Abstract: A hand held pistachio nut opener for splitting open pistachio nut shells and removing the edible nut from the opened half shells comprises forwardly directed upper and lower protruding members having forward distal edges adapted to be inserted in the lateral peripheral separation between the half shells of the pistachio nut to split open the half shells. The upper protrusion member is operative to open upwardly relative to the stationary lower protrusion member. The upper forward protrusion member is secured to a rearward extension member operatively rotatable about an interconnecting means secured to a rearward extension means of the stationary lower protrusion member.

Abstract: An environmentally friendly stable aqueous optionally structured water-resistant architectural coating composition (especially a paint) containing a film-forming binder polymer composed of a starch modified by the presence of carboxylic acid or inorganic carboxylate groups and bonded (probably grafted) to chains of copolymerized mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomers (e.g. “acrylic”, “vinyl” or “styrenic” copolymers) permitting a stable aqueous dispersion of the binder polymer to be made which retains good water-resistance in the dried paint. The modified starch allows paints to be made with less dependence on materials obtained from non-renewable resources while retaining a low water-sensitivity.

Abstract: A process for preparing an old porcelain or ceramic substrate and refinishing with an epoxy coating top coat, where the old substrate is treated with an aqueous solution of citric acid prior to the step of coating with epoxy. In preferred aspects, the old substrate is treated with aqueous calcium carbonate solution prior to treating with the citric acid solution.

Abstract: Latex paint in a container is inhibited against skinning by providing a thin layer of an aqueous mixture of diethylene glycol on the exposed surface of the latex paint after the container is filled with the paint.

Abstract: An aerosol container for dispensing adhesives under pressure is retrofitted with an adapter means for preventing clogging of the discharge valve with old adhesive after use. The adapter means comprises an interior sleeve inserted within an exterior dispensing tip where the assembly is retrofitted into the discharge valve of the aerosol container. A trigger mechanism attached to the top of the aerosol container engages the aerosol can discharge valve to facilitate bias engagement of the discharge valve of the aerosol container.

Abstract: A protective coating composition for coating interior surfaces of beer, beverage, and food containers, as well as interior and exterior surfaces of can ends, comprises a polymeric binder of emulsion copolymerized ethylenic monomers in the presence of an unsaturated polyester dispersed into water with an aqueous dispersed epoxy-acrylic graft copolymer dispersant. The preferred polymeric binder comprises by weight between 0.1% and 40% unsaturated polyester, between 20% and 80% emulsion copolymerized ethylenic unsaturated monomers, and at least 20% dispersant, where the emulsion copolymerized monomers crosslink with the water dispersed unsaturated polyester.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an aqueous acrylic copolymer thickener particularly useful for thickening latex paints, the thickener copolymer comprising aqueous copolymerized ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising between 10% and 90% carboxyl functional monomer, between 1% and 50% long alkyl ester of acrylate or methacrylate, and preferably between 20% and 90% methyl or ethyl acrylate or methacrylate. The mixture of monomers is mixed with water and surfactant, micronized to droplet size less than 5 microns, copolymerized to form a carboxyl functional copolymer, which is then neutralized with amine to form a thickener copolymer.

Abstract: Strippable aqueous a ionomeric coating composition suitable for coating plastic substrates where the coatings are easily removable by caustic treatment of the plastic during recycling of the plastic. The strippable ionomeric coatings comprise 80% to 99.8% by weight carboxyl functional aqueous addition copolymer (latex) intermixed with zinc or zirconium ammonium complex, where the zinc or zirconium complex interact during curing to provide ionomeric crosslinking with the.

Abstract: A movable pole system supporting divider material such as fencing, netting, or rope divider between a plurality of laterally spaced vertical poles orientated in a predetermined ground pattern. Each pole contains one or more connectors secured to the exterior surface of the pole for supporting the mesh material. Each connector includes a quick connect and disconnect mechanism comprising at least three outwardly extending elbows each with a vertically disposed arm. The upwardly extending vertical arms are in cooperative combination with the downwardly depending vertical arms to facilitate connection and disconnection of the fencing, provided the exterior vertical arms are opposed in direction to the intervening interior vertical arm.

Abstract: Process for preparing a thermosetting coating composition comprising;(a) mixing(i) a cleavable carbonyl polymer having an activated carbonyl group adjacent to oxygen or nitrogen, in the backbone, and having a molecular weight greater than 5,000(ii) a multifunctional compound having a molecular weight less than 5,000 having a functional group capable of reacting with the cleavable carbonyl polymer to cleave the polymer at the carbonyl group and bond with the cleaved polymer, the compound having a crosslinking group;(b) reacting the mixture in an extruder, at 50 to 350.degree. C. for 15 to 600 seconds, to cleave the polymer, and react the cleaved polymer with the functional group on the multifunctional compound(c) quenching the reaction mixture cooling prior to equilibrium reaction, to produce a functionalized cleaved polymer having crosslinking groups derived from the multifunctional compound and capable of crosslinking by heat reaction outside the extruder.

Abstract: A process for producing an aqueous coating composition comprising an aqueous dispersion of internally crosslinked polymer microgel particles in which the microgel articles are produced by emulsion polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers including carboxyl functional monomer in an aqueous medium so as to form an aqueous dispersion of carboxyl functional addition polymer followed by reacting this polymer dispersion with a diepoxide resin having an epoxide equivalent weight between 100 and 5000 to form the crosslinked polymer microgel particles.

