US1838103A - Inlay pad and means for and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 29, 1931. w. J. MCNALLY 1,838,103

INLAY PAD AND MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 17, 1930 5' 67. 2 i /z I? 7 f/ 4 v 7 /Z" m v Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J'JMEZNALLY, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DENNISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS INLAY IPAIYAN'D MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application filed October 17, 1930. Serial No. 489,325.

This invention relates to the art of making pads as well as to pads of the type comprislng a base, covering material and a filler having openings therethrough. These pads are useful for supporting articles of jewelry, safety razors and the like, usually for display purposes, although in some instances the pads constitute parts of'a container, as the base ora removable tray of a jewel case. It is customary to provide article receiving depressions or recesses on the top of such a pad by removingportions of the filler. When this is done, it becomesmore difficult to apply the covering material so as to produce a neat, well-appearing pad, especially without unduly increasing the cost of manufacture thereof.

Objects of the present invention are to improve the art of making pads of the class referred to by simplifying the process of making the same so as to reduce the cost thereof; to provide for attaching the covering material, filler and'base of a pad by a single operation; and also to provide a pad of the class described having an improved construction and arrangement of parts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a presser member or die;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of apad with a portion of the covering material broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing a portion of the presser member superimposed on a pad of the type shown in Fig. 2 in the process of making the same;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 4, but showing modified forms of pads; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, of the pad shown in Fig. 6.

The presser member or die shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing comprises a substantially continuous outer band 10, preferably of material having good heat conductivity, such as brass, and an interior body portion 111 This body portion is so formed that the surface 12 thereof is spaced inwardly from the edge of the band and is provided with raised portions 13 and 14, having any desired configuration such as the shapes shown and protruding from the surface 14 substantially to the plane of the outer surface of the band 10. Preferably the outermost portions of the rotruding members 13 and 14 are also ormed of material having good heat conductivity, as, for example, of copper strips 16 and 17 The pad shown in Figs. 2 and 4 comprises a base member 21, which may be of cardboard or other suitable material, and which is preferably covered with a sheet of paper 22, the paper being turned over the edge and attached to the under side of the base, as indicated at 23 (Fig. 4). A suitable filler 24, which may be either soft or hard, is disposed on the upper surface of the base and is provided with openings or recesses 26, 27, which extend entirely through the filler and are positioned to receive the raised portions 13 and 14 of the die shown in Fig. 1.

In the process of making the pad shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the filler 24 is placed upon the base in the desired position and covering material 29 is arranged above the filler with thermoplastic material 28 disposed between the covering material and the upper surface of the filler as well as across the openings therein above the base. This'thermoplastic material may be of the liquid or so-called varnish type, in which case it may be applied as a coating to the back of the covering material, or to the upper surfaces of the filler and of the base. Thermoplastic material of the gutta-percha type is also well suited for these purposes and may be applied in the form of a substantially continuous sheet.

When the various parts of the pad have been arranged in this manner, the base is positioned on a support 31 (Fig. 4) in such a position that the recesses 26 and 27 of the filler will register with and receive the raised portions 13 and l4 of the die. It will be apparent that as the die is pressed against the pad, the raised portions will enter the recesses and the outer band 10 will bear against the marginal portion 32 of the covering material while the surfaces 12 of the presser member will bear against the ortions of the covering material which are isposed across the upper surface of the filler. In order to provlde for afiixing the covering material to the filler as well as to the base member within the ,openings through the filler, heat is applied to the thermoplastic material as the die is caused to bear against the covering material. This ma be accomplished by heating directl only t e lower surfaces of the band 10 an the plates 16 and 17 as these members are effective in producing the bond which draws and holds the covering taut. As these protuberances on the die are bein heated, sulficient heat is conducted to the body portion 11 to render this part effective for sealing the covering material to the upper surface of the filler, although the bod portion may be heated directly should t is be desired. As the heated die is projected against the covering material, heat is transmitted to the thermoplastic material, thereby causing the latter to seal the coverin material ,to the base, as well as to the fil er. In some cases, however heat may also be a plied to the support, in which event it is con ucted throu h the base member to the thermoplastic material. When the latter procedure is followed, it may not be necessary to cause the thermoplastic material disposed on the upp r surface of the filler to seal the covering material to this surface in which event the upper presser member or die need not be heated, for the thermoplastic materialdisposed on the base within the openings in the filler is effec tive to hold the covering material taut over the surface of the filler.

In some cases it is advantageous, instead of using a substantially continuous coating or sheet of thermoplastic material 28, to provide independent upper and lower coatings or sheets of this material, as shown in Fig. 5 for example. In this view, the upper layer or coating of thermoplastic mater1a1= 28' is disposed only on the upper surface of the filler 24, and whenthis is applied in the form of a sheet it will be understood that the sheet preferably is made to fit the upper surface of the filler, so as to insure a neat and well appearing pad. In this form of pad another coating or sheet of thermoplastic material 28" is disposed on the base member and arranged to cover substantially the entire surface thereof which is contiguous to the lower surface of the filler. Both of these coatings or layers of thermoplastic material may receive heat from the presser member during the forming operations, so that the lower layer forms a bond between the base and the covering material which is pressed into the recesses, while the upper layer becomes effective to secure the covering material to the upper surfaces of the filler. If suflicient heat is applied, the lower layer of thermoplastic material also serves to bond the filler directly to the base. Likewise 'as pointed out with respect to the process illustrated in Fig. 4, this heat may in some cases be applied by heating only the support 31 or by heating both the support 31 and the presser member as desired. It will be seen therefore that whether one layer of thermoplastic material 28 is used as in Fig. 4 or the layers 28' and 28", as in Fig. 5, the covering material may nevertheless be attached to the filler and, in the recesses, to the base member by a single operation of the die or presser member.

