Vennat, maison spécialisée en broderie: mode ou tradition?

Establishing a business importing embroidery and music in Montreal around 1906, Vennat House has earned a reputation as a specialist in each of these areas. Taking a personalized approach, it claims in its advertising campaigns and in practice that at Vennat House, "we take the time required to satisfy every customer. " However, this business makes little reference to fashion when marketing its embroidery products. Tradition has no place here. The embroidery in question, which has lasted over sixty years, has been a classical handicraft, certainly, but also one that is versatile and stylish. In fact, the tradition lies within the business that it has built up and in the manner in which it does so. Year after year in a milieu which has hardly changed, Vennat House has put its apprenticeship techniques, models, patterns, and quality materials on the market and pro-duced an immeasurable number of fine handi-crafts endeavouring to maintain its reputation: a popular house of distinction. Résumé Commerce d'importation de broderie et de musique fondé à Montréal vers 1906, la maison Vennat s'est taillé une réputation de spécialiste dans chacun de ces domaines. Misant sur une approche personnalisée, affirmant à la fois par son discours publicitaire et sa pratique qu'à la maison Vennat, « on prend le temps qu'il faut pour satisfaire chaque cliente », ce commerce a cependant fait peu de référence à la mode dans la mise en marché de ses produits et de ses productions liés à la broderie. La tradition, pour sa part, ne se traduisait surtout pas par l'utilisation de ce mot ou même une référence à ce concept. Caria broderie dont il a été ques-tion durant plus d'une soixantaine d'années était pour cette maison spécialisée un ouvrage classique, certes, mais actuel, adaptable et vivace. En fait, la tradition, c'est à l'intérieur de l'entreprise qu'elle s'est construite et dans la façon défaire de celle-ci. Année après année et dans un environnement qui ne s'est à peu près pas modifié, la maison Vennat a diffusé des techniques d'apprentissage, des modèles et des patrons à reproduire, mis en circulation des matériaux de qualité et produit un nombre incalculable de « beaux ouvrages » en cher-chant à maintenir sa réputation : celle d'une maison « distinctive »... et populaire

Pressure Sensitive Paint Measurements on 15% Scale Rotor Blades in Hover

This paper describes a proof of concept test to examine the feasibility of using pressure sensitive paint (PSP) to measure the pressure distributions on a rotor in hover. The test apparatus consisted of the US Army 2-meter Rotor Test Stand (2MRTS) and 15% scale swept tip rotor blades. Two camera/rotor separations were examined: 0.76 and 1.35 radii. The outer 15% of each blade was painted with PSP. Intensity and lifetime based PSP measurement techniques were attempted. Data were collected from all blades at thrust coefficients ranging from 0.004 to 0.009

Carbon Nanotube-based Sensor and Method for Continually Sensing Changes in a Structure

A sensor has a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based conductors operatively positioned on a substrate. The conductors are arranged side-by-side, such as in a substantially parallel relationship to one another. At least one pair of spaced-apart electrodes is coupled to opposing ends of the conductors. A portion of each of the conductors spanning between each pair of electrodes comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged end-to-end and substantially aligned along an axis. Because a direct correlation exists between resistance of a carbon nanotube and carbon nanotube strain, changes experienced by the portion of the structure to which the sensor is coupled induce a change in electrical properties of the conductors

Water-Based Pressure-Sensitive Paints

Water-based pressure-sensitive paints (PSPs) have been invented as alternatives to conventional organic-solvent-based pressure-sensitive paints, which are used primarily for indicating distributions of air pressure on wind-tunnel models. Typically, PSPs are sprayed onto aerodynamic models after they have been mounted in wind tunnels. When conventional organic-solvent-based PSPs are used, this practice creates a problem of removing toxic fumes from inside the wind tunnels. The use of water-based PSPs eliminates this problem. The waterbased PSPs offer high performance as pressure indicators, plus all the advantages of common water-based paints (low toxicity, low concentrations of volatile organic compounds, and easy cleanup by use of water)

Controlled Deposition and Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes

A carbon nanotube (CNT) attraction material is deposited on a substrate in the gap region between two electrodes on the substrate. An electric potential is applied to the two electrodes. The CNT attraction material is wetted with a solution defined by a carrier liquid having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suspended therein. A portion of the CNTs align with the electric field and adhere to the CNT attraction material. The carrier liquid and any CNTs not adhered to the CNT attraction material are then removed

Carbon Nanotube Based Light Sensor

A light sensor substrate comprises a base made from a semi-conductive material and topped with a layer of an electrically non-conductive material. A first electrode and a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based conductors are positioned on the layer of electrically non-conductive material with the CNT-based conductors being distributed in a spaced apart fashion about a periphery of the first electrode. Each CNT-based conductor is coupled on one end thereof to the first electrode and extends away from the first electrode to terminate at a second free end. A second or gate electrode is positioned on the non-conductive material layer and is spaced apart from the second free end of each CNT-based conductor. Coupled to the first and second electrode is a device for detecting electron transfer along the CNT-based conductors resulting from light impinging on the CNT-based conductors

Controlled Deposition and Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes

A carbon nanotube (CNT) attraction material is deposited on a substrate in the gap region between two electrodes on the . substrate. An electric potential is applied to the two electrodes. The CNT attraction material is wetted with a solution defined by a carver liquid having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suspended therein. A portion of the CNTs align with the electric field and adhere to The CNT attraction material. The carrier liquid and any CNTs not adhered to the CNT attraction material are then removed

Sol-gel based oxidation catalyst and coating system using same

An oxidation catalyst system is formed by particles of an oxidation catalyst dispersed in a porous sol-gel binder. The oxidation catalyst system can be applied by brush or spray painting while the sol-gel binder is in its sol state

Carbon Nanotube-Based Structural Health Monitoring Sensors

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) can be embedded in structures of all geometries to monitor conditions both inside and at the surface of the structure to continuously sense changes. These CNTs can be manipulated into specific orientations to create small, powerful, and flexible sensors. One of the sensors is a highly flexible sensor for crack growth detection and strain field mapping that features a very dense and highly ordered array of single-walled CNTs. CNT structural health sensors can be mass-produced, are inexpensive, can be packaged in small sizes (0.5 micron(sup 2)), require less power than electronic or piezoelectric transducers, and produce less waste heat per square centimeter than electronic or piezoelectric transducers. Chemically functionalized lithographic patterns are used to deposit and align the CNTs onto metallic electrodes. This method consistently produces aligned CNTs in the defined locations. Using photo- and electron-beam lithography, simple Cr/Au thin-film circuits are patterned onto oxidized silicon substrates. The samples are then re-patterned with a CNT-attracting, self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to delineate the desired CNT locations between electrodes. During the deposition of the solution-suspended single- wall CNTs, the application of an electric field to the metallic contacts causes alignment of the CNTs along the field direction. This innovation is a prime candidate for smart skin technologies with applications ranging from military, to aerospace, to private industry