A tubular braid and mechanisms for forming the braid are described. The mechanism for braiding includes a disc, a mandrel, a plurality of catch mechanisms, and a plurality of actuators. The disc defines a plane and a circumferential edge. The mandrel extends from a center of the disc and is adapted to hold a plurality of filaments extending radially from the mandrel toward the circumferential edge of the disc. The plurality of catch mechanisms are positioned circumferentially around the edge of the disc and are adapted to engage a filament. The plurality of actuators are configured to move relative to one another and are adapted to move the plurality of catch mechanisms in a substantially radial direction relative to the circumferential edge of the disc.

Devices and methods for forming a tubular braid comprising a plurality of filaments. The braiding machine includes a circular array of filament guiding members defining a plane; a mandrel defining an axis and adapted to carry one or more filaments extending from the mandrel to the circular array; a plurality of filaments extending from the mandrel in a radial array; a plurality of actuator mechanisms disposed operably about the disc; and a rotating mechanism adapted to rotate one or more filaments. The actuator mechanisms and rotating mechanism are configured to move each of the one or more filaments about the mandrel axis in a path comprising a series of arcs and radial movements. The braiding machine may alternately first and second annular members, a mandrel, first and second plurality of tubular wire guides, and a plurality of wires extending from the mandrel.

Devices and methods for forming a tubular braid comprising a plurality of filaments. The method for braiding includes the step of loading a plurality of filaments on a mandrel and extending the filaments radially from the mandrel, the plurality of filaments have a first subset and a second subset. Tension is applied to the plurality of filaments using a weight attached to each filament. The first subset of the plurality of filaments is engaged, moved circumferentially relative to the second subset, and then released. The second subset of filaments is then engaged and moved circumferentially relative to the first subset of filaments, such that a tubular braid of filaments is formed.

Energy-absorbing textile structure, in particular for use in vehicle construction, which has high-tensile yarns for absorbing force, is formed by a braided fabric (2) with standing ends (3) in the force input direction and in that the textile structure has at least one region (4) with local modification of the fiber structure (2, 3).

A continuous braid structure has one or more first braid sections, each having a respective single flat braid or a respective single tubular braid. A plurality of second braid sections each have at least two flat braids with a gap between them. The second braid sections alternate with the one or more first braid sections. The adjacent first and second braid sections are continuous with each other. A length of material extends through the respective gap of at least one of the one or more second braid sections, so the length of material crosses one or more times between a first side of the continuous braid and a second side of the continuous braid.

A method of braiding reinforcing fibers on a mandrel (8) with a machine having a ring (9) carrying at least two series of reels of fibers, by moving the mandrel at a predetermined forward speed while moving the two series of reels along the ring (9) so that they cross while rotating in opposite directions and at a predetermined speed of rotation about an axis (AX) of the ring. The braid is formed on the mandrel (8) in the vicinity of a region of convergence (R) of the fibers that together define a conical shape (C). The method comprises: a step of reconfiguring the machine in which the angle (a2) at the apex of the cone (C) defined by the fibers takes on a new value (a2); and a step of restarting braiding in which the movement of the reels along the ring (9) and the forward movement of the mandrel (8) are re-established with a new speed of rotation and a new speed of advance.

An exhaust connection coupler and a method for manufacturing a braid cover incorporated therein are provided. The method of manufacturing comprises the steps of providing a tubular sleeve formed of braided wire filaments and forming at least one end of the sleeve into shape using a forming die such that the at least one end of the cover includes a circumferential neck portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a body portion of the cover. In the method, the sleeve may be pressed between male and female forming dies in order to create the cover's desired shape, which can include a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the cover's neck portion and meeting the cover's body portion at a corner.

A method of manufacturing a corrugated preform that allows a fiber volume fraction and an orientation angle to be substantially the same at a concave portion and at a convex portion when the corrugated preform is manufactured based on a braiding process. The method includes braiding a composite material corresponding to an outer diameter of a cylindrical cylinder shape, braiding the composite material by connecting a plurality of separate composite materials to one side of the braided composite material, and braiding the composite material to one side of the separate composite material corresponding to the outer diameter of the cylindrical cylinder shape.

A flexible and resilient tool for use with a conventional half barrel, parallel frame caulking gun or enclosed “sausage” style caulking gun, aiding the user in finishing and shaping after the caulking material has been applied. One function of the tool is to collect excess caulk from his finger(s) or from various shaping tools and spatulas. Also provided can be cap, rag and sponge holders. Additional embodiments include adaptations to existing prior art disposable caulking cartridges and caulking guns to include components of the disclosed tool.

