Abstract: Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. Portions of the articles may be manufactured using rapid manufacturing and those portions may be joined with portions formed using conventional, non-rapid manufacturing techniques. The methods may also include performing a scan of an appropriate body part of a user, such as a foot, in order to create a customized article of footwear for the user.

Abstract: An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000° Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700° Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

Abstract: By creating a temperature profile across a polishing pad, a respective temperature profile may be obtained in a substrate to be polished, which may result in a respective varying removal rate across the substrate for a chemically reactive slurry material or for an electro-chemically activated polishing process. Hence, highly sensitive materials, such as material comprising low-k dielectrics, may be efficiently polished with a high degree of controllability.

Abstract: Pinion gears for planetary gear transmissions are hobbed, heat treated, and then ground to get better control of the leads/profiles on all the gear teeth. Then a light shot peening is applied to the tooth flanks to achieve the desired compressive residual stresses on the tooth surface. By applying the process in the controlled manner specified, the surface is not over-cold worked. Next, a chemically assisted isotropic surface treatment is applied over the pinion gears to improve the surface finish on the gear teeth. For low speed applications the surface finish improves the lambda ratio, allowing for a good oil film thickness on the surface of the gear teeth.

Abstract: An invention is provided for creating smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments. The invention includes placing a plurality of heat-treated glass fragments into a tumbling or vibrating apparatus. Each heat-treated glass fragment is formed from glass that has been heated to a temperature of at least 1000° Fahrenheit and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 700° Fahrenheit. The plurality of glass fragments are then tumbled or vibrated for a predetermined period of time such that surfaces of the heat-treated glass fragments are smoother than prior to tumbling. The glass fragments are thereafter removed from the tumbling apparatus, resulting in smoothed, heat-treated glass fragments that are suitable for direct handling without hand protection.

Abstract: Grinding machine with a machine bed, with a tool carriage that is linearly movable on the machine bed in a Y-axis, with a tool spindle, which is mounted in the tool carriage so as to rotate around an X-axis that is perpendicular to the Y-axis, and which can be rotationally driven, with an X-carriage that is linearly movable on the machine bed in the X-axis, with a Z-carriage that is linearly movable on the X-carriage with a Z-axis that is perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis, and with a work piece jig, which is arranged on the Z-carriage so as to pivot around a B-axis, which is parallel to the Y-axis, and which is capable of rotating around its A-axis, which is perpendicular to the B-axis.

Abstract: A method of removing parting line flash from a molded golf ball by use of low temperature cryogenic deflashing apparatus is disclosed. The cryogenic deflashing apparatus incorporates a rotating basket wherein the golf balls are placed and therein agitate them such that each ball will be evenly exposed to a recirculating blasting media. The low temperature environment causes the very thin gauge (0.003″) parting line flash to become embrittled relative to the ball and is deflashed by the blasting media, which comprises plastic pellitized shot.

Abstract: In a method for ultrafine grinding of solid particulate material to mean particle sizes far below 1 micrometer and/or for mixing of powder and agglomerate material with mean particle sizes in the range of nanometers, the material to be ground and/or mixed and an grinding/mixing additive are filled into a cooled grinding chamber containing loose grinding media. By motion of the grinding media relative to adjacent media and to the walls of the grinding chamber the material is ground to the desired particle size and/or is finely mixed. Subsequently the additive is removed from said material. For the production of particle sizes in the range of nanometers and/or for mixing particles of this size range, the method comprises that grinding and/or mixing is carried out in a cooled atmosphere in the presence of a fine grained solidified additive which is chemically inert to said material, preferably water ice or solid carbon dioxide, at temperatures below their melting or sublimation temperature.

Abstract: A method for making glass and particularly ceramic frits, comprising the steps of: introducing in a wet grinding unit, after a metering step according to chosen proportions, materials which constitute a mixture to be melted, to produce a slurry; screening and collecting said slurry in a storage tank; introducing the collected slurry in a melting furnace to make a liquid component of the slurry evaporate; and forming a melted paste of vitreous material, adapted to be converted into a ceramic frit.

