Longitudinally Progressive Helical Winding Patents (Class 156/195)
  • Patent number: 7517421
    Abstract: Process for the continuous manufacture of tubular composite or multi-layer membranes comprising a porous sub layer (support layer), mainly determining the mechanical strength of the membrane, and adjacent to the support layer a second layer of a material of different chemical nature (separation layer), mainly determining the separation properties of the membrane, winding a respective flat sheet composite membrane lengthwise or spirally around a mandrel or shaft, into a tube or hose, the separating layer of the composite membrane facing to the inside of the tube or hose, gluing or welding the edges which may overlap or form a butt seam, and applying to said seam or overlapping area from the inside of the tube or hose a sealing material which can be solidified, and finally solidifying said sealing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut E. A. Bruschke, Wolfgang Schafer, Nicholas Patrick Wynn, Frank-Klaus Marggraff
  • Patent number: 7510616
    Abstract: An unvulcanized rubber strip (3) is supplied to an outer peripheral surface of a rotating cylindrical body (4) from a sending-out roller (16) which laterally moves in an axial direction of the cylindrical body (4), thereby spirally winding the rubber strip (3) to form a winding body (5). In a tilting reference plane (29) defined as a plane which is in parallel to a plane (4S) passing through an axis (4i) of the cylindrical body (4) and which passes through an axis (16i) of the sending-out roller (16), the sending-out roller (16) is held such that the sending-out roller (16) can tilt positively and negatively within an inclination angle (?) of 0 to 45° with respect to a tilting reference line (N) which is parallel to the axis (4i) of the cylindrical body (4). The sending-out roller (16) is laterally moved while changing the inclination angle (?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Sunitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Hayashi, Hiroyuki Onimatsu, Youjiro Miki
  • Patent number: 7452318
    Abstract: A machine for producing a tubular product by helical winding of strips of web material including a mandrel and a winding member to helically wind the strips of web material around the mandrel is disclosed. To improve adhesion between the strips, at least one pressure member is provided, cooperating with the mandrel, disposed downstream or upstream of the winding member with respect to the direction of advance of the tubular product being formed on the mandrel. The pressure exerted by the pressure member promotes adhesion of the strips forming the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Fabio Perini S.p.A.
    Inventors: Mauro Gelli, Mario Gioni Chiocchetti
  • Publication number: 20080205991
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for lining an underground conduit is disclosed. The apparatus 10 comprises: an annular frame 40 having a crown portion 42 and a base portion 49; a strip guide disposed around and supported by the annular frame 40, the guide arranged to guide a strip 12 around a helical path; a pair of strip pinch rollers mounted to the frame 40 at a position circumferentially about halfway between the crown portion 42 and the base portion 49; a drive assembly mounted to the frame for driving the strip 12 downwards into the helical path in a winding direction so as to present an incoming first edge to an adjacent second edge of a wound convolution of the strip; a liquid remover mounted to the frame, the liquid remover arranged to prevent liquid that has adhered to and ascended with the second edge from descending down towards the incoming first edge; and an extruder 80 mounted to the frame 40 for extruding a molten bead of plastic onto the strip 12 at a position just before said overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Ian Roger Bateman, Craig Anthony Mayman
  • Patent number: 7410550
    Abstract: The present invention relates to flexible cylindrical sleeves for use in protecting wires or conduits from excess heat and/or abrasion. In particular, the present invention provides a flexible sleeve made of multiple bands that are continuously spirally wrapped around each other to form a tube of any desired length. The sleeve generally includes at least two bands, an outer band and an inner band. The outer band and the inner band are laminates in that each is formed of multiple layers. The outer band includes an outer layer of metal foil and the inner band has an innermost layer of woven heat resistant fabric. In another embodiment, one or more additional bands may be wrapped between the inner band and the outer band depending upon the specific application in which the sleeve will be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Inventor: Michael J. Sherwin
  • Publication number: 20080124562