Abstract: A combination shipping and display carton for shipping goods in a conventional manner, but adapted to remove the top to convert the shipping carton to an inventory carton suitable for stacking vertically in a point of sale display. The shipping carton is further adapted to remove a portion of the front panel of the carton to expose goods inside the carton and convert the carton to a display carton.

Abstract: An aqueous protective coating composition particularly useful for can coatings is based on a polymeric binder comprising epoxy crosslinked microgel particles. The microgel polymer is produced by dispersing into water a carboxyl functional, acrylic-epoxy grafted copolymer, and combined with a high molecular weight, branched, multifunctional epoxide resin, followed by coreaction and crosslinking between the carboxyl copolymer and branched epoxide to form stable aqueous dispersed microgel particles. In a preferred aspect of the invention, low molecular weight liquid diepoxide is dispersed into and crosslinked with the carboxyl functional acrylic grafted epoxy copolymer.

Abstract: An aqueous protective coating composition particularly useful for can coatings based on a polymeric binder comprises diepoxide crosslinked microgel particles. The microgel polymer is produced by dispersing into water a carboxyl functional acrylic-epoxy copolymer and combined with a carboxyl functional latex polymer along with a low molecular weight diepoxide, followed by coreaction and crosslinking between the carboxyl polymers and the diepoxide to form stable aqueous dispersed microgel particles. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the carboxyl latex polymer is a swollen latex polymer.

Abstract: A container holder device used in combination with attachment to an upright handle of a mobile floor maintenance apparatus used by cleaning personnel is adapted to hold and support household maintenance fluids. The container holding devices comprises a molded body structure secured to the upright handle and supporting an outwardly extending extruded support structure particularly formed to support a container of cleaning material. Impinging members on the molded body structure in conjunction with the formed extruded support means securely maintains the fluids container within the container holding device while the floor maintenance apparatus is in use.

Abstract: A process for refinishing a motor vehicle byselecting and mixing two or more pigmented base paints from a series of master colors, each base paint having a hydroxyl functional polymer selected from the group consisting of an acrylic addition polymer, a polyester polymer and mixtures thereof, having a number average molecular weight of 600 to 10 000 and a hydroxyl value of 5 to 500, andadding a hardener of a polyisocyanate crosslinker to react and crosslink with said hydroxyl functional polymer in each base paint to form a thermosetting pigmented composition, the improvement in the process comprising;adding a catalyst mixture of a tin catalyst and a polyfunctional thiol having at least three thiol groups per molecule in which the ratio of the number of moles of thiol groups from the polyfunctional thiol to the number of moles of tin from the tin catalyst is 1:1 to 500:1, to form a catalyzed pigmented coating composition having a more constant irrespective of the pigments contained in the two or more basic pain

Abstract: An aqueous protective coating composition particularly useful for can coatings based on a polymeric binder comprises water dispersed diepoxide crosslinked microgel particles. The microgel polymer is produced by disposing in water a carboxyl functional, addition polymer modified, maleated glyceride oil copolymer and crosslinking aqueous disposed carboxyl copolymer with a low molecular weight diepoxide to form stable aqueous disposed microgel particles. The maleated glyceride oil can be modified by in-situ polymerizing ethylenic monomers with the maleated glyceride oil in the absence of water or in water to form either a water dispersed copolymer or an aqueous emulsion copolymer. The water disposed copolymer is subsequently heat reacted with diepoxide mixed with the copolymer to form aqueous dispersed microgel polymer particles.

Abstract: The invention provides a water-based coating composition in two pack form comprising:i) in a first pack a substantially non-aqueous solution of a silicon-containing polymer which is soluble in water miscible organic solvents and essentially soluble in aqueous media, the silicon groups on the polymer being of formula (1):--SiR.sup.1.sub.a R.sub.3-a (1)in which a is 0 to 2, R.sup.1 is Cl-6 alkyl and R is OH or a hydrolysable group, andii) in a second pack a polymer in dispersion in an aqueous liquid carrier for the composition,where the non-volatile binder solids content of the composition is at least 5% by weight and the molar concentration of silicon in the composition is greater than 0 and less than 0.5.

Abstract: Protective coating compositions free of volatile organic solvents and particularly useful as can coatings are produced based on an aqueous dispersed microgel polymeric binder comprising between about 1% and 70% low molecular weight polyester diluent, between about 1% and 70% epoxy resin, between about 10% and 80% addition copolymer, and between about 1% and 40% low molecular weight diepoxide crosslinking resin. The aqueous dispersed solvent free microgel polymer is produced by mixing the polyester diluent with high molecular weight epoxy to produce a fluid resin mixture, copolymerizing in-situ ethylenically unsature monomers including carboxyl monomers in the presence of the fluid resin mixture and dispersing the resulting polymeric mixture into water. Low molecular weight diepoxide resin is added and crosslinked with carboxyl functionality to produce the microgel polymers.

Abstract: A coating composition substantially free of volatile organic compounds and containing a film-forming polymeric binder comprising epoxy crosslinked microgel particles having a particle size less than about 0.15 microns. The microgel particles are produced by first dispersing carboxyl functional addition copolymer dispersant into water followed by dispersing carboxyl functional polyester oligomer and diepoxide resin into the aqueous dispersant, and then esterifying the epoxy resin with the carboxyl functionality on the copolymer and oligomer. In a further variation, the polyester oligomer can contain maleic or fumaric unsaturation and subsequently grafted with in-situ copolymerized ethylenic monomers.