Abstract: In a method for ultrafine grinding of solid particulate material to mean particle sizes far below 1 micrometer and/or for mixing of powder and agglomerate material with mean particle sizes in the range of nanometers, the material to be ground and/or mixed and an grinding/mixing additive are filled into a cooled grinding chamber containing loose grinding media. By motion of the grinding media relative to adjacent media and to the walls of the grinding chamber the material is ground to the desired particle size and/or is finely mixed. Subsequently the additive is removed from said material. For the production of particle sizes in the range of nanometers and/or for mixing particles of this size range, the method comprises that grinding and/or mixing is carried out in a cooled atmosphere in the presence of a fine grained solidified additive which is chemically inert to said material, preferably water ice or solid carbon dioxide, at temperatures below their melting or sublimation temperature.

Abstract: A method for treating a surface of a first metallic component with an arrangement that includes (i) a receptacle, (ii) a polishing media located within the receptacle, and (iii) a mixing device operative to cause relative movement between the polishing media and the first metallic component is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of polishing articles comprising soft acrylic materials is disclosed. The method includes a polishing step and a cleaning step. In the polishing step a receptacle is charged with polishing beads of various sizes, alumina, sodium hydroxide, water, a surfactant, and the articles to be polished, and agitated for a period of time and at a speed sufficient to remove surface irregularities. The polishing step is completed below the glass transition (Tg) point of the acrylic article being polished but above 0° C. Following the polishing step, the polished articles are cleaned by rinsing them with water for a period of time to clean the surface of the polished articles.

Abstract: Processing, such as grinding or cutting, in a cold air blast is performed at low temperature with higher precision and higher efficiency in a pollution-less situation, wherein a conventional processing fluid is not applied. A compressed dry cold air of a temperature of minus 30.degree. C. or lower is blasted to a processing spot during processing, while a pollution-less fine mist of an oil, such as Accu-Lube, is supplied to the surface of a grinding stone in a small amount, or with a processing tool which has been treated in a fixed lubrication treatment. The apparatus includes a cooler for cooling a temperature of a filtered, compressed, dry air to minus 1.degree. C. or lowers a cold air blasting unit for supplying the cooled dry air to a processing spot, and a device which supplies a mist of a pollution-less oil, such as a vegetable oil or the like, to the processing spot directly or indirectly by the help of the processing tool.

Abstract: A method of treating stone that produces dramatic natural changes by the use of heat only, the dramatic changes being, deeper more brilliant colors, smoother texture, richer luster, and easier workability. This method first includes; Providing stone material, then with or without a sand bath, placing the stone material in a heat treating environment, increasing the temperature in specific increments until the effective heat treating temperature is reached, keeping the stone at that temperature until all the desired changes have occured, the temperature is then decreased in specific increments until the material is at room temperature. Once the stone is treated and cooled, it is ready to be shaped, and or polished. Flaked into a desired shape.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding a solid material into a granulated powder formed of particles of generally uniform size includes: a mounting frame; a grinding vessel mounted on the mounting frame which has a grinding cavity defined by a substantially planar floor, a substantially planar ceiling parallel and opposed to the vessel floor, and a substantially circular internal wall; a circular grinding disk positioned within the grinding cavity; and a drive motor or other revolving means for revolving the grinding vessel along an essentially circular path. The revolving motion of the grinding cavity should cause the grinding disk to contact and roll a solid material against the cavity internal wall and thereby grind a solid material contained therein into granules of substantially uniform size.

Abstract: An improved abrasive pellet for use in abrading fabrics during a wash cycle. A pellet is formed of a mixture of plastic resin, plasticizer resin and abrasive filler mixed at temperature sufficient to maintain the mixture as a liquid. The mixture is then extruded through a die of a desired shape and cut so that a pellet of desired cross-sectional shape and size is formed. The pellet is hard at room temperature, but becomes pliant at normal wash water temperatures. The abrasive filler provides the desired abrasive qualities in the pellet.

Abstract: An improved abrasive pellet for use in abrading fabrics during a wash cycle. A pellet is formed of a mixture of plastic Yesin, piasticizer resin and abrasive filler mixed at temperature sufficient to maintain the mixture as a liquid. The mixture is then extruded through a die of a desired shape and cut so that a pellet of desired cross-sectional shape and size is formed. The pellet is hard at room temperature, but becomes pliant at normal wash water temperatures. The abrasive filler provides the desired abrasive qualities in the pellet.