Flocking mechanism and method

Claim 1

IN FLOCKING MECHANISM FOR AN ELONGATED WORK PIECE COMPRISING A MOVABLY MOUNTED FLOCKING TABLE, POWER MEANS FOR MECHANICALLY VIBRATING SAID TABLE, CONVEYORSUPPORTING DECKS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TABLE, AN ENDLESS BELT CONVEYOR TRAVELING ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID DECKS AND TABLE, SAID CONVEYOR BELT HAVING A RESILIENTLY DISTENSIBLE GROOVE IN ITS UPPER SURFACE WHERE THUS PASSING ACROSS SAID DECK AND TABLE, SAID GROOVE HAVING A CROSS-SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO THAT OF THE PORTION OF THE WORK ENTERING THERIN TIGHTLY TO RECEIVE AND HOLD SUCH WORK, GROOVE SPREADING MEANS AT A WORK LOADING STATION, AND ADHESIVE SPRAY GUN AT A SUBSEQUENT SPRAY STATION OPERATIVE TO SPRAY ADHESIVE UPON THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF WORK CARRIED THEREPAST BY SAID BELT, GUARD MEANS LATERALLY OVERLYING THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID BELT AT SAID SPRAY STATION TO PREVENT DEPOSITION OF ADHESIVE THEREON, MEANS ON SAID TABLE OVERLYING AND CONTACTING THE SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BELT TO HOLD THE LATTER SNUGLY AGAINST SAID TABLE FOR VIBRATION THEREWITH, AN ENCLOSURE ENCLOSING THE REGION ABOVE SAID TABLE THROUGH WHICH SAID BELT PASSES, MEANS OPERATIVE TO DELIVER FLOCK TO SUCH REGION TO ADHERE TO THE VIBRATING ADHESIVE COATED WORK TRANSPORTED BY SAID BELT, AND MEANS OPERATIVE TO PRY THE FLOCKED WORK FROM SUCH GROOVE IN SAID BELT AT A LATER STATION.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF UNIFORMLY FLOCKING AN ELONGATED ARTICLE COMPRISING FIRMLY AND INTEGRALLY SECURING THE ARTICLE TO A CONVEYOR SURFACE, MOVING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE SECURED THERETO UNIDIRECTIONALLY IN A GENERAL PATH OF TRAVEL, APPLYING AN ADHESIVE ON SUCH ARTICLE, DISCHARGING FLOCK OVER AND ONTO SUCH ARTICLE DURING SUCH MOVEMENT, AND SIMULATANEOUSLY VIBRATING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE TO SWING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE IN UNISON IN AND OUT OF SUCH GENERAL PATH OF TRAVEL WHILE MAINTAINING SAID, CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE IN FIXED INTERRLEATION TO EMBED THE FLOCK ENDWISE INTO SUCH ADHESIVE AND THEREBY PROVIDE A SUPERIOR ORIENTATION AND EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE FLOCK.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF UNIFORMLY FLOCKING AN ELONGATED ARTICLE COMPRISING FIRMLY AND INTEGRALLY SECURING THE ARTICLE TO A CONVEYOR SURFACE, MOVING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE SECURED THERETO UNIDIRECTIONALLY IN A GENERAL PATH OF TRAVEL, APPLYING AN ADHESIVE ON SUCH ARTICLE, DISCHARGING FLOCK OVER AND ONTO SUCH ARTICLE DURING SUCH MOVEMENT, AND SIMULATANEOUSLY VIBRATING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE TO SWING THE CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE IN UNISON IN AND OUT OF SUCH GENERAL PATH OF TRAVEL WHILE MAINTAINING SAID, CONVEYOR SURFACE AND ARTICLE IN FIXED INTERRLEATION TO EMBED THE FLOCK ENDWISE INTO SUCH ADHESIVE AND THEREBY PROVIDE A SUPERIOR ORIENTATION AND EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE FLOCK.