WEATHERSEAL MANUFACTURE

GARNITURE D'ETANCHEITE

English Abstract

WEATHERSEAL MANUFACTURE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A weatherseal is made by preparing a long, thin
strip of pile material and cross-head extruding a resin
base having a relatively thick, generally flat support
portion formed on the back of the pile strip and a
relatively thin portion U-shaped in cross section and
joined to opposite side edge regions of one face surface
of the support portion while arching over the pile strip.
While the resin material is still plastic, a substantially
lower pressure is produced outside the U-shaped portion
than inside this portion to expand this portion away from
the support portion and reduce the thickness of the wall of
the U-shaped portion. The resin material is set with the
U-shaped portion expanded over the pile strip. The
result is one product of the invention. As an alternative,
a modified product can be obtained by cutting each side
of the U-shaped portion at the approximate height of
the pile from the support portion to leave a pair of
thin, spaced-apart resilient fins extending away from
the support portion on opposite sides of the pile strip.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A weatherseal making method comprising:
(a) preparing a long, thin strip of pile material;
(b) cross-head extruding a resin base having a
relatively thick, generally flat support portion formed on the
back of said pile strip and a relatively thin portion U-shaped
in cross section and joined to opposite side edge regions of o
face surface of said support portion and arching over said
pile strip;
(c) while said resin material is still plastic,
producing a substantially lower pressure outside said U-shaped
portion than inside said U-shaped portion to expand said
U-shaped portion away from said support portion and reduce
the thickness of the wall of said U-shaped portion; and
(d) setting said resin material with said U-shaped
portion expanded over said pile strip.
2. A weatherseal comprising:
(a) a relatively thick, flat resin base formed as
a long narrow strip;
(b) a long, narrow strip of pile material secured
to one face surface of said resin base and extending along
a longitudinal central region of said base; and
(c) a relatively thin-walled resin portion, U-shaped
in cross section, joined to opposite side edge regions of said
one face surface of said support portion and arching over said
strip of pile material.
3. The weatherseal of claim 2 wherein said U-shaped
portion is spaced away from said pile strip.

Description

~064328
This application is a division of application
Serial No. 217,611 filed January 9, 1975.
Pile weatherseals having associated sealing fins
runninq longitudinally with the pile material have generally
known advantages. Such sealing fins have been applied to
pile weatherseals in various ways, and they have been
located in the center of the pile, and along both side
edges of the pile. The invention involves recognition of
a simpler and more economical way of making a finned pile
weatherseal having fins extending along both side edges of
the pile. The invention aims at economy, faster and simpler
production methods, and quality construction of the
resulting weatherseal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
; To this end, the invention consists of a weather- -~
seal making method comprising: (a) preparing a long, thin
strip of pile material; (b) cross-head extruding a resin
base having a relatively thick, generally flat support portion
- formed on the back of said pile strip and a relativelythin portion U-shaped in cross section and joined to opposite
side edge regions of one face surface of said support portion
and arching over said pile strip; tc) while said resin
material is still plastic, producing a substantially lower
i pressure outside said U-shaped portion than inside said
U-shaped portion to expand said U-shaped portion away from
said support portion and reduce the thickness of the wall ~-
of said U-shaped portion; and (d) setting said resin material
.
, with said U-shaped portion expanded over said pile strip.
i~ Optionally, the invention may also include
cutting each side of said U-shaped portion at the approximate
` height of said pile from said support poxtion to leave a

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pair of thin, spaced-apart resilient fins extending away
from said support portion on opposite sides of said pile
strip.
In a product aspect, the invention consists of
a weatherseal comprising: (a) a relatively thick, flat
resin base formed as a long narrow strip; (b) a long,
narrow strip of pile material secured to one face surface
of said resin base and extending along a longitudinal
central region of said base; and (c) a relatively thin-
walled resin tube U-shaped in cross section and joined to
opposite side edge regions of said one face surface of
said support portion and arching over said strip of pile
material.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred
process for practicing the invention, also showing cross-
` sectional views of the product at each stage of the process;
and
Figs. 2 and 3 are end elevational views of
products.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
.. .. _ . . . _ . _ .. _ .. ...
`~ Fig. 1 shows a process for producing double-fin,
pile weatherseals such as shown in Figs. 2 or 3. ~The
; weatherseal includes a fibrous pile material, a fin on each
.
side of the pile, and a resin basel and is màde in indefinite
lengths that can be cut and fitted in place to meet many
weatherseal requirements. Such weatherseals are commonly
used around doors and windows, and the pile material provides
resilience and a low-friction, long-wear-life sealing
- 30 surface. The fins on opposite sides of the piles wipe
against the surface to be sealed and make the seal more


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10643Z8
airtight and watertight than pile alone could accomplish.
In the method of Fig. 1, a strip of pile material
19 having a base 20 is pre-prepared in device 21 in supply
lengths available for feeding to cross-head extruder 22 which
cross-head extrudes a base over pile 19. The base includes
relatively thick, flat support portion 11 and U-shaped
portion 12 secured to side edge regions 13 of support 11
and arching over pile 19. Then a pressure differential device
14 expands the U-shaped portion 12 to arch it higher over
pile 19 and reduce the thickness of the walls of the U-shaped
portion 12. Then cutting device 15 cuts U-shaped portion 12
as illustrated, to leave thln, resilient fins 16 on opposite
sides of pile material 19. jThe expansion of the U-shaped
portion 12 stretches the fins 16 to a resilient, thin sheet
form that is optimum for these fins 16 and is thinner than
could be practically extruded as an original shape.
Separate pile strips 24 with associated bases 25
as shown in Fig. 2 secured between fins 16 can be fed to a
cross-head extruder for practicing the method of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows a weatherseal 30 made according to
the cross-head extrusion method of Fig. 1 having support
portion 11 under base 20 of pile 19, and ~-shaped portion ~2
arching over pile 19, but without the cutting step. A
pressure differential is used to expand U-shaped portion 12
slightly above pile 19 as illustrated in Fig. 3 rather
than the substantially greater expansion illustrated in the
method of Fig. 1, and then the U-shaped portion 12 is left
uncut in the final weatherseal 30 so that this U-shaped
portion 12 provides a low-friction sealing engagement surface
with high resiliency to accommodate various sealing surfaces,
and pile 19 provides resilient support preventing the
U-shaped portion 12 from collapsing. The U-shaped portion

; 12 then need be expanded only slightly to clear pile 19
^- by a small amount to produce the desired flexibility, and
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the U-shaped portion 12 makes the pile 19 airtight and
watertight and provides a highly resilient surface to be
pressed against a surface to be sealed by the resilience of
the supporting pile 19. The mentod of Fig. 1 with a slight
modification then produces a new weatherseal 30 having many
of the advantages of resilient pile and added advantages
from enclosing the pile in the resilient, U-shaped portion
12.
Persons wishing to practice the invention should
remember that other embodiments and variations can be
adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point
of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining
the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related
embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this
; application but falling within the spirit of the invention.
For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate the
many variations in materials, structures, and method steps
that can be made in putting the inventive method into
practice.




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