June 3, 1941-
2,244,550
F. J. CHANDLER
PERFORATING METHOD AND APPARATUS
Filed March 11, I940
2 Sheets-Sheet 1
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June 3, 1941.
F. J. CHANDLER
2,244,550
PERFORATING METHOD AND APPARATUS
Fi'led March 11, 1940
2 Sheets-Sheet 2
Patented June 3, 1941
2,244,550
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
2,244,550)
PERFORAT‘ING METHOD AND APPARATUS
Frank Jermain Chandler, Toledo, Ohio
Application March 11, 1940, Serial No. 323,313
10 Claims. (Cl. 164-90)
My invention relates to the perforating of sheet
materials composed partly or wholly of rubber
feed rolls for advancing the sheet material
or the like, and has reference more particularly
to a method of and machine for puncturing with
sufficient localized heat at the puncture place to
facilitate penetration and preserve the perfora
Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a
tion.
through the machine;
,
modi?ed needle heating arrangement;
Fig. 8 is a detail section of the Fig. 7 structure
with diagrammatic representation of a controller
which may be employed for intermittently heat~
‘
In many cases, for example when used for
ing the needles;
clothing or upholstering, it is desirable to provide
Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view somewhat sim
sheet rubber, rubber coated fabrics, laminated 10 ilar to that of Fig. 4, showing another manner
of heating the needles;
rubber and fabric sheets or other similar mate
Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional
rials with tiny openings therethrough for ventila
view illustrative of material prepared with tiny
tion or “breathing” as it is commonly called, and
openings or breathing pores in accordance with
because of the elasticity and subsequent process
ing of the rubber it is dimcult to provide satisfac 15
tory perforations which are sui?ciently small to
this invention; and
‘
be reasonably inconspicuous and which are
nevertheless sufficiently permanent to be preserved
Fig. 11 is a detail view showing a modi?ed form
of needles that may be employed.
In the accompanying drawings which show a
in the ?nal product.
preferred embodiment of the invention, a ma—
Materials composed of or
including rubber are preferably perforated be 20 chine is disclosed comprising an elongated needle
carrier which is vertically reciprocable to and
fore the rubber is cured and softening of the rub
from a work support over which the sheet mate
ber which occurs in the subsequent curing natu
rial to be perforated is periodically advanced, the
rally tends to impair and eliminate the openings.
needle carrier being provided with a row of de
The principal objects of my invention are to
provide an improved method and apparatus 25 pending sharp pointed heated needles which on
each downward stroke of the needle carrier pene
whereby sheet rubber, fabrics laminated or coat
trate‘ clear through the sheet material on the
ed with rubber, or other similar materials may
work support and form a row of tiny openings or
be made with tiny openings therethrough suitable
breathing pores across the width thereof, the
for ventilation or “breathing”; to form the open
ings so that they extend completely through the 30 sheet material being advanced a predetermined
distance as the needle carrier is raised so that
sheet material; to insure uniformity and perma—
the repetitive operation of the needle carrier
nence of the openings; to avoid impairment or
forms succeeding spaced rows of tiny openings
elimination of the openings in subsequent proc
or breathing pores throughout the length of the
essing of the sheet material; to permit provision
'
of such perforations in any fabric layers of the 35 sheet material.
