Production of a novel sculptured strip of plastic foam

A foam article comprising a plurality of parallel foam strips, the foam strips being integral with and secured to adjacent strips by spaced short lengths, the spacing between successive securing lengths ranging from about 80 to 260 mm. The strips are in the form of a roll, the length of the securing lengths is from about 1 to 5 mm and the width of the strips is from about 6 to 25 mm. Advantageously the strips are elliptical in cross-section, formed of polyurethane and carry a light application of adhesive of one layer of the roll to the next.

The present invention relates to the production of a novel-sculptured strip 
of plastic foam. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,092, there is disclosed the preparation of a roll of 
contiguous-plastic-foam strips of sculptured contour. However, the strips 
must be made of cold-weldable material. 
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a 
simplified process for the preparation of one or more 
sculptured-plastic-foam strips of novel configuration, irrespective of 
whether the plastic foam is or is not cold weldable. 
This and other objects of the invention are realized in accordance with the 
present invention, pursuant to which there is provided a foam article 
comprising a length of a plurality of parallel foam strips, the foam 
strips being integral with and secured to adjacent strips by spaced short 
lengths, the spacing between successive securing lengths ranging from 
about 80 to 260 mm, preferably about 100 to 200 mm and preferably about 
125 mm. The length of such securing lengths can vary widely from about 0.8 
to 8 mm, advantageously about 1 to 5 mm, and preferably about 2 or 3 mm. 
It is even possible, but less preferred, to produce single elongated strips 
not laterally connected to one another. 
The article is produced from a long flat sheet and/or rolls of plastic foam 
thicker than the desired height of the final strips. The initial sheet is 
passed under an array of cutting tools so that there are produced 
adjacent, parallel, connected foam strips of contoured configuration. A 
final cutter can completely sever adjacent strips, but preferably has one 
or more spaced notches in its periphery, so that there is no cutting 
between adjacent strips where the strips are encountered by the notches, 
thereby holding the strips together. 
Where more than two strips are being produced, the lateral connections 
between the first and second strips are advantageously offset 
longitudinally relative to the lateral connections between the second and 
third strips, and so forth. 
Preferably, the cross-sectional contour of the strips is curved, 
approximately semicircular, preferably elliptical. When intended for use 
as a protector in painting an automobile door, for example, the strips may 
range in width from about 6 to 25 and preferably from about 12 to 23 mm. 
If desired, however, in cross-section the strips can be trapezoidal or of 
other cross section. 
The foam sheet may be of any composition but advantageously does not 
undergo chemical change during processing, such as curing, so one knows 
that the final chemical composition is identical with the initial 
composition. Furthermore if of some stiffness it will facilitate cutting 
and ultimate use. 
A preferred foam comprises a polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polyether or 
polyester of a density of about 1 to 6 and preferably about 1.5 to 2 
pounds per cubic foot. Other foams, such as polyolefin, e.g. polymer or 
copolymer of ethylene, propylene, butylene, and the like, preferably 
polyethylene, can also be employed. 
After contouring, there can be applied to one surface a thin film of 
adhesive which will serve multiple purposes. It will lightly hold together 
the turns of a strip when wound up or superimposed and, in use, will serve 
to adhere the strip, removably, to a surface such as an automobile door or 
body. 
However, if desired, whether the adhesive film is present or not, each 
strip may optionally be lightly adhered by its adhesive film to a 
separator of glazed paper or plastic expressly to prevent adhesion between 
successive turns of adhesive-coated foam on a roll. Thus, in cross 
section, a roll will show successive loops of foam, adhesive, and 
separator. If no separator is present the successive turns of adherent 
foam will stick lightly and separably, to one another. 
The strips may be in the form of a flat sheet up to 2 or preferably about 
2.5m in length, but preferably they are in the form of a roll of 20 or 40 
m or more in length.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, from a roll 10, 
there is pulled by a rotating anvil 12 and opposed shaped arbor 14 a foam 
sheet 16. A second anvil 18 and opposed shaped arbor 20, but this time 
switched in relative vertical positions, pulls the sheet 16 over a 
supporting table top 22. The sheet 16 leaving anvil-arbor 18-20 passes 
between rolls 24-26 described more fully hereinbelow, passes beneath 
applicator head 28 where a light adhesive coating is applied, and is then 
wound up as roll 30 on a rotating core 32, the adhesive from spray 28 
serving lightly to adhere successive turns of the roll 30 to one another. 
Saw blades 34 and 36 operate on the sheet 16 as it leaves successive nips 
between anvil and arbor, blade 34 operating on the underface of the sheet 
and blade 36 on the top. The blades are saw bands have cutting edges close 
to the nips and by movement in a plane perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 
1 each cuts away material to be discarded, viz., scrap 38 and 40, using 
guides 42, 44 to keep each scrap line away from its anvil. 
As seen in FIG. 2, when the sheet 16 moves between anvil 12 and arbor 14 it 
is compressed to the contour defined by the arbor, extremely compressed at 
the locations corresponding to the largest diameter of the arbor. Thus, 
for example, if the sheet is initially 1.2 inches thick, the difference in 
height from minimum to maximum diameter of the arbor is 0.4 inch and the 
sheet where maximally compressed is 0.2 inch thick, the blade 34 will be 
located to cut away scrap 38, leaving sheet 16 and scrap 38 as shown in 
FIG. 3. The maximum height of the scrap 38 is 0.2 inch, the now 
bottom-contoured sheet 16A 1 inch. 
When the partially contoured sheet 16A enters the nip between anvil-arbor 
18-20 as shown in FIG. 4 it is again compressed and again cut, as shown in 
FIG. 5, producing scrap 40 and sheet 16B which is now essentially a 
plurality of circular strips of about 0.7 inch in cross-section held 
together by a joinder line of about 0.1 inch. 
Returning to FIG. 1, roll 26 is an anvil against which there operate a 
series of horizontally spaced rotating blades on a common shaft 24. Thus 
the blades sever the sheet 16B into a plurality of independent strips 46 
of circular cross-section. However, as seen in FIG. 6, each blade 48 has 
at least one notch 50 which therefore fails to cut through the joinder 
between adjacent strips 46, leaving them connected at 52 along a length 
determined by the length of the notch and the diameter of the blade. The 
distance between notches determines the spacing between such joinders 52 
and the length of the unjoined strips 54 therebetween. 
The blades 48 along their shaft 24, more specifically 56, serve an 
additional purpose. They help position the sheet laterally along anvil 18 
to ensure vertical registry between the cuts on the top and bottom of the 
sheet. 
FIG. 7 shows in exaggerated form the joinders 52 and spacing 54 between 
joinders of adjacent strips 46. 
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the roll 30 with one strip 46 shown pulled 
away. The joinders 52 are so short and light that single strips 46 may be 
pulled off the roll. 
While the strips 46 are shown as approximately circular in cross-section, 
they can be oval or even substantially rectangular, determined by the 
shapes of the arbors. It is possible to have the top of a strand of one 
cross-section and the bottom of a different cross-section, the top and 
bottom each being contoured by a different arbor. It is even possible to 
omit one arbor and its anvil so the resulting product will be flat on one 
face; in such event the sole operating arbor is desirably positioned 
closer to its anvil. 
It will be appreciated that the instant specification and claims are set 
forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that various 
modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the present invention.