    Abstract: The invention relates to an envelope (9) made from natural dried skins for use in curing, comprising strips of natural skin of indeterminate diameter, quality and length respectively, previously divided longitudinally to form said strips, characterised in comprising: an inner layer made from a spiral rolling of one or several first strips one after the other, said first strips overlapping a part of each other over the length thereof and at the respective ends thereof and an outer layer (10) glued to the inner layer comprising second strips (6) arranged longitudinally on the inner layer, said second strips extending in part over each other over the lengths thereof and at the respective ends thereof. The invention further relates to the method for production of such an envelope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Christian Billon-Lanfrey, Luc Mathet
  • Patent number: 7291240
    Abstract: A thin ribbon spirally wound polymer conduit and method of forming, wherein a helical reinforcing bead is interposed adjacent overlapping layers of ribbon. Further, a method of continuously forming spirally wound conduit wherein a sacrificial layer, preferably having a different base polymer to that of the conduit, is first applied to the former before the conduit is formed overtop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
    Inventors: Daniel John Smith, Nathan Lee Gray, Blair Victor Skelton
  • Publication number: 20070246153
    Abstract: A dispenser for applying tape from a roll of tape including a pair of side supports, a means for rotatably suspending the roll of tape between the side supports, and a means for applying a variable force upon the roll of tape to resist rotation of the roll of tape such that the tape may being stretched when it is wound about the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventor: David B. Schurman
  • Publication number: 20070218232
    Abstract: A helical support for radially supporting an elastically expanded insulating tube includes an extruded body consisting of a plurality of windings extending substantially parallel to each other. Each of the windings is at least partially connected at lateral edges thereof in a longitudinal direction of the helical support. The lateral edges are separably connected by at least one laser weld seam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventor: Thilo Simonsohn
  • Patent number: 7226519
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible hose for a vacuum cleaner and a fabricating method thereof. The fabrication method includes the steps of: extruding a primary extrusion molding band 13 having a larger size than a size of a finished state while embedding an electric wire 1 in the primary extrusion molding band 13 at a first extruder 12; molding a multi-extrusion molding band 10 in the size of the finished state at a sizing mold 14; and winding the multi-extrusion molding band 10 at a predetermined angle at a bonder and bonding a bonding portion 2 of the electric embedding portion 3 with a bonding end 4 of the semicircular portions 5 positioned on both sides of the multi-extrusion molding band 10 by using adhesive 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Sungkwang Best Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Il-Sook Park
  • Patent number: 7186449
    Abstract: The present invention broadly comprises a construction material constructed from a plurality of flexible strips, the strips are helically wound upon one another to form a tire pole. The tire pole may incorporate bolts, nails, screws and polymers for securing the flexible strips to one another. The construction material is generally constructed from discarded tires and may comprise a utility pole, a guardrail, a signpost and may be suitable for many other construction applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Inventor: Thomas P Hansen
  • Patent number: 7175726
    Abstract: An apparatus for continuously winding a rubber strip extruded from a rubber-strip extruding machine, on a tire-building drum, comprises: a rubber-strip extruding machine including a gear pump for delivering the rubber material outputted from the extruder to a forming nozzle; a tire-building drum on which a rubber strip is wound, the rubber strip outputted from the rubber-strip extruding machine and having a predetermined sectional shape; a first driver unit for moving the extruding machine relative to the drum; a second driver unit for driving the drum into rotation; a pressure roller for pressing the rubber strip against the drum when the rubber strip is wound on the drum; and a control unit for controlling the first driver unit; said controlling being made such that said extruding machine is moved relative to the drum when the drum is driven as rotated, as to sequentially wind the rubber strip on the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Abe, Masaya Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 7147756
