Abstract: Fibrous webs of bicomponent fibers are made by extruding a layered molten mass through a row of side-by-side orifices into a high-velocity gaseous stream. Bicomponent fibers of small size can be obtained, and the webs offer unique properties.

Abstract: Retroreflective sheet material capable of retroreflecting light at high incidence angles is prepared by laminating retroreflective sheeting to a base sheet, slitting the laminated sheet assembly in an array of spaced discontinuous slits, and expanding the laminated sheet assembly so that openings occur at the slits and portions of the laminated sheet assembly between the slits bend out of the plane which they originally occupied.

Abstract: A disposable diaper is provided which includes an outer liquid-impermeable film and a bilayer film bonded to the liquid-impermeable film as a peel-resistant reinforced fastening area. The bilayer film comprises a reinforcing layer and a room-temperature-nontacky bonding layer. The bonding layer holding the reinforcing layer to the liquid-impermeable film with greater force than that which the fastening tape applies when adhered to the top of bilayer film.

Abstract: Cube-corner retroreflectors having a rear surface configured with a cube-corner reflective element are made capable of reflecting light over a wide range of incident angles by placing a specularly reflective surface shaped as a negative of the cube-corner reflective element in closely spaced mating relationship with said rear surface.

Abstract: A durable fibrous sheet material comprised of a melt-blown fiber web having a plurality of reinforcing fibers extending therethrough is provided. The reinforcing fibers are needled through the web of melt-blown fibers and are then bonded to fibers on the opposing faces of the layer of melt-blown fibers to hold the reinforcing fibers in position. Solid particles can be dispersed in the layer of melt-blown fibers. Such particles are preferably vapor-sorptive particles, e.g., activated carbon, so that the sheet material will sorb vapors passing therethrough. The sheet material is particularly useful as a component of a chemical protective garment.

Abstract: A transparent cover film better protects enclosed-lens retroreflective sheeting and can be applied more economically when it is extruded and is a thermoplastic polymer which has good elongation and minimal elastic memory. Preferred polymers are (a) aliphatic urethanes and (b) copolymers of ethylene or propylene.

Abstract: Retroreflective sheeting has a flat, transparent cover film of excellent clarity and weatherability that resists dirt accumulation while also having good flexibility, conformability and stretchability, this desirable combination of properties being achieved when the cover film includes a urethane inner layer and an acrylic outer layer. The acrylic outer layer preferably is a copolymer of 60 to 80 parts of methyl methacrylate and correspondingly 40 to 20 parts by weight of at least one of ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and-butyl methacrylate. The urethane inner layer comprises a thermoplastic aliphatic urethane polymer.

Abstract: Retroreflective sheeting of the prior art comprises a monolayer of transparent glass microspheres partially embedded in a binder layer and a specularly reflective layer covering the back surfaces of the microspheres. In the prior art, a laser beam directed at an angle to the face of the sheeting forms an image in such sheeting which is directional in that it can be viewed only from that angle. In the invention, such a directional image is provided by tiny ellipsoidal cavities, each opening through a back surface of the microsphere.

Abstract: A new embedded-lens retroreflective sheeting which exhibits superior properties, including superior angularity, and which is made by a new method of manufacture involving lamination techniques. Microspheres are embedded into a first polymeric layer to less than one-half the average diameter of the microspheres, and a pre-formed spacing film is laminated to the microsphere covered surface of the first layer so as to obtain conformation of the spacing film in a substantially constant thickness over a useful portion of the back surface of the microspheres.

Abstract: Cellular retroreflective sheeting, which comprises a base sheet of retroreflective elements and a polymeric cover film disposed in space relation from the base sheet by a network of narrow intersecting bonds that form hermetically sealed cells. The cover layer comprises a continuous polymeric phase and discontinuous polymeric phase and is biaxially oriented such that the discontinuous polymeric phase forms minute disks distributed throughout the film.

