A method for manufacturing a tire involves successively performing steps that include: continuously converting a flat reinforcing strip into an undulating reinforcing strip; pressing peaks of waves of the undulating reinforcing strip one by one onto a surface of a tire blank that is driven in rotation by a drum about a drum axis; and winding the undulating reinforcing strip onto the tire blank. In the converting step, the flat reinforcing strip is converted into the undulating reinforcing strip in an immediate vicinity of the drum. The waves of the undulating reinforcing strip and movement of the peaks of the waves of the undulating reinforcing strip towards the surface of the tire blank extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the drum axis.

There is disclosed composite material lay-up equipment for applying a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material to an article, the equipment comprising: a support head; a cutting mechanism carried by the support head for severing a plurality of individual lengths of elongate fiber reinforcement material. The cutting mechanism comprises a plurality of cutting elements coupled to and moveable with respect to the support head and a cassette removably attached to the support head and having a plurality of corresponding counteracting elements statically mounted thereto. Each cutting element is displaceable relative to the corresponding counteracting element to perform a cutting stroke in which the respective cutting and counteracting elements cooperate to sever a length of elongate fiber reinforcement material extending through the nip formed between them.

A device, which converts a reinforcing strip from being flat to being undulating, includes a transporter that guides fingers along a closed circuit, with the fingers being able to bear against a first face of the strip; a support plate that rotates about a plate axis and that supports rollers having axes parallel to the plate axis, with the rollers being able to bear against a second face of the strip; and a synchronizer that synchronizes a rotation of the support plate and a forward motion of the transporter. The closed circuit has an intersecting portion at which the synchronizer allows the fingers and the rollers to move rotationally in a common plane perpendicular to the plate axis, with the fingers and the rollers being interposed at the intersecting portion so as to cause the strip to have undulating waves that extend in the common plane.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.

Novel structural materials composed of industrial hemp fiber with recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) as well as methods for the production of the same are disclosed. The material's mechanical strength outperforms that of conventional lumber and could compete with glass fiber reinforced composites, particularly in tensile strength. In addition, this material offers many other significant advantages including insect free, high moisture resistance, no harmful chemical treatments, and no rapid corrosion in water environments.

A method and apparatus for extrusion of an article is provided. A die assembly can apply flows of thermoplastic material to an array of reinforcing cables to form a composite extrusion. A slider fabric can be bonded to one side of the composite extrusion. After exiting the die assembly, the slider fabric can act to support the extrudate as it passes along an elongate mandrel, which can cause the base of the slider fabric to change shape from a flat profile to the final internal profile of the article. The extruded article can then be cooled to solidify the material. The die can include cooling for the slider fabric and means for promoting penetration of the thermoplastic into reinforcing cables.

The present invention relates to a toothed belt containing tooth parts that are disposed at predetermined intervals along a belt longitudinal direction, a cord, and a back side that has the cord embedded therein, in which the cord contains a Lang-twisted glass fiber, an adhesion treatment layer, and an overcoat treatment layer, the overcoat treatment layer is formed on a surface of the adhesion treatment layer, the back side is composed of a rubber composition, and the rubber composition contains from 5 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass of a plasticizer based on 100 parts by mass of a rubber component.

A three-dimensional netted structure having an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces a left end surface, and a right end surface, including at least a plurality of filaments helically and randomly entangled and thermally bonded together, wherein the filaments are formed out of a thermoplastic resin by extrusion molding followed by cooling with a liquid; and the netted structure is four-surface molded, the upper surface, the lower surface and the two side surfaces being molded. An apparatus and a method for manufacturing the three-dimensional netted structure.

A system (100) comprises a delivery guide (112) movable relative to a surface (114). The delivery guide (112) is configured to deposit a continuous flexible line (106) along a print path (122) that is stationary relative to the surface (114). The system (100) further comprises a vessel (236), configured to hold a volume of a liquid photopolymer resin (252) and to apply a quantity of the liquid photopolymer resin (252) to the non-resin component (108) to create the continuous flexible line (106). The system (100) further comprises a feed mechanism (104), configured to pull the non-resin component (108) through the vessel (236) and to push the continuous flexible line (106) out of the delivery guide (112). The system (100) further comprises a source (116) of curing energy (118). The source (116) is configured to deliver the curing energy (118) at least to a portion (124) of the segment (120) of the continuous flexible line (106) after the segment (120) of the continuous flexible line (106) exits the delivery guide (112).

A method (300) of additively manufacturing a composite part (102) comprises depositing a segment (120) of a continuous flexible line (106) along a print path (106). The continuous flexible line (106) comprises a non-resin component (108) and further comprises a photopolymer-resin component (110) that is uncured. The method (300) further comprises delivering a predetermined or actively determined amount of curing energy (118) at least to a portion (124) of the segment (120) of the continuous flexible line (106) at a controlled rate while advancing the continuous flexible line (106) toward the print path (122) and after the segment (120) of the continuous flexible line (106) is deposited along the print path (122) to at least partially cure at least the portion (124) of the segment (120) of the continuous flexible line (106).