Collins & Aikman Products & Co.

Other

International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc.

Captive-aire Systems, Inc.

Bill Griffin

Surendra Khambete

Fred Skidmore

Timothy J Allison

Graham Tompson

Carroll Owenby

John Staley

Jackie L Griffin

A kitchen hood assembly includes a combination hood cleaning and fire suppression system. The hood assembly includes a hood structure and a riser connected thereto. An exhaust blower forces an exhaust stream of air into the hood and through the riser. A combination hood cleaning and fire suppression system is incorporated into the hood structure. The combination hood cleaning and fire suppression system includes an elongated spray bar that is connected to a water source and includes a surfactant injector that injects a surfactant into the water being directed to the spray bar. In one mode of operation, the spray bar is effective to clean the hood assembly. In another mode of operation, when a fire is sensed in or in the vicinity of the hood, the same spray bar is utilized to inject an aqueous liquid into the hood to suppress the fire.

Kitchen hood assembly with a combination cleaning and fire suppression system

Acoustically absorptive carpeting includes a primary layer of fibrous material with yarn tufts extending outwardly therefrom and a secondary layer of thermoplastic material that forms a carpet backing. The carpet backing is rendered porous. A substrate of porous material is attached to the carpet backing. The substrate includes a layer of fine fibrous material attached to a layer of coarse fibrous material. The layers of fine and coarse fibrous material each have respective different acoustic impedances. The layer of coarse fibrous material has fibers in an open, loose configuration. The carpet backing is bonded to the layer of coarse fibrous material with a thermoplastic adhesive material such that the thermoplastic adhesive material encapsulates individual fibers of the layer of coarse fibrous material without extending therebetween.

Sound absorptive multilayer articles and methods of producing same

Apparatus and methods are provided forming a sound attenuating laminate that has a decoupler fiber layer and a mass layer in opposing relationship with each other. The decoupler fiber layer and mass layer of the laminate are heated to the selected temperature in substantially the same amount of time via a hot air source and a heated platen, respectively. The heated laminate is conveyed to a mold and formed into a predetermined three-dimensional configuration via the mold.

Apparatus and methods of forming sound attenuating laminates having fiber and mass layers

Sound attenuating laminates, and methods of making the same, are provided. Heat is applied to a surface of a non-woven, fibrous layer of material to form a stratum of melted fibers having a density greater than that of the remainder of the fibrous layer. The density of the melted fibers is effective in attenuating noise traversing the fibrous layer of material. Upholstery material, such as carpeting, is attached to the surface of the heated fibrous layer. The fibrous layer and upholstery material are then subjected to compressive molding pressure to obtain a desired shape. The compressive molding pressure may further tune the sound attenuating properties of the fibrous layer by selectively changing the densities of portions of the fibrous layer.

Multi-density sound attenuating laminates and methods of making same

The disclosed aspiration system provides an alternative to poppet valves for motor vehicle and other applications including gasoline, diesel, natural gas or other internal combustion engines. In one embodiment, an aspiration head (30) includes a housing defined by base plate (32), cover plate (34), end plates (36) and side plates (38). The base plate (32) is disposed directly above the engine cylinders and effectively forms a cylinder head. The head (30) further includes bottom ware plates (44) having elongate slots (46), a cylindrical rotor (50) having a rotor slot (48) and upper ware plates (56) having slots (46). Rotation of the rotor (50) allows for alternate charging and exhausting of the combustion chambers via the slots (46 and 48). The ware plates (44 and 58) are preferably formed from a material that is softer than the rotor (50), such as a phenolic material, such that the aspiration system is self-sealing.

Self-sealing rotary aspiration system for internal combustion engines

A rotary valve arrangement for engines and the like has sealing members and rings inset into the valve rotor which rotates within a loosely fitted rotor sleeve so that only the sealing elements are in contact. The rotor sleeve is mounted between a cylinder head, affixed by a conventional bolt pattern, and a rotor cover so that the rotor sleeve is placed between the cylinder bolts and the valve rotor.

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Indian Trail, NC, United States of America

Bill Griffin