Abstract: Sheeting having images that are viewable within limited angles of viewing from the front of the sheeting are prepared from retroreflective sheeting or from sheeting patterned after retroreflective sheeting, i.e., sheeting having a monolayer of microlenses like the monolayer of microspheres in retroreflective sheeting. A layer of transparent material covers the back surface of the microlenses. Axial markings are disposed behind individual microlenses at the back of the layer of transparent material and the markings are viewable from the front of the sheeting as an image.

Abstract: Security film comprising a monolayer of transparent microspheres supported in a thin layer of binder material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer coated on the layer of binder material, and disposed between the pressure-sensitive adhesive and binder layers, at least one patterned layer that has differential adhesion to the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the binder layer such that upon attempted elevated-temperature removal of the film from a substrate the film splits, with part of the film remaining on the substrate and part being removed.

Abstract: Electrically insulating wire coatings are resistant to prolonged exposure to 200.degree. C. when formed from a powder which, in a preferred composition, is a blend of(a) epoxy-terminated adduct of hydantoin diepoxide and aromatic dicarboxylic acid imide dissolved in hydantoin diepoxide,(b) acid-terminated polyester of aromatic dicarboxylic acid and diphenol containing one aromatic ring pendant from a central carbon atom,(c) bismaleimide, and(d) fumaric acid.

Abstract: Cube-corner retroreflective articles having improved angularity along multiple viewing planes are provided. The articles comprise at least one matched pair of cube-corner retroreflective elements which are rotated 180.degree. with respect to one another, the three lateral mutually perpendicular faces of the elements being defined at their bases by linear edges that lie in a common plane, and the optical axes of the elements being tilted toward one another.

Abstract: A new filtration device which floats in a body of the liquid to be filtered and which makes use of a bed of granular buoyant filtration media. The device comprises buoyancy means for giving the device sufficient buoyancy to float in the body of liquid; flow-defining structure attached to the buoyancy means and defining a flow path through which liquid may flow upwardly from the body of liquid; porous retaining means disposed across the defined flow path for holding a bed of buoyant filtration media against the force of liquid flowing upwardly through the path; and outlet means in communication with said flow path for conveying filtered liquid away from the filtration device.

Abstract: New methods for making "embedded-lens" retroreflective sheeting, and new forms of such sheeting, are provided. The new methods involve embedding microspheres into a web by continuously presenting a mass of the microspheres against the moving web and heating the web so as to soften at least an exterior stratum of the web, and adding a spacing layer to the microsphere-covered surface of the web. The microspheres are embedded on the average to less than 50 percent of their diameter, which has been found to cause the spacing layer to conform around a greater proportion of the back surface of individual microspheres and thereby position a greater portion of the specularly reflective layer carried on the spacing layer at the approximate focal point for light passed through the microspheres. Use of a preformed spacing layer also contributes to maintaining the spacing layer at a constant thickness around the back surface of the microspheres.

Abstract: Molded filtration products, such as disposable face masks, are prepared by assembling at least one fibrous shaping layer and one fibrous filtration layer in face-to-face contact and subjecting the assembly to heat and molding pressure. Preferably the assembly comprises two shaping layers, one on each side of the filtration layer. The shaping layers in total weight no more than about 150 pounds per ream and contribute no more than about 20 percent of the total pressure drop through the filtration product. At least one of the shaping layers comprises fibers that can be bound together at points of fiber intersections by coalescence of binder material on the fibers.

Abstract: Asphaltic materials (e.g., asphalt, bitumen, or pitch) are increased in flame-resistance and improved in other useful properties by use of a latent catalyst mixture which reacts upon heating to catalyze oxidation of the asphaltic material. The catalyst comprises halogenated organic compound which decomposes and releases halogen upon heating and an iron-containing compound adapted to react with the released halogen to form iron halide.

Abstract: Fibrous web electrets are given added properties through inclusion of a particulate material, such as a flame-retardant agent, in less than all the layers of a plural-layer film from which fibers are fibrillated, and by use of a brominated derivative of bisphenol A as the flame-retardant agent.

Abstract: Retroreflective sheeting in which a specularly reflective layer within the sheeting has extensive discontinuities which make the sheeting permeable to vapor, thereby allowing release of vapors from a substrate to which the sheeting is applied.