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Patti LuPone goes to Hollywood: The iconic actress on her big new role — and her love for Canada
Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series is delicious revisionist history, and Ms. LuPone is here for it
Queeries is a weekly column by CBC Arts producer Peter Knegt that queries LGBTQ art, culture and/or identity through a personal lens.
Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series Hollywood re-imagines post-World War II Tinseltown as something it still isn't quite yet: a place where women, people of colour and LGBTQ folks thrive. And at the centre of this glorious alternative reality is Avis Amberg, a woman who inherits control of a movie studio when her husband lapses into a coma. She uses that power to give major opportunities to folks the industry has all but tossed aside, much like Ryan Murphy himself has in various series over the past decade (Hollywood is basically the Ryan Murphyiest show that Ryan Murphy has ever made). It all makes for highly enjoyable quarantine viewing, in large part thanks to Patti Lupone, who plays Avis to delicious perfection in yet another iconic role from a career on stage and screen that just entered its sixth decade.
I had the honour of talking to LuPone on the phone last week, the morning after her 71st birthday. We discussed — among other things — her post-birthday hangover, her role on Hollywood, her relationship with Mr. Murphy and, well, the option of me immigrating her to Canada if a certain someone gets elected again.
Hi Patti. First of all, happy belated birthday.
Thank you very much, thank you.
I'm sorry that you have to celebrate it in the midst of all this.
Well, it turned out to be actually kind of fun. I got trashed on martinis and played Zoom bingo [laughs]. That wouldn't have happened in real time!
I'm glad that it worked out! So...I'm also in quarantine up in Canada right now and this past weekend I watched all of Hollywood in basically one sitting.
I mean, I had the time. And I also feel like it's actually kind of an ideal show to watch in the middle of all this because there's something so hopeful about it in terms of the possibilities for change, you know?
Oh, thank you. That's lovely. Aw, yeah. Thank you.
My pleasure. And I have to also say you're so good in it and it really is quite the role. You play this leader in forming this new world order in this altered version of Hollywood history. I just wanted to know what it was like to to dig in that.
You know, I wrote to Ryan [Murphy] and told him how grateful I was that he gave me the best role I've ever had on television. And that's the truth. I mean, I had many other extraordinary roles, like Joan Clayton in Penny Dreadful, where I played a 200-year-old witch, but that was a one-off. This was a series regular, and it was an extremely meaty role. It had depth, it had humour, it had sensuality, it was glamorous. I mean, come on. Thank god for Ryan.
It was also very sexy. That first episode when you're with the Jack Costello character played by David Corenswet was very hot. And it just was so fun to watch you play with that.
Thank you. When they told me I had sex scenes I was like, "Finally!" [laughs]
With a remarkably good looking man, I might add.
Remarkably good looking. And a sweetheart!
So Ryan Murphy...you're one of quite a few people he has given these incredible opportunities to in the past decade or so. I want to know a little bit more about your relationship with him and how that started?
I don't remember what year it was, but I got a call from my agent telling me that all Ryan wanted to do an episode of Glee around me and I said, "No, no, no, no, no. I'm a working actor." Do you know what I mean? I'm not Cher, I'm not Madonna, I'm not Britney. I have to be able to continue to work. So I said, "If Ryan wants me to be in a scene, I'll be in a scene...but the whole thing can't be around me." And so that was the first I met him. Ryan came and sat with me and I said to him, "I want to be back on television." And so the next thing was American Horror Story. I was rehearsing a Mamet on Broadway and I got a call from Ryan. We went out to dinner and he pitched American Horror Story. And then just recently, when I came back from doing Company in London, I get a telephone call and all of a sudden I'm on Pose. And on my first day of Pose, Ryan says, "Ask Patti what she's doing in September. I want to write a role for her." It then became a larger role.
I mean, it's arguably the lead role.
Well, it didn't start out that way.
Before we go further into Hollywood, I just wanted to say, you're so good in Pose and that show is so special. I watched it last summer every week and just sobbed every single time.
Those women [on Pose] are goddess warriors, they really are. And while I was on the set with them, so many transgender women were murdered. It's something they deal with every week. It's horrible.
And that this is still happening now as we speak.
So switching gears back to Hollywood, what was the process like of approaching this character? Did you base her on anyone?
Ryan told me that it would be very, very, very, very loosely based on Irene Selznick, the daughter of Louis B. Mayer and married to David O. Selznick. She wrote [an autobiography] A Private View, which is a great read. Basically, she and her sister were the daughters of Louis B. Mayer, and they were at the very beginning of Hollywood. They were there in the 20s and 30s and so it was really interesting to read about that. And then she married David O. Selznick and she was kind of the brains behind David O. Selznick. But in Hollywood, my character inherits the studio and makes movies about gays, minorities and women. We got one script at a time so I didn't know how the role was going to evolve.
Well, it really evolved into something special. And for it to be coming out in the middle of all of this, I wonder if there are lessons in it for however the real Hollywood rebuilds itself after. Because I feel like in many ways we haven't really reached the advancements depicted in the show. Do you think the real Hollywood will ever get it together when it comes to the way it treats women and people of colour and LGBTQ people?
Well, I think that will happen when the artists run the business, not the business running itself. I don't know if that will ever happen. It's difficult. I think that the people in the position of power underestimate audiences. It's overdue that we could do some work to educate the audience and in turn we are educated by them. It's been overdue for many years. But I don't think anything will change until those people in power stop underestimating the audience and artists take over positions of power. We deal with the audience.
Oh, I just love Canada so much. Do you think they'll take me and my family if Donald Trump gets elected again?- Patti LuPone
An example of artist in a position of power really is Ryan Murphy. He's really built an empire of representing women, queer people and people of colour, and this show feels like a tribute to that.
You're absolutely right.
I wondered if you have any advice what people can do with their time in quarantine right now, besides watching Hollywood?
I mean, I wouldn't presume to give anybody advice. We're all trying to figure it out as we go. Each day presents another challenge. My problem is structure. If I have structure, then I feel as though I've accomplished something, even if it's dusting. If I wake up and I eat something, then I feel like I've accomplished something. But if I don't do something, I end up in bed. You know what I mean? Structure is eluding me, and that's the thing I need to keep my head from sinking into a depression.
Yeah, I'm feeling the same way. Even just going for a walk at the same time every day goes a long way.
Well, thank you so much for taking time out of your hangover to talk to me.
My pleasure, you helped me get over my hangover. [laughs]
Aw, well, thanks again either way.
Where are you calling from in Canada?
Oh, I just love Canada so much. Do you think they'll take me and my family if Donald Trump gets elected again?
I'll personally sponsor you, Patti.
Will you please?
Hollywood premieres on Netflix on May 1st.
CBC Arts understands that this is an incredibly difficult time for artists and arts organizations across this country. We will do our best to provide valuable information, share inspiring stories of communities rising up and make us all feel as (virtually) connected as possible as we get through this together. If there's something you think we should be talking about, let us know by emailing us at email@example.com. See more of our COVID-related coverage here.

domain: entertainment


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One of the earliest examples of the author’s image is the Evangelist portrait. These portraits were glorious full page illuminations of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that appeared in the frontispiece of Medieval Bibles.
Since then, the author’s image has been reduced from a full-page color illustration in the front of the book to a small black and white photo exiled to the back. But the purpose remains the same—to allow the reader to picture the person who wrote the words on the page.
In the Evangelists’ case, it was to confer saintly grandeur. For modern-day authors, as novelist Richard Ford (pictured to the right in a photo by Marion Ettlinger) once described it, the function of the author’s photo is as:
“A porthole window on the back of a paperback, which the author peers through and says, ‘Hi.’”
But what about when your editor tells you that she needs an author’s photo of you? How will you say, “Hi”?
First of all, you want to appear intelligent. With some gravitas. You want to seem attractive and interesting. But not pretentious or as if you are trying too hard. You want to be taken seriously, but you don’t want to come across as dull.
There are many pitfalls, such as some of these hilarious examples of awful authors’ photos. Of course, the fantasy is to have the photo on the book jacket look more or less like one of the iconic images of authors pictured below.
Go here to read Part 2 about our process

domain: library


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XENIA — Cities, villages and townships in the county will share $430,000 in grant funds through the Greene County Department of Development (DOD).
Jurisdictions are encouraged to make capital improvements with the 2020 Municipal Grant Program funds, but are not limited, according to Kristie Tidd, DOD manager.
Greene County Board of Commissioners approved the transfer of appropriations during their meeting Jan. 16, indicating that they will send out the checks next week.
The total is slightly down from last year’s $500,000, but the funding is dispersed in a more balanced way this time, Tidd explained, with the smallest communities receiving more than they did last year. Each community received a letter in November with the amount they will receive.
City of Beavercreek (population 45,193) will receive $40,000; Bellbrook (population 6,943), $30,000; Bowersville (population 312), $10,000; Cedarville (population 3,963), $15,000; Clifton (population 104), $10,000; Fairborn (population 32,352), $40,000; Jamestown (population 1,993), $10,000; Village of Spring Valley (population 479), $10,000; City of Xenia (population 25,719), $40,000; Yellow Springs (population 3,487), $15,000.
Bath Township (population 7,040) will receive $30,000; Beavercreek Township (population 6,963), $30,000; Ceasarscreek Township (population 1,137), $10,000; Cedarville Township (population 1,537), $10,000; Jefferson Township (population 1,254), $10,000; Miami Township (population 1,303), $10,000; New Jasper Township (population 2,568), $15,000; Ross Township (population 750), $10,000; Silvercreek Township (population 1,745), $10,000; Spring Valley Township (population 2,102), $15,000; Sugarcreek Township (population 8,041), $30,000; Xenia Township (population 6,537), $30,000.
Populations listed are based on 2010 census data.
In 2019, communities used the funds for various projects including downtown improvements and village beautification, purchasing vehicles and equipment, road paving and new road signs, a new firehouse roof and playground equipment.

