AU706124B2

AU706124B2 - Method of adhering an article to polyurethane and corrosion or abrasion protective sheet

Info

Publication number: AU706124B2
Application number: AU28504/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Russell Burchall; John Durie
Original assignee: Polyscreen Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Polyscreen Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1994-10-21
Filing date: 1995-08-14
Publication date: 1999-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-14
Also published as: AU2850495A

Description

2 METHOD OF ADHERING AN ARTICLE TO POLYURETHANE AND CORROSION OR ABRASION PROTECTIVE

SHEET

This invention relates to a corrosion or abrasion protective sheet for use in hostile environments such as screen plants, wash plants or the like for protecting steel substrates from corrosion or abrasion during use of the screening plant or wash plant.

Screening plants generally include screening machines upon which earth and rock are loaded to separate large fragments from smaller fragments for mineral recovery and other uses.

Rock and dirt are conveyed along chutes, runways or the like. The walls, floor and other surfaces of such chutes or runways etc which will come into contact with the earth and rock are formed from steel. In order to protect the steel from corrosion or abrasion, the steel is covered by polyurethane sheets which are typically secured to the steel substrate by bolts. As the polyurethane wears out, 20 the bolts are removed and new polyurethane sheets are :ooe installed.

*o The removal of worn sheets and the installation of new sheets is time consuming and therefore adds to the downtime of the plant.

The object of a first aspect of this invention is to provide a corrosion or abrasion protective sheet which can be located in place and replaced more easily and quicker 30 than the conventional sheets.

.9 The first aspect of the invention may be said to reside in a corrosive protection member, including: a body portion formed from polyurethane and having an outer surface for exposure to corrosive or abrasive agents and an inner surface for location adjacent H: \Karen\Keep\28504-95-POLSCREEN.1DOC 30/03/99 -3 a substrate to be protected; a first component of a loop and hook type fastener connected to the inner surface of the body portion for engagement with the other component of the loop and hook type fastener applied to the substrate for releasably securing the protective member to the substrate; and wherein the first component of the hook and loop type fastener is coupled to the body portion by applying a bonding agent to the body portion and adhering the first component of the hook and loop type fastener to the bonding agent by an adhesive.

The loop and hook type fastener allows the protective member to be quickly secured to the substrate in a releasable manner and to be quickly removed so that a new protective member can be installed when necessary. Thus, placement of worn protective members can be easily performed with minimum plant downtime.

The first aspect of the invention also provides a protective member and substrate combination, including: a protective member formed from polyurethane and having an outer surface for exposure to corrosive or e: abrasive agents and an inner surface; a substrate to be protected from corrosion or abrasion; a first component of a loop and hook type S° fastener attached to the inner surface of the protective member; a second component of a loop and hook type fastener secured to the substrate for enabling the S protective member to be releasably secured to the substrate by the loop and hook type fastener; and wherein the first component of the hook and loop type fastener is coupled to the protective member by applying a bonding agent to the polyurethane member, and H: \Karen\Keep\28504-95-POLYSCREEN.1.DOC 30/03/99 4 adhering the first component of the loop and hook type fastener to the bonding agent by an adhesive so as to enable the first component to bond to the protective member.

Preferably the loop and hook type fastener is a Velcro (trade mark) type fastener.

Preferably the bonding agent is made by Morton International, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. and sold under the name Thixon 412 or 415.

Most preferably the component of the loop and hook type fastener attached to the protective member is applied to the bonding agent while the bonding agent is still tacky.

Usual adhesives do not adhere to polyurethane and therefore articles cannot be bonded to polyurethane by means of 20 adhesives. We have found that by using a bonding agent together with an adhesive articles can be bonded to polyurethane.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying S U S e H:\Karen\Keep\28504-95-POLYSCREEN.1.DOC 30/03/99 5 drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a protective member and substrate according to the preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a separated view of the protective member and the substrate; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner side of the protective member of Figures 1 and 2.

With reference to Figure 1 and 2, a steel substrate 10 is shown protected by a polyurethane sheet 12. The substrate may be any appropriate component in a screening plant, wash plant or any other plant in which the substrate may be subject to corrosive or abrasive agents which therefore may require protection.

The polyurethane protective sheet 12 is secured to the substrate 10 by a loop and hook type fastener 14 such as a Velcro (trade mark) type fastener.

