Abstract: In the coating of a major surface of a strip article, wherein the strip surface is advanced longitudinally past a dam and, immediately beyond the dam, past an extended wall spaced from the strip surface by a gap equal to a desired wet coating thickness, a first liquid coating material is applied to the strip surface ahead of the dam and a second liquid coating material is delivered under pressure to the gap beyond the dam through one or more apertures in the wall to produce a stripe or stripes of the second coating material. The apertures can be provided in a rotatable disk, constituting a portion of the wall; rotary movement of the disk angularly displaces the apertures so as to vary the location and spacing of the produced stripes, for example in a manner simulating the appearance of natural wood grain.

Abstract: Production of a longitudinally striated coating on a strip article by advancing the article past an open side of an otherwise-enclosed trench so that the article surface to be coated closes the open trench side, while delivering concurrent laminar flows of two different liquid coating materials to the trench at least at one locality spaced from the trench open side, to keep the trench completely filled and to deposit a layer of coating material on the moving article surface. Liquid circulation in the trench caused by the motion of the article surface so distributes the two coating materials along the trench that the applied coating layer is constituted of alternating longitudinal striations of the two materials.

Abstract: A starter strip for anchoring, to a wall, the bottom margins of the lowermost course of an array of horizontally elongated siding panels each secured to the wall along its top margin and each having an inwardly projecting, upwardly opening channel flange along its bottom margin. The starter strip includes a leg mountable on the wall, a locking flange arranged to be received within the channel flanges of the panels, and resilient biasing means such as a spring leg for acting against the inner surfaces of the panels to urge the bottom margins of the panels outwardly and thereby to hold the inner legs of their channel flanges against the inner edge of the locking flange.

Abstract: In the coating of a strip article by continuously advancing the article lengthwise past a dam while applying liquid coating material to a major surface of the article ahead of the dam, and advancing the article surface past a facing wall of extended length immediately beyond the dam, the article is restrained against movement away from the wall by an endless surface moving in the same direction and at the same rate as the article. The liquid coating material, in contact with the article major surface ahead of the dam, is fully confined within a reservoir or trench to which the coating material is supplied under positive pressure to maintain the reservoir or trench continuously entirely filled therewith.

Abstract: A siding panel system for use on an exterior building wall or the like, including an overlapping interlocked array of horizontal siding panels 12, wherein the siding panels are secured to the wall by modular insulating and mounting units each comprising an insulating panel 10 and means such as a plurality of horizontal retainer strips 11 disposed in vertically spaced relation on the outer surface thereof for correctly positioning and facilitatingly mounting successive courses of the siding panels in the array. The retainer strips 11 have horizontally extending inward projections 130 received in recesses 28 defined by the insulating panels 10 for positioning the retainer strips properly to engage the successive siding panel courses. The modular units are attached to a wall by fasteners such as nails 52.

Abstract: Coatings, primarily finish coatings for topical applications, pigmented with substantially nonleafing aluminum flake produced by reducing aluminum to flake form in the presence of a milling agent comprised of isostearic acid, either alone or together with another nonleafing milling agent.

Abstract: An array of overlapped, interlocking horizontal siding panels secured to a wall by parallel vertical stringers having vertically spaced resilient clips for holding the top margins of the panels, wherein the panel top margins and stringer clips cooperatively provide a double locking arrangement such that as a panel is mounted on the stringers, it is moved into a first position in which its top margin engages clips of the stringers and then is moved upwardly into a second position in which it simultaneously further engages the clips and interlocks with the next lower panel in the array. To this end, the top margin of each panel has a locking projection above the conventional lip provided for interlocking with the bottom margin of the adjacent higher panel, and each clip has two vertically spaced locking surfaces for successively engaging this locking projection as the panel top margin is pushed upwardly under the clip.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method and apparatus for producing extruded polymer products with a plurality of longitudinal stripes in the exterior surface thereof, and is particularly applicable to producing coated cable with color-coded stripes in the exterior surface thereof that are used for identification purposes. A novel dispensing ring along with spacer rings are incorporated into the head of a conventional extruder to produce the striped--extruded product.

Abstract: A one-piece panel clip is provided which is adapted to support a plurality of elongate ceiling panels so as to form a ceiling construction. The panel clip comprises a planar support strip which mates with the under surface of a ceiling support rail and includes a series of bendable tabs spaced along each side thereof for securing the panel clip to the support rail. Depending downwardly from the elongate support strip are panel hanging portions which are formed integrally with the support strip and which are used to support the ceiling panels, the panel hanging portions being shaped to engage longitudinal flanges formed on opposite sides of the ceiling panels.

