<U>Repair Kit</U> The present invention is concerned with a repair kit, a method of using the same and in particular a kit and method suitable for use in the repair of plastics artefacts. Currently available kits used in the repair of plastics artefacts generally employ fibreglass resin based materials, which are often only suitable for the repair of splits in such plastics artefacts. Even in the repair of splits, it has often been found that only part of the split can be repaired by conventional fibreglass based materials. A further disadvantage associated with the use of such fibreglass based materials has been the lengthy hardening time (several hours or more) often associated with the use thereof. A still further disadvantage associated with the use of known repair kits, such as the fibreglass based kits, has been the inability to mould replacement parts therewith and as such the need to provide completely new parts for artefacts requiring repair. There is a need, therefore, for a repair kit that can alleviate the hitherto known problems associated with prior art repair kits as discussed above. According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a repair kit comprising: .
at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material; and a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate. Typically, the acrylate thermoplastic material employed in a kit according to the present invention comprises a powdered acrylate resin, preferably polymethyl methacrylate although other acrylate resins may be used. Preferably discrete sources of the acrylate thermoplastic material and the liquid medium are provided in a kit according to the present invention. Typically the discrete sources comprises substantially sealed first and second containers respectively containing the acrylate thermoplastic material and the liquid medium, which substantially sealed containers can suitably be opened in use for dispensing the acrylate thermoplastic material and the liquid medium therefrom. In use, suitably a repair mixture can be prepared according to the present invention by admixing the acrylate thermoplastic material and the liquid medium of a kit according to the present invention and the repair mixture subsequently applied to an area of an artefact requiring repair. Typically the first container containing the acrylate thermoplastic material can be opened in use to provide a receptacle also suitable for receiving a sample of the liquid medium, wherein at least part of the acrylate thermoplastic material can be substantially wetted by the methyl methacrylate of the liquid medium. Suitably the second container containing the liquid medium can comprise an applicator container, such as an applicator bottle, adapted for dispensing the liquid medium into the above described receptacle containing the acrylate thermoplastic material. Aptly an applicator needle may be provided for attachment in use to the applicator bottle and dispensing the liquid medium therefrom. There is further provided by the present invention use of, in combination, at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material, and a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate, in the repair of an artefact. The present invention also provides use of a repair mixture in the repair of an artefact, which repair mixture is obtained by admixing at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material and a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate substantially as hereinbefore described. There is further provided by the present invention a method of repairing an artefact requiring repair, which method comprises applying to an area of repair of the artefact: at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material; and a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate. Typically a method according to the present invention comprises applying a repair mixture substantially as hereinbefore described to the area of repair. Typically an artefact to be repaired according to the present invention comprises a plastics artefact, such as a hard plastics artefact, although fibreglass or carbon fibre artefacts may also be repaired by the present invention. The present invention further provides an artefact, preferably a plastics artefact, to which is provided, in combination, at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material and methyl methacrylate. Substantially as hereinbefore described the mouldable acrylate thermoplastic material and a liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate are typically admixed to form a repair mixture prior to application to an artefact requiring repair and the repair mixture can then be applied to the artefact. An advantageous feature of the present invention is that the repair kit can be used to provide replacement parts for artefacts requiring repair. There is further provided by the present invention, therefore, a replacement part for an artefact requiring repair, which replacement part comprises, in combination, at least one mouldable acrylate thermoplastic material and methyl methacrylate. Methods of using repair kits according to the present invention will of course depend on the precise nature of an area of repair of an artefact, and this is further illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying Examples which do not of course limit the scope of the invention in any way. Preferred embodiments of kits according to the present invention can, therefore, be provided with a view to the type of repair required. A first preferred embodiment according to the present invention includes the provision of an applicator needle adapted to be fitted in use to an applicator bottle substantially as hereinbefore described in a kit according to the present invention and there is, therefore, provided by the present invention a repair kit comprising: a first container containing at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material; a second container comprising an applicator container containing a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate; and an applicator needle adapted to be attached to the applicator container in use for dispensing of the liquid medium therefrom. In a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention, a kit according to the present invention, in addition to including an applicator needle substantially as hereinbefore described, further comprises a deformable moulding bar particularly suitable for use in the repair or replacement of a lug of an artefact. Typically the deformable moulding bar is softenable further to immersion in a liquid (typically heated) to provide a mould for use in subsequent repair substantially as hereinafter described in greater detail in the accompanying Examples. According to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is, therefore, provided a repair kit comprising: a first container containing at least one mouldable particulate acrylate thermoplastic material; a second container comprising an applicator container containing a polymerisable liquid medium comprising methyl methacrylate; an applicator needle adapted to be attached to the applicator container in use for dispensing of the liquid medium therefrom; and a deformable moulding bar. The present invention is now further illustrated by the following Examples, which do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. Example <U>1</U> A kit according to the present invention was provided as follows an applicator bottle containing methyl methacrylate; a powder dish containing powdered polymethyl methacrylate; an applicator needle; and a moulding bar. A repair mixture according to the present invention was prepared and used as follows. (a) The applicator needle was attached to the open end of the applicator bottle containing methyl methacrylate. The applicator bottle was then gently squeezed and 2 to 3 drops of methyl methacrylate dispensed so as to wet polymethyl methacrylate in the powder dish. (The wet polymethyl methacrylate represents a repair mixture according to the present invention.) (b) The wet polymethyl methacrylate was then removed from the powder dish using the applicator needle (the latter still being attached to the applicator bottle) .
(c) The applicator bottle was again gently squeezed and the wet polymethyl methacrylate thus applied to an area of repair.
(d) Steps (a) to (c) were repeated until sufficient wet polymethyl methacrylate was applied to the area of repair and the applied polymethyl methacrylate was allowed to harden. Example <U>2</U> A repair mixture according to the present invention was prepared as described in Example 1 and then used as follows to repair a crack in a plastics artefact. A small file was used to file out a "V" on a first side of the crack. Adhesive tape was applied to a second (opposite) side of the crack to preclude seepage of the repair mixture. Repair mixture prepared according to Example<U>I</U><B>was</B> then applied to the filed ,first side of the crack and allowed to ha--rden. Example <U>3</U> A repair mixture according to the present invention was prepared as described in Example 1 and then used as follows to prepare a repair lug for a plastics artefact. The moulding bar of the kit described in Example 1 was placed in hot water and left for three minutes. The softened moulding bar was then removed from the water using a pair of tweezers and excess water shaken off. The softened moulding bar was then taken and pressed against a lug of the plastics artefact identical to the lug requiring repair. In this way, the moulding bar was used to provide a mould for use in the subsequent repair. Once cooled to room temperature, the mould (moulding bar) was removed. A repair mixture prepared according to Example 1 was then applied to the mould and alnlowed to harden for about 30 minutes to form a repair lug. The repair lug was then cut off the mould using a sharp knife. An_ adhering amount of the repair mixture prepared according to Example 1 was applied to the lug of the plastics artefact requiring repair and the repair lug applied thereto and left to harder. Example <U>4</U> A repair mixture according to the present invention was prepared according to Example 1 and then used as follows to repair a damaged thread of a plastics artefact. The damaged thread was filed out. Lubricant was first applied to a screw, followed by application of the repair mixture prepared according to Example 1. The loaded screw was then inserted into the filed out damaged thread of the plastics artefact and the repair mixture left to harden. Once the mixture had hardened, the screw was removed.