domain: finance


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The UFC won’t likely finish a deal for the remainder of their television rights until later this year but now the promotion has revealed what’s exactly on the table.
Last week, the UFC announced that they had signed a five year deal to put 15 exclusive events on ESPN+ — a new $4.99 per month streaming service that launched earlier this year — with a price tag reportedly at $150 million per year.
That figure already trumps what the UFC is currently getting from FOX for their entire slate of events. Thanks to the deal with ESPN+, the UFC now has some breathing room for negotiations on the remainder of their television rights package.
But what exactly is leftover?
Well according to UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein via Bloomberg that includes 12 pay-per-view events, 12 pay-per-view event preliminary fight cards (which are being offered up separately during this latest round of negotiations) and approximately 15 more live events per year.
Now the pay-per-view events being listed as equity for a potential television partner doesn’t necessarily mean the UFC is suddenly going to stop doing those events and give them away for free on television. It must be noted, however, as Dave Meltzer pointed out in his breakdown of the new deal with ESPN+ that the value of an event at approximately $10 million per show is more than what the UFC gets on the majority of their pay-per-view events currently.
Meltzer adds that for the UFC to make $10 million on pay-per-view, a show needs to sell around 285,000 buys, which is a rarity these days outside of a few marquee events. Perhaps the UFC sees that figure and now they are thinking about cutting back on the total number of pay-per-views if a broadcast partner is willing to pay them even more per event.
While the ESPN+ deal was for 15 events at reportedly $150 million per year, the rest of the television package is expected to net even more money for the UFC with figures north of $200 million per year. At that cost, the UFC might be able to shave off a couple of pay-per-view events per year and put them on television thanks to the new broadcast rights partner.
If these figures hold up, the UFC would be putting on around 42 events starting in 2019, which is up from 2017 where there were a total of 39 events.
Obviously thanks to the ESPN+ deal, the UFC now has the opportunity to truly negotiate with potential broadcast partners to get the best possible deal for the remaining slate of events.
FOX still remains a major player as they are planning on adding even more live events to their programming schedule after selling the majority of their assets including the television studio to Disney. NBC has reportedly shown interest in the UFC television rights after missing out on them back in 2011 when the company ultimately signed with FOX. There’s also the possibility that AT&T/Time Warner get involved in the bidding if their merger is approved by the Justice Department in June.
For now, the UFC will continue to speak to all potential suitors for the remaining slate of events with hopes of kicking off 2019 in a very big way for the organization.

domain: sports


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NASCAR driver John Hunter Nemechek served as the spoiler in Saturday’s second-tier Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, winning the playoff race as a non-playoff driver. But the trophy he earned for the win is really something special.
While the premier Cup Series has some spectacularly unconventional trophies — everything from gladiator swords to giant lobsters — the Xfinity Series has some zany ones. The trophy from the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen is easily one of our favorites because it’s a huge Cheez-It, but the oversized ice cream cone — well, custard, technically — that Nemechek won is definitely up there near the top of the wacky category.
Andy’s Frozen Custard 335 was the name of Saturday’s Xfinity playoff race, so naturally, the title sponsor had a ridiculous but kind of awesome trophy to go with it.
This trophy might deserve a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame because, well, just look at it. Hopefully Nemechek got some real frozen custard after the race.
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 16, 2021
Not only was Nemechek a non-playoff winner in a playoff race, but the 24 year old is also currently a full-time driver in the third-tier Truck Series and made just his fourth Xfinity start of the season. He’s the third non-playoff driver to win through the first four 2021 playoff races in the series.


