EDGE-REINFORCED FOLDED GLASS WOOL INSULATION LAYERS

NATTES DE LAINE DE VERRE ISOLANTE PLIEES ET A BORDURES RENFORCEES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A strip of reinforcing material is applied to an
edge portion of a glass wool thermal insulation blanket. In
a folded, two-layer unit, the reinforcing strip is applied
to a major surface of one of the layers on an edge portion
opposite the fold.

Claims

C L A I M S
1. A thermal insulation unit comprising a blanket
of unfaced glass wool insulation which is folded into two or
more layers and is adapted to be unfolded into the full size
of said blanket, each of said layers having a density of
less than one pound per cubic foot and a width sufficient to
render the layer subject to being torn apart when handled by
a longitudinal edge portion thereof, and a strip of
reinforcing material adhered to a longitudinal edge portion
of one of the major surfaces of one of said layers, said
strip of reinforcing material being spaced transversely of
the layer from the fold in the blanket, the glass wool of
said layers being exposed at all surface areas, when the
layers of the unit are in the unfolded condition, except
where covered by said strip of reinforcing material, and
said reinforcing material preventing the layer to which it
is attached from being torn apart when handled by the
longitudinal edge portion thereof having said strip of
reinforcing material thereon.
2. A thermal insulation unit as claimed in claim
1 wherein said strip of reinforcing material is kraft paper.
3. A thermal insulation unit as claimed in claim
1 wherein said one major surface of said one layer is an
outer surface facing away from the other of said layers when
the layers of the unit are in the folded condition.
4. A thermal insulation unit as claimed in claim
1 wherein said one major surface of said one layer is an
inner surface facing toward the other of said layers when
the layers of the unit are in the folded condition.
5. A thermal insulation unit as claimed in claim
1 including a strip of reinforcing material adhered to the

other major surface of said one layer along a free
longitudinal edge portion thereof spaced transversely of the
layer from the fold in the blanket.
6. In a thermal insulation unit comprising a
blanket of unfaced glass wool insulation which is folded
into two or more layers and is adapted to be unfolded into
the full size of said blanket, each of said layers having a
density of less than one pound per cubic foot, the
improvement comprising a strip of reinforcing material
adhered to at least one of the major surface longitudinal
edges of one of said layers opposite the folded edge
associated with said one layer to substantially reduce the
tendency of the layer having the reinforcing strip from
otherwise being torn apart when handled by that edge.
7. The insulation unit of claim 6 wherein each
layer has a strip of reinforcing material adhered to a major
surface longitudinal edge.
8. The insulation unit of claim 6 wherein the
reinforcing strip wraps around the longitudinal edge so that
the strip is adhered to both major surfaces of the layer.
9. A thermal insulation unit comprising:
first and second elongate layers of glass wool
insulation, each of said layers having a density of about
less than one pound per cubic foot, and the layers being
joined along a common longitudinal edge at a hinge-like
fold; and
a strip of reinforcing material adhered to a minor
portion of a major surface longitudinal edge of the first
layer opposite edge region associated with the fold, the
surfaces of the first and second layers being exposed glass
wool except for the minor portions of the surfaces joined to
the reinforcement strip, the reinforcement strip being
effective to substantially reduce the tendency of the first
layer to be otherwise torn apart when handled by that edge.
10. The insulation unit of claim 9 wherein a
reinforcement strip is adhered to a minor portion of a major
surface lateral edge opposite said fold.

