A hydroforming method for metal produces hardware having a throat in only one side and having approximately right-angled corners without causing thinning and breakage. The method includes using a working fluid to exert a liquid pressure on a metal embryo and cooperating with a push rod of a hydroforming mold to supply material from the lower edge, forcing the side sheet metals to bulge. Furthermore, by using the hydroforming mold to provide a downwardly pressing active force on the metal embryo, under feeding of the downwardly pressing active force cooperating with continuous liquid pressure, the metal embryo deforms and bulges such that each corner of the metal embryo and the wall corners of the die cavity of the hydroforming mold have approximately the same angles. Hardware, every angle of which approximates a right angle, can be obtained after removing the hydroforming mold. This method can also be used to obtain a metal box.

Forming a sector for a nacelle lip skin from a sheet metal blank via punch by placing the blank against an outer surface of the punch and clamping a trailing edge of the blank in a clamping member that grips a trailing edge of the blank without slippage; gripping a leading edge of the blank, opposite the trailing edge, in a gripping device at a location axially spaced from the punch with sufficient force to permit the blank to flow therethrough in a controlled manner; displacing the gripping device in a first direction, radially with respect to the punch while drawing the blank through the gripper; displacing the gripping device in a second direction, axially with respect to the punch, to draw the blank over the leading edge of the punch and through the gripping device.

An oil hole penetrating through a partition wall of a pulley cover of a continuously variable transmission is formed in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the pulley cover. The pulley cover, having first and second hydraulic oil chambers through which a movable pulley half of a pulley of the continuously variable transmission is biased toward a fixed pulley half thereof, is manufactured in the step of machining a metal sheet. The manufacturing step includes a first step of press-forming the annular partition wall of the pulley cover, a second step of opening the oil hole in the partition wall, the oil hole allowing communication between the first and second hydraulic oil chambers, and a third step of press-forming the peripheral wall of the second hydraulic oil chamber at an outer side, in a radial direction, of the partition wall.

The present disclosure relates to a single piece base portion (10) for a locking mechanism (30) for a ski binding (1), in particular a cross country or touring ski binding. The base portion (10) comprising: a planar resting portion (11); one or more, preferably two, support sections (12) extending out of the plane of the planar resting portion (11). In particular, each of the support sections (12) comprises an axle pin hole (13) for receiving an axle (21) of a part associated with the locking mechanism (30). Further, the lowest section (14) of the axle pin hole (13) is aligned with the upper surface (15) of the planar resting portion (11).

In order to provide a steel sheet for hot pressing from which a hot-pressed part excellent in perforation corrosion resistance is obtainable and a method of manufacturing a hot-pressed part using the steel sheet for hot pressing, provided is a steel sheet for hot pressing having, sequentially on a surface of a base steel sheet: a plating layer I containing 60% by mass or more of Ni and the remainder consisting of Zn and inevitable impurities, a coating mass thereof being 0.01 to 5 g/m2; and a plating layer II containing 10 to 25% by mass of Ni and the remainder consisting of Zn and inevitable impurities, a coating mass thereof being 10 to 90 g/m2.

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.

A method of processing an alloy workpiece to reduce thermal cracking may comprise spraying a metallic coating material onto at least a portion of a surface of the alloy workpiece to form a surface coating metallurgically bonded to the alloy workpiece. The surface coating may be more ductile than the alloy workpiece and reduces heat loss from the alloy workpiece.

An apparatus for shot peening blade mounting areas on a disc of a rotor includes a peening nozzle unit which streams shot peening media along a longitudinal axis. The unit includes a nozzle outlet which extends at least partially in a circumferential direction of the unit, and a deflection arrangement with a deflection area for the media. The deflection area is at least partially cone or half-hyperboloid shaped, such that the media passes the nozzle outlet over an angle range in circumferential direction after being deflected by the deflection arrangement. A method for shot peening the blade mounting areas positions the unit in a slot profile of a blade mounting area, and guides the unit along the contour of the slot profile with the nozzle outlet facing the contour of the slot profile to approximately uniformly peen the contour of the slot profile.

An apparatus and method are described for automatically inserting angle plates into duct work and for seaming the duct work.

A digital manufacturing system comprises a build chamber, a build platform disposed within the build chamber, at least one extrusion line configured to heat a metal-based alloy up to a temperature between solidus and liquidus temperatures of the metal-based alloy, a deposition head disposed within the build chamber and configured to deposit the heated metal-based alloy onto the build platform in a predetermined pattern, an umbilical having a first end located outside of the build chamber and a second end connected to the deposition head, and at least one gantry assembly configured to cause relative motion between the build platform and the deposition head within the build chamber, where the at least one gantry assembly comprises a motor disposed outside of the build chamber.

