Abstract: The invention is a method for manufacturing a surface covering product having a gloss controlled surface wearlayer coating and a curable composition used in that method. The preferred curable composition is a polymerizable coating which includes a di-isocyanate and/or isocyanurate structure, a polyester polyol, a hydroxy and acrylyl functional polyester, mono, di, or tri-functional acrylates, and a flatting agent and/or hard particulates. The preferred surface covering product is a floor covering product produced as a vinyl film that is precoated with preferably a wearlayer coating that is adhered to the vinyl film, and the surface of the film is preferably embossed.

Abstract: An addressable speaker system in which a plurality of selectively activated speakers are distributed throughout a predefined area and are connected to a central processing unit. The system contains multiple RF antennas that are capable of broadcasting and receiving radio frequency signals to individuals wearing radio frequency identification (RFID) badges. The system users the RF transmission to locate an intended radio frequency identification badge and selectively broadcasts an audio message to a speaker located closest to the intended recipient.

Abstract: A preseamed sheet flooring product having first and second sheet products positioned closely adjacent each other edge-to-edge to form a seam therebetween. An adhesive is positioned in the seam and has visual characteristics suitable for creating an indistinct appearance of the seam in the sheet flooring product. The seam also has wear characteristics sufficiently similar to wear characteristics of the sheet flooring product to maintain the visually indistinct appearance of the adhesive on the surface of the seam as wear occurs to the end product sheet material.

Abstract: An aqueous, two component system for coating a substrate includes either a filler incorporated in both components prior to combining the components or an elevated amount of a filler, such as 50% by dry volume, in either component. The filler is preferably calcium carbonate, but may also be selected from titanium dioxide, sand, clay, mica, dolomite, silica, talc, perlite, gypsum, wallastonite, aluminum trihydrate, zinc oxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfate, and combinations thereof. The first component includes a first polymer containing hydroxyl functional groups or amine functional groups and, optionally, a catalyst, preferably an organotin catalyst. The first polymer is selected from a polyester polyol, an acrylic polyol, a urethane polyol, a polyether polyol, a polyamine, an aldimine, a short oil alkyd, a silicone polyol, a cellulose ester, a vinyl polyol, and combinations thereof and preferably is a polyaspartic ester.

Abstract: This invention describes two products both with a plain, fine textured, nonperforated surface visual consisting of a fiberboard substrate with or without a laminated porous nonwoven scrim and then a finished painted surface. The finish painted surface decorates or finishes the board, but most important, must remain acoustically transparent to retain the sound absorption properties of the fiberboard prior to painting. The fiberboard substrate is made to be porous or modified with hole perforations to cause it to be a good sound absorber. If the fiberboard substrate is sufficiently porous without hole perforations, then the sprayable, high solids, porous paint can be directly applied. If hole perforations are used to improve the sound absorption properties of the board substrate, then a porous, nonwoven scrim is attached and painted using the same high solids porous paint.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying sheets to substrates including a rotating blade roller with a blade on its surface; a vacuum roller rotating with the blade roller, oriented parallel to the blade roller, and with a surface adjacent to the blade roller surface; at least one slot in the vacuum roller surface into which the blade is inserted as the rollers rotate; and a feeder for feeding a continuous sheet between the rollers so that the sheet is cut into segments. The vacuum roller surface includes surface holes connected to a vacuum source during cutting and disconnected after cutting and manifold holes parallel to the roller axis and located in a circle below the surface. The manifold holes have open ends located at one end of the vacuum roller and are connected to the surface holes. There is at least one plate adjacent the end of the vacuum roller with the open ends. The plate includes at least two curved grooves on the surface matching the shape of the path traveled by the open ends.

Abstract: A mineral fiber composition having enhanced biosolubility characteristics, comprising by percentage weight: Al2O3 16 to 25 CaO >29 SiO2 30 to 40 MgO <15 Iron <5, selected from the group consisting of Fe, FeO and Fe2O3 K2O <4 P2O5 <0.8 The Kdis of the mineral fiber composition is in the range of greater than 1000 (ng/cm2 * hr) at pH 4.5.

Abstract: A ceiling panel that conceals the grid in a suspended ceiling, having opposed active first and second edges with profiles different from one another, and opposed passive edges. An access kerf, and a registration kerf, at different levels in the active edges, along with a registration step in one active edge, permit the panel to be inserted, or removed, by successive hinge actions. When installed, the panel is locked to the ceiling with no visual indications on how the panel can be removed. During installation the panel is self-centering and self-aligning.

Abstract: The disclosure is for an apparatus and a method of adhering particulate matter to limited areas of adhesive on a moving web and enabling the use of a very limited amount of particulate matter so that material costs are minimized. The path of a moving web with zones of adhesive and with previously supplied loose particles is shaped to form a trough with substantially vertical sides, so that gravity clears the web of excess material as the web moves down and up through the trough. Meanwhile, the particles falling from the web, go into the bottom of the trough where they stay until they stick to a following portion of the web which has adhesive. The loose particles are thereby immediately recycled for use, without any exposure to other contaminating materials, and the amount of particulate material used approaches the ideal quantity which would be needed to cover only the adhesive areas.

