A method of making a composite pipe has the steps of (a) providing one or more sources of composite tape, the composite tape being formed of reinforcing fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix; (b) helically winding the composite tape(s) around a cylinder under the application of heat to form a pipe comprising fused, concentric layers of adjacently positioned, helically-wound composite tape; (c) scanning a region where edges of wound composite tape are expected to be, to generate scanning information; (d) controlling the gap between further adjacent windings by (1) using the scanning information to determine wound composite tape edge position(s), and (2) using the determined wound composite tape edge position(s) to adjust the winding process during winding; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d). The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus for making a composite pipe.

A sash (62) of a window opening up to 180 and capable of tilting is mounted onto a fixedly installed frame profile (63) and houses a pair of superimposing sashes that fit tightly therein when in closure position, i.e. an upper stationary sash (65) and a lower movable-divertible sash (64), each of the sashes (64,65) provided with laterally extending shafts (49) for connection with sash (62), roller wheels (50) provided onto the shafts (49) of sash (64) that roll within a predefined path created by insert guide profile members (19) and diverter guide members (66,68) to alternately bring sash (64) in a position of superimposing sash (65) and a position of alignment with the same. Lifting mechanisms (46) provided with a regulatory screw (84) for adjusting the pretension of a spring component thereof and thereby the force required by the user for moving the sash (64) are installed within the vertically extending sides of the sash (62).

In an embodiment, a paint roller manufacturing system and method uses a fabric-coating applicator to apply a fabric adhesive onto a portion of a perforated paint roller cover fabric material having a plurality of perforations through which adhesive may flow, and into the plurality of perforations and into interstitial spaces of the fabric material, to yield a length of coated fabric. An inner strip and an outer strip are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. A strip-coating applicator is used to apply a strip adhesive to the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. Simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, a portion of the coated paint roller fabric material is received at the outer strip and the length of coated fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube.

Method and apparatus for producing a liner hose (30) for lining channels and pipes, comprising a circumferentially closed inner film hose (32) and at least on fibrous strip (34) wound onto the inner film hose (32) and impregnated with a curable reaction resin, wherein the inner film hose (32) is drawn in a winding apparatus (40) onto a support tube (8) which is mounted on one side and arranged substantially horizontally, at the free end (10) of which a winding mandrel (12) is arranged having a transport apparatus (16) which, during the circumferential winding of the fiber strips (34), transports the inner film hose (32) in a feed direction (36) to a stationary supporting surface (18) which is arranged at the free end (10) of the winding mandrel (12) and over which the liner hose (30) is conveyed further, wherein the inner film hose (32) is drawn over the free end (13) of the winding mandrel (12) onto the support tube (8) against the feed direction (36).

A system and method are provided for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process. The system and method provide an inline fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip. The fabric conditioning unit may be used to perforate the fabric, to remove loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover, to buff the paint roller fabric, and to orient the paint roller cover fibers. The continuous paint roller manufacturing process includes steps of feeding an inner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the inner strip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the inner strip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths.

A limb for a breathing circuit manufactured from very thin walled polymer materials has an elongate axial reinforcing spine lying freely inside the conduit and fixed to each end connector. The spine is laterally compliant but axially stiff. The spine provides resistance to tensile and compressive loads on the conduit, including that induced by prevailing internal pressures.

In an embodiment, a paint roller manufacturing system and method uses a fabric-coating applicator to apply a fabric adhesive onto a portion of a perforated paint roller cover fabric material having a plurality of perforations through which adhesive may flow, and into the plurality of perforations and into interstitial spaces of the fabric material, to yield a length of coated fabric. An inner strip and an outer strip are wound about a mandrel in offset relation. A strip-coating applicator is used to apply a strip adhesive to the outer strip as it is wound about the mandrel. Simultaneously with the step of applying the strip adhesive to the outer strip, a portion of the coated paint roller fabric material is received at the outer strip and the length of coated fabric is wound about at least the outer strip to form a paint roller tube.

A paint roller manufacturing system includes a cover dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of paint roller cover fabric, a fabric supporting and advancing device for supporting the fabric and maintaining a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric as the fabric advances, a fabric coating applicator for applying a coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric while the fabric supporting and advancing device maintains the fabric in a width-wise dimension, and a compressing roller positioned downstream of the fabric coating applicator and configured to apply a compressive force on the coating after it has been applied to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric and while the fabric is supported by the fabric supporting and advancing device. In two-strip embodiments, first and second strip dispensers continuously dispense a first and second windable width of strip material. A guide system guides the first and second strip coming from the first and second strip dispensers to be wound about a mandrel and guides the coated paint roller cover fabric from the fabric supporting device to be wound about the first and second strips. An adhesive applicator is configured to apply adhesive on substantially all of the outer side of the first and second windable strips and positioned to apply adhesive to the outer side of the first and second windable strips upstream of a location where the coated paint roller cover fabric is wound about the first and second strips.

Flexible tubing or hose is formed from continuously extruded thermoplastic material helically circumferentially wound at a wrapping station around an array of bearing-supported rods that are concurrently but individually turned and are canted relative to an imaginary central axis. The tubing or hose is formed to have a continuous reinforcing rib helically wound therearound and continuously integrally connected thereto. The positions of the rods are progressively altered during formation of at least a contiguous portion of the tubing or hose, causing the resulting contiguous portion to exhibit a progressive continuous change in diameter. The resulting tubing or hose may be transversely severed at intervals along its length, and may be flattened to form cuffs near where severed. A selected portion of the tubing or hose, which may or may not at least partially coincide with the contiguous portion, may be axially compressed and annealed to relieve stress therein.

A system and method are provided for conditioning paint roller cover fabric inline in a continuous paint roller manufacturing process. The system and method provide an inline fabric conditioning unit upstream of the point in the process that the paint roller fabric cover strip is wrapped about the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric conditioning unit including a fabric conditioning device that conditions the paint roller fabric cover strip as it is being fed towards the outer side of the outer strip. The fabric conditioning unit may be used to perforate the fabric, to remove loose fibers from the fabric side of the paint roller fabric cover, to buff the paint roller fabric, and to orient the paint roller cover fibers. The continuous paint roller manufacturing process includes steps of feeding an inner strip and an outer strip towards a mandrel, wrapping the inner strip and the outer strip about the mandrel in offset relation, applying a strip adhesive to at least a portion of an outer side of the inner strip and at least a portion of an outer side of the outer strip, feeding a paint roller fabric cover strip having a fabric side and a backing side towards the outer side of the outer strip, the fabric side comprising loose fibers and attached fibers, forming a paint roller tube by wrapping the paint roller fabric cover strip about the outer strip at a point in the process after the strip adhesive has been applied to the outer side of the outer strip such that the backing side contacts the strip adhesive, applying compression to the paint roller tube, and cutting the paint roller tubes into like lengths.