An applicator mitt assembly system comprises an applicator mitt tooling including: a tooling body having a mitt-perimeter cutter and weld bead thereon which are shaped to a perimeter of an applicator mitt to be cut; a heating element associated with the tooling body, the heating element being shaped so as to match or substantially match a shape of the weld bead so as to create a perimeter weld for the applicator mitt when engaged with the tooling body; and an ejector platen which is actuatable relative to the tooling body to eject a cut and welded mitt away from the tooling body. The system can further comprise a conveyor device adapted to feed uncut and unwelded mitt material towards the applicator mitt tooling and a tooling actuator adapted to actuate the applicator mitt tooling relative to the conveyor device.

The present invention relates to a method for reshaping a workpiece, in which a reshaping force is exerted on the workpiece by means of a reshaping tool and the workpiece is heated during or before the reshaping of the workpiece, wherein the heating of the workpiece is performed by the at least partial absorption of an ultrasonic vibration in the workpiece. In order to provide a method and a device for reshaping a workpiece that avoids the aforementioned. disadvantages, in particular when reshaping materials with a highly temperature-dependent damping constant, it is proposed according to the invention that, before the reshaping force is applied to the workpiece, at least a first portion of the workpiece is brought to a temperature which differs from the temperature of a second portion of the workpiece that comes into contact with the reshaping tool.

An automatic bonding apparatus and a method for thermally induced seam bonding of weldable and/or gluable flat flexible material layers with each other which are each configured as a material web, material band and/or material piece and arranged so that they overlap at least partially wherein the bonding is performed by an electrically controlled contact heating arrangement through a heating wedge welding method. A temperature and/or a power of the heating wedge which is formed by a thin folded steel sheet blank is controlled as a function of a relative velocity between the material layers and the automatic bonding apparatus. This is performed so that a thermal energy that is transferred from the heating wedge to the material layers to be glued is kept constant. For this purpose the relative velocity is detected and the power of the heating wedge is automatically adjusted when the relative velocity changes.

The sonotrode and anvil of copending application Ser. No. 12/925,652, for advanced ultrasonic welding of work pieces, are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but existing machines with heat-seal stations pose difficult problems for swapping of the sealing packages. Kits enabling heat station replacement, with the further improved sonotrode and anvil disclosed herein, comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; anvil and sonotrode support members; and a parallel gripper. Each of the anvil and sonotrode support members is slidably attached to the rail(s) and are also connected to a respective piston of the gripper, permitting actuation of each through cycling of the gripper pistons. The improved sonotrode/anvil combination each comprise a corresponding plurality of energy directors arranged into a three-dimensional grid pattern to produce a narrower weld region, but one exhibiting greater durability, thereby permitting use of less packaging material, and which may also weld a company logo into the workpieces.

A machine and method for making bags is described and includes a web, traveling from an input section to a rotary drum, to an output section. The rotary drum includes at least one seal bar, having a first sealing zone, and an adjacent weakening zone. The weakening zone may be a heated perforator, includes a heating wire, or be disposed to create an auxiliary sealed area. The heating wire can have, connected thereto, a source of power that is at an adjustable voltage or magnitude, and/or pulsed, and/or a feedback loop. The heating wire may be an NiCr wire and make intermittent contact with the web and be disposed in an insert. The weakening zone may create a line of weakness that is uniform or varies in intensity, is a separating zone, or includes a heat film, a toothed blade, a row of pins, a source of air, or a source of vacuum. The sealing zones may include temperature zones, cartridge heaters, cooling air, or heated air, or a source of ultrasonic, microwave or radiative energy.

Advanced ultrasonic welding components of Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,016 are readily incorporated into new form-fill-seal machines, but owners of existing machines utilizing heat-seal stations were unsuccessful at swapping the sealing packages. Retrofit kits to a replace heat sealing stations with an advanced ultrasonic sonotrode and anvil comprise: a housing; a linear rail fixed thereto; first and second bearing carriages being slidable upon the rail; and first and second fluidic muscles. Each of the fluidic muscles is mounted with a first end fixed to a respective housing wall, and a second end fixed to a respective bearing carriage, permitting actuation of each carriage through pressurization/depressurization of the muscles. The advanced anvil and sonotrode may be secured to respective carriages. In-line arrangements of anvil/sonotrode, bearing carriages, the first fluidic and second fluidic muscles provides a narrow profile, permitting side-by-side kit installations for retrofits accomplishing duplex sealing on a horizontal machine.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to manufacturing balloon envelopes for use in high-altitude mesh networks for packet-data communications. As an example, a gore portion may be placed on a table such that the gore portion overlies a groove within the table. A tendon may be placed on the gore portion and within the groove. A portion of tubing may be placed over the tendon. The tubing may have one or more surface openings. Restraining tape is applied over the one or more surface openings in the tubing. A constant force roller is applied to secure the tendon to the gore portion and to secure the tendon to the tubing. As an alternative or in addition to the surface openings, double-sided restraining tape may be placed between the tendon and the tubing. The tubing and restraining tape may prevent undesired lateral and longitudinal movement of the tendon during deployment.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and techniques for inspecting seals for high altitude balloons. In one example, a system may include a reflective surface, a translucent material on the reflective surface, and a movable light source configured to move along the reflective surface and provide light to the reflective surface. The light is provided such that it is reflected from the reflective surface and through the translucent material in order to backlight a balloon envelope seal for inspection. A method for inspecting a balloon envelope seal may include placing balloon envelope material on a table, forming a seal between portions of the material, moving a light over the seal, shining light onto a reflective portion of the table below the seal to backlight the seal, and inspecting the seal using the backlighting of the seal.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to techniques for manufacturing a balloon envelope including a duct for high altitude balloons. In one example, a first sheet of material may be provided. A premade duct may be arranged at least partially on the first sheet of material. The duct may include a first substance on an internal surface. A second sheet of material may be arranged over at least a portion of the duct. A heat sealing device may be applied to the second sheet of material to heat seal the first sheet of material to the second sheet of material. The heat sealing device may be applied over at least a portion of the duct in order to seal external surfaces of the duct to each of the first and second sheets of material and form a balloon gore. The first substance may keep the duct from being sealed to itself.

The present invention concerns a method of detecting the making or breaking of contact of a sonotrode (4) which is caused to vibrate with a frequency f and a vibration amplitude A.sub.0 with a counterpart element (5). To provide a method with which contact-making or breaking of a sonotrode with a counterpart element can be particularly quickly and inexpensively detected it is proposed according to the invention that the method has the following steps: a) recording a time configuration of the vibration amplitude A.sub.0 (1) during a first measurement time interval T, and b) determining from the time configuration of the vibration amplitude A.sub.0 (1) whether making or breaking of contact occurred within the measurement time interval T.