T.j.smith and Nephew, Limited

David Eric Stephenson

Michael Antony Capes

Iain Law Mcnaught

The present invention relates to a method for splicing an upstream section and a downstream section of a multi-layered laminated sheet material wherein each section of the material comprises at least three layers each having first and second surfaces and wherein the at least three layers comprise first and second outer layers and at least one inner layer located between the first and second outer layers, comprising the steps of a) splicing together the upstream and downstream sections of both the first and second outer layers with a splicing material; b) removing the first outer layer from the multi-layered laminated sheet material to expose a surface of an inner layer; c) splicing the upstream and downstream sections of the exposed inner layer with a splicing material; and d) applying a replacement first outer layer to the exposed surface of the inner layer. A spliced multi-layered laminated sheet material produced according to the method is also provided. Also provided is an apparatus for splicing two sections of a multi-layered laminated sheet material wherein each section of the material comprises at least three layers each having first and second surfaces and wherein the at least three layers comprise two outer layers and at least one inner layer located between the two outer layers, the apparatus comprising: a first splicer configured to apply a splicing material to the two outer layers of the multi-layered laminated sheet material, a delaminator configured to remove a first outer layer, a second splicer located downstream of the delaminator configured to apply a splicing material to the exposed inner layer and an applicator located downstream of the second splicer configured to reapply an outer layer to the exposed inner layer.

Method of splicing a multi-layered laminate material, spliced multi-layered laminate material and apparatus for splicing a multi-layered laminate material

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Hull, United Kingdom

David Eric Stephenson