Method of molding plastic-backed carpet
AssigneeNifty Products, Inc.
InventorRonald R. Grace
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of molding a plastic-backed carpet blank to a desired shape uses a minimum of work force and carpet material. The method utilizes a portable frame assembly having an open rack with yieldable holding clamps. The holding clamps are used to suspend a plastic-backed carpet blank in the rack. The frame assembly has a set of wheeled legs which allows it to be readily transported between work stations such as a heating zone and a molding zone. The yieldable holding clamps maintain the carpet under constant tension during the molding zone to result in a high quality molded carpet.
Claims23
A method of molding a plastic-backed carpet to a contoured shape designed to fit the interior floor area of a motor vehicle wherein the method requires a minimum of carpet material and work force, comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a plastic-backed carpet blank within a portable frame assembly, said frame assembly having a fixed open rack of rails attached together to form a shape approximating the carpet blank, a set of legs extending from the open rack with each of said legs having a wheel mounted at a bottom extremity for the purpose of moving the frame assembly during treatment stages, and a yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack for holding the carpet blank at selected areas, said yieldable holding means having an elastic cord secured to an inside surface of the rack and a set of clamp means wherein each clamp means is movably secured at one end to the elastic cord and at a second end to the plastic-backed carpet blank;
- (b) clamping the plastic-backed carpet blank to the yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack so that the carpet blank is suspended under a substantially constant tension within the open rack of the frame assembly;
- (c) moving the frame assembly with the plastic-backed carpet blank into a heating zone;
- (d) heating the plastic-backed carpet blank for a time and a temperature sufficient to soften the plastic backing so as to be moldable;
- (e) moving the frame assembly with the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to a molding zone comprised of male and female molds;
- (f) molding the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to the contour of the molds by causing said male and female molds to come together under pressure such that the shape defined by the molds is imparted to the plastic-backed carpet blank;
- and
- (g) cooling the molded plastic-backed carpet blank sufficiently to set its molded configuration.
A method of molding a heavy weight plastic-backed carpet to a contoured shape designed to fit the interior floor area of a motor vehicle wherein the method requires a minimum of carpet material and work force, comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a plastic-backed carpet blank with a thick plastic-backing within a portable frame assembly, said frame assembly having a fixed frame of two side rails and two end rails in a shape approximately the carpet blank, a set of legs extending from the fixed frame with each of said legs having a wheel mounted at a bottom extremity for the purpose of moving the frame assembly during treatment stages, an open rack of the approximate shape of the fixed frame pivotably mounted within the fixed frame so as to be capable of revolving completely about its points of pivotable mounting and a set of yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack for holding the carpet blank at selected areas;
- (b) clamping the plastic-backed carpet blank to the yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack so that the carpet blank is suspended under a substantially constant tension with the open rack of the frame assembly and with its plastic-backing facing upwards;
- (c) moving the frame assembly with the plastic-backed carpet blank into a heating zone;
- (d) heating the plastic-backed carpet blank for a time and a temperature sufficient to soften the plastic backing so as to be moldable;
- (e) revolving the open rack of the frame assembly a half-turn so that the plastic backing of the carpet blank is facing downwards;
- (f) moving the frame assembly with the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to a molding zone comprised of male and female molds;
- and
- (g) molding the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to the contour of the molds by causing said male and female molds to come together under pressure such that the shape defined by the molds is imparted to the plastic-backed carpet blank.
A method of molding a plastic-backed carpet to a contoured shape designed to fit the interior floor area of a motor vehicle wherein the method requires a minimum of carpet material and work force, comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a plastic-backed carpet blank within a portable frame assembly, said frame assembly having a fixed open rack of rails attached together to form a shape approximating the carpet blank and wherein at least one end rail is capable of opening, a set of legs extending from the open rack with each of said legs having a wheel mounted at a bottom extremity for the purpose of moving the frame assembly during treatment stages, and a set of yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack for holding the carpet blank at selected areas;
- (b) clamping the plastic-backed carpet blank to the yieldable holding means mounted on the open rack so that the carpet blank is suspended under a substantially constant tension with the open rack of the frame assembly;
- (c) moving the frame assembly with the plastic-backed carpet blank into a heating zone;
- (d) heating the plastic-backed carpet blank for a time and a temperature sufficient to soften the plastic backing so as to be moldable;
- (e) moving the frame assembly with the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to a molding zone comprised of male and female molds;
- (f) molding the heated plastic-backed carpet blank to the contour of the molds by causing said male and female molds to come together under pressure such that the shape defined by the molds is imparted to the plastic-backed carpet blank;
- and
- (g) cooling the molded plastic-backed carpet blank sufficiently to set its molded configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.