Abstract: A suspended ceiling system comprising a plurality of inverted-T runners. Kerfed edge ceiling tile supported by runners and concealing the bottom of the runners. At least one ceiling tile having a central portion removable therefrom by being separable along a substantially vertical fine cut made by high pressure fluid jet cutting.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically placing large plastic lids onto containers. Lids 24 are dispensed individually from magazine 11 onto slide 33. Each dispensed lid is individually retained at the bottom of the slide 33 for pickup by a container 41. The lid is urged onto the container by a pivoted roller 47 and further leveled by a roller 58 which is extended twice by a pneumatic piston to first contact a leading edge of the lid and to secondly contact a trailing edge of the lid. Thereafter a pneumatically operated lid securement means 61 comprising a convex plate 70' burps the air from beneath the lid and fully seats the lid on the container. The apparatus has various sensing means for sensing the depletion of lids from magazine 11, for sensing that a lid has been dispensed onto slide 33 and for sensing a container at the capping station. The sensing means control the various operations of the machine in proper sequence.

Abstract: An improved "lump" process for producing alpha gypsum, calcium sulfate hemihydrate, from natural gypsum rock of the type wherein lumps of gypsum rock particles (a minimum of about 1/2 inch or 1.3 cm. in size) are calcined to low water-demand alpha hemihydrate by autoclaving in a saturated steam atmosphere, quickly dried and pulverized is disclosed. The improvement allows the thorough processing of natural gypsum as large sized particles or containing considerable selenite and includes the steps of initiating calcination without crystal habit modifier and, after hemihydrate formation has commenced, adding crystal habit modifier and completing calcination under increased steam pressure.

Abstract: A homogeneous, free-flowing urea containing composition which has particular utility as an animal feed supplement or a fertilizer material and an improved process for preparing same are disclosed. In the process urea and particular forms of calcium sulphate are intimately mixed, optionally with calcium phosphate and one or more desired additives, and pelletized or granulated as by compression compaction. In one embodiment, micronutrients are blended into the urea-calcium sulphate mixture before compaction and the granules so produced may be subsequently utilized as a fertilizer supplement or in combination with primary nutrients as a complete fertilizer. In a second embodiment, the urea-calcium sulphate constitute an animal feed supplement to be blended with other, non-hygroscopic, nutrients such as calcium phosphate and the like in forming a silage or complete animal feed.

Abstract: Electrical power, instrument and communication cables constructed with combustible coverings can provide a pathway by which fire might spread. Cable fires within a room or compartment can be arrested by the construction of a properly designed "fire break" placed periodically along a cable run; and cable fire spread between rooms can be arrested by a properly placed "fire stop". Cable runs generally include a cable tray or raceway to contain the cables. An effective fire barrier, e.g., "fire break" or "fire stop" may be constructed in such a cable tray or raceway by filling a portion of the tray or raceway with a gypsum composition comprising gypsum plaster, an inert filler mixture of diatomaceous earth and lightweight expanded aggregate, and very small amounts of glycerin, boric acid and a corrosion inhibitor such as a boron nitride, boron nitrile or mixture of such boron compounds.

Abstract: An additive for reducing the amount of water necessary in forming a pourable aqueous calcined gypsum slurry, the additive comprising a high potassium salt of a condensation product of naphthalene and sulfonic acid having a molecular weight between about 300 and 3,000. Aqueous plaster slurries containing the additive are pourable, moldable and castable with much less excess water than ordinarily required, resulting in dried cast products of increased strength and other physical property benefits.

Abstract: A process is described for highly efficient recovery of phosphate values from a wide range of phosphate rock including low grade phosphate rock material by leaching with a dilute sulfuric acid and precipitating phosphate values as dicalcium phosphate. Water savings are accomplished in the process by the use of sea water instead of fresh water.