CA2178360C - Method and apparatus for manufacturing paint roller and product produced thereby - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention consists of bonding a strip of pile fabric to a plastic tube which is mounted over a mandrel, by an adhesive substance. The adhesive substance may take many forms, and heat derived from a multitude; of heat sources, such as infra red, radio frequency, open flame, quartz, induction, ultrasonic or a plasma jet may be used to ensure a good bond between the plastic tube and the pile fabric.

Description

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Attorney Docket No.: NEW-408-CIP-3 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING PAINT ROLLER
AND PRODUCT PRODUCED THEREBY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of composite thermoplastic products and more specifically to an improved method of manufacturing paint rollers and the product produced thereby. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods far conditioning the surface of a thermoplastic tube to receive a variety of adhesives, which includes thermoplastic and thermosetting adhesives, suitable for adhering a thermoplastic compatible fabric strip to the thermoplastic tube which, for purposes of illustration, will be a thermoplastic paint roller core such as, for example, polypropylene which is the current material of choice in the paint roller industry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently in the manufacture of paint rollers, strips of pile fabric are used which are wound around a plastic or cardboard tube or core. More specifically, among the devices currently employef is a type of machine illustrated in Spanish Utility Model No. 293,980, filed on May 6, 1986, and 2p granted on September 1, 1986, which includes a rotating cylinder over which the cardboard or plastic tube is mounted, and onto which a strip of pile fabric is applied through a guide oriented obliquely and situated on and carried by a carriage which is mounted in fixed fashion over a sliding apparatus. The bonding of the tube and strip of pile fabric is accomplished either by the application of adhesive material in the case of a cardboard tube or, in the case of a plastic tube, gas flame heating by which gas burners heat the tube to bond it to the strip of pile fabric, thereby forming a single body.
In the first case, i.e., where conventional adhesive is used as the means of bonding between the cardboard tube and strip of pile fabric, the manufacture of paint rollers presents significayt problems, all resulting from the difficulty of applying the adhesive uniformly, plus the fact tha very specific adhesives must be used to produce the bond between the cardboard tube and the strip of pile fabric so that, when the rollers are used, these adhesives do not separate due to the solvents contained in the paint and in the fluids used to clean the roller.
These problems considerably increase the cost of manufacturing paint rollers because of the cost of the adhesives and the time needed for the adhesives to harden.
The second system mentioned above, though a significant advance in the art over what had been earlier used, does present certain problems, all resulting from the increased safety cost;
required by installations that use gas as a fuel source for the gas flame heating. Further, thf;
heating of the plastic tube can produce undesirable products of combustion and high noise, both effects being potentially harmful for the operators and expensive to eliminate; all of this thereforf;
has the result of raising the cost of the final product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is a procedure for manufacturing paint rollers and the;
product produced thereby, of the type in which a strip of pile fabric is wound helically over a plastic base structure, such as a tube or core, preferably formed from a thermoplastic material sucy . ~

as polypropylene, with an adhesive substance interposed there-between, with the result that the sitrip of pile fabric and the plastic base structure form a single, integral composite end product.
Specifically, an intermediate thermoplastic adhesive substance is applied onto a plastic tube in the area adjacent to the area of the winding of a fabric strip on the tube, the adhesive substance being heated. If the adhesive substance is molten it may be applied through a nozzle connected to a reservoir where the thermoplastic adhesive is heated, which nozzle is mounted on a carri,~ge on which the pile fabric strip applicator is also located. Suitable adhesives include polypropylene, polyethylene, a mixture of polypropylene and polyethylene, any of a variety of polyamieles, polyolefin based compounds, polyester based compounds, polyurethane based compounds, polyamide "hot melt" adhesives sold under the designations HB FULLER HOT
MELT(TM) 6542-PE;L
and HL2021, HOT MELT(TM) 2167PL, epoxies, urethanes and other suitable adhesives compatible with a thermoplastic tube, such as a polypropylene tube, a polyethylene tube, a nylon tube, or a combination of polypropylene and polyethylene, and resistant to the anticipated solvents found in the paint, stain, shellac or varnish and the solvents used to clean the roller.
The anticipated solvents include turpentine, mineral spirits, aliphatic compounds, ketones or aromatics in petroleum based solvents including naphtha, chlorinated hydrocarbons, alcohol based solvents, acetone, toluene arid water including soapy water and ammoniated water.
Chemically, polypropylene (PP) is very inert and very difficult to bond, because the structure is all C-H bonds. There are no adhesives available that can chemically break the very strong C-H
bonds, and there are no other bonding sites available on PP. This lack of bonding sites and 'the geometry of the chains, which makes the PP so unbondable, is reflected in the physical measurements of contact angle 87° and surface energy 29 dynes/cm. These are similar to the contact angles and surface energies of fluorocarbons, like Teflon, which.range from 79-96° contact angle and 22-37 dynes/cm surface, energy, which means PP is like fluorocarbons in being virtually unbondable.

