Abstract: A method of monitoring the deflocculation of particles in a suspension, which particles, when deflocculated, are such that they can become aligned in an applied field, comprises applying a beam of radiation to a region of the suspension, applying a field to the region and detecting a change, if any, in radiation scattering properties of said region due to the aligning of deflocculated particles, if any, of the suspension in the field, wherein said suspension is passed through a cell which is transparent to said radiation and provides said region in which said field is produced and on to which region said radiation is applied and wherein said suspension is pumped through said cell and the field is applied in bursts timed with the pumping operation.

Abstract: A kit for facilitating the reproduction of a selected array of alphanumeric characters on a variety of receiving surfaces. The kit contains a set of stencils, with a first stencil having a plurality of cutouts in a desired array and with registration marks at opposite edge portions about the cutouts. A plurality of second stencils, are provided, each of which has a cutout defining an alphanumeric character intermediate the edges of the second stencil, generally corresponding to the size of the cutouts in the first stencil. The cutouts in the second stencils have registration marks about the edge portions thereof. The edge portions of said second stencils can be made to coincide with the edge portions of the cutouts in the first stencil, the registration marks associated with the coinciding edge portions of the first and second stencils serving as indicia to indicate the orientation of the alphanumeric character second stencils to be interconnected with the array of cutouts in the first stencil.

Abstract: A method is provided for treating polar or aqueous fluid compositions containing an amount of an organic contaminant to immobilize the contaminant by forming a nonflowable matrix containing the contaminant. The non-flowable matrix can be easily disposed of. The method comprises adding a sufficient amount of organoclay to the fluid composition to absorb substantially all of the organic contaminant. A sufficient amount of solid adsorbent is added to the composition to absorb or react with substantially all of the polar fluid or water to form a substantially non-flowable matrix. Typically, such polar fluids or aqueous compositions are in emulsion form with the organic contaminant, and the addition of the organoclay breaks the emulsion, permitting removal of a portion of the water or polar fluid from the composition to thereby reduce the volume to be disposed of. The method of this invention immobilizes the organic contaminant, in such a manner that it is non-leachable from the matrix.

Abstract: The centers of a plurality of copper tubes are filled with tin and drawn to form Cu-Sn wires which are cabled around a core Nb wire; a plurality of these strands are provided in a copper tube, or a copper foil or finely wound copper wire; and a plurality of said tubes are packed into a copper can to form a billet which is drawn to produce a multifilament wire; and heat treatment is applied to cause the tin to diffuse and form the intermetallic Nb.sub.3 Sn at the surface of the Nb filaments to produce the ultimate superconducting wire product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus built into and for illuminating the interior of a pocketbook, includes a photodetector circuit sensitive to low levels of ambient light for turning on a switching circuit to energize a light bulb mounted within the pocketbook, and a relay mechanism responsive to closure of the pocketbook for preventing operation of the photodetector circuit for turning on the switching circuit.

Abstract: An organoclay which is readily dispersible in an organic liquid composition, is prepared by suspending a smectite clay in water to form a fluid suspension; treating the suspension with a solution of an inorganic salt, the cation of which preferably has a valency of at least two, the concentration of the salt being such as to flocculate the smectite clay substantially completely; mixing the suspension of the flocculated smectite clay with a quaternary ammonium compound, at least one of the four alkyl groups of which has from 10 to 24 carbon atoms; and dewatering the resultant product.

Abstract: Delaminated trioctahedral smectite clay compositions are provided having a substantially delaminated interlayer structure with a face-to-edge and edge-to-edge association of the clay layers and an inorganic metal oxide intercalated between the clay layers. A process for preparing delaminated smectite clay compositions comprises reacting an admixture of a trioctahedral smectite clay having an average particle size up to about 500 angstroms and a polymeric cationic hydroxy metal complex in an aqueous medium and recovering the reacted clay solids.

Abstract: Transparent plastic film holders are provided containing one or a plurality of pockets for photographic items such as strips of photographic film, negatives, prints or individual frames thereof which are formed by attaching two plies of transparent films by spaced bonding lines between said plies of films to define rectangular retaining pockets, said retaining pockets having two opposite closed ends and an extended openable end between two closed ends for insertion of a film item into the pocket, said openable end being closed off for a short distance from the opposite closed ends of the pocket by bonding the plies of film and forming a restraining lip extending from the opposite closed ends whereby the inadvertent dislodging of a photographic item from within the pocket is prevented.

Abstract: A method of monitoring the deflocculation of particles in a suspension, which particles, when deflocculated, are such that they can become aligned in an applied field, by applying a beam of radiation to a region of the suspension, applying a field to the region and detecting a change, if any, in forward radiation scattering properties of the region due to the aligning of deflocculated particles, if any, of the suspension in the field.

Abstract: An organo-clay is prepared by mixing a quaternary ammonium compound with an aqueous suspension of a smectite clay; thereafter subjecting the smectite clay/quaternary ammonium compound/water mixture to high shear mixing for a time sufficient to dissipate in the mixture at least 100 KJ of energy per kg. of dry solids in the mixture; and then dewatering the product thus obtained.