The machine comprises spaced end standards
sheet material without mutilation or injury to
ii and i2 rigidly connected at their respective
the fabric; and to permit the producing of such
upper and lower ends by frame members it and
openings in plastic pattern surfaced sheets with
it, and there is also a cross beam l5, which may
out marring or defacing the pattern surface
40 be of I form as shown, extending between the
thereof, these and other objects being accom
frame members it and i2 and rigidly secured
plished as pointed out hereinafter and as shown
thereto at a suitable elevation to support the
in the accompanying drawings in which:
work, a die plate It being ?xedly mounted on the
Fig. 1 is a view of the delivery side of a per
top of this cross beam l5 and having a trans
forating machine made in accordance with this 4.5 versely rounded top surface as shown in Fig. 2
invention;
over which the sheet material H is fed and by
Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view
which it is supported in the perforating opera
taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;
tion.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view
Above this die plate I6 is reciprocably mounted
on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2;
'50 the needle carrier indicated as a whole at E8, to
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of a portion of
which a row of work perforating needles l9 are
the sectional view shown in Fig. 2;
attached. Said carrier I8 comprises a beam 20,
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view, partly in sec
which may be of I form as shown in Fig. 2 and
tion of the die plate;
is slidably mounted at its opposite ends on suit
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view of one of the
able guide rods 2! to move to and from the die
2
2,244,550
plate It. These guide rods 2| are secured at
resistance to penetration by perforating nee
their lower ends to the beam I 5 and at their
dles and because of the elasticity and tackiness
upper ends to brackets 22 on the standards It
of the rubber, the small holesare likely to close
and i2.
after the needles are withdrawn or the openings
A shaft 23 is journaled above the die plate IS
may be mutilated. or deformed by adherence of
in bearing brackets 24 hung from the upper
the rubber to the needles. Moreover, these tiny
frame member [3 and this shaft extends through
openings or pores may be impaired or closed in
a bearing 25 in the standard H and is provided
subsequent handling and processing, especially
on its outer end with a large gear 26 in mesh
upon vulcanization of the rubber during which
with a pinion 21 on the end of a shaft 28 which 10 the rubber is softened and becomes plastic and
extends across the machine and is Journaled in
?owable.
the upper ends of'the standards II and I2. Said
To overcome these difficulties in providing such
shaft 28 has on its other end a combined ?y
materials with tiny breathing pores or openings.
wheel and pulley 29 engaged by a belt 30 which
I heat the perforating needles to a suitable tem
is operatively engaged with a pulley 3| of a mo 15 perature so that they not only penetrate and
tor 32 or other convenient source of power by
withdraw readiLv from the rubber and leave
which the shaft 23, through the connections just
described, is rotated at a comparatively slow
s eed.
openings therethrough which are perfectly
formed, but the heat is such to cause an incipient
vulcanization of the rubber immediately aroimd
pThis shaft 23 has a pair of eccentric disks 33 20 the openings or to impart thereto a su?icient
?xed thereon in spaced relation and each em
braced by an eccentric strap 34 of an eccentric
rod or arm 35 and the lower ends of these arms
set so that the tiny openings are su?lciently per
manent to withstand subsequent handling and
processing of the material without impairment
or closing, care being taken however, to control
lugs 31 on the top of the I-beam 20 of the :needle 25 the heat so that it is not sufficiently high to burn
carrier so that in rotation of the shaft 23 the
the rubber or fabric.
, 35 are pivotally connected at 36 between pivot
needle carrier l8 and its needles l9 are recipro
The needles l9 may be heated in any conven
cated to and from the die plate I6.
ient manner as for example by securing the
The perforating needles I9 are of small di-,
shanks 46 thereof in a body 41 of heat conduc
ameter so as to make small holes andsharp
tive insulating material in which electrical re
pointed to penetrate readily without tearing or 30 sistance wire 48 is embedded in proximity to the
‘mutilating the sheet material and are mounted
needle shanks, in which case the needle holder is
on the carrier I8 in suitable spaced relation ac
formed with a cavity 49 in which the body 41
cording to the spacing of openings desired in the
of insulating material is located. Terminals 59
sheet material, and to insure penetration of the 35 and 5| are provided to which conductors 52 and
needles i9 entirely through the work and also to
53 are connected for supplying current from any
afford a length of time during which the needles
suitable source to the resistance 48 for heating
remain in engagement with the perforations, the . the
needles l9 and a rheostat 54 or other suit
die block I6 is provided with small openings 38
able current controller is provided to regulate
located directly under the needles I9 to accom 40 the current supply to the resistance 48 so that’
modate the needle ends, and the needles are ar
the needles may be maintained at any desired
ranged to have a range of reciprocation such
temperature.