The pad illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 comg prises a paper-covered, cardboard base member 35, covering material 36 and a two-part filler consisting of a lower imperforate filler strip 37 ahd an upper filler strip 38 coextensive with the lower strip but having openings 39 and 41 therethr-ough. These openings may have thesame configuration as the openings 26 and 27 in the fillter 24 shown in Fig. 2, or they may be given any contour desired for providing recesses or depressions correspondlng to the shape of the article or articles to be disposed on the pad. Thermoplastic material is disposed between the base and the lower surface of the imperforate filler strip 37 in a layer 42, and in a layer 43 between the contiguous surfaces of the filler strips and across the upper surface of the lower strip 37 within the openings 39, 41 in the upper strip. Preferably another layer 44 of this material is also disposed between the covering material and the adjacent surface of the upper filler strip.

While this'thermoplastic material may be applied in various ways as previously pointed out herein in connection with other aspects of the invention, it is preferred when making a pad of the type shown in Figs. 6 and 7 to apply thermoplastic material of the varnish type to the upper and lower surfaces of the lower filler strip and only to the upper surface of the upper filler strip. This coating may be applied by causing a roller to dip into the thermoplastic material and 'then to traverse the surface which it is desired to coat. This ,is not only a very simple operation, but also one which is inexpensive to carry out either manually or by means of apparatus provided for this purpose. It will be apparent that the structure and relative arrangement of parts which make this procedure possible are highly desirable features of thisv modification.

In the final-step of completing this pad the edges of the covering material are tucked in between the base 35 and the lower filler strip 37 and, with the base resting on the support 31, heat and pressure are applied by means of a die'in any of the ways pointed out in connection with other embodiments disclosed herein. This die comprises a body portion 11' and an outer band 10. As the edges of the covering material are tucked in, the lower edge of the band 10' depends to a slightly greater extent than is the case with the band 10 shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, but in all other respects the die may be of the same construction as that previously described.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a means as well as a process for making an article of the class described which is neat and properly formed with the various parts firmly bonded together. Hence it is assured that a product so made will be durable and will retain its good appearance for a long period of use. The present invention also provides for reducing the cost as well as for expediting the processof manufacture of. such articles. Obviously these features are highly desirable in products of this character. A further important advantage resulting from the use of thermoplastic material is that the parts do not tend. to adhere or stick together during the assembling and/or forming operations, as at such times the thermo-' plastic material does not receive sufiicient heat to become effective. It is thus assured that the various parts will not be displaced, distorted, creased, wrinkled or otherwise damaged during manufacture.

It should be understood that the present disclosure 1s for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall w1th1n the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. The method of making a pad comprlsmg a base and a filler, which comprises positloning the filler above the base, disposing covering material above the filler with thermoplastic material extending between the covering material and the filler and also along the upper surface of the base, and ailixmg these parts together in a single operation by applying heat and pressure to the thermoplastic material.

- 2. The method of making a pad comprismg a base and a filler having openings therethrough which comprises positioning the filler above the base, disposing covering material above the fillefwitbthermoplastic material extending between the covering ma terial and the filler and across the openings in the filler betweenthe covering material and the base, and aflixing these parts together in a single operation by applying heat and pressure to the thermoplastic material.

3. The method of making a pad comprising a base and a filler having openings therethrough which comprises arranging the filler above. the base, disposing thermoplastic material over the upper surface of the filler and over the base within the openings in the filler, spreading covering material over the thermoplastic material, and aflixing the covering material, filler and base together in a single operation by causing pressure to be exerted against the covering material and material over the upper surface of the filler and over the base within the openings in the filler, spreading covering material over the thermoplastic material, and aflixing the covering material, filler and base together in a single operation by supporting the base and pressing the covering material and the thermoplastic material against the filler and against the base within the openings in the filler while applying heat to the covering material.

5. The method of making a pad comprising a base and a filler having openings therethrough which comprises positioning the filler on the base, disposing a layer of thermoplastic material on the filler and across the openings therein, arranging covering material over the thermoplastic material, and affixing these parts together in a single operation by causing pressure to be exerted against the base and against the covering material to press the latter and the layer of thermoplastic material against the filler and against the base within the openings in the filler while applying heat to thethermoplastic material.

6. The method of making a pad comprising a base and a filler having openings therethrough which comprises positioning the filler above the base, disposing covering material above the filler with thermoplastic material extending between the covering material and the filler and across the openings in the filler between the covering material and the base, afiixing these parts together in a single operation by bringing hot surfaces against the covering material and projecting these surfaces with the adjacent portions of the covering material into the openings in the filler and against the base to cause the thermoplastic material to seal the covering material to the base within the openings in the filler.

