A flexible longitudinally continuous tape construction is disclosed for use in joining mating edges of juxtaposed members, the tape having an X-like configuration transversely of its length to provide legs adapted to receive and be secured to the edges of the members to be joined. The tape is capable of serving as a pliable hinge to permit articulation of the joined members, or it may also serve simply as a binding for joining members intended to be fixed relative to each other. The tape construction combines longitudinally continuous marginal web portions or carriers, forming the extremities of the legs of the X, with longitudinally spaced strand or equivalent connector means running crosswise of and interconnecting pairs of marginal web portions. The connector means intersect and interlock forming the axis of the X-like configuration.
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9. A flexible, continuous tape hinge for application along adjacent edges of members to be hingedly joined, said hinge have an X-like configuration in cross section and said hinge comprising
carrier strip means of pliable sheet material running lengthwise of the hinge on transversely opposite sides of its axis; and flexible strands running crosswise of said axis and carrier strip means, each strand having its cross-axis ends secured to faces of opposed carrier strip portions, at least some of said strands intersecting and crossing over other of said strands to form the hinge axis at their intersection.
26. A flexible tape for joining mating edges of adjacent members,
said tape having an X-like configuration in cross-section and providing a longitudinally continuous structure adapted to extend along and be secured to the edges of the members to be joined so that the axis of said X-like configuration coincides generally with the juncture formed by the members to be joined, said tape comprising pliable, longitudinally continuous, film forming the extremities of the legs of the X; and flexible, spaced, connector means running cross-wise of and being joined to said film on both sides of the X axis, said connector means intersecting and crossing each other alternately to form said X-like configuration.
19. A flexible tape for joining mating edges of adjacent members,
said tape having an X-like configuration in crosssection and providing a longitudinally continuous structure adapted to extend along and be secured to the edges of members to be joined so that the axis of said X-like configuration coincides generally with the juncture formed by the members to be joined, said tape comprising pliable longitudinally continuous carrier strips means forming the extremities of the legs of the X in transversely opposite quadrants of the X; and flexible, spaced, connector means running crosswise of and interconnecting marginal portions of opposite carrier strips means, all of said connector means intersecting and crossing each other alternately to join diagonally opposite carrier means and form said X-like configuration.
25. A flexible tape for joining mating edges of adjacent members,
said tape having an X-like configuration in cross-section and providing a longitudinally continuous structure adapted to extend along and be secured to the edges of members to be joined so that the axis of said X-like configuration coincides generally with the juncture formed by the members to be joined, said tape comprising carrier strip means comprising pliable, longitudinally continuous, marginal web portions at the extremities of the legs of the X; flexible, spaced, connector means running crosswise of and being secured to and interconnecting pairs of web portions, at least some of said connector means intersecting and crossing other connector means to form said X-like configuration; and adhesive means disposed on confronting faces of said web portions in transversely opposite quadrants of the X for securing said faces to edges of the members to be joined.
1. A flexible tape for joining mating edges of adjacent members,
said tape having an X-like configuration in cross section and providing a longitudinally continuous structure adapted to extend along and be secured to the edges of the members to be joined so that the axis of said X-like configuration coincides generally with the juncture formed by the members to be joined, said tape comprising carrier strip means comprising pliable, longitudinally continuous, marginal web portions at the extremities of the legs of the X; and flexible, spaced, connector means running crosswise of and being secured bonded to and interconnecting pairs of web portions, at least some of said connector means intersecting and crossing other connector means to form said X-like configuration . , said flexible connector means in crossing between said web portions being free to shift relative to each other within the limits defined by their points of connection to the respective longitudinal web portions.
2. A flexible tape as defined in
3. A flexible tape as defined in
4. A flexible tape as defined in claim 3 23, wherein said adhesive is of the pressure-sensitive type and is confined to the outer margins of confronting faces of said carrier strip means, said tape further including temporary protective release strips covering said adhesive but peelable therefrom to expose said adhesive when said tape is applied to the members to be joined.
