Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Adhesive outermost layer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-02
2002-12-10
Zirker, Daniel (Department: 1734)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Adhesive outermost layer
C428S317300, C428S317700, C428S098000, C428S402000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06492018
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates in general to an apparatus for applying an improved adhesive to sheet insulation having drainage channels, and more particularly to an apparatus for applying an improved adhesive to a series of sheets of insulation having transversely spaced apart drainage channels while preventing the adhesive from entering the channels and thereby significantly reducing the amount of time and labor necessary for coating the sheets of insulation with adhesive, and further to an adhesive which includes means for defining channels through which moisture and/or air can pass.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, it has been well known in the building and construction industries to attach sheets of insulation or insulation board to an erected building substrate such as gypsum, concrete, or other masonry. The sheets of insulation are applied uniformly to the entire substrate of the building for insulation purposes. An aesthetic, waterproof, and impact-resistant finishing material or system is generally applied over the insulation. One example of such an application is the “THOROWALL” system in which the insulation is an Expanded Poly-Styrofoam, commonly referred to as “EPS.” “THOROWALL” is a trademark owned by Thoro System Products. Besides EPS, there are numerous types of sheet insulation material including different types of styrofoam available for use in building construction. The EPS sheets are generally light in weight, approximately one pound per cubic foot, and their dimensions vary, although a standard size is two feet wide by four feet long with a thickness of one, two, or more inches. When affixed to a building substrate, the longer dimension of the sheets extends horizontally.
Although the finishing material is waterproof, moisture has a tendency to buildup between the insulation and substrate. To eliminate this moisture problem, the construction industry has developed and employed sheet insulation having spaced apart drainage channels along the shorter dimension of the sheets such that the channels are vertically disposed on and adjacent to the building substrate to funnel downwardly the moisture trapped between the substrate and the insulation. One example of the channeled sheet insulation is the “INFINITY” system in which the insulation includes beveled edges and vertically extending (i.e., when installed) drainage channels. “INFINITY” is a trademark owned by Dryvit Systems Inc.
While mechanical fasteners have been used to attach this type of sheet insulation to a substrate, a common method has been to apply adhesive or glue to the sheets of insulation to adhesively secure the insulation to an erected building substrate. Several types of adhesives are commercially available, some being more suitable to different substrates, different types of insulation, and differing climates. Also, it has been known to mix some adhesives with cement.
Heretofore, adhesives have either been manually applied to sheets of insulation or applied by adhesive-applying machines such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,887. However, such machines are ineffective in applying adhesive to sheets of insulation having transversely spaced apart drainage channels because the machines would deposit adhesive into the drainage channels thereby blocking the drainage channels, which is undesirable. Moreover, even the manual application of conventional adhesives to sheets of insulation having drainage channels may result in the adhesive flowing into the channels when the insulation is pressed against the substrate, thereby blocking or closing the channels. Accordingly, there is a need for an adhesive which does not flow into the drainage channels when the insulation is pressed against the substrate and for an apparatus for applying the improved adhesive to a series of sheets of insulation having drainage channels and to additionally provide airflow passages between channels, while preventing the improved adhesive from entering the drainage channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above problems in providing an apparatus for applying an improved adhesive to a series of sheets of insulation having transversely spaced apart drainage channels while preventing the adhesive from entering the channels and thereby significantly reducing the amount of time and labor necessary for coating the sheets with adhesive. Further, the improved adhesive of the present invention prevents or at least minimizes the amount of adhesive which flows into the drainage channels when the insulation is pressed against the substrate, thereby assuring the channels stay open to air flow. The improved adhesive compound includes a conventional adhesive containing a mixture of ground polyurethane spacer elements such as beads or particles. The beads act as spacers between the sheets of insulation and the substrate to limit the spreading of adhesive into the channels when the sheets are pressed against the substrate. Another embodiment of the invention is the use of the improved adhesive compound on standard sheets of insulation to define channels for moisture and/or air flow.
The adhesive applying apparatus of the present invention is an improvement to the adhesive applying apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,887 which is incorporated herein by reference. The improved adhesive-applying apparatus includes a portable horizontally extending frame having an inlet section, an outlet section, and a central section disposed between the inlet and outlet sections. The inlet section of the frame includes a power-driven conveyor for driving a sheet of insulation from the inlet section to the central section and a magazine positioned above the conveyor for holding and dispensing sheets of insulation, one by one, onto the conveyor. The outlet section includes a sheet receiving conveyor having a stopping assembly for temporarily deactivating the power-driven conveyor until the sheet coated with adhesive is removed from the outlet section of the frame. The conveyor, the magazine, and the sheet receiving conveyor are all configured to hold, handle, and move the sheets of insulation along their shorter dimension, as opposed to holding, handling, and moving the sheets along their longer dimension as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,887.
The sheets of insulation are coated with adhesive at the central section which includes an elongated or substantially wider adhesive dispensing hopper for storing and for applying the improved adhesive to the sheets of insulation as each sheet passes under the hopper. The hopper is adapted to dispense adhesive on the flat areas or portions of the sheets of insulation adjacent to the transversely spaced apart drainage channels. The bottom wall of the hopper includes a plurality of spaced apart slots aligned with these flat sections on the sheets of insulation through which the improved adhesive flows onto those sections. The hopper also includes a shutter for intermittently interrupting the flow of adhesive to the sheets of insulation to form substantially adhesive-free pathways on the sheets which provide communication between the drainage channels, thereby allowing the passage of air flow and/or moisture between drainage channels when the insulation is installed on the substrate. A screed is attached to the outlet wall of the hopper and includes a series of spaced apart teeth to form beads or lines of adhesive on the flat sections. The screed may further include a plurality of channel scraper blades to scrape away any adhesive that may enter the transversely spaced apart drainage channels.
To sequentially apply the improved adhesive to a series of sheets of insulation having transversely spaced apart drainage channels using the apparatus of the present invention, several sheets of insulation are loaded into the magazine arranged over the conveyer on the inlet section. The magazine dispenses the lowermost sheet onto the conveyor, and the conveyor drives the side edge of the sheet under the hopper. A pair of shutter driving wheels engage the sheet to facilitate the opening and closing
Chang Victor S.
Zickert Lloyd L.
Zirker Daniel
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