A high altitude balloon, including a method and machine for manufacture, uses a perimeter border strip to couple two circular balloon panels with a lap or butt seal. Simultaneous sealing of two perimeter seals, one between the border strip and each of two balloon panels, is provided by supporting stacked balloon panels on a rotatable support and sealing around the full perimeter of the two interposed balloon panels and the border strip. The method and machine for manufacture allow for the mass production of high altitude balloons and minimize necessary material handling. The perimeter border strip can be dispensed and guided relative to the perimeter of the balloon panels for positioning before sealing together, as a bonding device is rotated relative to the balloon envelope.

A method of manufacturing a clamping ring for a cold-expansion joining system includes providing an extruded pipe part made of a cross-linked polymeric material where, while extruding the pipe part, the inner diameter is formed bigger than the outer diameter of a flexible cross-linked polymeric pipe onto which the clamping ring is positioned before making a pipe connection; providing an injection molded annular part having an inner diameter formed smaller than the inner diameter of the extruded part; and bonding the parts together to form a clamping ring having an inward protruding stop edge at one of its ends. The embodiments further relate to a clamping ring formed from an extruded pipe part made of a cross-linked polymeric material and an injection molded annular part bonded together to form a unitary structure including an inward protruding stop edge at one of its ends.

A method for joining structural elements to a component made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material, includes providing at least two structural elements made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material having a particular matrix; providing at least one film element made of a thermoplastic heavy-duty material; arranging the at least one film element on a surface of one of the structural elements or between surfaces to be joined of the at least two structural elements to be joined; and producing the component to be joined in a curing process.

Systems and methods are described for applying a self-heating structural adhesive to components of aircraft or other structures. A conductive scrim can be placed in between layers of adhesive for use in joining two components together. Leads can be provided to apply an electrical current to the scrim, which can raise the temperature of the system and cure the adhesives, creating a strong bond with a conductive layer there between.

A method for creating a termination by attaching some kind of fitting to the end of a tensile member such as a cable. The end fitting is provided with an internal cavity. The cavity has a proximal portion that is adjacent to the area where the tensile member exits the fitting and a distal portion on its opposite end. A length of the tensile member's filaments is placed within this expanding cavity and infused with liquid potting compound. The method exploits the characteristic of a liquid potting compound as it transitions to a solid. The potting compound in one portion of the cavity is typically transitioned to a solid at a more rapid rate than other portions. Once the potting compound in one portion of the cavity has transitioned sufficiently to hold the filaments at the desired level, tension is placed on the tensile member and a small linear displacement may be imposed on the tensile member. This linear displacement tends to pull the filaments residing in the potting compound into better alignment and improve load sharing.

A method protects a field joint of a pipeline, where chamfered edges of thermally-insulating parent coatings on conjoined pipe lengths are in mutual opposition about a longitudinally-extending gap. The method includes manufacturing an hourglass-shaped inner layer around the pipe lengths, which layer may be moulded. The inner layer extends longitudinally along the gap between the chamfered edges and at least partially overlies the chamfered edges. A thermally-insulating solid insert is assembled from two or more parts to lie in the gap surrounding the inner layer, and pressure is applied radially inwardly from the insert to the inner layer. An outer layer of molten material is manufactured around the insert to form a watertight barrier and to form one or more melted interfaces with the inner layer. Corresponding field joint arrangements are also disclosed.

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.

Proposed is lower rollers of a hot air welder, and more particularly, to a lower roller structure of a hot air welder, which includes a first lower roller unit installed on a worktable to be pivoted vertically and a second lower roller unit installed on a main body to be slidably moved in front and rear, such that a welding operation of flat fabric and a welding operation of a cylindrical shape can be performed in a single hot air welder through alternate use of the first and second lower roller units.

A sealing device and method for sealing an electrical terminal. The sealing device includes a heat shrinkable tubing having an inner wall. A first sealant/adhesive is configured to cooperate with the heat shrinkable tubing. The first sealant/adhesive has a first sealant/adhesive first surface and an oppositely facing first sealant/adhesive second surface. The second surface of the first sealant/adhesive is bonded to the inner wall of the heat shrinkable tubing. A second sealant/adhesive is configured to cooperate with free ends of electrical conductors which are in electrical engagement with the electrical terminal. The second sealant/adhesive has a second sealant/adhesive first surface and an oppositely facing second sealant/adhesive second surface. The second sealant/adhesive first surface is provided in engagement with the electrical conductors. The second sealant/adhesive second surface is provided in engagement and bonded with the first sealant/adhesive first surface.

The present disclosure generally relates to devices and methods for furniture protection. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to foam-film sheets configured to protect furniture from damage. An exemplary foam-film sheet as disclosed herein includes a sheet of foam material having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a sheet of film material having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a first seal between a portion of the foam material proximate its first lateral edge and a portion of the film material proximate its first lateral edge; and a second seal between a portion of the foam material proximate its second lateral edge and a portion of the film material proximate its second lateral edge, wherein the film and foam are substantially unseated along the entire transverse width between the first and second sealed portions near the lateral edges of the foam material.