Abstract: A snow ski is made by superimposing a protective assembly of polyacrylate sheets on a flexible core of a ski body having a bonded base surface and sidewall surfaces and then bonding the polyacrylate sheets to the ski core forming a top protective ski surface, the protective assembly being consolidated at a temperature and pressure effective to stress relieve the polyacrylate sheets.

Abstract: Transfers to be applied to ceramic or like materials normally need to be squeegeed vigorously on application to avoid trapping of air or water behind the pattern. This necessity is avoided according to the invention by providing a transfer comprising a base having a surface of soluble adhesive onto an area of which is printed a pattern of one or more glazes, colors or pigments, the pattern area being covered by a consumable cover coat, in which the cover coat is coherent but is provided with a configuration of small apertures over substantially the whole of the pattern area.

Abstract: Calcium silicate monohydrate (2CaO.sup.. SiO.sub.2.sup.. H.sub.2 O) can be produced in a coating which has been formed by a coating material containing silica sol alone or silica sol and other additives such as aggregate, viscosity increasing agent, etc. by subjecting the coating to a chemical treatment such as heat-treatment, ultra-violet ray irradiation treatment, etc. in the presence of water and a calcium compound which may be present either in the coating material, or in the treating liquid, or in an object to be coated. The film which contains the calcium silicate monohydrate produced by said chemical treatment has remarkably high hardness and is excellent in water-resistance, water-imperviousness, weather-resistance, and heat-resistance.

Abstract: An interleaving material for separating glass sheets and protecting them from scratching and staining during storage or transit comprises a porous finely divided support material, such as wood flour, impregnated with a weakly acidic material such as an organic acid (e.g. adipic acid) or an acid reacting salt, and fine particles of a chemically inert plastics material, e.g. a methyl methacrylate, preferably of slightly larger particle size than the acid-impregnated support material.

Abstract: Articles are described which utilize a unique photochemical property of a certain class of heterocyclic compounds. These heterocyclic compounds are the mono- and bicyclic aziridines. Oriented crystals of these heterocyclic compounds are photochromic in an unusual way. The effect of the excitation radiation and the strength of the resulting absorption band responsible for the appearance of color depend on the polarization of the radiation. These articles contain at least one optically smooth surface. Typical articles are windshields or glass panes which darken on being exposed to glare and sunglasses. Switching devices are also described which exist in two states; one state characterized by absorption of certain radiation over wavelength range and the other state by high transparency.