LOCKING STRIP PANEL FOR SILKSCREEN FRAME

• US 20120279403A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John O.H. Niswonger
• Original Assignee: John O.H. Niswonger
• Inventors: NISWONGER, JOHN O. H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 15/36 flat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A panel for tensioning fabric such as a silkscreen mesh is described. The panel includes locking strips secured to the edges using stitching through the mesh and locking strips. A method for fabricating the panel and tensioning the panel on a frame is also described. Locking strips may be stitched to edges of the fabric or mesh.

Claims

1. A screen-printing panel for mounting on a frame, the panel comprising:

a rectangular mesh having four substantially straight edges, each edge of the printing panel comprising;

a semi-rigid, flexible locking strip, the mesh folded around an edge of the locking strip along a longitudinal axis of the locking strip;

an adhesive configured to secure the mesh to the locking strip during sewing and during folding of the mesh around the edge of the locking strip before sewing; and

a length of stitching sewn through the locking strip along the longitudinal axis of the locking strip and through two opposing surfaces of the mesh folded around the locking strip, the locking strip configured to flex along the longitudinal axis of the locking strip during insertion of the edge of the locking strip into a locking strip slot of the frame, the stitching configured to secure the mesh to the locking strip during insertion of the locking strip into the locking strip slot and during application of tension to the printing panel, the semi-rigidity of the locking strip configured to retain the respective edge of the printing panel within the locking strip slot while the printing panel is under tension.

2. The screen-printing panel of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is disposed on two sides of a length of tape secured to the locking strip.

3. The screen-printing panel of claim 1, wherein the stitching includes an upper stitching penetrating the locking strip and securing the mesh to a first surface of the locking strip and a lower stitching securing the mesh to a second surface of the locking strip.

4. The screen-printing panel of claim 1, wherein the locking strip is a semi-rigid, flexible plastic.

5. The screen-printing panel of claim 4, wherein a cross section of the locking strip is rectangular.

6. The screen-printing panel of claim 4, wherein a cross section of the locking strip is triangular.

7. The screen-printing panel of claim 6, wherein the fold of the mesh around the locking strip is around a wide edge of the triangular cross section.

8. A method for making a screen-printing panel, the method comprising:

cutting a mesh into a rectangular panel having four substantially straight edges and for each edge;

applying an adhesive to a semi-rigid flexible locking strip having a rectangular cross section;

attaching a first surface of the locking strip to a first portion of the mesh along an edge of the panel using the adhesive;

folding the attached mesh around an edge of the locking strip to position the a second portion of the mesh adjacent a second surface of the locking strip; and

sewing the mesh to the first and second surfaces of the locking strip using stitching, the stitching sewn through the first portion of the mesh, the locking strip, and the second portion of the mesh.

9. A screen printing panel fabricated using the method of claim 8.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the locking strip cross section is rectangular.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the locking strip cross section is triangular.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the edge around which the mesh is folded is a narrow edge of the cross section of the triangular locking strip.

13. A method for tensioning a screen-printing panel on a frame, the method comprising:

positioning a rectangular screen printing panel adjacent a frame, the screen printing panel including mesh and four locking strips, each locking strip secured to an edge of the screen printing panel using stitching sewn through the locking strip and through two surfaces of the mesh folded around a first edge of the locking strip, the mesh further folded around a second edge of the sewn locking strip;

securing an edge of the panel to a side of the frame using an insertion procedure of;

inserting the second edge of the locking strip through an entrance of a locking strip groove disposed along the side of the frame, and into an insertion cavity of the locking strip groove;

rotating the first edge of the locking strip through the entrance into the locking strip groove;

applying tension to the mesh to urge the first edge of the locking strip into a side cavity of the locking strip groove; and

repeating the insertion procedure to secure each of the remaining edges of the panel to a respective side of the frame.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the frame is a roller frame and each side of the frame includes a roller having a locking strip groove.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein applying tension to the mesh includes rotating at least one roller of the roller frame.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each side of the frame includes a ratchet assembly for applying tension to the mesh.

17. The screen-printing panel of claim 13, wherein a cross section of the locking strip is triangular.

18. The screen-printing panel of claim 17, wherein the second edge of the locking strip is an apex of the triangular cross section and the first edge is a side opposite the first edge.

19. The screen-printing panel of claim 13, wherein a cross section of the locking strip is rectangular.

20. The screen-printing panel of claim 13, wherein the locking strip groove resembles an inverted asymmetric T-slot, and the entrance, the insertion cavity, and the side cavity of the groove form a vertical portion and cross for the inverted T-slot.