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US3661693A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Reinforced seam for sheet material

Assignee: Environmental Structures Inc
•
Filing: 1969-08-18
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Granted: 1972-05-09
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Expires: 1989-08-18
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Abstract

Abstract A seam for joining together the marginal edges of two sheets of flexible material, such as plastic or fabric, in which the edges are wrapped around a cable or other reinforcing member and clamped in the wrapped position to provide a leak-proof seam without the use of adhesives, sewing, heat sealing or other conventional fastening means. The sheets may, as an alternative, be wrapped around a filler member, then clamped to a reinforcing member. This seam is useful on inflatable buildings and other similar structures.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert M Pierson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-22 18:37
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04H; E04H15/00; E04H15/20; E04H15/22; B; B29; B29C; B29C65/00; B29C65/56; B29C65/565; B29C66/00; B29C66/01; B29C66/05; B29C66/10; B29C66/11; B29C66/112; B29C66/1122; B29C66/13; B29C66/131; B29C66/1312; B29C66/40; B29C66/41; B29C66/43; B29C66/433; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/44; Y10T24/44641; Y10T24/44769; Y10T24/44778; Y10T24/44855; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24008; Y10T428/2419; Y10T428/24207; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2933; Y10T428/294

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 133 words
A flexible reinforced seam for joining together sheets of flexible material comprising: A. a pair of sheets each having one of their marginal edges positioned contiguous to the adjacent marginal edge of the other; B. an elongated flexible reinforcing member positioned in the area of contiguity and running longitudinally therewith; C. both said sheets being folded around the reinforcing member to encase the member therein; D. elongated pressure strips placed on each side of the folded portion of the sheets; and E. resilient gripping means extending around the reinforcing member and the folded portion of the sheets and bearing laterally inwardly against the pressure strips to hold the sheets in the folded position around the reinforcing member; F. the pressure strips having a groove therein to receive a portion of the gripping means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 133 words
A flexible reinforced seam for joining together sheets of flexible material comprising: A. a pair of sheets each having one of their marginal edges positioned contiguous to the adjacent marginal edge of the other; B. an elongated flexible reinforcing member positioned in the area of contiguity and running longitudinally therewith; C. both said sheets being folded around the reinforcing member to encase the member therein; D. elongated pressure strips placed on each side of the folded portion of the sheets; and E. resilient gripping means extending around the reinforcing member and the folded portion of the sheets and bearing laterally inwardly against the pressure strips to hold the sheets in the folded position around the reinforcing member; F. the pressure strips having a groove therein to receive a portion of the gripping means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
A reinforced seam as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reinforcing member is a metallic cable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
A reinforced seam as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reinforcing material is a fibrous rope.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 53 words
A reinforced seam as claimed in claim 1 wherein a second elongated flexible reinforcing member is held by the gripping means adjacent to the first reinforcing member which is encased in the folded flexible sheets, said second reinforcing member being separated by the sheet material from direct contact with the encased reinforcing member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
A reinforced seam as claimed in claim 4 wherein the second reinforcing member has greater tensile strength than the first reinforcing member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
A reinforced seam as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gripping means is a plurality of spring clamps.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US897594A Cited
US1183962A Cited
US1755718A Cited
US1898650A Cited
US2064432A Cited
US2213912A Cited
US2350235A Cited
FR1437179A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-05-09 1975-11-08 1976-05-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-05-09 1979-11-08 1980-05-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-05-09 1983-11-08 1984-05-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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