In general, the lower the contact angle, the more wettable the surface. Some surfaces are so wettable that a contact angle can not even be measured. The reverse is true for surface energy --the higher the value, the more wettable or bondable the surface is. The surface energy can be lab tested using a series of test solutions. For a surface, typically, to be considered bondable, the contact angle needs to be <40 ° and the surface energy needs to be >70 dynes/cm. This is a general rule for clean surfaces, but is not absolute. This is not always true because the surface layer of the material is not always well bonded to the substrate. Two examples are rust on iron and an oily layer on a metal; the contact angle could be unmeasurable, but a strong, permanent bond will not be made. This is because the rust and the oil are not strongly bonded to the base material, resulting in a very weak boundary layer. But it is true to state that unless a material's contact angle and surface energy are in the bondable range, an adhesive will not work.
To achieve a strong bond with a material not in range, the surface of that material must be modified to lower the contact angle and increase the surface energy.
Therefore to bond to polypropylene, the PP must be changed to make it more bondable. The key is to change the surface to make it more wettable/bondable (lowering the contact angle/increasing the surface energy), while retaining a strong boundary layer.
Then once the surface is modif ed, almost any adhesive can be used -- the final bond strength will be determined by the effectiveness of the surface modification method and adhesives.
For adhesion, modification of the surface characteristics can be achieved by either (or both) mechanical and chemical methods. Mechanically, the surface can be roughened (to add more surface area, thereby reducing contact angle). There are a variety of chemical methods: 1) chemical etching (a very traditional method, such as an acid etch); 2) priming (where the primer is more aggressive than the adhesive -- basically, another form of etching);
3) flame treating (where the surface is lightly burned so there are now functional sites available -- too much burning could cause a charred layer which may be a weak boundary layer); 4) electrically treating (using high voltage energy -- plasma or corona -- or high intensity light energy ~ -~V -- to break the strong bonds, allowing these sites to react with an adhesive, the local oxygen, or other gases in the immediate area); 5) ozone treating (where the highly reactive ozone can attack the surface breaking bonds and allowing the oxygen in the ozone to bond) -- this method can be enhanced if used with UV light (note this is easy as UV damps in air will produce ozone gas); or G) chemical grafting either using plasma or a chemical reactive (adding a layer of another chemical having a more optimal functional group for the bonding application). The effectiveness of the methods differ depending on the material being treated, the processing time, and the treatment.
Mechanical roughening is not a viable option for PP,.because the surface energy is so very low even with the resulting increased surface area. Neither is flame treatment effective, because PP
melts at such a low temperature. There are primers available, but they are not as effective as other methods, because to be effective they must be very aggressive to break the C-H
bonds. Chemical primers generally are just not aggressive enough for PP, a chemical etch is better. Chemical (arid) etching and grafting, and electrical and UV/ozone treatments are the most effective to varying degrees depending on the process and the required results. Corona only reduces the angle to ~?~5°.
An ozone/LTV treatment will reduce it to near 30°. Plasma, plasma grafting, and chemical grafting are the best methods; some processes reducing the contact angle to approximately 20°.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a paint roller which is structurylly integral as a result of the bonding of the adhesive with the strip of the pile fabric and the plastic tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section and with standard components indicated diagrammatically, of a method of producing a plastic paint roller;

Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section. of an alternative method of producing a paint roller;
Figure 3 is a side view of a plasma jet discharge head usable in the embodiment of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a right end view of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a top view of the current input box for the discharge head which connects khe discharge head to the power unit;
Figure 6 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment in which a plastic tube is mounted over a rotating roller and the strip of pile fabric is wound helically and further including a movable carriage on which are situated the applicator of the pile fabric strip and the nozzle for applyiing thermoplastic adhesive in a molten state;
Figure 7 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment in which a plastic tube is mounted on a rotating roller which is moved longitudinally by means of a drive unit, the strip of helica.lly wound pile fabric and the applicator of the thermoplastic adhesive in a molten state being locaked on a fixed carriage;
Figure 8 is a section view of either of Figures 6 or 7 showing a section of the roller already constructed, wherein the strip of pile fabric, the thermoplastic adhesive and the plastic tube form a single body; and Figure 9 is a side view, partly in section, of a further embodiment of the invention in which, if desired, a supporting mandrel may be dispensed with.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring first to the embodiment of Figure 1 a supporting mandrel is indicated at 10, thc:
mandrel being supported in suitable bearings, not shown. A plastic tube, which forms thf°
structural core of the final product, here a paint roller, is indicated at 11, the core being driven irr the direction of arrow 12 by any suitable means, such as a conventional Ford drive, indicated diagrammatically at 19, located near the left end of the processing sequence shown in Figure 1.
The tube may be composed of any suitable thermoplastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamides, polyolefms or mixtures thereof. For paint rollers polypropylene is the, industry's material of choice. The core may be either cold or heated as it enters the processing steps to be subsequently described hereafter. If heated to the point where cooling to root' temperature will cause an internal dimensional contraction, the mandrel 10 may be slightly tapered in a leftward direction to accommodate the shrinkage. If possible the core should be heated so a5 to decrease the additional heat energy which must be supplied to complete the processing.
An adhesive substance, here a thermoplastic material in strip form which is compatible in <~
bond and strength sense with the core and fabric which will later be added, is indicated at 15. The, adhesive substance, which may for example be polypropylene or any one of the other substance;
above mentioned in conjunction with the core, or slight modification thereof, is fed from a suitablf;
source of supply and is wrapped around the core in such fashion that the laps butt snugly against one another.
Preferably, though not essentially, the adhesive substance is at an elevated temperature to facilitate bonding to core 11. In this instance a process is illustrated in which supplemental hea energy is added to the core to ensure good bonding between the core and the adhesive substance.
The supplemental heat energy may be supplied by any suitable means such as flame burners;
electrical resistance heating, radio frequency, infra red, quartz, induction, ultrasonic or plasma jest electrical discharge means. Mere the latter has been illustrated, said plasma jet system consisting _g_ of a power unit, indicated generally at 16, and a discharge head, indicated generally at 17, thfa discharge head being connected to the power unit by leads 18. It should be understood that thE;
ultimate objective of insuring a good bond between the adhesive substance and the core is a matteir of proper selection of the above described heating forms. Thus, if the core 11 has a high hear content, as it would if it were freshly extruded at a location just to the right of the right end of Figure l, and the adhesive substance 15 was also either freshly extruded, or freshly heated, the jek plasma or alternate heating system may be omitted. If on the other hand the core 11 is cold, that is, at room temperature at the start of the process, then the use of the plasma jet or alternatf;
heating system will probably be essential. It may be most convenient to use the adhesive substance in coil form at room temperature. In this event the adhesive substance 15 may have its outeir surface, that is, the surface which will subsequently come in contact with the pile fabric, heated, or, if desired, just the inner surface, or both, heated. Any one of the foregoing heating system:
may be used, the selection of which one dependent on operating parameters pertaining to eac~i installation, including cost. In essence, the heating sources used and the extent to which they arE;
15 used, can be tailored to the conditions which are present in each factory, and those basic operating conditions - space, power availability, economies of production inherent in a given location, etc.
- will vary from factory to factory.
A pile fabric in strip form is indicated at 20, the fabric being wrapped about the core-adhesive substance structure, indicated generally at 21, in such fashion that the individual wraps butt tightl~~
against one another.
Again, the primary objective is to form a tight bond between the back side of the fabric and the structure 21. Although heating the back side of the fabric 20 may be feasible in some cases9 this is not usually preferred due to possible over heating and consequent degradation of the fabric;
pile. If the surface temperature of structure 21 is hot enough and, preferably, the surface of thE, wrapped adhesive soft enough to be flowable into the interstices on the back side of the fabric, nc>
additional heat may be required and a good bond formed merely by the pressure contact between the fabric and structure 21. If the surface temperature of structure 21 is not hot enough, heat from a supplemental heat source, which may be any one of the above described means, i.e., flame burners, electrical resistance heating, radio frequency, infra red, quartz, ultrasonic, or plasma jet electrical discharge, may be added to the surface of structure, 21 prior to application of fabric 20.
A press shoe or press roller may be used, if required, to ensure good pressure contact between the fabric and structure 21.
If core 11 is part of a continuous process, as it would be if the core is extruded upstream from the processing steps illustrated in Figure 1, a conventional traveling cut-off mechanism may be used to separate the continuous formed structure 22 into discrete roller lengths suitable, if need be, for further processing such as edge trimming; see Figure 7. It should also be noted that if mandrel 10 is stationary and core 11 is to be rotated, it may be more convenient to use a drive system, such as Ford drive 19, in contact with the core 11 at a location just to the right, i.e., upstream, of the discharge head 17. In this arrangement, any possible stretching of the core or other components which might occur from the illustrated placement of Ford drive 19 would be eliminated.
I S If, on the other hand core 11 is a discrete length as it would be if pre-made and stored until wrapping is required, a cutting mechanism can be omitted or performed sequentially, but separately, from the illustrated forming process.
An alternative form of the invention is illustrated in Figure 2 in which the adhesive substance is formed as a separate envelope, such as by extrusion about the core.
A mandrel is illustrated at 10 and a core at 11. The mandrel may rotate, carrying the core 11 with it in the direction of the arrow 32. Alternatively, the mandrel may be stationary and the core, in effect, pulled in the direction of arrow 32 by a drive mechanism, such as a conventional Ford drive system indicated generally at 19 and located near the end ofthe processing sequence and after fabric has been applied.

