Other

James River-dixie/northern, Inc.

American Can Company

Thomas M Tao

William C Bean

Jeremiah P Tao

Surgical devices and methods described herein reduce the risk of surgical fires for patients receiving supplemental oxygen. Airflow with elevated concentrations of oxygen is drawn away from a surgical field when the tubing is fluidly connected to a suction source. Tubing may be strategically positioned at locations presenting risk of oxygen gas buildup, such as the nasofacial sulcus or bucco-facial sulcus. Apertures are present in the turbine wall to draw airflow away from the surgical field and into the tubing. Various embodiments are contemplated in which the tubing is used with a surgical mask or a surgical drape, and a method of use is provided.

Devices and methods for surgical fire prevention

An extrusion die includes a die body with two mating die halves, at least one of which is engraved with a die cavity system. The die cavity system includes a melt inlet, a first-stage melt reservoir in fluid communication with the melt inlet, a plurality of melt channels extending from the first-stage melt reservoir, and an extrusion trough in fluid communication with the melt channels and extending across the die half. Multiple stages of reservoirs and channels may be used. The melt channels in each stage have an equal length and cross-sectional area. Some of the melt channels may have a curved portion to maintain an equal length with other melt channels in the same stage. The die halves are secured by a plurality of fasteners. A method for extruding a fluid using the die is also provided. The die may be used to create films or fibers, including nano-fibers.

Extrusion die for making film, fibers, and nanofibers

A melt-blowing die tip includes a first die tip half and a second die tip half with complementary mating surfaces. A flow system is engraved onto at least one of the mating surfaces. The flow system includes linear melt troughs, which are fluidly connected by channels. Spinning orifices downstream of the last melt trough, which may have diameters over an exceptionally broad range, produce fibers as small as nano-scale. Fasteners secure the two die tip halves, and at least one of the channels includes a curved portion to direct flow around a fastener. The resulting die tip has increased pressure tolerance, greater productivity, reduced costs, and supports the economical mass production of super fine fibers. Optionally, an engraved die plate may be inserted between the die tip halves. When both sides of the die plate are engraved with a flow system, the die may produce bi-component fibers.

Die tip for melt blowing micro- and nano-fibers

An improved melt-blowing apparatus includes a primary air system with a plurality of air tubes and a die tip assembly having a die tip and a pair of oppositely disposed air plates. A flow-splitting device efficiently divides a stream of pressurized and heated primary air into multiple tubular flows, which are fed into air intake passages in the die tip assembly. The flow-splitting device and the air tubes are located radially outward and independent of the die body and the die tip assembly. The tubular air flows are transformed into two uniform air knives by a distribution chamber within the die tip assembly. The present primary air supply system simplifies the equipment, saves energy, improves product quality, and reduces operational and maintenance efforts.

Melt-blowing apparatus with improved primary air delivery system

This disclosure is related to the manufacture of melt blown coreless tubular nonwovens. Such manufacture includes a melt blowing apparatus to deposit fibers onto a rotating mandrel for forming a tubular nonwoven; a puller device to withdraw the tubular nonwoven from the mandrel; and a cutting device to cut the tubular nonwoven into cartridges of a desired length. The puller device has a pair of drive axles mounted on a gap-setting device, such as a scissor jack or its equivalent. Each drive axle includes one or more driven multi-directional puller wheels, which is formed of or surrounded by non-driven rollers. When the rollers engage the rotating tubular nonwoven, the tubular nonwoven is pulled axially and steadily from the mandrel without affecting the rotational motion of the tubular nonwoven. As a result, the tubular nonwovens have consistent dimensions and quality without damage to the inner or outer surfaces of the tube.

Melt-blowing apparatus with improved puller device for producing tubular nonwovens

Methods for efficiently converting carbohydrates into various oxygen-containing hydrocarbon derivatives, including straight-chain and cyclic aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, and heteroaromatic compounds, are described and provided. In some embodiments, the methods include combining a carbohydrate with a material having a high affinity for carbon dioxide in stoichiometric amounts and heating said combination at temperature effective to cause de-carbonation of the carbohydrate and the formation of the products. In more specific embodiments, the material is calcium oxide (CaO) and the carbohydrate is sucrose, and the reaction is performed at temperatures between about 150&#xb0; C. and about 450&#xb0; C.

