Method for making weatherstripping having a foam plastic core, a tough outer skin, and a sealing surface covered with flocked fibers or the like

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING SEALING ELEMENTS IN THE FORM OF WEATHERSTRIPPING FOR USE IN CLOSURES SUCH AS WINDOWS, DOORS, AND THE LIKE, SAID WEATHERSTRIPPING COMPRISING AN ELONGATE SUBSTRATE FORMED WITH A CORE OF FOAMED MATERIAL PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENT COMPRESSIBILITY AND HAVING A TOUGH OUTER SKIN ON THE SUBSTRATE CORE PROVIDING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY THEREFOR AND RESISTANCE TO DAMAGE DUE TO ABRASION DURING WEATHERSTRIPPING INSTALLATION; SAID SUBSTRATE CARRYING A SURFACE SEALING CONTACT MATERIAL ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM THE SUBSTRATE FOR ENGAGING A SURFACE TO BE SEALED BY EFFECTING A DESIRABLY TIGHT, WATER-AND-AIR RESISTANCE JOINT AT THE CLOSURE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUPPLYING A SHEET OF PLASTIC FOAM MATERIAL WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHEET HAVING A RELATIVELY STIFF BACKING LAYER LAMINATED THERETO TO PROVIDE RIGIDITY TO THE FOAM SHEET; FORMING THE TOP OF SAID SHEET WITH A SERIES OF PARALLEL GROOVES PRESENTING INTERGROOVE LANDS DEFINING SUBSTRATE PORTIONS THE TOP SURFACES OF WHICH ARE AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO SAID SHEET BOTTOM; APPLYING TO AT LEAST SAID TOP SURFACES OF SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS AND THE SIDE WALL SURFACES OF SAID GROOVES A TOUGH OUTER SKIN HAVING SUBSTANTIALLLY GREATER STRENGTH THAN SAID FOAM CORE; ATTACHING A SURFACE SEALING CONTACT MATERIAL TO THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS TO PROJECT OUTWARDLY AWAY THEREFORM TO EFFECT SEALING CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE TO BE SEALED; AND DIVIDING SAID FOAM PLASTIC SHEET ALONG SAID PARALLEL GROOVES SO AS TO FORM INDIVIDUAL PARALLEL STRIPS INCLUDING SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS AND DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SEALING ELEMENTS FOR USE AS WEATHERSTRIPPING.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING SEALING ELEMENTS IN THE FORM OF WEATHERSTRIPPING FOR USE IN CLOSURES SUCH AS WINDOWS, DOORS, AND THE LIKE, SAID WEATHERSTRIPPING COMPRISING AN ELONGATE SUBSTRATE FORMED WITH A CORE OF FOAMED MATERIAL PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENT COMPRESSIBILITY AND HAVING A TOUGH OUTER SKIN ON THE SUBSTRATE CORE PROVIDING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY THEREFOR AND RESISTANCE TO DAMAGE DUE TO ABRASION DURING WEATHERSTRIPPING INSTALLATION; SAID SUBSTRATE CARRYING A SURFACE SEALING CONTACT MATERIAL ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM THE SUBSTRATE FOR ENGAGING A SURFACE TO BE SEALED BY EFFECTING A DESIRABLY TIGHT, WATER-AND-AIR RESISTANCE JOINT AT THE CLOSURE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUPPLYING A SHEET OF PLASTIC FOAM MATERIAL WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHEET HAVING A RELATIVELY STIFF BACKING LAYER LAMINATED THERETO TO PROVIDE RIGIDITY TO THE FOAM SHEET; FORMING THE TOP OF SAID SHEET WITH A SERIES OF PARALLEL GROOVES PRESENTING INTERGROOVE LANDS DEFINING SUBSTRATE PORTIONS THE TOP SURFACES OF WHICH ARE AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO SAID SHEET BOTTOM; APPLYING TO AT LEAST SAID TOP SURFACES OF SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS AND THE SIDE WALL SURFACES OF SAID GROOVES A TOUGH OUTER SKIN HAVING SUBSTANTIALLLY GREATER STRENGTH THAN SAID FOAM CORE; ATTACHING A SURFACE SEALING CONTACT MATERIAL TO THE TOP SURFACES OF SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS TO PROJECT OUTWARDLY AWAY THEREFORM TO EFFECT SEALING CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE TO BE SEALED; AND DIVIDING SAID FOAM PLASTIC SHEET ALONG SAID PARALLEL GROOVES SO AS TO FORM INDIVIDUAL PARALLEL STRIPS INCLUDING SAID SUBSTRATE PORTIONS AND DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SEALING ELEMENTS FOR USE AS WEATHERSTRIPPING.

