The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 29, 1989
Filed:
Feb. 22, 1988
Scott Rafferty, Dover, NH (US);
Davidson Textron Inc., Dover, NH (US);
Abstract
A method for forming finished coverstocks includes automatically heating and indexing slightly overlapped rough seams of coverstock segments with respect to a single thermoforming tool that automatically opens and closes to vacuum fold the rough seams interiorly of the tool and thereafter the folds are pinched to form a finished styling line on the class A surface of the coverstock. An apparatus is provided in which a single thermoforming tool has relatively moveable mold parts that shape the coverstock and include an expandable joint line configured to fold the rough seams and further including slide members responsive to closure of the mold parts to provide space to accommodate the fold for pinching it off with respect to the class A surface. The product of the invention includes multiple coverstocks with finished styling lines formed by pinched off folds on the hidden side of the coverstock.