Stringers 12 for a pallet 10 constructed from corrugate are disclosed. The stringers 12 are manufactured from corrugate sheets 30 that are die cut and laminated into corrugate stringer blocks 40, in various aspects. The corrugate stringer blocks 40 include a plurality of stringers 12 connected by a shear bridge 34 die cut into the corrugate sheets 30 when forming the stringers 12 from the corrugate sheet 30 to retain the stringer 12 on the corrugate stringer block 40 until a separating force is applied to the block to separate the individual stringers 12 from the corrugate stringer block 40, in various aspects.

Stringers 12 for a pallet 10 constructed from corrugate are disclosed. The stringers 12 are manufactured from corrugate sheets 30 that are die cut and laminated into corrugate stringer blocks 40, in various aspects. The corrugate stringer blocks 40 include a plurality of stringers 12 connected by a shear bridge 34 die cut into the corrugate sheets 30 when forming the stringers 12 from the corrugate sheet 30 to retain the stringer 12 on the corrugate stringer block 40 until a separating force is applied to the block to separate the individual stringers 12 from the corrugate stringer block 40, in various aspects.

In at least some aspects, an auxetic structure includes a first sheet defining therein a plurality of a plurality of structural elements projecting from the first sheet, the plurality of structural elements being arranged to provide a negative Poisson's ratio, and a second sheet disposed adjacent the first sheet to define a first internal cavity between the first sheet and the second sheet. In yet other aspects, one or more additional sheets may be advantageously provided to provide a multi-layered structure having auxetic properties.

Apparatus and methods for forming three dimensional structures from a sheet of material of a desired medium are described. Examples described include an apparatus for folding a sheet of material to create a folded structure, the apparatus having a first and second array of creasing elements, and at least one actuator for causing relative movement of the first and second array of creasing elements from a first position to a second position.

The present invention discloses a method of producing at least a pair of interlocking adjacent layers of a paper packaging product, the pair of interlocking adjacent layers being formed of a sheet of slit paper having a slit pattern, the slit pattern upon expansion, forming cells that include land regions that are inclined with respect to a plane of an unexpanded sheet. The method comprises slitting the sheet of slit paper with beveled blades that have a first wedge angle on one side of the blades and a second wedge angle on the other side of the blades, wherein the first wedge angle is wider than the second wedge angle to produce slits that upon expansion, produce the lands regions that have angles of inclination in a range for 50 to 85 degrees.

Microdevices containing a chamber bound on one side by a nanoporous membrane are provided. The nanoporous membrane may contain hollow nanotubes that extend through the nanoporous membrane, from one surface to the other, and extend beyond the surface of the nanoporous membrane opposite the surface interfacing with the chamber. The nanotubes may provide a fluidic conduit between an environment external to the microdevice and the chamber, which is otherwise substantially fluid-tight. Also provided are methods of making a microdevice and methods of using the microdevices.

Microdevices containing a chamber bound on one side by a nanoporous membrane are provided. The nanoporous membrane may contain hollow nanotubes that extend through the nanoporous membrane, from one surface to the other, and extend beyond the surface of the nanoporous membrane opposite the surface interfacing with the chamber. The nanotubes may provide a fluidic conduit between an environment external to the microdevice and the chamber, which is otherwise substantially fluid-tight. Also provided are methods of making a microdevice and methods of using the microdevices.

In accordance with a broad embodiment of the invention, a novel paper product is comprised of two or more slit sheet packing material layers, each layer having its own slit pattern design to create interlocking layers of expansion sheet packaging materials. Each layer expands to create a three dimensional open netting of cells of hexagons, and the like, and is designed to have limited nesting with its opposing layer, thereby maximizing the thickness of the combined layers as compared to nested layers. Adjacent layers have differing slit patterns and can be expanded through expander type machinery such that the expansion rates of the differing slit pattern layers can be varied to deliver the same width of exiting expanded material from each layer. Preferably the differing slit patterns produce when expanded, inclined land area that have the same number of rows per inch, but different angles of inclination of the land areas, such that adjacent layers can interlock, that is, have a restricted amount of nesting.

A method and apparatus for forming patterns on sheet material are disclosed. The method comprises a continuous lateral stretch process for producing zero- or near zero-curvature structures. In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises pre-gathering the sheet material in the lateral direction to form longitudinal corrugated folds and then feeding the corrugated material through one or more sets of oscillating formers, preferably articulating discs, to impart folding in the lateral direction. Optionally, the sheet material may be fed through one or more sets of patterned rollers.

The invention concerns an elongated protective corner for the transport and/or packaging of products. The corner has at least two non-corrugated paperboard plies combined together to create two perpendicular wings and an apex The plies form multiple ply sections, and at least one of the ply sections of a given ply overlaps another ply section of the same ply. This overlapping arrangement gives the apex a resistance force of about 100 to about 500 lbs. The thickness of the corner can vary, with each wing being in the range of about 100 to about 250 points, and each ply is made from paperboard having a grammage of about 120 to about 380 g/m.sup.2. The resistance force can be determined by mounting the corner upon two blocks, and applying a force to the apex at a middle of the corner until a fracture is detected.