Figure 2 shows the polyurethane protective member 12 and the substrate 10 separated from one another. The first 20 component of the loop and hook type fastener and most Qio preferably the loop component is applied to the protective member 12 as represented by reference numeral 14a. As is shown in Figure 2, the component 14a is applied about the periphery of the protective sheet 12 and also down a central region of the protective sheet 12. Of course the surface upon which the component 14a is applied is the innermost surface of the protective sheet 12 which is intended to lie adjacent to the substrate As is also shown in Figure 2, the substrate 10 has the other component 14b of the loop and hook type fastener (such as the hook part of the fastener) applied to its outer surface which would normally be subject to the abrasive or corrosive agents. The hook component 14b is 6 applied in a similar pattern to the component 14a so that when the protective sheet 12 is applied to the substrate the loop component 14a engages with the hook component 14b to releasably secure the protective sheet 12 to the substrate When the protective sheet 12 wears out due to action of the abrasive or corrosive agents, the sheet 12 is simply removed from the substrate 10 by pulling in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1 to release the loop component 14a from the hook component 14b. A new sheet 12 is identical to the sheet 12 shown in Figure 1 can then be installed in place. Thus, the worn sheets 12 can be quickly removed and replaced with minimal plant downtime and with minimal effort.

It is most preferred that the hook type component be on the "substrate 10 and the loop component be on the protective sheet 12 so that earth, gravel or the like which may fall onto the substrate 10 (such as when the protective sheet 12 is being replaced or before it is installed) can be more 20 easily swept away or removed.

The protective sheet 12 is formed from polyurethane and as is well known, it is difficult, if not impossible to attach articles to polyurethane by adhesive. We have found by using a bonding agent the relevant component of the loop and hook type fastener can be bonded to the polyurethane sheet 12.

As is best shown in Figure 3, a bonding agent shown by reference numeral 30 is applied to the polyurethane sheet 12 by brushing or the like in the regions at which the loop component 14a of the fastener 14 is to be attached. An adhesive is provided on the base of the loop component 14a and whilst the bonding agent 30 is tacky, the component 14a is applied to the bonding agent so that the adhesive is 7 caused to bond to the polyurethane sheet 12 by virtue of the adhesive on the component 14a and the bonding agent applied to the polyurethane sheet 12. The bonding agent is preferably Thixon 412 or 415 made by Morton International, Inc. as previously mentioned.

After the protective sheet 12 is secured in place as shown in Figure 1, the edges of the sheet 12 are sealed to the substrate 10 by silicon or the like to stop water or material from getting beneath the protective sheet 12.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of "example hereinabove.

4 8- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A corrosive protection member, including: a body portion formed from polyurethane and having an outer surface for exposure to corrosive or abrasive agents and an inner surface for location adjacent a substrate to be protected; a first component of a loop and hook type fastener connected to the inner surface of the body portion for engagement with the other component of the loop and hook type fastener applied to the substrate for releasably securing the protective member to the substrate; and wherein the first component of the hook and loop type fastener is coupled to the body portion by applying a bonding agent to the body portion and adhering the first component of the hook and loop type fastener to the bonding agent by an adhesive.

2. A corrosive protection member according to claim 20 1, whrein the first component of the loop and hook type fastener is adhered to the body portion by the adhesive whilst the bonding agent is still tacky.

3. A protective member and substrate combination, including: a protective member formed from polyurethane and having an outer surface for exposure to corrosive or abrasive agents and an inner surface; a substrate to be protected from corrosion or 30 abrasion; a first component of a loop and hook type fastener attached to the inner surface of the protective member; a second component of a loop and hook type fastener secured to the substrate for enabling the protective member to be releasably secured to the substrate H:\Karen\Keep\28504-95.POLYSCREEJ1l.DOC 30/03/99

Claims

9- by the loop and hook type fastener; and wherein the first component of the hook and loop type fastener is coupled to the protective member by applying a bonding agent to the polyurethane member, and adhering the first component of the loop and hook type fastener to the bonding agent by an adhesive so as to enable the first component to bond to the protective member. 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the component of the loop and hook type fastener attached to the protective member is applied to the bonding agent while the bonding agent is still tacky. Dated this 30th day of March 1999 POLYSCREEN PTY. LTD. By Its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia. *9 9. •a 9* 9 H:\Karen\Keep\28504-95-OLYSCREEN.1.DC 30/03/99 ABSTRACT A corrosive protection member, including: a body portion having an outer surface for exposure to corrosive or abrasive agents and an inner surface for location adjacent a substrate to be protected; and a first component of a loop and hook type fastener connected to the inner surface of the body member for engagement with the other component of the loop and hook type fastener applied to the substrate for releasably securing the protective member to the substrate. ae r