Abstract: A process for making aluminum flake pigment by reducing aluminum to flake form in the presence of a milling agent, wherein the milling agent comprises isostearic acid, alone or together with a small amount of other, nonleafing milling agents. The product is a substantially nonleafing pigment constituted of aluminum flake particles having a surface layer of isostearic acid milling agent residue.

Abstract: A vertical siding system for an exterior building wall, including vertically oriented panels mounted in flush side-by-side array on supporting structure of the wall and vertically oriented cover members covering the joints between adjacent panels and interlocked with the panels. The cover members have locking flanges along their side edges for insertion in locking grooves formed in side portions of the panels, and are resiliently deformable so that they can be snap-fitted onto the panels after the panels are mounted on the wall. The panels and cover members may be designed to cooperatively simulate the appearance of conventional board-and-batten wooden siding.

Abstract: A soffit system includes a plurality of panels of individually adjustable length, in a side-by-side nested array supported on at least two spaced-apart stringer members. Each adjustable panel has at least two similar components, an end portion of one being inserted in an end portion of the other so that the two components overlap. Each component has a horizontal web and two parallel side flanges with conformingly curved profiles opening in the same direction, i.e. one flange being externally concave and the opposite externally convex. The side flanges of the overlapped components snap fit together to interlock their overlapping end portions, thus providing the adjustable-length feature.

Abstract: A snap-on cover for window casings including elongated metal or like resiliently deformable case molding members mountable on brackets secured at spaced locations along a window casing. The case molding members snap onto the brackets; each bracket has a base, a pair of spaced, aligned seats projecting outwardly therefrom for engagement by the edges of a molding member, and a leg also projecting outwardly from the base for retaining the molding member against inward displacement. A screw extending inwardly through an elongated opening in the base and surrounded by a helical spring under compression between the screw head and the base secures the bracket to the subjacent casing or other structure in a manner enabling self-aligning positional adjustment of the bracket in several directions when a molding member is mounted thereon. The case molding members may be provided as overlapping sections, to accommodate a range of window dimensions.

Abstract: A method of producing electrical conductor cable having a polyethylene-based coating, wherein additive material such as a filler is first mixed with a vehicle including an ethylene propylene rubber to provide a homogeneous concentrate, and the concentrate is then blended with polyethylene to constitute a coating composition for application to a cable as by extrusion. The concentrate-polyethylene blending step may be performed by the pumping screw of a cable-coating extruder.

Abstract: Aluminum 6201 alloy wire is produced by drawing solution-heat-treated rod down to wire of desired diameter, for winding onto spools, under conditions that deliver the wire to the spool at an elevated temperature within a specific range predetermined for wire of such diameter, immediately placing each spool in a medium that passively retards the temperature decay rate of the wire to a value of about 50.degree. to about 75.degree. F. per hour, and maintaining the spool in the medium for a period of up to about four hours, to effect artificial aging without use of an oven or furnace, and thereby to achieve an artificially aged product, e.g. a product having a wire conductivity of at least about 52.5% IACS and mechanical properties of T-81 temper.

Abstract: A horizontally elongated sheet metal siding panel simulating the appearance of a row of shake-type wooden shingles is produced by forming, in the panel, alternating raised and depressed shingle-simulating portions having surfaces lying in spaced parallel planes and separated by narrow portions that taper upwardly as viewed in projection in the surface planes of the shingle-simulating portions.

Abstract: An assembly of metal panels for a building or the like, wherein adjacent panels have outwardly projecting side flanges interlocked to constitute a seamed rib, and including anchor clips mounted on supporting structure and held in the seamed rib between the interlocked flanges for securing the panels to the structure. The outer portions of the panel flanges are formed as longitudinal box channels all opening in the same lateral direction and dimensioned to interfit in nesting relation, while the clips similarly have portions formed as box channels that fit between the nested channels of the interlocked flanges. The channel-formed portion of each panel flange has an outer leg formed with a return curve; for ease of assembly, the return curve on the outermost flange of each seamed rib is initially partly open, and is deformed after assembly so as to conform closely to the return curve of the inner flange of the rib.

Abstract: This composite beam structure is built up from at least two relatively rigid members, which may be of extruded aluminum and at least one relatively flexible web, which may be corrugated sheet aluminum. The web connects the relatively rigid members. The web has relatively short pitch, shallow corrugations in its margins to facilitate its connection to the rigid members, and relatively long pitch, deep corrugations between its margins to provide increased stress resistance. A box beam modification uses two relatively rigid members and two corrugated webs.

Abstract: a process is provided wherein polyethylene is melt-extruded in tubular form while simultaneously maintaining an environment of an inert gas such as nitrogen internally of the tubular form of polyethylene to preclude formation of a layer of large spherulites.