Abstract: A complex material, which emits light with a light hand or finger touch of a person and only when subjected to a stress, comprises stress emission particles and an elastic material. The stress emission particles such as SrAl2O4:Eu particles emit light when subjected to a stress. The elastic material is a soft material having a Young's modulus smaller than 10 MPa, such as silicone rubber, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or the like. Weight percent of the particles in the complex material is from equal to or more than 10% to less than 100%, ore preferably from equal to or less more than 10% to equal to or less than 90%. The particles are preferably surface-treated by a silane coupling agent. The complex material is used as an artificial light-emitting skin or an artificial light-emitting body.

Abstract: Artificial tree limb, and the finished tree from an assemblage of such limbs, each limb including twigs comprising a twisted pair of wires entrapping fire-retardant filaments to simulate needles, the plurality of twigs being affixed to a heavier wire or wires by wrapping the base of the twigs to the heavier wire to form a branch, and a plurality of branches twisted together at the base thereof, or attached to a heavier wire, all having wrappings at the point of attachment, to form a limb, and a plurality of limbs attached to a vertical trunk or wrapped together at the base of each limb to form a tree.

Abstract: An artificial tree, simulating a Christmas tree, includes a vertical trunk and a plurality of limbs made of twisted wire extending from the trunk. A plurality of "wire brush" type filaments are arranged in parallel on a tape carrier. The tape carrier, with the filaments, is interleaved in the twisted wire of the limbs to provide the appearance of needles extending from the limb. This provides an inexpensive way of making a realistic looking artificial tree.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for use in drying materials in a dryer through which the material is conveyed and there subjected to heat which decreases from a maximum adjacent the infeed end of the dryer to a minimum adjacent the outfeed end thereof. A controlled small volume of air is forced towards the infeed end of the dryer from the outfeed end thereof and is repeatedly brought in contact with the conveyed material substantially without added air and with the percentage of moisture carried thereby increasing until, adjacent the infeed end, a high level of sensible heat is available to effect the heating of the material and the removal of its moisture which is carried through a heat exchanger in the exhaust. The heat is recovered from the moisture laden exhaust by the heat exchanger in a manner enabling the temperature of the air when exhausted, to be at a wanted level and the recovered heat used to increase drying efficiency.

Abstract: A building panel (10, 20, 30, 31, 32, 60 and 70) having spaced first and second outer layers (11, 12), a covering layer (15) bonded to an exterior surface of at least one of the outer layers, and a connecting member (13, 14, 64, 71) extending across the space between the first and second layers and joined to both layers. The first and second outer layers are made of furan resin reinforced with glass fibers.

Abstract: A building panel (1) made with a first outer layer (2), an interior core (4) of foam material, and a second outer layer (5) including metal film. Retention members (3, 3') are attached to the first outer layer (2) and have retention elements (12, 12') that extend into the interior core (4).