Claim 6

A method of making sealing elements in the form of weatherstripping for use in closures such as windows, doors, and the like comprising sliding members having a region of overlap to be sealed against infiltration of water and air by the weatherstripping, one of the members being formed in said region with a channel generally T-shaped in cross-section so as to present a pair of opposed lips which define a channel mouth, the effective depth of said channel being defined between the bottom surface of said channel and the inner surfaces of said lips; said weatherstripping being disposed in said channel and comprising an elongate substrate formed with a core of foamed material providing flexibility and resilient compressibility, a tough outer skin on the substrate core providing structural integrity therefor and resistance to damage due to abrasion during installation in said substrate; said substrate including a central portion extending into the channel mouth; said central portion carrying surface sealing contact material which projects out of said channel mouth for engaging the other sliding member to effect a desirably tight water-and-air resistant joint at the closure, said method comprising the steps of: forming a sheet of plastic foam with a series of parallel grooves to define a series of elongate foam substrates between said grooves; sizing the thickness of each of said substrates for at least substantially filling the effective depth of said channel to hold those portions of said substrate between the bottom channel surface and the inner lip surfaces and to provide that said central substrate portion will protrude up into said channel mouth to a desired position above the level of said inner lip surfaces; laminating an outer skin of tough film having substantially greater strength than said foam onto at least the top surfaces of said foam plastic sheet between said parallel grooves; adhesively attaching said sealing surface contact material to at least said top surfaces of said foam plastic sheet between said parallel grooves; and dividing said foam plastic sheet into individual parallel strips by cutting said sheet along said grooves to define a plurality of sealing elements.

Claim 7

A method of making sealing elements in the form of weatherstripping for use in closures such as windows, doors, and the like comprising sliding members having a region of overlap to be sealed against infiltration of water and air by the weatherstripping, one of the members being formed in said region with a channel generally T-shaped in cross-section so as to present a pair of opposed lips which define a channel mouth, the effective depth of said channel being defined between the bottom surface of said channel and the inner surfaces of said lips; said weatherstripping being disposed in said channel and comprising an elongate substrate formed with a core of foamed material providing flexibility and resilient compressibility, a tough outer skin on the substrate core providing structural integrity therefor and resistance to damage due to abrasion during installation in said substrate; said substrate including a central portion extending into the channel mouth; said central portion carrying surface sealing contact material which projects out of said channel mouth for engaging the other sliding member to effect a desirably tight water-and-air resistant joint at the closure, said method comprising the steps of: forming a sheet of plastic foam with a series of parallel grooves to define a series of elongate foam substrates between said grooves; sizing the thickness of each of said substrates for at least substantially filling the effective depth of said channel to hold those portions of said substrate between the bottom channel surface and the inner lip surfaces and to provide that said central substrate portion will protrude up into said channel mouth to a desired position above the level of said inner lip surfaces; laminating an outer skin of tough film having substantially greater strength than said foam onto at least the top surfaces of said foam plastic sheet between said parallel grooves; adhesively attaching said sealing surface contact material to at least said top surfaces of said foam plastic sheet between said parallel grooves; and dividing said foam plastic sheet into individual parallel strips by cutting said sheet along said grooves to define a plurality of sealing elements.