US3668033A — Laminating method and apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 218 words

In a laminating apparatus for post forming a workpiece of a base and plastic veneer: a reciprocable press comprising a support frame, lower press means for optionally engaging the base and the plastic veneer to hold the workpiece during lamination, upper press means for optionally engaging the plastic veneer and the base to hold the workpiece during lamination, power means for reciprocating the press between open and closed positions, and heater means comprising longitudinally-extending revolving structure, elongated heating means eccentrically carried by the revolving structure, counterbalance means carried by the revolving structure to compensate for the eccentricity of the elongated heating means, said revolving structure being mechanically related to the upper press means so as to be revolvable clockwise and counter-clockwise about a longitudinal axis above the upper press means solely in response to selective manual manipulation independent of press action to dispose and self-retain the heating means adjacent either of the opposed edges of the press at any one of several distances therefrom as selected by the operator and in any location in between the press edges also as desired by the operator whereby each edge of the veneer may selectively be made pliable without mechanical alteration to the apparatus to accommodate permanent contoured post-forming lamination between said veneer edges and the adjacent portions of the base.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 218 words

In a laminating apparatus for post forming a workpiece of a base and plastic veneer: a reciprocable press comprising a support frame, lower press means for optionally engaging the base and the plastic veneer to hold the workpiece during lamination, upper press means for optionally engaging the plastic veneer and the base to hold the workpiece during lamination, power means for reciprocating the press between open and closed positions, and heater means comprising longitudinally-extending revolving structure, elongated heating means eccentrically carried by the revolving structure, counterbalance means carried by the revolving structure to compensate for the eccentricity of the elongated heating means, said revolving structure being mechanically related to the upper press means so as to be revolvable clockwise and counter-clockwise about a longitudinal axis above the upper press means solely in response to selective manual manipulation independent of press action to dispose and self-retain the heating means adjacent either of the opposed edges of the press at any one of several distances therefrom as selected by the operator and in any location in between the press edges also as desired by the operator whereby each edge of the veneer may selectively be made pliable without mechanical alteration to the apparatus to accommodate permanent contoured post-forming lamination between said veneer edges and the adjacent portions of the base.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising movable edge forming means for forcibly displacing the plastic veneer along edges thereof into contiguous bonded conformity with the adjacent portions of the base.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 40 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including latch means responsive to power means for exerting a closing force upon the movable edge forming means to insure full displacement of said veneer edges against said base portions during lamination.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 57 words

In a laminating apparatus of the type defined in claim 1 further comprising clamp means associated with the press for curvilinear displacement to accommodate (a) permanent interposing of a cove stick and the like between base components at the underside of the plastic veneer and (b) angularly bending the workpiece along a heat-softened region of the veneer.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said press means includes a heat resistant coVe-forming means disposed at one edge corner of the press means and having an exposed surface across which heat-softened plastic veneer may be bent to form a cove.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 166 words

In a laminating apparatus for post-forming plastic veneer into bonded relation with a base to form a countertop and the like, a press comprising top and bottom platens having oppositely disposed flat surfaces, one said platen including cove-forming force-resisting heater means disposed at one exposed edge corner of the associated platen and comprising an elongated heat source substantially concealed in insulation but peripherally exposed only longitudinally along one quadrant thereof when viewed in cross-section, said cove-forming heater means further comprising serially spaced heat-resisting load-transferring means holding the heat source in the described disposition against horizontal and vertical force, the insulation being disposed both between successive load-transferring means and between each load-transferring means and the associated platen whereby correct placing of the plastic veneer adjacent the heat source and energizing of the heat source accommodate localized heat softening and subsequent bending of the veneer across the elongated heat source will produce a curvature in veneer of relatively small radius without appreciable deflection of the elongated heat source.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 166 words

In a laminating apparatus for post-forming plastic veneer into bonded relation with a base to form a countertop and the like, a press comprising top and bottom platens having oppositely disposed flat surfaces, one said platen including cove-forming force-resisting heater means disposed at one exposed edge corner of the associated platen and comprising an elongated heat source substantially concealed in insulation but peripherally exposed only longitudinally along one quadrant thereof when viewed in cross-section, said cove-forming heater means further comprising serially spaced heat-resisting load-transferring means holding the heat source in the described disposition against horizontal and vertical force, the insulation being disposed both between successive load-transferring means and between each load-transferring means and the associated platen whereby correct placing of the plastic veneer adjacent the heat source and energizing of the heat source accommodate localized heat softening and subsequent bending of the veneer across the elongated heat source will produce a curvature in veneer of relatively small radius without appreciable deflection of the elongated heat source.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 163 words

In a method of fabricating a workpiece including laminating plastic veneer to the surface of a base, the steps of: bonding co-extensive adjacent surfaces of the veneer and the base one to the other, forcibly holding substantially the entire area of said bonded portion of the workpiece in a selected stationary position between the jaws of a press against any movement relative to the jaws, arcuately displacing a heat source into heat exchange relation essentially with one entire peripheral portion of the veneer while continuing to so hold the workpiece stationary between the jaws of the press, softening said peripheral portion of the veneer by use of heat from said heat source until the peripheral portion is pliable, and arcuately displacing said heat source to a position remote from said peripheral portion while continuing to so hold the workpiece stationary between the jaws of the press and immediately thereafter essentially symmetrically displacing the entire peripheral portion into contiguous bonded association with the base.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 163 words

