Patent ID: 9604439
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B32B,D06N

Claim:
1. A method of applying a coating to a roll of carpet, comprising the steps: a) providing an elongated upper deck having a first end and a second end; an elongated lower deck situated below and aligned with the upper deck, the lower deck having a first end below the second end of the upper deck and a second end below the first end of the upper deck; the upper deck including a staging and unrolling station at the first end thereof for receiving and unrolling the roll of carpet, a pre-coat applicator for applying a pre-coat to the carpet, and an oven station to cure the pre-coat and allow the carpet to exit the second end of the upper deck; the lower deck including a polymer applicator at the first end thereof for receiving the carpet from the second end of the upper deck and applying the coating to the carpet, a heating platen conveyor, and a plurality of cooling rolls; b) delivering the roll of carpet to the staging and unrolling station at the first end of the upper deck, and moving the carpet in a first direction from the first end towards the second end of the upper deck; c) unrolling the carpet at the staging and unrolling station to move the carpet in succession through the steps of: d) applying a pre-coat to the carpet at the pre-coat applicator; e) curing the pre-coat to the carpet at the oven; f) moving the carpet down to the polymer applicator on the lower deck to apply the polymer coating to the carpet at the polymer applicator, and moving the carpet along the lower deck in a direction opposite the first direction; h) heating the polymer coating and carpet at the heating platen conveyor; and i) cooling the polymer coating and carpet at the plurality of cooling rolls.