Method and Apparatus to Produce Stretchable Products

Abstract

The invention provides methods and apparatus for producing flexible, stretchable, and/or elastic products comprised principally of material such as natural elastomers and other synthetic polymers. The method and apparatus for producing stretchable products by spraying product material over a workpiece former, and method and apparatus for creating perforated products by spraying product material over a perforated surface or partly breathable surface, The invention also provides methods and apparatus for making double sided fibre coating of the product and, or to at least coating the product surface on the side facing the wall without the need for removing the product from the wall. The method and apparatus also enable easy removal of the product from the former. Workpiece formers are also provided.

1 - 100 . (canceled) 
     
     
         101 . An apparatus for producing a stretchable removable workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
 (a) A workpiece former;   (b) a controllable spraying system for spraying wetting agent or product material onto the former, the spraying system comprising a plurality of spraying guns for spraying the same or different materials;   (c) a positioning device associated with the spraying system, or with the workpiece former or with both, wherein the positioning device adjusts the relative position between the workpiece former and the spraying system; and   (d) a flocking sprayer or flocking machine   
     
     
         102 . The apparatus according to  claim 101 , wherein the positioning device is a robot. 
     
     
         103 . The apparatus according to  claim 101 , wherein the spraying system comprises at least one electrostatic-based sprayer. 
     
     
         104 . The apparatus according to  claim 101  or  103  wherein at least one spraying gun is used to spray the wetting agent, and at least one sprayer is used to spray the product material. 
     
     
         105 . The apparatus according to  claim 101 , wherein the workpiece former is a two-dimensional former or a three-dimensional former. 
     
     
         106 . The apparatus according to  claims 101  and  105 , wherein the workpiece former further comprises a porous or a breathable material or at least one breathable component. 
     
     
         107 . The apparatus according to anyone of  claims 101 ,  105  and  106  wherein the workpiece former further comprises a single perforation or a plurality of perforations. 
     
     
         108 . The Apparatus according to anyone of  claim 101 ,  105 ,  106 , or  107 , wherein the former is a conveyer belt. 
     
     
         109 . The apparatus according to  claim 101 , further comprising:
 (i) a processor;   (ii) A memory; and   (iii) A set of instructions executable by the processor, during the spraying process, to adjust at least one of:   a) the relative position of the sprayer to the workpiece former;   b) the effective distance from at least one sprayer to the workpiece former;   c) the relative angle between at least one sprayer to the workpiece former;   d) the fan pattern;   e) the amounts of sprayed material delivered per unit of time; or   f) material atomization.