Patents Assigned to Hercules
  • 2-oxetanone sizing agents comprising saturated and unsaturated tails, paper made with the 2-oxetanone sizing agents, and use of the paper in high speed converting and reprographic operations
    Patent number: 5725731
    Abstract: A sizing composition for fine paper that does not encounter machine feed problems in high-speed converting or reprographic operations is not solid at 35.degree. C. and comprises a mixture of 2-oxetanone compounds that are the reaction product of a reaction mixture comprising (a) a feedstock comprising primarily unsaturated fatty acids and (b) a feedstock comprising primarily saturated fatty acids, or acid halides thereof, provided that at least 20 mole % of the reaction mixture fatty acids comprise saturated fatty acids and at least 20 mole % of the reaction mixture fatty acids comprise unsaturated fatty acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Clement L. Brungardt, John C. Gast, Jian-Jian Zhang
  • Secondary shaping of ionically crosslinked polymer compositions for medical devices
    Patent number: 5718862
    Abstract: A method for preparing a medical device having the steps: (1) treating an ionically crosslinked hydrogel to strip a substantial amount of the ionic crosslinks while retaining the hydrogel in a desired shape; and (2) ionically re-crosslinking the treated hydrogel of step (1) while retaining the hydrogel in the desired shape. In an exemplary embodiment, a ureteral stent is made by mounting a length of extruded calcium or barium alginate tubing onto a shaping jig and performing secondary shaping to form coil-shaped ends by soaking the mounted robing in a stirred potassium chloride bath, and then soaking it in a calcium chloride bath. The ends readily return after elastic deformation to their coil shapes, with the stent having a permanent memory imposed by the secondary shaping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Samuel Anthony Thompson
  • Process for making epichlorohydrin resins
    Patent number: 5714552
    Abstract: Disclosed is a two-step process for making an epichlorohydrin resin involving reacting the epichlorohydrin with a polyamine in a mixture first at a temperature of 25.degree.-40.degree. C. and then heating the mixture at 25.degree.-85.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Barton K. Bower
  • Nonlinear optical media of organosilicon crosslinked polymer
    Patent number: 5714304
    Abstract: Organosilicon polymers, including crosslinked polymers and crosslinkable prepolymers, of cyclic polysiloxanes, organic dyes, and, optionally, polyenes. The dyes include those with delocalized Pi electron systems linking electron donor groups and electron acceptor groups, and with at least two carbon--carbon double bond-containing pendant groups attached to at least two different sites from among the indicated delocalized Pi electron systems, donor groups, and acceptor groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Wayne M. Gibbons, Robert Paul Grasso, Michael Kevin O'Brien, Paul Joseph Shannon, Shao-Tang Sun
  • Fabrics comprising filling yarns comprising linear low density polyethylene fibers
    Patent number: 5712209
    Abstract: A fabric comprising a warp yarn and a filling yarn, wherein the filling yarn comprises linear low density polyethylene fiber and the warp yarn comprises nonmelting fiber or fiber having a melting point higher than the linear low density polyethylene fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: James D. Geiman, Rakesh K. Gupta, Randall E. Kozulla, Richard J. Legare, Robert G. MacLellan
  • Process of making skin-core high thermal bond strength fiber
    Patent number: 5705119
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for spinning polymer filaments permits the obtaining of skin-core filament structure by feeding a polymer composition to a spinnerette at a flow rate sufficient to obtain a spinning speed of about 10 to 200 meters per minute through the spinnerette; heating the polymer composition at a location at or adjacent to the spinnerette so as to heat the polymer composition to a sufficient temperature to obtain a skin-core filament structure upon quenching in an oxidative atmosphere; extruding the heated polymer composition through the spinnerette at a spinning speed of about 10 to 200 meters per minute to form molten filaments; and quenching the molten filaments in an oxidative atmosphere so as to effect oxidative chain scission degradation of at least a surface of the molten filaments to obtain filaments having a skin-core structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Kunihiko Takeuchi, Rakesh K. Gupta, Shiv Sibal, Richard J. Coffin, Walter J. Freeman
  • Air-entrained concrete with lignin-containing air-entraining agent
    Patent number: 5702521
    Abstract: Resinous compositions comprising lignin and polymerized rosin. Use of salts of the resinous compositions as concrete air-entraining agents and asphalt emulsifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard Robert Suchanec
  • Methods for preparing radiopaque medical devices
    Patent number: 5702682
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for providing radiopacity to a medical device comprising incorporating in said medical device metal-cation salt of anionic polymer, wherein the metal has atomic weight greater than about 40; radiopaque medical devices comprising the essentially water-insoluble metal-cation salts of anionic polymers; and a method for carrying out x-ray diagnostic procedures comprising administering to a subject a contrast agent comprised of the essentially water-insoluble metal-cation salts of anionic polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Samuel Anthony Thompson
  • Textile structures containing linear low density polyethylene binder fibers
    Patent number: 5698480