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I challenged myself to “virtually” walk across Canada during 2020 – I keep track of how far I walk every day and plot this against a map of Canada. Read more here.
I’ve been a little remiss when it comes to updating my progress “hiking” virtually across Canada. I’ve still been keeping track and am also doing a few other “virtual” hikes (more on that in a moment). I haven’t posted any updates for a while, mostly because I’ve been more focused on posting about nature trips and “real” hikes.
Last time I wrote (February, ouch!) I was still in BC and just about to reach the border to Alberta. Since then I have blown through Alberta and the prairies of Saskatchewan and I am about to reach Brandon, Manitoba. Below is a map of my progress since I started in January 2020 – all 2,244km of it!
The blue line shows my progress, the red points are just locations of interest.
Other Virtual Hikes
I may not update this too often, but I decided to take part in a few other virtual walks that are run by “My Virtual Mission” who do “The Conqueror Events” where they track your progress along various routes and you get a medal for each one you complete (for a fee). You get information on the various locations you have reached and get emailed a “virtual postcard” from some places.
I joined a few of them and I am working through them (one at a time) with the aim of completing all of them by Dec 31st.
Name Distance % Complete English Channel Crossing 33.8km 100% Hadrian’s Wall 144.8km 100% Inca Trail 42.2km 100% Lands End – John O’Groats 1744.2km 57% The Grand Canyon 450.6km 0% Alps to Ocean (cross NZ) 289.7km 0% Great Ocean Road 239.8km 0% Route 66 3669.8km 0% Appalachian Trail 3167.6km 0% Camino de Santiago (Spain+Portugal) 773.9 0%
I’ve received my first three medals and might post photos of them in the future, they’re surprisingly hefty but did take almost 2 months to arrive after I finished each “hike”.
These virtual hikes have been fun, especially during prescribed periods of outdoor exercise during the peak of the pandemic – though the price (for the medals) is a bit on the steep side at $29.95US/£24.95 each.
I drove up to Algonquin Provincial Park with the wife on Saturday. I had made plans to meet Malcolm. He and I had followed each other on Instagram for a while and had occasionally chatted. Malcolm spends much of the year living and working at the park and is really passionate about the place (check out his cleverly named Instagram profile page, Malgonquin Photography). If I was ever up his way, I should let him know. So I did!
We talked about birds we might see, or like to see. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers had been plentiful, there had recently been a nesting Northern Flicker, and a Spruce Grouse has been incubating eggs on her nest for the last three weeks. It was also “National Black Bear Day”, so we hoped perhaps we might come across one. Plus, of course, a moose would be nice. I suppose you can tell I already saw one of those from the picture at the top of the page.
Sara, Myself, Malcolm, and Malcolm’s other half Morwen met at The East Gate and visited some lesser-known locations. Highway 60 runs through the park and by pulling off at various trailheads you only get to take in a tiny fraction of the park. Algonquin can be more fully appreciated by kayak, but that would have to wait for another day. Today’s tactic was to pull over from place-to-place, just to see what the park would throw at us.
Our first stop was to the location where a Northern Flicker had been seen nesting, but this was not fruitful. Nevermind, another pull-over a little further into the park and we practised our tactic of stopping just to see what we could see. After a few moments, I caught a flash of movement and a bird flew up onto a telephone pole. A Yellow-belied Sapsucker was disappointed that the pole was not offering much in the way of tree sap. This is a “lifer” for me, though they are ten-a-penny in Algonquin.
We moved on towards Opeongo Lake and we were pleased to see a pair of Common Loons close by. I wasn’t able to capture a great shot, but we also saw a Hare (a Snowshoe Hare, I think?) hopping and running around a grassy area. There were also dozens of Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies mud-dabbling. We probably saw hundreds of these through the park, particularly in the east.
We moved further West into the park and made our way through a wooded area where I photographed a number of plant species I hadn’t seen (or at least noticed) before, such as Starflower, Bunchberry, Swamp Laurel, and Fringed Polygala (Malcolm was adept at identifying these plants). Well camouflaged amongst the flora was a female Spruce Grouse who was incubating eggs. We wondered where the male was and pondered how involved he remained during the incubation and rearing of chicks, for Malcolm hadn’t seen him for some time. The Spruce Grouse was another “lifer” for me. I need to check and update my list, but I am at around 180 bird species.
We hiked the short Spruce Bog Boardwalk trail. Morwen has adopted the trail and has the thankless task of cleaning it of trash. Who drops their garbage on a hiking trail in a provincial park? Accidents happen, but to watch Morwen retrieve an empty Timbits box that had been tossed aside was just sad. I saw a Green Comma butterfly on the trail and we took photographs of a fearless Common Raven that allowed us to remain quite close. I also saw another new butterfly, a Silver Bordered Fritillary.
Further into the park, we stopped once again in a lay-by and walked a short distance from the road. I noticed that there were quite fresh moose prints in the mud. Sure enough, a short drive after returning to our vehicles, many people had stopped to watch and photograph a pair of moose – a female and her heavily molting yearling.
The day was flying by, but we made a couple more stops. This time we walked part of the Mizzy Lake trail and saw lots of Midland Painted Turtles, which are researched in this area. In a wooded stretch of trail, Malcolm spotted some kind of finch which I managed to photograph and identify as a Purple Finch. Not an uncommon bird, but one that had managed to allude me until now. This was a “lifer” for both Malcolm and I. I also saw another Green Comma butterfly and a Western Pine Elfin. These are very uncommon in Ontario (as the name suggests, they’re usually found in Western Canada). The Eastern Pine Elfin is usually found in Ontario, but Algonquin Park is home to a population of the Western species according to The ROM Butterfly Field-guide and the help of a specialist that helped me to identify it. Also seen was a Red-breasted Nuthatch, many Chalk-fronted Corporal skimmer dragonflies darting among us hunting the black fly that were bothering us, a friendly Hudsonian Whiteface dragonfly that landed on Sara’s head, a Northern Petrophora Moth, a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers, an unknown flycatcher, and a solitary Common Loon.
A couple of other stops. Malcolm showed us a tree that had numerous claw marks where a Black Bear had climbed up to make a bear nest. He also wanted to check out a hawk’s nest. Although there was no hawk present, I flushed an extremely well camouflaged American Woodcock by almost stepping on the poor thing. It waddled away alongside the slowly trickling water running from a culvert, cleverly eluding our increasingly desperate attempts to photograph it. The Woodcock was a “lifer” for Malcolm, which he was pleased about. I had come across one before in an unusual location – the drive-through of a McDonalds where it had probably collided with a wall while migrating. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in good shape. Sara and I turned it in to Toronto Wildlife Rescue and hoped for the best. It was great to see one in much better circumstances.
Somehow eight hours had passed by. Algonquin had been kind to us today – apart from the black flies. One managed to get up my sleeve and make a mess of my wrist. But the park had shown us a few creatures and allowed me to do something I enjoy… snap photos of something I know nothing about and fall down a rabbit hole of research the next day!
We bid farewell to Malcolm and Morwen and prepared for the drive back to Toronto. Until we return!
I decided to get back on the trail quite quickly, two days after my last visit, so that I could get in a little more progress before impending rainstorms arrive in the area over the forthcoming days. What better welcome to Spring than potential thunder and lightning!
I parked exactly where I left off last time, at the 35.2km mark in “Parking Lot C” at Short Hills Provincial Park and began today’s hike by heading due-south for a while. Short Hills Provincial Park is unattended and free to use (including parking). The park is occasionally closed during November/December while the First Nations people hunt deer. Birds were quite active as soon as I began. Once again, Song Sparrows were in full tune. Chickadees flitted amongst the bare trees. A pair of Robins fought territorially. Let me get the mud-moaning out of the way. The mud was terrible! My footwear is just about wrecked and it was quite hazardous in steeper areas – I was having to grab trees and shrubs just to be able to stay upright on the more challenging terrain.
The advantage of all this extra water run-off from melted snow and rainfall is that there is greater flow over waterfalls. Thanks to the way the land was formed in Southern Ontario, there are a great many waterfalls to be seen and The Bruce Trail offers views of some of them. Due to re-routes, I missed DeCew Falls (more on that later), but I came across Terrance Falls and was certainly not disappointed. Ideally, waterfall photography makes use of special tools including a tripod, but I can’t be lugging all that stuff around with me…. I still managed to get a pretty nice shot thanks to the overcast weather which lends a hand to these kinds of technical shots.
The other advantage to mud is that it reveals who has passed through ahead of your arrival. Continuing through the woodland, I saw canid prints and coyote scat as well as very small deer prints – probably a fawn. Later I would see beaver prints and a couple of dams, though I don’t think the prints were recent and the dams seemed a little worse for wear. Research later showed me that beavers were active here at least last year.
Soon the trail climbed into a meadow where there was much bird activity. Dark-eyed Juncos bickered in the trees, Robins searched for grubs in the grass, the unusual call of a Field Sparrow which increases in rapidity, and a Northern Flicker “wik-a wik-a” call could be heard as he clung to a tree in the distance. A beautiful Eastern Bluebird landed on a branch nearby just long enough for me to steal a shot.
At the 40.5km mark, I came across Swayze Falls, the largest of the waterfalls in Short Hills Provincial Park. Access to get a good photograph would have been challenging and time-consuming, so I snapped one from a viewing platform and continued on my way until I came upon a bridge where I paused to eat a sandwich and a snack of some nuts. I would like to have finished Map 03 today, but I couldn’t financially justify another Uber and I didn’t want to hike back through all that mud. I was getting tired from the exertion. Checking a couple of different maps, I realised that I had a couple of options. I could stop right here and turn back. I wasn’t too far from some parking off on a side-trail so that I could pick up the trail again next time. The other option was to continue a little further until I came upon Effingham Street. A little way up the street, my progress on The Bruce would be done for the day, but a turning would take me back towards my car performing a kind-of loop around the park, skipping most of the mud.
I decided to continue and climbed a ridge where I enjoyed watching three Red-bellied Woodpeckers quarrelling over the ownership of an attractive tree cavity. Agreement between the birds seemed increasingly unlikely, so I made my way onwards past a couple of culverts channelling water into creeks that disappeared into the body of the park. I eventually came upon the street. I turned right and after a short distance, I came to a bend in the road. The trail continued to the left. This is where I was finished for the day, at 41.9km, as my car lay some distance to the right first along a stretch of backroads and then back into the park for a while. Today I completed 6.7km. I am 4.68% of the way through the whole trail.
Addendum: DeCew Falls
In my previous visit to The Bruce Trail, I noticed that I came close to DeCew Falls without ever actually passing them. Since I was nearby again, I decided to drive there on the way home. There is a picturesque mill and a lovely waterfall. Unfortunately, there is never a particularly good view of the falls. There is a wire fence for safety, but it is ugly and blocks the chance to get a photograph. It is possible but pretty dangerous (and not permitted), especially in the muddy conditions present, to get down to the bottom of the falls, a little further away along a trail – there is even a rope that someone has placed which you would be able to use to essentially rappel down the steep drop. I considered it, but time was getting on and I didn’t fancy an injury. I took an inadequate photo from atop the ridge instead.
