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US 5,688,538 AGranted
Apparatus for three dimensional surface shaping of synthetic foam
AssigneeFoamex L.P.
InventorsArthur Barr, Lewis Sturgill, Jose De Jesus Munoz Contreras
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Synthetic foam compressed between a pattern roller and a smooth compression roller is driven against a cutting edge closely adjacent and tangent to the pattern surface but spaced from the compression roller to reproduce a three dimensional pattern roller surface on the foam sheet. Three dimensional patterns of arbitrary geometries including sharp edged, flat surfaced geometric solids can be reproduced on a foam surface.
Claims21
Apparatus for shaping a sheet of resiliently compressible synthetic foam to a desired three dimensional surface geometry, comprising:
- a continuous three dimensional die pattern surface;
- a compression element for compressing a sheet of foam against said pattern surface;
- a cutting edge;
- and
- motor means for turning one or both of said die pattern surface and said compression element thereby to urge said sheet of foam against said cutting edge in a compressed condition such that portions of said sheet of foam passing between said cutting edge and said pattern surface are cut away from said sheet of foam;
- said cutting edge being sufficiently closely adjacent to said die pattern such that said three dimensional die pattern surface is substantially reproduced with little or no geometric distortion on said sheet of foam.
3 more elements
Apparatus for shaping a sheet of resiliently compressible synthetic foam to a desired three dimensional surface geometry, comprising:
- a continuous three dimensional die pattern surface having a top surface and recessed portions;
- a substantially smooth surfaced compression roller spaced from said pattern surface to define therebetween a gap having an input side for admitting a sheet of foam and an output side, said gap including a point of minimum spacing between said pattern surface and said compression roller for compressing said sheet of foam against said pattern surface;
- a cutting edge spaced from said compression roller and positioned in substantially tangent closely adjacent relationship with said top surface just beyond said point of minimum spacing;
- and
- motor means for continuously turning one or both of said die pattern surface and said compression element thereby to urge said sheet of foam against said cutting edge in a compressed condition such that substantially only portions of said sheet of foam compressed into said recessed portions are cut away from said sheet of foam;
- said cutting edge being positioned in relation to said three dimensional die pattern surface such that said pattern surface is substantially reproduced on said sheet of foam multiple times along a said sheet of foam of indeterminate length greater than one length of revolution of said pattern surface while cutting away a continuous length of scrap foam away from said sheet of foam consisting substantially only of foam compressed into said recessed portions.
3 more elements
Apparatus for shaping a sheet of resiliently compressible synthetic foam to a desired three dimensional surface geometry, comprising:
- a continuous three dimensional die pattern surface having top surfaces and bottom surfaces intersected by side surfaces along top side edges and bottom side edges respectively;
- compression means defining a gap with said pattern surface for compressing a sheet of foam against said pattern surface;
- a cutting edge positioned in said gap closely adjacent to said top surfaces and spaced from said compression means;
- and
- motor means for turning one or both of said die pattern surface and said compression means thereby to urge said sheet of foam through said gap against said cutting edge in a compressed condition such that portions of said sheet of foam passing between said cutting edge and said pattern surface are cut away from said sheet of foam;
- said compression means and said cutting edge being arranged and configured so that said top surfaces, bottom surfaces, side surfaces, top side edges and bottom side edges are substantially reproduced on said sheet of foam.
3 more elements
Apparatus for shaping a sheet of resiliently compressible synthetic foam to a desired three dimensional surface geometry, comprising:
- a three dimensional die pattern surface having at least partially planar top surfaces and bottom surfaces connected by side surfaces along relatively sharp top side edges and bottom side edges respectively;
- a substantially smooth surfaced compression roller spaced from said pattern surface to define therebetween a gap having an input side and an output side, said gap including a point of minimum spacing between said pattern surface and said compression roller;
- a cutting edge spaced from said compression roller in said gap and positioned in substantially tangent closely adjacent relationship with said pattern surface just beyond said point of minimum spacing;
- and
- motor means driving one or both of said die pattern surface for continuous rotation in opposite senses such that a sheet of foam compressed in said gap against said pattern surface is driven against said cutting edge in a compressed condition and portions of said sheet of foam passing between said cutting edge and said pattern surface are cut away from said sheet of foam and said at least partially planar top surfaces, bottom surfaces, side surfaces, and said relatively sharp top side edges and bottom side edges are substantially reproduced on said sheet of foam continuously along said sheet of foam with each revolution of said pattern surface.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.