METHOD AND MEANS FOR HEAT BONDING

1286184 Bonding fabrics; seaming non- metallic sheet material D H J INDUSTRIES Inc 13 Nov 1970 [9 April 1970] 54187/70 Headings B5K and B5N A machine for bonding together pieces of fabric comprises a radiant heat emitting member, a support for supporting the fabrics to be bonded at a fixed distance from the heat emitting member and means for producing a to and fro movement of the heating emitting member and the support relative to each other whilst retaining the spacing between them. In Fig. 4 the machine comprises base portion 20, horizontal upper housing 21 supported on the base portion by vertical support housing 22, infra red heat tray 23 consisting of lamp support plate 25, lamps 26 and peripheral skirt 27 and vacuum member 24 having sides 53 forming chamber 54 which is closed at the top by member 55 having orifices of small diameter which communicate with a vacuum pump through duct 58 provided with a closure member in the form of piston 59, the fabrics to be bonded being placed on member 55 and covered by a protective covering mounted in a frame hinged to member 24. Bracket 28 mounted on top of plate 25 is attached to brackets 29 and 30 rigidly fastened at 31, the bracket 30 supporting two pairs of wheels 33 which ride on track projecting from the upper housing 21 substantially throughout its length so that when pneumatic cylinder 36 and its associated rod 38 pivotally connected at 40 to bracket 29 is actuated the heat tray is moved between the position shown and the position shown in broken lines above a platform coated with heat reflecting material and mounted on base portion 20. At the same time cylinder 37 and its associated rod 39 pivotally connected at 41 to closed end of housing 21 are used to provide slight oscillatory movement of heat tray 23 with respect to vacuum member 24 when the heat tray is in the bonding position. Shaft 42 is mounted vertically in housing 22 by bearings 43 and 44 so that its upper end is rigidly connected to upper housing 21 and its lower end projects into base portion 20 where it is rigidly attached to bracket 45 which is formed with a cylindrical end portion within which the end of shaft 42 is journalled and an elliptical end portion providing a channel which has its axis inclined to the axis of bracket 45 and into which pin 49 attached to rod 50 of pneumatic cylinder 51 by connector 52 so that movement of rod 50 back and forth results in movement of pin 49 and rotational movement of bracket 45 and shaft 42 resultin