Abstract: A method of and apparatus for constructing a bulletin board on a suitable surface such, for example, as the wall of a room in which a template of a suitable material such, for example, as paper or plastic is formed with a plurality of spaced holes of a certain shape and size and in which areas of the surface of the template surrounding the holes preferably are color coded to provide different patterns of holes. The template is laid over the surface on which the bulletin board is to be constructed and a plurality of bodies of cork or cork-like material of the same shape and slightly smaller than the template holes are adhered to the wall through respective selected openings in one of the predetermined patterns to provide an array of bodies in a predetermined pattern and of a certain density. The pattern may expeditiously be repeated by placing a portion of the template over a part of the already formed pattern and then applying additional bodies to the surface through the remainder of the template.

Abstract: Flameproof and fireproof products are formed from a fire-unstable material coated with a polymeric material which is capable of intumescing beginning at a low temperature and has adhesive qualities in conjunction with the fire-unstable material. Upon the application of heat or flame to the products, the coating material copiously intumesces to form a protective thermal insulating foam barrier which prevents the fire-unstable material from igniting or degrading to the point of evolving flammable gases or losing its dimensional stability. Continued application of heat or flame will cause the foam to char but will not destroy the products for a suprisingly long time. The polymeric coating material comprises the resinous reaction product of phosphoric acid and a reducing sugar with a hardener and containing at least one modifying agent capable of rendering the coating material highly and permanently intumescent at a low initiating temperature even after prolonged storage of the flameproof and fireproof product.

Abstract: A cork wall covering including a sheet of cork sandwiched between and adhesively secured to a backing material on one side and a polymerized vinyl resin material on the opposite or facing side.

Abstract: A cork wall covering includes a sheet of cork sandwiched between and adhesively secured to a backing material on one side and a polymerized vinyl resin material on the opposite or facing side.

Abstract: A wax applicator for skis comprising a block of generally abrasive material such as cork and a sheet of relatively hard material such as acrylic plastic secured face-to-face to serve as a wax spreader and smoother. The sheet extends past one edge of the block and the edge of the sheet extending past the block and an edge of the block are beveled such that they provide spaced beveled edges lying in a common plane.

Abstract: Strong heat-sealable nonwoven fabrics, textiles, papers and other substrates which have been treated with a polymer latex derived predominantly from polymers of vinyl halides or vinylidene halides which have been overpolymerized with one or more of .alpha.,.beta. -olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acids, olefinically unsaturated amides or their N-alkylol and N-alkoxyalkyl derivatives, and esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids. Copolymers of vinyl halide or vinylidene halide with vinylidene monomers containing a terminal CH.sub.2 =C< group may also be overpolymerized in the same way in making the heat sealable articles.