Abstract: A wall repair compound useful for filling and repairing cracks, holes, and other imperfections in a wall surface includes a conventional filler material, a conventional binder material, and a dust reducing additive which reduces the quantity of airborne dust particles generated when sanding the hardened joint compound. Airborne dust reducing additives include oils, surfactants, solvents, waxes, and other petroleum derivatives. The additive can be added to conventional ready-mixed joint compounds and to setting type joint compounds. A method of reducing the quantity of airborne dust generated when sanding a fully hardened joint compound includes mixing a sufficient quantity of the dust reducing additive with the joint compound prior to when the joint compound has been applied to the wall.

Abstract: An adhesive article is disclosed. The adhesive article includes a reinforced tape and a pressure sensitive layer disposed on the reinforced tape. The pressure sensitive layer includes an adhesive blend of 25 to 75 parts by weight of a first hydrophilic pressure sensitive adhesive having a first polyacrylate, 60 to 24 parts by weight of a non-hydrophobic pressure sensitive adhesive having a second polyacrylate, and 15 to 1 parts by weight of a tackifying agent. The adhesive blend includes a cross linking agent. The non-hydrophobic pressure sensitive adhesive is miscible in the hydrophilic pressure sensitive adhesive and the second polyacrylate is different from the first polyacrylate. Methods of making and using adhesive articles are also disclosed.

Abstract: A tape application apparatus is adapted for both left-handed and right-handed use when applying tape from a roll to a first surface. An edge of the first surface is common to an edge of an adjacent second surface. The tape application apparatus includes a housing and a tape hub attached to the housing that is capable of slidably receiving the roll. The housing has first and second exterior surfaces and first and second interior surfaces and is capable of receiving the roll. When the tape application apparatus is guided in a first direction, the roll is moveable to a first dispensing position against the first interior side surface, and when the tape application apparatus is guided in a second direction opposite the first direction, the roll is moveable to a second dispensing position against the second interior side surface.

Abstract: A wall repair compound useful for filling and repairing cracks, holes, and other imperfections in a wall surface includes a conventional filler material, a conventional binder material, and a dust reducing additive which reduces the quantity of airborne dust particles generated when sanding the hardened joint compound. Airborne dust reducing additives include oils, surfactants, solvents, waxes, and other petroleum derivatives. The additive can be added to conventional ready-mixed joint compounds and to setting type joint compounds. A method of reducing the quantity of airborne dust generated when sanding a fully hardened joint compound includes mixing a sufficient quantity of the dust reducing additive with the joint compound prior to when the joint compound has been applied to the wall.

Abstract: An apparatus to aid in the filling or refilling of a flexible, collapsible container having a pour spout and a method for using same. The apparatus includes a center frame element having attached to its upper end an upper frame element adapted to receive at least a portion of the pour spout of the container. At its lower end, the center frame element is attached to a lower frame element adapted to cradle a lower portion of the container being filled and to urge the container toward the center frame element as the flexible, collapsible container fills and expands. The apparatus is portable and may be removably mounted to a variety of vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Abstract: A kit for forming an air filtering assembly from a portable box fan assembly having a parallelepiped housing with square open sides through which an electric motor driven fan in the housing propels air, and a filter assembly including a parallelepiped frame with opposite sides with through openings generally corresponding in size to the open sides of the housing of the box fan assembly and a sheet of air filtering material within the filter assembly frame between its sides. The kit includes (1) a plurality of clips or hooks; (2) a lengths of adhesive for adhering the clips or hooks to outer surfaces of side portions of the housing for the box fan assembly; and (3) a resiliently elastic cord adapted to extend through passageways in the clips or hooks and between the clips or hooks around the side of the filter assembly opposite the box fan assembly to retain the filter assembly along one of the sides of the housing of the box fan assembly.

Abstract: There is described a light extractor (8) for a light guide lamp (1) whose useful surface, that is to say, the surface that, in use, faces the emission surface (5) of the light guide lamp (1), comprises a predetermined distribution of diffusing points (10) and a complementary distribution of reflecting points (9). The light extractor (8) allows obtaining an illumination having preselected features. There are also described methods for determining such a distribution of points so as to obtain a highly uniform illumination.

Abstract: Color-stable, pigmented optical bodies comprising a single or multiple layer core having at least one layer of a thermoplastic polymer material. The thermoplastic polymer material has dispersed within it a particulate pigment. The optical bodies generally possess high clarity and low haze and exhibit a transmission of light within a wavelength band of interest within the visible spectrum of from about 10 to about 90 percent.

Abstract: A hand-held manually-operated sanding tool includes a base having a lower surface including a plurality of attachment posts extending outwardly therefrom and a handle opposite the base lower surface for a user to grasp and maneuver the tool.

Abstract: A laminate from which decorative films can be precisely applied to a substrate. The laminate includes a polymeric cover sheet having opposite outer and inner major surfaces. A layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive is adhered to the inner major surface of the cover sheet. The structured pressure sensitive adhesive has a plurality of spaced passageways extending to at least one edge of the layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A decorative film is adhered to the structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive is adhered to the major surfaces of the decorative film opposite the layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A release liner extends substantially across the second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive and a portion of the structured pressure sensitive adhesive.