Abstract: Imogolite-2:1 layered silicate clay complex comprising imogolite tubes intercalated between the layers of the host clay.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for accepting a population of articles of the type having one axis generally longer than the other and one end different from the other with random orientation of the ends and providing a high-speed output stream of articles with all the ends thereof commonly oriented. The apparatus comprise a rotatable wheel adapted to accept the articles with randomly oriented ends in the periphery thereof and advance said articles to an output station having means for constraining the articles during advance thereof in the wheel and means for biasing said articles to turn end for end within the wheel only as the result of an article being in an undesired endwise orientation.

Abstract: An enclosure is disclosed for use with a bodily fluid drainage unit of the type comprising a flexible plastic bag having an upwardly extending flexible filler tube connectible to a patient for receiving bodily fluids, and hanger means extending from the upper end of same for enabling attachment to a receiving surface associated with the patient's environment. The enclosure receives the drainage unit therein to attractively conceal same, while simultaneously not impairing the functioning of the said unit. The enclosure is a generally flattened flexible envelope openable along one end for receiving the drainage unit. The openable end is provided on its opposed facing edges with mateable closures which enable closure of that end, and enable simultaneous nesting of the upwardly extending flexible filler tube of said drainage unit by the surrounding closure means.

Abstract: A picture frame hanger according to the invention comprises a block of material, e.g. plastic, metal, or wood, having at least one lateral projection extending along one side thereof, to define a lip receivable into the inwardly-facing groove or channel of a picture frame which is hung thereupon. The said projection may be parallelepiped in form, e.g. of rectangular cross-section and of a thickness less than that of the block; or the projection may comprise a bevelled surface defined at one lateral side of the block, which bevel diverges in the direction opposite the support wall. Preferably the hanger includes both parallelepiped and bevelled projections on alternate edges to enable a wide flexibility in application of the device.

Abstract: Immobilized enzymes are prepared by reacting an enzyme to be immobilized with an organoclay. The immobilized enzymes are enzyme-organoclay complexes in which the binding is substantially pH independent.

Abstract: A refiner for mixtures and suspensions having a non-Newtonian rheological characteristic, such as chocolate, which comprises a plurality of power driven refining rollers, and a means of changing the pressure thereof on the respective supports, wherein a means is also provided which is effective to change the actual crowning of the rollers, or the effect of an equivalent crowning, as well as a means of changing the speed of said refining rollers. The crown change is achieved by having the individual rollers supported on an oscillating support adapted to oscillate its respective roller relatively to the associated roller by rotation about an orthogonal midaxis with respect to the roller longitudinal axes, thereby a contact point is established at the roller middle area or circumference while their ends are offset. The speed of the refining rollers is changed through independent and individually operated controls, such as a DC motor.

Abstract: A method for increasing the bulk density and decreasing the time of wetting with water of a substantially anhydrous kaolin clay powder, comprising dry ball-milling said powder using work inputs of from about 5 to about 40 HP-hrs/ton of dry clay. The milling may be effected by grinding the clay with ceramic balls of less than 5 inches diameter. The process enables improved handling characteristics for the treated clay with respect to bulk material handling systems.

Abstract: A shield used in combination with a ski pole having an axis-defining shaft terminating at an upper end in a grip. The grip has a main body with a tubular mounting part generally centered on the axis and fitted around the ski pole adjacent the grip thereof and an axially upwardly open U-section guard flaring upward and radially outward from the mounting part. The guard surrounds the grip at a spacing sufficient for a hand to engage around the grip within the guard. Screw fasteners are provided for rigidly securing the mounting part on the ski pole. The mounting part includes a U-section main piece and a separate minor piece fittable therewith. The fasteners engage through the pieces to clamp same to the shaft.

Abstract: A key retaining device for capturing and selectively locking therein a portion of the working section of a key. When the key is locked in the device, its handle section is visible so that the presence of the key can be instantly determined without the unlocking of the apparatus, yet the key cannot be removed from the device until unlocked with a master key. Retention of the key within the housing is accomplished by a clamping mechanism employing a longitudinally sliding member having a wedge-like member which is urged toward the working section of the key upon the sliding member moving in a first longitudinal direction. The sliding member is moved by a bolt coupled to a lock which is rotated by a master key, and a nut which is held in a transverse slot of the slideable member. The master key when rotated in a second direction unthreads the bolt from the nut, moving the sliding member in the opposite longitudinal direction to release the wedge-like member which holds the key.

Abstract: An improvement is disclosed for use in the process wherein an organophilic clay is manufactured by reacting a sodium smectite-type clay with a higher alkyl-containing quaternary ammonium compound. According to the improvement of the invention, the gelling properties of the resulting organoclay are enhanced, by subjecting the clay to high energy pugmilling prior to the reaction thereof with the ammonium compound. This is preferably effected by passing the clay at 25 to 40 weight percent moisture content, through a pugmill which imparts at least 20 HP/hrs/ton of energy to the clay, after which the clay is subjected to the prior art processing.