Patent ID: 8182645
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: B05C,B29C,B29D,B29K,B29L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a paint roller cover, comprising: providing a tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve having a first end and a second end, said tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve comprising: a base fabric having a tubular configuration defining an outside and an inside, said base fabric being knitted at least in part from a base strand having a first material and a second material, wherein said first material has a lower melting point than said second material; and pile strands knitted into said base fabric and extending outwardly from said base fabric to form the pile of said tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve, said pile strands comprising at least in part a third material and a fourth material, wherein said third material has a lower melting point than said fourth material; placing a first length of said tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve onto a cylindrical member having a cylindrical outer surface with said inside of said base fabric in contact with said cylindrical outer surface of said cylindrical member; and heating said base fabric to cause at least a portion of said first and said third materials to melt and fuse said base fabric together to thereby create a cylindrical integral core member; removing the sleeve from the cylindrical member upon cooling; wherein when the sleeve is cooled, it is sufficiently rigid to preserve its cylindrical configuration.