Preformed abrasive articles and method for the manufacture of same
AssigneeTepco Ltd.
InventorsGrahame Emerson, Michael Salyards
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A non-woven abrasive article of interlaced fibers and abrasive particles and a binder which is preformed into a predetermined three dimensional shape and a method for manufacturing the same. The abrasive article is preformed by a thermal setting the abrasive article while it is maintained in a predetermined three dimensional shape or by heating the article to its glass transition temperature and then cooling the article below the glass transition temperature while it is maintained in a predetermined three dimensional shape. This method allows the manufacture of preformed abrasive articles in various three dimensional shapes, including, for example, a bull nosed shape suitable for finishing a concavely curved surface.
Claims21
An abrasive article comprising:
- (a) a lofty, three-dimensional, non-woven web of interlaced fibers having a major surface;
- (b) abrasive particles attached to said fibers;
- (c) a binder bonding the fibers to one another at their mutual contact points and attaching said abrasive particles to said fibers;
- and
- (d) wherein a portion of the web of fibers is preformed in a direction away from the major surface of the web of fibers, said preformed portion of the web of fibers having sufficient rigidity to maintain said portion of the web of fibers in said direction without additional support.
An abrasive article comprising:
- (a) a lofty non-woven fabric made of interlaced fibers;
- (b) abrasive particles attached to the fibers of the non-woven fabric;
- (c) a binder attaching said abrasive particles to said fibers;
- and
- (d) wherein the article is rotatable about an axis of rotation and a portion of the fabric is preformed in a direction away from a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, said preformed portion of the fabric having sufficient rigidity to maintain said preformed direction without additional support.
An abrasive article resulting from the steps comprising:
- (a) heating at least a portion of a lofty non-woven abrasive fabric disk made of a web interlaced fibers, with a binder and abrasive particles attached to the fibers, to its plasticizing temperature;
- (b) forming the non-woven abrasive fabric disk into a predetermined three-dimensional shape;
- and
- (c) maintaining the formation of the non-woven abrasive fabric disk while it cools below its plasticizing temperature;
- (d) wherein said non-woven abrasive fabric disk having sufficient rigidity after cooling below its plasticising temperature to maintain said three dimensional shape without additional support.
An abrasive article comprising:
- (a) a lofty, non-woven web of interlaced fibers, the non-woven web having a major surface;
- (b) abrasive particles among the fibers of the non-woven web;
- (c) wherein a portion of the non-woven web is preformed in a direction away from the major surface, said preformed portion of the non-woven web having sufficient rigidity to maintain said preformed direction without additional support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.