A moisture vapor permeable, water impermeable composite sheet material is provided which is suitable for use as a housewrap material, and is also useful for other applications such as tarpaulins, or as covers for automobile, boats, patio furniture or the like. The composite sheet material includes a nonwoven substrate and an extrusion-coated polyolefin film layer overlying one surface of the substrate. The nonwoven substrate is comprised of polymeric fibers randomly disposed and bonded to one another to form a high tenacity nonwoven web. The nonwoven substrate has a grab tensile strength of at least 178 Newtons (40 pounds) in at least one of the machine direction (MD) or the cross-machine direction (CD). The extrusion coated polyolefin film layer is intimately bonded to the nonwoven substrate. The film layer has micropores formed therein to impart to the composite sheet material a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of at least 35 g/m.sup.2/24 hr. at 50% relative humidity and 23° C. and a hydrostatic head of at least 55 cm. In one embodiment, the nonwoven substrate comprises a spunbonded nonwoven fabric formed of randomly disposed substantially continuous polypropylene filaments. The spunbonded nonwoven fabric is an area bonded fabric in which the filaments are bonded to one another throughout the fabric at locations where the randomly disposed filaments overlie or cross one another.

The invention relates to thermoforming plant and their transport chains. Various aspects of the chain and chain rails are proposed. Overall the chain operates such that less wear occurs; it can also be cooled symmetrically and the film can be better heated up to the edges.

To prevent wear powder from adhering to a film, an expander roller (21) is used that extends in the width direction of a porous film (F) and that is configured to apply a tension to the porous film (F) in the width direction, and foreign matter adhering to the expander roller (21) is removed from a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the expander roller (21) at which portion the expander roller (21) is in no contact with the porous film (F).

To prevent wear powder from adhering to a film, an expander roller (21) is used that extends in the width direction of a porous film (F) and that is configured to apply a tension to the porous film (F) in the width direction, and foreign matter adhering to the expander roller (21) is removed from a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the expander roller (21) at which portion the expander roller (21) is in no contact with the porous film (F).

To prevent adherence of foreign matter such as wear powder to a film, an expander device (21) includes: an expander roller (22) configured to apply a tension to a film (F) in the width direction of the film (F); and a sucking section (26) configured to suck foreign matter into the expander roller (22) through a sucking port provided at an outer peripheral surface of the expander roller (22).

The present disclosure is directed to optical bodies including a first optical film, a second optical film and one or more strippable boundary layers disposed between the first and second optical films. Each major surface of a strippable boundary layer may be disposed adjacent to an optical film or another strippable boundary layer. At least one of the first and second optical films may include a reflective polarizer. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of processing such optical bodies.

The present disclosure is directed to optical bodies including a first optical film, a second optical film and one or more strippable boundary layers disposed between the first and second optical films. Each major surface of a strippable boundary layer may be disposed adjacent to an optical film or another strippable boundary layer. At least one of the first and second optical films may include a reflective polarizer. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of processing such optical bodies.

Method and device for the transport of foil in a transport direction, in particular, for an stretching plant, wherein at least one upper moving rope and at least one lower moving rope are guided, and the at least one upper moving rope and the at least one lower moving rope clamp the foil at its lateral edge at least in places and take it along.

Method and device for the transport of foil in a transport direction, in particular, for an stretching plant, wherein at least one upper moving rope and at least one lower moving rope are guided, and the at least one upper moving rope and the at least one lower moving rope clamp the foil at its lateral edge at least in places and take it along.

This disclosure relates to an article that includes a nonwoven substrate and a film supported by the nonwoven substrate. The film can include a first polymer and a polymer that is immiscible with the first polymer. The first polymer can include a polyolefin and the second polymer can include a polycycloolefin, a polymethylpentene, or a copolymer thereof.