Abstract: The apparatus includes a plurality of small rollers disposed in an arcuate, upwardly concave arrangement for rotatably supporting a composite two-batt roll, a large rotating roller for winding up one of the batts while the other is pulled intermittently from the composite roll for use, and a stationary bar engaging the one batt being rewound to prevent the rotating large roller from pulling the one batt from the composite roll independently of the pulling of the other batt.

Abstract: A collapsible mandrel having a longitudinally slit tubular shell providing a molding surface for glass fiber reinforced plastic pipe is provided with a removably mountable longitudinally slit sleeve as a molding surface for pipe of larger diameter.

Abstract: The mandrel has a cantilever-type mounting and includes a rotatable longitudinally slit tubular steel shell providing a molding surface on which thermosetting resin and glass fiber reinforcing material may be deposited to form tank bodies or pipe. A row of pneumatic actuators mounted inside the shell and spaced axially thereof includes piston rods attached to the shell along the slit on one side thereof. Retraction of the piston rods collapses the shell, which is flexible over the greater portion of its periphery and supported in the flexible portion by a plurality of rows of pivotable turnbuckle connectors or support rods, for removal of a cured tank body or pipe.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of depositing material into a moving receptacle is disclosed. A traveling discharge device moves across a receptacle while discharging material into the receptacle. The discharge device uses the receptacle itself as its frame of reference and thus can compensate for imperfections in both the speed and the path of the receptacle.

Abstract: A twister apparatus and method in which filamentary material is wound onto rotating bobbins are provided. A guide rail reciprocates within a range for distributing the filamentary material onto the bobbins, and the guide rail range itself is reciprocated along the height of the bobbins to distribute the filamentary material over a plurality of portions of the bobbins. Means for measuring the yardage of the filamentary material onto the bobbins is provided. Means responsive to a predetermined yardage for determining the presence of the guide rail within one of a plurality of predetermined portions of the bobbins is provided. There is also provided means for discontinuing the movement of the guide rail at a preselected position within the range of reciprocation of the guide rail.