Drywall finishing trim having fiber covering fabricated with strengthening compound

Abstract

A drywall trim device incorporating a core covered on the exterior by a cover strip fabricated from fibers mixed with a strengthening compound to fill the interstices formed between the fibers. The method of the invention may involve mixing the strengthening compound with the fibers in a beating process, rolling the fiber and compound into a film or layer to fill the interstices between the fibers.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A drywall trim device for drywall construction, comprising: 
 an elongated core having an outwardly facing bonding surface;    a covering strip including a plurality of flexible fibers formed with interstices therebetween and a strengthening compound intermingled with the fibers during the manufacturing of the strip to substantially occupy the interstices; and    a bond bonding the covering strip to the bonding surface.    
     
     
         2 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the strengthening compound also encapsulates the fibers during the manufacturing of the strip.  
 
     
     
         3 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the fibers are cellulose.  
 
     
     
         4 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the fibers are synthetic.  
 
     
     
         5 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the covering strip includes a plurality of layers.  
 
     
     
         6 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the covering strip includes three layers.  
 
     
     
         7 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the covering strip is formed with a predetermined thickness; and  
 the strengthening compound substantially occupies the interstices to a substantially uniform concentration throughout the thickness.  
 
     
     
         8 . The drywall trim device of  claim 7  wherein: 
 the strengthening compound also encapsulates the fibers to a substantially uniform concentration throughout the thickness.  
 
     
     
         9 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the core is metal.  
 
     
     
         10 . The drywall trim device of  claim 9  wherein: 
 the metal is galvanized steel.  
 
     
     
         11 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the strengthening compound is latex.  
 
     
     
         12 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the bond is glue.  
 
     
     
         13 . The drywall trim device of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the bond is defined by a self-adhesive surface that is integral to the strip.  
 
     
     
         14 . A drywall trim comprising: 
 an elongated core having an outer surface;    a covering strip fabricated by mixing fibers during the manufacturing process with means for inhibiting the contraction of such strip at elevated temperatures; and    a bond bonding the strip to the outer surface.    
     
     
         15 . The drywall trim of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the strip is formed with the fibers forming interstices therebetween, and includes filler means for substantially occupying the interstices.  
 
     
     
         16 . A drywall trim comprising: 
 a core having an outer surface;    a covering strip including bonded fiber segments formed with interstices therebetween, the covering strip being fabricated by mixing the fiber segments during the manufacturing process with a filler means for inhibiting the concentration of moisture in the interstices; and    a bonding means for bonding the covering strip to the outer surface.    
     
     
         17 . The drywall trim of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the filler means further inhibits the contraction of the strip relative to the core upon exposure to a reduced humidity environment.  
 
     
     
         18 . The drywall trim of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the filler means further inhibits the contraction of the strip relative to the core upon exposure to an increased temperature environment.  
 
     
     
         19 . The drywall trim of  claim 18  wherein: 
 the fiber segments are mixed during the manufacturing process with an encapsulating means for encapsulating the fiber segments.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a drywall trim for use in drywall construction, including: 
 selecting a metallic core having an outer surface;    manufacturing a material layer that includes fibers formed with interstices therebetween by mixing the fibers with a strengthening compound that substantially occupies the interstices;    making a covering strip from the material layer; and    adhering the strip to the outer surface to provide a cover to the core.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  that further includes: 
 mixing the fibers with a strengthening compound that encapsulates the fibers.  
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  that further includes: 
 manufacturing multiple material laminations of said fibers mixed with said strengthening compound; and  
 combining such laminations to form said layer.  
 
     
     
         23 . A drywall trim device for dry wall construction prepared by a process, including the following steps: 
 selecting a metallic core having an outer surface;    manufacturing a material that includes a strengthening compound and bonded cellulose fibers formed with interstices therebetween by mixing the strengthening compound with the fibers to substantially occupy the interstices;    making a covering strip from the material; and    adhering the strip to the outer surface.    
     
     
         24 . The drywall trim device of  claim 23  wherein: 
 the strengthening compound is mixed with the fibers to encapsulate the fibers.  
 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing a covering strip to cover a predetermined surface area of a drywall trim core, including: 
 selecting cellulose fibers;    selecting a strengthening compound;    mixing the fibers together to form interstices therebetween and with the strengthening compound to form a mixture with the strengthening compound substantially filling the interstices;    forming the mixture into a sheet; and    cutting the covering strip from the sheet to a size to cover the predetermined area.