Abstract: The present invention discloses a process comprising forming a preform with planar stretch ratios greater than about 14 from a polyester having a natural stretch ratio which is substantially matched to the preform planar stretch ratio at processing conditions; and stretch blow molding said preform to produce a container. Suitable natural stretch ratios include those greater than about 13 at 210.degree. F. The desired natural stretch ratios and desirable final container properties are achieved by balancing the appropriate I.V. and copolymer modification.

Abstract: A composite laminate structure, and a method for its fabrication. The structure includes a syntactic core layer (10) including an epoxy system catalyzed by a Lewis acid, and two face skin layers (12), each of which has multiple graphite fibers laid up in a polycyanate matrix resin catalyzed by cobalt. After thermal curing, the laminate structure has the unusual, but highly desirable property that it is compliant enough to be conformed at room temperature to a different shape, without damage to the structure. The structure may be later conformed to other shapes or conformed to its original shape, again without damage. Structures of unusual shapes can, therefore, be easily fabricated from sheets of the laminate material formed in one (1) convenient initial shape, such as a flat panel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a rigid circuit board has a circuit board with a reduced thickness in a bend region. The bend region may have several layers of laminate and conductive material. The circuit board is heated to the glass transition temperature which allows the circuit board to become flexible. The apparatus has a clamping member and a stationary member. The clamping member uses a shape memory alloy actuator with a transition temperature about the same as the glass transition temperature of the laminate. The actuator is used to form the bend region to a predetermined shape around the stationary member. When the circuit board is cooled, the circuit board again becomes rigid in its predetermined shape.

Abstract: A corrugated plastic slip pallet is provided and comprises an intermediate corrugated member sandwiched between two generally planar sheet-like panel members and having a flat body portion on which boxes are supported and three lip portions hingedly connected to edges of the flat body portion and forming an included angle therewith of between about 135 and 160 degrees and wherein the hinge connection comprises two spaced apart welded portions extending parallel to an associated edge of the flat body portion and wherein the portions of the intermediate corrugated member and the two generally planar sheet-like panel members between the two spaced apart welded portions are not welded together.

Abstract: The foam of the present invention, which has a multi-cellular structure including many wrinkles having one end in the boundary portion where at least three cells are adjacent to one another and extending toward the central portion of the cell wall, is a rigid thermoplastic resin foam having an ultra-low density, a high sound-insulating property, a high heat-insulating property and a high flexibility, and it is suitable for adaption for building construction. The process of the present invention is to provide the aforesaid foam of the present invention by subjecting the foam of a rigid thermoplastic resin to expansion, contraction and aging.

Abstract: A molded insulating insert of expanded polystyrene has a central section and hingedly connected side sections which are bendable toward each other to bring the insert to a U-shaped configuration for insertion in a building block cavity. The hinges are formed to provide resistance to full ninety degree bending of the side sections so that the insert side sections are inclined slightly outwardly in a free condition. On flexing inwardly and insertion in a block cavity the side sections tend to spring outwardly and frictionally grip the walls of the cavity. Lug-notch connection means frictionally retain the inserts in the U-shaped configuration and prevent dislodgement of sections in the event of hinge rupture. In molding the inserts, a transfer process is employed with the hinges partially formed in a hot mold and thereafter fully formed in a cold mold. The polystyrene is compressed in the hinge area to a higher density for hinge integrity. Density in the hinge area is approximately doubled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a cup formed of a thermoplastic resin foamed sheet material and having a lip, the side wall and bottom of the cup being integrally formed, the lip extending outwardly from the mouth portion of the cup and being bent at its end radially inwardly towards the side wall. The method includes forming a rim extending outward from the mouth portion of the cup and having a downwardly extending end, providing a bending furrow on the outer periphery of the side wall at a level below the rim, and bending the rim, as it is heated, at the bending furrow. The apparatus comprises a mandrel block adapted to hold cups and rotatable and axially slidable, a hot blade or cutting blade movable toward the mandrel block and adapted to form a bending furrow for bending the rim, and a lip forming tool having a lip forming groove adapted to be heated.

Abstract: A mould portion and/or protective element of the type consisting of a material subjected to deformation is disclosed. A method and a device for manufacturing such a mould portion and/or protective element are also disclosed.The mould portion and/or protective element is preferably intended to be used as a mould portion in moulding an article and/or as a protective element to prevent access of soil and water to a surface portion of the article during transportation and storage thereof.Such materials subjected to dimensional changes as can be used as mould portions and/or protective elements present the advantages of being inexpensive and permitting removal of the article without difficulty. One such material is for example cellular plastics. The dimensional changes, however, have entailed so great difficulties in using mould portions and/or protective elements of such materials that they have made the use of the material impossible.

Abstract: Flexibilized, rigid plastic foam sheets with improved properties particularly desirable for low temperature and cryogenic insulation can be prepared by mechanical compression of freshly expanded closed-cell thermoplastic foams. Thus an extruded foam sheet having a density of 20-100 kg/m.sup.3, a y-axial size size of 0.05 to 1.00 mm and a Y-axial compressive strength of at least 1.8 kg/cm.sup.2 is flexibilized with 0.25 to 240 hours of expansion to give a flexibilized foam with improved elongation, workability, crack resistance and water vapor barrier properties.

