A thermoplastic fastener having a slight taper, is friction welded to a thermoplastic workpiece. A system for friction welding the fastener includes a way of automatically stopping rotation of the fastener while contact pressure between the fastener and the workpiece is maintained.

Friction welded fastener system

A quick-mounting fastening assembly (10) including a fastening structure having an initial attachment surface (13), and a main attachment surface (21) that is approximately co-planar with the initial attachment surface. A layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive (17) over the initial attachment surface affords adhering the fastening structure to a substrate by pressing the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive against the substrate. A layer of hot-melt adhesive (22) covering the main attachment surface (21) can then be heated by friction in one of several ways to melt the layer of hot-melt adhesive so that upon cooling the layer of hot-melt adhesive will be adhered to the surface of the substrate.

Quick-mounting fastening assembly

A hinge for joining surfaces of sheet material comprises a strip of film/foam laminate positioned with a foam layer across the surfaces to be joined. The foam layer is tackified by heating and pressure is applied to the strip, thus heat sealing the strip to the surfaces. The hinge strip is preferably polyethylene film laminated to polyethylene foam and the surfaces to be joined may be polyethylene foam or a film/foam laminate. The joined surfaces are not damaged or destroyed by the heat lamination. The foam layer of the hinge sealing strip is partially or substantially melted and the film upper layer of the heat sealing strip forms a permanent waterproof bond with the surfaces which it joins.

Plastic hinge, hinged material, and method for hinging

Method and apparatus for joining together edge surfaces of polytetrafluoroethylene material by a butt joint in which abutting surfaces of the material are placed in a chamber bounded by clamps along the abutting surfaces which press together the abutting surfaces, and heating elements in the space between the clamps to heat both sides of the material between the clamps, the boundaries of the chamber inhibiting the volume expansion of the material resulting from heating. Pressure generated in chamber may be controlled by moving a heating element. Additional pressure during cooling-down is exerted on the butt joint by moving one clamping in the direction of the butt joint. A thin foil of a fluorine-containing thermoplastic inserted between the abutting surfaces facilitates joining of the surfaces.

Joining together shaped bodies of polytetrafluoroethylene

Method and apparatus for joining together edge surfaces of polytetrafluoroethylene material by a butt joint in which clamps along the abutting surfaces press together the abutting surfaces, heating means spaced from and out of direct contact with a strip between the clamps heats the strip by radiation or convection, and a cooling arrangement is provided via the clamps to remove heat from the clamping zone. A thin foil of a fluorine-containing thermoplastic inserted between the abutting surfaces facilitates joining of the surfaces.

Earl Hewitt Eugene

Papers

Method of butt joining thermoplastic sheet material by a spin welding operation

Verfahren zum Verschweissen zweier Abschnitte aus thermoplastischem Material