Abstract: Described is a flexible, solid fire sealant produced by high shear mixing in a substantially volatile-free state and capable of being molded or extruded into a variety of shapes and used as firestops for windows, doors, dampers, shutters, and through-penetrations, the sealant containing water-insoluble intumescent mineral granules, a polymeric, halogen-free binder, and a flame retardant, wherein the sealant has a softness value from about 0.01 to about 3.75 mm and exhibits high expansion values and chars upon exposure to heat.

Abstract: A universal abrasive article adapted to mount on a mounting surface of a sanding machine having a plurality of dust extraction holes that define an open area. The abrasive article includes a plurality of discrete apertures that are sized and positioned so as to expose a majority of the open area of the dust extraction holes independent of the angular orientation of the abrasive article when the abrasive article is in registration with the mounting surface. The discrete apertures may include elongated, arcuate slots that may be symmetrically positioned about a center point of the abrasive article. In one embodiment, the discrete apertures may include seven arcuate slots. These embodiments also include sufficient abrasive material to provide adequate sanding cut rate and structural integrity during use and removal.

Abstract: A reversibly expandable filter element includes pleated filter media and a flexible spacing structure attached to the pleated media that provides the pleated media with uniform pleat spacing.

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: A self-supporting, pleated filter, and method of making the same. The method includes forming a plurality of pleats in a filter media that extend along a front face and a rear face. The pleats include a plurality of pleat tips and sloping side surfaces generally perpendicular to the direction of pleating. At least one planar reinforcing strip oriented in the direction of pleating is bonded to the pleat tips on the front face. At least one reinforcing member is positioned along the rear face of the filter media. The filter media is then cut to size. Frame members are applied for some applications. The reinforcing member may be a reinforcing strip oriented in the direction of pleating and bonded to the rear face of the filter media prior to the step of forming the plurality of pleats. A second planar reinforcing strip may optionally be bonded to the reinforcing strip pleat tips. The reinforcing member, the first reinforcing strip and the second reinforcing strip can be aligned to form a truss structure.

Abstract: A cast-in-place pass through firestop device for providing a passage in a partition through which wires, cables, pipes, and the like are run includes a housing having a riser portion with frangible connections that define removable bands that can be readily removed by a user to adjust the height of the device in accordance with the thickness of the partition into which the device is installed. The removable bands include pull tabs that provide grasping means to facilitate removal of the bands by a user along a frangible connection. The housing also includes a base portion including a recess with ribs for maintaining firestop material in spaced relation from the base portion sidewall. A flame retardant char forming material, which works in combination with the firestop material to provide a fire, smoke, and water barrier, may also be provided adjacent the firestop material.

Abstract: The quantity of dust generated by a sandable wall repair compound is reduced by adding a dust reducing additive to the compound. Dust reducing additives include oil, wax, and mixtures thereof. Dust reducing additives containing oil may include rheological and polar additives to minimize the bleeding of the oil into substrates to which the wall repair compound is applied.

Abstract: A stretch releasing adhesive tape article includes an elongate length of stretch releasing adhesive tape and a segmented liner arranged on the adhesive that can be used to form a manually engageable pull tab at a selected location on a discrete strip of tape cut from the length of tape. Each segment of the liner can be individually removed from the tape. The segmented liner allows the adhesive tape to be made in any length and wound upon itself to form a roll, and allows a user to cut a strip having a selected length depending on the end use application for the strip, and further allows the user to form a manually engageable non-adhesive pull tab at any location on the strip which can be grasped and pulled by a user to stretch remove the tape from a substrate.

Abstract: A stretch releasing tape article useful for bundling items such as cables, wires, or the like includes a stretch releasing adhesive tape strip, a rigid base plate for attachment with the tape strip, and an elongate flexible strap attached to the base plate that can be arranged around the items and attached to itself to form a closed loop.

Abstract: A method of detackifying an edge face of a roll of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, the method including contacting an edge face of the roll of tape with a non-free radically curable composition including water and film-forming agent, and drying the composition.

Abstract: An illumination device including a light guide 22 surrounded by a protective sleeve 24. The light guide 22 is hollow and includes a cylindrical wall 26 having a structured outer surface 28 and a smooth inner surface 30. Light release structures are provided to reflect or refract light through the cylindrical wall 26 of the light guide 22. In certain embodiments, the protective sleeve is bonded to the light guide. Rigid fixtures can be used to retain the light guide in elastically deformed, non-cylindrical cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of forming coreless rolls of pressure sensitive adhesive tape involves the use of a mandrel assembly having a specific circumferential tape supporting segment thereon for winding tape. The circumferential tape supporting segment has a tape engaging surface portion that, in a radial orientation, is compressible yet sufficiently stiff to support the tape as it is successively wound about the mandrel to form a tape roll, and that is sufficiently pliant to permit ready axial removal of a wound tape roll from the shaft. The innermost wrap of pressure sensitive adhesive tape about the mandrel is masked by an adhesive liner. That liner is formed from one portion of a liner/tab segment which had been applied to the tape previously, and prior to winding, the tape is severed, and the remainder of that liner/tab forms an end tab on the outermost end of the previously formed coreless tape roll.

Abstract: An illumination device including a light guide 22 surrounded by a protective sleeve 24. The light guide 22 is hollow and includes a cylindrical wall 26 having a structured outer surface 28 and a smooth inner surface 30. Release structures are provided to reflect or refract light through the cylindrical wall 26 of the light guide 22.

Abstract: A fire stopping device includes a containment shell with a heat rupturable element and an intumescent filler material arranged in the containment shell. The containment shell is formed of a fire resistant material capable of containing the intumescent material after the rupturable element fails. In addition, the heat rupturable element is designed to fail at a force which is lower than the intumescent filler material expansion force. In this manner, when the intumescent filler material reaches its activation temperature, it expands with a force greater than the strength of the rupture element, thereby causing the rupture element to fail. Thus, expansion of the intumescent filler material takes place in a controlled manner via the rupture element.