Abstract: A system and method for extending a balance reduction offer to a set of borrowers selected from a pool is provided. A lender, for instance a financial institution issuing credit cards to a pool of borrowers, selects a subset of borrowers based upon a criterion. The balance reduction offer includes a financial incentive to encourage the borrower to accept the offer. When the borrower accepts the offer, the lender credits the account for a payment received. In one embodiment, an issuer of credit cards may employ the invention to facilitate selected borrowers transferring outstanding balances to another credit card. In such an embodiment, the borrower may complete the transaction with the assistance of a cash wire transfer company.

Abstract: A dry fiber form, for use in the preparation of composite parts, is provided with reinforcing threads sewn across the juncture of two non-parallel portions, to prevent failure in the interior of the part due to "out-of-plane" stress developed under applied load, the stress being in a direction other than that of the fibers at said juncture.

Abstract: A process for making a fiber form by preparing structural fabric comprised of a plurality of plies of structural fibers and sewing the fabric with at least one course of resin holding thread. The sewn fiber form is then impregnated with a curable resin and cured to prepare the finished fiber reinforced composite article.

Abstract: A process for forming a dry fiber form susceptible of being infused with a resin and molded to a fiber reinforced plastic structural article, wherein the fiber form in comprised of a structural fabric bearing plys of biased yarns, the bias of the yarns being maintained along the curvature of the fiber form, without wrinkling or buckling of the fiber form. The structural fabric is attached to a form bearing a shape-defining opening, and threads are sewn within the opening. The fabric is then removed from the form, and the ends of the fabrics are then sewn with more threads parallel to the first set of threads. Thereafter, the excess is trimmed away, and the resulting sewn fiber form may be infused with resin and molded into a structural article.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling flexible material positioned with two distal portions thereof accessible to the apparatus has a frame, first and second arms each having first and second ends, with the first ends having pivotal mountings on the frame and the second ends having gripping fingers adapted for gripping and subsequently releasing one of the distal portions of flexible material. The arms can be rotated about the pivotal mountings from first positions in which the fingers can grip their respective distal portions of flexible material to second positions in which gripped material is extended to substantially its full length. The material is received in a rack upon release by the fingers when the arms are in their second position. The apparatus operates according to an automatic control.