Seal assemblies and methods for forming them are described. Aspects of the seal assemblies include a seal ring made of a relative soft material supported by a specially configured backing ring made of a much higher modulus material, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal or engineered plastic. The seal assemblies may optionally include a retaining ring to prevent slippage relative to the environment or housing in which they are placed and to prevent shuttling. The seal assemblies may also optionally include an energizer to alter the force generating by a sealing lip on the seal ring. The seal assemblies preferably include a rigid hoop ring to minimize shrinkage due to thermal cycling.

This invention provides fall protection systems comprising a suspension fabric, supported by a grid-work of longitudinal and lateral bands, in metal building construction. The fall protection system uses safety clips to attach lateral bands to intermediate purlins, and also provides novel attachments of the lateral bands to eaves and ridges whereby the respective eave and/or the ridge absorbs an enhanced portion of the force of impact when an object falls onto the fall protection system. The invention further provides methods of installing such systems, and buildings embodying such systems.

A retrieval snare for entrapping and retaining a foreign object located in a body and a method for manufacturing of the snare are provided. The snare comprises a structure having a proximal portion and a distal portion and includes a plurality of filaments. The filaments extend from an end of the proximal portion towards the distal portion and return to the end of the proximal portion to form a plurality of loops. The loops are not interconnected at the distal portion, but each side of each loop are connected to a side of an adjacent loop in the proximal portion at more than one point, thereby providing structural rigidity and dilatation ability to the snare.

Apparatus and Methods for fabricating apparatus having a hermetic seal to seal a portion of an apparatus, for example and without limitation, a portion having a MEMS sensor. One such method uses crimping devices to compress a seal in a cavity formed in a housing that includes a MEMS sensor attached to a stress isolator. Under such compression, the seal deforms to hermetically seal surfaces around the inside, outside and bottom of the stress isolator.

Apparatus and Methods for fabricating apparatus having a hermetic seal to seal a portion of an apparatus, for example and without limitation, a portion having a MEMS sensor. One such method uses crimping devices to compress a seal in a cavity formed in a housing that includes a MEMS sensor attached to a stress isolator. Under such compression, the seal deforms to hermetically seal surfaces around the inside, outside and bottom of the stress isolator.

Apparatus and Methods for fabricating apparatus having a hermetic seal to seal a portion of an apparatus, for example and without limitation, a portion having a MEMS sensor. One such method uses crimping devices to compress a seal in a cavity formed in a housing that includes a MEMS sensor attached to a stress isolator. Under such compression, the seal deforms to hermetically seal surfaces around the inside, outside and bottom of the stress isolator.

A segment for supporting electromagnetic coupling elements of a stator or rotor of an electrical machine comprises a plurality of elongate laminations which are stacked in a first direction to form a lamination stack with elongate edges of the laminations defining opposite first and second major faces of the lamination stack. The segment comprises a plurality of elongate compression devices passing internally through the lamination stack in the first direction and arranged to compress together the laminations in the lamination stack.

A connector for joining concrete structures such as double tee beams to one another. The connector includes a curved bolt that is formed with a shape memory alloy. Through utilization of the bolt, a joint can be post-tensioned following assembly through application of heat to the joint. Post-tensioning can be re-applied following loosening of the joint through application of heat. When considering a super elastic shape memory alloy, the bolt can be a smart bolt that can self-correct following deformation due to excessive load.

A clutch arrangement includes a first shaft, a second shaft arranged coaxially to the first shaft, and a clutch for connecting the first shaft to the second shaft without play. An axis of rotation is defined in accordance with the two shafts, a circumferential direction is defined around the axis of rotation, and a radial direction is defined perpendicularly to the axis of rotation. In addition, the clutch includes at least one displacement element and at least one clutch element which is displaceable relative to the two shafts in the circumferential direction and/or in the radial direction, and wherein the displacement element is designed to press the clutch element against the first and/or second shaft without play in the circumferential direction and/or in the radial direction in order to compensate for play between the two shafts in circumferential direction and for inevitable manufacturing tolerances of axial and angular offsets of the two shafts.

A segment for supporting electromagnetic coupling elements of a stator or rotor of an electrical machine comprises a plurality of elongate laminations which are stacked in a first direction to form a lamination stack with elongate edges of the laminations defining opposite first and second major faces of the lamination stack. The segment comprises a plurality of elongate compression devices passing internally through the lamination stack in the first direction and arranged to compress together the laminations in the lamination stack.