Ultrafab, Inc.

Tsuchiya Tsco Co., Ltd.

James V Albanese

Daniel W Richter

Alan J Demello

Robert C Horton

Grant E Wylie

Thongdy Chanthabane

Masaru Nakayama

Toyohiro Kanzaki

David N Hawkins

Takashi Kawashita

Alan J DeMello

Grant E c/o Ultrafab Inc Wylie

Daniel W c/o Ultrafab Inc Richter

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

Pile weatherstripping, which is clad with a wrapping of a film () of flexible material, has one or more rows () of pile () on a backing () in side-by-side relationship. The wrapping film material conforms to the outside surface of the row () of pile so as to define a bulb or bulbs which are completely filled with pile. Single row () pile weatherstripping is made by wrapping the pile () with the film material () after first ultrasonically welding the film material along one edge thereof to the backing () under the pile. Then, the film material () may be bent around the pile as it moves through a guide (). The film material () is then attached along the opposite edge to the backing thereof so as to completely enclose and clad the row () of weatherstripping. The film material may be wrapped around one row () of two adjacent rows () of pile () and attached to the backing (), leaving the other row () unclad. The film material () may be wrapped separately around adjacent rows and attached to the backing () to provide two clad rows () of weatherstripping. By selection of the porosity of the film material () and the density of the pile (), weatherstripping having desired compressibility and air and water infiltration control properties may be produced.

Wrapped pile weatherstripping and methods of making same

Weatherseals are provided by a pair of base members which may be attached to a pile formed by winding fibers around a band as the band travels along an endless path. A section of the pile on one side of the endless band is cut to provide cut pile section and a continuous pile section. The continuous pile section forms the bow, arch or loop by disposing the base members in side-by-side, back-to-back, or perpendicular relationship. The cut pile section may be removed at the base members or halves of the cut pile section maybe left in place. The cut pile section halves and the outside surface of the bow, arch, or ioop may be attached by base members to a member, such as by adhesive or via one or more T-shaped slots, that is in sealing relationship with another member and engagable therewith to provide a resilient seal.

Weatherseals

Pile weatherstripping is provided by a flat pile of strands which are tensioned to spring outwardly to straight condition to provide a pile weatherstrip, when bent and inserted into a T-slot or other kerf in a member such as a window or door frame or sash. The tendency of the bent parts of the pile to spring away from each other facilitates retention of the pile after insertion into the slot. A locking fin, more rigid than the pile, is preferably used. This locking fin engages steps or edges in the throat of the slot thereby impeding withdrawal of the weatherstripping from the slot. One or more barrier fins may also be assembled with the strands constituting the flat pile. The pile can be operated in bending mode or in columnar compression (crushing mode). Bending mode operation can be over a bending range so as to accommodate a large range of clearance between a sash and a frame or other members which are sealed by the pile weatherstripping. Parts of the pile can have desired lateral spacing and angular orientation with respect to each other (contour) by using spacing and/or contour forming elements assembled with the flat pile. Since the pile is flat until installed, it is readily wound on reels for shipment and storage until installation. Installation may be accomplished by a roller which pushes the flat pile into the slot. The slot may be disposed at an angle or in a corner of the member to be sealed and facilitates sealing around the entire perimeter of a surface to be sealed such as the exterior surfaces of a window sash or a frame in which this sash is movable.

Pile weatherstripping

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.

Apparatus for installing weatherstripping into frames

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Lyons, NY, United States of America

James V Albanese