Claims
- 1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of an elastomer-coated bias fabric comprising:
- means for moving said fabric in a generally horizontal path of travel, said means including means for tensioning said fabric in the transverse direction during said movement through said path;
- applicator means for continuously applying an elastomeric composition to the surfaces of said fabric,
- means to smoothen said coating to a desired thickness and remove excess coating material; and
- drying means downstream of said smoothening means for drying said elastomeric coating on both surfaces of said fabric;
- the improvement wherein said applicator means consists essentially of a roller means extending across said path, said roller means being externally driven at a velocity different than the velocity with which said fabric crosses said roller, said roller means rotating in a trough containing an elastomeric composition to be applied to the bottom surface of said fabric.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roller is externally driven in a direction opposite the direction in which said fabric is moved.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roller is externally driven in the same direction as said fabric and at a higher velocity than the velocity with which said fabric is moved.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes:
- second applicator means downstream of said drying means for applying a second elastomeric composition onto the top or bottom surface of said fabric;
- scraper means positioned downstream of said second applicator means for smoothing said second coating; and
- second drying means downstream of said second applicator means for drying said second elastomeric coating.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second applicator means is positioned above and extends across said path and continuously discharges a layer of an elastomeric composition onto the top surface of said fabric.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said second applicator means consists essentially of a roller means positioned beneath and extending across said path, said roller means being driven in a rotational direction opposing the direction of movement of said fabric, said roller means rotating in a trough containing an elastomeric composition to be applied to the bottom surface of said fabric.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes:
- a continuous supply of a release sheet material located downstream of said second drying means for application to one surface of said coated fabric;
- means for applying said release sheet to one surface of said coated fabric; and
- means for removing said coated fabric in contact with said release sheet from said apparatus.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional patent application of its copending parent patent application, Ser. No. 605,509, filed Apr. 30, 1984, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,243 which, in turn, is a combined continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 350,969 filed Feb. 22, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,771 and U.S. application Ser. No. 533,098 filed Sept. 16, 1983 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,428.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Related Publications (1)
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Date |
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533098 |
Sep 1983 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
605509 |
Apr 1984 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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350969 |
Feb 1982 |
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