An adhesive substance, in this instance an envelope which has, preferably, though not necessarily, been extruded at the right end of the processing sequence, is indicated at 34. The displacement of the adhesive substance envelope 31 away from the core 11 has been somewhat exaggerated to indicate the recent formation thereof and its capacity for shrinkage about the core 31 to form a good bond with the core. It should be understood that the envelope 34 may be quite structurally sound with only its interior surface, at least, heated, or it may be in a mushy or barely self supporting state depending on its heat content. Preferably the surface of core 11 is heated, as it would be for example if it was freshly extruded, or heat may be applied to a room temperature or insufficiently hot surface by flame burners, electrical resistance heating, radio frequency, infra red, quartz, induction, ultrasonic, the plasma jet system of Figure 1, or any other suitable form of heating or surface preparation including chemical priming of the type disclosed in the "Chemical Priming for Extrusion Coating" by Roger Isbister on page 101-104 of the May, 1988 issue of the TAPPI
Journal.
After adhesion of the envelope 34, whether in structurally solid and strong or in near molten condition, to core 11; a base structure 36 is formed. Immediately after formation of base structure 36, fabric 20 in strip form is wrapped therearound in such fashion that the edges of adjacent wraps abut against one another to form a peripherally continuous fabric surface.
Again a press roller or press shoe may be employed to apply pressure to the fabric-base structure junction. As mentioned above, the fabric backing may be heated, though this may not be expedient in all environments.
Again, no supplementary heat may be needed to ensure a good bond between base structure 36 and fabric 35 but it will usually be advantageous to apply supplemental heat to the exterior of base structure 36 just upstream of the junction of fabric 20 with the base structure to ensure a good bond. If envelope 34 was near molten or very hot and tacky when it came in contact with core 11 , only a modest amount of supplemental heat may be needed to ensure a good bond. Again, the operating parameters will vary from installation to installation and the processing sequence disclosed herein will have to be adjusted accordingly. If supplemental heat is required, flame burners, electrical resistance heating, radio frequency, infra red, quartz, induction, ultrasonic or jet plasma heating -may be employed, with or without chemical priming, to ensure the primary objective of a good bond.
The plasma jet heating system illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 1 is illustrated in greater detail in Figures 3-S. The discharge head 17 includes a head 40 having a discharge end 41. A mounting plate is indicated .at 42, tl~e mounting plate having a connector 43 which receives the lead 18 which extends from the power unit 16. A junction box is indicated at 44, said junction box being secured to mounting plate 42 by bolts 45, and it has two pairs of sockets 46, 47 for auxiliary uses. A blower is indicated at 48. It will be understood that said plasma jet system may be of conventional construction such as those available from Corotec Corporation, Collinsville, CT
as model nos. PJ-11, -12, -21, -22, all 120V and 2, 4 or 8 amps at 60Hz. PJ-11 has an output/discharge of, for example, lOKV, 25mA, and 60Hz. The power unit converts incoming single phase 120 volt power to the high voltage necessary for plasma discharge. The discharge head utilizes a high performance brushless DC blower which moves air across the electrodes at a rate which is controlled and monitored by the power unit.
ror bonding polypropylene, in a roller cover application, using traditional thermoset adhesives such as epoxies and urethanes, the PP must be surface modified as mentioned earlier. rrom a manufacturing standpoint, in-line corona or UV/ozone treaters are available.
The more effective plasma treatments and plasma grafting are usually done in a vacuum, so large cores should be done in batch processing units, then bonded with an adhesive to the fabric in a separate step. Chemical grafting would also probably be a batch process.
Figure 6 illustrates a system having a rotating mandrel 50 on which the plastic tube 11 is mounted. A carriage is indicated at 52 which, in rigure 6, is movable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotating mandrel. The carriage 52 includes a feed mechanism not shown, for pile fabric strip 20 which is helically wound around the plastic tube 11.

