Flap wheel

In combination for use in an array for engaging a workpiece,

• a plurality of abrasive flaps each having first and second parallel surfaces and including a backing member and abrasive particles on the first surface of the backing member,
• each of the abrasive flaps having a working portion and a support portion,
• the abrasive particles being removed form the flaps in the packs at the support portions of the flaps,
• the abrasive flaps being compressed against one another at the support portions of the flaps, and
• an adhesive material disposed between the flaps at the support portions of the flaps,
• wherein the abrasive particles on each abrasive flap have been attached by an adherent material to the support portion of the flap and wherein at least a portion of the adherent material remains on the support portion of the flap after removal of the abrasive particles from the flap and wherein additional adherent material is provided between the flaps in the support portions of the flaps and is adhered to the adherent material remaining on the flaps after the removal of the abrasive particles from the flaps.

In combination for use in an array for engaging a workpiece,

• a plurality of abrasive flaps each having first and second parallel surfaces and including a backing member and abrasive particles on the first surface of the backing member,
• each of the abrasive flaps having a working portion and a support portion,
• the abrasive particles being removed from the flaps in the packs at the support portions of the flaps,
• the abrasive flaps being compressed against one another at the support portions of the flaps, and
• an adhesive material disposed between the flaps at the support portions of the flaps,
• wherein the disposition against the backing member of the adjacent flap of the abrasive particles at the juncture between the support portion and the working portion of each flap and the disposition of the ends of the support portions in continuous relationship to each other produce a controlled spacing between the adjacent flaps and wherein adhesive material fills the controlled spacing between the adjacent flaps.

In combination for engaging a workpiece,

• a plurality of abrasive arrays each formed from a plurality of abrasive flaps,
• each of the abrasive flaps in each of the abrasive arrays including a backing member having first and second opposite surfaces and having a working piece portion at its outer end and a support portion at its inner end and having abrasive particles adhered to one of the opposite surfaces in the working portion and having no abrasive particles on such one of such surfaces in all of the support portion,
• the support portions of the abrasive flaps in each array having a tightly compressed and adhered relationship with respect to one another at an intermediate position on the support portions in the direction between the inner and outer ends of the flaps, and
• means for retaining the arrays in the plurality in an annular configuration, with the support portions of the flaps in each array in the compressed configuration, to define a wheel which is rotatable to move the working portions of progressive flaps in the successive packs against the workpiece,
• the disposition of the abrasive particles only on the working portions of the flap providing for a progressive spacing between the flaps in each array with progressive distances from the inner ends of the flaps.

In combination for use in an abrasive wheel for engaging a workpiece,

• a plurality of abrasive flaps disposed in an array, each of the abrasive flaps having first and second surfaces disposed in relatively closely spaced and substantially parallel relationship to each other and each defined by a support portion at the inner end of the flap and a working portion at the outer end of the flap and each further defined by a backing member and an adhesive on the first surface of the backing member and by abrasive particles adhered to the adhesive, the abrasive particles being removed from the support portion of each flap the support portions of the flaps in the arrays being retained in a compressed relationship with the abrasive particles on the first surface of each flap at the juncture between the working portion and the support portion of such flap being disposed in abutting relationship with the second surface of the contiguous flap at such juncture position and with the inner ends of the support surfaces of the contiguous flaps being disposed in abutting relationship to define a controlled space between adjacent pairs of the flaps, and
• additional adhesive disposed in the controlled space between the second surface of the support portion of each flap and the first surface of the support portion of the contiguous flap to retain the support portions of the abrasive flaps in the array in a fixed relationship.

