Apparatus and method for applying an overlay to a curved surface

Claim 1

In a press for applying an overlay to a workpiece having opposed sides, the improvement comprising: a workpiece support for supporting a workpiece with a surface of the workpiece exposed, a bank of multiple depressers disposed opposite the exposed surface of the workpiece supported by the workpiece support, the depressers in said bank being successively laterally offset and having work-engaging free ends, the depressers in said bank being mounted for reciprocal movement in laterally offset paths wherein their said free ends are movable toward and away from said workpiece, a power-operated device for each depresser actuatable to produce movement of the depresser in its path, control means for the collective power-operated devices operable to actuate the devices in predetermined sequency whereby selected depressers in predetermined sequence have their free ends moved to bear against the exposed surface of a workpiece in said workpiece support, a flexible sheet and means mounting the sheet with the sheet extending over the surface of the workpiece in a region located between the surface of the workpiece and the free ends of the depressers, the depressers when moved to bear against the workpiece bearing against the workpiece through said sheet, the sheet being sufficiently taut whereby the sheet extends directly between two adjacent depressers with these depressers extended to exert a pressure between the depressers, positioning means actuatable to engage the sides of the workpiece to pre-position the workpiece in a selected position on the support, and workpiece anchoring means engagable with portions of the workpiece other than the exposed surface and sides for anchoring the workpiece in its selected position, the means mounting the sheet being adjustably positionable to wrap the sheet around the sides of the workpiece with the workpiece anchored by said workpiece anchoring means.