A method and a device for the production of a stamping with an enlarged functional surface, for example, fine blanking a workpiece out of a flat strip, wherein the flat strip is clamped between an upper part including a shearing punch, a pressure pad for the shearing punch, a V-shaped projection arranged on the pressure pad and an ejector which is pressed into the flat strip, and a lower part including a cutting die and an ejector. Edge rollover is avoided by preforming, before cutting begins, a negative with regard to the cutting direction with a preforming element in the direction opposite to the cutting direction that corresponds to the expected edge rollover into the cutting die with regard to size and geometry at cutting, generating a material volume at the side of the rollover in a mirror-inverted form. During cutting, the preformed area is supported by the preforming element.

A hydraulically installed tube plug with or without O.D surface enhancements and plug installation tooling, high pressure fluid system and method. The invention stops leaks in tubes with a plug that utilizes controlled high pressure fluid within the plug itself to radially expand the plug in place. Other plugs and plugging systems rely on mechanical methods for setting the plugs in the tubes with little or no control on the radial pressure applied to the tube. This lack of radial pressure control can result in a tubesheet ligament being over stressed (plastically deformed) or not enough pressure applied to stop the leak. The plug high pressure expansion tooling is designed with built in safety components that allow high pressure hydraulic expansion methods to be used safely in blind holes. The high pressure fluid system's design allows it to be used in hazardous environments.

A green ball grinding method includes the step of supplying a green ball between a first surface of a first member and a second surface of a second member constituting a grinding apparatus, and the step of grinding the green ball between the first surface and the second surface while the green ball rotates around its own axis and in orbital motion. In the step of grinding the green ball, the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed while applying load between the green ball and each of the first surface and the second surface, and the step of modifying the rotation axis of the green ball by reducing the load lower than in the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed are executed alternately.

A blank rolled in transverse directions with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blank, and with the aid of a drive for rockingly moving rolls in opposite directions, ensures that the geometry and dimensions of finished parts do not coincide with the form and dimensions of a die. A four-link articulation mechanism lifts/lowers the upper roll and transmits a rolling force thereto. Rods of hydraulic torque cylinders pivotally connect to ends of a rocker thereby transmitting oppositely directed torques and a rolling force to a lower roll. A wedge mechanism coupled to the lower end face of the lower thrust bearing lifts/lowers the lower roll thereby transmitting a rolling force thereto. A rack bar disposed between retainers horizontally moves during rolling and secures the blank using a cradle.

A method of forming a product via induction heating and forming of the product includes providing an induction heating coil for induction heating of a component and providing a die forming shell for supporting the component and for defining the final shape of a formed product formed from the component. The die forming shell includes a metallic material. A support structure is provided for supporting the die forming shell during the induction heating of the component. The support structure includes a metallic material. The support structure includes insulating portions to limit or substantially preclude inducement of electrical current through the support structure during the induction heating process. The component is inductively heated along its length while the component is in the die forming shell. The component is at least one of (a) heated before the formed product is formed and (b) heated while the formed product is formed.

[Problem] To present a manufacturing apparatus of a plate-like tooth profile member capable of forging and forming in one process by using a closed type die, being hardly accompanied by burrs due to plastic changes in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction of the material of the plate-like tooth profile member. [Solving Means] Consisting of an upper die 1 and a lower die 2 of closed type, the lower die 2 is composed of a tooth die 21 for forming a tooth portion in a material W of a plate-like tooth profile member, and movable dies 22, 22 movable relatively in a vertical direction to the tooth die 21 disposed at both sides in the axial direction of the material W of the plate-like tooth profile member of the tooth die 21, a first stroke is executed for confining the circumference at both end portions in the axial direction of the material W of the plate-like tooth profile member by the upper die 1 and the movable dies 22, 22, and a second stroke is executed for forming a tooth portion in the material W of the plate-like tooth profile member by the upper die 1 and the tooth die 21.

One embodiment includes providing a contiguous tubular member including at least one of a first material or a second material, so that the tubular member has a wall thickness that varies along the length of the tubular member; bending the tubular member; and hydroforming the tubular member into a part.

A method for manufacturing an Ni base alloy pipe stock comprises piercing and rolling a billet by use of Mannesmann piercing and rolling mill. The pipe stock has controlled amounts of C, Si, Mn, P, S, Cr, Ni, Mo, W, Cu, Al, N, with the balance being Fe. With the method, the following equations are satisfied, wherein values of TGBm, Psr and Pσ represented by the following equations (1) to (3) being not more than 1300, not more than 200 and not less than 0, respectively TGBm=1380−5000P−100S−4400C (1), PsrNi+10(Mo+0.5W)+100N (2), Pσ=(Ni−50)+10(N−0.1)−2(Cr−25)−5(Mo+0.5W−6)+12 (3), wherein each element symbol in the equations represents mass % of the element concerned.

In a method of making a tubular body, material is pressed through a die of a forming tool into a first mold cavity disposed in downstream relationship to the die to produce a first end piece. A mandrel is then moved in a direction of the die to thereby displace the mold cavity in the same direction and to extrude a tubular center piece to adjoin the first end piece. The mandrel is then replaced by a mold having a second mold cavity to mold a second end piece to adjoin the center piece.

A method of forming a groove in a pipe element by spin forming wherein the pipe element is pinched between an arbor revolving in an eccentric orbit of expanding diameter within the pipe element and an outer die which captures the pipe element. The pinching action causes a portion of the pipe element to move radially inwardly away from the die contrary to the direction of the motion of the arbor.

The invention provides a method for producing grain-oriented silicon steel with single cold rolling, comprising: 1) smelting, refining and continuous casting to obtain a casting blank; 2) hot rolling; 3) normalization, i.e. normalizing annealing and cooling; 4) cold-rolling, i.e. single cold rolling at a cold rolling reduction rate of 75-92%; 5) decarburizing annealing at 780-880° C. for 80-350 s in a protective atmosphere having a due point of 40-80° C., wherein the total oxygen [O] in the surface of the decarburized sheet: 171/t≦[O]≦313/t (t represents the actual thickness of the steel sheet in mm), the amount of absorbed nitrogen: 2-10 ppm; 6) high temperature annealing, wherein the dew point of the protective atmosphere: 0-50° C., the temperature holding time at the first stage: 6-30 h, the amount of absorbed nitrogen during high-temperature annealing: 10-40 ppm; 7) hot-leveling annealing. The invention may control the primary recrystallization microstructure of steel sheet effectively by controlling the normalization process of hot rolled sheet to form sufficient favorable (Al, Si)N inclusions from nitrogen absorbed by slab during decarburizing annealing and low-temperature holding of high-temperature annealing, facilitating the generation of stable, perfect secondary recrystallization microstructure of the final products. In addition, the invention avoids the impact of nitridation using ammonia on the underlying layer in prior art, and thus the formation of a good glass film underlying layer is favored.

The invention relates to a cluster arm arrangement for the intermediate roll sets of 18 HS roll stands, wherein arranged between the chock at the operating side and the chock at the drive side are cluster arms which are pivotable laterally of the intermediate roll and in which the lateral backing rolls are integrated for support of the working rolls in the stand. In that case, arranged between the chock (1) and the cluster arm (2) is a pivot pin (3), which is fixedly connected with the cluster arm and about the axis of which the cluster arm (2) is pivotable, and a locking means for the cluster arm (2) as well as an abutment (6) with a restoring spring (6) are operatively arranged on the pivot pin (3) as a compact unit in the region between the cluster arm (2) and chock (1).

Using a method for producing a spring from a spring wire, turns of a first spring part are produced, wherein said produced turns move in a first direction. Thereafter, turns of a second spring part are produced, wherein said produced turns move in a second direction which is different from, in particular opposite of, the first direction. Such a method can be used to produce a spring having a plurality of spring parts.

A method for weaving a carpet including tying a row of knots with a yarn and weaving two or more weft strands next to the row of knots, where the weft strands are 100% cotton and the yarn is wool yarn hand-carded and hand-spun into a single strand is described.

A composite hybrid cord comprising a core comprising of a first bundle of synthetic filaments having a filament tenacity of from 10 to 40 grams per decitex and a plurality of cabled strands helically wound around the core, each cabled strand comprising of a plurality of metal strands helically wound around a center second bundle of synthetic filaments that have a filament tenacity of from 10 to 40 grams per decitex. The ratio of the largest cross sectional dimension of the first bundle of synthetic filaments to the largest cross sectional dimension of the second bundle of synthetic filaments is from 1.5:1 to 20:1. The metallic filaments of the cabled strands have an elongation at break that is no more than 24 percent different from the elongation at break of the synthetic filaments of the first and second bundles.

One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a plurality of spaced-apart trenches in a semiconducting substrate to thereby define a fin structure for the device, forming a local isolation region within each of the trenches, forming a sacrificial gate structure on the fin structure, wherein the sacrificial gate structure comprises at least a sacrificial gate electrode, and forming a layer of insulating material above the fin structure and within the trench above the local isolation region. In this example, the method further includes performing at least one etching process to remove the sacrificial gate structure to thereby define a gate cavity, after removing the sacrificial gate structure, performing at least one etching process to form a recess in the local isolation region, and forming a replacement gate structure that is positioned in the recess in the local isolation region and in the gate cavity.

Methods and apparatus for forming non-woven fiber mats from polymers and monomers that are traditionally difficult to use for fiber formation are shown and described. Applicable techniques include electrospinning and other traditional fiber formation methods. Suitable polymers and monomers include those having low molecular weight, a low melting point, and/or a low glass transition temperature.

A tire includes at least one structural element which includes at least one reinforcing element which includes at least one hybrid yarn, the at least one hybrid yarn including a plurality of filaments obtained from at least one first multifilament yarn having a first initial tangent modulus and at least one second multifilament yarn having a second initial tangent modulus, the first and the second initial tangent modulus being different from each other, each one of the first and the second multifilament yarn including a plurality of individual filaments, the individual filaments of each one of the first and the second multifilament yarns being at least partially intermixed with each other. The tire may be a high performance or ultra high performance tire, or a tire suitable for being employed in sporting contests such as track motor races, or a tire suitable for sports utility vehicles.

The invention relates to a method for obtaining high-tenacity aramid yarn, wherein the yarn is made of a copolymer obtained from a mixture of monomers comprising DAPBI, an aromatic para-diamine, and an aromatic para-diacid, wherein the yarn is heated in at least two process steps, characterized in that in a first step the yarn is heated at a temperature of 200 to 360° C. at a tension of at least 0.2 cN/dtex, followed by a second step wherein the yarn is heated at a temperature of 370 to 500° C. at a tension of less than 1 cN/dtex. The invention further pertains to a multifilament aramid yarn spun from a sulfuric acid spin dope and having a tenacity of at least 2500 mN/tex.

A yarn object which, even though made of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, can be satisfactorily prevented from color fading caused by contact with other objects or the like, can be produced easily at low cast, and can maintain high strength. The yarn object is colored with a colorant. The yarn object includes a core yarn 2 colored with a predetermined colorant and an outer-layer yarn 3 disposed on the periphery of the core yarn. The outer-layer yarn 3 is disposed in such a manner that the core yarn 2 is prevented from contacting with other objects. The outer-layer yarn 3 includes a transparent filament and a space 4 is formed between the outer-layer yarns 3. The color applied to the core yarn 2 is externally visible through the transparent outer-layer yarn 3 and the space therebetween 4.

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for growing fullerene nanotube forests, and forming nanotube films, threads and composite structures therefrom. In some embodiments, an interior-flow substrate includes a porous surface and one or more interior passages that provide reactant gas to an interior portion of a densely packed nanotube forest as it is growing. In some embodiments, a continuous-growth furnace is provided that includes an access port for removing nanotube forests without cooling the furnace substantially. In other embodiments, a nanotube film can be pulled from the nanotube forest without removing the forest from the furnace. A nanotube film loom is described. An apparatus for building layers of nanotube films on a continuous web is described.

An apparatus for producing a textile product generally includes a feeding section for providing a starting material to facilitate producing a textile product derived from the starting material; a drafting section operably coupled to the feeding section for gripping, pulling, stretching and breaking at least one strand of the starting material into at least one continuous and cohesive network of an intermediate product; and a spinning section operably coupled to the drafting section for winding and twisting the at least one continuous and cohesive network of an intermediate product onto a removable receiving member to form the textile product; the feeding section, the drafting section, and the spinning section are configured to form the textile product in a continuous operation.

Intermittently colored yarns having an intermittent and random dye spacing pattern, and systems and methods of making the same, are disclosed. Such intermittently colored yarns exhibit higher quality and lower manufacturing costs over the known intermittently colored yarns. The intermittent coloring takes place while the yarn is in caterpillar form. Carpets made from such intermittently colored yarns exhibit enhanced aesthetics over carpets made from known intermittently colored yarns. Alternatively, a stain resist, colorless base dye, or bleaching agent can be applied in the same intermittent and random spacing pattern to the intermittently colored yarns prior to subsequent dyeing. This creates a mirror image like color effect to the resulting yarn.

