US3086328A - Precreased paper tape for wallboard joint - Google Patents

Description

April 1963 J. H. PETERSON ETAL 3,036,328

PRECREASED PAPER TAPE FOR WALL-BOARD JOINT Filed March 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1963 J. H. PETERSON ETAL 3,036,323

PRECREASED PAPER TAPE FOR-WALLBOARD JOINT Filed March 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR5 0% W mfiwm @444, M M2211 v= United States Patent N 3,086,328 PRECREASED PAPER TAPE FOR WALLBOARD JOINT John H. Peterson, Ellsworth David Foggin, and Edward James ODonnell, Staten Island, N.Y., assignors to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 723,825 4 Claims. (Cl. 50-202) This invention relates to tape suitable for use in covering joints between abutting wallboard edges and to a method and apparatus for preparing the same. More particularly, this invention relates to a particular type of paper tape suitable for covering and reinforcing corner joints formed by abutting wallboard edges.

Theinvention is directed to an improvement of the paper tape more specifically described in the patents to Page No. 2,047,982 and Page et al. No. 2,180,433. Paper tape of the type described in said patents is provided with sharp beveled edges which frequently cut the hands of the workmen in preparing and applying the tape to wallboard joints. Such injuries occur frequently when the workmen attempt to fold or crease the tape for application to corner joints. Heretofore, such tapes have been folded or creased longitudinally for wallboard corner joint application either by the Workman using only his hands or with the assistance of folding or creasing tools of the type described in the McCorkle Patent No. 1,991,328 or the Lissa Patent No. 2,400,698.

Such previous methods or preparing tape for corner joint application have presented difficulties in addition to the danger of injury. When the tape has been folded by the workmen on the job without the assistance of special tools, difficulty has been encountered in folding the tape along a substantially straight longitudinal line so that the tape when applied will properly conform to and overlie the corner joint. The availability of special folding or creasing tools of the type hereinbefore mentioned has facilitated obtaining a straight longitudinal fold in the tape but the necessity for the use of such tools has resulted in higher labor and tooling costs. In addition, tape folded on the job by means of such special tools is generally not suited for application to wallboard joints other than corner joints.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a precreased tape for wallboard joints which may be readily folded for application to wallboard corner joints and which may be used alternatively for applicationto flat joints for-med by abutting coplanar wallboards.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a precreased paper tape for wallboard joints which may be readily folded and applied thereto without danger of injury to the applicator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a precreased paper tape which may be readily applied to both inside and outside wallboard corner joints.

-It is a still further object of this invention to provide a machine and method for economically and safely preparing said precreased paper tape.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

This invention together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numbers:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a segment of joint tape made according to the invention,

3,086,328 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an improved wall corner construction showing partial application of the improved joint tape of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation of a machine for manufacturing the joint tape,

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of said machine,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the tape creasing section of the machine,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the portion of the tape creasing section of the machine shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the tape creasing members of the machine,

FIG. 9 is an elevation of the creasing section of the machine, shown disposed between the partially shown wetting and drying sections thereof, and

FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation of certain tape guides of the machine, taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

The paper joint tape 20 of the invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. As described in said Page Patent No. 2,047,982 and said Page et al. Patent No. 2,180,433, the tape 20 may be formed of rope, fibre paper, wood paper, or the like, with a substantial portion of the fibers extending transversely of the tape to give it transverse strength. The tape may be provided with a plurality of perforations 21 in the body or central portion 26 thereof so that when the tape is applied to the wallboard joint by suitable adhesive, the adhesive will ooze out through the perforations so that it may be leveled off on the outer surface of the tape to offer a smooth surface for subsequent application of paint, wall paper, or other wall covering material. The longitudinal edges of the tape are ground to beveled surfaces 22 and 23 to form knife edges 24 which lie flush against the surface of the wallboard edges to which the tape is applied so as to render the edges of the tape as applied to the wallboard joint substantially unnoticeable.

As shown in FIG. 1, a continuous substantially straight longitudinally disposed crease or line of Weakness 25 is provided in the central or body portion 26 of the tape. As will be described hereafter, after the crease 25 is formed in the tape, the tape is flattened to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which flat condition the crease line 25 is substantially invisible. In this fiat but precreased condition the tape has a retained predisposition when folded longitudinally to fold or crease along said crease or line of weakness 25. Thus when the precreased tape is longitudinally folded by a workman on the job, the crease line 25 will reappear, and the tape thus folded along said substantially straight crease line will be readily adaptable for application to a wallboard corner joint as shown in FIG. 3. When such precreased tape is folded and adhesively attached to the corner joint, the crease line 25 of the tape will align itself perfectly with the underlying joint line 54 formed by abutting wallboards 55.

