Patent ID: 8221578

Claim:
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 tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve being manufactured with said pile strands extending outwardly; 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 material to melt and fuse said base fabric together to thereby create a cylindrical integral core member which, when cooled, is sufficiently rigid to preserve its cylindrical configuration.