A specially-equipped ship is configured for environmental cleanup to collect plastic waste floating in the ocean. A method of using the ship is described. The specially-equipped ship can retrieve floating plastic waste in the ocean, shred it, melt it, and cool it to form a solidified block that is usefully employed to form an artificial reef on the ocean floor to house aquatic biota. The ship is outfitted with a conveyor belt fixed to the ship; a furnace to make molten plastic; a davit to drop the solidified block into the ocean to form a reef on the ocean floor. Optionally the ship includes a mold to contain molten plastic; a shredder; a storage compartment to receive plastic particles from the shredder; a fish escape; a vertical wall; a boring machine; photovoltaic cells and/or windmills to produce electric energy.

An edge-beaded fastener product such as a cushion cover tie-down has a molded profile bead secured to and extending along a flexible strip adjacent a longitudinal edge of the strip. The profile bead has a shoulder or an inboard sidewall extending away from the strip, such as for retaining a clip or hog ring. The flexible strip may have a reinforced region, inboard of the shoulder, in which resin contiguous with resin forming the profile bead encapsulates surface features of the strip. The product is made by molding resin directly onto the strip. Multiple lanes of resin may be molded on a single substrate, which is severed to form individual strips with severed, exposed strip edges.

The technology described herein relates to breathable, vented, and insulating garments. More particularly, the technology described herein relates to articles with a plurality of interconnected chambers that are configured to retain a thermally insulating fill material such as down or synthetic fibers. The plurality of interconnected chambers are formed between at least two layers of material and between a plurality of seams. The plurality of seams are configured to join the at least two layers of material together. In one aspect, each seam of the plurality of seams is angularly oriented with respect to an adjacent or neighboring seam of the plurality of seams. One or more openings or perforations may be formed on one or more seams of the plurality of seams forming the plurality of interconnected chambers. The one or more openings may achieve evaporation of moisture and/or air transfer from an interior environment of the garment to an exterior environment.

A method for making an improved contact lens with the steps of providing a mold with a space between the top surface and a bottom surface, and positioning a mat in the space of the mold, providing a bead of liquid polymer of predetermined size at a predetermined location on the surface of the mat, pressing the bead of liquid polymer into the mat between the top surface and the bottom surface of the mold to form an optical zone framed by a mat peripheral zone, exposing the optical zone and the peripheral zone with U-V radiation to harden the optical zone into a composite improved contact lens, removing the cross-linked improved contact lens from the mold, processing the peripheral zone surrounding the optical zone to have a fenestration surface having holes, the holes being through holes with predetermined diameters selected to pass larger proteins, lipids, metabolites.

A method of bonding a second object to a first object includes: providing the first object, which includes a thermoplastic liquefiable material in a solid state; providing the second object, which includes a surface portion that has a coupling structure with an undercut such that the second object can make a positive-fit connection with the first object; and pressing the second object against the first object with a tool that is in physical contact with a coupling-in structure of the second object while mechanical vibrations are coupled into the tool. The step of pressing and coupling vibrations into the tool continues until a flow portion of the thermoplastic material of the first object is liquefied and flows into the coupling structures of the second object. Thereafter, the thermoplastic material of the first object is permitted to re-solidify to yield a positive-fit connection between the first and second objects.

A barbed microcatheter includes a hollow tube having an elongated lumen, outwardly projecting barbs, fluid egress openings, a tissue anchor secured to a proximal end of the hollow tube, and a needle secured to the distal end of the hollow tube. The needle is used to form a first tissue opening at the first end of the wound. The hollow tube is pulled through the first tissue opening until the tissue anchor abuts against tissue at the first end of the wound. The needle is used to form a second tissue opening at the second end of the wound. The hollow tube is pulled through the second tissue opening so that barbs engage wound tissue. After cutting away the needle, a therapeutic fluid is introduced into the elongated lumen and passes through the fluid egress openings for infusing the wound with the therapeutic fluid.

A panel for a trailer and a method of making the same is provided. The trailer includes a front wall, a rear wall opposite the front wall, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall. The first sidewall is formed by a first continuous laminate panel that extends an entire length of the first sidewall, and the second sidewall is formed by a second continuous laminate panel that extends an entire length of the second sidewall. The first continuous laminate panel and the second continuous laminate panel each comprise a first skin, a second skin opposite the first skin, and a perforated core between the first skin and the second skin.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) for embedding a continuous elastic cord (11) along an edge of a continuous plastic sheet (12). The apparatus comprises an adhesive applicator device operable to apply an adhesive (16) along the edge of the plastic sheet, a folder device (18, 20, 34) operable to provide a folded edge of the plastic sheet (12) so that the adhesive is within the folded edge, and a feed device (24) having a tension device (30) operable to feed the elastic cord (11) in tension into the folded edge so that the elastic cord (11) is in contact with the adhesive of the edge. A bonding device (38) is operable to activate the adhesive of the folded edge to bond the elastic cord (11) in tension to the adhesive within the folded edge and to bond the folded edge to the plastic sheet (12). The invention also relates to a plastic sheet having an elastic cord at an edge thereof, a method for manufacture of said plastic sheet, and products or covers made from said plastic sheet such as oversleeves, overshoes, hair nets or bin liners etc.

Methods for manufacturing composite components having complex geometries are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a method includes laying up each of a plurality of laminates to an initial shape with a substantially planar geometry or a gently curved geometry. Then, a laid up laminate is formed to a final shape for each predefined section defined by the composite component to be manufactured. Thereafter, the laminates formed to their respective final shapes are stacked to build up the complex geometry of the composite component. Next, the composite component can be cured and finish machined as necessary to form the completed composite component.

A hydroformed expanded spun bonded nonwoven has a first substantially planar surface on one side thereof and a second surface on an opposite side thereof. The second surface includes a plurality of protuberances in a pattern. The hydroformed expanded spun bonded nonwoven web has an average loft of at least about 1.3 times greater than an original average loft of an original unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web from which the hydroformed expanded spun bonded nonwoven web was created and an air permeability of at least about 1.2 times greater than an original air permeability of the original unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web. The hydroformed expanded spun bonded nonwoven web includes bicomponent fibers combining a polymer with PLA in a ratio of polymer/PLA within a range of about 20/80 to 80/20.