Slip-resistant surfaces and processes for making the same

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING A RESILLIENT SLIP-RESISANT ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A LAYER OF A FLUID DISPERSION OF FINELY DIVIDED VINYL POLYMER RESIN PARTICLES IN A LIQUID PLASTICIZER IN WHICH THE RESIN IS NOT DISSOLVED TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT WHEN COLD BUT IS DISSOLVED WHEN THE DISPERSION IS HEATED, DISPOSING IN CONTACT WITH A FREE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION HARD GRANULES OF AN UNPLASTICIZED RESIN NOT SUBSTANTIALLY PENETRATED BY SAID PLASTICIZER WHEN COLD BUT CAPABLE OF PENETRATION BY SAID PLASTICIZER WHEN SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION IS HEATED, SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION HAVING A THICKNESS AT LEAST OF THE ORDERR OF THE THICKNESS OF SAID RESIN GRANULES, AND SAID RESIN GRANLES BEING FROM 1/16 OF AN INCH TO 1/2 OF AN INCH IN THICKNESS AND BEING DISPOSED WITH PORTIONS PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER AND OTHER PORTIONS PROJECTING INTO SAID LAYER, AND HEATING THE DISPERSION TO CAUSE AT LEAST PARTIAL SOLUTION CIZER TO PENETRATE SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE GRANULES IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER TO CONVERT THE DISPERSION TO A SOLID RESILIENT LAYER AND TO SOFTEN THE SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID GRANULES AND UNITE THE SOFTENED PORTIONS OF THE GRANULES OF RESIN TO SAID RESILIENT LAYER, SAID SOFTENED PORTIONS FORMING A THICK RESIN LINK INCREASING IN HARDNESS PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE PLASTICIZER-RICH STATE ADJACENT SAID RESIN LAYER TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE ORIGINAL HARDNESS AT PORTIONS FARTHER AWAY FROM THE RESIN LAYER TO HOLD THE GRANULES RESILIENTLY IN PROJECTING SLIP-RESISTANT RELATIONSHIP TO THE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER AND TO DISTRIBUTE SEPARATING STRESS OVER THE THICKLINK BETWEEN THE GRANULES AND THE RSIN LAYER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING A RESILLIENT SLIP-RESISANT ARTICLE WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A LAYER OF A FLUID DISPERSION OF FINELY DIVIDED VINYL POLYMER RESIN PARTICLES IN A LIQUID PLASTICIZER IN WHICH THE RESIN IS NOT DISSOLVED TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT WHEN COLD BUT IS DISSOLVED WHEN THE DISPERSION IS HEATED, DISPOSING IN CONTACT WITH A FREE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION HARD GRANULES OF AN UNPLASTICIZED RESIN NOT SUBSTANTIALLY PENETRATED BY SAID PLASTICIZER WHEN COLD BUT CAPABLE OF PENETRATION BY SAID PLASTICIZER WHEN SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION IS HEATED, SAID LAYER OF DISPERSION HAVING A THICKNESS AT LEAST OF THE ORDERR OF THE THICKNESS OF SAID RESIN GRANULES, AND SAID RESIN GRANLES BEING FROM 1/16 OF AN INCH TO 1/2 OF AN INCH IN THICKNESS AND BEING DISPOSED WITH PORTIONS PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER AND OTHER PORTIONS PROJECTING INTO SAID LAYER, AND HEATING THE DISPERSION TO CAUSE AT LEAST PARTIAL SOLUTION CIZER TO PENETRATE SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE GRANULES IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER TO CONVERT THE DISPERSION TO A SOLID RESILIENT LAYER AND TO SOFTEN THE SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID GRANULES AND UNITE THE SOFTENED PORTIONS OF THE GRANULES OF RESIN TO SAID RESILIENT LAYER, SAID SOFTENED PORTIONS FORMING A THICK RESIN LINK INCREASING IN HARDNESS PROGRESSIVELY FROM THE PLASTICIZER-RICH STATE ADJACENT SAID RESIN LAYER TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE ORIGINAL HARDNESS AT PORTIONS FARTHER AWAY FROM THE RESIN LAYER TO HOLD THE GRANULES RESILIENTLY IN PROJECTING SLIP-RESISTANT RELATIONSHIP TO THE SURFACE OF SAID LAYER AND TO DISTRIBUTE SEPARATING STRESS OVER THE THICKLINK BETWEEN THE GRANULES AND THE RSIN LAYER.