that at the end of each down stroke the needle
It is desirable to avoid communication of heat
ends engage in the openings 38.
to the stripper plate 40 which comes in contact
These needles I9 are mounted in a row in
with the work and accordingly the stripper plate
spaced relation in a holder 39 which is secured to 45 openings 4i are made sufficiently larger than
the under side of the carrier beam 20 and said
the needles I9 as shown in Fig. 4 to avoid contact
needles have a stripper plate 40 cooperating
therewith and provide an air circulation space
therewith which has openings 4i therethrough
therebetween for minimizing communication of
corresponding to the needles i9 and through
which the needles are projected in the perforat 50 heat from the needles to the stripper plate.
Moreover the stripper plate may be formed at
ing operation. This stripper plate is supported
each side of the row of needles with passage
by stems 42 which are ?xed thereto and extend
ways 55 therethrough connected by ?exible tub- ,
upwardly through openings in the holder 89 and
ing 56 with a source of circulating cold water
in the lower ?anges 43 of the I-beam 29 and
or other cooling medium which is circulated
these stems are provided with nuts 44 thereon or
through
the passageways 55 to keep the strip
other suitable means which engage the ?anges 43,
per plate cool.
the stems 42 being engaged loosely in the open
For feeding the material to be perforated
ings of the holder 39 and ?anges 63 so that the
through
the machine a pair of rollers 51 and 58
stems are free to move axially thereon. Light
coil springs 45 are interposed between‘ the nuts 60 are rotatably mounted at one side of the I-beam
i5 in brackets 59 on said beam and these rollers
44 of the stems and the upper ?ange of the beam
engage therebetween the material I‘! which is led
20 to hold the stripper plate normally in the low
thereto over the die plate l6 from a pair of idler
ermost position substantially at the points of the
rollers 6d and ti which are located at the other
needles i9 and as the latter are depressed to en
gage the work on the die block the stripper plate 65 side of the I-beam l5 and may likewise be rotat
ably mounted on brackets carried by said I
40 engages the top of the work thereon and is
beam, the material being supplied to the rollers
held thereagainst by the compression of. the
$6 and M from any suitable source.
springs d5 while the needles are propelled down
The set of rollers 5'5 and 58 are arranged to
wardly through the work and as the needles are
elevated the stripper plate remains engaged with 70 yieldingly engage the material it therebetween
in any well known manner with sui?cient tension
the work until the needles are withdrawn there
to advance the material, the yielding engage
from.
ment thereof being preferably adjustable to
Rubber and rubber like materials, especially
in the uncured condition, offer a high frictional 75 regulate the pressure on the material, and one
of these rollers has the shaft t2 thereof extended
2,244,550
through a bearinginthe standard I I and provided
at its outer end with a ratchet wheel 63 engaged
by a ratchet mechanism 64 which in turn is con
nected by a link 65 with an arm 66 on the needle
carrier 18 so that in the upward movement of
the needle carrier It the shaft 62 and its roller
are rotated sufficiently to advance the material
I ‘I over the die plate the desired distance that
3
openings 69 so that they are preserved through
out subsequent handling and processing ‘of the
material. Moreover the softened and semi-set
rubber around the openings 69 is at the same
time combined su?iciently with the spread apart
threads of the fabric at the openings to preserve
the openings through the fabric so that in the
?nal product ?ne openings or breathing pores en
tirely through the composite material are as
the succeeding rows of perforations are to be
spaced apart. Obviously the advancing move 10 sured.
ment of the material I‘! should not occur until
In the downward stroke of the needle carrier,
the needles l9 are withdrawn from the material
the stripper plate M is engaged against the
on the die plate i6 and accordingly the ratchet
top of the material Ill and remains engaged
mechanism 64 has su?icient lost motion or de
therewith while the needles I!) penetrate through
layed action on the uprising stroke of the needle 15 and are withdrawn from the material H, the
carrier so that the needles l9 are disengaged
springs 45 yielding at the time to permit the
from the material ll before the advancing move
needles to be projected downwardly through the
ment of the material begins.
