Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-28
2001-05-15
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S195000, C156S429000, C156S431000, C156S446000, C029S895211, C492S048000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231711
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for making roller covers by adhering a roller fabric to a thermoplastic tubular form by means of an extruded thermoplastic film that is spirally wrapped onto the tubular form immediately prior to the roller fabric.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is generally known to make paint roller covers with thermoplastic cores. Making the cores out of a thermoplastic material has the advantage that the cores will not delaminate even after prolonged soaking as is the case with most cardboard cores. However, there may still be a problem with the roller fabric prematurely separating from thermoplastic cores, either because the adhesive does not provide a very effective bond between the fabric backing and cores, or the adhesive does not hold up after prolonged soaking in certain types of solvents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for making paint roller covers which are completely impervious to water and most solvents, even after prolonged soaking.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the roller cores are made of a thermoplastic material, and the roller fabric is permanently bonded to the roller cores by means of a thermoplastic film that is completely impervious to water and most solvents, even after prolonged soaking.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the roller covers are made by spirally wrapping a strip of hot thermoplastic film onto an exterior surface of a thermoplastic tubular form and spirally wrapping a strip of fabric having a thermoplastic backing onto the spiral wound strip of thermoplastic film while the thermoplastic film is still sufficiently hot to cause the thermoplastic film to flow into interstices in the thermoplastic backing of the fabric and bond the fabric to the exterior surface of the tubular form.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a continuous strip of thermoplastic core material is spirally wrapped around a mandrel, then a hot thermoplastic film is spirally wrapped around the spirally wrapped core material, and a fabric strip is spirally wrapped around the thermoplastic film while the thermoplastic film is sufficiently hot to bond the fabric strip to the core material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a spacer member is positioned between adjacent edges of each successive wrap of the core strip material around the mandrel to prevent the adjacent edges of the core strip material from overlapping each other on the mandrel thereby forming a spiral seam along the length of the core material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the spacer member is free to move to a limited extent in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel to compensate for slight changes in the helix angle of the spiral wrap of core strip material on the mandrel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, adjacent edges of the hot thermoplastic film are overlapped over the spiral seam between adjacent edges of the thermoplastic core strip material to provide enough film material to flow into the spiral seam and also into interstices in the backing of the fabric to form a strong bond between the fabric strip and core strip material along the length of the spiral seam.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the thermoplastic backing may include relatively long nylon or other thermoplastic filaments extending lengthwise of the fabric strip.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a first driven belt drivingly may engage the fabric strip to spirally advance the fabric strip and underlying core strip material along the length of the mandrel. Also, a second drive belt may drivingly engage the core strip material upstream of where the hot thermoplastic film is applied to the core strip material to assist in spirally advancing the core strip material and fabric strip along the length of the mandrel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, different diameter capstans may be used to drive both driven belts at different speeds to compensate for the different outer diameters of the spiral wraps of fabric strip and core strip material on the mandrel so that both driven belts spirally advance the fabric strip and core strip material at the same speed on the mandrel.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, separate electronically coupled drives may be used to drive both driven belts to compensate for the different outer diameters of the spiral wraps of fabric strip and core strip material on the mandrel so that both driven belts spirally advance the fabric strip and core strip material at the same speed on the mandrel.
These and other objects, advantages, features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but several of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.
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Dilyard Ricky L.
Gerardo Serafin J.
Humphrey Dennis D.
Middlesworth Steven V.
Roberts William J.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
Sells James
The Wooster Brush Company
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