Methods for converting carbohydrates into oxygenated hydrocarbons

A method of and apparatus for forming an air laid, e.g., dry laid, fibrous web comprising the steps of and apparatus for defiberizing wood pulp laps, rolls or bales, preferably in a hammermill; transporting the fibers pneumatically to a forming head, and dispensing said fibers onto a foraminous support means, the aforesaid operations being carried out at conditions of high humidity such that the average fiber moisture content is at least above 2.5% by weight just prior reaching a forming header. In the preferred embodiment air at between about 150.degree. to about 200.degree. F. and having a relative humidity of between about 75 to 95% is introduced to the defiberizer to provide the requisite air moisture content. If desired over large fibers from the forming head may be recycled to the defiberizer. By practicing the invention, electrostatic charges on the fibers are reduced thereby minimizing clumping and ensuring better formation.

Fiber moisture control in the formation of dry-laid webs

Apparatus for forming an air laid, e.g., dry laid, fibrous web comprising apparatus for an defiberizing wood pulp laps, rolls or bales, preferably in a hammermill; transporting the fibers pneumatically to a forming head, and dispensing said fibers onto a foraminous support means, the aforesaid operations being carried out at conditions of high humidity such that the average fiber moisture content is at least above 2.5% by weight just prior to reaching a forming header. In the preferred embodiment air at between about 150 to about 200 F. and having a relative humidity of between about 75 to 95% is introduced to the defiberizer to provide the requisite air moisture content. If desired overly large fibers from the forming head may be recycled to the defiberizer. By practicing the invention, electrostatic charges on the fibers are reduced thereby minimizing clumping and ensuring better formation.

A process for manufacturing embossed, nonwoven fibrous products comprising the steps of subjecting a binder-treated fibrous dry laid web to a low cure treatment to obtain a moldable web with good physical integrity; embossing the low cure treated web; and fully curing the web.

Process for manufacturing embossed nonwoven fibrous products

A method of increasing the caliper and bulk of air laid dry fibrous webs, particularly such webs intended for use as napkin, tissue, and absorbent paper towel products by partially drying the loose formed fibrous webs to a degree of dryness of less than 4% prior to consolidation. In the preferred embodiment uniformity of the product web caliper in the machine direction is obtained by measuring the caliper downstream of the bond curing drier and before take-up on the parent roll, output signals therefrom being transmitted to the drier for adjustment of one or more of the drier parameters. Uniformity of caliper in the cross machine direction can be optimized by providing multisectional driers in the cross machine direction, a series of output signals from the caliper sensing means being transmitted to the respective drier sections for individual adjustment of the drier parameters.

Control of bulk in air laid fibrous webs

Method for the manufacture of a fibrous web comprises provision of a conduit having a plurality of outlets for discharging classified fibers onto a linearly movable planar section of an endless screen. The fibers pass through openings in the screen and land on an underlying planar section of a forming wire, in formation of the fibrous web, with the aid of an underlying vacuum box. Uniformity of fiber distribution is provided by parallel banks of brushes that engage the planar section of the endless screen and are rapidly oscillated in short, non-synchronous strokes transversely of the direction of screen movement.

Method for the manufacture of fibrous webs

Apparatus for the manufacture of a fibrous web comprises provision of a conduit having a plurality of outlets for discharging classified fibers onto a linearly movable planar section of an endless screen. The fibers pass through openings in the screen and land on an underlying planar section of a forming wire, in formation of the fibrous web, with the aid of an underlying vacuum box. Uniformity of fiber distribution is provided by parallel banks of brushes that engage the planar section of the endless screen and are rapidly oscillated in short, non-synchronous strokes transversely of the direction of screen movement.

Growing community of inventors

Greer, SC, United States of America

Thomas M Tao