The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.

A play ball has a rubber shell filled with resilient foam having an entire outer peripheral surface thereof intimately attached by heat fusion and adhesive to an entire interior surface of the shell. Such attachment enables the foam to provide additional resiliency by foam tension, as well as by foam compression, thereby significantly extending the effective bounce life of the ball. A seamed dog chew toy has essentially similar construction such that the increased retention force provided by the intimate attachment of the foam to the shell resists the chewing force of the dog popping a seam improving durability.

The utilization of heat in the manufacturing of footwear may be accomplished through microwave energy. The microwave energy is conveyed to the footwear components through a microwave transparent window of a tool. The microwave transparent tool window forms as least a portion of a part-contacting surface of the tool. Another surface of the tool is formed from a microwave reflecting material, such as aluminum. The footwear component(s) are exposed to microwave energy while within the tool such that the microwave energy passes through the tool window to cause a dielectric heating of one or more materials within a tool cavity of the tool.

An apparatus for building a tire for a vehicle wheel includes at least one forming support and at least one assembly device for assembling components of elastomeric material on the forming support. The at least one assembly device includes at least one dispensing device for dispensing a continuous elongated element of elastomeric material and at least one application device for applying the continuous elongated element in a form of coils disposed in side by side relationship or at least partly superposed, wound on the forming support and forming the at least one component of elastomeric material of the tire. The apparatus also includes at least one pressure device operatively acting on an applied portion of the continuous elongated element, wherein the pressure device includes a central roller and two side rollers, each laterally offset relative to the central roller and on the opposite side relative to the other side roller.

A device for supporting a length of pipe adapted to carry oil or gas in a subterranean environment comprises a body of rigid synthetic polymeric foam material defining an upper face of the foam body arranged to substantially receive a weight of the length of pipe and a lower face arranged for contacting a ground surface. A planar sheet of reinforcing material which is substantially incompressible in a thickness direction thereof is connected to the foam body at or adjacent the upper face thereof in transverse orientation relative to a thickness direction of the foam body between the upper and lower faces thereof so that the reinforcing sheet is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the weight of the length of pipe exerted on the foam body.

A golf ball according to the present invention comprises: a core having a diameter of 37-39 mm and a first density; a mantle which surrounds the core, includes amorphous alloy powder, and has a thickness of 0.8-1.2 mm and a second density; and a cover which surrounds the mantle and has a thickness of 1-1.4 mm and a third density.

A play ball has a rubber shell filled with resilient foam having an entire outer peripheral surface thereof intimately attached by heat fusion and adhesive to an entire interior surface of the shell. Such attachment enables the foam to provide additional resiliency by foam tension, as well as by foam compression, thereby significantly extending the effective bounce life of the ball. A seamed dog chew toy has essentially similar construction such that the increased retention force provided by the intimate attachment of the foam to the shell resists the chewing force of the dog popping a seam improving durability.

A member (10) for providing sealing, baffling, and/or reinforcement to a cavity member (30) comprising: (a) a carrier (12) with an insertion end (13) and a base end (11) having: (i) a base (16) at the base end (11) adapted for engaging with a wall (36) of the cavity member (30); (ii) a fastener (20) adapted for passing through an opening of the cavity member (32) and retaining the member (10) to the cavity member (30); (iii) a center portion (18) extending from the insertion end (13) to the base end (11); and (b) activatable material (26) disposed on the carrier (12).

An airless tire has a cylindrical tread ring 2 having a ground-contacting surface 21, a hub disposed on the radially inside of the tread ring 2 and fixed to an wheel shaft, and spokes connecting between the tread ring 2 and the hub. The tread ring 2 has a side wall 22 continued from the ground-contacting surface 21 and forming a ring side surface. The side wall 22 has a supporting portion 23 which, when the tread ring 2 alone is horizontally laid on a horizontal surface H, contacts with a horizontal surface H and supports the tread ring 2 so that a ring axis A2 is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal surface H.

An article comprising: (a) a carrier; (b) one or more carrier extensions extending from the carrier at one or more joints; (c) activatable material disposed on the carrier, at least one of the one or more carrier extensions, or a combination thereof; wherein the one or more carrier extensions are flexible relative to the carrier at the one or more hinges.