I left off where there is no parking, so on my next visit, I will need to figure that out – either parking further along the trail and walking backwards, or parking further back along the trail and repeating some. I will certainly have to finish Map 03. It will involve hiking through a couple of conservation areas. Until then, there is a patch of bad weather to get through as we get closer to some nice weather, wildflowers, birds and all the good stuff!
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I woke up early on one of those grey overcast days where you’re not quite sure whether to prepare for a wet and cold day or for the sun to burst through, such is the weather in the approach to an Ontario spring. I have to admit that I have underestimated this challenge so far – in particular, the need to hike back to my car each time I progress, doubling the distance I have to walk. So today I decided that I would push myself much further than I had been, and then take an Uber back to my car! This was a big help psychologically and I managed to complete as much today as I had in the three previous hikes combined.
I parked near the Welland Canal at kilometre 18.2 on the edge of Map 02 of The Bruce Trail and crossed the bridge before turning south following the west side of the canal. It is not active at this time of the year and I wouldn’t mind coming back here sometime to see a ship make its way through this channel and under this raising bridge that allows vehicle and pedestrian traffic to cross. American Robins were plentiful, Song Sparrow melody filled the air. A nearby House Finch sang. He sounds similar to the Gold Finch, but the pitch of his note puts me in mind of the tone of someone asking questions. Anyone old enough and British enough to remember The Clangers and how their whistling communication sounded like questions might vaguely perceive that which I somehow floridly yet spectacularly fail to describe.
Near Welland Canal Lock Number 4, I walked under Canadian National Railway Tracks, hung a right into some brush and crossed over a spur line. More brush continued and the ground became muddy. In fact, throughout the day, the trail was exceedingly muddy in parts. This isn’t a criticism of the trail. It’s a criticism of (near) Spring in this part of the world. The snow and ice has all melted, there’s a little rain… there were times when my footwear was almost completely sucked from off my feet.
Around the back of some houses, the trail exited onto Merritt Street in the community of Merritton, named after William Hamilton Merritt who founded The Welland Canal Company. I crossed to Ball Avenue West, over a small concrete bridge, past half-a-dozen large residential lots until entering Mountain Locks Park. A steel bridge conveyed me over a stretch of the abandoned Second Welland Canal near to an old lock.
On The Road
Curving around the edge of the park, I met the busy Glendale Avenue. A main road through Merritton, a suburb of St. Catharines, lined with typical restaurants and businesses. Today, Ontario declared a state of emergency due to the Covid-19 virus and, though there was vehicular traffic, there were no pedestrians and parking lots were mostly empty. I was keen to get through this noisy urban stretch as I made my way under the bridge of Highway-406, a short 26km highway running north/south across the Niagara Peninsular.
After a gas station, I turned left onto Tremont Drive passing apartment buildings and houses before the road climbed a quite steep bank. I heard a bird call I didn’t immediately recognise, followed by the same call in reply some distance away. It sounded like a woodpecker, of which there are several species in this area, and after listening to a few more moments of their back-and-forth, and doing a little on-the-fly research, I realised it was a Red-bellied Woodpecker of which I am quite fond. I would hear these several more times throughout the day. At the end of the street, the trail entered and weaved through a fairly mature wood. Near here, I was surprised to see a very small number of violets growing as it is early in the season. Small violets are tough to identify, but these were likely Viola odorata (Eurasian Sweet Violet amongst many other common names).
The trail briefly travels through Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site, a recreation site that started life as a quarry, became a landfill, before being rejuvenated in 2004. On the one hand, I had considered stopping here when I planned my route. Maybe spending some time exploring what was on offer, since the trail only skirts the edge of the site. On the other hand, my optimistic goal was to make it as far as Short Hills Provincial Park. I pushed on. I could always come back here another time.
I climbed Sanatorium Hill and then found myself on the campus of Brock University. I was around 25.3km along The Bruce Trail in total, having walked 7km so far today. I was back high up on the escarpment for a while before being met with a long slow stretch, due to deep mud, which continued alongside a hydro-electric canal that is fed by the man-made Lakes Moodie and Gibson. These lakes are fed by Lake Erie via The Welland Canal. The trail teased me, getting tantalisingly close to a view of the lake, before turning away a couple of times, until eventually crossing the edge of it via a short boardwalk. Shortly I would cross a channel via DeCew Road where a couple of Mute Swans swam idyllically by.
I was feeling good about my progress but was beginning to tire by this point. There was an opportunity to stop here as the trail passed through DeCew House Heritage Park at the 29.8km mark, where there is also a First Nations Friendship Monument. I really wanted to push on and get to Short Hills Provincial Park, though. In retrospect, I should have stopped. I was tracking my progress with GPS and know for sure that I never lost track of the white blazes, but when I examine the map of the route I took (shown at the end of this post), it varies quite widely and is a fair bit longer than the map in my Official Bruce Guide (and there are no re-routes listed on their website). Still, on I went, climbing the incline of a gravel pathway that traced the edge of the lake that many gulls seemed to be enjoying.
Reaching a hydro-electric dam, I turned and followed the edge of the escarpment that provided good views over farmland and houses between the breaks in trees, as well as a potentially dangerous fall for anyone straying too close to the edge! My progress at this point diverged quite a bit during this stretch of trail, adding some distance and not-at-all following the description provided in my guide, but I eventually exited woodland onto 1st Louth Street, which I crossed into a field and then coniferous woodland with tall pines.
My journey diverged a little more, but again, I was following the white markings of the trail. Despite this, I was treated to the sight and sound of a screaming Red-tailed hawk overheard carrying what appeared to be a large snake in its talons. Up a bank, I discovered a large fossil on the path with long root-like impressions. This is an example of a “trace fossil” which shows indirect evidence of an organism. Bioturbation is a process by which an organism disturbs the earth, for example by burrowing, and this disturbance is then fossilised. Pretty cool.
Since it is still mid-march and a couple of days until we are still officially in Spring, the fauna is still mostly bare and the environment has quite the beigeness about it. Interestingly, this stretch of trail, much more than the rest of the ground I had covered today, was much greener. A great deal of different mosses growing on rocks, grass-like reeds and fronds of different ferns just beginning to show. In just a few more weeks, Ontario will welcome back the return of migrating birds including the multi-colours of warblers that the keenest birders travel to our province to catch a glimpse of.
And so, at 35.2km, I reached a parking area on the edge of Short Hills Provincial Park and concluded today’s hike. I completed 17km according to The Bruce Trail Guide maps, though 18.9km according to my GPS tracking (which includes wandering off a bit to look at views and stuff). I was pleased with my progress but should likely have brought more snacks with me, as I wasn’t feeling so great with a migraine. I called an Uber, the driver somewhat bewildered with me for the pick-up location, the drop off location next to my car, the purpose of my day, and the fact that I took my very, very muddy shoes off to avoid dirtying his car. For this, he was very grateful.
Next time I will hike through Short Hills Provincial Park – the first Provincial Park of several I will traverse, along with many other conservation areas. The aim will be to complete Map 03 of The Bruce Trail. There are 42 maps in total. The Niagara Section ends and the Iroquia Section begins part-way through Map 05. I’m just under halfway through The Niagara Section and 3.9% of the way through the entire trail at time of writing. Phew!
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Similar to The Vista Trail, parking is possible on the side of Zoo Road – but not on weekends from May to September. Between these months you’ll have to pay to park at the nearby zoo. Or you can do this trail in the opposite direction to me and read this article backwards, by parking in the lot on Twyn Rivers Road. Expect the lot to be busy on summer weekends.
I parked on Zoo Road and then continued on foot past the metal gates down the paved decline. It was early morning and I was surprised to see half-a-dozen Turkey Vultures roosting up in the trees beside the trail. They pretty much just turned their backs to me in disgust, so I continued on my way (after taking a couple of shots of them).
Staghorn Sumac grows either side of the paved walkway. It is one of the first plant leaves to begin changing colour in the fall, eventually becoming a bright red colour. I was walking during spring and what was lacking in a little leaf colour was made up for by an Eastern Newt in its Red Eft (juvenile) stage basking on the path. These newts begin life hatching from eggs in the water. Their limbs grow, their gills shrink and their tail loses its fin qualities, until they become an Eft. They remain on the land for 2-3 years in order to leave their birthplace and find a new pond to breed in. As adults in their new home, they will redevelop a more fin-like tail and typically never leave the water again during their usual 15-year life-span.
The trail climbed back up until it reached a crossroad. There is no access straight ahead and left takes you to The Cedar Trail. Our good old Orchard Trail continued to the right, so that is where I went! There is a large pond to the left where you can often find waterfowl such as Trumpeter Swans, ducks, and Canada Geese. During warmer months, Midland Painted Turtles often bask on the logs here.
Into The Woods
After the pond, the trail turned from gravel to dirt and made a steep decline through deciduous woodland where birdsong filled the air. To the right, I could just about spy a swampy area that hosted many more of the turtles for which The Rouge is an important breeding area. Shortly, on the other side of a wooded fence, I was afforded a view down towards the meandering Little Rouge Creek.
The trail gently declined further until I was level with the creek and as I continued, there were several opportunities via well-trodden paths, to get close to the bank. Although I didn’t see it, I heard the distinct call of a Kingfisher. Further along, near a short boardwalk, there was evidence of a muskrat – trodden vegetation, chewed trees, and a potential nest.
Heading away from the creek, the trail began to climb. At the fork, be sure to continue right to stay on the trail and don’t waste your time climbing the huge hill (it leads out of the park… eventually). Once more declining through forest, the trail can get a little muddy during wetter periods, though boardwalk helps to deal with the worst of it. At a steep section with bare roots and a handrail through coniferous trees, there is another good lookout over Little Rouge Creek.
The fauna alternated between deciduous and coniferous woodland, as well as some small open meadows while remaining mostly flat for some distance before ending at Twyn Rivers Road. Congratulations, you can turn back at this point. Alternately, The Mast Trail is a little down the road on the opposite side (you will have to turn back eventually) or further down the road just after the bridge and on the left is The Vista Trail, which will loop you back to where we started today.
Type: Point-to-Point (But you can loop via a separate trail)
Views: Good for this close to the city
Nature/Wildlife: Wide variety of flora and fauna. Probably the best Rouge Trail for wildlife, but Vista is also good.
Overall: If you want a bigger terrain challenge, take The Mast Trail . If you want the best view, take The Vista Trail (mainly for the observation deck). For something in-between, this trail is for you and probably offers the better chance of a wildlife encounter.
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As you might guess from the name of this trail, there’s a nice lookout platform that affords a view down towards the valley through which Little Rouge Creek flows.
