US2041737A

US2041737A - Rubber article

Info

Publication number: US2041737A
Application number: US3767A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl L Beal
Original assignee: American Anode Inc
Current assignee: American Anode Inc
Priority date: 1935-01-28
Filing date: 1935-01-28
Publication date: 1936-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1953-05-26

Description

May 26, 1936. Q BEAL 2,041,737

- RUBBER ARTICLE Filed Jan. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 26, 1936. Q BEAL 2,041,737

' RUBBER ARTICLE Filed Jan. 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented I May 26, 1936 PATENT rice RUBBER ARTICLE Carl L. Beal, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, asslgnor to American Anode, Ina, Akron,- Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January 28, 1935, Serial No. 3,767

6 Claims. 7 (CI. 46-87) This invention relates to inflatable hollow rubber articles such as toy balloons and to methods for making such articles, and has for its principal objects the provision of a hollow rubber article which although formed in a generally rectilinearconfiguration will upon inflation assume a toric configuration or generally arcuate shape, and to provide economical and eflicient methods for making such articles.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved by forming the article, which usually will be of relatively long slender configuration, to provide in a portion of the article a zone diiiering substantially in longitudinal extensibility from the rest of the article so that upon inflation portions of the article will elongate more than others and cause the article to assume a desired longitudinal curvatur'e or toric shape. In the case of a tubular article, this end may beachieved by providing longitudinal zones of different extensibilities. Thus, where the zone of greater or lesser extensibility extends the length of the tubular body, the article may assume the form of a closed tore or annulus upon inflation. Similarly, where the zones of greater or lesser extensibility are disposed at different elemental positions along the tubular body, the article may assume the form of tores of reverse curvature. In fact, curvilinear articles of many configurations may be produced by a suitable disposition of the zones of greater and lesser extensibility. I

Articles embodying the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which Fig. l is an elevation of a rubber article embodying the present invention in a preferred form in which the article is provided with a longitudinal zone of greater extensibility than the rest of the article, the article being shown in an uninflated condition;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the article of Fig. 1 in an inflated condition and showing a toric configuration assumed by the article;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a form suitable for use in making the article of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line fi-d of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of another hollow rubber article, in the uninflated condition, which embodies a modification of the present invention in which there is provided in the article a longitudinal zone or zones of restricted or lesser extensibility than the rest of the article;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the article of Fig. 5 in an inflated condition illustrating a reversed toric configuration assumed by the article;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a form which may be used in making the article of Figs. 5 and Si and Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

A hollow rubber article embodying the present inventionin a preferred form comprises a tubular body ID of extensible rubber composition of suitable, preferably uniiorm, wall thickness, the body preferably being formed in a generally rectilinear,

relatively long and, slender configuration. The

body is entirely-closed and fluid tight except for an inflation opening II which conveniently may continuing for a sufficient portion of the length of the body to produce, upon inflation, a desired degree of longitudinal curvature.

When the article of Fig. 1 is inflated, both the circumferential and the longitudinal dimensions of the body ID will be increased to an extent depending upon the degree of the inflation, but the longitudinal extension of the body will not be uniform throughout the article, for the sinuously formed zone will extend in an accordionlike manner to a considerable degree without stretching the rubber body any, whereas extension in the rest of the body results only from actual stretching of the rubber itself. As a OOH-r sequence of such uneven longitudinal extension, the article upon inflation assumes a longitudinally curved or toric configuration, and, if the sinuously formed zone extends for substantially the entire length of the article, and the article is inflated suificiently, it may be caused to assume a closed toric configuration to produce an annulus as illustrated in Fig. 2.

To make the article of Figs. 1 and 2 according to a preferred method, a form l5 of any suitable material and having the desired shape of the uninfiated body i0 is provided. For example,the form l5 may be made of metal, glass, bakelite, porcelain, or similar material, and may be either porous or non-porous as desired. The form {5 preferably comprises a relatively long slender and substantially circular body-forming member l6 provided with a series of radially eccentric circumferential ridges ll extending part way around the form and being arranged in longitudinal alignment. Having provided the form It, it preferably is immersed in a suitably compounded liquid dispersion of rubber and a fllm or coating of rubber is deposited upon the form by any of the well-known processes, and the deposited rubber is dried, vulcanized and stripped from the form to provide the uninflated rectilinear article of Fig. 1. This rectilinear article then is inflated to produce in the manner described, a toric article such as that of Fig. 2.