Improved self cleaning and lubricating all-weather fishing lines and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The line includes a core line portion of polyester multifilament fiber and a coating portion, the coating formed by a thermoplastic polyester elastomer mixed with a blowing agent . The methods of this invention are characterized by the use of a finely ground powder of copolymer and blowing agent processed through a medical-quality elongated mixing screw at the line coating unit and very low processing temperatures.

A metal cord (C-1) having two layers (Ci, Ce) of 3+N construction, rubberized in situ, comprising an inner layer (Ci) formed from three core wires (10) of diameter d1 wound together in a helix with a pitch p1 and an outer layer (Ce) of N wires (11) N varying from 6 to 12, of diameter d2, which are wound together in a helix with a pitch p2 around the inner layer (Ci), said cord being characterized in that it has the following characteristics (d1, d2, p1 and p2 being in mm): 0.08

The invention relates to a method and a device for removing and drawing a synthetic thread to form a fully drawn yarn. The thread is formed by joining a plurality of extruded filaments and is guided by contact on the circumference of heated guide jackets of several driven galette pairs. In order to obtain a gentle and highly homogenized treatment of the filaments, the thread is guided in an S-shaped or Z-shaped thread course by a first galette pair having two guide jackets driven in opposite directions during the removal from a spinning zone and before the drawing. Thus, both sides of the thread can be brought directly into circumferential contact with the guide jackets for in order to heat the thread.

A method of reducing an initial stress on a cable includes stretching the cable to a first length to thereby define the initial stress. The cable has a central longitudinal axis, and includes a plurality of wires each twisted around the axis and formed from a shape memory alloy transitionable in response to a signal between a first state wherein each of the wires has a first temperature-dependent length, and a second state wherein each of the wires has a second temperature-dependent length that is less than the first. After stretching, the method includes activating the alloy by exposing the alloy to the signal such that the alloy transitions from the first to the second temperature-dependent state. Concurrent to activating, the method includes elongating the cable to a second length that is greater than the first to define a second stress on the cable that is less than the first.

The invention relates to a method for producing a towel, specifically a low twist towel, comprising the following steps: Z twisting a thick yarn and separately Z twisting a fine count yarn; unevenly S twisting the Z-twisted yarns to make the volume of the thick yarn more than that of the fine count; weaving the yarn to produce a fabric; processing the fabric with hot water to reduce inner tension in the yarn and make the fabric become fluffy. Fabric produced by this method can solve the dependency on PVA, reduce energy consumption and material consumption, and prevent water pollution. This method for producing a low twist towel is environmentally friendly, healthy, and energy saving.

The invention relates to a method of operation for an air jet spinning machine, which is characterized in that the spinning process is interrupted when a yarn fault is detected, and subsequent to the interruption of the spinning process, a piecing process is initiated which is at least partly carried out by the spinning station and in which a number of yarn process and handling devices directly assigned to the spinning station are applied. Furthermore, an air jet spinning machine is proposed which permits such a piecing method.

A cable-stranding apparatus includes a stationary guide, a motor, a driven guide, and a controller electrically coupled to the motor. The stationary guide is configured to guide strand elements in a spaced-apart configuration and to pass a core member. The motor is operatively associated with a guide driver. The driven guide is disposed at least partially within the guide driver so as to rotate therewith. The driven guide is configured to receive the strand elements from the stationary guide, individually guide the strand elements received from the stationary guide, and to further pass the core member. The controller is electrically coupled to the motor and configured to control the rotational speed and direction of the motor.

Composite yarns, comprising one or more elastomeric fibers and hard yarns, are formed by adhering the elastomeric fibers and hard yarns together using a size material. The size-covered composite yarn can be used in weaving and knitting to make stretch fabrics with desired garment characteristics. The size material may be removed by subsequent wet fabric processing.

A device comprising: (a) a body portion including: (i) a first end and ii. a second end; (b) for a holder at the first end; (c) a holder at the second end; (d) a rotation device at the first end in communication with the holder at the first end; and wherein the holder is fixedly attached to a split gear having a channel therethrough so that one or more flexible mediums may be placed through the channel and removed from a work area located between the holder at the first end and the holder at the second end.

