Ultrafab, Inc.

Daniel W Richter

James V Albanese

Yogesh Borkar

A weatherstrip for use with a T-slot. The weatherstrip includes a scaling element, such as a pile of yarn, on one side thereof and a bead on the opposite side thereof. The bead includes a curved surface for engaging an interior surface of the T-slot. Preferably, the bead is a material which adheres to the weatherstrip and comprises a hot melt glue such as ethylene vinyl acetate.

Weatherstrip adapted to be captured in t-slots

Weatherstrips () having opposed pile sealing elements () are installed in opposed slots in a frame member () so that the piles may engage opposite sides of a panel, shutter or screen (), by insertion apparatus having laterally-movable slotted guides (). The weatherstrips are driven through the slots in the guides by a drive wheel (). A laterally reciprocating cutter () has openings (), through which the weatherstrips are driven, and shearing edges () for cutting ends of the weatherstrips to facilitate entry of the weatherstrips from the slots in the guide into the slots in the frame member. Metering wheel () engages at least one of the weatherstrips moving through the guides, and provides for actuation of the cutter, when the desired length of the weatherstrips is driven through the guides; the length corresponding to the length of the frame member which receives the weatherstrips.

Apparatus and method for inserting dual weatherstrips having opposed sealing elements into a frame member

In order to facilitate the installation of weatherstripping into channels, usually T-slots, of frames in windows and doors, variations in size of the slots is accommodated by changing the size of interference members extending from the backing strip of the weatherstripping. A forming tool, such as a shaft having a forming surface or on which a forming roller is movably mounted in a support structure. The support structure is disposed adjacent the mechanism of the insertion apparatus which feeds the weatherstrip into the T-slot of the frame. The support has a channel via which the weatherstrip passes into the insertion mechanism and thence into the T-slot in the frame. A wall in the support member presents the forming tool to the interference portions of the backing strip of the weatherstripping and is operative to swage and crimp or otherwise change the cross sectional size of the backing strip in relationship to the size of the T-slot which receives the backing strip. The forming tool is displaced so as to select the amount of crimping and enable as long a length of weatherstripping as is required to be installed in the frame without overloading and stalling the insertion mechanism. The size and disposition of the forming tool in the support may be selected to accommodate different styles of interference member on the backing strip. The installation apparatus is therefore universally adapted for various types of weatherstripping.

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Farmington, NY, United States of America

Daniel W Richter