Abstract: A water treating device for a domestic water handling device such as a toilet water tank, an air conditioning drain pan or a humidifier includes a housing having permanent magnets in a flow path of water flowing through the housing via openings in the housing, to collect free ions in the water. An antimicrobial polymer disinfecting agent is in a mass inserted in a chamber in the housing and/or in a polymer in a housing surface. The housing is configured so an air bubble forms against the housing roof to assure that a base of the housing rests on the floor of the water handling device. Ribs adding structural strength to the cover are aligned and have approximately the same size and shape as slots in the cover roof through which water passes so the ribs obscure the magnets from view from above and to sides of the cover. The magnets are held in place by a spring finger extending upward from the base to exert a force downwardly against the magnet upper pole face.

Abstract: A storage container for a drain cleaning plumbing tool such as a snake or auger having an apertured rear wall is provided with a closure member rotatably mounted to the portion of the rear wall surrounding the aperture. The closure member includes a lever arm and a hook member attached to the radially outer end of the lever arm and a drive rod fixed to said closure member along an axis of rotation. A handle radially offset from said axis of rotation extends axially rearward from said apertured wall. When the hook member engages the handle, a small force sufficient to cause the closure member to rotate cooperates with the lever arm to develop a moment of force sufficient to rotate the storage container and the snake in unison with the rotating closure member developed from the small force insufficient to break the fixed connection between the drive rod and the closure member.

Abstract: A cutting tool designed to provide a straight line cut through plastic or like material conduit and incorporating pivoted handles respectively including a cutting blade and a positioning anvil formed at the distal ends thereof and in cooperative relation to one another so that the conduit product positioned in the anvil will be maintained in a cutting position to achieve an accurate straight line cut. A return spring, a stop element and a closed end configuration are provided on the remainder of the handles, substantially adjacent to the proximal ends thereof to prevent nesting engagement of the handles during the cutting operation and maintain predetermined spaced relation between the ends of the handle so as to insure their separation and return to a cutting position once gripping pressure is released.

Abstract: A snake which can be power driven through a clutch or manually rotated with a crank. The coiled wire body terminates in a nose cylinder which has coils which are of a larger diameter, constant diameter, and expanded terminating in a cylinder snag tip cut-off co-extensive with the circumference of the expanded cylinder wire portions. A cap is provided over the sheath which surrounds the coiled wire at each end of the sheath, and having progressively smaller interior collar members terminating in a cap lip which permits the cap to snug-fittingly and progressively engage the end of the sheath, and yet permit it to be removed after usage so that the interior of the sheath can be flushed and when desired, filled with lubricating oil or another preservative. The method of the invention is directed to the utilization of a coiling head which coils the wire in a small diameter and then increases the diameter to form the nose cylinder.

Abstract: Silicate filled polyolefin resin composites exhibit improved mechanical properties if the silicate filler and polyolefin resin are specially combined with additives comprising chlorinated aliphatic compounds. The composites are preferably made from blends comprising about 1-36 parts by weight silicate flakes or fibers, 9 parts by weight propylene resin and minor effective amounts of the additive. Various processing techniques such as selecting the time the blends reside at melt temperatures during compounding permits development of advantageous properties.

Abstract: Mica filled polyolefin resin composites exhibit improved mechanical properties if the mica filler and polyolefin resin are specially combined with additives comprising chlorinated aliphatic compounds. The composites are preferably made from blends comprising about 1-36 parts by weight mica flakes (especially phlogopite mica), 9 parts by weight propylene resin and minor effective amounts of the additive. Various processing techniques such as selecting the time the blends reside at melt temperatures during compounding permits development of advantageous properties.

Abstract: A method for increasing impact properties of calcium carbonate filled propylene resin composites, particularly impact properties at low temperatures, which comprises admixing critically sized particles of propylene homopolymer and copolymer resins and calcium carbonate filler to form uniform, preferably powdery, blends particularly suitable for such shaping operations as injection molding.