A life ring includes a cover formed of a knitted back polyester fabric with a top vinyl coating, and a urethane foam core within the cover. The cover and the urethane foam core are formed into a ring shape. By using the noted cover material, the life ring can be manufactured without a painting step, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and improving the consistency of the finished product.

The present invention is directed to a multilayer bag with one or more embossed layers of polymeric film and a method to form the same. The embossed layers may provide improved shock resistance, tear resistance, and allow the bag to easily stretch and expand. Each layer of the polymeric bag may be embossed separately and then combined into a multilayer web. For certain embodiments, only one layer of the multilayer bag may be embossed. The individual layers may be formed from opposing sides of a collapsed tube of polymeric film or be formed from two distinct collapsed tubes of polymeric film. The polymeric bag may be a drawstring trash bag with the embossed pattern only extending a partial height of the bag.

Systems include a creel assembly supporting a plurality of spools containing at least one cord having an indeterminate length such that a plurality of cords are supported on the creel assembly. A tensioner assembly operative to tension approximately equal predetermined lengths of the plurality of cords received from the creel assembly. A building mandrel supported for rotation and translation. A head assembly supported in fixed relation to the building mandrel. The head assembly is positioned co-axially such that the building mandrel can pass through an opening in the head assembly during translation. Methods of manufacture are included, as are flexible spring members and gas spring assemblies.

The invention relates to an article comprising a main body (6, 7, 8) that consists of a polymer material having elastic properties, particularly an air spring bellows (2), a metal-rubber element or a vibration damper. In order for fire-retardant properties to be improved, the article is provided, partially or fully, with a cover (9) formed from at least one flat textile structure and/or at least one three-dimensional textile structure and/or at least one shrink film. The cover can be fire-retardant itself or can be equipped to be fire-retardant.

An automatic apparel machine used in the manufacture of air suspension springs has two movable tables that move independently from each other on the rail system and where the raw material is placed. A movable winding mandrel moves up-down and forward-backward on the movable table by a servo motor. Automatic cutting bench grippers are positioned on the automatic rubber cutting bench perpendicular to the axis of the movable tables in the section where the movable winding mandrel is located so as to adjust the lengths of the cut raw material. An automatic rubber cutting bench cuts the raw material in the direction of the length and angles required for the finished product saved in the system.

The invention is directed to an apparatus for making conical bellows for air springs. The apparatus includes a clamping/spreading device transferable between first and second end positions corresponding to an introduction position and a vulcanization position, respectively. The external diameter of the device in the first end position is less than the external diameter thereof of the second end position. The device has clamping segments which in the introduction position are converged so that the external diameter of the device enables an air spring bellows preform to be pushed over the device, and the clamping segments in the vulcanization position are diverged increasing the external diameter of the device so that the bellows preform is pressed tightly against the corresponding external form from the inside. Open gaps because of the enlargement of the external diameter of the device remain between the clamping segments.

Pneumatic actuator assemblies include a mounting base with a mounting base wall having a base surface portion a bearing support surface portion facing generally opposite the base surface portion. A flex member has a flex member wall that includes an engagement wall portion. The flex member is secured to the mounting base such that an actuator chamber is at least partially defined therebetween. A bearing element that has a bearing element surface is supported on the mounting base. The pneumatic actuator is displaceable between a first condition in which an exposed portion of the bearing element surface is spaced farther from the base surface portion than the engagement wall portion and a second condition in which the engagement wall portion is spaced a farther from the base surface portion than the exposed portion of the bearing element surface. Conveying systems and methods of assembly are also included.

A method for making a piece unit of liners of American football comprises an adhering step, a cutting step, and a curing step. An extrusion-molded thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) is hot compressed molding material with a backing fabric to form a pseudo-adhesive semi-finished molding material. The semi-finished molding material is cut to be a piece unit and remain a surplus material. The piece unit is cured to form a flat piece material or a curved piece material. It may shorten the process and control the parameters and changes (such like foaming coefficient, colors, and etc.) easily. Furthermore, the strength of the ball cover may become stronger because each flat piece material or curved piece material has the arrangement of the backing fabric.

An airbag assembly for a seatbelt restraint such that the deflated airbag lays flat when it is stacked and secured to a webbing of the seatbelt. The airbag is assembled from a plurality of material strips. The strips are edge joint welded together so that the joints lay flat between the individual strips comprising the airbag.

An air spring bellow formed from a rubber composition including a rubber component that contains a polyisoprene rubber and syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene. The syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene has a low crystallinity of 40 percent or less and the rubber composition includes a filler.