Abstract: A shuttlecock having a cap and a flared skirt, the latter having an inner and outer part made of artificial material and incorporating in the outer part, a plurality of stems and ribs connecting the stems and flaps projecting from the edges of said ribs at a substantial angle to the outer face of the ribs and to the airflow passing along the normal line of flight of the shuttlecock. This increases the resistance of the outer skirt, and improves the turnover of the shuttlecock. The flaps project from at least the trailing edge of the ribs and may also project from the leading edge. The invention is developed so that a plurality of flutes are formed in the outer skirt, the said flaps project from the trailing edges of the ribs on the right face of the flutes. The flaps may also project from the leading edges of the ribs on the left face of the flutes. The combination of the angle of the flute and the angle of the flap causes the shuttlecock to spin rapidly.

Abstract: A shuttlecock having a cap and a flared skirt, the latter having an inner and outer part made of artificial material and incorporating in the outer part, a plurality of stems and ribs connecting the stems and flaps projecting from the edges of said ribs at a substantial angle to the outer face of the ribs and to the airflow passing along the normal line of flight of the shuttlecock. This increases the resistance of the outer skirt. and improves the turnover of the shuttlecock. The flaps project from at least the trailing edge of the ribs and may also project from the leading edge. The invention is developed so that a plurality of flutes are formed in the outer skirt, the said flaps project from the trailing edges of the ribs on the right face of the flutes. The flaps may also project from the leading edges of the ribs on the left face of the flutes. The combination of the angle of the flute and the angle of the flap causes the shuttlecock to spin rapidly.

Abstract: An inflatable balloon assembly comprises a balloon having a balloon inlet (1) and an inflatable portion (8), an inflating tube (3, 4) and a compressing device which has a small hole (5) through which the balloon inlet (1) is forcibly drawn thus forming a compressed area (11) in the balloon inlet (1). The inflating tube (3, 4) incorporates a larger external diameter part (3) which remains outside the compressed area (11) and which is adapted to be connected to a pump and, adjoining the larger external diameter part (3), a substantially smaller external diameter part (4) the free end of which is forcibly drawn through the inside of the balloon inlet (1) within the compressed area (11) into the inflatable portion (8) of the balloon.

Abstract: A shuttlecock (1) comprising at least a cap (5, 10, 15) and a flared skirt (32, 25, 26), the flared skirt (32, 25, 26) incorporating an inflated device which may be a balloon (17, 22) or an expanded light moulded cone (13) with multiple connected cells made by a blowing agent. In one form the shuttlecock (1) is developed so that the said balloon (17) incorporates a plurality of extending fingers (18) arranged in a form which flares outwardly from the cap (15). In another form the shuttlecock comprises a cap (5, 10), an inner skirt (25) incorporating stems (6), an outer skirt (26) incorporating at least minor stems (7) and a balloon (22) adapted to support the stems (6, 7, 16, 35) and to fill in at least part of the spaces between the stems (6, 7, 16, 35) and to improve visibility. The balloon (17, 22) may be replaceable. The balloon inlet (21) incorporates a seal or a non-return valve and may pass through the cap (5, 10, 15) and/or the skirt connection.

Abstract: A carding machine incorporating a train of co-operating rollers (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76), each roller incorporates angled forward (118) and backward (119) facing teeth and each roller rotates in the opposite direction to and with a surface speed substantially faster than its predecessor, thus causing in said train at least one slower input section (42, 43) and a faster output section (73, 74, 75, 76). The machine incorporates interleaved rings of teeth (14) in precise construction to increase the feed of fibers from the slower entry end of the train to take advantage of the (potentially) faster output of the fibers at the exit end of the train. The carding is done in a substantially rectangular manner as the fibers pass through the train. It is preferred that at least in the slower input section of the train each roller incorporates rings of forward-backward teeth (120, 121) which are integral with the special outer part (81) of the rollers (79).