Armstrong World Industries, Inc.

Armstrong Cork Company

Richard M Ringer

Walter J Lewicki, Jr

John S Forry

William M McQuate

Stephen E Becker

Edwin J Quinn

Michael E Buckwalter

William C Dorsey

Harry F Long

Thomas C Creighton

Manuel A Velez

Vinyl heat welding rod for seam sealing vinyl resilient flooring, whether in sheet or tile form, are used to obtain a homogeneous, monolithic appearing surface. This rod is specifically made to duplicate the appearance of the flooring material. For a chip-image flooring structure, a sheet of multicolored chips having a similar, but different formulation from that of the flooring material is prepared and the sheet is cut into suitable strips, heat pressed in a rod mold, end adhered or further molded to form the desired length, and used as a vinyl heat welding rod for sealing seams in flooring. Thus, the chip pattern is evident in the seam area and does not appear different when compared to the adjacent surface.

Patterned heat welding rod for seaming resilient flooring

The process for making a dimensionally stable, embossed, ornamented surface covering suitable for use as a floor or wall tile, involving, inter alia, laminating and embossing a resinous thermoplastic top layer having a plurality of openings extending through its thickness to allow the escape of air and extending to base material or substrate of pre-formed, low-density, reinforced, porous thermoplastic material. The base material may include hollow non-thermoplastic particles. The composite structure is subjected to heat and pressure in a flatbed press to emboss the structure without deformation, fuse the resins and render the top layer substantially impermeable. The improvement comprises the use of a rigid vinyl wear layer in a two step embossing operation involving a first embossing step in a heated press and immediately thereafter a second embossing step in a cooled press. The improvement also comprises partly providing a second resinous thermoplastic layer between the top layer and the base material, the second layer being capable of allowing passage of air through its thickness during the embossing and fusion step, and being adapted to soften and flow before the top layer does, thereby assuring complete closure of all openings in the top layers of the product.

Ornamented tile surface covering

The process for making a dimensionally stable, embossed, ornamented surface covering suitable for use as a floor or wall tile, involving, laminating and embossing a resinous thermoplastic top layer having a plurality of openings extending through its thickness to allow the escape of air and extending to a base material or substrate of pre-formed, low-density, reinforced, porous thermoplastic material. The composite structure is subjected to heat and pressure in a flatbed press to emboss the structure without deformation, fuse the resins and render the top layer substantially impermeable. The improvement comprises the use of a rigid vinyl wear layer in a two step embossing operation involving a first embossing step in a heated press and immediately thereafter a second embossing step in a cooled press. The improvement also comprises partly providing a second resinous thermoplastic layer between the top layer and the base material, the second layer being capable of allowing passage of air through its thickness during the embossing and fusion step, and being adapted to soften and flow before the top layer does, thereby assuring complete closure of all openings in the top layers of the product.

Process for making a stress-free embossed and ornament surface covering

A stress-free embossed, ornamented surface covering, suitable for use as a floor or wall tile, is made by: providing a decorated resinous film on a release carrier, with the decorated surface of the film facing away from the carrier; providing on a release carrier a pre-formed, low-density, reinforced, porous thermoplastic base material, which may include hollow, non-thermoplastic particles; interfacing the decorated surface of the film with the top surface of the base material; perforating the film, after removal of the release carriers; and, subjecting the structure to high frequency electrical energy and pressure in a flatbed press having a cooled embossing plate and a cooled back-up plate, to emboss the structure, fuse the resins and render the film substantially impermeable. The film may be die cut in register with the decoration thereon while it is on the release carrier, without cutting the carrier, prior to lamination of the film to similarly cut and shaped pieces of the base material or, the base material and the decorated film thereon may be simultaneously cut in register with the decoration after removal of the release carriers. An adhesive coating and a releasable paper may be applied to the back of the product to facilitate installation thereof on a surface upon removal of the paper.

Stress-free, embossed, ornamented tile surface covering and process for

The invention is directed to a process for printing floor tile. The transfer sheet containing the design to be placed upon the floor tile is utilized as the carrier for the floor tile as it passes through the processing operation. The floor tile is positioned upon the transfer sheet in register with the design on the transfer sheet. The tile is held in position on the transfer sheet by static electricity and is fed between laminated rolls which laminate the transfer sheet to the floor tile. Subsequent removal of the transfer sheet from the floor tile leaves the design of the transfer sheet on the surface of the floor tile.

Transfer printing floor tile

The process and apparatus herein is used for achieving multilevel mechanical embossing of a fused or cured wear layer in register with a print on an expanded foam thereunder. The expansion of the decorative foam and fusion of the wear layer are carried out and then the back of the foam is cooled by wetting and liquid evaporation. The wear layer is maintained at a high temperature for embossing and is embossed with registry between the embossed pattern and the printed pattern on the foam. Just prior to embossing, the decorative foam-wear layer web is wrapped around the backup roll of the embossing apparatus, and after embossing, is wrapped partially around the embossing roll of the embossing apparatus.

Multilevel embossing of foamed-sheet materials -- II

The process herein is used for achieving multilevel mechanical embossing of a fused or cured wear layer in register with a print on an expanded foam thereunder. The expansion of the decorative foam and fusion of the wear layer are carried out and then the back of the foam is cooled by wetting and liquid evaporation. The wear layer is maintained at a high temperature for embossing and is embossed with registry between the embossed pattern and the printed pattern on the foam. Just prior to embossing, the decorative foam-wear layer web is wrapped around the backup roll of the embossing apparatus, and after embossing, is wrapped partially around the embossing roll of the embossing apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Lancaster, PA, United States of America

Richard M Ringer