A collapsing core mould is provided for forming a moulded part. The collapsing core mould has a longitudinally moveable center section for withdrawing from a plurality of surrounding laterally moveable peripheral sections, at least some of which laterally moveable peripheral sections are also longitudinally moveable. Withdrawal of the center section allows lateral movement of the at least some of the peripheral sections toward each other. Subsequent longitudinal withdrawal of the at least some of the peripheral sections allows for the remaining peripheral sections to move toward each other and release the moulded part.

A glove stripping apparatus (15) for fully stripping a partially stripped elastomeric dip-moulded glove (2) from a hand-shaped dip-moulding former (4) comprises a gripping device (25) relatively movable with respect to a downwardly hanging cuff end portion (10), a gripping actuator (32), a stripping actuator (35) and a controller for controlling the operation of the actuators. The relative movement of the gripping device and the downwardly hanging cuff end portion is driven by the stripping actuator. The gripping device has first and second gripping members (24, 26) movable relative to each other by the gripping actuator. The gripping members provide opposed gripping surfaces (34, 36) for gripping the cuff end portion. The first gripping member and the second gripping member initially provide a horizontally extending gap between the gripping surfaces which receives the cuff end portion. The gripping members are moved to reduce the gap (40) until the cuff end portion is restrained between the gripping surfaces with a beaded cuff end (3) of the glove being below the gap. The gripping members are moved downwardly (46) together towards the beaded cuff end so that the cuff end portion moves upwards relative to the gap until the beaded cuff end (3) is caught by the gap (40). The downward movement is then continued until the glove is fully stripped from the dip-moulding former.

A tread extractor assembly for removing a molded article from a mold is provided. The tread extractor assembly includes a chassis, a first spindle rotatably coupled to the chassis, and a second spindle rotatably coupled to the chassis. The first spindle is configured to rotate in a first direction and the second spindle is configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The first spindle and the second spindle are disposed to extend substantially in parallel to one another and are separated by a gap. The gap is configured to receive a portion of the molded article such that the portion of the molded article is clamped between the first spindle and the second spindle during extraction of the molded article from the mold.

A fluid transfer assembly includes one or more fluid conduit and a body portion. The body portion defines a fluid channel within the body portion that is in fluid communication which each of the one or more fluid conduits when the body portion is in an elongated state. The body portion has an elongated stat in which the body portion is configured to elongate in a range of 150 percent to 1500 percent from the unelongated state without breaking to facilitate removal of a mandrel from the fluid conduit.

The present invention discloses an apparatus (100) for removing and packaging elastomeric articles (80), the apparatus comprising a stripping means for removing said articles (80) from their former to a moveable receptacle (30), the moveable receptacle (30) having a bottom surface which opens up to unload the articles (80) into a layering conveyor (40), wherein the layering conveyor (40) is provided with side barriers (41) for aligning and stacking of the articles (80) to be collected by an end effector (50) thereafter.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing an elastomeric laminate article, the method comprising: providing a first aqueous coating composition comprising a first polymer and discrete silicon dioxide nanoparticles, wherein the first polymer is a polyurethane; providing a second aqueous coating composition comprising a second polymer; coating a substrate with the first aqueous coating composition to form a first film on the substrate; coating the first film with the second aqueous coating composition to form a second film on the first film; and removing the substrate. In another aspect, the invention relates to an elastomeric laminate article which comprises a plurality of polymeric films and one or more interfaces, wherein each adjacent pair of films defines one of the interfaces, wherein at least one of the plurality of polymeric films comprises a polyurethane, wherein the laminate comprises silicon dioxide nanoparticles, and wherein at least 60 wt % of the silicon dioxide nanoparticles are present at one or more of the interfaces defined at least in part by a polyurethane-comprising film. In both cases the laminate article may be a condom, and the invention further relates to a condom obtained or obtainable by the inventive method.

A demolding device that removes a thin-walled part from a mold, the thin-walled part being tubular and having a partially open wall, the demolding device including: contour units that are located in a circumferential direction of the thin-walled part and each of which includes a contact structure that contacts an outer surface of the thin-walled part and moves in a thin-walled surface outward direction extending away from the outer surface of the thin-walled part; and a puller that engages with edges of the partially open wall of the thin-walled part and that applies a load to the thin-walled part, the load including a force component acting in the circumferential direction of the thin-walled part. In response to application of the load from the puller to the thin-walled part, each of the contour units moves the contact structure to keep the contact structure in contact with the thin-walled part.