Abstract: A textured metallocene polyethylene foam sheet suitable for use in a floor covering is made using a highly co-activated azodicarbonamide package which blows the metallocene polyethylene effectively. The preferred co-activators are zinc oxide and urea. The textured surface of metallocene polyethylene foam is formed by a chemical embossing process which utilizes a liquid triazole having an alkyl moiety as a foam-expansion inhibitor. The triazole is dissolved in a non-polar solvent to form the foam inhibitor. The preferred inhibitor is a hydrocarbon which may be halogenated.

Abstract: An indirect fluorescent lighting fixture arrangement for a suspended grid ceiling that includes elements that combine with the ceiling grid to form a fixture. A panel frame element engages the grid from below and simultaneously acts as part of the ceiling and part of the fixture.

Abstract: A composite board that can be fastened by fastening means which goes through the board from one face to the op site face, said composite board providing a retraction resistance of at least 15 pounds. The board comprises a polymer sheet having two opposed faces wherein each face has a lightweight sheet material attached to it, wherein the polymer sheet can be punctured and penetrated by fastening means and the polymer sheet is deflected snugly around the fastening means where the sheet is punctured so that the sheet provides resistance to removing the fastening means. The polymer sheet may comprise polyamide, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, or acrylic, and has a preselected thickness in the range of 30 to 50 mils.

Abstract: Thermally insulative xerogels and their preparation are described. To obtain these xerogels, an inorganic gel having hydroxyl moieties is reacted with a silicon-nitrogen compound which has a C.sub.1-6 hydrocarbon moiety on the silicon. Shrinkage of the gel during drying the gel is reduced and a more highly porous xerogel is obtained. The more highly porous xerogel has a low thermal conductivity which makes it a good thermal insulation.

Abstract: A textured metallocene polyethylene foam sheet suitable for use in a floor covering is made using a highly co-activated azodicarbonamide package which blows the metallocene polyethylene effectively. The preferred co-activators are zinc oxide and urea. The textured surface of metallocene polyethylene foam is formed by a chemical embossing process which utilizes a liquid triazole having an alkyl moiety as a foam-expansion inhibitor. The triazole is dissolved in a non-polar solvent to form the foam inhibitor. The preferred inhibitor is a hydrocarbon which may be halogenated.

Abstract: A ceiling panel that conceals the grid in a suspended ceiling, having opposed active first and second edges with profiles different from one another, and opposed passive edges. An access kerf, and a registration kerf, at different levels in the active edges, along with a registration step in one active edge, permit the panel to be inserted, or removed, by successive hinge actions. When installed, the panel is locked to the ceiling with no visual indications on how the panel can be removed. During installation the panel is self-centering and self-aligning.

Abstract: A wet silica gel can be prepared by a process comprising the steps of contacting a stable, aqueous, fluid, silica system having a pH greater than 7.5 with an ion exchange resin which removes metal ions and replaces them with H+ ions and thereby reduces the pH to less than 5.0, adding an organic liquid to the aqueous silica system, providing, however, that the organic liquid added stays in one phase with the aqueous, silica, system, and does not cause the silica to precipitate, and adding a base to the silica system so that the pH of the silica system is in the range of from about 5.0 to about 7.5, and allowing the wet silica gel to form. The wet silica gel formed by this process is characterized by its high organic solvent content and the low concentration of basic metal ions.

Abstract: A ceiling board coating composition includes water, a binder and a filler, said filler having large particles with an average particle size of a minimum of about 50 microns, medium particles with an average particle size in the range of from about 1.2 to about 30 microns, and small particles which have an average particle size in the range of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 microns.

Abstract: A suspended ceiling system has a plurality of ceiling panels and a plurality of clips holding the ceiling panels to the ceiling runners. Each ceiling panel has two opposed surfaces and four sides with at least two sides having an extended edge each of which are substantially perpendicular to one of the opposed surfaces. Each extended edge has at least one protruding lip.The upper portion of each clip has a flange to attach the clip to a ceiling surface by suitable means which goes through the flange and penetrates the ceiling. The lower portion of each clip has two opposed, protruding members which are substantially perpendicular to the ceiling surface when the clip is attached to the ceiling. At least one of the protruding members has a groove shaped to receive the protruding lip of the ceiling panel.

Abstract: The disclosure is for a wide width decorative flooring product and a method of producing such a product with properly aligned patterns by cutting multiple sections of standard width product and bonding them together at their previous side edges, so the lengths of the cut sections become the width of the new product. In order to minimize misalignment of the pattern at the bonded edges alternate cut sections are turned end for end as the new product is laid out before bonding.

Abstract: Photopolymerizable plastisol and organosol photoresist and solder mask coating compositions are described herein. These compositions include an ethylenically unsaturated photopolymerizable liquid plasticizer; a particulate, thermoplastic resin is dispersed in the plasticizer, the said resin having a midpoint Tg greater than 110.degree. C. and an acid number greater than 110; a tertiary amine stabilizer; and a photoinitiator. The organosol includes a diluent along with the other ingredients.