A portable device for attaching a connector to an optical fiber, the optical fiber having an end, the device comprising means for receiving the optical fiber at the end of the optical fiber; and a connector station for autonomously attaching the connector to the optical fiber.

Pile articles (20,22), especially pile weather stripping, and a method and apparatus (10) for making such articles where the backing (24) and the pile (26) are of unlike material, especially nylon yarn for the pile (26) and polypropylene containing material for the backing (24), wherein prior to the welding of the pile (26) to the backing (24) the pile is first pre-heated using ultrasonic energy to melt the pile in a region (65) thereof where the pile is ultrasonically welded to the backing and before the weld is made. The ultrasonic melting occurs upstream of the location where the pile (26) is welded to the backing (24) so that the ultrasonically pre-heated melted region (65) of the pile (26) can cool and become at least partially solidified. Then pile (26) at the pre-heated melted region (65) is welded to the backing (24) and causes a reactive or chemical weld to occur, thereby attaching the pile (26) to the backing (24).

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 tape dispenser includes a first arm, a second arm, a holder, a roller, a retaining device, a blade, spring(s) and one or more guides. The tape dispenser is positioned on a tape roll by positioning the holder on the inside of the tape roll and positioning the roller and retaining device on the outside of the tape roll. Tape is able to be pulled through the tape dispenser and then cut using the blade. After the tape is cut, the tape on the roll remains on the retaining device for easy access. The tape dispenser is also removable for use with many tape rolls.

A base structure and associated method for converting the base structure into an operable vane on a shade for an architectural opening. The base structure includes a back sheet and a front sheet attached together in engagement regions spaced along the length of the back sheet and front sheet. The front sheet is separated into front strip sections having a free end. Operating elements are positioned along the back sheet and situated so as to move relative thereto. The operating elements are attached adjacent to a free end of the front strip. Movement of the operating elements actuates the free end of the front strip to move from a closed position to an open position as desired by the user.

A laying head for manufacturing a three-dimensional preform includes an inlet configured to feed in a plurality of dry rovings. A fiber conveying device simultaneously and mutually-independently conveys, in a fiber supplying direction, the rovings fed-in via the inlet. An outlet is arranged downstream of the fiber conveying device in the fiber supplying direction and simultaneously lays the plurality of rovings on a workpiece carrier to manufacture the three-dimensional preform. A fiber-cutting device is disposed downstream of the fiber conveying device and upstream of the outlet in the fiber supplying direction and cuts the rovings. A nozzle applies a medium onto the rovings. A slit-shaped through gap of the nozzle has a height is equal to the height of the dry rovings in the thickness direction plus a margin that is sufficiently small so as to cause the medium to be forcibly embedded into the dry rovings.

The invention relates to a system and method for forming sleeved containers. The system includes a conveyor for transporting a row of containers, a sleeving unit for arranging sleeves around containers and a heat oven for attaching the sleeve around the container by heat shrinking. The conveyed containers are provided with a sleeve and the sleeved container is transported in the oven to allow the sleeve to shrink. According to the invention, part of the sleeve is removed using a removal unit. The part is removed after heat shrinking. Removing the part allows to uncover part of the container otherwise covered by sleeve.

A method of producing an optical panel assembly including the polarizing film in a continuous manner by laminating a polarizing film to a surface of a rectangular-shaped optical panel, is disclosed. The polarizing film is formed by performing a step of subjecting a laminate including a continuous web of a thermoplastic resin substrate and a PVA type resin layer formed on the substrate, to a 2-stage stretching consisting of a preliminary in-air stretching and an in-boric-acid-solution stretching, to reduce a thickness of the PVA type resin layer to 10 μm or less, and a step of causing a dichroic material to be absorbed in the PVA type resin layer.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for assembling absorbent articles, and more particularly, methods and apparatuses for severing elastic in an advancing elastic laminate. A continuous elastic laminate may be formed by bonding elastic strands between a first continuous substrate layer and a second continuous substrate layer. As discussed in more detail below, the continuous elastic laminate may advance through a cutting apparatus that intermittently deactivates or severs the elastic strands of the elastic laminate along the machine direction.

A method and a device are disclosed for making thin plastic films having two or more layers, which are subdivided and separated in the form of tubular bags for portioned reception of different products, wherein the plastic films are provided with welding seams running substantially transversely to the longitudinal direction with predetermined spacing between one another to form bag-like containers, and the containers are separated from one another by a cutting or separating process, the method being characterized by the steps: a) welding the films with predetermined spacing by means of an ultrasound welding process, maintaining a defined, film-dependent distance between a processing tool and a counter tool while welding; and b) separating the tubular bags welded in this way by means of a mechanical cutting process, with or without reduced ultrasound excitation at the point of the respective weld seams.