Abstract: A confinement and feeding stall for livestock such as horses, cows and the like with side frames spaced so that an animal can stand comfortably but not turn around and narrow enough to prevent other animals from crowding into an occupied stall. A gate is provided at one end of the side panels and a rear closure member may be provided at the other end. The side panels and gate prevent the animal from reaching over or around the side frames to disturb adjoining animals in adjacent stalls. The side frames are connected by elevated top members and flat bottom members to form individual stalls and stalls linked in side-by-side relationship.

Abstract: The present invention is an acrylic polymer particle which is consistently and substantially spherical in shape and which has a mean diameter that can be predetermined from about 30 microns in diameter to about 5 microns or less. Polyacrylonitrile is synthesized in an aqueous dispersion polymerization with a ionic monomer or “surfmer” to attain a narrow particle size distribution with a mean diameter as low as approximately 3±1.5 microns which is characteristic of an emulsion polymerization. The polymer comprises the ionic monomer and, optionally, a neutral comonomer. The mean particle size is dependent on the concentration of the ionic monomer present, the particular ionic monomer or monomers selected, and the counterion associated with the ionic monomers, the persulfate initiator, and the bisulfite activator. The counterions, often sodium ions, can be removed from the polymer particles by ion exchange with quaternary ammonium compounds.

Abstract: An acrylic fiber comprises an acrylic fiber polymer precursor having acrylonitrile in an amount from 90 to 98.0 wt. % of said fiber and a neutral vinyl monomer in an amount from greater than 0 to 7.0 wt. %, the fiber possessing hot-wet elongation less than 9.0% at 70° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for exchanging derivatizing agents onto ionic functional groups, preferably sulfate, sulfonate, and carboxylate functional groups, in a polymer, and then thereby holding these derivatizing agents in place by strong ionic bonds. The ionic functional groups are those currently used in industry to enhance dyeability, and therefore do not present a problem with textile treatments normally encountered in the industry. Polyacrylonitrile polymer is synthesized with an ionic comonomer to obtain a number of dye sites above that required for dying. The sodium or other cation that is ionically bound to the ionic comonomer, as well as the sulfonate and sulfate end groups, is then exchanged with a derivatizing agent. The preferred derivatizing agents comprise a quaternary ammonium compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modacrylic copolymer composition comprising acrylonitrile, vinylidene chloride, vinyl acetate, and at least one ionic comonomer. In one embodiment, the modacrylic copolymer composition comprises from about 45 to about 60% acrylonitrile, from about 35 to about 50% vinylidene chloride, from about 0.5 to about 5% vinyl acetate, and up to about 2% of a salt of p-sulfophenyl methallyl ether by weight of the total composition. The copolymer composition of the present invention provides acceptable color while having acceptable flame resistance.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing ultrasonic measurements of compliant material specimens includes a pair of facing but spaced apart ultrasonic transducers between which the specimen is placed, and which transmits signals into the specimen and receives signals from the specimen, a structure which presses the transducers against the opposite surfaces of the specimen with a reproducibly controllable force so that the same compressive force may be applied for successive measurements, a gauge that measures the separation of the two transducers, and a controller which drives the transmitting transducer and receives the signals from the receiving transducer. The apparatus permits the determination of comparable ultrasonic properties for different points on one specimen, and the determination of comparable properties of a number of specimens, by making the measurements under identical conditions.