System and method for coating paint-roller cover fabric in-line with a manufacturing process

Abstract

A paint roller manufacturing system includes a cover dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of paint roller cover fabric, a fabric supporting and advancing device for supporting the fabric and maintaining a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric as the fabric advances, a fabric coating applicator for applying a coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric while the fabric supporting and advancing device maintains the fabric in a width-wise dimension, and a compressing roller positioned downstream of the fabric coating applicator and configured to apply a compressive force on the coating after it has been applied to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric and while the fabric is supported by the fabric supporting and advancing device. In two-strip embodiments, first and second strip dispensers continuously dispense a first and second windable width of strip material. A guide system guides the first and second strip coming from the first and second strip dispensers to be wound about a mandrel and guides the coated paint roller cover fabric from the fabric supporting device to be wound about the first and second strips. An adhesive applicator is configured to apply adhesive on substantially all of the outer side of the first and second windable strips and positioned to apply adhesive to the outer side of the first and second windable strips upstream of a location where the coated paint roller cover fabric is wound about the first and second strips.

1 - 2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A paint roller manufacturing system comprising:
 cover dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of paint roller cover fabric, the paint roller cover fabric having a back side and an applicator side;   fabric supporting and advancing device configured to support the paint roller cover fabric as the paint roller cover fabric advances, back side up, across the fabric supporting device, and configured to maintain a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric across at least a portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device;   fabric coating applicator for applying a coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric, the fabric coating application positioned to apply the coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric at a location where the fabric supporting and advancing device maintains the width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric;   compressing roller positioned downstream of the fabric coating applicator and configured to apply a compressive force on the coating after it has been applied to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric and while the fabric is supported by the fabric supporting and advancing device;   a mandrel;   first and second strip dispensers for continuously dispensing a first and second windable width of strip material, each of the first and second windable strips of strip material having an inner side and an outer side;   guide system for guiding the first and second strip coming from the first and second strip dispensers to be wound about the mandrel and for guiding the coated paint roller cover fabric from the fabric supporting device to be wound about the first and second strips;   adhesive applicator configured to apply adhesive on substantially all of the outer side of the first and second windable strips and positioned to apply adhesive to the outer side of the first and second windable strips upstream of a location where the coated paint roller cover fabric is wound about the first and second strips; and   compressing and advancing device for applying inward pressure normal to the mandrel on the coated paint roller fabric cover after it is wound about the first and second strips, and for advancing the first and second windable strips and the coated paint roller fabric cover along the mandrel.   
     
     
         4 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 3 , further comprising an extrusion system for supplying the coating to the fabric coating applicator and supplying the adhesive to the adhesive applicator. 
     
     
         5 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the extrusion system comprises a Y-Adapter operably connected to an extruder. 
     
     
         6 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the extrusion system comprises a diversion device operably connected to an extruder. 
     
     
         7 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 3 , wherein the fabric supporting and advancing device is additionally configured to maintain a lengthwise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric for at least a portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device, and wherein the fabric coating applicator is configured to apply the coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric while the fabric supporting and advancing device is maintaining a lengthwise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric. 
     
     
         8 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the extrusion system comprises first and second extruders, the first extruder operably connected to the fabric coating applicator and the second extruder operably connected to the adhesive applicator. 
     
     
         9 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the extrusion system comprises an extruder configured to apply a material comprising a compound of polypropylene and calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         10 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 3 , wherein the fabric coating applicator is configured to apply a mesh of material to the paint roller cover fabric. 
     
     
         11 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 3 , wherein the fabric supporting and advancing device includes a perforation roller that can make perforations in the fabric and thus create spaces through which adhesive may flow. 
     
     
         12 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A paint roller manufacturing system comprising:
 cover dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of paint roller cover fabric, the paint roller cover fabric having a back side and an applicator side;
 fabric supporting and advancing device configured to support the paint roller cover fabric as the paint roller cover fabric advances, back side up, across the fabric supporting device, and configured to maintain a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric across at least a portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device; 
 fabric coating applicator for applying a coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric, the fabric coating application positioned to apply the coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric at a location where the fabric supporting and advancing device is maintaining a width-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric; 
 compressing roller positioned downstream of the fabric coating applicator and configured to apply a compressive force on the coating after it has been applied to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric and while the fabric is supported by the fabric supporting and advancing device; 
 a mandrel; 
 a strip dispenser for continuously dispensing a windable width of strip material having an inner side and an outer side; 
 guide system for guiding the windable strip coming from the strip dispenser to be wound about the mandrel and for guiding the coated paint roller cover fabric from the fabric supporting device to be wound about the windable strip; 
 adhesive applicator configured to apply adhesive on substantially all of the outer side of the windable strip upstream of a location where the coated paint roller cover fabric is wound about the windable strip; and 
 compressing and advancing device for applying inward pressure normal to the mandrel on the coated paint roller fabric cover after it is wound about the first and second strips, and for advancing the windable strip and the coated paint roller fabric cover along the mandrel. 
   
     
     
         24 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 23 , further comprising an extrusion system for supplying the coating to the fabric coating applicator and supplying the adhesive to the adhesive applicator. 
     
     
         25 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 24 , wherein the extrusion system comprises a Y-Adapter operably connected to an extruder. 
     
     
         26 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 23 , wherein the fabric supporting and advancing device is additionally configured to maintain a length-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric across at least a portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device, and wherein the fabric coating applicator is configured to apply the coating to the back side of the paint roller cover fabric at a location that the fabric supporting and advancing device is maintaining length-wise dimension of the paint roller cover fabric. 
     
     
         27 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 26 , wherein the at least a portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device where the lengthwise dimension of the paint roller fabric cover is maintained and the portion of the fabric supporting and advancing device where the widthwise dimension of the paint roller fabric cover is maintained overlap. 
     
     
         28 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 24 , wherein the extrusion system comprises a variable diversion device operably connected to an extruder. 
     
     
         29 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 28 , wherein the diversion device comprises a dynamically variable diversion device. 
     
     
         30 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 24 , wherein the extrusion system comprises first and second extruders, the first extruder operably connected to the fabric coating applicator and the second extruder operably connected to the adhesive applicator. 
     
     
         31 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 24 , wherein the extrusion system comprises an extruder configured to apply a material comprising polypropylene. 
     
     
         32 . The paint roller manufacturing system according to  claim 24 , wherein the extrusion system comprises an extruder configured to apply a material comprising a compound of thermoplastic and calcium carbonate.