Method for laminating plastic foam and fabric sheets

Claim 1

A METHOD OF LAMINATING PLASTIC FOAM AND FABRIC SHEETS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FEEDING A SHEET OF PLASTIC FOAM WITH AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY AN ABSENCE OF TENSION THEREON, TO, THROUGH AND PAST A PROCESSING STATION; (B) FIRST SUBJECTING ONE SURFACE OF SAID FOAM AS SAID FOAM PASSES THROUGH SAID PROCESSING STATION, TO INFRARED RAYS TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SURFACE FROM AMBIENT TEMPERATURE TO A VALUE CLOSE TO AND BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE FOAM, THEN SECONDLY APPLYING FLAME TO THE INITIALLY HEATED SURFACE OF THE FOAM TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO THE MELTING POINT OF THE FOAM AND MELT SAID SURFACE AND THIRDLY, SUBJECTTHE MELTED FOAM SURFACE TO FURTHER INFRARED RAYS TO MAINTAIN THE MELTED CONDITION THEREOF; (C) THEREAFTER PROGRESSIVELY APPLYING FABRIC TO THE MELTED SURFACE OF THE FOAM AS THE SAME LEAVES THE PROCESSING STATION AND WHILE THE SURFACE OF THE FOAM IS MAINTAINED AT LEAST AT THE MELTING POINT TO UNITE THE FOAM AND THE FABRIC AS A LAMINATE; AND, (D) THEN FEEDING SAID LAMINATE THROUGH AN ELONGATED PATH AS A RELAXED LOOP SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY TENSION THEREON TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL STRESSES, AND WINDING SAID LAMINATE AFTER ITS LEAVES SAID PATH WITHOUT SUBJECTING THE SAME TO ANDY SUBSTANTIAL TENSION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF LAMINATING PLASTIC FOAM AND FABRIC SHEETS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) FEEDING A SHEET OF PLASTIC FOAM WITH AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY AN ABSENCE OF TENSION THEREON, TO, THROUGH AND PAST A PROCESSING STATION; (B) FIRST SUBJECTING ONE SURFACE OF SAID FOAM AS SAID FOAM PASSES THROUGH SAID PROCESSING STATION, TO INFRARED RAYS TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SURFACE FROM AMBIENT TEMPERATURE TO A VALUE CLOSE TO AND BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE FOAM, THEN SECONDLY APPLYING FLAME TO THE INITIALLY HEATED SURFACE OF THE FOAM TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF TO THE MELTING POINT OF THE FOAM AND MELT SAID SURFACE AND THIRDLY, SUBJECTTHE MELTED FOAM SURFACE TO FURTHER INFRARED RAYS TO MAINTAIN THE MELTED CONDITION THEREOF; (C) THEREAFTER PROGRESSIVELY APPLYING FABRIC TO THE MELTED SURFACE OF THE FOAM AS THE SAME LEAVES THE PROCESSING STATION AND WHILE THE SURFACE OF THE FOAM IS MAINTAINED AT LEAST AT THE MELTING POINT TO UNITE THE FOAM AND THE FABRIC AS A LAMINATE; AND, (D) THEN FEEDING SAID LAMINATE THROUGH AN ELONGATED PATH AS A RELAXED LOOP SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY TENSION THEREON TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL STRESSES, AND WINDING SAID LAMINATE AFTER ITS LEAVES SAID PATH WITHOUT SUBJECTING THE SAME TO ANDY SUBSTANTIAL TENSION.