Although FIG. 3 discloses the precreased tape of the invention being applied to an inside wallboard corner joint, it is to be understood that said tape is equally suitable for application to an outside wallboard corner joint (not shown). In addition it is to be noted that the precreased tape of the invention is also suitable for application to fiat joints formed by abutting coplanar wallboard joints (not shown) by reason of the fact that the crease line 25 remains substantially invisible as long as the tape remains in a flat condition (FIG. 2). Thus it is apparent that this invention provides a flat precreased tape suitable for application to inside and outside corner joints and flat joints formed by abutting wallboards.

The paper joint tape 20 of this invention is formed on a machine some of the features of which are more specifically described in said Page et al. Patent No.

3 2,180,433. Referring to FIGURE 4, the machine for making the precreased tape is arranged in a number of sections, namely, a storage section A, a grinding section B, a Wetting section C, a folding or creasing section D, a drying section B, and a winding section F. The storage section A, grinding section B, wetting section C, drying section B, and Winding section F of the machine for forming the precreased tape of this invention and the functions thereof are substantially the same as the correspondingly named sections of the machine disclosed in said Page et al. Patent No. 2,180,433, and a plurality of tapes may likewise be simultaneously formed on the machine of this invention.

As described with more particularity in said Page et al. Patent No. 2,180,433 each tape 20 passes from a storage roll 27 through a tcnsioning mechanism 28, through the grinding section B where a plurality of grinding wheels 29 form the beveled edges 22 and 23 of the tape, thence over rollers 30 and upwardly to a slack take-up device 31 including a plurality of rollers 32, and thence to the wetting section C of the machine.

The tapes 20 of this invention enter the wetting section in a substantially flat condition and pass downwardly, as best seen in FIG. 9, over a curved channel guide member 33 and over narrow wetting rolls 34 which are sufficiently narrow to contact only the center unbeveled section 26 of the tape. The rolls 34 rotate in a pan 35 containing Water whereby the tape-engaging peripheries thereof are kept wet. An inclined brush 36, secured by means of a bracket 37 to the frame 38 of the wetting section contacts the upper surface of each tape between the beveled edges thereof. The brush 36 is kept wet by means of water dripping from a cock 39 at the bottom of a reservoir 40. Thus the tapes are moistened centrally on both sides with water in a sufficient quantity to dampen the central portions thereof but not to soak said portions to a degree which would permanently or substantially impair the strength of the tape.

After the center portions 26 of the tapes are moistened, the tapes pass through a soaking zone 41 in which the water wets the tape center for about seconds. With a tape speed of approximately 23 feet per minute, a soaking distance of about 17 feet is provided between the wetting section C and the drying section E. It is to be understood of course that the tape speed, soaking period, and the quantity of wetting water may be varied as desired to get the best results for tapes having different types of fibres and strength characteristics.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 a creasing orfolding section D is provided in the soaking zone 41. In this section a plurality of creasing members 43 are suitably mounted by means of plates 44 to a frame 45. The frame 45 is supported on the floor and may be movable therealong so as to position the creasing members 43 in any desired position in the soaking zone 41. The position of the creasing members 43 within the soaking zone may vary for best results depending upon the type and characteristics of the tape but preferably the creasing members 43 are positioned at the mid-point of the soaking zone or slightly therebeyond as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, each creasing member 43 comprises a pair of side portions 46 which at the tape-entering end 56 thereof are angularly disposed to form a generally V-shaped entrance for tape. At this end of the creasing member the outermost portions 47 of the side members 46 are bent back upon themselves (as shown in FIG. 8) to form guide slots 57 for receiving therethrough the beveled edges of the tape. The side portions 4d of the creasing members gradually converge upon each other and at the other ends 48 of the creasing member the side members 45 are bent back upon themselves to form an angle therebetween of approximately 180 with a space provided therebetween of a width sufiicient only to permit folded tape to pass therethrough. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the 4 moistened tapes travel in the direction of the arrows through the creasing members 43, each tape is folded thereby to form a substantially straight longitudinal creasing line 25.