Bear with me. Let’s get the parking nonsense out of the way. I like to park at the north trailhead, but the parking is a little restrictive because of the nearby zoo. You head north along Meadowvale Rd past Sheppard Ave, turn right onto Zoo Road and make sure you keep going right. Park on the side of the road. You are good to do this from October to April. Outside of these months, you can only park here on weekdays. Weekends you’ll have to pay to park at the zoo. Or take the southern trailhead and park at Twyn Rivers road. This is likely to be rammed on summer weekend days.
I survived the parking and turned right near the visitor’s centre to begin The Vista Trail. There is a Common Lilac tree outside the visitor’s centre which flowers in mid-to-late spring. It’s an introduced species, but not terribly aggressive, so I think it is probably okay for us to enjoy the scent the flowers give off. Go on, give it a sniff! There are some bird feeders beside the visitor’s centre, so it is often a good spot to have a look for some feathered friends.
Pushing on, the trail follows the edge of a ridge through trees. Listen out for the call of Killdeer I’ve often seen and heard them spend their time in the open field to the right. Around a bend and I approached the viewing platform located beside an open meadow. From the platform, you can see down to the Little Rouge Creek and during fall the view of the changing leaf colours on the many trees is very pretty. There is also good birding in this area. I have seen many warblers in the trees, including my favourite – the Black-and-white Warbler, Eastern Towhees and many more. Near the hydro poles I have seen Eastern Bluebirds. Outside of the colder months, this area is often filled with Tree Swallows. On this particular morning, I saw half-a-dozen White-tailed Deer grazing and keeping half-an-eye on me.
Sticking to the left trail and back into tree coverage, I continued to make my way along the ridge. Dappled sunlight and tree coverage make for good habitat fort Ontario’s Provincial Flower, the Great White Trillium which can also be seen flowering in mid-to-late springtime and I was pleased to see some here.
A couple of steeper climbs with tree roots underfoot make the trail slightly more challenging, though it is less difficult than The Mast Trail. Likely due to the way the sunlight lands, along the ridge are conifers to the left and deciduous trees, mostly maples, to the right. Expect to hear the calls and drummings of woodpeckers through much of the year.
The Vista Trail reaches its conclusion after a gradual decline down towards Twyn Rivers Road. You have three options now! You can turn back the way you came, or you can pick up either The Orchard Trail or The Mast trail. The Orchard Trail will take you back to where you started out. The Mast Trail will mean you’ll have to eventually turn back. These two trails can be found by turning left onto the road. Be careful, the road can be a little dicey, there are no sidewalks and drivers aren’t always as generous as they ought to be. After a short walk you will find signs for The Orchard Trail on your left and The Mast Trail on your right.
Type: Point-to-Point (But you can loop via a separate trail)
Views: Good – has an observation deck offering views down into valley
Nature/Wildlife: Good – I’ve seen numerous birds and deer in particular. I think The Orchard Trail might be a touch better.
Overall: One of the shorter trails (though you do have to walk back again). The observation deck is a highlight. Around the deck is also good for birding, especially during spring migration (April to June, peaking in May).
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I like to begin this trail at the northern trailhead located near the parking at Twyn Rivers Road. At the east of the Twyn Rivers parking lot, near the creek, there is a sign for The Orchard Trail. Take this trail initially, cross the bridge, and then The Mast Trail is on your left.
I began by walking along a stretch of an old logging trail where White Pine trees were cut down en masse a couple of hundred years ago. The trees grow tall and straight and so they provided ideal timber for ship masts in Europe. There are no longer many mature White Pines remaining.
As the trail turns I saw large concrete slabs washed over by The Little Rouge Creek. These are the remains of a dam, once used to create an opportunity for visitors to swim when this location was a popular resort. Shortly before entering a wooded area, the trail skirts alongside the base of a hill. This was a popular skiing destination during the 1950s through to the 1970s. There was even a chalet here and a ski-lift.
During the summer, this meadow area can throw up some nice birds. On a previous hike, I was fortunate enough to see a Scarlet Tanager. Less common than the Northern Cardinal, but the males are as brilliantly red. I smiled to myself at this encounter before spotting a bright blue coloured bird hopping around before flying away a short distance. I pulled out my camera and snapped a few shots with my 450mm lens… then I zoomed in on the picture. I had never seen an Indigo Bunting up until this point – as the name suggests, a rich, deep blue little bird. Many butterflies and dragonflies can also be seen here.
The Hog’s Back
The trail then leads into woodland and it is not unusual to hear the deep drumming sound of woodpeckers within the trees. As I climbed the ridge, nicknamed “The Hog’s back” I turned back and saw a Hairy Woodpecker clinging to a maple tree. They use their long tongue to forage for insects hiding beneath the bark and are great fun to watch. The terrain is moderately challenging during this stretch of the trail, especially if you are still working on your fitness and hiking experience.
Through the woodland, I walked along the ridge. Steep declines either side of me, valleys cut into the land by glacial retreat. Squirrels frolicked and fought, chasing each other around-and-around tree trunks vying for territory. I spotted movement beside a fallen log and amongst what remained of last year’s fallen leaves was an American Toad. Surprisingly, Ontario is home to only two species of toad, the other being the Fowler’s Toad which is considered an endangered species in Canada.
After a stretch of mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland, with many maple trees that make this walk quite colourful during the fall, “The Staircase” leads partway back down the ridge followed by another smaller descent. After opening up for a while, I crossed a bridge over The Rouge River before reaching the Southern Trail Head at Glen Rouge Campground. Time to head back!
Views: Not bad, but a fair bit of tree cover.
Nature/Wildlife: Lots of Sugar maples which look great in the fall. Fair birding, especially woodpeckers.
Overall: If you’re looking to work your heart rate, this is a more challenging trail and you’ll enjoy a couple of the climbs. If you are looking for nice panoramic views, some nature, or you just want something more leisurely, I’d recommend The Vista Trail or The Orchard Trail (or both together which creates a loop).
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I challenged myself to “virtually” walk across Canada during 2020 – I keep track of how far I walk every day and plot this against a map of Canada. Read more here.
I didn’t do an update last week, so the progress I have made covers two weeks worth of distance. Also, going forward, I am only going to update my progress on this “Virtual Walk” every month. This is mainly because I hope to do some REAL hikes and better spend my time writing about those!
In the last two weeks I walked 237km (118km a week, 17km per day). This is a little lower than I was doing because I’m walking a touch less at work, but is better than it would have been because I did some hiking of The Bruce Trail for fun one weekend.
Here is a zoomed out view of my progress across Canada so far.
I’m a few km east of Cranbrook, BC and by the next update I should be getting close to Calgary, Alberta.
A Year later
Somehow it has been more than a year since I last visited The Bruce Trail. Perhaps an explanation of my personal circumstances might be in order, especially since, if you read the introduction to this adventure on my main Bruce Trail page, I talked about the issue of mental health.
After losing a much-loved job and promising career a few years ago I have had, to put it mildly, a hard time of things. The great news, which I eluded to at the end of the previous hike, is that I have found a new job that I greatly enjoy. Despite this good news, and with consideration to what I am able to reveal here, let’s just say that an unexpected and fraught situation towards the end of 2019 had led to a bit of a mental health relapse that also kept me away from this adventure.
However! I am back and am feeling better than I have for what seems like a very long time. Years, in fact. I’m also considerably fitter. I have lost around 35lbs since I started this adventure. So let’s kick the shit out of this trail, yeah?
Driving back along the highways familiar to my previous trip last winter, I parked up at Woodend Conservation area and walked a little way to where I last left off at the 11.8km point. Once more, the trail follows the high ridge of The Niagara Escarpment and likes to punish you by occasionally weaving down into the valley before making you climb right the hell back up again. It arcs around the Welland Campus of Niagara College (where you might like to enroll in a course in wine production). Today is Saturday and nobody else was foolish enough to be outdoors in these temperatures.
This winter, like last, has been relatively warm. This morning was just below freezing with the promise of temperatures rising to around 8°C. The ground was hard and icy where freeze and thaw cycles had melted the snow before re-freezing. I stepped around what I could and waddled over what I couldn’t. Around 3km later, the trail crosses Taylor Road which was thankfully quiet enough that I could safely traverse.
Next up, we are given permission to travel through Royal Niagara Golf Club. Everyone in the region was sensible enough not to be playing golf today, so I had the place to myself aside from a couple of ladies who I passed heading in the opposite direction along the trail. It was very icy here with the occasional narrow boardwalk. At this time of year, most plants and deciduous trees are bare. A few black coloured berries from Common Buckthorn grew either side of the trail. They are toxic to most animals, including humans. Birds avoid them until they are ripe. Vines of Oriental Bittersweet were also present. This plant is poisonous, but some medium-sized omnivore had given it a go judging by the remains visible in the nearby scat. I’ll save you the photos.
Skirting the perimeter of the golf course, the trail emerges upon The Old Welland Canal, also known as the Third Welland Canal. When built, this canal would connect two of The Great Lakes, Lake Ontario (which is fed by the St Lawrence River) and Lake Erie to replace earlier versions of the canal and upgrade an important shipping route. Lake Ontario already fed naturally into Lake Erie via The Niagara River, but there was the not-so-small matter of Niagara Falls being in the way. The 3rd iteration of the canal was completed in 1887. Turning left, I walked a short distance along Glendale Avenue until I reached The Fourth Welland Canal, known officially as The Welland Ship Canal, which opened in 1932 and is active today. Well, not literally. It closes late December until late March.
I crossed The Welland Ship Canal via Glendale Bridge. The entire bridge is raised by two crane-like structures when a ship is passing through. Around 3,000 ships pass through the canal each year, from tankers to pleasure craft. It is 43km (27mi) long and has 8 locks. The difference in elevation along the length of the canal is 326ft. This is where I decided to stop. There is parking here where I could pick the trail up again and the next parking isn’t for another 6km (don’t forget I have to walk back each time!). There was also an inviting bench where I sat and ate some lunch until the windchill became a little too much.
On the ice, I had lost my footing but saved myself a few times, legs flitting around like a newborn deer. In the golf course I went crashing to the ground and gave my knee a good bang, but managed to roll around gracefully before looking around urgently to see if anyone had seen me. They hadn’t. Today I hiked a measly 6.4km (and back!!!) and I have completed 18.2km of The Bruce Trail. Just over 2%. Oh dear!
Until next time!
I challenged myself to “virtually” walk across Canada during 2020 – I keep track of how far I walk every day and plot this against a map of Canada. Read more here.
A second week in a row with better distance, I moved 122km (compared to 124km the previous week). Still a bit short of the 25km per day I need (I’m doing about 18km per day), but better than when I started.
I got a little less walking in at work than the previous week, but did a quick 8km hike on Saturday afternoon to make up some of the gap.
As you can see from the map, I’ve put some distance between myself and Vancouver and am now just about through The Rockies. I’m just past Skagit Valley Provincial Park. I’m roughly 1/4 of the way to Alberta and about 4% of the way across Canada.

