A maple sap line system and method for spin welding provides secure, unobstructed lines for collecting sap by creating a hermetically sealed connection between a lateral line and a mainline. A fitting connects the mainline to the lateral line. The fitting is spin welded to the mainline at a contact interface. The fitting comprises a protruding member that easily melts to create the frictional weld. The fitting has an elongated body comprising barbs that receive the lateral line. The fitting has a channel that enables fluid communication between the mainline and the lateral line. The flanges in the fitting register with a chuck to rotate the fitting against the main line at a high rpm. Molten debris formed in the channel is dislodged by drilling with a collared drill. The drilling provides fluid communication and creates a smooth inner surface in the mainline, and cuts off flanges from the fitting.

A machine is described for covering book covers and sealing envelopes or articles of various kind. The machine comprises a fixed lower base suitable for resting a sheet of flexible plastic material for an article to be covered, an upper part movable towards said base and a heatable blade accommodated in the upper part to execute soldering of the overlapped ends of the plastic material sheet along the article edges when the upper part is approached to the lower base. The machine comprises an electric motor, a control member accessible from the outside of the machine for operating the electric motor and movement transmission means acting on the sides of the upper part to induce, at every activation of the electric motor, movement of the upper part towards the lower base for executing the soldering of the ends of the plastic material sheet.

A method for manufacturing a pressure adjustment mechanism having a film capable of being more easily molded than a conventional technique is provided. The method for manufacturing a pressure adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a pressure of a liquid, comprises: preparing a main body in which an elastic body is disposed in a depressed portion, and a film having flexibility to which a plate member is fixed; welding the film to the main body in such a manner as to cover the depressed portion while contracting the elastic body by using the plate member; and molding the film by moving the plate member in a direction opposite to the depressed portion while sucking a portion to which the plate member is fixed in the film in a state where the film is fixed to the main body in the welding.

A joining apparatus includes a fusing mechanism part that joins two thermoplastic sheet-like materials by fusing, a sticking mechanism part that sticks an adhesive tape along a joined portion of the sheet-like materials, a workbench having a placement surface on which the fusing mechanism part and the sticking mechanism part are disposed side by side, the placement surface allowing the sheet-like materials in an unfolded state to be placed thereon, and a guide that allows an end portion to be joined of one of the sheet-like materials and an end portion to be joined of the other sheet-like material to overlap each other while aligned along a plane intersecting the placement surface, each of the end portions to be joined of the sheet-like materials being placed on the placement surface, and to feed the overlapping end portions to be joined. The fusing mechanism part fuses and joins the end portions.

A device for welding profiled elements in plastic material includes: a base frame supporting retaining members of respective profiled elements, to engage the profiled elements with corresponding zones to be welded facing one another; a heater for heating the weld zones of the profiled elements; a unit to move the retaining members, to shift the profiled elements between a first reciprocal away direction and a second reciprocal closer direction wherein the zones to be welded are coupled together; and a removal unit utilizing milling The removal unit includes: a supporting frame positioned in correspondence to the retaining members; at least one machining tool; a motor part associated with the tool; and a movement member of the tool, to move it between a first idle condition and a second working condition wherein it is placed between the profiled elements.

A method for welding profiled elements in plastic material includes: preparing two profiled elements, arranged with respective weld zones facing one another; making a groove corresponding to at least one weld zone of the profiled elements, the grooving performed by a removal operation on a peripheral edge of at least one profiled element; heating the weld zones; coupling the zones to be welded to one another, pressing the profiled elements together to keep the zones to be welded in reciprocal contact. The coupling step includes: a sub-step of melting the zones to be welded into one another in order to define a welding bead; a sub-step of making a containing compartment defined by the groove, the welding bead being made internally of the containing compartment; and the step of arranging a containing presser in correspondence to the containing compartment for preventing exit of the welding bead from the compartment itself.

Elastomeric articles, such as gloves, are made by welding together two plies of a multi-layer film. The film plies are welded together through ultrasonic bonding, thermal bonding, or mixtures thereof. The multi-layer film includes at least three layers that, in one embodiment, are coextruded. Each layer of the multi-layer film is made from a different composition that produces layers having different properties.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to manufacturing balloon envelopes for use in high-altitude mesh networks for packet-data communications. As an example, a gore portion may be placed on a table such that the gore portion overlies a groove within the table. A tendon may be placed on the gore portion and within the groove. A portion of tubing may be placed over the tendon. The tubing may have one or more surface openings. Restraining tape is applied over the one or more surface openings in the tubing. A constant force roller is applied to secure the tendon to the gore portion and to secure the tendon to the tubing. As an alternative or in addition to the surface openings, double-sided restraining tape may be placed between the tendon and the tubing. The tubing and restraining tape may prevent undesired lateral and longitudinal movement of the tendon during deployment.

A flexible container is provided. The flexible container includes four panels. The four panels form (i) a body portion; (ii) a neck portion, and a flare portion that extends from the neck portion; (iii) a tapered transition portion between the body portion and the neck portion; and (iv) the neck portion has a reduced width. The flare portion has an expanded end. The width of the flare portion gradually increases from the neck portion to the expanded end.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and techniques for inspecting seals for high altitude balloons. In one example, a system may include a reflective surface, a translucent material on the reflective surface, and a movable light source configured to move along the reflective surface and provide light to the reflective surface. The light is provided such that it is reflected from the reflective surface and through the translucent material in order to backlight a balloon envelope seal for inspection. A method for inspecting a balloon envelope seal may include placing balloon envelope material on a table, forming a seal between portions of the material, moving a light over the seal, shining light onto a reflective portion of the table below the seal to backlight the seal, and inspecting the seal using the backlighting of the seal.