Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for cooking lignocellulosic material, comprising a pressurizable, inclined top separator including a sluicing liquor inlet for receiving a sluicing mixture comprising impregnated lignocellulosic material and sluicing liquor, a hot black liquor inlet, an excess liquor outlet, and an impregnated lignocellulosic material outlet; a continuous digester vessel including an impregnated lignocellulosic material inlet in communication with the impregnated lignocellulosic material outlet, and a warm black liquor outlet; and a black liquor circulation and heating loop including a warm black liquor inlet in communication with said warm black liquor outlet, a heater for heating warm black liquor to produce hot black liquor, and a hot black liquor outlet in communication with said hot black liquor inlet. Methods of making and using the apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: Multiple groups of sensors are circumferentially spaced apart at each cross-directional position along a sensing roll of a nip press to measure and cancel or nearly cancel the effects of rotational variability which may be acting on the sensing roll. The strategically-placed sensors are designed to measure the pressure being placed against the web that is being advanced through the nip press. The average of the measurements of multiple sensors spaced circumferential apart provides a good cancellation of any rotational variability that might be found at a cross-directional position on the sensing roll. In this manner, a more true measurement of the nip pressure profile can be obtained and better adjustments made to reduce nip pressure profile variability. In addition, the nip variability profile may be used as a predictor of cover or bearing failures, resonant frequencies and other roll anomalies.

Abstract: A particle or particles of cellulosic wood pulp fibers having a top and bottom face and a hexagonal perimeter, and methods of using it.

Abstract: A shipping container convertible to a display tray is provided and may comprise: a floor panel; first and second end panels; a first positioning panel defining a first notch with the first end panel; a side panel extending between the first and second end panels; and a first containment panel comprising a first main portion and a first end portion extending at an angle to the first main portion. The first end portion may be located in the first notch such that the first end panel and the first positioning panel frictionally engage the containment panel first end portion to frictionally hold the first containment panel in position. The first containment panel may be removable so as to convert the shipping container to a display tray.

Abstract: The method of making a pellet comprising wood pulp fiber and thermoplastic polymer, comprising extruding an extrudate comprising 10 to 50 weight % wood pulp fiber and 45 to 85 weight % thermoplastic polymer through a die, cutting a pellet from the extrudate, removing the pellet from the extrudate with water having a temperature less than the extrudate, filtering the pellet from the water. In one embodiment the wood pulp fiber in the pellet has a moisture content of 1% or less. In one embodiment the wood fiber does not swell.

Abstract: A process for providing printable substrates by separately treating one or both surfaces of a paper substrate with an optical brightening agent (OBA) and a multivalent metal salt drying agent, where one or both surfaces of the paper substrate is treated with one of these two agents at the size press, and where the surface(s) is treated with the other of these two agents before or after the size press.

Abstract: An adjustable container capable of being converted from an expanded position to a contracted position and comprises a bottom wall, opposite sidewalls, and opposite end walls foldably joined to one another to form an interior space for containing articles. Each of the opposite sidewalls includes a pair of first gusset panels each of which including two identical coextensive panels having the same height as the side walls and is configured to be perpendicular to the respective sidewalls and the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes a second gusset panels that is defined by two identical coextensive panels and having the same height as the side walls and is folded upwardly out of the plane of the bottom wall and perpendicular thereto when the adjustable container is in the contracted position. The adjustable container also includes an adjustable sleeve that is used to securely cover the container during shipping and transportation.

Abstract: A sensor signal is generated from a plurality of sensors located on a sensing roll, wherein each signal is generated when each sensor enters a nip between the sensing roll and a mating roll during each rotation of the sensing roll. An oscillating component such as a doctor blade or cleaning shower affects a web of material upstream from the nip. Each sensor generates a sensor signal upon entering the nip. A periodically occurring starting reference is generated that is associated with each oscillation of the oscillating component and the signal generated by each sensor is received so that a particular one of the sensors which generated the signal is determined and one of a plurality of tracking segments associated with the oscillating component is identified. The signal is stored to associate the sensor signal with the identified one tracking segment.

Abstract: A shipping and display container comprises an elongate display tower having an upper end, a lower end, a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, and a stabilizing base attached on the lower end to stabilize the tower in an upright position. The base has a first position folded against the tower so that the base has a small footprint for shipping, and a second position unfolded to a larger footprint to define a support for stabilizing the tower in an upright position. The base is in two separate base parts attached to respective opposite sides of the lower end of the tower. Triangularly shaped fins extend outwardly from opposite side edges of each base part so that a fin extends diagonally outwardly from opposite corners of the tower. The fins are foldable to the first position and unfolded to the second position.

Abstract: The palletized shipping and display system comprises two support containers, a plastic pallet, a product tray, a tubular sleeve, and a plurality of product containers that are disposed in the support containers. The support containers are latched at their bottoms to the pallet. Each of the support containers includes an open front and a shelf recessed from an open top and the tubular sleeve disposed around the support and product containers. A display chamber is defined in the open top above the shelf for displaying product at a point of sale and when the product is depleted from the display chamber, the sleeve is lifted to expose and retrieve product containers from the bottom of the stack. The retrieved product containers are then used to replenish product in the display chamber.

