Floor cleaning pad

Abstract

A reversible hard-floor cleaning pad for use with super high speed and ultra high speed machines. The pad includes a first porous non-woven air-layered web having an upper, floor-cleaning surface and an opposite lower surface. The upper cleaning surface is adapted to clean hard surface floors, such as wood or vinyl, when placed on the floor and rotated by a flooring machine about a vertical axis passing through the center of the first web at super high speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute. A second porous non-woven air-layered web having a lower, floor cleaning surface and an opposite upper surface is disposed parallel to and spaced from the first web with the first web lower surface facing the second web upper surface. The second web lower cleaning surface is also adapted to clean hard surface floors when placed on the floor and rotated at super high speeds. A flexible wet-laid non-woven strata layer having uniform directional strength and an upper layer surface and an opposite lower layer surface is positioned between the first and second webs. The first web lower surface is glued directly to the upper layer surface and the second web upper surface directly to the lower layer surface with an elastomer, resin-reinforced non-flammable adhesive. A multi-layer reversible pad is thereby formed having generally uniform strength in all horizontal directions thereby eliminating the tearing and shredding problem previously experienced. Also, a method for making this pad.

I claim: 
     
       1. A reversible hard-floor cleaning pad comprising: a first porous non-woven air-layered web having an upper, floor-cleaning surface and an opposing lower surface,   said first web upper cleaning surface being adapted to clean hard surface floors when placed on the floor and rotated about a vertical axis passing through the center of said first web at super high speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute,   a second porous non-woven air-layered web having a lower, floor cleaning surface and an opposite upper surface,   said second web lower cleaning surface being adapted to clean hard surface floors when placed on the floor and rotated about said vertical axis at super high speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute,   said second web being disposed parallel to and spaced from said first web with said first web lower surface facing said second web upper surface,   a flexible wet-laid nonwoven strata layer having uniform directional strength and an upper layer surface and an opposite lower layer surface,   said strata layer being disposed between said first web and said second web, and   a bonding means for bonding said first web lower surface directly to said upper layer surface and said second web upper surface directly to said lower layer surface,   said first web, said strata layer, said second web, and said bonding means defining a hard-floor cleaning pad having general uniform strength in all directions perpendicular to said vertical axis, so as not to distort at said super high speeds.   
     
     
       2. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first web having an air-layered shingled surface and an opposite non-shingled random fiber surface, and   said shingled surface being positioned so as to form said opposite lower surface.   
     
     
       3. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first web having a first longitudinal structural direction and a second longitudinal structural direction disposed perpendicular to said first direction and having at least 20% greater strength than the strength of said first direction.   
     
     
       4. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first web being coated with a thermo-set resin binder.   
     
     
       5. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, a connecting means for connecting said first web to a floor machine adapted to rotate said floor cleaning pad about said vertical axis at speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute with said second web lower surface engaging the hard surface floor in a rapid circular cleaning motion.   
     
     
       6. The floor cleaning pad of claim 5 including, said connecting means including a vertical opening passing through said first web, said strata layer, and said second web.   
     
     
       7. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first and second webs being formed of natural fibers.   
     
     
       8. The floor cleaning pad of claim 7 including, said natural fibers comprising pig bristle. 
     
     
       9. The floor cleaning pad of claim 7 including, said natural fibers comprising horse hair. 
     
     
       10. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first and second webs being formed of synthetic fibers.   
     
     
       11. The floor cleaning pad of claim 10 including, said synthetic fibers being selected from the group of nylon, polyester, and rayon.   
     
     
       12. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first and second webs each comprising non-woven high loft media.   
     
     
       13. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first and second webs being coated with a binder and with a resin.   
     
     
       14. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said strata layer being formed of paper. 
     
     
       15. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said strata layer being formed of a scrim material. 
     
     
       16. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said bonding means including styrene butadyne. 
     
     
       17. The floor cleaning paid of claim 1 including, said bonding means including an elastomer, resin-reinforced non-flammable adhesive.   
     
     
       18. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first web including a resin coating, and   said bonding means including said resin coating bonding the lower fibers of said first web lower surface directly to said upper layer surface.   
     
     
       19. The floor cleaning paid of claim 1 including, said first web being formed of natural fibers, and   said second web being formed of synthetic fibers.   
     
     
       20. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first and second webs being coated with a thermo-set resin binder system including a resin selected from the group of pheonilic resin, styrene butadyne, melomine and acrylics.   
     
     
       21. The floor cleaning pad of claim 1 including, said first web being coated with a resin mixed with an abrasive. .Iadd.   
     
     
       22.  A hard-floor cleaning pad comprising, a porous non-woven air-layered web having a lower, floor cleaning surface and an opposite upper surface,   said web lower cleaning surface being adapted to clean hard surface floors when placed on a floor and rotated about a vertical axis passing through the center of said web at speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute,   a flexible wet-laid non-woven strata layer having uniform directional strength, and a lower surface, and   means for bonding said upper web surface directly to said lower strata layer surface,   said web, strata layer and bonding means defining an article having general uniform strength in all directions perpendicular to said vertical axis so as not to distort upon rotation at said speeds. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 including,   said web having an air-layered shingled surface and an opposite non-shingled random fiber surface, and said shingled surface being positioned so as to form said upper surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 including,   said web having a first longitudinal structural direction and a second longitudinal structural direction disposed perpendicular to said first direction and having at least twenty percent greater strength than the   
     
     
        strength in said first direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25.  A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 including, means for connecting said web to a floor machine adapted to rotate said floor cleaning pad about said vertical axis at speeds of at least 1000 revolutions per minute with said web lower surface engaging the hard surface floor in a rapid circular cleaning motion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 wherein said web is formed of natural fibers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 wherein said web is formed of synthetic fibers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 wherein said web is formed of a non-woven high loft media. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 wherein said strata layer is formed of paper. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. A floor cleaning pad according to claim 22 wherein said strata layer is formed of a scrim material. .Iaddend.