    Abstract: An industrial process fabric and a method for manufacturing such a fabric. The fabric is made of material and is endless, or made endless with a seam, in the machine direction of a machine on which it is used. The fabric comprises at least one layer composed of a spirally-wound strip made of material and having a width which is smaller than the width of the final fabric. The longitudinal axis of the spirally-wound strip of material makes an angle with the machine direction of the fabric. The fabric strip of material may advantageously be a flat-woven fabric of MD and CD yarns in any weave pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Francis L. Davenport
  • Patent number: 7060150
    Abstract: A method for making an endoluminal prosthesis for implantation within a body lumen to maintain luminal patency, the prothesis including a support structure, such as a wire member, and a polymer component, such as a polymer cladding. The method may include joining a wire member to a polymer cladding, helically wrapping a length of the joined support wire member and polymer cladding such that adjacent windings of the polymer cladding have overlapping regions, and heating the joined support wire member and polymer cladding above the melt point of the polymer cladding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Banas, Tarun J. Edwin, Brendan McCrea, Rajagopal R. Kowligi
  • Patent number: 7011731
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a papermaking belt structure using tapes made of a solid thermoplastic resin surrounding a fibrous matrix. The method calls for applying a layer of CD oriented tapes to a mandrel surface, then applying a layer of MD oriented tapes over the CD layer, applying pressure and heat to the mandrel containing the CD and MD layers so to melt the resin and entirely bond/encapsulate the fibrous matrix. The belt structure thus obtained may thereafter be grooved, drilled or other processed as desired. Additionally, the above method can be reversed as to the MD/CD order of layering. Also, a layer entirely of resin can be applied, preferably prior to, but also after or in between the MD/CD layers. Also, rubber can comprise one or more layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Eric Romanski
  • Patent number: 6989067
    Abstract: A strip builder for winding a material strip about a rotating core includes a traveling applicator head assembly for receipt of the material strip from an upstream extruder station and transport of the strip to a downstream rotating core. The assembly includes a central support arm in longitudinal travel along the rotating core. Attached to the central support arm is a belt roller, an applicator roller spaced therefrom and a belt drive coupled therebetween. A conveyor belt is wound about the belt roller. Upon rotation of the core, the rotation of the applicator roller rotates the belt roller coupled thereto. Rotation of the belt roller drives the conveyor belt towards the core with the material strip thereon. Upon the belt passing between the belt roller and displaced applicator roller, the strip is stretched and deposited onto the applicator roller for subsequent deposit onto the rotating core. A traveling stitching roller subsequently smoothes the material strip deposited on the rotating core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Roller Equipment Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: J. Dean Armstrong, Jr., Lee Meyers, Mark Andrews
  • Patent number: 6974516
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a ceramic tube with electrodes thereon suitable for use as a tubular reaction chamber for a fuel cell. In one embodiment, the method includes wrapping a first electrode material around a mandrel, then wrapping a green ceramic material over the first electrode material, and then wrapping a second electrode material over the green ceramic material. The wrapped layers are laminated together, and then removed from the mandrel and sintered, in either sequence, to produce the laminated ceramic tube having an inner first electrode and an outer second electrode. Alternatively, a first electrode tube is provided in place of the mandrel and around which the green ceramic material is wrapped. The outer second electrode may be produced by wrapping a second electrode material around the green ceramic material, before or after laminating, or by printing the electrode material onto the sintered ceramic tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Presidio Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Devoe, Mary Trinh
  • Patent number: 6955024
    Abstract: A one-piece, unitary, elongate, tubular light pole. The elongate light pole defines a central axis and is constructed from a filament-wound composite of fiber-reinforced bonding agent and has a wall thickness of less than ¾ inch, and preferably ? inch. The pole is configured and adapted to support a lighting structure thereon without failure of the composite, such that a twenty-foot section of the pole is capable of withstanding a lateral load transverse of the axis of at least 300 pounds without failure of the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: North Pacific Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Clint Ashton
  • Patent number: 6939424