7 The method of making a pad comprising a base and a through which comprises positioning the filler above the base, disposing covering matefiller having openings there-- rial above the filler with thermoplastic mate rial extending between the covering material and the filler and across the openings in the filler between the covering material and the base, affixing these parts together in a single operation by simultaneously bringing hot surfaces against the covering material around the outer edges and over the openings in the filler and projecting these hot surfaces with the adjacent portions of covering material against the base around the outer edges of the filler and also into the openings in the filler and against the base to cause the thermoplastic material to. seal the covering material to the base at these points.

8. The method of making a pad comprising a base and a filler having openings therethrough which comprises positioning the filler on the base, disposing a layer of thermoplastic material on the filler and across the openings therein, arranging covering material over the thermoplastic material, and affixin these parts to ether in a single operation y supporting t e base and pressing the covering material and the thermoplastic material against the filler and against the base within the openings in the filler whileapplying heat to the coverin material.

9. The method of aihxing covering material to a base which comprises applying a layer of thermoplastic material over the base, disposing a filler, having openings therethrough, on the thermoplastic material on the base, applying a second layer of thermoplastic material over the filler, arranging covering material over the filler and over the openings therethrough, simultaneously applying heat to both layers of thermoplastic material, and pressing the covering material against the filler and through the openings therein against the base. i

10. The method of ailixing covering material to a base which comprises applying a layer of thermoplastic material over the base, disposing a filler, having openings therethrough, on the thermostatic material on the base, fitting a second layer of thermoplastic material to the upper surface of the filler, arranging covering material over the second layer of thermoplastic material and across the openings in the filler, and affixing the covering material, filler and base together in a single operation by supporting the base and pressing the covering -material against both layers of thermoplastic material while applying heat to the covering material and to the base.

11. A pad comprising a base, a filler supported by the base and having openings therethrough, thermoplastic material over the filler and over the base within the openings in the filler, and coverin material disposed over the filler and sealed thereto and to the base within the openings in the filler by the thermoAplastic material.

ing on the base and having openings therethrough, a substantially continuous layer of pad comprising a base, a filler rester, another layer of thermoplastic material disposed over the filler, and covering material extendin over the filler and base 111 engagement wit both of said layers.

14. A.- die for aifixing fabric and like material to a base member, comprising a central body portion, and a band of material of good heat conductivity extending substantially entirely around the central body against the side and end walls thereof and rigid therewith, the lower edge of this band protruding below the lower surface of the central body portion for pressing the marginal portion of tjhe covering mater al against the base mem- 15. A die for affixing fabric and like material to a base member, comprising a central body portion, and protuberances extending below the lower surface of the central body portion for pressing covering material into recesses, the lower surfaces of the protuberances being of material having relatively high heat conductivity. u

.16. A die for afiixing fabric and like material to a base member, comprising a central body, a band of material of good heat conductivity disposed against the side and end Walls of the central body portion and extending substantially entirely around the same, the central body portion being cast within this band, the lower edge of this band protruding below the lower surface of the central body portion for pressing the marginal portion of the covering material against the base member, and protuberances on the central body portion and depending below the lower, surface thereof for pressing covering material into recesses, the lower surfaces of the protuberances being of material of relatively high heat conductivity.

17. A pad comprising a base member, an imperforate, lower filler strip supported by the base member, an upper filler strip having openings therethrough, covering material disposed over the upper filler strip, the edges of the covering material being turned under the lower filler strip, a substantially continuous layer of thermoplastic material be: tween the filler strips for securing these strips together and for sealing the covering material in the openings to the lower strip, another layer of thermoplastic material between the lower filler strip and the base for sealing this strip to the base and also for securing the edges of the covering material.

18. The method of making a pad which comprises coating the upper and lower surfaces of a lower, imperforate filler strip with thermoplastic material, forming openings through an upper filler strip and placing the latter on the imperforate filler'strip, arranging covering material over the upper filler strip and tucking the edges of the covering material under the lower filler strip,-;and applying heatl-and pressure against the cover- III ing material to cause the thermoplastic material to seal the edges of the covering material to the lower filler strip and to seal the covering material in the openings to the upper surface of the same strip. 7

19. The method of making a pad which comprises coating the upper and lower surfaces of a lower, imperforate filler strip with thermoplastic material, forming openings through an upper filler strip, coating the upper surface of this filler strip and placing the latter on the lower imperforate filler strip, arranging covering material over the upper filler strip and tucking the edges of the covering material under the lower filler strip, bringing a base against the tucked-in edges and against the lower surface of the lower filler strip, and aflixing these parts together in a single operation by applying heat and pressure against the covering material to cause the thermoplastic material to seal the edges of the cover material to the lower filler strip, to seal this strip to the base and to seal the covering material to the upper upper surface of the upper filler strip and to the upper surface of the lower filler strip within the openings in the upper strip.

Signed by me at Framingham, Mass, this sixteenth (lay of October,1930.

WILLIAM J. MONALLY.

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