stripper plate and holding the stripper plate
The idler rollers 60 and BI likewise are ar
against the material l'i until the needles are
' ranged to engage ‘the material I-‘l with a yielding 20 withdrawn therefrom.
tension which is preferably adjustable to avoid
This stripper plate is kept cool, by water cir
any undue pressure on the material, minimum
culation through the passageways 55 if neces
tension of these rollers 60 and iii as well as of
sary so that it can have no softening effect on
the other rollers 51' and 58 being’ especially de
the rubber of the material i'l while in contact
sirable in the case of embossed or pattern sur 25 therewith and moreover the springs M are pref
faced material l‘i to avoid any impairment of
erably arranged to impose a suf?ciently ‘light
the embossing or pattern surface.
resistance to upward movement of the stripper
The material to be perforated may be sheet
plate so that the stripper plate pressure on the
rubber, fabric coated or laminated with rubber
material ii! is such, especially when the latter
or other desired material, a composite sheet of
has an embossed or patterned surface, that the
rubber Ei‘l with attached fabric tit lamination
material it or pattern surface thereof is not
being shown herein for purposes of illustration
impaired by the stripper plate pressure.
and the exposed surface of the rubber lamina
It will be understood from the above that the
tion ti may have a design or pattern embossed
sheet material H is not heated generally in the
thereon.
perforating operation but that as the needles
In the operation of the device and in accord
only are heated there are merely isolated appli
ance with the method hereof, this material is fed
cations of heat to the material locally at the
between the rollers 60 and ti over the die plate
places where} the perforations are made.
it and between the rollers 57 and Si? which latter
It will be noted in‘ Fig. 2, that the direction
rollers, in each uplifting stroke of the needle 40 of the material it in its travel to and from the
carrier 20, advance the material across the die
plate a predetermined distance.
rI’he rheostat 56 is adjusted to regulate the
supply of currentto the heating element d8 so
that the needles l9 are maintained at the proper A in
temperature to penetrate through and withdraw
readily, from the rubber laminated material it’
stripper plate is approximately tangential there
to insure openings clear through the material and
duration of engagement of the needles with the
openings to communicate suiiicient heat to the
rubber for this purpose, and it is to be noted that
and thereby contribute to the preservation of
the openings against impairment which might
otherwise be caused by wiping movement of the
margins of the openings 69 against the die plate
to so that the material. if contacts with the
stripper plate only at the top hereof, and in or
der to avoid any pressure against the material
it at the places where the openings $9 are formed
the die plate I ii preferably has a transverse groove
it (see Fig. 5) across the top thereof at each'
and also so that the heat of the needles is suffi
place where the openings 38 are formed and the
cient to cause a slight incipient vulcanization
rollers 5i and 56 are also preferably provided
of the uncured rubber of the lamination til im 50 with circumferential grooves ‘i2 in alignment
mediately around the perforation, the extent of
with the grooves ‘ll of the stripper plate it so
projection of the needles I!) through the mate
as to eliminate direct pressure on the material
rial i'i into the die plate openings 38 being such
ill at the places where the openings as are formed
the needles penetrate straight through the ma- '
it; or pressure immediately at such margins
terial at right angles to the surface thereof.
against the material, especially while the rubber
Upon each down stroke of the needle carrier 60 is in a softened condition from the heat of the
the heated needles penetrate'clear through the
needles l9.
sheet material ii thereby softening and spread
Instead of employing a resistance embedded
ing the rubber 61 at the perforation to form the
in insulating material as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, for
openings 69, a row of which are made across the
heating the needles, headed needles as shown at
width of the sheet, and as the needles are sharp 65 ‘53 in Fig. 8 may be employed which are engaged
pointed they penetrate the fabric (it without
through openings ‘it in a strip 75 of insulation
mutilation thereof, the fabric threads being
with another strip ‘iii of insulating material cov
merely spread apart by the needles to form the
ering the heads ‘H of the needles and clamped
openings therethrough. At the same time the
thereagainst.
