GB903143A - Cushioning material and method of producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

903,143. Laminates. L.O.F. GLASS FIBERS CO. Dec. 29, 1958, No. 41832/58. Class 140. [Also in Groups V, XIV and XXXII] A laminated cushioning material is made from a layer or layers of glass fibres, bonded by a cured synthetic resin, and one or more layers of similar fibres impregnated with an uncured thermosetting resin such as a phenol-, urea-, or melamine-formaldehyde resin, the uncured layer or layers being brought into contact with and bonded to the cured layers with a pressure which increases the density of the former layers during the curing of the contained resin. The initial density of the uncured may be substantially higher than that of the cured layers. The material as described, has inner cured layers which are resilient and outer, initially uncured, layers forming a hard skin. Such material is stated to absorb shocks without rebound and to be usable as, or for making, crash pads, moulded upholstery, insulation parts and platforms for boxing rings &c. The glass fibres used may be formed with an average diameter of about 5 microns, by a high-temperature, high pressure blast which simultaneously coats them with resins, those fibres to be used initially cured being passed directly to a curing oven and subsequently compressed to the desired degree. The laminates may have outer layers of decorative material such as polyvinyl chloride or fabric. A motor car crash pad is made by laying glass fibre mat 28, Fig. 7, impregnated with uncured thermosetting resin in a stainless steel or other mould 29, superimposing a resilient pad 30 of similar mat containing cured resin and a second layer 31 similar to the layer 28, and pressing the whole, while heating, with the male member 32 of the mould. The pad 23, Fig. 2, with decorative fabric facing layers 18, 19, is secured along one edge as by screws 21 to the dash-panel and along the opposite edge to the windshield moulding strip 15, the layers 18, 19, being separated and clamped by a block 20. The strip 15 is adjustable by a screw 17 engaging the body work 16 to tension the pad. The initially cured part c of the pad is shock-absorbing without rebound, and the parts d, a, f initially uncured, are hard and resistant to compression.