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method and an apparatus for making a spirally-wound tube from a hollow thermoplastic profile (1) having a substantially rectangular cross-section, which method comprises the steps of: winding the thermoplastic profile (1) around a drum (2) and joining adjacent loops together by welding, and smoothing the outer weld joint (13) by means of extra heat and a smoothing body resting against the weld joint (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Oy KWH Pipe AB
    Inventors: Seppo Takala, Marek Warcholinski
  • Patent number: 6939590
    Abstract: There is provided a paperboard tube structure with an intermediate ply having cut-and-folded tabs to increase the effective thickness of the intermediate ply. The paperboard tube includes a plurality of paperboard plies wrapped one atop another about an axis with the intermediate ply positioned between an interior paperboard ply and an exterior paperboard ply. A plurality of cut-and-folded tabs are each created by a nonlinear incision in the intermediate ply that extends from a first endpoint to a second endpoint thereby creating a folding axis along a line from the first endpoint to the second endpoint. The tab is folded about the folding axis to overlie a region of the intermediate ply adjacent the folding axis. The tabs increase the effective thickness of the wall of the paperboard tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Wim van de Camp, Xiaokai Niu
  • Patent number: 6929709
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a support structure/membrane composite device which includes a support structure, such as a radially expandable stent, a porous non-textile polymeric membrane adjacent to said stent and a thermoplastic anchor means attaching said stent to said porous non-textile polymeric membrane. The porous non-textile polymeric membrane is preferably made from expandable fluoropolymer materials. The anchoring means is a thermoplastic material which is dissolvable at the interface between the support structure and membrane by a suitable solvent which wets the membrane surface and deposits the thermoplastic material within the pores of the membrane. Methods of preparing the device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: SciMed Life Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Smith
  • Patent number: 6921449
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing on a continuous basis quantities of seamed belts with imageable seams for printing systems from a continuous supply web of belt material, which seamed belts need to be manufactured to a desired circumference and width. In the disclosed embodiment the sides of the incoming supply web are cut in seam-forming mating edges and the web is fed in at an angle to a pair of rollers, at least one of which is tapered, to spirally wrap the web into a cylinder of the desired circumference of the seamed belts and providing mating engagement and gluing of the seam-forming edges. Then by sequentially transversely cutting off cylindrical segments of that spirally formed cylinder into the desired width, multiple seamed belts are formed with both the desired circumference and width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Paul F. Mastro
  • Patent number: 6878329
    Abstract: A method of making a catheter balloon or other tubular medical device or component, in which a sheet of polymeric material is wrapped on a mandrel and heated to fuse sections of the wrapped sheet together to form a tube. The mandrel has a metallic core and a jacket on an outer surface of the metallic core, and the wrapped sheet of polymeric material is heated without corroding the metallic core of the mandrel. In a presently preferred embodiment, the sheet is formed of a fluoropolymeric material, and the resulting fluoropolymeric tube forms at least a layer of a catheter balloon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Delma M. Blankenship, Jeong S. Lee
  • Patent number: 6851643
    Abstract: Wide ply gaps are intentionally introduced into one or more plies in a radially intermediate zone of the wall of a spirally wound tube. Each ply having wide ply gaps is narrower than the width that would ordinarily be employed at a given spiral winding angle to achieve a butt joint between adjacent edges of consecutive turns of the ply, and the ply is wound at that given spiral winding angle in such a manner that gaps are defined between the adjacent edges of the consecutive turns of the ply. The wide ply gaps have the effect of increasing the compliance of the intermediate zone of the tube wall in the radial direction. Such increased radial compliance has been found to improve the ID stiffness of the tube relative to a tube constructed of the same materials but having no ply gaps in the intermediate zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Yanping Qiu, Johannes W. van de Camp, Mark P. Burns, Xiaokai Niu, Cliff A. Bellum
  • Publication number: 20040200562
    Abstract: A strip builder for winding a material strip about a rotating core includes a traveling applicator head assembly for receipt of the material strip from an upstream extruder station and transport of the strip to a downstream rotating core. The assembly includes a central support arm in longitudinal travel along the rotating core. Attached to the central support arm is a belt roller, an applicator roller spaced therefrom and a belt drive coupled therebetween. A conveyor belt is wound about the belt roller. Upon rotation of the core, the rotation of the applicator roller rotates the belt roller coupled thereto. Rotation of the belt roller drives the conveyor belt towards the core with the material strip thereon. Upon the belt passing between the belt roller and displaced applicator roller, the strip is stretched and deposited onto the applicator roller for subsequent deposit onto the rotating core. A traveling stitching roller subsequently smoothes the material strip deposited on the rotating core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: J. Dean Armstrong, Lee Meyers, Mark Andrews
  • Publication number: 20040185205
    Abstract: A wound tube comprising at least two plies having a cold seal adhesive or cohesive layer for bonding the plies together. The plies are wrapped spirally about an axis to form a tube, which may then be cut to appropriate lengths. Once formed, the tubes may be used in a variety of applications including as cores for hygienic paper rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Johannes W. van de Camp
  • Publication number: 20040182500
    Abstract: There is provided a paperboard tube structure with an intermediate ply having cut-and-folded tabs to increase the effective thickness of the intermediate ply. The paperboard tube includes a plurality of paperboard plies wrapped one atop another about an axis with the intermediate ply positioned between an interior paperboard ply and an exterior paperboard ply. A plurality of cut-and-folded tabs are each created by a nonlinear incision in the intermediate ply that extends from a first endpoint to a second endpoint thereby creating a folding axis along a line from the first endpoint to the second endpoint. The tab is folded about the folding axis to overlie a region of the intermediate ply adjacent the folding axis. The tabs increase the effective thickness of the wall of the paperboard tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Wim van de Camp, Xiaokai Niu
  • Patent number: 6793754
    Abstract: A covered roll is disclosed. Under an exemplary embodiment, the covered roll includes a roll core base, an under-layer formed of densely packed fibers and a covering layer. The under-layer, which may include straight and directionally oriented fibers, is infused with a thermoset resin and circumferentially surrounds the roll core base. The covering layer, which may be formed of a rubber, urethane, thermoset resin or other plastics, circumferentially surrounds the under-layer. The resin infused under-layer provides improved strength to the resulting covered roll and improves adhesion between the covering layer and the metal roll core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Materials Corporation
    Inventor: Yang T. Shieh
  • Publication number: 20040163725
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing a core or tube. The apparatus comprises a source of radiant energy and the adhesive used in the core or tubewinding process comprises an energy absorbing ingredient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventor: Peter D. Pierce
  • Publication number: 20040118471
    Abstract: Reinforced pipe obtained by winding, onto a tubular support based on a polymeric composition, of reinforcing tapes comprising an oriented polymeric composition in layers crossed at an equal but opposite angle relative to the axis of the pipe. The tapes are selected from those whose polymeric composition exhibits particular mechanical strength properties in tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Claude Dehennau, Pierre Matz
  • Patent number: 6752890
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a press fabric for a paper machine includes the attachment of a strip of top laminate layer material to a base fabric using a heat-activated adhesive film. The top laminate layer material may be a woven fabric, a nonwoven mesh, or a thermoplastic sheet material, and, in any case, has the heat-activated adhesive film bonded to one of its two sides. The strip of top laminate layer material and heat-activated adhesive film together form a multi-component strip, which is spiralled onto the outer surface of the base fabric, with the side of the strip of top laminate layer material having the heat-activated adhesive film against the outer surface, in a closed helix, and bonded thereto with heat and pressure. The portions of the multi-component strip overhanging the lateral edges of the base fabric are then trimmed, and a staple fiber batt is needled into and through the top laminate layer formed by the multi-component strip to firmly attach it to the base fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Maurice R. Paquin
  • Publication number: 20040096616
