Scour Pad And Method Of Making The Scour Pad

Abstract

A method of making a scour pad from a length of tubular plastic fabric netting characterized by the wrinkling or the rucking of said fabric into a heap, folding a portion of said fabric back over and enveloping said rucked heap, and maintaining the resulting spherical-like heap or bun shape by means of two incorporated rubber bands; and the provision of a specific stepped mandrel means for practising said method.

Description

Prior art methods of forming toroidal shaped scour pads from tubular netting involve essentially rolling the ends of said tubular netting back annularly upon itself to form annular rolls. Such methods require a tedious, painstaking, and careful manipulation of the fingers.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a facile method, for persons inept and unskilled, to easily and readily perform the manipulations necessary to make scour pads from tubular netting; and to provide a simple apparatus on which to perform said method.

An object of this invention is the provision of a novel wrinkling or rucking method of making a scour pad from tubular netting, whereby the tubular netting is collapsed axially upon itself.

Other specific features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an elevation view of the apparatus used in practising the method;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a cavity forming plate moved downwardly against the tension of a spring, thereby forming a cavity with the associated tubular mandrel;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are fractional elevation views of the stepped mandrel schematically illustrating the tubular netting in the successive stages in the process of making the present improved scour pad;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the scour pad made in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a modification, similar to FIG. 3, wherein the spring means is omitted.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a stepped mandrel means, generally indicated at 10, designed to facilitate practising the method, comprising a base plate 11, an upright hollow cylindrical main mandrel 12 mounted on said base plate by any means such as welds 13. The upper end of said mandrel 12 is provided with an inwardly projecting stop flange 14. Suitably spaced from said stop flange 14 is a horizontal support deck 15 secured to the inner periphery of said mandrel 11 as by means of welds 16, thereby forming an upwardly open cavity or recess in the upper end portion of said mandrel.

An upright auxiliary mandrel or spindle 17, coaxially disposed relative to main mandrel 12, is mounted on bottom or support deck 15 and threadedly engaged therein as indicated at 18.

A compression spring 19 circumvents said spindle 17 and is supported on said deck 15.

An annular bearing plate 21, supported on spring 19, likewise circumvents said spindle 17, and is urged against stop flange 14 by said spring 19 suitably initially tensioned. Said spring loaded bearing plate is slidably movable downwardly, see FIG. 4, against the tension of spring 19, to a displaced dotted line position 21', by a force acting on the top of said bearing plate as indicated by arrow 22 and as hereinafter described.

For practising the method of this invention, a suitable length and diameter of a tubular woven, knitted, netted, or meshed fabric, or the like, of any material suitable for the intended purpose is provided. Said tubular fabric being preferably an integrally extruded plastic netting, the inner periphery inherently having sharp edges and the outer periphery having relatively smooth edges. A polypropylene type of plastic netting has been found suitable, but the invention is not limited thereto. Such tubular fabricated plastic netting is provided in a condensed or closed-weave, i.e., very narrow diamond mesh condition, rolled flat on a spool in what is called "rope" form, which when expanded circumferentially or distended beyond its elastic limit forms an open-weave mesh fabric the filaments, or threads thereof, crossing each other at substantially right angle.

While a tubular netted fabric is preferred, the invention is not limited thereto, for tubular fabrics whether netted or not may be used.

To make a scour pad by the method of this invention, by hand only, that is without the use of mandrel means, one first takes up a suitable predetermined length of the aforesaid "rope" or tubular net fabric generally indicated at 26, in hand, and slips a first resilient annular element or rubber band 23 over and around said fabric encircling it at substantially the mid-point or middle portion thereof, said rubber band having a normal untensed circumference considerably smaller than the circumference of said fabric, whereby the contraction of said rubber band gathers together said fabric at said mid-point to provide a bottom surface, side, or wall for said pad as hereinafter described. The length of the fabric is thus divided into two oppositely extending half portions, an upper half section 27 and a lower half section 28. However, the invention is not limited to disposing the first rubber band at the middle portion thereof, for it is within the concept of this invention to dispose the first rubber band at other points along the length of the fabric suitable for the intended purpose.

The above operations may be facilitated by first drawing the tubular fabric member over a supporting mandrel means, such as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing. This is accomplished by stretching and opening one end of the tubular fabric "rope" into a partially open-weave condition and drawing it over spindle 17, and thence over larger main mandrel 12, see FIG. 5, to a final fully drawn position on the upper most portion of mandrel 12, see FIG. 6. The circumference of mandrel 12 is of a measure to hold the distended fabric snugly thereon in substantially full open-weave condition, stretched beyond its original elastic limit.

One then slips a first highly resilient annular member, such as a rubber band 23, see FIG. 6, over said fully drawn fabric member, and disposes it around said fabric at about the mid-point thereof. For reasons hereinbefore stated, the normal untensed circumference of the rubber band should be as small as possible; an untensed diameter of approximately 1/2 inch has been found suitable. Said rubber band should also be capable of allowing it to be stretched and slipped over mandrel 12 and engage therearound with considerable tension.

As a third step in the purely manual method, the lower half section of the tubular fabric is then drawn telescopically upwardly over and around the upper half section to overlay and superpose said upper section, see FIG. 7.

The above third step is accomplished on the mandrel means by grasping the lower end of the lower half section of the tubular fabric with one's fingers and up-folding said lower half section around and telescoping it onto the upper section of said tubular fabric, see FIG. 7. As a consequence, the first rubber band is disposed embodied between said sections at the juncture of said folded half sections.

As a fourth step in the method of this invention, one slips a second resilient annular member, such as second rubber band 24, see FIG. 8, over and around said telescopically superposed upper and lower tubular fabric sections, encircling them at a point spaced above and adjacent said first rubber band 23, whereby the contraction of said second rubber band likewise gathers together said superposed related sections at a point spaced from and adjacent said first rubber band.

