Patent US4582554A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4582554A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Carpet tile production method
Assignee: Sanquhar Tile Services Ltd
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Filing: 1984-08-06
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Granted: 1986-04-15
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Expires: 2004-08-06
Abstract
Abstract A method of backing carpeting material 19 with hot-melt compositions such as atactic polypropylene or bitumen comprises carefully doctoring selected thicknesses of the composition to the undersurface of the material 19 with the wear surface of the material uppermost. In one arrangement this is achieved using a lick roll arrangement 20 incorporating a doctor blade, cooling the backed product at cooling zones 28, 29 and applying the material to a nip formed by rollers 21. In another arrangement this is achieved by doctor box 16 applying the composition to a carrier 13, the carpeting material 19 then being laminated at roll 21 to the layer of composition, the laminate then being cooled before being stripped from the carrier 13. In a further arrangement the carrier is in the form of sheet material 15 which is supported by endless belt 13 and which is bonded into the hot-melt composition to become an integral part thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter W. Bell
- 👤 David S. Queen
- 👤 John B. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 19:03
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06N; D06N7/00; D06N7/0063; D06N7/0071; D06N7/0081; D06N7/0076; D06N2201/00; D06N2201/08; D06N2201/082; D06N2203/00; D06N2203/04; D06N2203/042; D06N2203/08; D06N2205/00; D06N2205/06; D06N2207/00; D06N2207/12; D06N2207/123; D06N2209/00; D06N2209/06; D06N2209/067; D06N2209/16; D06N2209/1628; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1089; Y10T156/109; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23907; Y10T428/23979; Y10T428/23986; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/647; Y10T442/659; Y10T442/668; Y10T442/669
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
430 words
A method of manufacturing carpet tiles from a pliable web of carpeting material fabric having a wear surface and an undersurface in order to produce carpet tiles having shape and dimensional stability and low tolerance, said method comprising the steps of (a) supporting an elongate carrier web or on a substantially flat support structure and moving said carrier web successively through a backing station, a laminating station and a finishing station; (b) successively applying onto said carrier web at said backing station a first fabric web, a first layer of a hot-melt composition in liquid form, a second fabric web, and a second layer of said hot-melt composition in liquid form, said first fabric web being substantially resistant to the penetration therethrough of the first layer of said hot-melt composition, the second fabric web being glass scrim or tissue and the first layer of said hot-melt composition being maintained in liquid form, by holding the backing station at a higher temperature than said hot-melt composition, to permit the second fabric web to sink into the first layer of said hot-melt composition with penetration of the liquid hot-melt composition through said second fabric web, said hot-melt composition being atactic polypropylene or having bitumen as the principal constituent and the thickness of hot-melt composition provided by said first and second layers being in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm, each of said first and second layers having its thickness determined and regulated by a respective doctor box and blade device maintained at a higher temperature than the liquid hot-melt composition supplied thereto; (c) cooling the applied first and second layers between the backing station and the laminating station to reduce the temperature of said layers to below the temperature at which said hot-melt composition is in liquid form; (d) precoating the undersurface of said carpeting material fabric at a precoating station with a continuous thin film of hot-melt in liquid form at elevated temperature while holding the precoating station at a higher temperature than said hot melt, said hot melt having the same principal constituent as said hot-melt composition forming said first and second layers; (e) forming a laminated web at said laminating station by laminating the precoated undersurface of said carpeting material fabric to the exposed surface of said second layer of hot-melt composition, the wear surface of said carpeting material fabric being oriented upward; (f) further cooling said laminated web until said hot-melt and hot-melt composition is solidified, optionally separating the laminated web from the carrier web and cutting said laminated web into tile form at said finishing station.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
430 words
A method of manufacturing carpet tiles from a pliable web of carpeting material fabric having a wear surface and an undersurface in order to produce carpet tiles having shape and dimensional stability and low tolerance, said method comprising the steps of (a) supporting an elongate carrier web or on a substantially flat support structure and moving said carrier web successively through a backing station, a laminating station and a finishing station; (b) successively applying onto said carrier web at said backing station a first fabric web, a first layer of a hot-melt composition in liquid form, a second fabric web, and a second layer of said hot-melt composition in liquid form, said first fabric web being substantially resistant to the penetration therethrough of the first layer of said hot-melt composition, the second fabric web being glass scrim or tissue and the first layer of said hot-melt composition being maintained in liquid form, by holding the backing station at a higher temperature than said hot-melt composition, to permit the second fabric web to sink into the first layer of said hot-melt composition with penetration of the liquid hot-melt composition through said second fabric web, said hot-melt composition being atactic polypropylene or having bitumen as the principal constituent and the thickness of hot-melt composition provided by said first and second layers being in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm, each of said first and second layers having its thickness determined and regulated by a respective doctor box and blade device maintained at a higher temperature than the liquid hot-melt composition supplied thereto; (c) cooling the applied first and second layers between the backing station and the laminating station to reduce the temperature of said layers to below the temperature at which said hot-melt composition is in liquid form; (d) precoating the undersurface of said carpeting material fabric at a precoating station with a continuous thin film of hot-melt in liquid form at elevated temperature while holding the precoating station at a higher temperature than said hot melt, said hot melt having the same principal constituent as said hot-melt composition forming said first and second layers; (e) forming a laminated web at said laminating station by laminating the precoated undersurface of said carpeting material fabric to the exposed surface of said second layer of hot-melt composition, the wear surface of said carpeting material fabric being oriented upward; (f) further cooling said laminated web until said hot-melt and hot-melt composition is solidified, optionally separating the laminated web from the carrier web and cutting said laminated web into tile form at said finishing station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, further including applying said laminated web during the further cooling step to a nip in order to improve the lamination quality of said laminated web.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first fabric web is a laminate of glass and polythene film or a heat set non-woven polyester fabric or a laminate of paper and polythene film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a succession of thermally controlled plates or rotary discs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the carrier web comprises an endless belt having a surface which is non-stick to the hot-melt composition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the atactic polypropylene is liquid in the range of 140°-200° C. and the bitumen is liquid in the range of 80°-200° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the doctor box and blade device are maintained at a temperature of about 10°-30° C. higher than the liquid hot-melt composition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the elongate carrier web is separated from the laminated web prior to cutting the laminated web into tile form.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 which includes: (a) employing the first fabric web as a supporting web and wherein the first fabric web is bonded to the first hot-melt composition to form a part of the laminated web and to provide nonslip, nonfray or dimensional stability characteristics to the laminated web; and (b) cutting the laminated web containing the bonded first fabric web into tile form.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-04-14 | 1989-10-14 | 1990-04-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-04-14 | 1993-10-14 | 1994-04-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-04-14 | 1997-10-14 | 1998-04-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |