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.

A papermaking felt includes at least one base fabric composed of a MD yam material in the felt running direction (MD) and a CD yarn material in the felt crossing direction (CD) and having MD end regions and CD end regions, at least one of the MD end regions and the CD end regions are overlapped with each other, the entire overlapped portion is welded without removing a part or all of the MD yarn material or the CD yarn material in the overlapped portion, and when the average thickness of the welded portion of each base fabric is x (mm) and the average thickness of the material portion of each base fabric is y (mm), the relationship between x and y of the at least one base fabric satisfies the following formula (1):
0.5?x/y?0.95.

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.

A hollow tube assembly is constructed from two or more concave segments, each having longitudinal edges that are tapered perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the assembly with substantially identical tapers. The respective tapered edges are joined at respective joining faces forming scarf joints, either with or without applying an adhesive between opposing joining faces. The overall thickness of the scarf joint may substantially correspond to the thickness of the segments. The scarf joints may be straight or arcuate. The segments may be constructed by overlaying layers of a composite material made of carbon fiber reinforced polymers and may be provided in pre-impregnated (prepreg) form.

The invention provides methods and apparatus for producing a spirally wound pipe or pipe liner, and also to a web for forming a spirally wound pipe or pipe liner. One aspect of the invention provides a method and an associated machine of winding a helically wound pipe from a web (200) having transversely spaced apart connecting formations (310, 320) adapted to interlock when the web is wound in a helical path and adjacent edge portions (300a. 300b) of the web overlap one another, wherein an exterior support means (400) for the connecting formation at the terminus of the pipe being helically wound from the web is provided, and a radially outwardly directed force is applied against an inner face (220) of the web and the support means (400) to pinch connecting formations into interlocking engagement. A further aspect of the invention provides an elongated web (200) comprising a wall portion (210) bound by edge portions (300a. 300b) and adapted to form a pipe by spirally winding said web and joining adjacent said edge portions, wherein a distal end of joined edge portions (330) of the web projecting from the wall portion (210) of the web is less than a spacing distance defined by a spacer rib (350) projecting from the wall portion, when the web is spirally wound and adjacent edge portions are joined together.

A method of making a paint roller cover includes feeding a single strip of polypropylene, by a core material strip feeder, onto a mandrel; heating the single strip of polypropylene, by a heater, before the single strip of polypropylene is wound about the mandrel; and overlapping edges of the single strip of polypropylene as the single strip of polypropylene is wound about the mandrel so that the overlapped edges fuse together. The method also includes applying an adhesive, by an adhesive applicator, to an outer surface of the single strip of polypropylene; and feeding a strip of fabric cover material, by a fabric cover strip feeder, about the mandrel and onto the outer surface of the single strip of polypropylene.

Devices and methods for providing a kink resistant peel away sheath are disclosed. One device includes a sheath for insertion into a vasculature of a patient. The sheath comprises a sheath body having an outer surface, a longitudinal axis and a lumen formed therethrough. The sheath body comprises an inner layer arranged about the longitudinal axis, an outer layer coaxially arranged with the inner layer, and a support layer positioned between the inner and outer layers, wherein the inner, outer and support layers are laminated together to form the sheath body. The sheath also comprises at least one shear line positioned beneath the outer surface of the sheath body, and configured to facilitate the longitudinal separation of the sheath body along the at least one shear line.

A strip assembly helically windable to form a pipe is disclosed. The strip assembly includes a pair of joined elongate strips, each strip having a strip width and a strip height and each strip including: a base; at least one longitudinal rib upstanding from the base; a pair of spaced apart longitudinal parallel edges; and an angled joining end surface. Each joining end surface has a joining width, the joining width at least 5% greater than the strip width. Also each joining end surface has a joining height, the joining height at least 10% greater than the strip height. The additional joint area provided by the angled joining end surfaces provides a significantly stronger joint.

A thin ribbon spirally wound polymer conduit and method of forming, wherein a helical reinforcing bead is interposed adjacent overlapping layers of ribbon. Further, a method of continuously forming spirally wound conduit wherein a sacrificial layer, preferably having a different base polymer to that of the conduit, is first applied to the former before the conduit is formed overtop.

A device (110) and a method for locally repairing or reinforcing an elongate body (100), said device (110) being intended for winding one or a plurality of layers of pre-impregnated polymerizable strip around the elongate body (100), said device (110) comprising: releasable means (112, 113) of attachment around the elongate body (100), means for the rotational movement of support structure (125) around the means (112, 113) of attachment, means for the longitudinal movement of a spool (135) of a pre-impregnated polymerizable strip relative to the support structure (125), said support (125) comprising means for limiting the movement of the spool to a predetermined path, said spool (135) being unwindable when it is subjected to a given tension, means for bringing the spool (135) into rotational and translational movement around the elongate body (100), causing the pre-impregnated polymerizable strip to be wound around said body.