Abstract: Workers often forget to enter clockings indicating when they have arrived or left work or transferred between work activities. Various embodiments provide a system that predicts the risk of potential missed worker clockings and delivers alerts to the workers and/or their managers when that risk is high. The system analyzes historical data to find previous instances of missed clockings at an organization, extracts feature information regarding the context of the missed clockings, and calibrates a missing clocking risk model. The model is then used in either an online or batch mode to predict the risk of workers missing upcoming scheduled clockings. Based on these risk scores and system configurations, alerts are generated for employees and managers reminding them about the upcoming clockings and lowering the amount of missed clockings and subsequent remedies.

Abstract: Workers often forget to enter clockings indicating when they have arrived or left work or transferred between work activities. Various embodiments provide a system that predicts the risk of potential missed worker clockings and delivers alerts to the workers and/or their managers when that risk is high. The system analyzes historical data to find previous instances of missed clockings at an organization, extracts feature information regarding the context of the missed clockings, and calibrates a missing clocking risk model. The model is then used in either an online or batch mode to predict the risk of workers missing upcoming scheduled clockings. Based on these risk scores and system configurations, alerts are generated for employees and managers reminding them about the upcoming clockings and lowering the amount of missed clockings and subsequent remedies.

Abstract: Methods for estimating multiple types of retail business volume based on multiple types of data are described. Historical volume data, prior recorded business volume, characteristics of the store including departments, and geographical location are used. Historical data is transformed into multiple features that capture seasonality, trends, the effects of special events and other business characteristics. This data can be pooled based on business characteristics, and then machine learning regression models, e.g., multiple regression trees, are fitted to each pool of data. To estimate future volume, the same features are computed, and the regression model is applied. The estimates are presented back to the user, or transmitted electronically to other systems, including systems for creating worker schedules based on predicted volumes. Systems, apparatus and computer readable media are also described.

Abstract: Workers often forget to enter clockings indicating when they have arrived or left work or transferred between work activities. Various embodiments provide a system that predicts the risk of potential missed worker clockings and delivers alerts to the workers and/or their managers when that risk is high. The system analyzes historical data to find previous instances of missed clockings at an organization, extracts feature information regarding the context of the missed clockings, and calibrates a missing clocking risk model. The model is then used in either an online or batch mode to predict the risk of workers missing upcoming scheduled clockings. Based on these risk scores and system configurations, alerts are generated for employees and managers reminding them about the upcoming clockings and lowering the amount of missed clockings and subsequent remedies.

Abstract: Methods for estimating multiple types of retail business volume based on multiple types of data are described. Historical volume data, prior recorded business volume, characteristics of the store including departments, and geographical location are used. Historical data is transformed into multiple features that capture seasonality, trends, the effects of special events and other business characteristics. This data can be pooled based on business characteristics, and then machine learning regression models, e.g., multiple regression trees, are fitted to each pool of data. To estimate future volume, the same features are computed, and the regression model is applied. The estimates are presented back to the user, or transmitted electronically to other systems, including systems for creating worker schedules based on predicted volumes. Systems, apparatus and computer readable media are also described.

Abstract: A kitchen or cooking utensil has a head portion and a handle portion. A handle shaft connects the head portion and the handle portion of the utensil. The handle shaft is provided with perforations for straining liquid from foodstuffs that are located in a container. The utensil may optionally incorporate a magnet in the handle shaft near the head portion of the utensil to assist in holding the handle shaft against the rim of the container. In an alternative embodiment, the handle shaft has a grater and/or zester function.

Abstract: The invention relates to water blown integral skin polyurethane foams made with a particular isocyanate quasi-prepolymer and resin side ingredients to yield a foam having good overall mechanical roperties. The isocyanate quasi-prepolymer component of the present invention comprises from 0.5 weight percent to 30.0 weight percent or less uretonimine-carbodiimide-modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate, from 50 weight percent to 80 weight percent 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and reacted with from 15 weight percent to 40 weight percent of a polyether polyol containing predominately secondary hydroxy groups and having an average molecular weight from about 2,000 to 10,000, an average functionality from 1.5 to about 3.2, and a hydroxyl number from about 20 to 60. The resin side component comprises a high molecular weight polyether polyol with an average functionality from 1.5 to about 3.2, water as a blow agent, and optionally an mono- or di-functional alcohol composition having from 8 to about 30 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention relates to water blown integral skin polyurethane foams made with a particular isocyanate quasi-prepolymer and resin side ingredients to yield a foam having good overall mechanical properties. The isocyanate quasi-prepolymer component of the present invention comprises from 0.5 weight percent to 30.0 weight percent or less uretonimine-carbodiimide-modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate, from 50 weight percent to 80 weight percent 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and reacted with from 15 weight percent to 40 weight percent of a polyether polyol containing predominately secondary hydroxyl groups and having an average molecular weight from about 2,000 to 10,000, an average functionality from 1.5 to about 3.2, and a hydroxyl number from about 20 to 60, and optionally with a low molecular weight diol in an amount of from 1.0 weight percent to 10 weight percent, the weight percentages based on the weight of the quasi-prepolymer reactants.

