Abstract: A breathing apparatus for providing a source of breathable air in a burning structure for the firefighters or occupants trapped in the burning structure includes a hollow body member connected to a hollow piercing means for penetrating a wall of the structure. The piercing means provides orifices for receiving breathable air from an interior cavity of the wall. The breathing apparatus can be equipped with a one-way valve for permitting the transfer of air from the wall cavity to the user but prohibiting the back flow of smoke or other contaminated air through the apparatus to the clean air disposed in the wall cavity. The apparatus can also be equipped with a locking thread for securely engaging the apparatus with the pierced wall and providing sealing engagement of an annular sealing ring with the wall.

Abstract: A breathing apparatus for providing a source of breathable air in a burning structure for the fire fighters or occupants trapped in the burning structure includes a hollow body member connected to a hollow piercing means for penetrating a wall of the structure. The piercing means provides orifices for receiving breathable air from an interior cavity of the wall. The received breathable air is transferred through a filter into an interior portion of the hollow body member for communication to an outlet port formed on the body member. The outlet port can be further coupled to an air line for breathing the air in a face mask or can be coupled directly to a user's mouth.

Abstract: A fishing line, or just a leader, has a core (11) which is coated by plastic material as it is pulled through an extruder (3) and then a quench bath (4) by a variable speed drive device (9). Very fine control can be exerted by laser devices (11, 12) before and after coating, and adjusting a selection of parameters such as drive speed, extrusion rate, pressure and temperature, and cooling. A double coating may be applied or additives mixed in the extruded plastics which will give a desired floating or sinking characteristic.

Abstract: Braided line is manufactured by drawing off filaments (3) from a carousel of bobbins (1) which are caused to follow interweaving paths about a common axis. The line can be tapered by cutting selected filaments at intervals and continuing the braiding with a progressively reduced manner. Each cut off filament (14) leading from the braid point (8) is kept co-axially aligned by the air flow into a suction tube (6) within the carousel while the remaining filaments (3) are braided around it. The selection and cutting of the filaments can be automated, under computer control.