'
70
heat of the needles I 9 imparts to the softened
Short segments 18 of electrical resistance ma
rubberimmedlately around the openings 69 an
terial are interposed between adjoining needles
incipient vulcanization to an extent sufficient
and extend under the needle heads Ti and
to form ,a sort of thin ferrule ‘iii of semi-set rub
end segments 18 and 80 are also provided, the
ber which imparts sufficient permanence to the 75 inner ends of which extend under the heads Tl
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2,244,550
of the respective end needles ‘l3, and the clamping
engagement of the insulating strip 16 against
the needle heads holds them in contact with
the segments 18, 19 and 80. The end segments
19 and 80 have terminals connected to conductors
BI and 82 which lead to a source of electric cur
rent, the supply of which to the series of resist
ance segments ‘l8, l9 and 80 may be controlled
by a rheostat 83 to regulate the temperature of
the needles. Obviously instead of employing the
separate segments 18, ‘it and so a continuous
strip of electrical resistance material may be
98 of the needles are secured directly in open
ings 99 provided therefor in the holder 91 as
shown in Fig. 9.
The needles l9 may be arranged to effect the
advancing movement of the material l1, instead
of employing rolls 5'! and 58 for this purpose, in
which case the group of needles it have, in ad
dition to their vertical reciprocatory movement,
a reciprocating movement in the direction of
10 travel of the material ll of an extent su?icient
to advance the material for each successive row
of perforations. In such case, instead of using
employed and merely provided with openings
round needles is, the needles may be of ,oval
through which the needles 13 extend with the
cross section as shown at Hill in Fig. 11 with the
needle heads TI clamped by the insulating strip 15 major axis thereof transverse to the direction
16 against the said strip.
(indicated by the arrow llll) in which the mate
With the above segment or strip electric re
rial " is moved by the needles. The needles I00‘
sistance the needles, which are of electrical con
necessarily exert a pull on the material I‘! to
ducting material, are necessarily in electrical
advance same and as this may tend to distort the
, conducting relation to the heating segments or 20 opening and increase the transverse width there
strip, and the die plate it should be made of
of in the direction of pull of the needles the em
electrical insulating material or if preferred the
ployment of oval needles I00 causes the resultant
openings thereof may be insulated as shown in
openings to have a substantially round form as
shown at 502 in Fig. 11.
Fig. 8 by ferrules 84 of insulating material. Like
Although the present invention is especially
wise the stripper plate Ht may be made of in 25
adapted to provide materials of or involving un
sulating material or have the holes 4i thereof
cured rubber or the like with tiny openings or
similarly insulated, although this is not so es
breathing pores, and is especially advantageous
sential because of the fact that the holes M
for that purpose, it may however be employed
of the stripper plate are sumciently larger than
the needles it so that they do not contact there 30 advantageously to perforate rubber that is al
ready cured or to perforate fabric with coatings '
with.
or laminations other than rubber. While I have
A timing device may also be employed with
shown and described my invention in a preferred
either electrical needle heating means to heat
form, I am aware that various changes and
the needles at intervals which may be arranged
to occur in a desired timed relation with the 35 modi?cations may be made without departing
penetration of the material l‘? by the needles.
