Apparatus for producing flexible non-skid strip

Claim 1

An apparatus for continuously producing a flexible non-skid strip having a lower layer and an upper non-skid layer, said apparatus consisting essentially of feed means for continuously feeding a continuous length of sheet material which forms said lower layer from a supply roll, said sheet material being of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, steel and stainless steel; forming means for receiving said sheet material from said feed means comprising upper and lower forming rolls having a peripheral surface shape for continuously making a plurality of spaced holes in the sheet material in the longitudinal direction thereof with arcuate projections on the upper surface of said sheet material bridging each of the holes; heating means for receiving said sheet material from said forming means and heating said sheet material; an extruding die including a straight application passage having an inlet for receiving said sheet material containing the spaced holes and arcuate projections thereupon at one end and an outlet at the other end, wherein a fused plastic material is integrally extruded onto the upper surface of said sheet material moving into said application passage as the sheet material passes through the application passage and wherein said fused plastic material is simultaneously permitted to flow into said holes of the sheet material moving into said application passage and to become integrally embedded in said arcuate projections on said sheet material; a straight sheet passage communicating with the inlet of said application passage extending in the longitudinal direction of said application passage, and guiding said sheet material from said heating means to said inlet of the application passage, a downwardly inclined passage therein communicating with said application passage whereby a fused plastic material may pass therethrough onto the upper surface of said sheet material as it passes through said application passage, and a manifold located above said sheet passage and therein communicating with said inclined passage; an extruder connected to said manifold for feeding said fused plastic material through said manifold and said inclined passage into said application passage for integrally forming the upper layer under pressure onto the perforated sheet material moving into said application passage so as to form an extruded product on the lower and upper layers; and cooling means for receiving the thus-formed product and continuously cooling said extruded product.

Claim 2

An apparatus for continuously producing a flexible non-skid strip having a lower layer and an upper non-skid layer, said apparatus consisting essentially of feed means for continuously feeding a continuous length of sheet material which forms said lower layer from a supply roll, said sheet material being of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, steel and stainless steel; forming means for receiving said sheet material from said feed means comprising upper and lower forming rolls having a peripheral surface shape for continuously making a plurality of spaced holes in the sheet material in the longitudinal direction thereof with arcuate projections on the upper surface of said sheet material bridging each of the holes; heating means for receiving said sheet material from said forming means and heating said sheet material; an extruding die including a straight application passage having an inlet for receiving said sheet material containing the spaced holes and arcuate projections thereupon at one end and an outlet at the other end, wherein a fused plastic material is integrally extruded onto the upper surface of said sheet material moving into said application passage as the sheet material passes through the application passage and wherein said fused plastic material is simultaneously permitted to flow into said holes of the sheet material moving into said application passage and to become integrally embedded in said arcuate projections on said sheet material; a straight sheet passage communicating with the inlet of said application passage extending in the longitudinal direction of said application passage, and guiding said sheet material from said heating means to said inlet of the application passage, a downwardly inclined passage therein communicating with said application passage whereby a fused plastic material may pass therethrough onto the upper surface of said sheet material as it passes through said application passage, and a manifold located above said sheet passage and therein communicating with said inclined passage; an extruder connected to said manifold for feeding said fused plastic material through said manifold and said inclined passage into said application passage for integrally forming the upper layer under pressure onto the perforated sheet material moving into said application passage so as to form an extruded product on the lower and upper layers; and cooling means for receiving the thus-formed product and continuously cooling said extruded product.