In the illustration of the drawing, the crease line 25 is shown substantially in the center of the tape. If it is desired to position the longitudinal crease line off center but still within the body or center portion 26 of the tapes, or of any tape, a creasing device may be employed which is substantially similar to the device 43 but wherein the line formed at the juncture of the side members is off center, or in other words, nearer to the outer edge of one side member than to the outer edge of the other side member. A precreased tape of this modified form but yet within the scope of this invention, may be desirable for application to outside wallboard corner joints.

After the tapes 20 leave the soaking zone 41, they enter the drying section E and engage below arcuate-shaped plates 49 mounted on the drying section frame 58 (FIGS. 9 and 10). The plates 49 serve to space the tapes an equal distance apart and to deliver the tapes to the tension rollers 50, as is more specifically described in Page et al. Patent No. 2,180,433. As described in said patent, the tapes are dried while under tension in the drying section E on a plurality of heated drying cylinders 51, the tapes being dried and ironed to perfectly flat condition under tension. After the tapes leave the last drying roller, they pass as described in said Page et al. patent through another tensioning device 52 and thereafter to a plurality of winding rolls 53.

The precreased tape delivered to and wound on the winding rollers 53, is perfectly flat transversely by reason of the drying and flattening thereof on the rollers 51. The substantially straight crease line 25 extending longitudinally of the tape in the body portion thereof, which crease line was formed continuously therealong during passage of the tape through the creasing section D, remains present therein but is substantially, if not completely, invisible and will remain in this condition until refolded, if desired, by workmen intending to use the precreased tape to cover a wallboard comer joint. The tape thus precreased, flattened and dried, as hereinbefore described, has a predisposition, if later folded longitudinally, to crease or fold along the continuous and substantially straight longitudinally disposed crease line 25, which predisposition is a great assistance to workmen in folding said tape longitudinally for application thereof to wallboard corner joints. Moreover, the same precreased tape, or any segment thereof, may be satisfactorily used in covering and reinforcing fiat wallboard joints because of the complete flatness of said tape and the virtual invisibility of the longitudinal crease or line of weakness therein.

While several embodiments of this invention are shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim 1. A wallboard joint tape adapted for concealing both fiat joints defined by the abutting edges of wallboard panels disposed in coplanar relationship and corner joints defined by edges of wallboard panels disposed in angular relationship comprising a strip of paper having a substantial proportion of crossed fibers extending transversely of said strip, a substantially straight and substantially invisible crease line extending longitudinally of said strip, said crease line having been formed by creasing said strip while moistened, flattening said strip and drying said strip while in the fiat condition under tension, said strip being substantially flat and having a predisposition when folded longitudinally to fold along said crease line, said tape also having a disposition to assume a substantially flat condition across the width thereof when supported along one longitudinal edge portion thereof until purposely folded in the normal course of use.

2. The joint tape of claim 1 in which said paper strip is perforated.

3. The joint tape of claim 1 in which the crease line is centrally disposed therein.

4. The joint tape of claim 1 in which the opposed longitudinal edges of said tape are beveled.

666,261 Butterworth I an. 22, 1901 6 White Jan. 29, 1907 Carter Jan. 19, 1909 Crowell Aug. 10, 1915 Crowell Aug. 17, 1915 Bundy Apr. 27, 1926 Green Feb. 26, 1929 Page July 21, 1936 Page et al Nov. 21, 1939 Kruger Mar. 19, 1940 Weimont Feb. 3, 1953 Tvorik Nov. 26, 1957

Claims (1)

1. A WALLBOARD JOINT TAPE ADAPTED FOR CONCEALING BOTH FLAT JOINTS DEFINED BY THE ABUTTING EDGES OF WALLBOARD PANELS DISPOSED IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP AND CORNER JOINTS DEFINED BY EDGES OF WALLBOARD PANELS DISPOSED IN ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP COMPRISING A STRIP OF PAPER HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF CROSSED FIBERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID STRIP, A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT AND SUBSTANTIALLY INVISIBLE CREASE LINE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID STRIP, SAID CREASE LINE HAVING BEEN FORMED BY CREASING SAID STRIP WHILE MOISTENED, FLATTENING SAID STRIP AND DRYING SAID STRIP WHILE IN THE FLAT CONDITION UNDER TENSION, SAID STRIP BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND HAVING A PREDISPOSITION WHEN FOLDED LONGITUDINALLY TO FOLD ALONG SAID CREASE LINE, SAID TAPE ALSO HAVING A DISPOSITION TO ASSUME A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CONDITION ACROSS THE WIDTH THEREOF WHEN SUPPORTED ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTION THEREOF UNTIL PURPOSELY FOLDED IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF USE.

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