Pile weatherstripping

• US 4,302,494 A
• Filed: 04/26/1973
• Issued: 11/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert C. Horton
• Original Assignee: Robert C. Horton
• Inventors: Horton, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kittle, John E.
• Application Number:
  US05/354,893
• Time in Patent Office: 3,134 Days
• Field of Search: 156/65, 156/72, 156/73.1, 156/73.2, 156/73.4, 156/161, 156/166, 156/169, 156/173, 156/174, 156/176, 156/177-179, 156/193, 156/250, 156/272, 156/426, 156/428 , 156/430-433, 156/435, 156/436, 156/439, 156/440, 156/510, 156/560, 156/561, 83/924, 49/475, 296/93, 28/1 HF, 28/1 CS, 28/1 CL, 28/2, 28/72 P, 28/72 CS, 28/72 NW, 428/37, 428/62, 428/82, 428/83, 428/85, 428/88, 428/93, 428/94, 428/95, 428/224, 428/296, 428/358, 15/117, 49/49, 132/5
• US Class Current: 428/95
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/22 by means of elastic edgings, e.g. elastic rubber tubes; by means of resilient edgings, e.g. felt or plush strips, resilient metal strips E06B7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/924 Work wrapped or coated around a core, not part of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23979 Particular backing structure or composition

Abstract

Yarn of thermoplastic material is wound on a traveling endless band. Backing strips of thermoplastic material are continuously fed along the edges of the band and are ultrasonically welded to the yarn. Thereafter the yarn is slit along opposite sides of the band to provide a pair of continuous pile weatherstrips. The weatherstrips resulting are thus continuously made at high speed and at low cost.

Claims

1. Apparatus for making pile weather stripping which comprises:

(a) a band, which travels along an endless path,

(b) means for continuously winding thermoplastic yarn around said band as it travels past a first region in said path,

(c) means for continuously feeding strips of thermoplastic material along opposite sides of said path in a second region of said path spaced from said first region in the direction of travel of said band, with the sides of said strips in juxtaposition with said yarn along opposite edges of said band,

(d) means disposed along said path in said direction of travel past said second region for continuously welding said yarn to said strips at the edges of said band,

(e) means disposed at a third region along said path spaced away from said welding means in the direction of travel of said band for continuously slitting said yarn along opposite sides of said band to form a pair of continuous pile weatherstrips, and

(f) means for continuously winding a tape of thermoplastic film material helically in overlapping relationship around said band at a fourth region along said path located behind said first region in the direction of travel of said band and before said yarn is wound thereon whereby to provide a longitudinal barrier of said film along the center of said pile weatherstrip.

2. Apparatus for making pile weather stripping which comprises:

(a) a band, which travels along an endless path,

(b) means for continuously winding thermoplastic yarn around said band as it travels past a first region in said path,

(c) means for continuously feeding strips of thermoplastic material along opposite sides of said path in a second region of said path spaced from said first region in the direction of travel of said band, with the sides of said strips in juxtaposition with said yarn along opposite edges of said band,

(d) means disposed along said path in said direction of travel past said second region for continuously welding said yarn to said strips at the edges of said band,

(e) means disposed at a third region along said path spaced away from said welding means in the direction of travel of said band for continuously slitting said yarn along opposite sides of said band to form a pair of continuous pile weatherstrips, and

(f) means for providing channels extending longitudinally along said strips, said feeding means being operative to feed said strips with their said channels into the opposite edges of said band so that said opposite edges and the yarn thereon are received in said channels.

3. Apparatus for making pile weather stripping which comprises:

(a) a band, which travels along an endless path,

(b) means for continuously winding thermoplastic yarn around said band as it travels past a first region in said path,

(c) means for continuously feeding strips of thermoplastic material along opposite sides of said path in a second region of said path spaced from said first region in the direction of travel of said band, with the sides of said strips in juxtaposition with said yarn along opposite edges of said band,

(d) means disposed along said path in said direction of travel past said second region for continuously welding said yarn to said strips at the edges of said band,

(e) means disposed at a third region along said path spaced away from said welding means in the direction of travel of said band for continuously slitting said yarn along opposite sides of said band to form a pair of continuous pile weatherstrips, and

(f) the edges of said band have a covering of heat insulating material thereon and attached thereto for inhibiting the dissipation of heat generated by said welding means through said band.