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible hose for a vacuum cleaner and a fabricating method thereof. The fabrication method includes the steps of: extruding a primary extrusion molding band 13 having a larger size than a size of a finished state while embedding an electric wire 1 in the primary extrusion molding band 13 at a first extruder 12; molding a multi-extrusion molding band 10 in the size of the finished state at a sizing mold 14; and winding the multi-extrusion molding band 10 at a predetermined angle at a bonder and bonding a bonding portion 2 of the electric embedding portion 3 with a bonding end 4 of the semicircular portions 5 positioned on both sides of the multi-extrusion molding band 10 by using adhesive 8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventor: Il-Sook Park
  • Publication number: 20040081784
    Abstract: A thin ribbon spirally wound polymer conduit and method of forming, wherein a helical reinforcing bead is interposed adjacent overlapping layers of ribbon. Further, a method of continuously forming spirally wound conduit wherein a sacrificial layer, preferably having a different base polymer to that of the conduit, is first applied to the former before the conduit is formed overtop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Daniel John Smith, Nathan Lee Gray, Blair Victor Skelton
  • Patent number: 6723208
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric is manufactured by spirally winding a laminated structure in a plurality of turns. The laminated structure has a bottom layer and a top layer, both of which are strips having a common width. The bottom layer and the top layer are laminated to one another in a transversely offset manner, so that an unlaminated portion of the bottom layer is along one lateral edge of the laminated structure and an unlaminated portion of the top layer is along the other lateral edge. When the laminated structure is spirally wound, the unlaminated portion of the top layer in one turn overlies the unlaminated portion of the bottom layer in an adjacent turn. These are joined to one another to form the papermaker's fabric from the spirally wound structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Albany International Corp.
    Inventor: Robert A Hansen
  • Publication number: 20040026010
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing on a continuous basis quantities of seamed belts with imageable seams for printing systems from a continuous supply web of belt material, which seamed belts need to be manufactured to a desired circumference and width. In the disclosed embodiment the sides of the incoming supply web are cut in seam-forming mating edges and the web is fed in at an angle to a pair of rollers, at least one of which is tapered, to spirally wrap the web into a cylinder of the desired circumference of the seamed belts and providing mating engagement and gluing of the seam-forming edges. Then by sequentially transversely cutting off cylindrical segments of that spirally formed cylinder into the desired width, multiple seamed belts are formed with both the desired circumference and width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Paul F. Mastro
  • Publication number: 20040020586
    Abstract: A method of making a catheter balloon or other tubular medical device or component, in which a sheet of polymeric material is wrapped on a mandrel and heated to fuse sections of the wrapped sheet together to form a tube. The mandrel has a metallic core and a jacket on an outer surface of the metallic core, and the wrapped sheet of polymeric material is heated without corroding the metallic core of the mandrel. In a presently preferred embodiment, the sheet is formed of a fluoropolymeric material, and the resulting fluoropolymeric tube forms at least a layer of a catheter balloon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Delma M. Blankenship, Jeong S. Lee
  • Patent number: 6679966
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liner for producing a lining tube for carrying out sewer pipe renovation work, comprising at least one layer consisting of at least one tubular, resin-impregnated fiber band and a tubular film located on said at least one fiber band. The aim of the invention is to improve a liner of this type. To the end, a plastic film used for producing the tubular film has a reinforcement in the form of a nonwoven layer on the side facing towards the resin-impregnated fiber bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Inventor: Joachim Brandenburger
  • Patent number: 6660118
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing paint rollers includes the steps of extruding a cylindrical plastic core through a rotating extruder head, and securing an absorbent sheet material onto an outer surface of the core in a continuous process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Paint Sundry Brands, LLC
    Inventors: F. Randy Tams, Kenneth D. Tams
  • Publication number: 20030211258
    Abstract: A method of making a catheter balloon or other expandable medical device, and a balloon or other device formed thereby, in which at least a portion of a tubular, wrapped sheet of polymeric material is heated with laser radiation to form a fused seam extending along at least a section of the length of the tubular body. In one embodiment, the portion of the sheet heated by laser radiation is less than the entire area of the sheet, so that the fused seam is formed by heating portions of the sheet without heating sections of the sheet spaced apart from the fused seam. In one embodiment, the sheet of polymeric material comprises a polymer having a porous and preferably a node and fibril microstructure, which in one embodiment is selected from the group consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and expanded ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Srinivasan Sridharan, Bjorn G. Svensson
  • Publication number: 20030207069
    Abstract: A papermaker's fabric formed of a woven fabric strip. The fabric strip has a width less than a width of the papermaker's fabric, a main portion that is in the form of a multi-layer weave, and two lateral edges that are in the form of weaves having fewer layers than the main portion. The edges are formed such that when the fabric strip is wound around in a continuous spiral fashion to form a papermaker's fabric, the lateral edges overlap one another forming a spiral seam which has a number of layers equal to that of the main portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2002
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventor: Michael G. Moriarty
  • Publication number: 20030201058
    Abstract: A method for making an endoluminal prosthesis for implantation within a body lumen to maintain luminal patency, the prothesis including a support structure, such as a wire member, and a polymer component, such as a polymer cladding. The method may include joining a wire member to a polymer cladding, helically wrapping a length of the joined support wire member and polymer cladding such that adjacent windings of the polymer cladding have overlapping regions, and heating the joined support wire member and polymer cladding above the melt point of the polymer cladding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: Christopher E. Banas, Tarun J. Edwin, Brendan J. McCrea, Rajagopal R. Kowligi
  • Publication number: 20030201060
    Abstract: A fiber reinforced thermoplastic pipe member is obtained by a novel continuous process in which the reinforcement fibers are wrapped about the outer pipe surface in an unbonded condition while the pipe member continuously moves in a linear direction and which is followed by sufficient heating of the moving fiber wrapped pipe member to cause thermal bonding between the applied fibers and the pipe member. Automated apparatus for carrying out the continuous process is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventor: David Edgar Hauber
  • Publication number: 20030188792
    Abstract: A flexible duct construction and method of manufacture is provided in which the duct is formed from a continuously wound elongate member comprising a core of insulating material, a reinforcing wire element and a casing comprising a strip of substrate material extending around the core and the reinforcing element. In the preferred method of manufacture, adhesive is applied to one side of the strip of substrate, the casing has a tail part extending from a generally circular part which encapsulates the core and the reinforcing element, and the elongate encapsulated insulating member is wound helically so that the circular part of one winding overlies and adheres to the tail part of the previous winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: Talana Investments Limited
    Inventor: William James Donnelly
  • Publication number: 20030165650
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a roll type adhesive cleaner which has an easy-to-find starting end for peeling and resists double peeling and which can be produced with smaller-sized equipment that is not required to have accuracy and is therefore economically advantageous and to provide a method of fabricating the roll type adhesive cleaner. The roll type adhesive cleaner of the invention has a plurality of single-sided adhesive tapes (T) each having an adhesive-coated surface (A) on one side and a releasable surface (H) on the other side which are adhered around a core tube (11) in a layered configuration with the adhesive-coated surface (A) out and with lateral sides (s) thereof oblique to the axis of the core tube (11). The single-sided adhesive tape (T) forming each layer is laid with laps on the lateral sides (s) thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Takayuki Hirota, Akihito Shizuno, Keima Takabayashi, Hiroshi Otsuka, Takehiko Uematsu, Minoru Wada
  • Publication number: 20030121595