domain: hobby


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domain: design


US 3947174 A
Apparatus is provided for preparing perforated seamless tubular films of preferably thermoplastic material by passing an extruded tubular film over a perforated wall of a chamber connected to a constant pressure compressed air source.
In the apparatus compressed air from the chamber is allowed to pass periodically out of a first series of openings in the perforated wall, the openings being periodically closed either by axially displacing a plate to block said openings, or by rotating a subadjacent chamber itself provided with a second series of openings, whereby said first and second series of openings are periodically aligned.
1. An apparatus for producing perforated seamless tubular film having a source of extruded thermoplastic, full-walled, tubular film and a body having means defining a chamber therein and an external tapered surface exposed to the atmosphere over which said thermoplastic, full-walled tubular film travels longitudinally in direct contact therewith during operation, in a direction of increasing diameter, a transverse surface over which the tubular film travels exposed to the atmosphere transverse to said tapered surface, and a transverse surface merging smoothly with said tapered surface immediately upstream of the tapered surface relative to the longitudinal travel of said tubular film, said transverse surface being provided with a first series of openings distributed in a circle on the periphery of said body and communicating with said chamber in said body, means providing a path to said chamber for communicating with a constant-pressure compressed gaseous fluid source, and means for regularly closing said openings.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first series of openings open into an annular groove on the inner surface of said body, and said groove is engaged by an annular shoulder of a subjacent chamber, said means defining said chamber being rotatable and provided with a second series of openings positionable to coincide periodically with the openings of said first series on rotation of said chamber.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein both series of openings have equal numbers of openings.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first series of openings has twice as many openings as said second series.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the openings of said second series have at least the same diameter as the openings of said first series.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the openings of said second series have at least the same diameter as the openings of said first series.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first series of openings are provided in a wall forming part of the chamber connected to the compressed gaseous fluid source, said chamber having an annular groove into which said openings lead, and a plate provided with a solid rib axially displaceable in this chamber, to engage said rib in said groove to periodically block said first series of openings.
8. Apparatus for producing a tube of a plastic material having perforated walls comprising, core means having external perforated walls with openings therein open to the atmosphere, said core means having means therein defining a chamber for receiving a fluid under pressure therein, means defining a flow path into said chamber for connection in operation to a source of fluid under pressure, means for continuously passing in operation a full-walled, thermoplastic tube longitudinally over said perforated walls in contact therewith and open to the atmosphere with said core means disposed internally of said tube, said walls comprising a tapered surface increased in diameter in a direction of travel of the tubular film and a transverse surface transverse to the tapered surface merging smoothly with said tapered surface immediately upstream thereof and over which said tube travels longitudinally open to the atmosphere, and perforation control means operable from externally of said core means for periodically closed and opening said openings to flow said fluid under pressure therethrough to develop perforations through said tube in areas thereof in registry with said openings while said tube is travelling longitudinally.
9. Apparatus for producing a tube of a plastic material having perforated walls according to claim 8, in which said means for passing said full-walled tube of thermoplastic material over said core means comprises extruder means for extruding a seamless tube of thermoplastic material in a plastic state over said perforated walls and close adjacent to said openings.
10. Apparatus for producing a tube of a plastic material having perforated walls according to claim 9, in which said gaseous fluid comprises air.
11. Apparatus for producing a tube of a plastic material having perforated walls according to claim 9, in which said perforation control means comprises wall surfaces on said chamber having openings positionable in registry and out of registry with th first-mentioned openings, and means to rotate said chamber selectively to effect said registry.
12. Apparatus for producing a tube of a plastic material having perforated walls according to claim 9, in which said perforation control means comprises a plate movable to positions for masking and unmasking said openings.
13. Apparatus for producing a tube for a plastic material having perforated walls according to claim 9, in which said openings are arranged in a circle.
14. Apparatus for perforating a tubular film of plastic material before setting thereof comprising, core means inserted in operation into a full-walled tube of thermoplastic film in a plastic state for effecting perforations into said tube of thermoplastic film, said core having a chamber therein for receiving a gaseous fluid therein under pressure, said core means having a diverging surface open to the atmosphere over which said tube of thermoplastic film is advanced in operation longitudinally in contact therewith, and open to the atmosphere, said diverging surface increasing in transverse dimension in the direction of travel of said tube, a transverse surface transverse to the tapered surface merging smoothly with said diverging surface immediately upstream thereof and over which said tube travels longitudinally and open to the atmosphere, said transverse surface having openings therein immediately adjacent an area of merging of the surfaces and in communication with said chamber, means defining a path for providing a gaseous fluid under pressure into said chamber, perforation perforations control means including means operable from externally of said tube for periodically obstructing said openings from internally of core means to flow said fluid under pressure therethrough to develop perforations through said full-walled tube areas in registry with said openings.
15. Apparatus for perforating a tubular film of plastic material before setting thereof according to claim 14, including an extruder means circumferentially of said core means for extruding said full-walled tube of thermoplastic film upstream of and close adjacent to said openings over which said full-walled tube of film advances longitudinally.
16. Apparatus for producing a perforated seamless thermoplastic tubular film comprising, extruder means for extruding during operation a thermoplastic, full-walled, tubular film open to the atmosphere, core means within the extruded full-walled tubular film during operation having walls having perforations open to the atmosphere over which said full-walled tubular film travels longitudinally in direct contact therewith, said walls having surfaces changing the direction of travel longitudinally of said tubular film and including a diverging surface for expanding it during travel thereof, said perforations being disposed immediately upstream of said diverging surface defining flow paths slanted relative to the axis of the tubular film in a direction toward the direction of travel of the tubular films over said walls, perforation control means operable for periodically closing and opening said perforations to flow air under pressure therethrough to develop perforations through said full-walled tube in areas thereof in registry with said perforations while said tube is travelling longitudinally, and means for connecting said core means to a source of air under pressure.
This invention relates to a process for the production, by extruding a synthetic material, preferably a thermoplastic material, of a perforated tubular film without any welded seams by continuously extruding a tubular sheath by means of an extrusion head an pneumatically forming openings or perforations by passing the tubular film over a perforated wall of a chamber connected to a compressed-air source. According to the invention, the process is essentially distinguished by the fact that this chamber is supplied with compressed air at a constant pressure.
By virtue of the fact that said chamber is supplied with compressed air under constant pressure, it is possible to dispense with more or less complex systems between the compressed-air source itself and the pipe through which the extrusion head is supplied with compressed air.
The invention also relates to an arrangement of carrying out the above-mentioned process, distinguished by the fact that the continuous over a surface in which is formed a first series of openings distributed in a circle and which is provided on its lower face with an annular groove into said openings open, and by the fact that this groove is engaged by an annular shoulder of a subjacent chamber which is provided with a second series of openings designed to coincide periodically with the openings of said first series, and which is permanently connected to a source of a pneumatic medium, preferably compressed air, said chamber being rotated, optionally in an oscillating rotary movement.
By virtue of this arrangement, in which the compressed air is permanently supplied under constant pressure, the openings in the continuous tubular film are formed when the two series of openings coincide. The perforations are immediately formed in the tubular film without any delays. The arrangement according to the invention as defined above has a zero response time.
In another embodiment of the invention, the arrangement is distinguished by the fact that the wall with the first series of openings forms part of the chamber connected to the compressed-air source, and by the fact that a plate carrying a solid rib which is designed to engage in said groove to periodically obstruct or gate said first series of openings is axially displaceable in said chamber.
In this embodiment, in which said first series of openings is blocked by the rib formed by an axially displaceable plate, the groove provided in the wall of the chamber, over which the perforated film passes, is not subjected to any wear.
Two embodiments of an arrangement according to the invention are described by way of example in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic axial section through the first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an axial section through the second embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a general view of the installation used to manufacture the proposed tubular film.
In FIG. 1, the general reference 1 generally denotes the extrusion head which is formed by a block 2 provided with a cylindrical opening 3 in its upper part, followed by a downwardly widening conical bore 4.