Initially a pre-formed plastic tube 11 is mounted over the rotating mandrel 50 and thereafter the strip of pile fabric20 is wound helically over the plastic tube 11 through the applicator located on the movable carriage 52.
The fundamental feature of the procedure illustrated in Figures 6-8 for the manufacture of S paint rollers consists of applying a thermoplastic adhesive in a molten state onto the area of the plastic tube 11 where the strip 20 will be closely wound. It will be understood that the specific thermoplastic adhesive material applied to the junction region between the tube and fabric is not critical to the invention. However, it must be compatible with the plastic tube selected, the pile fabric and the solvents contained in the paint, stain, varnish or shellac as well as the solvents used to clean the roller if the roller is the reusable type. The thermoplastic adhesive is applied by the outlet mouth of a nozzle 54 mounted over the movable carriage 52, which nozzle 54 is connected to a reservoir where the thermoplastic adhesive is heated.
In the embodiment of Figure 7, the plastic tube 11 is mounted over a rotating roller 55. The plastic tube may be moved longitudinally by a drive unit 56, while the carriage 52 and the rotating roller SS remain axially fixed.
The systems of Figures 6 and 7 each include a cutter 57 which produces the roller units in a condition ready for the subsequent assembly of the handle, axis and cap. In the embodiment of Figure 6, the cutter 57 does not move horizontally when cutting. In the embodiment of Figure 7 it will be understood that the cutter 57 will be arranged to move in synchronism with the horizontal movement of the tube 11 when cutting.
The embodiment of Figure 9 illustrates a system in which a mandrel is not an essential component, though it may be used as a precautionary measure. A plurality of pre-made cores are indicated at 60 and are fed to the system by a suitable race and delivery system, not shown. A
support for the continuous core forming station is indicated generally at 61, the support including a trough member 62 with which each core 60 makes initial contact. A welder is indicated at 63 which functions to join adjacent cold tubes 60a and 60b together by a butt weld at joint 64. The welder may be a sonic welder, a flame melt welder, or any other type capable of forming a solid junction. The welder is moved to the right during the welding process since the core and its subsequent accretions move continually to the right as indicated by arrow 65.
A drive system, here a conventional Ford drive, is indicated generally at 19.
Since the cores 60 will either be cold, i.e., at room temperature, or only at a slightly elevated temperature, a preheater or surface treater may be required. Here such a preheater or surface treater is indicated at 67. It may be any of the above described types since its purpose is to condition the surface of the now unitary core 68 to bond tightly to an adhesive substance. A
corona discharge or plasma jet system may be especially efficient.
An adhesive substance dispenser is indicated generally at 69. The dispenser dispenses a suitable adhesive substance, such as liquified polypropylene, polyethylene or other bond forming substances compatible with the unitary core 68 and the later applied pile fabric. In this instance the adhesive substance is dispensed through a ring type of extruder, indicated at 70, which forms a layer of the adhesive substance, indicated at 71, on the unitary core 68.
A strip of pile fabric is indicated at 20, the fabric being joined to the coated core while the layer 72 of the adhesive substance is still hot and tacky enough to form a tight bond with the backing of the fabric. It will be understood that supplemental heat may be applied downstream from the extruder 70 and upstream from the core-fabric junction if, without it, the outer surface of the layer 71 has cooled too low to form a good bond.
Another support is indicated generally at 73, this support including a trough 74 which is slightly larger than trough 62 since trough 78 must accommodate the larger diameter composite product 75 which inchtdes the layer of adhesive substance 20 and pile fabric 72. A traveling cut-off is indicated at 74.
All of the above described systems produce a composite paint roller due to the bonding produced between the plastic tube and the strip of pile fabric, together with the interposition of a compatible adhesive substance which is capable of forming a strong bond. The exact temperatures used in the processes will of course vary slightly from material to material and other factors unique to a specific operation as will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.
The preferred adhesive substances include polypropylene, polyethylene, a mixture of polypropylene and polyethylene, one preferred mixture having a polypropylene:polyethylene ratio of about 80:20, polyamide or a mixture of polyamides, polyolefin based compounds, polyester based compounds, polyurethane based compounds, polyamide "hot melt" adhesives sold under the designations HB FULLER HOT MELT(TM) 6542-PEL and HL2021 and HOT MELT(TM) 2167PL as well as other suitable adhesives compatible with a plastic tube which may be fabricated from polypropylene. Alternative materials for fabricating the core include other polymeric materials including polyethylene, a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, polyethylene with added talc, polyester and other plastics. The adhesive substance must also be compatible with the plastic tube and pile fabric, and be resistant to the anticipated solvents used in connection with painting.
These solvents include water, water with ammonia, soapy water, mineral spirits, turpentine, aromatic compounds, aliphatic compounds, alcohols, ketones, acetone, toluene, chlorinated hydrocarbons and other solvents foreseeabiy used with paint, including both water and oil based paints, shellac and varnish.
Although several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and improvements may be made within the scope of the invention. Accordingly it is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the foregoing exemplary description, but only by the hereafter appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. In a method of producing a structurally integrated paint roller, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plastic paint roller core having an outer surface, wherein the plastic for fabricating the paint roller core is selected from the following materials:
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyolefin, nylon and a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, rotating the paint roller core, providing an adhesive substance, at least a portion of which includes a thermoset material, in non-solidified, unset form which is compatible with a fabric backing, treating the core to alter a molecular structure of the material at the surface to an enhanced bonding state;
presenting a fabric strip to the paint roller core, the fabric strip having the fabric backing, applying the adhesive substance to the rotating paint roller core while the surface is in the enhanced bonding state and immediately prior to the placement of the fabric on the paint roller core, wrapping the fabric strip about the paint roller core while the adhesive substance is in a bondable condition; and solidifying and setting the adhesive substance to bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of treating is selected from the following: mechanical treatment, chemical treatment, primer treatment, flame treatment, electrical treatment, ozone treatment, and chemical grafting treatment.

