EXHIBIT (4)(xvi)     
     
     
                                      April 23, 1997
     
     
     
     Plymouth Rubber Company, Inc. 
     104 Revere Street
     Canton, Massachusetts 02021
     
     
     Gentlemen:
     
          Plymouth Rubber Company, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation
     ("Borrower") and LaSalle National Bank, a national banking
     association ("Bank") have entered into that certain Loan and Security
     Agreement dated June 6, 1996 (the "Security Agreement").  From time
     to time thereafter, Borrower and Bank may have executed various
     amendments (each an "Amendment" and collectively the "Amendments") to
     the Security Agreement (the Security Agreement and the Amendments
     hereinafter are referred to, collectively, as the "Agreement"). 
     Borrower and Bank now desire to further amend the Agreement as
     provided herein, subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set
     forth. 
     
          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals,
     the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and other good
     and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
     hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
     
        1.     The Agreement hereby is amended as follows:
     
     (a)       Paragraph (8) of Exhibit A of the Agreement is deleted in its
                    entirety and the following is substituted in its place:
     
        (8)    TANGIBLE NET WORTH: Notwithstanding the provisions of
                    subparagraph 11(o) of the Agreement, Borrower and Brite-Line
                    shall at all times maintain an aggregate tangible
                    net worth of not less than the Minimum Tangible Net
                    Worth, as hereinafter defined.  At all times from March
                    1, 1997 through November 29, 1997, "Minimum Tangible Net
                    Worth" shall equal One Million Sixty-Nine Thousand and
                    No/100 Dollars ($1,069,000.00).  From November 30, 1997
                    through November 29, 1998, Minimum Tangible Net Worth
                    shall equal One Million Three Hundred Nineteen Thousand
                    and No/100 Dollars ($1,319,000.00).  Thereafter, from
                    November 30th of each year through November 29th of the
                    following year, Minimum Tangible Net Worth shall be equal
                    to Minimum Tangible Net Worth on the last day of the
                    immediately preceding fiscal year plus Two Hundred Fifty
                    Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($250,000.00).  "Tangible Net
                    Worth" being defined for purposes of this subparagraph as
                    Borrower's and Brite-Line's shareholders' equity
                    (including retained earnings) less the book value of all
                    intangible assets as determined solely by Bank on a
                    consistent basis plus the amount of any LIFO reserve plus
                    the amount of any debt subordinated to Bank, all as
                    determined under generally accepted accounting principles
                    applied on a basis consistent with the financial
                    statement dated March 1, 1996 except as set forth herein. 
                    For purposes of this subparagraph, (a) intangible assets
                    are: (i) intangible asset-FAS #87,(ii) deferred tax
                    asset, net of the valuation reserve-FAS #109, and (iii)
                    trade names and (b) pension liability adjustments are
                    excluded.
     
     
     Plymouth Rubber Company, Inc. 
     April 23, 1997
     Page Two
     
     
     
     
     
     
        2.     This Amendment shall not become effective until fully
                    executed by all parties hereto.
     
        3.     Except as expressly amended hereby and by any other
                    supplemental documents or instruments executed by either
                    party hereto in order to effectuate the transactions
                    contemplated hereby, the Agreement and Exhibit A thereto
                    hereby are ratified and confirmed by the parties hereto
                    and remain in full force and effect in accordance with
                    the terms thereof.
     
     
                                    LASALLE NATIONAL BANK, 
                                    a national banking association 
     
     
     
                                    By:                           
                                   Title:                         
     
     
     Accepted and agreed to this
      7th day of May , 1997.
     
     PLYMOUTH RUBBER COMPANY, INC. 
     
     
     By:                         
     Title:                      
     
     Consented and agreed to by the following 
     guarantor of the obligations of PLYMOUTH 
     RUBBER COMPANY, INC. to LASALLE NATIONAL BANK.
     
     
     BRITE-LINE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 
     
     
     By:                          
     
     Title:                       
     
     Date: