Patent ID: 7955544

Claim:
A method for making a sheet or pad of a cellular polymer material having a three-dimensional shaped support surface with raised portions separated by depressions by pressing one slab of the cellular polymer material that has a planar surface into a nip formed between a die having a cylindrical die surface with raised die portions separated by die depressions and a pressure roller parallel to said die surface, said pressure roller having an outer circumferential surface, turning at least one of said die and said pressure roller, compressing some portions of the cellular polymer material against said raised die portions to a reduced thickness and extruding other portions of the cellular polymer material into said die depressions, and cutting away said other portions, characterized in that: the die has a length and a circumference, and the raised die portions are in multiple first rows along the length wherein each first row extends around the circumference of the die and comprises a plurality of discrete raised die portions and the raised die portions have face surfaces with an outer periphery defining a geometric shape, and wherein the each of the raised die portions also is in one of a multiple of second rows that extend along the length of the die, with each such second row containing three or more raised die portions, and the pressure roller has a length and defines a plurality of recesses in its outer circumferential surface that are in multiple first rows and multiple second rows along the length, wherein each first row extends around the circumference of the pressure roller and comprises a plurality of discrete recesses, with each recess having a perimeter of identical or substantially identical shape and size to the outer periphery of a respective one of said raised die portions, wherein each recess also is in one of the multiple second rows that extend along the length of the pressure roller, with each such second row containing three or more recesses, wherein each recess substantially registers with the respective raised die portion at the nip so that the outer periphery of each face surface is in alignment with the perimeter of the respective recess with which it is substantially registered, and wherein cutting away said other portions is with a blade positioned in a cutting plane substantially tangent to the cylindrical die surface.