    Abstract: Armouring tape (102) for wrapping around a hose (300) during its fabrication by a hose-wrapping machine (200; 400). The tape (102) is coiled into a roll (100) having a hollow core (109) from which the tape (102) is unwound to be wrapped onto the hose (300). The hose-wrapping machine (200; 400) rotatably mounts the roll (100) with the hose (300) passing through the roll core (109), the roll axis (108) being skewed to the hose axis (304) by the helix angle at which the tape (102is to be wrapped onto and along the hose (300). The hose (300) is moved longitudinally through the longitudinally static roll (100) and at the same tine, the roll (100) is rolated around the longitudinal axis (304) of the non-rotating hose (300). The armouring tape (102) unwinds from the inside (109) or the roll onto and along the hose (300) so as to wrap the hose (300) with a uniform helix of armouring tape (102).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Keith Dixon-Roche, Luc Julien Pierre Albert Bourgeois
  • Patent number: 6537405
    Abstract: In the present invention, hollow thermoplastic foam tubes of any desired diameter are easily achieved as well as large sheets or planks of thermoplastic foam material in any width and thickness desired by spirally wrapping and fusing a thermoplastic foam profile having a desired size and shape. By employing a thermoplastic foam extruder to produce a profile having a desired cross-sectional shape or configuration, and advancing the profile onto a rotating support member for being wrapped peripherally surrounding the rotating support and continuously bonding the abutting edges of the profile as the profile is spirally wound, a unique spiral forming and product manufacturing procedure and system is realized. By employing this unique spiral forming process, a hollow cylindrical thermoplastic foam tube is formed on a continuous basis, with the length thereof being controlled only by the needs of the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Nomaco, Inc.
    Inventors: Randal Henderson, Eduardo Lauer, Michael Allman, Jeremy Fetvedt
  • Publication number: 20030034117
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing a core or tube using radio frequency. When using aqueous-based adhesives, application of radio frequency allows for a much more efficient and much quicker method for drying and curing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Inventors: Christopher Scott Thomas, Peter D. Pierce, Christian E. Russell
  • Patent number: 6514369
    Abstract: The invention includes a method for producing a covered roll having a reinforcement fiber mat under layer infused with low viscosity thermoset resin and a smooth high temperature, high performance polymeric outer layer. The mat is formed of a plurality of layers, each layer having a leading edge that abuts a following edge when wrapped over the roll core, each subsequent layer being affixed to the previous layer along a seam, the seams being spaced apart angularly from one another to prevent irregularities over the surface of the resulting roll core. One or more layers of the dry reinforcement fiber mat may be formed of a two-ply construction, the first ply having fibers arranged in a random pattern, the second ply having aligned fibers oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the roll core central axis. The invention also includes an improved mold tape assembly for use in applying a polymeric cover over a roll core and an inventive apparatus for fabricating the mold tape assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Materials Corporation
    Inventor: Yang T. Shieh
  • Publication number: 20030019874
    Abstract: Pressure vessel end dome reinforcements are placed upon resin impregnated fiber wound pressure vessels to improve the strength to weight ratio of high performance pressure vessels, such as those that are used as rocket motors, gas generators, and the like. The reinforcement structures are assembled from gore pieces to form gore bodies over dome regions of the pressure vessels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Inventors: Roger D. Wright, Marcus A. Darais, James A. Yorgason, Alan J. Loveless, Darrel G. Turner, David R. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6488802
    Abstract: A process of making a continuous thermoplastic helical seam profile pipe. The thermoplastic material is extruded through a die to form a continuous square tube. The continuous tube is cooled and a filler material is applied. The continuous tube bearing the applied filler material is helically wound to form turns of wound continuous tube. Each turn of the continuous tube is pressed into the preceding turn on the mandrel for adhering the turns together to form the pipe. Apparatus for producing a helical seam profile pipe includes a frame, and a mandrel mounted on the frame for rotation on the frame about a longitudinal axis of the mandrel to helically wind the thermoplastic tube around the mandrel. A source of filler material, and a filler material applicator located adjacent to the mandrel continuously apply a bead of the filler material to the thermoplastic tube prior to being wound on the mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Inventors: Jerry C. Levingston, J. Keith Beasley