A conical intermediate member 5 is mounted in this bore 4, terminating at its upper end in a cylindrical section 6 which extends through the cylindrical opening 3 in the block 2. At its end, the cylindrical section 6 has a screwthread 7 onto which is screwed a nut 8 which rests on the bottom 9 of a recess 10 formed in the upper part of the block 2.
The outer surface 11 of the conical intermediate member 5 is situated at a certain distance from the conical bore 4 of the block 2 so as to form a transfer chamber 12 for the plastics material which passes through an opening 13 designed to communicate with a source supplying a plastics melt, such as for example an extruder (not shown).
The lower front face 14 of the block 2 forms an extrusion slot 15 with the transverse surface upper face 16 of a plate 17 which is fixed by screws 18 to the conical intermediate member 5, the object of the extrusion slot 15 being to form a conical sheet or sheath 19 with the plastics material passing through the chamber 12.
The intermediate member 5 is hollow and is formed in its lower part with a conical bore 20 and in its upper part with a cylindrical bore 21. A central core is accommodated in the cylindroconical passage 20-21 thus formed. This central core is formed by a lower conical section 22 and by an upper cylindrical section 23 which overlaps the intermediate member 5 and which, in addition, extends through an opening 26 formed in a plate 27 screwed by bolts 28 to the upper part of the block 2.
The central core 22-23 is elastically suspended by means of two bearings 29 and 30 between which a helical spring 31 is arranged, and is held in position by means of a nut 32 and a locknut 33 both screwed onto the thread 34.
The central core 22, 23 is formed with an axial passage 35' designed to be coupled to a compressed-air source (not shown).
In addition, the central core is designed to be rotated by suitable means (not shown) which can be means designed to impart to the core an alternate rotary movement in the direction of the double arrow 35.
At its lower end, the conical section 22 of the central core carries, by means of two bolts 36 and 37, a wall 39 situated at a certain distance from its front face 40 which extends peripherally beyond the core 22 to form a plate 41 provided with a peripheral rib 42 extended by a collar 43 extending towards the plate 39, the arrangement being such that a peripheral first series of individual openings 44 is formed in an annular section 43' situated between the rib 42 and the collar 43.
This first series of openings 44 co-operates with openings 45 of a second series of openings formed in the plate 17 whose lower face has a groove covering the upper part of the structure formed by the rib 42 and the collar 43. The plate 39 is fixed to this structure by screws 39', 39" with a seal 43" in between.
The arrangement which has just been described functions as follows:
To begin with, the extrusion head is fed with the plastics material which passes through the feed chamber 12 and which is extruded through the die or extrusion slot 15 to form a tubular film or sheath 19.
The compressed air under constant pressure which flows through the bore 35' places the chamber 46 under pressure, and when the central core 22 is rotated in one direction or the other, or alternatively in one direction and the other, of the double arrow 35, perforations 47 are formed in the extruded tubular film every time the first series of openings 44 coincides with the second series of openings 45.
Naturally, the shape of the perforations formed in the tubular film is governed by the shape given to the series of openings 44 and 45 on the one hand and on the other hand by the longitudinal and transverse traction conditions to which the perforated tubular film is exposed as it issues from the extrusion slot, on the one hand through the taper 17' of the plate and on the other hand through the winding traction applied to the perforated sheet in known manner.
The perforated tubular film thus produced is hardened off in known manner by passage through a cold water bath, optionally after having passed through a calibration unit if necessary, and is subsequently wound into rolls.
In one known method, it is also possible to arrange a cutting blade in the path followed by the tubular film. This cutting blade cuts the tubular film along one of its generatrices or in a spiral to obtain a flat perforated film.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic axial section through the second embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.
The extrusion head, which is again denoted by the general reference 1, is formed by a block 48 provided with a conical bore 49 which terminates in a cylindrical bore 50 at the upper end of the block 48.
A central core designated by the general reference 51 is accommodated in the cylindroconical bore 49, 50. This central core is formed by a lower conical section 52 and an upper cylindrical section 53. The section 53 fits tightly into the cylindrical bore 50 whilst the conical section 52 has a smaller diameter than the bore 49 so that a chamber 54 is left free for passage of the material coming from the extruder through the opening illustrated diagrammatically by the reference 55. At its upper end, the cylindrical section 53 of the central core has a screwthread 56 onto which is screwed a nut 57 which rests on the bottom 58 of a recess 59 formed in the block 48.
A chamber formed by a plate 63 provided with a lateral collar 64, to which a cover 65 is fixed by means (not shown), is fixed by means of screws 61 and 62 to the major base of the conical section 52 with an insert 60 in between. To the right of the block 48, the plate 63 has a series of openings 66 which open downwards into a groove 67.
The chamber 68 houses a plate 69 carried by a shaft 70 guided in bearings 71 and 72 arranged in a bore 73 in the central core 51, said shaft 70 passing freely through a plate 74 screwed by bolts 75 and 76 to the upper front face of the block 48 which is provided with a radial opening 77 communicating freely with the chamber 59 and through the bore 73 with the chamber 68, said radial bore 77 being connected by means (not shown) to the compressed-air source, whilst the shaft 70 is connected to a known device designed to impart to it an alternating axial movement in the direction of the double arrow 78.
The plate 69 comprises a rib 79 designed to engage in the groove 67 so as to periodically gate or obstruct all the openings 66.
The lower front face of the block 48, denoted by the reference 80, forms with the upper face 81 of the plate 60 an extrusion slot for the plastics material passing through the chamber 54.
As it issues from said extrusion slot, the material forms a tubular film which passes over the plate 63.
If the head is connected to a source of compressed air which permanently feeds the chamber 68, and if the shaft 70 is moved alternately in the direction of the double arrow 78, it can be seen that the rib 79 periodically blocks the openings 66, so that between two successive blockings openings such as those denoted by the reference 84 are formed in the tubular film.
The axial interval between the perforations formed in the tubular film is of course governed by the oscillation frequency of the plate 69 and by the rate at which the sheath is extruded.
The tubular film thus formed can pass over a former 83, after which it enters a cooling bath to be treated in known manner.
To facilitate formation of the openings in the extruded tubular film both with the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the compressed air admitted into the extrusion head 1 is preheated to a temperature close to the melting temperature of the plastics material used, preferably to a temperature of around 150
The general installation for manufacturing the perforated tubular sheath on one or other of the arrangements is shown in FIG. 3.
In FIG. 3, the reference 101 denotes the screw of an extruder which is rotated by the motor 102 and which is used in known manner to plasticise the plastics material introduce into the extruder from a hopper 103. The plastics material is carried by the screw through a channel 104 into the die 1 from which issues the perforated tube which, passing over a former 107, dips into a tank 108 containing cooling water. Above the die 1, the reference 105 denotes a compressor for air heated in the heater 105' and delivered through the pipe 105" either into the bore 35 in FIG. 1 or into the bore 73 in FIG. 2. Two cylinders 109, 110 are mounted in the bottom of the cooling tank, rotating in opposite directions and serving to flatten the tubular sheath 111 which is delivered in the form of a band 112 by the cylinder 110 acting as a delivery cylinder. The band 112 formed by the perforated sheath, which constitutes a seamless tubular film, issues from the tank and passes between two delivery cylinders 113, 114 which rotate in opposite directions and deliver the band through a system for removing from the band any water that may still be adhering to it.
This system is made up of an open box 115 under which the band 112 travels over an idler cylinder 116, rubbing against the edges 17 and 18 of the box 115 as it does so.
It also comprises downstream of the box 115 two boxes 119 and 120 through which the band 112 passes freely and in each of which rotate brushes, such as denoted by the reference 120, which are mounted on shafts such as denoted by the reference 121.
On leaving the drying box 120, the band 112 passes between two cylinders 123, 124 and over a delivery cylinder 125 and is then wound onto the spool 126 of a winding unit 127 where the roll 128 is formed.
The plastics materials to be used are, for example, polyolefins, such as high-density or low-density polyethylenes, polypropylenes, plasticised or non-plasticised PVC, and any mixtures of these materials.
The openings through which passes the constant-pressure compressed air, optionally heated to around 150 it is sufficient to have minimal perforations in the sheath because these perforations are subsequently enlarged in both directions by traction of the sheath both in the longitudinal and in the transverse direction by the former. The number of these holes can vary according to the number of perforations required.
With an arrangement of the kind in FIG. 1 used in an installation of the kind shown in FIG. 3, it was possible to obtain sheaths which, after cooling, have a diameter of from 130 to 190 mm. The diameter of the circle around which the openings 45 are distributed is 80 mm, the plastics material used being low-pressure polyethylene, and the air being compressed to 3-3 bars and heated to around 150
The rotary air distributor was provided with openings 44 whose diameter is at least equal to that of the fixed openings 45. However, tests have shown that better yields can be obtained if the diameter of the openings 44 is equal to 2 or 3 times the diameter of the fixed openings 45.
The number of openings 44 of the distributor may optionally be equal to the number of fixed openings. However, a better yield is obtained if the number of openings 44 of the distributor is smaller than the number of fixed openings 45, for example equal to half the number of fixed openings 45.
With a head in which 110 fixed openings 45 and 55 openings 44 in the distributor were provided, the rotational speed of the distributor was 30 revolutions per minute.
If the rotational speed of the perforating distributor 44 is increased, the extrusion rate and traction rate of the sheath should also be increased, because for one complete revolution of a distributor with 55 openings 44 55 rows of successive openings, situated substantially in planes perpendicular to the axis of the sheath, are formed in the sheath.