A hollow rubber article embodying a modified form of the invention in which the article is provided with a longitudinal zone of restricted or lesser extensibility than the rest of the article is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 and comprises a tubular body 20 of generally rectilinear configuration formed of extensible rubber composition,-

preferably of substantially uniform wall-thickness. Like the body of the previously described article, the body 20 is fluid tight except for an inflation opening 2| which maybe at one end thereof or otherwise conveniently located. The desired zone of restricted extensibility is obtained by providing, preferably upon the interior of the body 20, one or more integrally formed ribs 22, extending longitudinally of the body for a-substantial distance.

cumferentially 180 apart, each zone extending approximately half the length of the body. When such an article is inflated, half the article will curve in one direction, and the other half will curve in the opposite direction producing an article of reversed toric configuration or S shape as illustrated in Fig. 6. g

The hollow rubber article of Figs. 5 and 6 may be made in a manner generally similar to that previously described for making the article of Figs. 1 and 2, the principal difierences being in the form required. In the present example, a

suitable form illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 com-,

prises a rectilinear a'nd substantially circular body-forming member 25 of relatively long and slender configuration, made of any suitable material. The form is provided with two

groups

28 and 21 of grooves 28 disposed in parallel relationship and extending longitudinally of the form, the two groups being disposed at difi'erent elemental positions along the form and spaced circumferentially apart. When such a form is immersed in a liquid dispersion of rubber and rubber is deposited upon the form, the grooves 28 are filled with rubber to produce ribs integral with the main coatingoi' rubber constituting the body of the article. After the rubber is deposited upon the form, it is dried, vulcanized and stripped from the form in the usual manner, and the article is inflated, whereuponit assumes the desired toric configuration.

Inflated articles of many shapes and varied toricconflgurations may be produced by suitably disposing the zones of greater or lesser extensibility upon the body of the article, and it is understood that the two configurations shown inthe drawings have been chosen merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention and. without intent to. limit the discovery to any particular toric configuration.

While the present invention is especially useful in the manufacture of .toy balloons of a wide variety of designs and shapes, the principles herein described are capable of numerous other applications and may be utilized for example in making invalid cushions, in which case the inflated toric cushion may be used with or without an enclosing covering or casing of fabric or other material, bladders for inflatable circular boats, and similar articles.

Numerous variations and modifications in details of the invention as hereinabove described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable of assuming a toric configuration when'inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a longitudinal zone of materially greater extensibility when subjected to inflation than another longitudinal zone of the body; whereby the tubular body upon inflation will assume a toric conflgu- 20 ration.

2. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable of assuming a toric configuration when inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout, the body wall in a determinate region being formed in non-planar fashion to provide a relatively narrow longitudinal zone of materially greater ex tensibility when subjected to inflation than adjacent portions of the body, .whereby the tubular body upon inflation will assume a toric conflguration.

3. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable of assuming a toric configuration when inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout, the body wall being sinuously formed in a determinate region to provide a longitudinal zone of ma- 4 terially greater extensibility when subjected to inflation than adjacent portions of the body, whereby the tubular body upon inflation will assume a toric configuration.

4. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable 4' of assuming a toric configuration when inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout, and an integral localized extensibility-restricting element extending longitudinally of the body for a substantial distance to provide a relatively narrow longitudinal zone of materially lesser exten sibility when subjected to inflation than adjacent portions of the body, whereby the tubular body upon inflation will assume a toric configuration.

5. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable of assuming a toric configuration when inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a longitudinal integral rib serving to restrict extension of the article inv a longitudinal zone about the rib upon inflation whereby the tubular body will assume a toric configuration.

6. An inflatable hollow rubber article capable of assuming a toric configuration when inflated comprising a generally rectilinear tubular body of extensible rubber composition having a plurality of integrally formed longitudinal ribs disposed in parallel relationship in a relatively narrow longitudinal zone of the body and serving to restrict extension of the article in said zone upon inflation whereby the tubular body will assume a toric configuration.

CARL L. BEAL. 1