The invention relates to a bag of variable volume able to contain fluids and designed to be introduced into a container through the container's neck, said bag consisting of a pouch with one closed end and one open end, the open end being dimensionally stable over temperature ranges of from −30 to 55° C., to a device incorporating said bag and to a process for filling it.

A green process and system are disclosed for utilizing a biomass filter aid in the filtration of a bio-oil. The process comprises filtering a bio-oil containing residual solids from a conversion reaction in the presence of the biomass filter aid to produce a filtered bio-oil. The biomass filter aid facilitates efficient removal of residual solids from the bio-oil. The spent biomass filter aid containing the residual solids may be recycled as a conversion feedstock or used as a combustion heat source in the biomass conversion system.

A method for treating a component comprising a metallic or ceramic material with a crystalline, semi-crystalline or amorphous structure. According to the method, to case-harden the component, at least part of the surface of the component is exposed to an oil jet, while the temperature of the oil and/or the component is regulated. Also disclosed is a device for carrying out the method.

The invention concerns a cold-rolled aluminum killed steel sheet, which includes by weight between 0.003 and 0.130% of carbon, between 0.10 and 1% of manganese, between 0.010 and 0.100% of aluminum, between 0.0015 and 0.0140% nitrogen, the remainder being of iron and impurities resulting from the manufacturing, and which has a content of carbon in solid solution (Css) of at least 50 ppm, as well as a method of manufacturing packaging from said sheet.

A new method for continuous casting of molten metal is provided that allows one to obtain an intermediate product such as slab, billet wire, etc. before subsequent thermomechanical treatment (e.g. lamination or annealing), such that its chemical composition is modified by the addition of elements in order to give it greater mechanical strength.

A casting core resulting from alkaline earth metal oxide particles having an average particle size of 0.8-4 mm being dispersed in a water-soluble alkali metal salt matrix. The casting core can be efficiently produced using a method of dispersing alkaline earth metal hydroxide particles having favorable disintegration properties and a particle size in the range of 1-5 mm in a molten water-soluble alkali metal salt, converting to alkaline earth metal oxide particles by means of dehydration, and casting in a mold, cooling, and hardening.

A method for making a water-degradable paper sheet involves the following: providing at least one strip of a water-soluble binding material in the form of a dry film; providing at least two strips each made of at least one ply of cellulose wadding; placing the strip of water-soluble binding material between the two strips of cellulose wadding; humidifying, assembling and pressing the three strips; and drying the complex strip thus obtained. The sheet thus obtained can be used for making a roll carrier mandrel by helically winding one or more strips from the sheet about a cylinder. Articles produced from the sheet can particularly be used in the field of products for sanitary or domestic use.

A laundry drying unit includes a process air circuit and a component arranged in the process air circuit. Provided above the component is a washing tank for dispensing a cleaning fluid, with a flow of cleaning fluid dispensed from the washing tank to the component being controlled by a controllable valve. The valve can be controlled on the basis of an amount of cleaning fluid in the washing tank.

The invention refers to an ironing aid and a device for safekeeping of ironing aids for smoothing closed tubular items of clothing. The object was to propose a solution in the application of which a wire frame shaped ironing aid is an integral part of the aid for thermal smoothing of items of clothing and better handling is ensured. The object is achieved by their insertion in a profile bracket provided with an adhesion means. According to the invention, several ironing aids can be combined with a profile bracket, at least one of the ironing aids having a loop-like rounding at its end. Furthermore, one of the ironing aids can have a slight kink at a right angle to its planar extension (FIGS. 1/2).

The current invention provides a tube-grasping body for grasping an insert tube in a heat exchanger, and heat exchanger production methods and apparatuses utilizing the tube-grasping body, wherein the tube-grasping body enables to enlarge and connect an insert tube to a heat radiating fin for producing a heat exchanger, still keeping the total length of insert tubes at an almost same level even after the enlargement; and the tube-grasping body is connected at its exterior to the guide-pipe.

The invention relates to a method for the production of a strand (11) of several wires (12), consisting of an electrically conductive material, which are hard drawn to a final diameter in at least a single or multiblock wire-drawing machine (19, 28) or drawing apparatus in a last drawing step before the stranding, so that in each case the wire or wires (12) have a tensile strength of at least 300N/mm2, and that subsequently the hard drawn wires (12) or a mixture of hard drawn wires (12) and soft-annealed wires are stranded into a strand (11) in a stranding machine (21), without a subsequent annealing process, as well as a strand which is produced according to the present method.

