3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Stephen J Yoos

Robert A Follensbee

Gary L Heacox

Douglas C Hunt

Donna Wendeln Bange

Ann M Hawkins

Jens L Jorgensen

Ross A Brown

Richard V Kopel

An apparatus and method for forming an endless spiral wound abrasive article and the resulting article. The apparatus includes first and second spaced-apart hubs, configured so that a portion of first and second webs passing between the first hub and the second hub is oriented substantially in a plane which remains stationery even if a position of a hub is changed. The apparatus further includes winders and a web joiner. The method includes providing a second web which includes an adhesive disposed on a first surface and a liner releasably affixed to the adhesive. The method includes removing the liner from the second web before positioning the second web adjacent the first web. The first and second webs are wound about the first and second hubs to form a spiral wound article having a desired circumference.

Apparatus and method for forming a spiral wound abrasive article, and the resulting article

A spiral wound abrasive belt is formed from an abrasive media including a plurality of webs. The webs of the abrasive media may include coated abrasives joined by splicing media or other suitable joining material. Alternatively, the webs may include individual single or multiple layers that form a coated abrasive simultaneously along with the spiral belt without the use of additional joining material. A method of forming the spiral belt includes draping the abrasive media over a fixed hub at an angle to form the spiral belt while abutting the edges of the outermost web and overlapping the outermost web and adjacent web or webs. Heat and pressure may be applied to the joined edges to form a strong bond along the spiral seam. Another method includes introducing the webs forming the abrasive media at an angle and draping the webs over a fixed hub. The abrasive media may then be passed around an adjustable hub that provides tension in the spiral belt while allowing for different circumferentially sized belts. Continuous feeding of the input abrasive media or webs will result in a spiral belt of ever increasing width that may subsequently be slit to a desired width.

Spiral wound abrasive belt and method

A coated abrasive product having a backing bearing abrasive grains on one major surface thereof and a pressure-sensitive adhesive, coatable from water, on the other major surface thereof. The pressure-sensitive adhesive can be used to secure the coated abrasive to a support pad or back-up pad. The support pad provides the coated abrasive with the necessary foundation during abrading operations. The pressure-sensitive adhesives of this invention can adequately secure the coated abrasive to the support pad even at high rotation speeds and at high grinding pressures. Previously known pressure-sensitive adhesives for coated abrasives that are coatable from water were unable to provide this property.

Method of preparing a coated abrasive article

Growing community of inventors

Andover, MN, United States of America

Stephen J Yoos