US 2006/0185241 A1Published application

Method and apparatus for the production of an irrigation mat

AssigneeSoleno Textiles Techniques Inc.

InventorsRichard Theoret, Francois Faucher, Francois Pepin

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing an irrigation mat comprised of a water impermeable base sheet, a water permeable top sheet and a capillary mat disposed between the base sheet and the top sheet. One or more flat pliable drip tapes are loosely disposed between the top sheet and the capillary mat and displaceable therebetween to any desirable position. The drip tape is a hollow flat tube constructed of perforated plastics material and extends at least a full length of the irrigation mat. The irrigation mat with the drip tapes is capable of being rolled up upon itself to form a roll. The method and apparatus for fabricating same provide for the base sheet to be folded upon opposed elongated side edges thereof to overlap the capillary mat and to be heat fused thereto. The top sheet is also heat fused to the folded edges of the back sheet.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of constructing an irrigation mat having a water permeable synthetic top sheet, a water impermeable synthetic bottom sheet and a synthetic capillary mat retained therebetween, said method comprising the steps of:

i. providing a pair of transversely aligned rotating sealing jaws, each pair of said jaws having juxtaposed displaceable clamping surfaces;
ii. drawing said water impermeable synthetic bottom sheet through a pair of edge folders to fold an elongated sheet edge portion upwardly along opposed longitudinal edges of said bottom sheet;
iii. simultaneously drawing said capillary mat over said bottom sheet between said upwardly extending elongated folded edge portions;
iv. folding said upwardly extending elongated folded edge portions over edge portions of said capillary mat;
v. drawing said bottom sheet and said capillary mat juxtaposed by said pair of transversely aligned rotating sealing jaws in engagement with opposed elongated edge portions and between a pair of heating elements to heat elongated folded edge portions and a rear edge portion of said bottom sheet to opposed surfaces of said synthetic capillary mat sandwiched therebetween to seal elongated edges of said capillary mat and connect said bottom sheet thereto;
vi. severing said bottom sheet and capillary mat transversely of opposed parallel edge portions to form a mat of desired length;
and
vii. heat fusing said water permeable synthetic top sheet along opposed longitudinal edges thereof to said elongated folded portions and over said capillary mat.

5 more elements

An irrigation mat forming apparatus comprising draw means for pulling a water impermeable back sheet over a support surface and through a pair of edge folding brackets, each said folding bracket being positioned along a respective one of opposed parallel longitudinal edges of said base sheet and having a sheet edge uprighting section and a backfolding section, said draw means further pulling a capillary mat over said water impermeable back sheet between uprighted edge portions of said water impermeable back sheet whereby said uprighted edge portions are folded back over longitudinal edge portions of said capillary mat and forming a folded-over flap, sealing means to compress and heat seal said folded-over flap to a top portion of said capillary mat and a bottom edge portion of said water impermeable back sheet to a bottom portion of said capillary mat whereby to form a fluid seal along said longitudinal edge of said capillary mat, cutting means to effect a transverse cut to form a water retention sheet of predetermined length, and sealing means for heat fusing a top water permeable sheet to said folded-over flap of said water retention sheet with said water permeable sheet disposed over said capillary mat to form a composite irrigation mat, and means to position one or more drip tapes between open transverse ends of said composite irrigation mat between said water permeable sheet and said capillary mat.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.