The above fourth step in the method of this invention can be accomplished on the mandrel means as by slidably raising the superposed related sections bodily up the main mandrel 12, and around spindle 17, until the first rubber band 23 engages in annular groove 20 at the top end portion of said main mandrel 12, see FIG. 8. The second rubber band is then slipped over the superposed related sections encircling them spaced above and adjacent said first rubber band, that is disposing the second rubber band around said sections at a point spaced above the upper end of main mandrel 12, whereby the contraction of said second rubber band gathers together said superposed related sections around said spindle at a point displaced above said first rubber band.

Obviously it is possible to dispose the second rubber band spaced from and adjacent the first rubber band prior to moving the superposed sections bodily upwardly.

As a fifth step in the manual method of this invention, one rucks, wrinkles or folds the superposed related sections axially downwardly toward the first rubber band and into a heap, see FIG. 9.

The above fifth step can be accomplished on the mandrel means by rucking the tubular sections downwardly, that is, by applying one's fingers and thumbs to the top end portions of the sections and pushing downwardly thereon, sliding the fabric axially along the spindle whereby the fabric is wrinkled and folded into a heap, such as at 29, on top of the bearing plate 21, see FIGS. 3 and 9. As one increases the applied pressure on the heap the spring 19 yields, as at 19', see FIGS. 4 and 10, allowing the bearing plate to move downwardly to position 21' thereby forming an annular cavity 25 into which the heap is received and compacted particularly with one's thumbs.

As a final step in the manual method of this invention, one distends said first rubber band embodied between said sections, revolves said distended rubber band and associated fabric about said heap to envelop said heap, and releases said rubber band thereby allowing it to return to its substantially normal shape and as a consequence providing a top surface or wall for said scour pad, see FIG. 11.

The above final step can be accomplished on the mandrel means by manually distending and removing the first rubber band and associated fabric from the annular groove 20 and carrying or revolving said first distended rubber band and adjacent fabric about and around said compacted heap in the cavity 25 after which the rubber band is released to a contracted position encircling spindle 17, see FIG. 11. Upon a stripping or removal of the scour pad upwardly from the spindle, the contraction of the first and second rubber bands to substantially their normal sizes will pull a portion of the outer layer of the fabric into a substantially flat position thereby forming the bottom and top walls, respectively, of the finished scour pads, enveloping the compacted, rucked fabric therewithin, see FIGS. 12 and 13.

The rucked mass or heap of wrinkled and folded fabric, surrounded or encased by an integral part of said fabric, assumes a bun-like or spherical-like shape, drawn and maintained in such shape by the incorporated rubber bands at the top and bottom thereof, thereby forming a plastic scour pad, resilient as a whole.

While the preferred construction includes the spring loaded bearing plate means, it is understood that the compression spring 19, the bearing plate 21, and the annular stop flange 14 may be omitted thereby utilizing the bare recess 25', see modification FIG. 14, the deck 15' being disposed upwardly relative to deck 15.

Some characteristic features of this invention are a novel method of forming a scour pad characterized by a rucking of the fabric into a wrinkled mass or heap thereby developing the inside or guts of the scour pad; and the provision of specific stepped mandrel means for facilitating the practise of the above method.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A method of making a scour pad of the character described from a tubular fabric member comprising the steps of:

a. encircling said tubular fabric member intermediate the ends thereof with a first annular element of resilient material having a circumference less than the circumference of said tubular fabric member whereby to draw together the adjacent tubular fabric and divide the length of the tubular fabric member into two end sections respectively extending from opposite sides of the resilient annular element;

b. turning one of said end sections outwardly and over and around the other end section and into telescopic superimposed relation to said other end section;

c. encircling said superimposed sections adjacent said first resilient annular element with a second resilient annular element having a circumference less than the circumference of said tubular fabric to draw together the adjacent tubular fabric;

d. rucking said superimposed sections axially into a compacted heap; and finally

e. distending said first resilient annular element and adjacent fabric, and revolving said first resilient annular element and said adjacent fabric about said compacted heap to envelop said heap, and allowing said distended first resilient annular element to return to substantially its normal shape.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tubular fabric is tubular netted fabric.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the tubular netted fabric is closed-weave distendable into an open-weave mesh.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the tubular netted fabric is an integrally extruded plastic netting in closed-weave form distendable into an open-weave mesh.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the tubular netted fabric is in flat "rope" form.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first and second resilient annular elements are rubber bands.

7. A scour pad, comprising,

a. a length of tubular fabric gathered together intermediate the ends thereof by a circumventing first band of resilient material providing end sections extending from said band, one end section being telscopically superimposed around the other end section, and

b. and a second band of resilient material circumventing said superimposed sections adapted to gather together such superimposed sections at a point spaced from and adjacent said first band of resilient material,

c. said superimposed sections being axially rucked into a heap,

d. and the first of said resilient bands and adjacent fabric being forced over said heap to the opposite side thereof and constricted to envelop said heap,

e. whereby the first of said bands and the adjacent fabric between said bands forms an enveloping bottom side for said rucked heap and the second of said bands and the adjacent fabric between said bands forms an enveloping top side for said rucked heap.

8. The scour pad of claim 7 wherein the tubular fabric is tubular netted fabric.

9. The scour pad of claim 8 wherein the tubular netted fabric is closed-weave distendable into an open-weave mesh.

10. The scour pad of claim 8 wherein the tubular netted fabric is an integrally extruded plastic netting in closed-weave form distendable into an open weave mesh.

11. The scour pad of claim 10 wherein the tubular netted fabric is in flat "rope" form.

12. The scour pad of claim 11 wherein the first and second resilient bands are rubber bands.