Embodiments for an engine system are provided. One example internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder head and at least two cylinders, in which each cylinder has at least one inlet opening for the supply of combustion air into the cylinder, comprises an intake line leading to each inlet opening, an overall intake line where the intake lines of at least two cylinders merge, such that a distributor junction point is formed, and a heating device arranged in the overall intake line which has at least one strip-like heating element, a first narrow side of a cross section of which faces toward intake combustion air flow, wherein the heating device is arranged adjacent to the distributor junction point at which the intake lines merge to form the overall intake line, a spacing between the heating device and the distributor junction point being smaller than the diameter of a cylinder.

The invention relates to a device for actuating a clutch-controlled transfer case having a two-stage intermediate gearing and a clutch-controlled transfer case that has a two-stage intermediate gearing and that is equipped with such a device. The device comprises: a rotatably driven selector shaft,a drive for rotating the selector shaft,a clutch cam disk, which can be rotated about a clutch cam disk axis by means of the selector shaft, andat least one scissor lever, wherein: one end (06) of at least one scissor lever is guided in a gate provided on the clutch cam disk,the gate has a curved path for each scissor lever, in which curved path the end of the scissor lever associated with the curved path is guided,the curved path winds around the clutch cam disk axis by at least 360°,the curved path has at least one helical segment having a continuously increasing or decreasing distance from the clutch cam disk axis, along which segment one end of a scissor lever guided therein experiences a continuously increasing or decreasing change in deflection with respect to the clutch cam disk axis during a rotation of the clutch cam disk with increasing angle of rotation, andthe clutch cam disk is disposed in such a way that the clutch cam disk can be rotated with respect to the selector shaft between two stops by an angle-of-rotation range such that, by means of rotation of the selector shaft within the angle-of-rotation range situated between said stops, shifting back and forth between the shifting stages of the intermediate gearing occurs, and, by means of rotation of the selector shaft beyond the angle-of-rotation range, the end of the at least one scissor lever experiences a deflection for actuating the clutch while a selected shifting stage is maintained.

Provided is a positive electrode active material that can be used to fabricate a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent output characteristics not only in an environment at normal temperature but also in all temperature environments from extremely low to high temperatures. A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the positive electrode active material includes a boron compound and lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide of general formula (1) having a layered hexagonal crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide includes secondary particles composed of agglomerated primary particles. The boron compound is present on at least part of the surface of the primary particles, and contains lithium. Li1+sNixCoyMnzMotMwO2 (1)

The present invention relates to a method for the continuous production of laid staple fiber fabrics with aligned fiber orientation, in which method the laid fabrics are produced by continuous plaiting down of carded fiber web at defined laying angles onto a synchronized transport belt (1), wherein the carding machine (2) and plaiting means (3) arranged downstream of it are arranged at an acute angle with respect to the advancing direction of the transport belt. Said laid staple fiber fabrics are used for producing high-strength fiber-reinforced plastic composites, as are used in wind power plants, aircraft construction and the automotive industry. In particular in the loading direction, said composites have high composite strengths and rigidities, to which end a defined fiber orientation is required. In addition to a defined orientation of the finite fibers, the laid fabrics also have a defined mass per unit area.

According to an aspect of the invention a device for braiding horse hair while minimizing damage to the horse hair is provided. The device includes at least one semi-rigid, resilient material being intertwined with the horse hair into a braid and to form and retain the braid into a decorative shape. In an embodiment, the at least one semi-rigid, resilient material intertwined with the horse hair to form and retain a decorative shape.

Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of fabricating a polycrystalline diamond compacts and applications for such polycrystalline diamond compacts. In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a polycrystalline diamond body includes mechanically milling non-diamond carbon and a sintering aid material for a time and aggressiveness sufficient to form a plurality of carbon-saturated sintering aid particles and sintering a plurality of diamond particles in the presence of the plurality of carbon-saturated sintering aid particles to form the polycrystalline diamond body.

Method for producing a uranium concentrate in the form of solid particles, by precipitation from a uranium-containing solution using a precipitating agent, in a vertical reactor comprising a base, a top, a central part, an upper part, and a lower part, the solid particles of the uranium concentrate forming a fluidized bed under the action of a rising liquid current which circulates from the base towards the top of the reactor successively passing through the lower part, the central part and the upper part of the reactor, and which is created by introducing a liquid recycling current (flow) at the base of the reactor, said liquid recycling current being tapped at a first determined level (A) in the upper part of the reactor and sent back without settling to the base of the reactor, excess liquid being also evacuated via an overflow located at a second determined level (B) in the upper part of the reactor; a method in which the upper limit (C) of the fluidized bed of solid particles is controlled so that it is positioned at a level below the first and second determined levels.

