Abstract: A resilient hand-held abrasive article suitable, for example, for woodworking, includes a plurality of separated raised abrasive surfaces to allow the article to more effectively conform to a contoured surface. A method of making such an abrasive article is also disclosed.

Abstract: A lever device includes an elongated body and a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive attached to the body, whereby the body can be firmly adhesively bonded to a surface and cleanly removed from the surface without damaging the surface by stretching the adhesive. The device may include a base, a body member pivotally connected with the base, and stretch releasing adhesive arranged to attach the base and/or body member to a surface or object. The base may be pivotally connected with an end of the body member or to the middle of the body member.

Abstract: A method of applying a tensile or compressive force to a selected location of a work piece or surface without damaging the work piece or the surface and without leaving adhesive residue thereon includes providing a device including a body member and a force applying member movably connected with the body member, attaching the body member and/or the force applying member to the work piece and/or surface using a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive such that one end of the force applying member is adjacent the selected location, and moving the force applying member toward the work piece or surface to generate a compressive force, or moving the force applying member away from the work piece or surface to generate a tensile force.

Abstract: A stretch releasable adhesive tape article includes an extensible adhesive strip having a non-adhesive pull tab and a shape retaining member arranged within or adjacent to the adhesive strip. The shape retaining member is repeatably manually movable between a first position allowing a user to manually grasp the non-adhesive pull tab to stretch release the adhesive strip from a substrate, and a displaced position for maintaining the non-adhesive pull tab at a position offset from the first position.

Abstract: A laminate from which decorative films can be precisely applied to a substrate. The laminate includes a polymeric cover sheet having opposite outer and inner major surfaces. A layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive is adhered to the inner major surface of the cover sheet. The structured pressure sensitive adhesive has a plurality of spaced passageways extending to at least one edge of the layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A decorative film is adhered to the structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive is adhered to the major surfaces of the decorative film opposite the layer of structured pressure sensitive adhesive. A release liner extends substantially across the second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive and a portion of the structured pressure sensitive adhesive.

Abstract: A device for applying tape from a roll of tape (e.g., masking tape) along a surface to be protected with an edge of the tape extending along a juncture between the surface to be protected and a surface to be treated disposed at about a right angle with respect to the surface to be protected. The device includes a two portion housing around and journaling the tape roll, each portion having a tape contacting part of its inner surface in a first plane, and having in a second plane a guide part of its outer surface adapted to be slid along the surface to be treated. The first and second planes on each of the housing portions can be parallel or at a small angle with respect to each other so that they intersect along an application side of the housing. A pressure application structure is mounted on the housing with an outer edge each end of the pressure application structure at the intersection (if they intersect) of the first and second planes for a different adjacent one of the housing portions.

Abstract: A roll of masking material comprising a coiled elongate thin flexible sheet, which sheet has longitudinal folds defining, in some embodiments with elongate edges of the sheet, edges of longitudinally extending portions of said sheet. Those longitudinally extending portions of the sheet include pleat-like portions of the sheet each having opposite major surfaces generally parallel with the axis of the roll, which pleat-like portions are superimposed major surfaces to major surfaces to form a laminate with outermost ones of the superimposed pleat like portions defining the opposite outer surfaces of the laminate.

Abstract: A graphic display device mountable with a stretch releasing adhesive includes a back plate, a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive tape having an adhesive portion adhered to the back plate rear surface and a non-adhesive pull tab projecting beyond the back plate, a graphic display member arranged adjacent to the back plate front surface, and a cover plate including a viewing area for viewing the graphic display member arranged adjacent to the graphic display member and connected with the back plate. When assembled, the display device conceals the non-adhesive pull tab but when the cover plate is separated from the back plate, the pull tab can be manually grasped by a user to stretch release the adhesive strip from the surface and the back plate.

Abstract: An assemblage of laminates each including only a portion of a graphic, which graphic portion has a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive along its rear major surface. The graphic portions in the laminates are adapted to be adhered to a substrate by the layers of adhesive in a predetermined relative orientation to form a graphic having a predetermined shape. Each of the laminates further includes a separate polymeric cover sheet having opposite outer and inner major surfaces and overlaying the graphic portion, and a layer of removable pressure-sensitive adhesive having opposite front and rear major surfaces, which layer of removable pressure-sensitive adhesive is coextensive with and has its rear surface adhered to the inner major surface of the cover sheet and has its front surface adhered to the front surface of the graphic portion.

Abstract: A dispenser from which sheet material may be dispensed from a supply of the sheet material carried on the dispenser. The dispenser has a frame on which the roll of sheet material is journaled for rotation about its axis. An elongate blade fixed to the frame has a sharp cutting edge that is adapted for transversely cutting the sheet material after a desired length of the sheet material has been dispensed. A guard strip of resiliently movable material extends along one major surface of the blade and along the cutting edge to help protect the sheet material and/or users of the dispenser from the cutting edge. That guard strip is resiliently movable by pulling the sheet material toward the cutting edge to allow the cutting edge to transversely sever the sheet material being pulled from the dispenser.

Abstract: A method for making a laminate adapted for decorating a substrate including providing (1) a sheet of pre-mask material including a cover layer and a layer of removable adhesive on one surface of the cover layer having an exposed surface defining a first major surface for the sheet of pre-mask material; (2) a supply length of decorative film tape comprising a length of decorative film having opposite first and second major surfaces, and a layer of adhesive along its second major surface; (3) a sheet of release liner having a first major surface adapted to be releasably adhered to by the removable adhesive on the cover layer and by the adhesive on the decorative film; and (4) a tape applicator.

Abstract: A method for making a laminate adapted for decorating a substrate including providing (1) a sheet of pre-mask material including a cover layer and a layer of removable adhesive on one surface of the cover layer having an exposed surface defining a first major surface for the sheet of pre-mask material; (2) a supply length of decorative film tape comprising a length of decorative film having opposite first and second major surfaces, and a layer of adhesive along its second major surface; (3) a sheet of release liner having a first major surface adapted to be releasably adhered to by the removable adhesive on the cover layer and by the adhesive on the decorative film; and (4) a tape applicator.

Abstract: A graphic display device mountable with a stretch releasing adhesive includes a back plate, a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive tape having an adhesive portion adhered to the back plate rear surface and a non-adhesive pull tab projecting beyond the back plate, a graphic display member arranged adjacent to the back plate front surface, and a cover plate including a viewing area for viewing the graphic display member arranged adjacent to the graphic display member and connected with the back plate. When assembled, the display device conceals the non-adhesive pull tab but when the cover plate is separated from the back plate, the pull tab can be manually grasped by a user to stretch release the adhesive strip from the surface and the back plate.

Abstract: A device for applying tape from a roll of tape (e.g., masking tape) along a surface to be protected with an edge of the tape extending along a juncture between the surface to be protected and a surface to be treated disposed at about a right angle with respect to the surface to be protected. The device includes a two portion housing around and journaling the tape roll, each portion having a tape contacting part of its inner surface in a first plane, and having in a second plane a guide part of its outer surface adapted to be slid along the surface to be treated. The first and second planes on each of the housing portions can be at a small angle with respect to each other and intersect along an application side of the housing.

Abstract: A universal abrasive article adapted to mount on a mounting surface of a sanding machine having a plurality of dust extraction holes that define an open area. The abrasive article includes a plurality of discrete apertures that are sized and positioned so as to expose a majority of the open area of the dust extraction holes independent of the angular orientation of the abrasive article when the abrasive article is in registration with the mounting surface. The discrete apertures may include elongated, arcuate slots that may be symmetrically positioned about a center point of the abrasive article. In one embodiment, the discrete apertures may include seven arcuate slots. These embodiments also include sufficient abrasive material to provide adequate sanding cut rate and structural integrity during use and removal.

Abstract: A laminate for use in decorating a receptor surface (e.g., a window) comprising a piece of decorative sheet material with a layer of aggressive pressure sensitive adhesive on its rear surface and a release liner over that layer of adhesive; and a flexible, temporary support tape comprising a backing and a layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on a second surface of the backing. A longitudinally extending part of the layer of repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive of the support tape is adhered to a front surface of the decorative strip, and an elongate portion of the support tape projects transversely away from a first edge surface of the decorative sheet material.

Abstract: A stretch releasable adhesive tape article includes an extensible adhesive strip having a non-adhesive pull tab and a shape retaining member arranged within or adjacent to the adhesive strip. The shape retaining member is repeatably manually movable between a first position allowing a user to manually grasp the non-adhesive pull tab to stretch release the adhesive strip from a substrate, and a displaced position for maintaining the non-adhesive pull tab at a position offset from the first position.

Abstract: A self-supporting, pleated filter, and method of making the same. The method includes forming a plurality of pleats in a filter media that extend along a front face and a rear face. The pleats include a plurality of pleat tips and sloping side surfaces generally perpendicular to the direction of pleating. At least one planar reinforcing strip oriented in the direction of pleating is bonded to the pleat tips on the front face. At least one reinforcing member is positioned along the rear face of the filter media. The filter media is then cut to size. Frame members are applied for some applications. The reinforcing member may be a reinforcing strip oriented in the direction of pleating and bonded to the rear face of the filter media prior to the step of forming the plurality of pleats. A second planar reinforcing strip may optionally be bonded to the reinforcing strip pleat tips. The reinforcing member, the first reinforcing strip and the second reinforcing strip can be aligned to form a truss structure.

Abstract: A device for applying tape from a roll of tape (e.g., masking tape) along a surface to be protected with an edge of the tape extending along a juncture between the surface to be protected and a surface to be treated disposed at about a right angle with respect to the surface to be protected. The device includes a two portion housing around and journaling the tape roll, each portion having a tape contacting part of its inner surface in a first plane, and having in a second plane a guide part of its outer surface adapted to be slid along the surface to be treated. The first and second planes on each of the housing portions can be at a small angle with respect to each other and intersect along an application side of the housing.