Walk Off Mats Limited

Milliken + Co

Terence Michael Hedley

Kimberly C Gillis

Ernest G Stringer

Roy P Demott

A mat has fabric layer ( ) and a rubber backing ( ) bonded to the fabric layer. The fabric layer ( ) includes a microknitted plush polyester fabric that is chemically treated to render it hydrophilic. The fabric layer ( ) may also have a textured surface that includes raised and/or recessed surface formations ( ).

Mat and method of manufacturing a mat

The invention provides a process for making a mat particularly a washable dust control mat, having a fabric layer and a rubber backing layer with a border extending beyond the fabric layer using a press which heat-cures the rubber and adheres it to the fabric and employs an inflatable bag to apply pressure by pressing the layers against a heated platen, wherein a frame defining the extent of the border is located between the bag and the platen, and wherein the bag applies pressure to the assembled layers including the border portion of the backing layer. The frame can act as a dam for preventing outward movement of the rubber and provide an integral thickened border; in some cases it also provides a guillotine for trimming the rubber during pressing.

Mat manufacture

The invention provides a process for making a mat particularly a washable dust control mat, having a fabric layer (,) and a rubber backing layer (,) with a border (,) extending beyond the fabric layer (,) using a press which heat-cures the rubber and adheres it to the fabric and employs an inflatable bag (,) to apply pressure by pressing the layers against a heated platen (,), wherein a frame (,) defining the extent of the border (,) is located between the bag and the platen, and wherein the bag applies pressure to the assembled layers including the border portion of the backing layer. The frame (,) can act as a dam for preventing outward movement of the rubber and provide an integral thickened border; in some cases it also provides a guillotine for trimming the rubber during pressing.

Manufacture of mat with thickened peripheral edges

A non-slip floor mat combination for use on pile-carpeted surfaces comprises a flexible, rubber-backed mat having a substantially flat preferably ultra smooth backing surface, and an anchoring component designed to be detachably secured through its lower surface to pile carpeting and having a substantially flat preferably ultra smooth upper surface designed to contact the backing surface of the mat and to restrict lateral movement of the mat relative to the anchoring component solely due to frictional resistance to relative movement between the two substantially flat surfaces in contact with one another.

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Bedfordshire, United Kingdom

Terence Michael Hedley