    Abstract: A fiber comprising at least about 80% by weight linear low density polyethylene and having a melting point >109.degree. C. is disclosed. Also disclosed are thermally consolidated fiber structures comprising (1) at least about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the structure, of lower melting binder fibers comprising at least 80% by weight linear low density polyethylene, and (2) not more than 97% by weight, based on the total weight of the structure, of nonmelting fibers, or fibers having a melting point higher than the linear low density polyethylene fibers. The fiber structures can be in the form of multifilament yarns, woven or nonwoven textile fabrics, carpets, or laminates. The linear low density polyethylene binder fibers in the structures preferably have a melting point <109.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: James Dulaney Geiman, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Randall Earl Kozulla, Richard Jean Legare, Robert Gray MacLellan
  • Acidic polysaccharides crosslinked with polycarboxylic acids and their uses
    Patent number: 5690961
    Abstract: Acidic polysaccharides crosslinked by reaction with di- or polyanhydrides. The use of anhydride-crosslinked hyaluronic acid as a treatment for arthritis, as a drug delivery vehicle, to reduce the incidence of post-operative adhesion formation, to promote the healing of chronic wounds and ulcers, and as a component of cosmetic formulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Tuyen T. Nguyen
  • Pectin fibers
    Patent number: 5688923
    Abstract: A polyvalent cation crosslinked pectin fiber composition is composed of a calcium sensitive low methoxyl pectin with a degree of esterification (DE) of less than 15% or calcium sensitive amidated pectin having a DE of less than 50% where the pectin is polyvalent cation crosslinkable and has an average molecular weight (MW) having an upper limit of 200,000 and a lower limit of 5000. This pectin is useful in making wound dressings for topical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy C. Gerrish, Gary A. Luzio
  • Controlling premature curing of vulcanizable halogen-containing polymers
    Patent number: 5686537
    Abstract: Controlling premature curing of vulcanizable halogen-containing polymer compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Jay Bernard Class
  • Process of using paper containing alkaline sizing agents with improved conversion capability
    Patent number: 5685815
    Abstract: Fine paper that is sized with a 2-oxetanone alkaline sizing agent and that does not encounter machine feed problems in high speed converting or reprographic machines, including continuous forms bond paper and adding machine paper, processes for converting the paper into envelopes, continuous forms bond paper and adding machine paper, and paper products of the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Kyle J. Bottorff, Clement Linus Brungardt, David Howard Dumas, Susan Merrick Ehrhardt, John Charles Gast, Jian-Jian Zhang
  • Medical devices with improved elastic response
    Patent number: 5684051
    Abstract: Elastically deformable medical devices, such as stents, having improved speed and degree of shape recovery are made by treating shaped hydrogels containing a polymer with a solution containing at least one elasticity agent, which may be nonionic or ionic. For example, polysaccharide-based hydrogels, such as barium alginate, are formed into tubing, shaped into pigtail stents, and exposed to an aqueous solution containing an elasticity agent such as potassium ions, sodium ions, sorbitol, glucose, citric acid, mannitol, dulcitol, or glycerol. The solution may also contain a crosslinking agent, such as calcium ions, to achieve the desired degree of elasticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Samuel Anthony Thompson
  • Asphalt emulsion with lignin-containing emulsifier
    Patent number: 5683497
    Abstract: Resinous compositions comprising lignin and polymerized rosin. Use of salts of the resinous compositions as concrete air-entraining agents and asphalt emulsifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard Robert Suchanec
  • Barrier element fabrics, barrier elements, and protective articles incorporating such elements
    Patent number: 5683809
    Abstract: Protective articles such as diapers, having filmless hydrophobic barrier elements such as cuffs and backing sheets. The barrier cuffs--which can be, for instance, leg cuffs and waistbands--and the backing sheets can be provided from fabrics having a fabric weight of at least 10 gsy; these fabrics are made of cardable, hydrophobic polyolefin fibers having a dpf value of not more than about 2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Walter J. Freeman, Rakesh K. Gupta, James H. Harrington, Richard J. Legare, Thomas L. Smith, Adrienne W. Williams
  • Repulping wet strength paper and paperboard with persulfate and a carbonate buffer
    Patent number: 5674358
    Abstract: Paper and paperboard can be effectively repulped by a composition of nonchlorinated oxidizing agent (persulfates) and a buffer (carbonates) yielding a pH of 7-12. The repulping composition of the present invention is particularly useful in repulping paper containing wet strength resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: Herbert H. Espy
  • Synthesis of high solids-content wet-strength resin
    Patent number: 5668246
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improvement in a method of making a water-soluble epichlorohydrin resin involving reacting epichlorohydrin with a polyaminoamide. The improvement involves preparing the polyaminoamide in the presence of an acid catalyst (low temperature condensation) followed by reaction with epichlorohydrin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: William W. Maslanka
  • Cardable hydrophobic polypropylene fiber, material and method for preparation thereof
    Patent number: RE35621
    Abstract: A method for placing hydrophobic polyolefin fiber in condition for cutting, carding and production of nonwoven material without substantial sacrifice in desired hydrophobic properties in the corresponding nonwoven, by utilization of a sequential treatment of the fiber with a neutralized phosphoric acid ester and a polysiloxane of defined classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: A. Chandler Schmalz
  • Adjustable swimming pool ladder
    Patent number: D388520
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Leland J. Hoffman, deceased, L. A. Stocking, executor