A stamping apparatus is provided for producing an ammunition tray from metal sheet template with interleaving parallel cutouts in conjunction with a shop press. The apparatus includes upper and lower tray dies, upper and lower binders, and a pair of bolsters. Each die has opposite external and internal sides. The external side has a depression pocket. The internal side has a die impression to shape the template. Each binder has a cavity. The tray dies are disposed between the binders. The bolsters are disposed for engaging the shop press to apply compressive force. Each bolster correspondingly inserts through the cavity and into the depression pocket. The template is disposed between lower and upper internal sides of respective the dies. The shop press applies compression to the bolsters for stamping the template by the dies into the ammunition tray.

A soil reinforcing element and method of manufacturing for use in a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure. A smooth metal strip is fabricated into a soil reinforcing element that is manufactured from stock pulled from a coil, the surface of the strip surface is manipulated using the technique of cold forming. Where the manipulated surface is optimized to consist of a peak and a valley to increase the pullout resistance when embedded in an earthen formation involving a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure.

A method is used to manufacture a lower jaw of an end effector of a surgical instrument. The method includes providing a lower jaw that includes a U-shaped body portion. The U-shaped body portion includes a bottom wall interposed between first and second opposing side walls. The method also includes forming at least one feature into at least one of the first and second side walls, wherein the at least one feature has a near net shape. The method also includes subsequently machining the at least one feature to have a machined shape.

Provided is an electric valve and a manufacturing method thereof. The electric valve includes a valve body member, a valve seat member, a transmission member, a valve core member and a nut. The valve core member includes an upper tubular body including a first cavity, a valve core body and a connecting member. The valve core body is roughly in a round tubular shape and includes an annular thin wall portion and a second cavity. The connecting member includes a first axial through hole, and the upper end portion of the connecting member includes a lower stop portion. The annular thin wall portion is capable of abutting against a sealing portion of the valve seat member. A lower end portion of the nut is engageable with the lower stop portion to limit downward movement of the nut.

A tool for forming flashing is disclosed. The tool includes an elongate rod member, a handle member disposed on a first end of the rod member, and a spade member on a second end of the rod member opposite the first end, wherein the spade member includes first and second spades symmetrically disposed and having a gap therebetween.

A method for manufacturing an expansion anchor is provided, in which a bolt is provided, which includes an expansion body for expanding an expansion sleeve surrounding the bolt, an annular sleeve blank having an opening is provided, the bolt is introduced into the opening of the annular sleeve blank, and the annular sleeve blank is reduced in diameter while the bolt is located in the opening of the annular sleeve blank. The invention also relates to expansion anchors, which may be obtained with the aid of the method according to the invention, in particular bolt-type anchors having closed annular expansion sleeves and, in particular, anchors having expansion sleeves with protruding noses, which are each situated on a closing fold of the expansion sleeve.

A method for manufacturing an expansion anchor is provided, in which a bolt is provided, which includes an expansion body for expanding an expansion sleeve surrounding the bolt, an annular sleeve blank having an opening is provided, the bolt is introduced into the opening of the annular sleeve blank, and the annular sleeve blank is reduced in diameter while the bolt is located in the opening of the annular sleeve blank. The invention also relates to expansion anchors, which may be obtained with the aid of the method according to the invention, in particular bolt-type anchors having closed annular expansion sleeves and, in particular, anchors having expansion sleeves with protruding noses, which are each situated on a closing fold of the expansion sleeve.

An electrical contact material (10) having: a conductive substrate (1) formed from copper or a copper alloy; a first intermediate layer (2) provided on the conductive substrate (1); a second intermediate layer (3) provided on the first intermediate layer (2); and an outermost layer (4) formed from tin or a tin alloy and provided on the second intermediate layer (3), wherein the first intermediate layer (2) is constructed as one layer of grains extending from the conductive substrate (1) side to the second intermediate layer (3) side, and wherein, in the first intermediate layer (2), the density of grain boundaries (5b) extending in a direction in which the angle formed by the grain boundary in interest and the interface between the conductive substrate and the first intermediate layer is 45° or greater, is 4 μm/μm.sup.2 or less; a method of producing the same; and a terminal.

An electrical contact material (10) having: a conductive substrate (1) formed from copper or a copper alloy; a first intermediate layer (2) provided on the conductive substrate (1); a second intermediate layer (3) provided on the first intermediate layer (2); and an outermost layer (4) formed from tin or a tin alloy and provided on the second intermediate layer (3), wherein the first intermediate layer (2) is constructed as one layer of grains extending from the conductive substrate (1) side to the second intermediate layer (3) side, and wherein, in the first intermediate layer (2), the density of grain boundaries (5b) extending in a direction in which the angle formed by the grain boundary in interest and the interface between the conductive substrate and the first intermediate layer is 45° or greater, is 4 μm/μm.sup.2 or less; a method of producing the same; and a terminal.

A sludge digester including a vessel and floating cover. The vessel includes a sidewall and an interior volume configured to receive and contain sludge. According to one embodiment, the cover comprises a frame structure that is constructed and arranged to form a skirt member formed at a periphery of the cover and extending downwardly into the vessel, and a continuous ballast ring attached to a lower portion of the skirt member and configured to form a trough member with an interior surface of the skirt member. The sludge digester may also include a guide system coupled to the sidewall and the skirt member and configured to allow vertical displacement of the cover with change in volume of at least one of a gas and a sludge contained in the vessel beneath the cover.