Method of joining the edges of cushioned vinyl sheet material

Claim 1

The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the cured adhesive has a vinyl-vinyl peel strength of about 5 pounds per inch.

Claim 9

A method of joining strips of cushioned vinyl composite sheet material, consisting of a vinyl wear layer, foamed vinyl intermediate layer, and a backing layer, which method comprises: a. simultaneously feeding the strips in a longitudinal direction, adjacent longitudinal edges of the strips overlapping one another; b. slitting the strips longitudinally at the overlap to provide two new longitudinal edges; c. guiding the strips to separate the new edges; d. applying a nonvolatile synthetic polymeric adhesive as a continuous bead to said new edges while separated; e. guiding the strips to bring said new edges back into registration to form a seam; f. maintaining said new edges in contact underpressure for a time sufficient to bond the edges together, while applying an adhesive-coated reinforcing tape to the backing layer along the seam; g. removing excess adhesive from the surface of the wear layer; h. and curing the adhesive while the contact pressure is maintained, i. the adhesive being applied as a liquid having a viscosity in the range 5,000 to 80,000 centipoises, and in the cured state having a tensile strength in the range 1,500 to 15,000 pounds per square inch, an elasticity of at least 70 percent, a vinyl-vinyl peel strength of at least 3 pounds per inch, a flexural modulus in the range 5,000 to 10,000 and elongation to failure between 100 percent and 200 percent.

Claim 11

A method of joining strips of cushioned vinyl composite sheet material consisting of a vinyl wear layer providing a front face, a foamed vinyl intermediate layer, and a backing layer providing a backface, which method comprises: a. simultaneously feeding the strips in a longitudinal direction, adjacent longitudinal edges of the strips overlapping one another; b. slitting the strips longitudinally at the overlap to provide two new longitudinal edges; c. placing the new edges in registration to form a seam; d. solvent welding the registering edges of the wear layers by applying a vinyl solvent to said front face along the seam; e. removing excess vinyl solvent from the front face; f. opening the seam at the backface to expose adjacent edges of said intermediate and backing layers; g. applying a nonvolatile synthetic polymeric adhesive as a continuous bead to said exposed edges; h. closing the seam to bring the adhesive-coated edges into contact underpressure; i. applying an adhesive-coated reinforcing tape to the backing layer along the seam; j. and curing the adhesive while the contact pressure is maintained, k. the adhesive being applied as a liquid having a viscosity in the range 5,000 to 80,000 centipoises, and in the cured state having a tensile strength in the range 1,500 to 15,000 pounds per square inch, an elasticity of at least 70 percent, a vinyl-vinyl peel strength of at least 3 pounds per inch, a flexural modulus in the range 5,000 to 10,000 and elongation to failure between 100 percent and 200 percent.

Claim 14

A method of joining strips of cushioned vinyl composite sheet material consisting of a vinyl wear layer providing a front face, a foamed vinyl intermediate layer, and a backing layer providing a backface, which method comprises: a. simultaneously feeding the strips in a longitudinal direction, adjacent longitudinal edges of the strips overlapping one another; b. slitting the strips longitudinally at the overlap to provide two new longitudinal edges; c. placing the new edges in registration to form a seam; d. solvent welding the registering edges of the wear layers by applying a vinyl solvent to said front face along the seam; e. removing excess vinyl solvent from the front face; f. opening the seam at the backface to expose adjacent edges of said intermediate and backing layers; g. applying a nonvolatile synthetic polymeric adhesive as a continuous bead to said exposed edges; h. closing the seam to bring the adhesive-coated edges into contact underpressure; i. and curing the adhesive while the contact pressure is maintained, the adhesive being applied as a liquid having a viscosity in the range 5,000 to 80,000 centipoises, and in the cured state having a tensile strength in the range 1,500 to 15,000 pounds per square inch, an elasticity of at least 70 percent, a vinyl-vinyl peel strength of at least 3 pounds per inch, a flexural modulus in the range 70,000 to 300,000 pounds per square inch, and an elongation to failure between 5 percent and 20 percent.