A method is provided for interrupting yarn production on a spinning machine upon detecting a defined deviation of a monitored yarn parameter from a target value, upon changing bobbins at a winding device, and/or prior to switching off the spinning machine. The feed speeds of the delivery device, the take-off device, and the winding device are gradually reduced to a stop in order to interrupt the yarn production, wherein the reducing takes place such that an end of the produced yarn is located within the spinning point after the reducing is completed.

A method interrupts yarn production on a spinning machine having at least one spinning point having an inlet for a fiber material and an outlet for the yarn made from the fiber material, and wherein the spinning machine comprises a delivery device for feeding the fiber material into the spinning point, a take-off device for drawing off the yarn out of the spinning point, a winding device for winding up the produced yarn, and a yarn monitoring unit for monitoring at least one yarn parameter. Yarn production is interrupted upon detecting a defined deviation of the monitored yarn parameter from a target value, upon changing bobbins at the winding device, and/or prior to switching off the spinning machine. The feed speeds of the delivery device, the take-off device, and the winding device are gradually reduced to a stop in order to interrupt the yarn production, wherein the reducing takes place such that the end of the produced yarn is located between the outlet of the spinning point and the winding device after the reducing is completed.

Rope (4) having an eye (2). The rope (4) comprises a first rope portion (8) and a second rope portion (10). The first rope portion (8) and the second rope portion (10) are spliced into each other for forming a spliced connection for obtaining the eye (2). The first rope portion (8) and the second rope portion (10) are formed from an end portion of the rope (4).

In a method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced strand, the fiber-reinforced strand is so manufactured that the cross-section thereof becomes as circular as possible. Particularly a method of causing a reinforced fiber bundle 3 to pass through a resin bath means 7 and, thereafter, twisting the reinforced fiber bundle 3. The resin bath means 7 includes an impregnation region 21 where the reinforced fiber bundle 3 is impregnated with a thermoplastic resin 5 and a twisting region 22 where the reinforced fiber bundle 3 after the resin impregnation can be twisted, and the reinforced fiber bundle 3 after the resin impregnation is twisted in such a manner that a twist pitch P imparted to the reinforced fiber bundle 3 after the resin impregnation within a length L in the twisting region 22 satisfies L/3≧P≧3.15/90×(dtex)1/2.

A steel cord for reinforcement of rubber articles, whose cord strength is enhanced by preventing occurrence of preceding break of the outermost layer filaments in the steel cord having a multi-twisted structure, and a pneumatic tire using it as a reinforcing material are provided. In a steel cord for reinforcement of rubber articles having a multi-twisted structure in which a plurality of strands are twisted together, which strands have a layered twisted structure in which a plurality of steel filaments are twisted together, dc/ds, which represents the ratio between dc, the diameter of outermost layer sheath filaments constituting the outermost layer sheath of a core strand, and ds, the diameter of outermost layer sheath filaments constituting the outermost layer sheath of sheath strands, is 1.05 to 1.25.

A rope assembly that is adapted to extend between first and second attachment points comprises a line arranged to define a plurality of loops and at least one pair of organizers. The at least one pair of organizers is configured to engage the line such that line segments of the line between the at least one pair of organizers are maintained in a desired relationship with each other and such that the desired relationship facilitates transfer of loads through the rope assembly between the first and second attachment points.

Method for manufacturing a metal cord with three concentric layers including a first layer of diameter dc made up of M wire(s) of diameter d1, around which layer are wound together as a helix at a pitch p2, as a second layer, N wires of diameter d2, around which are wound as a helix at pitch p3, as a third layer, P wires of diameter d3. The N wires of the second layer are assembled around the layer to form, at a point called “assembling point”, an intermediate cord called “core strand” of M+N construction; upstream and/or downstream of the assembling point, the layer and/or the core strand is sheathed with a rubber or rubber composition by passing through at least one extrusion head; then the P wires of the third layer are assembled around the core strand to form a cord of M+N+P construction thus rubberized from the inside.

A fid apparatus includes a first channel formed along one side of the fid and a second channel formed along an opposite side of the fid. The fid further includes an aperture that passes completely through both the first channel and the second channel. This arrangement enables the fid to be able to grasp or clutch a segment of rope during a splicing process. The splicing process involves a method of using the fid apparatus in such a way that the segment of rope is arranged within the first channel, second channel, and aperture of the fid prior to commencing splicing processes. The segment of rope used is determined by the particular form of splicing that is implemented.