Bulk textured material sheeting

• US 9,463,502 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gripmetal Limited
• Original Assignee: R.A. Investment Management S.A.R.L
• Inventors: Arbesman, Ray, Pham, Nghi, MacKelvie, Winston
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, John C
• Application Number:
  US14/553,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20150086750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 13/10 into a peculiar profiling shape
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 28/10 Incompletely punching in such a manner that the parts are still coherent with the work
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 31/02 Stabbing or piercing, e.g. for making sieves dimpling B21D22/04; perforating by punching B21D28/24
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/068 Shaving, skiving or scarifying for forming lifted portions, e.g. slices or barbs, on the surface of the material
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/08 Making a superficial cut in the surface of the work without removal of material, e.g. scoring, incising
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/085 On sheet material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/022 characterised by the disposition or the configuration, e.g. dimensions, of the embossments or the shaping tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0006 Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49833 Punching, piercing or reaming part by surface of second part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49835 with shaping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

A process is provided for making bulk textured material sheeting. As a continuous supply of flat material sheeting is fed, the sheeting is repeatedly impacted with toothed knives, each knife creating a row of raised and generally pointed structures on the sheeting to texture the sheeting.

Claims

1. A process for making double-sided bulk textured material sheeting, comprising:

feeding a continuous supply of flat material sheeting to a texturing apparatus, the sheeting having first and second opposed sides; and

repeatedly impacting the first side of the sheeting and the second side of the sheeting with toothed knives, each impact of each knife creating a row of raised and generally pointed structures on the sheeting, to texture both the first side and the second side of the sheeting, wherein the impacting step comprises actuating a first one of the knives generally downward and across the sheeting in a first widthwise direction, and simultaneously actuating a second one of the knives generally downward and across the sheeting in a second widthwise direction opposite the first widthwise direction.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the knives are actuated generally downward and across the sheeting to gouge the pointed structures out of the sheeting.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the pointed structures have a tilted or hooked shape.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the row created by at least one of the knives is continuous and substantially spans a width of the sheeting.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein each of the rows is continuous and substantially spans a width of the sheeting.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the knives are arranged in one or more packs, and the impacting step comprises impacting the sheeting with at least one pack to form several rows of pointed structures in a single impact or stroke.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising detecting an end of the supply and stopping the impact operation.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the rows are formed substantially without gaps therebetween along an entire length of the sheet.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein each pointed structure has a finished height of less than 0.100″

.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein each pointed structure has a finished thickness at its base of less than 0.050″

.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein each pointed structure has a finished height between about 150% to about 300% of a thickness of the sheeting.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein a density of the pointed structures on the sheeting is between approximately 30-200 structures per square inch.

13. The process of claim 1, further comprising taking up the textured sheeting in a coil after the impacting step.

14. The process of claim 1, further comprising cutting the textured sheeting into lengths or strips after the impacting step.

15. The process of claim 1, further comprising feeding the textured sheeting to a joining station for joining the textured sheeting to another material.

16. The process of claim 1, further comprising shaping, rolling or bending the textured sheeting.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the feeding step comprises feeding the sheeting from a coil to the texturing apparatus comprising the toothed knives.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the impacting step comprises impacting the first side of the sheeting with a first set of the toothed knives, the first set of the toothed knives comprising the first one of the knives and the second one of the knives, and impacting the second side of the sheeting with a second set of the toothed knives, the second set of the toothed knives comprising a third one of the knives and a fourth one of the knives.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the impacting step comprises impacting the first side of the sheeting with a first set of the toothed knives, the first set of the toothed knives comprising the first one of the knives and the second one of the knives, and subsequently impacting the second side of the sheeting with the first set of the toothed knives.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein in the impacting step, the sheeting is not perforated.

21. The process of claim 1, wherein the first one of the knives is part of a first set of knives, and the second one of the knives is part of a second set of the knives, and the impacting step comprises actuating the first set of the knives generally downward and across the sheeting in the first widthwise direction, and simultaneously actuating the second set of the knives generally downward and across the sheeting in the second widthwise direction.