In a method of fabricating a workpiece including laminating plastic veneer to the surface of a base, the steps of: bonding co-extensive adjacent surfaces of the veneer and the base one to the other, forcibly holding substantially the entire area of said bonded portion of the workpiece in a selected stationary position between the jaws of a press against any movement relative to the jaws, arcuately displacing a heat source into heat exchange relation essentially with one entire peripheral portion of the veneer while continuing to so hold the workpiece stationary between the jaws of the press, softening said peripheral portion of the veneer by use of heat from said heat source until the peripheral portion is pliable, and arcuately displacing said heat source to a position remote from said peripheral portion while continuing to so hold the workpiece stationary between the jaws of the press and immediately thereafter essentially symmetrically displacing the entire peripheral portion into contiguous bonded association with the base.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 115 words

In a method as defined in claim 7 further including the steps of: arcuately displacing the heat source from said remote position into heat exchange relation with a second entire peripheral portion of the veneer while continuing to hold the workpiece stationary between the jaws of the press, softening said second peripheral portion of the veneer by use of heat from said heat source until the same is pliable, arcuately displacing said heat source to a position remote from said second peripheral portion and immediately thereafter essentially symmetrically displacing the entire second peripheral portion into contiguous bonded association with the base, all with the workpiece continuing to be so held stationary between the press jaws.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as defined in claim 8 further including the step of bending one edge of the workpiece into a position generally extending normal to the adjacent portion of the workpiece.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 132 words

A method as defined in claim 7 wherein said workpiece is a countertop and further including the steps of: inverting said workpiece with the press open, exerting pressure upon the veneer and the base to generally hold the workpiece in a stationary position between the press jaws, displacing the heat source into heat exchange relation with an intermediate portion of the veneer while continuing to hold the workpiece stationary between the press jaws, softening said intermediate portion of the veneer by use of said heat source until the same is pliable, displacing said heat source to a position remote from said Intermediate portion of the veneer and immediately thereafter essentially symmetrically bending said intermediate portion about a radius of predetermined size, all with the workpiece so held stationary between the press jaws.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 159 words

In a semi-manual laminating apparatus, the improvement comprising a heater assembly comprising a manually revolvable frame rotatably held above the remainder of the apparatus and an elongated heating means eccentrically gravity-suspended from the revolvable frame so that clockwise and counter-clockwise manual revolving of the revolvable frame about an axis situated above the remainder of the apparatus accommodates displacement of the heater means between a pair of effective positions at opposite peripheral edge portions of a pressure means when the pressure means are closed and a series of incremental remote positions situated between the effective positions, to accommodate convenient (a) manual placement of the heating means into localized heat exchange relation with the plastic at one peripheral edge portion of the pressure means and (b) thereafter manual displacing of the heating means away from the softened veneer to enable prompt bending of the veneer into final configuration without interference with the heater assembly and without actuation of the pressure means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 159 words

In a semi-manual laminating apparatus, the improvement comprising a heater assembly comprising a manually revolvable frame rotatably held above the remainder of the apparatus and an elongated heating means eccentrically gravity-suspended from the revolvable frame so that clockwise and counter-clockwise manual revolving of the revolvable frame about an axis situated above the remainder of the apparatus accommodates displacement of the heater means between a pair of effective positions at opposite peripheral edge portions of a pressure means when the pressure means are closed and a series of incremental remote positions situated between the effective positions, to accommodate convenient (a) manual placement of the heating means into localized heat exchange relation with the plastic at one peripheral edge portion of the pressure means and (b) thereafter manual displacing of the heating means away from the softened veneer to enable prompt bending of the veneer into final configuration without interference with the heater assembly and without actuation of the pressure means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 185 words

In a method of fabricating a cove in a laminated workpiece having a plastic veneer bonded to a base, the steps of: a. placing the workpiece within a press so that the veneer to be coved rests adjacent an elongated cove-forming heat source exposed at one edge corner of the lower platen of the press, b. closing the press to hold the workpiece in position, c. softening the lower side of the veneer to be coved by use of heat from said cove-forming heat source while insulating said heat from the adjacent portions of the press and concurrently softening the opposite upper side of the veneer to be coved by a different heat source directed from an elevated revolvable heater assembly until said veneer to be coved is locally pliable, d. manually revolving the elevated heater assembly to a location remote from the heating site and generally arcuately bending the veneer through the cove angle desired by forcibly wrapping the pliable veneer around the cove-forming heat source to form the cove, e. retaining the workpiece between the closed press during steps (b), (c) and (d).

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 185 words

In a method of fabricating a cove in a laminated workpiece having a plastic veneer bonded to a base, the steps of: a. placing the workpiece within a press so that the veneer to be coved rests adjacent an elongated cove-forming heat source exposed at one edge corner of the lower platen of the press, b. closing the press to hold the workpiece in position, c. softening the lower side of the veneer to be coved by use of heat from said cove-forming heat source while insulating said heat from the adjacent portions of the press and concurrently softening the opposite upper side of the veneer to be coved by a different heat source directed from an elevated revolvable heater assembly until said veneer to be coved is locally pliable, d. manually revolving the elevated heater assembly to a location remote from the heating site and generally arcuately bending the veneer through the cove angle desired by forcibly wrapping the pliable veneer around the cove-forming heat source to form the cove, e. retaining the workpiece between the closed press during steps (b), (c) and (d).

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-06-06	1975-12-06	1976-06-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-06-06	1979-12-06	1980-06-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-06-06	1983-12-06	1984-06-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Laminating method and apparatus

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