Method for making resiliently faced rolls

Claim 2

The method of claim 1 wherein a fluid is introduced between said layer upon said support member and said female mold impression to facilitate separation thereof.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said resin of said female mold impression is bonded to said mold and wherein said resin layer is bonded to said support member, both being bonded upon initial setting of the resin.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the surface of the mold defining the aperture is initially treated with a primer to facilitate adhesion thereto and wherein the support member is initially treated with a primer to facilitate adherence of the layer thereto.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein a release agent is initially applied to the surface of the female mold impression to prevent adherence of the subsequently introduced synthetic plastic resin thereto.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid synthetic plastic resin is initially subjected to a vacuum to remove air and other gas therefrom.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the resin introduced into the space between the male mold member and wall of the mold is initially heated to a temperature somewhat below that at which setting will rapidly occur to produce expansion thereof while said resin is liquid and is thereafter heated to effect setting thereof with the change in temperature substantially compensating for any shrinkage of the resin occurring during setting.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said formations on said male member are comprised of a multiplicity of substantially spheroidal cavities about its surface to provide generally speroidal embossments upon synthetic plastic sheet material pressed thereagainst.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein said mold is a cylindrical tubular member having a unitary circumferential wall.

Claim 10

In the method of making seamless rolls for producing an embossed surface upon synthetic thermoplastic sheet material, the steps comprising: providing a cylindrical tubular mold having a cylindrical mold aperture therein defined by a unitary circumferential wall; supporting coaxially in said mold aperture a generally cylindrical male mold member having a nonthermoplastic circumferential surface portion of essentially homogeneous composition and providing a seamless peripheral surface with a multiplicity of cavities about its surface to provide an embossed surface upon synthetic plastic sheet material, said male mold member being of lesser diameter than the wall of said mold defining said aperture so as to provide an annular space therebetween; introducing a fluid synthetic plastic resin into said space between said male mold member and the wall of said mold providing said aperture; subjecting said synthetic plastic resin to conditions including an elevated temperature sufficient to set said synthetic plastic resin and bond said synthetic plastic resin to the wall of said mold defining said aperture, said synthetic plastic resin upon setting being relatively Durable and closely conforming to the surface of said male mold member to provide an impression thereof; chilling said synthetic plastic resin to produce shrinkage thereof from the surface of said male mold member; removing said male mold member from the bonded mold and synthetic plastic resin impression which provide a generally cylindrical female mold impression with a multiplicity of embossments therein, said removal being without disassembly of said mold and by contraction of the resin of said impression by cooling from said elevated temperature to facilitate separation of said male mold member therefrom; positioning a generally cylindrical support member coaxially in the cavity defined by said female mold impression, said support member being of lesser width than the inside diameter of said impression so as to provide an annular space therebetween; introducing a fluid synthetic plastic resin into said space to fill said space, the surface of said female mold impression being essentially inert to said fluid resin to prevent bonding therebetween, said fluid resin providing a relatively durable and resilient material upon setting thereof; subjecting said synthetic plastic resin to conditions including an elevated temperature sufficient to set said synthetic plastic resin and produce bonding thereof to said support member as a layer thereon, said synthetic plastic resin conforming closely to the surface of said female mold impression upon setting to provide a male impression thereof with embossing formations spaced about the surface of said layer, said resin of said male impression upon setting being essentially free from bonding to said female mold impression; chilling said synthetic plastic resin from said elevated temperature to produce shrinkage of said male impression and said female mold impression to permit separation thereof and without disassembling said tubular mold; and removing said support member and bonded layer thereon from said mold and female impression, the assembly thereof forming a cylindrical roll body having a relatively resilient surface with a multiplicity of cavities about its surface conforming substantially to that of said male mold member and with embossing formation spaced about the surface of said layer.

Claim 11

The method of claim 11 wherein said synthetic plastic resin for at least the layer upon said support member comprises a silicone resin.

Claim 12

The method of claim 11 wherein the resin introduced into the space between the male mold member and wall of the mold is initially heated to a temperature somewhat below that at which setting will occur to produce expansion thereof while said resin is liquid and is thereafter heated to effect setting thereof with the change in temperature substantially compensating for any shrinkage of the resin occuring during setting.