3. The method of claim 2 further characterized in that solidifying and setting the adhesive substance includes applying ultraviolet radiation to the adhesive substance.

4. The method of claim 1 further characterized in that the adhesive substance is in a non-solidified, onset yet structurally self sustaining form at the time it is applied to the paint roller core.

5. The method of claim 3 further including the step of heating the core by plasma jet prior to application of the adhesive substance.

6. In a method of producing a structurally integrated paint roller, the method comprising:
providing a thermoplastic paint roller core having an outer surface, wherein the plastic for fabricating the paint roller core is selected from the following materials:
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyolefin, nylon and a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, rotating the paint roller core, providing an adhesive substance, at least a portion of which includes a thermoset material, which is compatible with both the paint roller core and a fabric backing, said adhesive substance being in a non-solidified, onset condition in the form of an envelope which envelopes the paint roller core or the fabric backing, treating t he core to alter a molecular structure of the material at the surface to an enhanced bonding state;
presenting a thermoplastic fabric strip to the paint roller core, the fabric stop having the fabric backing, applying the non-solidified, onset envelope adhesive substance to the rotating paint roller core while the surface is in the enhanced bonding state and immediately prior to the placement of the fabric strip on the paint roller core in an amount sufficient to securely bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product;
wrapping the fabric strip about the paint roller core while the adhesive substance is in a bondable condition; and solidifying and setting the adhesive substance to bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product.

