US3901962A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of making expanded polystyrene partition structure
Assignee: Cutting Equipment Leasing Inc
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Filing: 1974-02-06
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Granted: 1975-08-26
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Expires: 1994-02-06
Abstract
Abstract A partition structure for shipping or storage containers having a plurality of interfitting partition strips with interlocking slots and with the partition strips being formed of expanded polystyrene. In one form thereof, the planar faces of a partition strip have a relatively low density because of said surfaces being formed by saw cut from a block of expanded polystyrene, while the entire peripheral edge of the partition strip, including the interlocking slots, are formed by hot wire cutting to have a higher density on the surface thereof to provide greater physical strength for the partition strip.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis G Kuchuris
- 👤 Stanley Gembicki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 14:24
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26D; B26D3/00; B26D3/006; B65; B65D; B65D5/00; B65D5/42; B65D5/44; B65D5/48; B65D5/48024; B65D5/48026; B65D5/48038; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S264/00; Y10S264/14; Y10S493/00; Y10S493/901; Y10S493/912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A METHOD OF FORMING A PARTITION STRIP OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SHAPING A BLOCK OF POLYSTYRENE TO A WIDTH AND HEIGHT EQUAL TO THE DESIRED LENGTH AND HEIGHT OF A PARTITION STRIP BY HOT WIRE CUTTING ALONG THE TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDES OF THE BLOCK, FORMING A SERIES OF SPACED SLOTS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE BLOCK BY HOT WIRE FORMING TO A DEPTH SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE FOR SUBSEQUENT INTERLOCKING WITH OTHER STRIPS, AND SAWING SAID BLOCK ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH THEREOF IN SUCCESSIVE CUTS TO FORM INDIVIDUAL PARTITION STRIPS WITH RELATIVE SOFT PLANAR FACES FOR CONTACT WITH A PRODUCT WHILE THE ENTIRE EXPOSED EDGE OF THE STRIP INCLUDING SAID SLOTS AND THE BOTTOM THEREOF HAS A HIGHER SURFACE DENSITY RESULTING FROM THE HOT WIRE CUTTING TO PROVIDE ADDED PHYSICAL STRENGTH TO HE PARTITION STRIP.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
140 words
A METHOD OF FORMING A PARTITION STRIP OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SHAPING A BLOCK OF POLYSTYRENE TO A WIDTH AND HEIGHT EQUAL TO THE DESIRED LENGTH AND HEIGHT OF A PARTITION STRIP BY HOT WIRE CUTTING ALONG THE TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDES OF THE BLOCK, FORMING A SERIES OF SPACED SLOTS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE BLOCK BY HOT WIRE FORMING TO A DEPTH SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE FOR SUBSEQUENT INTERLOCKING WITH OTHER STRIPS, AND SAWING SAID BLOCK ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH THEREOF IN SUCCESSIVE CUTS TO FORM INDIVIDUAL PARTITION STRIPS WITH RELATIVE SOFT PLANAR FACES FOR CONTACT WITH A PRODUCT WHILE THE ENTIRE EXPOSED EDGE OF THE STRIP INCLUDING SAID SLOTS AND THE BOTTOM THEREOF HAS A HIGHER SURFACE DENSITY RESULTING FROM THE HOT WIRE CUTTING TO PROVIDE ADDED PHYSICAL STRENGTH TO HE PARTITION STRIP.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of forming a partition strip of expanded polystyrene comprising the steps of: forming a series of spaced slots by hot wire cutting in a block of expanded polystyrene to a depth sufficient to provide interlocking slots for assembly with other partition strips, sawing a partition strip from said block, and subjecting the entire edges of said partition strip to a hot wire to form a higher density surface along said edges.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of forming a partition strip of expanded polystyrene comprising the steps of: forming a series of spaced slots by hot wire cutting in a block of expanded polystyrene to a depth sufficient to provide interlocking slots for assembly with other partition strips, sawing a partition strip from said block, and subjecting the entire edges of said partition strip to a hot wire to form a higher density surface along said edges.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 2 in which the step of subjecting the entire edges of said partition strip to a hot wire to form a higher density surface along said edges includes the step of shaping the block to a width and height equal to the desired length and height of the partition strip by hot wire cutting along the top, bottom and sides of the block.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 2 in which the step of sawing a partition strip from said block is successively repeated to form a plurality of partition strips, and said edges of the partition strip are subjected to a hot wire prior to sawing the strip from the block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method of claim 2 in which the hot wire cutting results in a density increase in the polystyrene adjacent the cut, and the precise change in density varies with the temperature of the wire, the diameter of the wire, and the speed of travel of the wire relative to the block, and said step of forming a series of spaced slots by hot wire cutting includes the steps of maintaining the wire at a selected temperature and moving the wire into the block at a selected speed corresponding to the desired density.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-25 | 1979-02-24 | 1979-08-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-25 | 1983-02-24 | 1983-08-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-25 | 1987-02-24 | 1987-08-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |