(12) United States Patent
`Lee
`
`111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
`US006440502Bl
`US 6,440,502 Bl
`Aug. 27, 2002
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`(54) METHOD OF FABRICATING A TAPE FOR
`TAPE RULE
`
`5,738,743 A * 4/1998 Lee ............................ 156/153
`5,863,624 A * 1!1999 Miyazaki et a!. .......... 428/35.9
`
`(76)
`
`Inventor: Shih-Lin Lee, No. 22, Lane 81, Sec. 2,
`Tunha S. Road, Taipei City (TW)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/678,389
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Oct. 3, 2000
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl? ............................. BOSD l/28; B05D 3/06;
`B05D 7/16
`(52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 427/542; 427/557; 427/595;
`427/211; 427/258; 427/287; 427/388.1;
`427 /409; 427/428
`(58) Field of Search ................................. 427/542, 557,
`427/409, 388.1, 258, 211, 287, 595, 428
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4,362,775 A * 12/1982 Yabe et a!.
`................. 428/213
`4,370,387 A * 1!1983 Ueno et a!. ................. 428/458
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner-Shrive P. Beck
`Assistant Examiner---Kirsten A. Crockford
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method of fabricating a tape for a tape rule disclosed
`herein comprises the steps of adding a dyestuff into a
`polyester material mixed with a binding glue and churning
`the mixture so as to offer the polyester material a specified
`color; adhering the colored polyester material by rolling
`with a 150° C. hot roller to both surfaces of a steel tape so
`as to form a base coat film; printing graduations on one or
`both surfaces of the tape already having the base coating;
`drying the tape by infrared radiation; rolling a mixture of a
`transparent polyester and a binding glue with the 150° C. hot
`roller on both surfaces of the tape to form a protecting layer;
`and finishing fabrication of the tape. The tape fabricated is
`fiat, stiff, flexible, and friction resistant, also capable of
`saving production costs.
`
`4 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
`
`adding a dyestuff into a
`polyester material mixed
`with a binding glue and
`churning the mixture
`
`adhering the polyester on
`both surfaces of the tape to
`form a colored base coat
`
`21
`
`22
`
`printing graduations
`
`forming a transparent
`polyester protecting layer on
`both tape surfaces
`
`finishing fabrication of a tape
`product
`
`5
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`APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC - EX. 1011-001
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 27, 2002
`
`Sheet 1 of 2
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`US 6,440,502 Bl
`
`11
`preparing a roll of steel tape ~
`
`,
`
`forming a base coat layer by 0
`
`adhering an aluminum foil or
`baking a paint on both tape
`surfaces
`
`2
`
`,.
`
`printing graduations
`
`l---/1
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`3
`
`1
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`coating a polyester film on
`both tape surfaces
`
`l---/1
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`4
`
`1
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`1
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`trimming and hurling flashes L/. 5
`
`of the base coat
`
`•
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`fmishing a tape product
`
`06
`
`FIGl
`PRIOR ART
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`APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC - EX. 1011-002
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 27, 2002
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
`
`US 6,440,502 Bl
`
`adding a dyestuff into a
`polyester material mixed
`with a binding glue and
`churning the mixture
`
`adhering the polyester on
`both surfaces of the tape to
`form a colored base coat
`
`,,
`
`printing graduations
`
`22
`
`L/
`
`23
`
`L/
`
`,,
`}4
`forming a transparent
`1
`polyester protecting layer on ~
`both tape surfaces
`
`?5
`,w
`finishing fabrication of a tape l-/
`product
`
`i
`
`FIG2
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`APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC - EX. 1011-003
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`

`1
`METHOD OF FABRICATING A TAPE FOR
`TAPE RULE
`
`US 6,440,502 Bl
`
`2
`2. Adhering the colored polyester prepared in step 1 by
`rolling with a roller which is maintained at a constant
`temperature of 150° C., to both surfaces of the tape so
`as to form a colored base coat of the tape.
`3. Printing graduations on a surface (or both surfaces) of
`the tape and then carrying out infrared drying.
`4. Rolling a mixture of a transparent polyester and a
`binding glue with a roller maintained at a constant
`temperature of 150° C. on the tape, to form a polyester
`protecting layer on both tape surfaces.
`5. Finishing fabrication of a polyester film coated tape for
`tape rule.
`The base coat formed in step 2 makes the finished tape
`non-poisonous and environment-conscious. In addition, the
`polyester film of the present invention is thinner than the
`aluminum foil or the baked paint formed by conventional
`techniques, consequently, a thicker steel strip can be used to
`form the tape which results in upgrading stiffness and
`flexibility of the finished tape.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`10
`
`20
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`The drawings disclose an illustrative embodiment of the
`present invention which serves to exemplify the various
`25 advantages and objects hereof, and are as follows:
`FIG. 1 is a fundamental flow chart showing the steps of
`fabricating a tape for tape rule according to conventional
`techniques;
`FIG. 2 is a fundamental flow chart showing the steps of
`fabricating a tape for tape rule according to the present
`invention.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the invention
`The present invention relates to method of fabricating a
`tape for tape rule, and more particularly, to a method in
`which a colored polyester film is coated on both surfaces of
`a steel tape as base coat thereby forming a non-poisonous,
`environment-conscious and low cost tape for tape rule.
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`FIG. 1 shows a fundamental flow chart illustrating a
`conventional method of fabricating a tape for tape rule, the
`fabricating steps are:
`1. Preparing a roll of originally colored metallic tape 11; 15
`2. Forming a base coat layer by adhering aluminum foil
`or baking paint on both tape surfaces 12;
`3. Printing graduations on the tape which already having
`being finished base coating 13;
`4. Coating a polyester film 14 on both tape surfaces after
`printing graduations 13;
`5. Trimming and bur ling flashes of the aluminum foil and
`the polyester film 15; and
`6. Finishing a tape product 16.
`In the conventional fabricating method generally adopted
`by manufactures, the paint used as base coat induces a
`serious problem. As it is well known, any colored painting
`materials usually contain poisonous chemical compounds
`with heavy metals and a stimulating odor not only harmful 30
`to manufacturing personnel who constantly contact it, but
`also air polluting. The product of a tape rule made as such
`is possibly harmful and is by no means a good product.
`Except making procedure is complicated. Foams are too
`apt to be produced between the aluminum foil and the 35
`polyester film as the two are not so compatible to attract
`firmly with each other thereby reducing yield of the tape
`fabrication that leads to a waste of production cost. Besides,
`owing to rather large thickness of aluminum foil, the thick(cid:173)
`ness of steel sheet used to form the tape body must be 40
`reduced as thin as possible with the result that the finished
`tape product is in lack of stiffness and flexibility as well.
`Furthermore, no matter whether the base coat is formed of
`aluminum foil or of baked paint, both require a considerably
`high fabrication cost, as a result, users have to pay a higher 45
`price to purchase a tape rule whose tape is formed as such.
`In order to overcome the shortcomings inherent to the
`conventional technique described above, the present inven(cid:173)
`tor has delved into this matter with a long time efforts and
`came to realization of the present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`The conventional fabricating steps of a tape illustrated in
`FIG. 1 have already been describe above so that it will not
`be repeated again.
`The fabricating method of a tape according to the present
`invention shown in FIG. 2 comprises the steps:
`1. Adding a dyestuff into a polyester material mixed with
`a binding glue and churning the mixture so as to offer
`the polyester material a specified 21.
`2. Adhering the colored polyester prepared in step 1 by
`rolling with a roller which is maintained at a constant
`temperature of 150° C., to both surfaces of a steel tape
`(in original metallic color) so as to form a 15 urn thick
`colored base coat on the steel tape, and preventing
`foams from being produced between the tape surfaces
`and the polyester base coat so as to maintain the tape in
`fiat state, and then winding up the tape which is finished
`base coating around a reel 22.
`3. Printing graduations on a surface (or both surfaces) of
`the steel tape treated with base coating in step 2, and
`then drying the tape by infrared ray 23.
`4. Rolling a mixture of a transparent polyester and a
`binding glue with a roller maintained at a constant
`temperature of 150° C. on both surfaces of the tape
`after having been printed graduations in step 3, so as to
`form an anti-friction protecting layer 24.
`5. Finishing fabrication of a polyester film coated tape for
`tape rule 25.
`Meanwhile, the base coat formed in step 2 is non(cid:173)
`poisonous and is in comply with requirement of environ(cid:173)
`ment protection. In addition, the polyester film of the present
`invention either used as base coat or as a protecting layer can
`
`50
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is an object of the present invention to provide method
`of fabricating a nonpoisonous tape for tape rule.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide 55
`method of fabricating a tape having proper stiffness, flatness
`and flexibility, for tape rule.
`It is still another object of the present invention to provide
`method of fabricating a tape with a good color rendering,
`and easy for observing its graduations thereon for measure- 60
`ment.
`The above mentioned objects and other advantages of the
`present invention will be achieved by the method of fabri(cid:173)
`cating a tape for tape rule comprising the steps of:
`1. Adding a dyestuff into a polyester material mixed with 65
`a binding glue and churning the. mixture so as to offer
`the polyester material a specified color.
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`APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC - EX. 1011-004
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`US 6,440,502 Bl
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`3
`be formed thinner than the aluminum foil or the baked paint
`formed by conventional technique, consequently, a thicker
`steel strip can be employed to form the tape which results in
`upgrading stiffness and flexibility of the finished tape.
`In summary, the present invention is superior to any other
`conventional technique by the facts of using non-poisonous
`base coat, possibility of forming thinner film both for base
`coat and protecting layer thereby upgrading stiffness and
`flexibility of the finished tape through utilizing thicker steel
`strip for the tape, and thus saving overall fabrication cost and
`reducing price of the tape rule.
`Many changes and modifications in the above described
`embodiment of the present invention can, of course, be
`carried out without departing from the scope thereof.
`Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the
`useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be 15
`limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
`What is claimed is:
`1. A method of fabricating a tape for a tape rule compris(cid:173)
`ing the steps of:
`(a) establishing a flexible steel tape substrate having 20
`opposed first and second surfaces;
`(b) churning a first mixture including a dyestuff
`component, a polyester material component, and a
`binding glue component to form a colored polyester
`material;
`(c) hot rolling said colored polyester material onto said
`tape substrate at a predetermined constant temperature
`to form a coated tape substrate having disposed on each
`of said opposed first and second surfaces a base coat
`film layer;
`
`10
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`4
`(d) applying indicia to said base coat film layer of at least
`said first surface;
`(e) drying said coated tape by exposure to infrared radia(cid:173)
`tion;
`(t) forming a second mixture including a substantially
`transparent polyester material component and a binding
`glue component; and,
`(g) hot rolling at said predetermined constant temperature
`said second mixture and said coated tape substrate to
`form a flexible finished tape having a protecting layer
`disposed over said base coat film layer of each said first
`and second surface.
`2. The method of fabricating a tape for a tape rule as
`recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined constant
`temperature equals approximately 150 degrees C.
`3. The method of fabricating a tape for a tape rule as
`recited in claim 1 wherein said base coat film layer is
`conformingly hot rolled over each said first and second
`surface of said coated tape substrate to overlay each said first
`and second surface in substantially uniform manner.
`4. The method of fabricating a tape for a tape rule as
`25 recited in claim 1 wherein said base coat film layer is formed
`to be approximately 15 microns in thickness over each of
`said first and second tape substrate surfaces.
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`APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC - EX. 1011-005
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