Such an intermittent heating device is shown
from the principles of my invention, the scope
of which is to be determined by the appended
ductors through which current is supplied to
the eletrical resistance which heats the needles
leads through the segment and brush inter
rupter, for example the conductor 82 from a
terminal of the resistance leads to the'segment
t6 and the conductor 85 leads from the brush
8? to the source of electrical supply and with
these connections current is supplied to the 60
material and simultaneously subjecting said per
foration places momentarily to isolated applica
claims.
somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. 8 and com
I claim as my invention:
prises a rotary disk 85 of insulating material
1. The method of making foraminous sheet
having a conductor segment 86 on the periphery 40
material, which comprises providing sheet ma
thereof with which a brush 8? is arranged to
terial composed at least partly of rubber or the
make content during a certain period of each
like, then forming perforations through the
‘revolution of the disk 85. This disk 85 may
sheet material and simultaneously subjecting
m mounted on the eccentric shaft 23 or operated
from the eccentric shaft as for example through iii U! said perforation places to isolated applications of
heat in a manner to locally soften and preserve
a belt 88 which engages a pulley 89 on the shaft
the material at the places where the pertra
23 and a pulley 90 of the same size on the shaft
tions are made.
of the disk 85 so that the latter rotates at the
2. The method of making foraminous sheet
same speed as the eccentric shaft 23 and the
segment 86 is accordingly in contact with the 50 material, which comprises providing sheet mate
rial composed at least partly of rubber or the
brush 8? during a certain period of each revolu—
like, then forming perforations through the sheet
tion of the eccentric shaft. One of the con
needle heating resistance only during the time
that the brush 8'! is in contact with the segment
. 86.
Any other convenient means of heating the
needles may be employed, as for example a gas 65
supply pipe 92 may be secured by clamps 93 to
the under side of the needle holder 60 so that
it extends along thev row of needles and said
pipe 92 may have an orifice 8d opposite each
needle 95 to produce an individual gas flame
as directed against the respective needle. The
needle holder 9'5 of course, in such case does
not have the cavity 59 of Fig. 4 nor the electri
tions of heat in a manner to locally soften and
preserve the‘ material at the places where the
perforations are made.
3. The method of making foraminous sheet
material, which comprises providing sheet ma
terial composed at least partly of rubber or the
like, inserting spaced heated sharp pointed
needles through a generally unheated area of the
sheet and ‘withdrawing the needles therefrom
before the area is heated generally.
4. The method of making foraminous sheet
material, which comprisesproviding sheet-mate
rial composed at least partly of rubber or the
like, inserting spaced heated needles through the
sheet material to form perforations there
through, and supplying a cooling medium to the
vicinity of the perforations to localize the heat
at the perforations.
5. The method of making foraminous mate
rial, which comprises providing sheet material
cal insulation thereof, but instead the shanks 75 composed at least partly of uncured rubber or
5
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the like, and forming perforations through the
sheet material and simultaneously preservatively
conditioning the rubber locally at the perfora
means for the needles, and a controller for regu
lating the temperature of the needles.
7
rial, which comprises providing sheet material
9. In a perforating device of the class de
scribed, the combination of a work support, a
plurality of heated needles operable to and from
the support to perforate material thereon, and
composed at least partly of uncured rubber or
means adjacent the perforating zone constructed
tions.
6. The method of making foraminous mate
the like, and forming perforations through the
and arranged to localize the heat of the needles
sheet material and simultaneously imparting
at the places where the. needles perforate the
locally to the rubber at the perforations a par 10 work on the work support, said means including
facilities through which a cooling medium is cir
tial cure, and thereafter subjecting the rest of
culated in proximate spaced relation to the per
the sheet to a curing operation.
forating zone,
.
7. The method of making foraminous sheet
10. In a perforating device of the class de
material, which comprises providing sheet mate
rial composed at least partly of rubber or the
scribed, the combination of a work support, a
plurality of heated needles operable to and from
like, inserting spaced needles through the sheet
the support to perforate material thereon, and
material and heating thevne'edles intermittently
a pair of rollers operable for advancing the work
in selected timed relation with the insertion
across the support after each perforating oper
thereof.
8. In a perforating device of the class de 20 ation of the needles, said support and one of the
rollers having grooves in the planes of the
scribed, the combination of a work‘support, a
needles.
group of needles reciproeable to and from the
support to perforate material thereon, heating
FRANK JERMAIN CHANDLER.