5. A flexible tape as defined in
6. A flexible tape as defined in
7. A flexible tape as defined in
8. A flexible tape as defined in
10. A tape hinge as defined in
11. A tape hinge as defined in
12. A tape hinge as defined in
13. A tape hinge as defined in
14. A tape hinge as defined in
15. A tape hinge as defined in
16. A tape hinge as defined in
17. A tape hinge as defined in
18. A tape hinge as defined in
20. A flexible tape as defined in
21. A flexible tape as defined in
22. A flexible tape as defined in
23. A flexible tape as defined in
24. A flexible tape as defined in
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This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application Ser. No. 859,619, filed Sept. 22, 1969 incorporporates incorporates an interlocking or overlapping of the strands at the hinge axis. This is accomplished by winding cord 36 about mandrels 34 with a twist at each run, forming a series of interlocking clove hitches as shown in FIG. 16. It will be noted from the drawing however that although each strand 62 or 64 in any given run from one mandrel 34 to the other is positioned on the same lateral side of both mandrels, the strand is laterally displaced intermediate the mandrels by intersection with and overlapping of the strand of the correspondingly opposite run on the other side of the mandrels. The hinge 60 which results thus puts on strand in straight tension, e.g. strand 64 in FIG. 15, in the hinged structure.
Another method of forming tape hinges of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18 wherein the cord used in forming the transverse strands is not cut or severed as in the previous examples. In both of these illustrations the carrier strips consist of pressure-sensitive tapes 72, 74 and the hinged structure is formed using two pairs of the tape strips in back-to-back relation, one pair on either side transversely of the hinge axis and each pair having the inner edges spaced from the other a distance sufficient to permit passage of the strands between the paired strips in passing from one lateral face to the other.
In forming this type of hinge structure, two separate lengths of cord 36 are required. In FIG. 17, the two lengths are interwoven or interlocked intermediate the loop portions 76, 78 which are adhered to the faces of the strips. In FIG. 18 the arrangement is essentially the same but does not embody interlocking of the two strands within each loop.
Multiple cords are used in forming tape 80 also, as seen in FIG. 19. This tape can be formed as described in connection with FIGS. 1-4, except that instead of using a single strand of cord to form the runs, a group 82 of parallel cords is woven about the mandrels. The number of cords in the group will determine the angle or bias of the group in respect to the axis of the X; the greater the number of cords, the greater the bias angle.
A similar arrangement is shown in FIG. 19A where again a plurality of cords is wound simultaneously as above, but in this case the cords were are wound about a series of mandrels, as in FIG. 5. Depending on the width of the composite group of mandrels, each run of grouped cords 92 will cross the tape axis at little or no bias in connecting carriers 24. In place of the grouped cords, webbing or tape of various sorts can be used to provide equivalent connector means.
Attachment of the finished tape product to the members to be joined is facilitated by incorporating pressure-sensitive adhesive with the tape, as produced, so that it is self-containined ready for application as purchased. FIG. 20 illustrates such an arrangement. The basic tape structure is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, but in this case tape 120 includes bands of pressure-sensitive adhesive 102 extending lengthwise of the tape on confronting faces of the carrier strips 124 in opposite quadrants of the X. In the preferred construction, adhesive 102 does not extend into the center of carriers 124, but is confined to the margins of the tape. Temporary protection in the form of peel or release strips 104 are applied over the adhesive, the strips being made wider than the bands on adhesive so as to overlap at the inner edge and provide a convenient free tab 106 by which to start the peeling off of strips 104 when the tape is to be applied to members to joined.
In attaching the tape, one release strip is first completely stripped from one leg and that leg is pressed along an edge of the member to be joined. See FIG. 21. The adjacent leg of the tape is lifted to get access to free tab 106 of its release strip 104 which is then peeled back at 90° to the tape axis. As this strip 104 is pulled, it releases next to the X axis first and then diagonally outwardly across the face of tape 120, pulling it firmly against the edge of the member to which it is being attached. This leg of the tape is simultaneously pressed into contact with the face of the member and the process is repeated in securing the other two legs of the tape to the opposite member.
The arrangement not only facilitates the attachment process, providing a smooth, tight surface contact between the tape and members but aids in getting alignment of the tape axis and the abutting edges of the members, even if there is some initial misalignment due to improper starting placement of the tape. By pulling the release strip in the manner discussed, the tape is made to lie straight and its natural axis is caused to conform closely with the edge of the member to which it is attached so as to produce a rigid axis in the finished structure. In speaking of "natural axis" above, this is intended to mean not so much the axis defined by the crossing strands in the tape as it exists before application to the edges of the numbers to be formed, but rather to that axis defined by the crossing strands as this is developed upon securing the tape to the members to be joined. The two conditions are identical in the case of a perfectly applied tape to prefectly straight, aligned edges of members to be joined. But such ideal condition seldom exists in practice, and it is one of the virtues of the novel tape that such perfect condition need not exist, because the tape will align itself to accommodate irregularity of the edge and/or inexact application to those edges, without resulting in a loose or wobbly hinged joint. This feature arises inherently from the tape construction wherein the flexible connector strands, in crossing between web portions to which their ends are connected, are free to shift relative to each other, within of course the limits of their points of connection to the longitudinal web portions.