4. Apparatus for making pile weather stripping which comprises:

(a) a band, which travels along an endless path,

(b) means for continuously winding thermoplastic yarn around said band as it travels past a first region in said path,

(c) means for continuously feeding strips of thermoplastic material along opposite sides of said path in a second region of said path spaced from said first region in the direction of travel of said band, with the sides of said strips in juxtaposition with said yarn along opposite edges of said band,

(d) means disposed along said path in said direction of travel past said second region for continuously welding said yarn to said strips at the edges of said band,

(e) means disposed at a third region along said path spaced away from said welding means in the direction of travel of said band for continuously slitting said yarn along opposite sides of said band to form a pair of continuous pile weatherstrips, and

(f) said slitting means comprising means having cutting edges spaced from the surfaces of the sides of said band, and out of contact therewith, means disposed along the sides of said band and under said yarn for lifting said yarn into engagement with said cutting edges whereby to slit said yarn without contacting said band.

5. Apparatus for making pile weather stripping which comprises:

(a) a band, which travels along an endless path,

(b) means for continuously winding thermoplastic yarn around said band as it travels past a first region is said path,

(c) means for continuously feeding strips of thermoplastic material along opposite sides of said path in a second region of said path spaced from said first region in the direction of travel of said band, with the sides of said strips in juxtaposition with said yarn along opposite edges of said band,

(d) means disposed along said path in said direction of travel past said second region for continuously welding said yarn to said strips at the edges of said band,

(e) means disposed at a third region along said path spaced away from said welding means in the direction of travel of said band for continuously slitting said yarn along opposite sides of said band to form a pair of continuous pile weather strips, and

(f) said slitting means comprising means having cutting edges spaced from the surfaces of the sides of said band, and means for feeding filaments along the sides of said band, and whereby a pair of needles are provided through which said filaments are threaded, said needles being disposed through said yarn along opposite sides of said bands and being canted with respect to said opposite sides for lifting said filament to bring said yarn into engagement with said cutting edges.

6. A pile weather stripping comprising a strip of thermoplastic material, and a pile of thermoplastic material yarn formed by winding around an endless travelling band, said yarn and strip being welded together while said pile is on said band, and the edge of said band brings the yarn wound thereon and the side of said strip into proximity with each other for welding and the yarn being slit while said yarn is on said band to form said pile, a tape of thermoplastic film material disposed longitudinally along said weather strip and within said yarn, said tape being wound upon said band and said yarn being wound around said tape, and said tape being slit with said yarn while on said band.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said strip has a channel therein extending longitudinally along one side thereof, said yarn being disposed in said channel and being welded therein.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein said channel has a pair of flanges unitary with said strip, said flanges defining the longitudinal sides of said channel.

9. In the method of making pile weatherstripping wherein yarn is continuously wound around an endless travelling band, welded to backing strips fed along opposite edges of said band, and severed along opposite sides of said band to provide a pair of pile weatherstrips, the improvement comprising the step of winding a tape of thermoplastic material around said band adjacent to the yarn thereon to provide a longitudinal barrier along said pile weatherstrips.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 9 wherein said tape is wound around said band prior to the winding of the yarn thereon to provide said barrier along the center of said pile weather strips.

10. In the method of making pile weatherstripping wherein yarn is continuously wound around an endless travelling band, welded to backing strips fed along opposite edges of said band and severed along opposite sides of said band to provide a pair of pile weatherstrips, the improvement comprising the steps of forming channels in each of said backing strips, and feeding said backing strips along said band so that said edges and the yarn thereon are received in said channels prior to welding.

11. In the method of making pile weatherstripping wherein yarn is continuously wound around an endless travelling band, welded to backing strips fed along opposite edges of said band and severed along opposite sides of said band to provide a pair of pile weather strips, the improvement comprising the steps of forming channels in each of said backing strips, feeding said backing strips along said band so that said edges and the yarn thereon are received in said channels prior to welding, and said forming step being performed by plowing a furrow into said strips to form a pair of longitudinal flanges which define said channel therebetween.

12. In the method of making pile weatherstripping wherein yarn is continuously wound around an endless travelling band, welded to backing strips fed along opposite edges of said band and severed along opposite sides of said band to provide a pair of pile weatherstrips, the improvement which comprises the steps of feeding filaments along said band under said yarn, and lifting said filaments to bring said yarn into positions to be severed.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 12 wherein said feeding step is carried out by feeding the filaments each along an opposite side of said band, in laterally offset relationship from each other.