Abstract: The invention relates to water blown integral skin polyurethane foams made with a particular isocyanate quasi-prepolymer and resin side ingredients to yield a foam having good overall mechanical properties. The isocyanate quasi-prepolymer component of the present invention comprises from 0.5 weight percent to 30.0 weight percent or less uretonimine-carbodiimide-modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate, from 50 weight percent to 80 weight percent 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and reacted with from 15 weight percent to 40 weight percent of a polyether polyol containing predominately secondary hydroxyl groups and having an average molecular weight from about 2,000 to 10,000, an average functionality from 1.5 to about 3.2, and a hydroxyl number from about 20 to 60, and optionally with a low molecular weight diol in an amount of from 1.0 weight percent to 10 weight percent, the weight percentages based on the weight of the quasi-prepolymer reactants.

Abstract: The invention relates to water blown integral skin polyurethane foams made with a particular isocyanate quasi-prepolymer and resin side ingredients to yield a foam having good overall mechanical properties. The isocyanate quasi-prepolymer component of the present invention comprises from 0.5 weight percent to 30.0 weight percent or less uretonimine-carbodiimide-modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate, from 50 weight percent to 80 weight percent 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and reacted with from 15 weight percent to 40 weight percent of a polyether polyol containing predominately secondary hydroxyl groups and having an average molecular weight from about 2,000 to 10,000, an average functionality from 1.5 to about 3.2, and a hydroxyl number from about 20 to 60, and optionally with a low molecular weight diol in an amount of from 1.0 weight percent to 10 weight percent, the weight percentages based on the weight of the quasi-prepolymer reactants.

Abstract: A method for preparing a polyurethane foam article in a mold by applying to a mold surface a water-based mold release composition which includes a release effective system which is in a solid (hardened) state at the mold pour temperature and a liquid state at the demold temperature, pouring a polyurethane foam composition into the mold, curing the foam composition and demolding the foam article. The use of such release effective system in the aqueous mold release composition provides for a reduction in surface defects of the polyurethane foam article.Also disclosed is the incorporation of a poly(siloxane-glycol) surfactant having a cloud point ranging from 25.degree.-50.degree. C. into a water-based mold release composition including an aqueous emulsion or dispersion of at least one release effective substance and desirably at least one emulsifying agent provides for improved surface quality of the foam product.

Abstract: A molded flexible polyurethane composition having improved polycarbonate compatibility comprising an organic polyisocyanate, a polyol and reactive tertiary amine catalyst. This catalyst contains at least one active hydrogen and/or hydroxyl group in its structure. Another embodiment of this invention relates to a molded flexible polyurethane composition having improved polycarbonate compatibility comprising an organic polyisocyanate, a polyol, a non-reactive tertiary amine catalyst and, an amine scavenger composition which may or may not also contain reactive tertiary amine catalysts. Also disclosed are processes for making said molded flexible polyurethane compositions having improved polycarbonate compatibility.

Abstract: The incorporation of a poly(siloxane-glycol) surfactant having a cloud point ranging from 25.degree.-50.degree. C. into a water-based mold release composition comprising an aqueous emulsion or dispersion of at least one release effective substance and desirably at least one emulsifying agent provides for improved surface quality of the foam product.Also disclosed is a method for preparing a polyurethane foam article in a mold by applying to a mold surface a water-based mold release composition which comprises a release effective system which is in a solid (hardened) state at the mold pour temperature and a liquid state at the demold temperature, pouring a polyurethane foam composition into the mold, curing the foam composition and demolding the foam article. The use of such release effective system in the aqueous mold release composition provides for a reduction in surface defects of the polyurethane foam article.

Abstract: In the preparation of a high resiliency polyurethane foam by reacting a polyisocyanate with a polyurea dispersion-containing polyol based masterbatch composition also containing a tertiary amine catalyst for the polyurethane reaction, the improvement for eliminating cure draft of such stored polyol compositions which comprises employing a catalyst composition consisting essentially of5 to 15 wt % triethylenediamine,20 to 35 wt % 4-(2-dimethylaminoethyl) morpholine,20 to 35 wt % N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,2-diamino-2-methylpropane,10 to 25 wt % bis(dimethylaminoethyl)ether, and5 to 40 wt % of an N-hydroxyalkyl quaternary ammonium acid salt.

Abstract: In a method for making a molded polyurethane article having a nonwoven material secured to the article's surface which comprises placing the nonwoven material on the internal surface of a mold, adding and foaming a polyurethane composition in the mold and recovering the molded polyurethane article with the nonwoven material attached to the surface of the article, the improvement which comprises coating the nonwoven material with a composition consisting essentially of a fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol, an organic polyisocyanate and a catalyst for the urethane reaction, and curing the coating on the nonwoven material prior to adding and foaming the polyurethane composition in the mold.

Abstract: In the preparation of a high resiliency polyurethane foam by reacting a polyisocyanate with a polyurea dispersion-containing polyol based masterbatch composition also containing a tertiary amine catalyst for the polyurethane reaction, the improvement for eliminating cure draft of such stored polyol compositions which comprises employing a catalyst composition consisting essentially of5 to 15 wt% triethylenediamine,20 to 35 wt% 4-(2-dimethylaminoethyl) morpholine,20 to 35 wt% N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,2-diamino-2-methylpropane,10 to 25 wt% bis(dimethylaminoethyl)ether, and5 to 40 wt% of an N-hydroxyalkyl quaternary ammonium acid salt.