Description

21772D
131~660
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S P E C I F I C A _ I O N
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Be it known that we, JULIA A. STAHL, a citizen of
the United States of America residing at Granville, in the
County of Licking and State of Ohio, and RIC~IARD F. HAYDEN,
a citizen of the United States of America residing at
l5 Zanesville, in the County of Muskingum and State of Ohio,
~i have invented certain new and useful improvements in
~j EDGE-REINFORCED FOLDED GLASS WOOL INSULATION LAYERS, of
which the following is a specification.
TECHNICAL FIELD
! 20 This invention relates generally to glass wool -
thermal insulation blankets, and more particularly to
~ insulation blankets for insulating wide spaces. Such
- 3 blankets may be manufactured and shipped as either two
ayers hinged along one edge of each layer, or folded to
~i z5 orm two layers.
BACKGROUND ART
U.S. Patent No. 4,006,079 shows single-layer glass ~
wool material for use in soaking up oil spills. The ~-
material is reinforced across its full width with scrim.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION -
In accordance with the invention, two or more
3 opposed glass wool insulation layers are provided by folding
a blanket of unfaced glass wool insulation. At least one of
the layers is provided with reinforcing material along an
, 35 edge opposite the fold on at least one surface of the layer.
-~i BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
' The invention is more fully explained hereinafter,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:
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21772D 2 131~660
..
1 FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of two
layers of glass wool insulation joined by a fold along one
edge, one layer being reinforced along an edge opposite the
fold on an outer surface in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is an end view of an alternative embodiment
of the invention;
FIG. 3 is an end view of another alternative
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is an end view of still another alternative
l0 embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is an end view of yet another alternative
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is an end view of an embodiment of the
invention having three layers.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
-, With reference to the drawings, each of FIGS. 1-4
:2i shows two layers 30 and 32 of glass wool insulation joined
together along one edge by a hinge-like fold 34.
In FIG. 1, a reinforcing strip 36, preferably made
20 of kraft paper, is adhered by adhesive 37 to an outer
surface of the layer 30, i.e., the surface thereof facing
away from the layer 32, along an edge portion thereof
,~ opposite the fold 34. -
In FIG. 2, a reinforcing strip 38 is adhered to an --
inner surface of the layer 30, i.e., the surface thereof
~ facing toward ~he layer 32, along an edge portion thereof
;~ opposite the fold 34. Unlike the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 1, the strip 38 is adhered to the same surface of layer -
30 as the inner portion of the fold 34. ~:
i 30 In FIG. 3, a reinforcing strip 40 is wrapped over
and adhered to an edge portion of the layer 30 opposite the
~l fold 34, covering the edge portion on inner and outer
surfaces of the layer 30. Here again, as clearly shown in
FIG. 3, one portion of the reinforcing strip 40 is applied
to the same surface layer 30 as the inner portion of the --
, fold 34.
'~i In FIG. 4, a reinforcing strip 42 is adhered to an
outer surface of the layer 30 along an edge portion thereof
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21772D 3
131~0
. ~
1 opposite the fold 34, and a reinforcing strip 44 is adhered
to an inner surface of the layer 32 along an edge portion
thereof opposite the fold 34, but on the same surface as the
inner portion of the fold.
While the invention is particularly advantageous
for folded, two-layer glass wool insulation, it is also
applicable to single layers or multiple layers. FIG. 5
shows a single layer 46 of glass wool insulation having a
reinforcing strip 48 adhered to an edge portion of one of
10 its major surfaces.
FIG. 6 shows a blanket folded into three layers
50, 52 and 54, thereby defining folds 56 and 58. Layer 50
has reinforcing strip 60 to enable unfolding the blanket
without pulling apart the glass wool.
The strips 36, 38, 42, 44, 48 and 60, may be about
`, six inches to twelve inches wide and may be made of
I materials other than kraft paper, such as kraft
', paper-aluminum foil laminate, kraft paper-scrim-aluminum
foil laminate, spun-bonded polyethylene, or plain scrim.
' 20 Unrestrained glass wool insulation normally has a -
density of less than one pound per cubic foot and large
pieces are subject to being torn apart when handled by their
edge portions. This problem is especially acute when layers
such as layers 30 and 32 are unfolded about the fold 34 to
25 provide a single layer twice as wide, for example, about
twelve feet wide. As shown in the drawings, the glass wool ~
is exposed at all surface areas of the blanket or layers of -
insulation except where covered by the reinforcing strip. ;
The tearing problem is alleviated by the reinforcing strips.
Various modifications may be made in the structure
~ shown and described without departing from the spirit and -~
-~ scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. -
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Representative Drawing