Method and apparatus for producing a composite material having ultrasonically welded seams which confine strands

Abstract

A composite material and a method for producing a composite material of a highly, multidirectionally elastic nature which includes ultrasonically welding an upper layer to a lower layer along substantially parallel, spaced apart weld seams, feeding elongated strands of an intermediate layer between the upper and lower layers and between the weld seams during the welding operation, and applying a tensile stress to at least one of the upper, lower and intermediate layers during the welding operation with such tensile stress being different from the tensile stress on at least another of the upper, lower and intermediate layers. Apparatus for performing the above method includes a plurality of spaced apart, disc-like anvil plates having circumferential teeth and fixedly secured to a common shaft for rotation therewith, an oscillating member disposed above the anvil plates for ultrasonically welding an upper layer to a lower layer along substantially parallel, spaced apart weld seams determined by the spacing of the anvil plates, feed tubes for feeding elongated strands of material of an intermediate layer between the upper and lower layers and between the weld seams during the welding operation, and a pair of rollers associated with each of the upper, lower and intermediate layers for supplying each of the respective layers to the anvil plates and for applying a variable tensile stress to the respective layers supplied to the anvil plates.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.