Johns Manville

Edward Albert Bright

Anthony Edward Moore

Ralph Michael Fay

Melvin Glenn Mitchell

Monroe William Shumate

James Walter Stacy

Jayamalar Dorsey

Michael Feagans

A collapsible product has a tubular body of resilient material, the tubular body having an outer surface and an inner surface, a length, a wall between the outer surface and the inner surface, and a longitudinal axis. The tubular body wall is split longitudinally along its length, at a first perimeter location on the tube. The tubular body wall is also cut longitudinally along its length, partially through its wall thickness from the inner surface, at one or more inner perimeter locations. The tubular body wall is further cut longitudinally along its length, partially through its wall thickness from the outer surface, at two or more outer perimeter locations. The longitudinal cuts enable a controlled collapse of the tubular body, which can be efficiently packaged for shipping. The collapsible product may be tubular fiberglass pipe insulation, or another kind of product.

Efficient packaging of pipe insulation or other materials

Embodiments of the invention provide a facer used as protective covering for an insulation product. The facer may include a metallic foil layer, a scrim layer, and a paper layer positioned adjacent the scrim layer. The facer may also include a polypropylene material forming a polypropylene layer positioned adjacent the paper layer and heat bonded to an exposed major surface of the paper layer such that a portion of the polypropylene extends into pores of the paper layer to assist in coupling the polypropylene material to the paper layer.

Paper-scrim-foil core having extruded polypropylene resin

A facing laminate for insulation products includes: a foil or metallized polymeric film sheet layer forming an inner layer of the laminate that is adapted be bonded directly to a surface of an insulation product; a paper composite sheet layer, which may include synthetic and/or inorganic fibers, forming an outer exposed layer of the laminate; and a scrim intermediate and bonded to the foil or metallized polymeric film sheet and paper composite sheet layers. The facing laminate may include a humectant and/or a water, oil, and/or grease repellant component. The paper composite sheet layer of the laminate exhibits greater dimensional stability and reduced wrinkling when the laminate is exposed to conditions of high humidity. Insulation products to be faced with this facing laminate include pipe insulation, duct board, duct wrap insulation, metal building insulation, and other building insulation products.

Facing and faced insulation products

A method for jacketing a product having a generally cylindrical outer surface locates a sheet of jacketing material on first and second belts for conforming the sheet of jacketing material to and pressing the sheet of jacketing material against the outer surface of the product and locates the product on the sheet of jacketing material. Preferably, the belts are mounted on frames that are pivoted from a first position where the sheet of jacketing material can be placed on the belts and the product can be placed on the sheet of jacketing material to a second position where the belts are each wrapped part of the way around the outer surface of the product while the product remains stationary to conform the sheet of jacketing material to and press the sheet of jacketing material against the outer surface of the product so that the sheet of jacketing material may be bonded to the outer surface of the product. When the frames are pivoted from the first position to the second position, the frames draw the belts over the sheet jacket with a force less than that required to crush the product and greater than that required to overcome friction between the belts and the sheet of jacketing material.

Growing community of inventors

Littleton, CO, United States of America

Edward Albert Bright