Method of making skid-resistant bed liner

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming a skid-resistant surface on a thermoformed object such as a bed liner. The method includes forming a blank of extruded plastic material, abrading the surface with a wire brush, reheating the blank and thermoforming the blank to open the abraded surface of the blank. The apparatus includes an extruder delivery mechanism delivering a blank of sheet material to a wire brush which is turned by an electric motor at a speed slightly greater and in the same direction as the travel of the blank under the roller.

What I claim is:  
     
         1 . A truck bed liner formed from a blank of thermoplastic material, the truck bed liner comprising: 
 a body produced by thermomolding, said body having a skid resistant surface, said surface having a plurality of indentations formed in the blank of thermoplastic material before the blank is thermomolded, said indentation opening during the thermomolding to produce the skid resistant surface.    
     
     
         2 . The truck bed liner of  claim 1 , wherein the indentations in the blank are formed after the blank has been extruded into a sheet.  
     
     
         3 . The truck bed liner of  claim 2 , wherein the indentations are formed by abrading the surface of the sheet with a wire brush.  
     
     
         4 . The bed liner of  claim 3 , wherein the wire brush is rotated at a predetermined rate of speed greater than a speed of travel of said sheet.