Abstract: Portable handheld device for electricians, plumbers and builders to use to form in one operation perfectly aligned, craftsman-like holes through a soffit and a roof above, or through a ceiling and a roof above, through which aligned holes an electrical conduit, soil stack or vent pipe, chimney pipe, or the like, may be installed.

Abstract: A continuous filament having a special geometrical cross-section to give controlled fracturability so as to produce free protruding ends, multifilaments of which produce yarns coming within the scope of U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,001; the cross-section of the textile filament having a main body section and one or more wing members connected to the body section, the body section comprising about 25 to about 95% of the total mass of the filament and the wing member or wing members comprising about 5 to about 75% of the total mass of filament, with the filament being further characterized by a wing-body interaction (WBI) defined by ##EQU1## where the ratio of the width of the filament cross-section to the wing member thickness (L.sub.T /Dmin) is .ltoreq.30.

Abstract: A jet and improved bustle tow blooming apparatus, the jet and bustle apparatus both being rectangular-shaped and the bustle apparatus having vented outlets through which the gases confined with the tow escape causing separation and blooming of the tow prior to its exit from the bustle apparatus.

Abstract: Method of removing paper wraps that are secured by thermoplastic adhesive around and/or to waste cigarette filter rods to enable subsequent recovery of the filter material in the cigarette filter rods, the method including the step of heating the cigarette filter rods to the melting point of the thermoplastic adhesive and then agitating the paper wrap against the filter material to obtain separation of the paper wrap therefrom.

Abstract: Process for treatment of crimped filter tow in preparation for forming tobacco smoke filter rods and including steps of separating and blooming the crimped filter tow into a wide, flat, well-opened low density tow, uniformly applying plasticizer to both sides of and through the tow across the width thereof, and then squeezing the tow and spreading the plasticizer more uniformly on the filaments of the tow; and a jet and improved bustle tow blooming apparatus, the jet and bustle apparatus both being rectangular-shaped and the bustle apparatus having vented outlets through which the gases confined with the tow escape causing separation and blooming of the tow prior to its exit from the bustle apparatus.

Abstract: An automatic sliding gate valve for connection to the ingress or egress opening of a vibrating dryer or other structure operable under either vacuum or pressure, the gate valve having a flat slide plate slidably movable by fluid powered cylinders and dampened, held rigid in its guides and held against pressure or vacuum by pneumatic seal members.

Abstract: A cheekplate holder assembly for use in a stuffer box crimper for continuous filament tow, with the cheekplate and its holder assembly as a unit being safely and readily removable from and reinsertable into the stuffer box crimper and the cheekplate movable into operative position against the endfaces of the feedrolls of the stuffer box crimper without stopping the rotation of the feedrolls.

Abstract: Spinneret orifices the planar cross-section of which defines an elongated slot having a plurality of wing member bar slots intersecting with the elongated slot at spaced intervals along the axial length thereof, and multiple intersecting body section bar slots intersecting with the elongated slot and intersecting with each of the other multiple intersecting body section bar slots at the elongated slot.

Abstract: Method for measuring total liquid volume flow in partially full cylindrical pipes, and apparatus for practicing the method.

Abstract: Stampable sheet of reinforced thermoplastic material having a plurality of layers of polymeric material and a plurality of layers of fibrous reinforcing material alternating with the layers of polymeric material, the polymeric material layers having minimum crystallization half-time upon heating of one minute or less and the polymeric material layer inwardly of the outer polymeric material layers and contiguous to a surfacing mat layer having a shrinkage of less than 2% as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D-955; with all of the layers being integrally formed together and possessing a smooth surface, essentially free of fiber "read-through", and of the type required of exterior automotive-type appearance parts; and a stamped sheet formed from the stampable sheet and having a heat deflection temperature under 264 psi load greater than T.sub.m -50.degree. C. wherein T.sub.m is the melting point of the outer layers of the sheet.

