An insulating insert is positioned around a field joint of a pipeline to insulate the field joint. The insert comprises a longitudinal series of annular or part-annular filler segments of insulating material, curved about a longitudinal axis, that are each joined to one or more adjacent segments of the series by at least one link. The links may be webs, rods or articulated links. The links are flexible relative to the segments to facilitate bending of the insert along its length by enabling relative angular displacement between adjacent segments of the series.

Composite structures and methods of forming composite structures are provided. The composite structures can include one or more composite structure components. Each composite structure component is formed from a composite panel that includes one or more sheets of material. The sheets of material include a thermoplastic material and a plurality of reinforcing fibers. A composite panel can be formed in three dimensions to form a composite structure component. Multiple composite structure components can be fused to one another to form a composite structure. In addition, each composite structure component and the composite structure formed therefrom can include an aperture. An interior volume can be formed between adjacent composite structure components. Methods for forming a composite structure can include a step of simultaneously molding and fusing composite structure components.

A handrail has a thermoplastic body having a generally C-shaped cross section, a stretch inhibitor in the thermoplastic body above a T-shaped slot and a slider fabric layer. The handrail includes first and second end portions, each comprising a forward part extending from an end surface of the end portion and a rear part adjacent the forward part. A method of forming a joint can include: providing cuts to separate a top section of the thermoplastic body from a base section including shoulder portions; for each end portion, removing at least shoulder portions from the forward part thereof, to leave a central portion including a forward part at the slider fabric layer and a layer of thermoplastic; cutting the forward parts to a required shape; and assembling the first and second end portions together to form a spliced joint for moulding.

A method of joining segments of non-metallic pipe and an apparatus that may be used to form the joint. The pipes may be joined using by melting the ends to form a butt joint, then the joint may be wrapped with one or more sheets of reinforcement material (e.g., pre-impregnated fiberglass, carbon fiber, or aramid fiber). The reinforcement material may be heated using a heating apparatus which allows the material to bond to the pipes to strengthen the joint.

A respiratory apparatus may employ ultrasonic welds. The ultrasonic welding may be used to join a variety of headgear, mask and accessory components. This process may enhance comfort, fit and/or performance of the joined components and/or overall mask assembly. A component may be a single layer component such as a textile or fabric, or a composite or multiple layer component such as fabric and foam composites, or outer fabric layers and inner spacer fabrics. Further, a component may be a strap, some other headgear component, a mask component, an accessory component or the like.

Adhesive tapes are described which find particular application for sealing joints or regions between adjacent panels such as rigid foam insulation panels. Also described are methods of using the sealing tapes and systems of sealed panels using the sealing tapes.

A method of applying a sealing strip onto a web of packaging material comprising advancing the web along a web advancement path; applying a first longitudinal portion of the sealing strip onto a longitudinal edge of the web, sealing the first longitudinal portion of the sealing strip onto the longitudinal edge, detecting and/or determining a correct alignment of the sealing strip with respect to the web. The detecting and/or determining of the correct alignment comprises acquiring an image of a second longitudinal portion of the sealing strip and a reference marker of a strip application apparatus, analyzing the acquired image to determine at least a first transversal distance between the reference marker and a longitudinal border of the second longitudinal portion; and evaluating the correct alignment/misalignment as a function of at least the first transversal distance.

An eversion liner for lining a pipe includes an impermeable outer portion, inner and outer strength portions inside the impermeable outer portion, and a middle portion including at least one felt layer radially between the inner and outer strength portions. At least one of the inner and outer strength portions is formed from a unitary sheet of strength material that includes parallel chopped strands of fiber. The longitudinal edge margins of the sheet of strength material are positioned in overlapping engagement and joined together by joining structure. The parallel chopped fibers can be oriented transverse to the length of the liner. The joining structure can prevent reduction in a width of the overlapped edge margins as the liner expands during eversion.

Provided is a moving handrail that can lengthen its lifetime. The moving handrail includes: a handrail main body portion; a fabric arranged on a guide surface of the handrail main body portion and extending in a handrail longitudinal direction; and a resin sheet arranged on the fabric so that the fabric is sandwiched between the handrail main body portion and the resin sheet, wherein a surface of the fabric facing a handrail guide has arranged thereon an end portion of the fabric in the handrail longitudinal direction, and wherein the end portion of the fabric in the handrail longitudinal direction is covered with the resin sheet.

A relatively thick, rubberized adhesive tape is applied to an article to repair, patch, bond, seal, or waterproof the article, to join two or more articles, and/or to modify the appearance and/or physical properties of the article, such as by thermal insulation, shock resistance, vibration resistance, electrical insulation, and the like.