Abstract: A vehicle weighing system for counting the number of vehicle axles before and after weighing of an unloaded vehicle to determine if the unloaded vehicle is correctly positioned during weighing, as well as method for generating a scale ticket to record vehicle axle count data from the vehicle weighing system. Also, a scale ticket data system with a plurality of such scale tickets and a scale ticket electronic database which collects the scale tickets and identifies those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing, as well as a method for querying the scale ticket electronic database to identify those scale tickets corresponding to unloaded and weighed vehicles which are correctly or incorrectly positioned during weighing.

Abstract: An adjustable display tray includes a bottom wall, opposite side walls, a front wall and a back wall foldably joined to one another to form an open-top adjustable interior space for containing articles. The adjustable interior space includes a central section formed by two parallel spaced apart fold lines on the bottom wall and respective central portions of the front wall and back wall. Respective first and second reducible and expandable sections foldably extend from the respective two parallel spaced apart fold lines. Each of the respective first and second reducible and expandable sections include a respective tray front hinge and a respective back swing flap which are formed on the respective front and the back walls to permit the respective first and second reducible and expandable sections to be configured to reduce or expand the interior space of the adjustable display tray.

Abstract: A wraparound-style shipping and reclosable container is formed from a one-piece corrugated paperboard blank. The container comprises a bottom wall foldably joined to respective upstanding first and second opposed side walls. Each of the respective first and second opposed side walls includes a respective pair of end walls which are foldably joined to respective lateral edges thereof. A top cover is foldably joined to the longitudinal edge of the first side wall to enclose container. The top cover includes two tuck flaps each of which is foldably joined to the respective lateral edges. The container is enabled to be reclosed by tucking a rear portion of the respective tuck flaps toward inside of the interior space of the container and leaving a front portion of the respective wing flaps to the outside of the container.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions containing stabilized and/or activated urease inhibitors, as well methods of making and using the same.

Abstract: An article in the form of recyclable packaging material having a water vapor transportation rate of about 500 g/m2/day or less. The packaging material has a paper substrate of recyclable paper fibers and a print-receptive layer which is positioned over the outer surface of the paper substrate and has a Parker Print Smoothness value of about 1.5 or less. The packaging material also has a moisture barrier layer positioned over the print-receptive layer. The moisture barrier layer is formed from one or more energy-cured polymers. Also, methods for preparing these packaging materials, including printed packaging materials.

Abstract: An article in the form of a packaging material having a water vapor transportation rate of about 500 g/m2/day or less. The packaging material has a paper substrate and a print-receptive layer which is positioned over the outer surface of the paper substrate. The packaging material also has a moisture barrier layer positioned over the print-receptive layer. The moisture barrier layer is formed from one or more energy-cured polymers. Also, methods for preparing these packaging materials, including printed packaging materials.

Abstract: An improved processes for making fluff pulp sheets mechanically eliminates many of the unwanted fiber-to-fiber bonding (fiber bundles) which may be contained in the sheet to produce consistent and uniform quality fluff pulp. Pulp slurry is deposited on a moving bottom forming wire to form a stock web. Pulp slurry is brought into contact with a moving top forming wire. The stock web is subjected to up and down dewatering creating separately formed layers to reduce fiber-to-fiber bonding. The stock web can be subjected to strong pulsating shear forces as it is being advanced along the bottom forming wire to break a majority of fiber bundles contained in the web. The pulp slurry can be deposited on the bottom forming wire utilizing a headbox with dilution control to selectively adjust the concentration of the pulp slurry. A shoe press can be used to dewater the web after it is subjected to the pulsating shear forces. The web can be dried utilizing conventional drying equipment, such as cylindrical driers.

Abstract: A protective wrap material enclosing a stack of cut sheets of paper is folded so that overlapping flaps of the wrap material cover opposite ends of the stack. The overlapping flaps are secured and sealed together only at selected areas that comprise a minor portion of the overlapped flaps, wherein the sealed areas have sufficient burst strength to avoid inadvertent opening of the wrap but at the same time are relatively easy to separate when it is desired to open the wrap to gain access to the cut sheets of paper. In a preferred embodiment the wrap material is heat sealable, and a modified heat plate for applying heat only to the selected areas has a grooved front surface defining heat focusing bars that concentrate heat sufficient to fuse the wrap material only in the selected areas.

Abstract: A display rack for displaying articles has a support frame with two walls extending at an angle from a narrow strip at the rear corner of the frame. A tubular reinforcing structure extends along the forward free edge of each wall, and aligned openings are in the strip and the reinforcing structures. A plurality of shelves having front and rear corners and opposite side corners are supported on the frame between the walls, with the rear corners engaged in respective openings in the strip and the side corners engaged in respective openings in the reinforcing structures. A forward portion of the shelves projects forwardly of the frame for greater visibility of and access to articles supported on the shelves. A reinforcing brace extends diagonally in each shelf from the rear corner to the front corner, whereby the shelves are essentially cantilevered from the frame.