A vehicle exterior surface protective device for protecting a portion of a vehicle from damage by hail includes a shell, which defines an interior space, and a fastener. The shell is sized to cover a portion of an exterior surface of a vehicle, such as a window and a body panel. A first insert and a second insert are positioned in the interior space, adjacent to a top and a bottom of the shell, respectively. The first insert is at least semirigid and can resist impact deformation. The second insert is resiliently deformable and can dissipate a force from an impact of an object. The fastener is engaged to the shell and is selectively engageable to the vehicle to fixedly position the shell over the portion of the exterior surface. The shell thus positioned protects the portion of the exterior surface from the impact of the object.

Methods for fabricating a 3D braided material and exemplary 3D braided material for sporting implements are disclosed. The exemplary braids can be incorporated into any sporting implements, such as, baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, hockey sticks, rackets, helmets, and other protective equipment. The example sporting implement can be constructed, partially or entirely, with a braided three dimensional structure. The 3D braided material can be a multi-directional layup having tows oriented in three directions (X, Y and Z) and also at any angle created by the combination of two or three directions. A single woven preform can be formed that can have a near net shape of the formed product, with the fibers oriented in a way that will be optimal for the particular application.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a stitched filtering fabric including a barrier layer configured to inhibit air flow through the filtering fabric, a yarn stitched through and forming a plurality of stitch holes in the barrier layer, and a first yarn layer comprising interlocking loops of the yarn. The barrier layer is configured to direct air flow through the yarn within the stitched holes.

Load-bearing apparatus/systems for location in the vicinity of energized power lines are provided. The apparatus includes a base member. The base member has an upper layer and a backing surface layer. An uppermost surface of the upper layer is adapted to support on it at least power line workers and/or related stringing equipment. At least the uppermost surface of the upper layer is adapted to be electrically conductive. Methods for forming the apparatus are also provided.

Disclosed are an undercover for vehicles with high elasticity and rigidity and a method of manufacturing the same. The undercover for vehicles with high elasticity and rigidity may include a needle-punched nonwoven fabric having a multi-layer structure of felt layers including a first PET fiber and a low-melting-point PET fiber, and each of the felt layers may have improved tensile strength and have optimized fiber alignment, to thereby improve the binding between fibers, mechanical rigidity and elasticity, as well as to reduce the weight of components, improve durability and secure harmlessness and inline workability.

A waterproof sound-transmitting sheet, which interposes an adhesive layer composed of a material having micropores formed therein, thus smoothing the flow of the air between a waterproof sound-transmitting layer and a support layer. The waterproof sound-transmitting sheet includes a waterproof sound-transmitting layer formed of a film having elasticity, an adhesive layer having one surface adhered to one surface of the waterproof sound-transmitting layer, and a support layer having one surface adhered to the other surface of the adhesive layer; and the adhesive layer includes a substrate having a pore formed therein and an adhesive agent formed on both surfaces of the substrate.

A base layer for use in hazardous environments, such as smoky environments, the base layer (1) comprising a composite fabric (100) comprising a breathable membrane layer (101) having a multiplicity of pores and a breathable fire-retardant fabric layer (102,103) having a multiplicity of openings, the breathable membrane layer laminated on at least one side to the breathable fire-retardant fabric layer with an adhesive (104,105).

A reinforcing vibration-damping material that includes a reinforcing material and a vibration-damping material disposed on the reinforcing material in a thickness direction of the reinforcing material. The vibration-damping material has a first portion that overlaps the reinforcing material in the thickness direction and a second portion that does not overlap the reinforcing material in the thickness direction. When the reinforcing vibration-damping material is attached to the object, the reinforcing material is adhered to the object and the second portion of the vibration-damping material is also adhered to the object so that the vibration-damping material suppresses the downward displacement of the reinforcing material.

A polymer adhesive includes a polymer base comprising an ethylene and/or propylene copolymer and a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl amides, melamines, and aziridines. A laminate includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and the polymer adhesive between the first substrate and the second substrate.

A horseshoe having a front end and a back end includes a base plate having a first stiffness, an intermediate layer having a second stiffness, the second stiffness being less than the first stiffness, the intermediate plate being disposed adjacent the base plate, a top plate disposed adjacent the intermediate layer and a heel wedge capable of articulating relative to the base plate.