# US 7,828,664 B2 · Upholstery fabric tack strips and methods of making same

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- Number: US 7,828,664 B2
- Document ID: US7828664B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/640,325
- Filed: 2006-12-18
- Published: 2007-05-17
- Granted: 2010-11-09
- Earliest claimed: 2002-06-27
- Inventors: David L. Haygood; Gary T. Schwertner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7828664B2

## CPC

- A47C 31/026: {passing through the upholstery, e.g. upholstery nails or buttons}
- B29C 48/07: Flat, e.g. panels
- B29C 48/08: flexible, e.g. films
- B29C 48/11: comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
- B29C 48/12: Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
- B29C 48/13: Articles with a cross-section varying in the longitudinal direction, e.g. corrugated pipes
- B29C 48/15: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
- B29C 48/34: Cross-head annular extrusion nozzles, i.e. for simultaneously receiving moulding material and the preform to be coated
- B29L 2031/58: Upholstery or cushions, e.g. vehicle upholstery or interior padding {(mattresses, cushions B29L2031/751)}
- B29L 2031/7286: {Nails}
- F16B 15/003: {with teeth cut out from the material of the plate}
- Y10T 29/481: Method
- Y10T 29/49885: with coating before or during assembling
- Y10T 29/49906: Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding
- Y10T 29/49982: Coating
- Y10T 428/24008: including fastener for attaching to external surface
- Y10T 428/24017: Hook or barb
- Y10T 428/24281: Struck out portion type
- Y10T 428/24289: Embedded or interlocked
- A47C: CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An upholstery tack strip includes a metal ribbon and a thermoplastic sleeve covering at least a portion of the ribbon. The sleeve includes at least one, and possibly a pair of, lengthwise removed strip section(s) so as to expose a corresponding lengthwise surface of the metal ribbon. The metal ribbon integrally includes nail sections which protrude outwardly from said tack strip. At least one, and preferably both, lateral edges of the metal ribbon are knurled or serrated so as to assist in anchoring the ribbon to the sleeve.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an upholstery tack strip comprising:
(i) forming a composite tack strip preform comprised of a metal ribbon stock and a sleeve formed of a plastics material covering a length of the metal ribbon stock; and thereafter
(ii) forming the upholstery tack strip by punching a plurality of outwardly extending nails from the metal ribbon stock of the composite tack strip preform thereby simultaneously creating respective apertures in the metal ribbon stock and remnants of the sleeve which extend downwardly through the apertures.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, which further comprises prior to step (ii) the step of (ia) removing a lengthwise section of the sleeve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, wherein step (ia), is practiced so as to remove the lengthwise section of the sleeve from a bottom surface of the metal ribbon stock, and wherein step (ii) is practiced so that the nails extend outwardly from the bottom surface of the metal ribbon stock.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, further comprising prior to step (i) the step of (i-1) roughening at least one edge of the metal ribbon stock and thereafter (i-2) extruding a molten thermoplastic material over the metal ribbon stock to thereby form the tack strip preform.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A method as in claim 4, wherein step (i-2) comprises passing the metal ribbon stock through a cross-head die and coating the molten thermoplastic material on to the metal ribbon stock in the die.