Still another form of tape is shown in FIG. 22. Tape 220 is woven on a suitable loom to produce an integral structure in which weft threads 222 of the webbing form the cross-connectors for marginal or selvage portions produced by interweaving threads 222 with longitudinal or warp threads 223. Separate carrier members are accordingly not required in this arrangement. Selfsticking adhesive and protective peel strips can of course be incorporated in this form of tape, similar to that, described above. Tape 220 can be produced initially in multiple widths, as shown in FIG. 23, by a process similar to that described in connection with FIG. 5, but without using mandrels and slit on lines b--b to produce separate tapes.
Yet another form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 24 and 25 where a continuous strip 302 of paper or sheet plastic is slit in sinusoidal manner along its longitudinal axis to produce complementary left and right strips or marginal portions 304, 306 having mutually projecting fingers 308. These strips are then pressed laterally together to cause them to intermesh, with the fingers 308 of one overlapping the respective marginal portion 304 or 306 of the other. An imperforate strip 310 is then applied to the intermeshed and overlapped first members 304, 306, and bonded by gluing or welding to the tips of the fingers of those members. Strip 310 is creased longitudinally, causing the free edges of the members to separate and form the X-like tape 320, as seen in FIG. 25.
FIGS. 26 and 27 show another tape structure 420 incorporating the invention. In this case two strips 402, 406 of suitable sheet stock are slit longitudinally along a central sinusoidal line to produce left and right marginal portions 401, 403 and 405, 407, all having teeth 408. Strips 402 and 406 are brought together in such manner that the teeth of one are out of phase, longitudinally of the tape, with those of the other so that the peaks of the teeth overlap. The overlapped peaks are glued or otherwise bonded together at 410, and the marginal portions separated to form the X-like configuration, as seen in cross-section in FIG. 27. Preferably the marginal halves of each strip 402, 406 are first laterally separated, as seen on enlarged scale in FIG. 28, before the overlapping teeth 408 are bonded together. This provides more freedom and reduces binding along the axis of the tape. Again, the marginal web portions may have a band of self-sticking adhesive 412, by which to secure the tape to the edges of the members to be joined, in which case a release or peel strip 414 is provided to protect the adhesion areas until the tape is to be used.
In FIGS. 29 to 31, a tape 520 is formed by joining two strips 502, 504 by welding or gluing along a central portion or band 506, and then cutting a series of slots 508 across band 506, spaced longitudinally along the tape. Next, each strip 502, 504 is slit at 510, 512, respectively, longitudinally between slots 508 at alternate ends of adjacent slots. Slits 510, 512 are also alternated in the confronting strips 502, 504 along the tape so as not to coincide at any point. Separating the legs or marginal portions of strips 502, 504 results in an X-shaped tape section, as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31.
Application of tape to curved edges of members is illustrated in FIGS. 32 and 33. In FIG. 32 a semiflexible member 602 has a curved edge 604 which is to be joined to a similar curved edge of panel member 606 (see FIG. 33). Tape 620 of the construction shown in FIG. 20 is used but to facilitate obtaining a smooth fit of the tape to the curved edge, the carrier strip members 624 of tape 620 are preferably formed of crepe paper to permit some stretching of the tape during application. When the free edges of members 602 are separated, after curved edges 604 are joined, a geodesic structure is obtained as seen in FIG. 33. Any slight longitudinal accommodation necessary along curved edge 604 as the structure is foRmed formed is readily permitted by the elasticity of tape 620. FIG. 33 also illustrates the use of light weight, low cost laminated, foamed or honey combed honeycombed core/stressed skin panels to form geometric structures, where the panels will not resist highly localized loads imposed by the use of rivets or screws as fastening means. Ordinary flat tape if used in such a construction may overcome the problem of localized attachment stress, but is partIcularly particularly vulnerable to peeling forces in the situation here illustrated.
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