Views: 5092 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-08-01 Origin: Site
What is the difference between aviation plugs and connectors? Is it the same product? Many people may be vague about the concept of aviation plugs. Today, KEFA will briefly introduce the differences between aviation plugs and connectors.
Aviation plugs are basically metal shells, and aviation plugs and sockets are equipped with screw buckles. After connecting, they can be screwed and fixed without falling off. Now widely used in marine, aerospace, power and other fields, the shell material is often made of magnesium aluminum alloy, which is durable.
In the management of China's aviation plug industry, connectors, switches, and keyboards are collectively referred to as electrical connector components, while electrical connector components and relays are collectively referred to as electromechanical components and connector product categories.
Aviation plug and socket is a kind of connector. Its main function is to connect power or signals, especially for wiring harness with a large number of cores. It is connected with aviation plug and socket, which is not only safe and reliable, easy to operate, but also beautiful .
In terms of classification, it is divided into military aviation plugs and civil aviation plugs. The connections on general machine tools, machinery, industrial control, and instruments are all civil aviation plugs. They can also be divided into ordinary aviation plugs and waterproof aviation plugs. Various types of curved aviation plugs, plug-in boards and printed boards, snap-on boards, etc. are provided to facilitate the practical application of the product.
This connection method is often applied to contacts with larger sizes and electrical aerospace plugs that work in strong vibration environments. This connection type can be fitted with a fuse to prevent loosening after the connection is completed. This connection form is reliable to use, but the unloading speed is slow.
It is a reliable and fast form of connection and separation. Most electric aviation plugs in card 121 connection form have a visual display of correct connection and locking, which can be viewed from the small hole on the side of the electric aviation plug connection nut.
It is a form of multi-purpose connection. When the plug and the socket of the electric aviation plug are connected and separated, the direction of movement is usually a reciprocating linear motion, without twisting and rotating, and only a small working space can be used to complete the unloading.
The common plug-in connection has two structures: ball or pin. Because there is no mechanically labor-saving mechanism for this connection form, once it is inserted by mistake, the mechanical resistance increases significantly and can be found in time.
KEFA specializes in aviation plugs, waterproof connectors, sensor connectors, cable connectors, wire sockets, terminal connector, cable connector, electrical wire, electrical cable, power cable, etc. If you have any inquiry, please contact us in time.


text:
Indie rock pioneers Arcade Fire have already forged an incredible resume, with a series of four extraordinary and utterly original albums that have ensured their status as one of the world’s biggest bands today. Their unique brand of fist clenching, emotionally charged power ballads have been the basis for their ascent and universal critical acclaim since 2004, yet unthinkably, they seem to have forgotten their charm for the most part on Everything Now, their fifth record, and unfortunately their least impressive by a considerable margin.
Filled with a newfound cynicism and deep-rooted contempt for modern day society and the technological age, Win Butler and company find themselves churning out a series of surprisingly soulless tracks that come off as overwrought, underdeveloped and effortless in the worst sense imaginable.
The album kicks off brightly, as title track ‘Everything Now’ delivers a spectacular, unmistakably ABBA-esque lead single with a disco influenced throwback style that fuses perfectly with the band’s signature sound. The similarly funky ‘Signs of Life’ and ‘Creature Comfort’ keep the party going early on, but the track-list takes a very unfortunate nosedive from there.
A terribly miscalculated midsection offers up the ultra generic ‘Chemistry’ and monotonous centrepiece ‘Infinite Content’, which shoves its ham fisted message down listeners throats in the most obnoxious manner possible. It’s the undoubted low point of the album, as the band seems almost weighed down by their own lack of hope, a feeling that much of Arcade Fire’s back catalogue has been built on, in such inspirational tracks as ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Sprawl II’.
The latter stages of the album pick up the pieces with the anthemic ‘Put Your Money On Me’ and, particularly, ‘We Don’t Deserve Love’; a redemptive closer that hearkens back to a sweet, subtler sound that is sorely missing from the majority of the album. The band have worked it so that Everything Now forms a perfect loop and returns to its eponymous track for an outro, serving as a another sly nod toward the ‘infinite content’ sermon that the band seem so willing to push on fans. The truth is that this is the first record of Arcade Fire’s career that doesn’t prompt or necessitate repeat listens.
Ultimately, the band won’t suffer for it; the album will attract endless streaming and a massive world tour is assured thanks to the band’s well deserved name – the truth is that being Arcade Fire these days is akin to having a name as big as U2 or Green Day in music circles, and the band have earned a reputation as international icons. But after all is said and done, the reality is tough to swallow. For the first time, an Arcade Fire record represents a real step down in terms of quality, compared to any release taken from their back catalogue. Bogged down with an overly negative motif and a seeming lack of inspiration, Everything Now is a surefire misstep from a band that should be at the peak of their powers, and a return to former glory will require some serious soul searching.

domain: artistic


Maria is one of the newly evicted housemates from the big brother Naija’s shine your eyes season 6 show in Lagos state, Nigeria.
Maria is currently having a nice time in her media rounds. In one of the media houses she visited, she was asked to describe the following housemates in one word.
WhiteMoney: Talented and fun
The second talking point on social media was When Maria describe WhiteMoney as talented and fun.
Olami: She is still hurt by everything Pere said about her.
See more reactions via the screenshots provided below.
What did you make of this? Kindly share your thoughts with us via the comment box provided below.
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