Patents by Inventor James P. Modrak

James P. Modrak has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6221428
    Abstract: A fiberized asphalt-type composition and method for increasing the structural stability and durability of fiber-reinforced asphalt-type surfaces without increasing concentration or length of fiber, by addition of an active amount of a special class of bicomponent fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5846654
    Abstract: Spinning polypropylene at relatively high temperatures with delayed quenching, and drawing at relatively high temperatures with moderate draw ratios, provides fibers having an improved tensile factor, especially improved elongation, and can be used to produce fibers also having a high tenacity. The fibers are particularly useful for reinforcement applications when provided in the form of staple fibers and exhibit a tensile factor TE.sup.0.50 of at least about 60, where T is tenacity (gpd) and E is elongation (percent), especially those having a tenacity of at least about 8 gpd and/or an elongation of at least about 25%, and most especially those having a tenacity of at least about 10 gpd and elongations of 50% to 400%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5665154
    Abstract: The invention provides polyolefin staple fibers especially useful for reinforcing pavement. The fibers have applied to their surface an amount of an antistatic finish sufficient to prevent the build-up of static electric charges when the staple fibers are fluidized or blown, and so diminish the resultant clumping of the blown fibers, while avoiding degradation of the nature of the fiber to adhere to paving compositions, and maintaining the adherence of the fibers to the pavement cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5564856
    Abstract: The invention provides melt-spun polyolefin/polyarylate alloy fibers having an elevated softening point. These fibers are useful in staple lengths for the reinforcement of synthetic geoways (e.g., roadways, runways), especially those fabricated from asphalt-based pavements. The improved softening point of the fibers allows their incorporation into the hot-mix pavement used to fabricate and repair such surfaces without degradation of the fibers by the elevated temperatures found in plants for these manufacture of hot-mix pavements. This invention also provides an improved process for making melts of such allows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5502160
    Abstract: The invention provides melt-spun polyolefin/polyarylate alloy fibers having an elevated softening point. These fibers are useful in staple lengths for the reinforcement of synthetic geoways (e.g., roadways, runways), especially those fabricated from asphalt-based pavements. The improved softening point of the fibers allows their incorporation into the hot-mix pavement used to fabricate and repair such surfaces without degradation of the fibers by the elevated temperatures found in plants for these manufacture of hot-mix pavements. This invention also provides an improved process for making melts of such allows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5470640
    Abstract: High loft durable nonwoven material comprising facing and base components and corresponding process for preparation thereof and process for obtaining by(a) forming and compiling a facing component comprising one or more facing web(s) of staple fiber and/or fibrillated film;(b) lightly bonding the formed and compiled facing webs, utilizing a low density bonding pattern having a small bonding area relative to the corresponding surface area of said facing component;(c) laying a web comprising staple fiber and/or fibrillated film onto the lightly bonded facing component under conditions favoring arrangement in general cross or transverse direction relative to machine direction of the facing component; and(d) bonding said cross or transversely laid web to form a base component to said facing component, utilizing a substantially greater bonding density then employed for said facing component, to obtain the desired nonwoven material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5441812
    Abstract: The invention provides polyolefin staple fibers especially useful for reinforcing pavement. The fibers have applied to their surface an amount of an antistatic finish sufficient to prevent the build-up of static electric charges when the staple fibers are fluidized or blown, and so diminish the resultant clumping of the blown fibers, while avoiding degradation of the nature of the fiber to adhere to paving compositions, and maintaining the adherence of the fibers to the pavement cement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 5288348
    Abstract: High loft durable nonwoven material comprising facing and base components and corresponding process for preparation thereof and process for obtaining by(a) forming and compiling a facing component comprising one or more facing web(s) of staple fiber and/or fibrillated film;(b) lightly bonding the formed and compiled facing webs, utilizing a low density bonding pattern having a small bonding area relative to the corresponding surface area of said facing component;(c) laying a web comprising staple fiber and/or fibrillated film onto the lightly bonded facing component under conditions favoring arrangement in general cross or transverse direction relative to machine direction of the facing component; and(d) bonding said cross or transversely laid web to form a base component to said facing component, utilizing a substantially greater bonding density then employed for said facing component, to obtain the desired nonwoven material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventor: James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 4868031
    Abstract: A method for controlling opacity, softness, and strength of polyolefin fiber-containing nonwoven material and corresponding nonwoven material, obtained by utilizing at least 25%, based on web weight, of polyolefin filament (a) having an original spun denier not exceeding about 24 dpf, (b) having a final drawn denier of not less than about 1 dpf, and (c) delta, diamond, or mixed delta and diamond cross-sectional configurations alone or combined with fiber having round or other cross sectional configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: James P. Modrak, Owen P. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4798757
    Abstract: A method for controlling opacity, softness, and strength of polyolefin fiber-containing nonwoven material and the corresponding nonwoven material by utilizing at least 25%, based on web weight, of polyolefin filament (a) having an original spun denier not exceeding about 4 dpf, (b) having a final drawn denier of about 1.9-3.0 dpf, and (c) a delta cross-sectional configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: James P. Modrak, Owen P. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4663370
    Abstract: Polyolefin reinforced asphalt paving and sealing composition containing straight chain unsaturated fatty acid having up to 30 weight percent rosin as a plasticizer, plus an adhesion control component comprising high density polyolefin fines; and a corresponding method for controlling high temperature tracking and washing characteristics without aggravating mixing or plugging problems, by replacing, at least in part, regular inorganic aggregate such as sand with high density polyolefin fines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: John B. Marvel, Sr., James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 4662759
    Abstract: An injection system for asphalt, asphalt-containing or other viscous compositions, comprising a mixing drum or receptacle, an injection device having a housing and mounted nozzle jet for preparation and discharge of a premix comprising such asphalt or other composition(s) admixed with staple fiber, means for supporting the injection device, and means for supplying composition and fiber components through the injection device in flowable condition, the composition flow pattern being arranged external and generally concentric to the fiber flow and in a downstream blocking flow pattern relative to the fiber flow to assure wetting and encapsulation thereof before discharge of the premix; and a method for introducing staple fiber and filler or other additives, as desired, into the asphalt composition by using the injection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Hercules Incorporated
    Inventors: Bruce K. Leibee, James P. Modrak
  • Patent number: 4492781
    Abstract: Method and composition for protecting, maintaining and repairing paved surfaces utilizing a workable fiber-containing asphalt and/or latex emulsion in combination with an active amount of a water-soluble polymer material differing in ionic characteristics from the emulsion or emulsifier component thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1985
    Inventors: Francis J. Duszak, James P. Modrak, Dick Deaver