A personal protection device for protecting a user is described. The personal protection device can have an inflatable member having an internal chamber that can be inflated or deflated according to predetermined conditions.

A method for preparing an object to be tested, having a given relative permittivity, intended to be illuminated by an incident electromagnetic wave. The method includes: providing a part including a cavity for housing the object and at least one extension element made from a material having a relative permittivity that is preferably equal to that of the object, the extension element at least partially delimiting the cavity and extending to either side of the cavity in a passage direction of the cavity, over a length at least equal, on either side of the cavity, to one third of the length of the cavity in the passage direction, and placing the object in the cavity, such that the object is in contact with the extension element in the passage direction.

Ken Loach takes pity on an independent contractor delivery driver in Sorry We Missed You. Doesn’t matter in real life or in the movies, when you’re informed on your first day of work that you’re going to be the “master of your own destiny,” you’re better off quitting on the spot. So it is in Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, when the straw boss of the delivery company greets Ricky Turner (Kris Hitchen), his new “owner-driver franchisee” -- read: non-employee, no-benefits independent contractor -- with those words.…

News you don't want to miss for May 1:

1. Oakland's lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL over the team's relocation to Las Vegas was dismissed by a federal court judge on Thursday, according to Bleacher Report.…

A QUIRKY pub in Winchester has 'the widest diversity of customers you can find in the city' according to its landlady.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a "much loved" mum of three who died after being hit by a car.

IT’S set to be a fundraiser with a difference for philanthropic Hampshire artist Frank Turner.

CHRISTIAN AID Week, known for its red envelopes, collections and Big Brekkies, faced a big challenge this year, with all its traditional fund-raising events out of reach.

Square Enix, Eidos-Montréal, and Crystal Dynamics today revealed the first full trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

In this podcast, Scott Davert shows us the features available with MFi supported hearing aids or Cochlear Implant processors from the perspective of a VoiceOver user. MFi compatible hearing aids come from many manufacturers and there are numerous models supported. You can see Apple's official support page which gives a fairly accurate account of which hearing aids have MFi support. However, this article has not been updated since October 2018, so anything newer than that will not be listed on this page.

For more general information about hearing aids from a blindness perspective, you can listen to this Accessibility Moving Forward podcast featuring some familiar voices to AppleVis.

Finally, there is a mailing list for blind hearing aid users that you can join by sending a blank email to blindhearingaidusers+subscribe@groups.io.

Would you like to have Siri respond to you when your device is covered or face down? Then you are in luck as Thomas Domville shows us how to make Hey Siri listen with the Facedown Detection or covered in iOS.

Mutazione , a quirky game created by the studio Die Gute Fabrik, has one of the most laidback soundtracks ever. From his very relaxed studio on Sardinia, Alessandro Coronas created a wonderful mix of low-fi, accoustic and synth sounds to accompany young Kai on her voyage to save her grandfather on a very unusual island. Mutazione has been in development for ten years! Alessandro says the initial concepts remained from the beginning. They included the magical seeds the player can select for their various healing properties and musical sounds. That allows you to create your own soundtrack, too. Alessandro is also the sound designer for the game, so he was able to grow the music out of the sounds of the game world. He says working with the small team of Die Gute Fabrik, and especially artist Nils Deneken, was a wonderful experience because of the freedom and synergy they all had. The four-hour soundtrack, which includes extended suites adapted from the musical cues, is available through

In Connecticut supporters of paid family and medical leave made their case to state lawmakers on Thursday.

Police watchdog to probe botched slavery investigation on Chinese restaurants.

Our special 100th episode finds us with a flood of special guests. We have Metermaids, an NYC rap duo signed to Sage Francis’ Strange Famous label. Their newest album We Brought Knives is a powerful examination of fatherhood, legacies, changing times, and the awesomeness of Bruce Springsteen.

They’re followed by Gabriel Roth. Roth is the co-founder of Daptone Records, a Brooklyn-based label that has released some of the finest soul, funk, Afrobeat, and other roots music of this generation. The band he leads, The Dap-Kings (who normally back the powerful singer Sharon Jones), played a key part in one of the most popular records in recent memory, Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black.

This being an anniversary party, we start the show with a special surprise guest.

See http://theciphershow.com/episode/100/ for full show notes and comments.

"Birmingham's business community has lost a quiet hero," says Mayoral candidate.

Glynn Purnell leads Health for Life cookathon.

Take the ride of a lifetime with Birmingham Children's Hospital.

The newly formed ‘Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Kings Norton Fundraising Group’ are urging all quiz enthusiasts to join them for their debut fundraising event