7. The method of claim 6 further characterized in that solidifying and setting the adhesive substance includes treating the adhesive substance with at least one of a corona, an ultraviolet radiation and an ozone treatment.

8. The method of claim 6 further characterized in that the adhesive substance is in a non-solidified, onset yet structurally self-sustaining form at the time it is applied to the paint roller core or backing of fabric.

9. The method of claim 6 further including the step of heating the core-adhesive substance structure prior to application of the fabric.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the thermoset material is selected from the group consisting of epoxies and urethanes.

11. In a method of producing a structurally integrated paint roller, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plastic paint roller core having an outer surface, wherein the plastic for fabricating the paint roller core is selected from the following materials:
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyolefin, nylon and a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, rotating the paint roller core, treating the core to alter a molecular structure of the material at the surface to an enhanced bonding state;
applying an adhesive substance to the surface of the core, at least a portion of which includes a thermoset material, which is compatible with both the paint roller core and a fabric backing while the surface is in the enhanced bonding state, said adhesive substance being in a non-solidified, unset form so as to form a strong bond with the fabric backing, wrapping a fabric strip about the paint roller core, the fabric strip having the fabric backing, and solidifying and setting the adhesive substance to securely bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive substance includes a thermoset material selected from the group consisting of: epoxies and urethanes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein solidifying and setting the adhesive substance includes treating the adhesive substance with at least one of corona, ultraviolet radiation and ozone treatments.

14. In a continuous method of producing a structurally integrated paint roller, the method comprising:
providing a rotating mandrel, providing a plastic paint roller core on the mandrel, the core having an outer surface, wherein the plastic for fabricating the paint roller core is selected from the following materials:
polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyolefin, nylon and a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, rotating the paint roller core by rotating the mandrel, providing a supply of an adhesive substance including a non-solidified, upset thermoset material, wherein the substance is compatible with both the paint roller core and a fabric backing, treating the core to alter a molecular structure of the material at the surface to an enhanced bonding state;
presenting a fabric strip to the paint roller core, the fabric having the fabric backing, applying the adhesive substance to the rotating paint roller core while the surface is in the enhanced bonding state and immediately prior to the placement of the fabric strip on the paint roller core in an amount sufficient to securely bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product;
wrapping the fabric strip while the thermoplastic adhesive is in a non-solidified, upset adhesive condition about the paint roller core while the fabric and the paint roller core are rotating with respect to each other by traversing the fabric strip and the adhesive substance along the length of the rotating, but axially stationary, paint roller core, and solidifying and setting the thermoset material of the adhesive substance so as to yield a structurally integral product.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the thermoset material is selected from the group consisting of:
epoxies and urethanes.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein solidifying and setting the adhesive substance includes treating the adhesive substance with at least one of corona, ultraviolet radiation and ozone treatments.

17. Apparatus for manufacturing a plastic paint roller having a plastic core and a pile fabric, said apparatus including means for supporting rotating the plastic paint roller core having an outer surface;
means for treating the core to alter a molecular structure of the material at the surface to an enhanced bonding state;

means for applying an adhesive substance including a thermoset material in a non-solidified, upset form to the rotating paint roller core while the surface is in the enhanced bonding state;
means for wrapping a fabric strip having the pile fabric about the paint roller core and over the applied adhesive substance; and means for solidifying and setting the adhesive substance to bond the fabric strip to the paint roller core so as to yield a structurally integral product.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for solidifying and setting the adhesive substance includes an ultra-violet treater.

19. The method of Claim 6, wherein the step of treating is selected from the following: chemical etching, chemical grafting, electrical treatment, UV/ozone treatment, corona treatment, ozone/UV
treatment, plasma treatment, plasma grafting treatment and chemical grafting treatment.