Abrasive belts and their manufacture

An endless coated abrasive belt comprising a flexible backing laminate material having a major surface and an abrasive layer attached to said major surface, said flexible backing laminate material comprising two flexible support layers and a hot-melt adhesive layer interposed between said two flexible supports, said hot-melt adhesive layer being parallel to said major surface of said flexible backing laminate material, said flexible support layers each having a first and a second complementary end, said flexible backing laminate material being in the shape of an elongated strip having a length, a width, and said complementary ends abutted, said hot-melt adhesive layer extending the length of said belt and being continuous over said abutted ends to provide a splice, each of said first complementary ends of each of said flexible support layers being substantially coterminous with each other and said second complementary ends of said flexible support layers being substantially coterminous with each other, said coated abrasive belt being of substantially the same thickness throughout its length, said coated abrasive belt having a width equal to said width of said elongated strip, said hot-melt adhesive layer comprising a hot-melt adhesive having a melting point of at least 120.degree. C., an each of said first and second complementary ends having an abutting length that is at least three times the width of said elongated strip.

An endless coated abrasive belt comprising a flexible backing laminate material having a major surface and an abrasive layer attached to said major surface, said flexible backing laminate material comprising two flexible support layers and a hot-melt adhesive layer interposed between said two flexible supports, said hot-melt adhesive layer being parallel to said major surface of said flexible backing laminate material, said flexible support layers each having a first and a second complementary end, said flexible backing laminate material being in the shape of an elongated strip having a length, a width, and said complementary ends abutted, said hot-melt adhesive layer extending the length of said belt and being continuous over said abutted ends to provide a splice, each of said first complementary ends of each of said flexible support layers being substantially coterminous with each other and said second complementary ends of said flexible support layers being substantially coterminous with each other, said coated abrasive belt being of substantially the same thickness throughout its length, said coated abrasive belt having a width equal to said width of said elongated strip, said hot-melt adhesive layer comprising a hot-melt adhesive having a melting point of at least 120.degree. C., said abrasive layer comprising an electrically insulating mesh material having a layer of metal electrodeposited thereon and abrasive granules embedded in said layer of metal, and each of said first and second complementary ends having an abutting length that is at least three times the width of said elongated strip.