Abstract: Rigid plastic foam is flexibilized in an apparatus utilizing four sets of foam gripping belts. A first and second set of opposed belts traveling at a given speed forward the foam into the apparatus to a second and third set of opposed belts traveling at a slower speed than the first and second set of belts. The first and third and the second and fourth sets of belts are interdigitated in a region of foam crush.

Abstract: According to the process, the shape of the mold cavity is at least partly modified at the point where it is desired to modify the physical characteristics of the molding during production. After the synthetic material is injected into the mold and hot expanded to fill the mold, the mold cavity is expanded at the point where the physical characteristics are to be modified and the molding is allowed to expand in a complementary manner in order that the material completely fills the expanded cavity. Then there is a compression of the molding and the molding is cooled to fix its shape.

Abstract: An improvement in the manufacture of flexible densified polyurethane foam wherein the partially cured freely risen foam is fed through a crush conveyor to minimize the density gradient throughout the vertical cross section. The crush conveyor includes an upper crushing section which is arcuate and has a radius of a dimension such that the ratio of the radius of the arc to height of the partially cured freely risen foam is 1.1 to 1 or greater. The crush conveyor has a bottom crushing section which may be arcuate with a radius of a dimension such that the ratio of its radius to the height of the partially cured freely risen foam is also 1.1 to 1 or greater. The radius of the bottom arcuate crushing section may be the same or larger than the radius of the top arc. As an alternative, the bottom crushing section may be planar and may be horizontal, or inclined with respect to the horizontal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to improve the rupture stability of polyurea foam materials to such a level that they can be applied on a commercial scale. This is achieved by incorporating 0.5 to 50 parts by weight of at least one alkanolamine having at least one amino group, one hydroxyl group and a molecular weight of from 47 to 2000 per 100 parts by weight of polyisocyanate used for the preparation of said polyurea foam materials. Preferably the foam material prepared is cut into pieces by cutting it in the rise direction, more particularly in the rise direction that is perpendicular to the machine direction of the foam, and subsequently crushing said pieces at least once.

Abstract: A flexible and foldable foam plastic sheet and a process for making same, said process comprising initially compressing the foam sheet between two surfaces at least one of which is a textured surface (e.g., screen like) to reduce the sheet in thickness and reduce or destroy the resilience of the foam, and then, when further reduction in thickness of the resulting sheet is desired, pressing the resulting compressed sheet between two substantially smooth surfaces to achieve such desired further reduction in thickness. Mechanical properties of the foam sheet so processed are desirably increased thereby producing a foam sheet product suitable as a replacement for paper in many applications.

Abstract: In the process where a shaped product of expanded polystyrene is continuously produced by passing preliminarily expanded beads of polystyrene interposed inside a carrying means comprising a circulating steam-permeable single belt or a set of belts of the same nature through a pressurized steam chamber provided with pressure-sealing means at the inlet and the outlet thereof, thereby closely integrating the beads into a sheet through softening and expansion of the beads by steam heating, then cooling the resulting shaped product, and separating the shaped product from the carrying belt or belts, while withdrawing the shaped product to a successive step and returning the carrying belt or belts to the inlet side of the pressurized steam chamber, at least one of the surfaces of the carrying belt(s) is wetted with water before supplying the preliminarily expanded beads onto the belt(s) on the inlet side of the pressurized steam chamber, and thereafter the preliminarily expanded beads are supplied in excess onto the

Abstract: Improvements in the production of foam form film or sheeting plastic products in order to increase the flexibility characteristics thereof by reducing the size of the voids and increasing the number of voids therein without substantially changing the bulk density, production rate or product size and by reducing the rate at which such foamed products solidify after formation.

Abstract: This invention relates to a ring buoy (life preserver) consisting of a toroid or doughnut-shaped ring of a plastic foam, preferably but not necessarily of polystyrene foam, provided with an integral tough, wear-resistant and weather-resistant outer film of flexible strong material and having within the buoy near the outer circumference thereof within the material a continuous ring of strong, rigid material as iron, steel or other material having desirable weight characteristics. At spaced intervals indented in the outer edge of such ring are a plurality of regions, such as four, free of the buoy plastic material and providing access to such ring, whereby rope may be affixed to the ring buoy, this usually being required by rules and regulations governing the construction of such buoys and the use thereof on boats and marine facilities.

Abstract: A method of contouring a planar structure composed of a plastic layer sandwiched between opposing paper layers. A predetermined thickness of one of the paper layers is removed leaving a nappy contour layer surface. The nappy surface is then moistened. The moistened laminated structure is then bent to a predetermined radius of curvature and mounted in a fixture to hold the structure until it dries. Upon drying, the structure is removed from the fixture and maintains the predetermined radius of curvature.