Non-skid floor tile

Claim 2

Non-skid vinyl floor tile having embedded in the surface of the tile base thereof between about 1 and about 5 grams per sq. ft. of tile base surface of particulate thermoplastic material in the size range between about 1/32 inch and about 3/32 inch, said particulate material having a hardness of not more than about Rockewell M-100 and a Taber abrasion weight loss of not more than about 75 mg per 1000 cycles using CS-17 wheels and 1000 gram weights wherein said particulate material protrudes from the surface of the tile.

Claim 3

Floor tile according to claim 1 in which the tile base comprises filler, vinyl chloride polymer and plasticizer.

Claim 4

Floor tile according to claim 2 wherein the vinyl chloride polymer comprises vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer.

Claim 5

Floor tile according to claim 2 wherein the particulate thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, acrylics, polycarbonates, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, and polybutylene terephthalate.

Claim 6

Floor tile according to claim 4 which also contains decorative chips.

Claim 7

Floor tile according to claim 2 wherein the particulate material protrudes from the surface of the tile by between about 1/64 and 1/32 inch.

Claim 8

Process for making non-skid vinyl floor tile which comprises: a. First forming a vinyl tile base; b. then distributing on the tile base between about 1 and about 5 grams per sq. ft. of tile base surface of particulate thermoplastic material in the size range between about 1/32 and about 3/32 inch, said particulate material having a hardness of not more than about Rockwell M-100 and a Taber abrasion weight loss of not more than about 75 mg per 1000 cycles using CS-17 wheels and 1000 gram weights; and c. then pressing the particulate material into the surface of the tile so that said particulate material protrudes from the surface of the tile.

Claim 9

Process for making non-skid vinyl floor tile which comprises: a. First forming a vinyl tile base; b. then distributing on the tile base between about 1 and about 5 grams per sq. ft. of tile base surface of particulate thermoplastic material in the size range between about 1/32 and about 3/32 inch, said particulate material having a hardness of not more than about Rockwell M-100 and a Taber abrasion weight loss of not more than about 75 mg per 1000 cycles using CS-17 wheels and 1000 gram weights; and c. then pressing the particulate material into the surface of the tile so that said particulate material protrudes from the surface of the tile.

Claim 10

Method according to claim 7 wherein the tile base comprises a uniform mix of filler, vinyl polymer and plasticizer.

Claim 11

Method according to claim 6 wherein the particulate material, following step (c) protrudes from the surface of the tile by between about 1/64 and about 1/32 inch.

Claim 12

Method according to claim 7 wherein: a. The tile base is formed by continuously calendering a uniform mix comprising filler, vinyl chloride polymer, and plasticizer to form a continuous vinyl sheet having a thickness of from about 1/16 inch to about 1/8 inch, said continuous sheet being discharged from the calendering zone at a travel rate of at least about 80 ft. per minute; and b. the sheet is passed, following step (c) to a cutting zone wherein the sheet is cut to form individual non-skid tiles.

Claim 13

Floor tile according to claim 4 wherein the vinyl chloride polymer comprises vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer and the particulate material protrudes from the surface of the tile by between 1/64th and 1/32nd inch.

Claim 14

Method according to claim 10 wherein the particulate thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, acrylics, polycarbonates, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers and polybutylene terephthalate, and wherein the particulate material protrudes from the surface of the finished tile by between about 1/64th and about 1/32nd inch.