Abstract: Stampable sheet of reinforced thermoplastic material having a plurality of layers of polymeric material and a plurality of layers of fibrous reinforcing material alternating with the layers of polymeric material, the polymeric material layers having minimum crystallization half-times upon heating of one minute or less with the fifth layer of the sheet being polymeric material having a shrinkage of less than 2% as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D-955, and the first or outer layer and the third layer of the sheet being polymeric material layers having about 5 to about 50 weight percent fillers; with all of the layers being integrally formed together and possessing a smooth surface, essentially free of fiber "read-through", and having more uniform reinforcement in the sheet, and of the type required of exterior automotive-type appearance parts; and a stamped sheet formed from the stampable sheet and having a heat deflection temperature under 264 psi. load greater than T.sub.m -50.degree. C., where T.

Abstract: Device in a tow baler for transferring accumulated layers of filamentary tow, which are temporarily stored in an accumulating chamber and supported on a horizontally slidable hold-up slide, from the accumulating chamber to the tow baling chamber below without undesirably sliding and entangling the tow layers as the hold-up slide is slidably withdrawn from beneath the accumulated layers.

Abstract: Method for making a water insoluble hydrophilic polymeric substrate having incorporated therein a dispersion of a finely precipitated metal sulfide for sorbing by ion exchange heavy metals from aqueous solutions such as photographic solutions, seawater, mine tailings, electroplating baths and the like, the substrate being formed from such polymers as cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, starches cross-linked to render them water insoluble, natural polymers, or regenerated cellulose; and the product of the method.

Abstract: Process for manufacturing polyethylene terephthalate fibers having improved low-pilling properties by admixing ethylene glycol with polyethylene terephthalate polymer in extruder and holding the resulting processed fiber at constant length while heatsetting the fiber, and preferably relaxing the fiber up to about 5% while being heatset to a controlled length; and a polyester fiber as made by the process.

Abstract: An ends-down sensor device for detecting breakage or absence of a cabinet end of filamentary yarn, involving a cylindrical roller seated upon a fixed center post with the center of gravity of the roller causing it to rotate relative to the center post in one direction and activate a suitable signal device when a cabinet end breaks or becomes missing; and upon a cabinet end frictionally engaging the cylindrical roller, causing the roller to rotate relative to the center post in the opposite direction and deactivate the signal device.

Abstract: Improved method for bleaching cellulose esters, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate, by adding during the hydrolysis reaction of the cellulose ester at from 80.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. a bleaching agent mixture of hydrogen peroxide and at least one monopersulfate salt selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and lithium or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining true cigarette filter rod pressure drop, especially of nonwrapped and soft wrapped filter rods when the circumference thereof is being compressed by an encapsulation method as by an elastic sleeve, the pressure drop and circumference of the elastic sleeve and the filter rod encapsulated therewithin being measured simultaneously, and then through a fifth power relation true pressure drop is determined.

Abstract: Device for connection to the outlet end of a gas jet tow puddler for puddling filamentary tow into a container, the device having a downwardly sloped gas-impervious plate positioned downstream from the gaseous jet outlet and against which filamentary tow impinges, becomes slowed and then cascades downwardly therealong; and a gas-impervious cylindrical shell opposed to and spaced from the exit end of the downwardly sloped plate and against which the filamentary tow travels from the downwardly sloped plate for subsequent slowing and movement therealong and then dropping from the cylindrical shell into the container below.

Abstract: A transparent hydrophilic film for detecting the presence of heavy metals in aqueous solutions; the method of making same and the film as made by the method; and the use of a transparent hydrophilic film having therein a dispersion of finely precipitated zinc sulfide which becomes discolored by ion exchange when indicating the presence of heavy metals, the degree of discoloration being also a measurement of the concentration of such heavy metals.

Abstract: A hydrophilic, cellulose ester material that may be used as a filter or ion exchanger to sorb heavy metal ions, such as silver, mercury, lead, copper and cadmium, from aqueous solutions, the material having incorporated therein a high surface area zinc sulfide of at least 15 square meters per gram, and preferably at least 24 square meters per gram; and method for incorporating high surface area zinc oxide into a cellulose ester material by slurry process or solution process and converting the zinc oxide so incorporated into high surface area zinc sulfide; and product of the method.