Patent GB-1287336-A (GB)
Title: Method of and apparatus for making a laminated body from pliable sheet material
IPC: D04H13/00
Filed: 1970-03-18
Abstract: 1287336 Laminating process and apparatus POLYMER PROCESSING RESEARCH INSTITUTE Ltd 18 March 1970 [20 March 1969] 12924/70 Heading B5N A method of making a cross-laminated body of pliable sheet material comprises the steps of gripping a leading edge of a layer 4 of said material between a pair of gripping members 11 and 11<SP>1</SP> from above and below said layer, said layer being supplied transversely to and above a continuously moving warp layer 1 of said material, moving said gripped leading end of said transversely supplied layer across the warp layer over a distance substantially equal to the width of the warp layer, cutting the transversely supplied layer into a length substantially equal to the width of the warp layer, and at the same time, releasing said gripped leading end of the transversely supplied layer to allow the cut length thereof to fall on to the warp layer to form a weft layer, repeating the above steps so that successively cut lengths of transversely supplied layer fall on to the warp layer adjacent each other leaving substantially no gaps between adjacent cut lengths and bonding said warp and weft layers together with adhesive binding material by the application of heat and pressure. The pliable sheet material may comprise a single uniaxially stretched film or a plurality of uniaxially stretched films bonded in parallel spaced relationship on to a film of adhesive binding material; alternatively, it may comprise a single split fibre web of uniaxially stretched film or a plurality of split fibre webs of uniaxially stretched film bonded in parallel spaced relationship on to a film of adhesive binding material. The adhesive binding material may have a softening temperature lower than that of the pliable sheet material and may be provided before lamination, in the form of a solution, emulsion, film or fibres. An apparatus for making a cross-laminated body comprises means for moving the warp layer 1 continuously substantially in a horizontal plane, means e.g. pinch rollers 5 for supplying a layer 4 of material transversely to and above the continuously moving warp layer, gripping means e.g. members 11 and 11<SP>1</SP> mounted on upper and lower circulating chains 2 and 3 for gripping a leading edge of the transversely supplied layer and moving said gripped end across the warp layer over a distance substantially equal to the width of the warp layer; means e.g. electric head cutter 15 or 35 for intermittently cutting the transversely supplied layer at the feed end thereof substantially above one longitudinal edge of the warp layer into a length substantially equal to the width of the warp layer; means e.g. member 14 for releasing said gripped leading edge of the transversely supplied layer substantially above the other longitudinal edge of the warp layer to drop the cut length on to the warp to form a weft layer, means e.g. a bath into which lower pinch roller 5 is dipped for supplying adhesive and means e.g. heated drums for bonding the layers together. A plurality of gripping members may be located on each chain. During a period of time when the transversely supplied layer is not held between gripping members 11 and 11<SP>1</SP> and is not being advanced across the warp layer, it is retained between the pinch rollers 5 and 5<SP>1</SP> and the braking rollers 6 and 6<SP>1</SP>. A vacuum suction box may be provided under the warp layer to assist the fall of the cut lengths.