Abstract: The present invention provides a glass fiber product having particles adhered to at least one fiber of the product, where the size and amount of particles is effective to reduce the tackiness of the glass fiber product and optionally effective to reduce interfilament bonding, and composition, and method for forming the same.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention are directed to a fiber strand comprising at least one fiber at least partially coated with a starch-free composition formed from the components comprising at least one film forming material, at least one polymeric lubricant, at least one rosin, at least one organo silane coupling agent, at least one dispersion of polymeric particles, wherein the individual particles have a diameter of at least 0.1 microns, at least one emulsifying agent, and at least one additional lubricant that is different from the at least one polymeric lubricant.

Abstract: A method of forming a wound fiber package comprises winding a first portion of strand having at least one fiber on a bobbin using a first indexing ratio A:B, wherein A is greater than 0 and A is greater than B, and winding a second portion of strand having at least one fiber on the bobbin using a second indexing ratio A:B different from the first indexing ratio, wherein A and B are greater than 0. In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, B equals 0 in the first indexing ratio, A in the first indexing ratio equals A in the second indexing ratio, and A equals B in the second indexing ratio. In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, B is greater than 0 in the first indexing ratio, A in the first indexing ratio equals A in the second indexing ratio, and A equals B in the second indexing ratio. This method may be used to produce a wound package.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a film applicator for applying a coating to at least a portion of a surface of fibers, comprising: an enclosure having a reservoir to store a coating composition; a roller having a generally cylindrical surface positioned within the enclosure such that a first portion of the roller surface is immersed in the coating composition and a second portion of the roller surface extends through an opening in the enclosure to contact fibers; a drive to rotate the roller within the enclosure such that the surface of the roller can be coated with a film formed from the coating composition; and a bar positioned at least in close proximity to the roller surface, the bar having a contoured surface that provides a desired film thickness on the roller surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for forming fiber strands comprising a fiber forming device, a gathering shoe device and a winder device, the improvement comprising a gathering shoe device which includes at least one gathering shoe having an annular groove for receiving the fibers from the fiber forming device, the gathering shoe having a generally circular cross section at the annular groove and a diameter at the annular groove ranging from about 2.54 to about 6.35 mm. Another aspect of the present invention is a gathering shoe comprising a rod member having a longitudinal axis; and a groove extending circumferentially about the rod member, wherein the rod member has a diameter at the groove in the range of about 2.54 to about 6.35 mm.

Abstract: The present invention provides multifilament reinforcing articles which include fibers coated and impregnated with at least a partially cured, moisture reduced residue derived from an aqueous coating composition in which the major polymeric component is an elastomeric polymer. The coated and impregnated fibers are bound with a polymeric film-forming binder in the form of a tape, wire or other shape-retaining arrangement in which the fibers are substantially parallel. In an alternative embodiment, bundles of sized fibers are bound together in a shape-retaining arrangement by an aqueous coating composition including an aqueous emulsion of a thermoplastic polymer and water in an effective amount to bind the plurality of fiber bundles together, the aqueous coating composition being free of a crosslinking material.

Abstract: Pultruded plastic substrates are produced which contain fine conductive elements of metal wires or conductive rovings. These conductive element containing pultruded articles are electrostatically coated.

Abstract: Novel resin reinforcing composite mats of continuous strands are described for use in pultrusion processes. The pultruded parts are characterized by having a reinforcement of mats and rovings with the reinforcing mats and rovings being distributed throughout the parts.

Abstract: Treating a plastic sheet blank, preferably an acrylic resin sheet, along its edge surface by applying a groove of non-uniform depth to its edge surface along a side of the blank having a length to blank thickness ratio that exceeds a critical ratio for the given blank thickness to improve the conformance of the outline of the compression stretched sheet to one similar to the outline of the thick blank prior to its compression stretching and so stretch the blank more uniformly along its orthogonal axes during the compression stretching of said blank to form said sheet.

Abstract: A protective device for protecting the viewing area of a vision panel from encroachment by flowable cement compositions used to bond reinforcing members to the edge portions of the viewing panel. The protective device is preferably formed of a material non-adherent to both the vision panel surface and the cement composition, and may include vacuum biasing facilities and an edge seal to provide a fluid barrier to the passage of the flowable cement compositions.

Abstract: A stretched acrylic sheet which is to be formed into a vision panel at an elevated temperature has its major surfaces reheated to an elevated temperature to intentionally generate a class of surface formations thereon for subsequent removal by polishing prior to the formation of the final vision panel. Such surface deformations are otherwise undesirably generated during vision panel formation and detract from the optical quality of the final product.