqueous fibrous composition. The electrode configuration includes an elongated ground electrode and at least one segmented electrode to form an array of measurement electrode cells. The electrode configuration further includes an array of reference electrode cells formed by a plurality of reference electrodes built into the array of measurement electrode cells. The measurement electrode cells and reference electrode cells have a different sensitivity to water weight of the aqueous fibrous composition and the same sensitivity to conductivity of the aqueous fibrous composition. The measurement apparatus obtains simultaneous resistive measurements from both measurement and reference cells and determines the ratio of the measurements such that the affects from conductivity is canceled out of the measurement ratio.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus for sensing three properties of materials including a fixed impedance element coupled in series with the sensor array between an input signal and a reference potential (e.g. ground). The sensor array exhibits a variable impedance resulting from changes in physical characteristics of the material. The variable impedance of the sensor array relates to changes in property of the material being sensed which can then be related to changes in other physical characteristics of the material such as weight, chemical composition, and temperature. The reduced size and increased resolution of the sensor array is particularly adaptive to a twin mesh sheetmaking system.

Abstract: Significant improvements in papermaking control can be achieved by employing an array of sensors that are positioned underneath the wire of the machine to measure the conductivity of the aqueous wet stock. The conductivity of the wet stock is directly proportional to the total water weight within the wet stock; consequently, the sensor provides information which can be used to monitor and control the quality of the paper sheet produced. Because CD water weight profile is obtained practically instantaneously, the MD and CD variations are essentially decoupled. Quality improvements to the sheet fabricated will be achieved by providing fast control of the actuators on the machine and by tuning components on the machine to eliminate the sources of variations.

Abstract: A system and method of providing on-line turbulence measurements in a sheetmaking machine and using these measurements to perform on-line adjustments to turbulence-inducing and adjusting elements in the sheetmaking machine to optimize final sheet product quality. Turbulence measurements are obtained using water weight sensors in the wet-end of the sheetmaking machine and specifically under wire water weight measurements. Water weight readings are correlated to turbulence intensity levels by correlating ranges of water weights to intensity level intervals. A turbulence processing sensor sorts accumulated water weight measurement readings into intensity level intervals to obtain turbulence measurements or a turbulence profile. The turbulence measurements or profile is provided to a machine element controller which uses the measured turbulence information and target turbulence information to generate control signals.