A method of forming an abrasive array for providing an abrading action against a workpiece, including the following steps:

• providing a plurality of abrasive flaps each having a backing member with first and second relatively closely spaced and substantially parallel surfaces and with an adhesive material on the first surface and with abrasive particles adhered to the adhesive material, each of the abrasive flaps having a support portion for holding the flaps in a slightly radially diverging relationship for action against the workpiece,
• removing the abrasive particles from the support portions of the abrasive flaps while retaining at least a portion of the adhesive on the first surface of the flaps at such support portions,
• disposing the flaps in a stacked relationship with the first surface of each flap abutting the second surface of the contiguous flap,
• compressing the support portions of the flaps to provide an abutting relationship between the abrasive particles on each flap, at the juncture between the support portion and the working portion of such flap, and the backing member of the contiguous flap at the juncture between the support portion and the working portion of such flap and to provide an abutting relationship between such flaps at the inner ends of the support portions of the flaps, thereby to provide a controlled spacing between such flaps at the support portions of the flaps, and
• filling at least a portion of such controlled spacings with an adhesive to retain the flaps in the compressed relationship at the support portions of the array.

A method of forming an abrasive array for providing an abrasive action against a workpiece, including the steps of:

• providing a plurality of abrasive flaps each including a backing member having first and second surfaces and each including adhesive material on the first surface and abrasive particles adhered to the adhesive material,
• removing the abrasive particles from one end of the abrasive flaps,
• disposing the flaps in a stacked relationship with the second surface of each flap facing the first surface of the contiguous flap and in a compressed relationship,
• at the ends where the abrasive particles have been removed from the flaps, to providing an abutting relationship at the inner ends of such flaps and an abutting relationship between the abrasive particles on each flap and the second surface of the contiguous flap at the juncture where the abrasive particles remain and the abrasive particles have been removed, thereby to provide a controlled spacing between the flaps, and
• disposing adhesive in at least a portion of the controlled spacings between the flaps to adhere the flaps in the array to one another.

In combination for use in a pack for engaging a workpiece,

• a plurality of abrasive flaps each having first and second parallel surfaces and including a backing member and abrasive particles on the first surface of the backing member,
• each of the abrasive flaps having a working portion at the outer end of such flap and a support portion at the inner end of such flap,
• the flaps having no abrasive particles in all of the support portions of the flaps but retaining the abrasive particles in the working portions of the flaps,
• the abrasive flaps having a compressed relationship with respect to one another at intermediate positions on the support portions of the flaps in the direction between the inner and outer ends of the flaps, and
• means for supporting the flaps in the compressed relationship at only the support portions of the flaps,
• the disposition of the abrasive particles only on the working portions of the flaps providing for a progressive spacing between the flaps in the working portions of the flaps with progressive distances from the inner ends of the flaps.

A method of forming an abrasive array for providing an abrading action against a workpiece, including the following steps:

• providing a plurality of abrasive flaps each having a backing member with first and second relatively closely spaced and substantially parallel surfaces and with an adhesive material on the first surface and with abrasive particles adhered to the adhesive material, each of the abrasive flaps having a support portion for holding the flaps in a slightly radially diverging relationship for action against the workpiece,
• removing the abrasive particles from the support portions of the abrasive flaps while retaining at least a portion of the adhesive on the first surface of the flaps at such support portions,
• disposing the flaps in a stacked relationship with the first surface of each flap abutting the second surface of the contiguous flap,
• compressing the support portions of the flaps to provide an abutting relationship between the abrasive particles on each flap, at the juncture between the support portion and the working portion of such flap, and the backing member of the contiguous flap, at the juncture between the support portion and the working portion of such flap, and to provide an abutting relationship between such flaps at the inner ends of the support portions of the flaps, thereby to provide a controlled spacing between such flaps at the support portions of flaps, and
• retaining the flaps in the compressed relationship at the support portions of the array.

A method of forming an abrasive array for providing an abrasive action a workpiece, including the steps of:

• providing a plurality of abrasive flaps each including a backing member having first and second surfaces and each including adhesive material on the first surface and abrasive particles adhered to the adhesive material and each including a support portion and a working portion,
• removing the abrasive particles from the support portions of the abrasive flaps,
• disposing the flaps in a stocked relationship with the second surface of each flap facing the first surface of the contiguous flap and with the support portions of the flaps in a compressed relationship,
• providing an abutting relationship of the flaps at the support portions of such flaps and an abutting relationship between the abrasive particles on each flap and the second surface of contiguous flap at the juncture where the abrasive particles remain and the abrasive particles have been removed, thereby to provide a controlled spacing between the flaps, and
• retaining the flaps in the compressed relationship.