Patents Assigned to Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6676799
    Abstract: Disclosed is both a product and method relating to a decorative metallized laminate. The laminate comprises a substrate and at least two laminated films, wherein one of the films is a metallized film. The method comprises a dual film continuous dual laminating process for producing a metallized laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Eshbach, Jr., Timothy D. Colyer, Christopher K. Moore
  • Patent number: 6673177
    Abstract: A preglued underlayment assembly comprises a substantially rigid underlayment having an upper and a lower surface, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed on the upper surface, and a release layer disposed on the adhesive layer. Another pressure sensitive adhesive layer and another release layer optionally are provided on the lower surface of the preglued underlayment. One or more performance enhancing layers, such as foam and solid layers, can be disposed between the underlayment and the adhesive layer to modify and/or enhance various properties of the preglued underlayment. Mechanical fasteners, such as staples, penetrate the preglued underlayment assembly and engage a structural support member to attach the preglued underlayment assembly thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Buckwalter, William J. Kauffman
  • Publication number: 20030180509
    Abstract: A method and composition for providing a colored high performance wear surface for floor coverings is disclosed. Specifically, the floor covering includes a substrate and a high performance layer comprising a radiation cured pigmented composition. The exposed surface of the floor covering has a stain resistance of less than about 150 Delta E units. A pigmented high performance wear layer can be added in register with a printed design on the substrate or in register with an embossed texture of the substrate. Additionally, a high performance topcoat wear layer may be added. The pigmented high performance layer may include a nacreous pigment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph W. Wright, Gary A. Sigel, Jennifer W. Sager, William J. Kauffman
  • Publication number: 20030173696
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a mechanically and chemically embossed surface covering having selectively textured surfaces. The method includes forming a web coated with a wear layer. The coated web is heated to a temperature at which the wear layer is cured, the foam layer expands, and the pattern is chemically embossed to form a surface covering having foamed regions and nonfoamed regions. The temperature gradient of the surface covering is adjusted such that there is a temperature gradient difference between the foamed and nonfoamed regions. A surface texture is then mechanically embossed into the wear layer and selectively set onto the wear layer substantially overlying the non-foamed regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: W. Craig Brossman, Steven F. Hynicka, Lisa Moyer, William J. Kauffman
  • Publication number: 20030170384
    Abstract: An apparatus for placing particles onto a substrate, methods for using the apparatus to deposit particles on a substrate and substrates prepared using the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a rotary screen, a blade disposed for directing and urging the particles through the screen, and a sheet mounted in a position to receive the particles from a feeder and deliver the particles to the rotary screen substantially across the blade. The apparatus can include a frame on which a rotary screen is rotatably mounted and a feed system disposed within and extending substantially along the length of the screen for distributing the particles. The apparatus can optionally include a vacuum means, an anti-static means and/or collection pans for handling stray particles. The screen can include a series of openings in the form of a pattern, and can be used to place particles in a pattern in register with a design or pattern on a substrate as the substrate passes under the openings in the screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William M. McQuate, Elizabeth A. Malkowski, John J. Orlando, David A. Kraft
  • Publication number: 20030116294
    Abstract: A method and composition are disclosed for providing a two-part polymer binder additive for a fibrous sheet for improving both its strength and durability. The two-part polymer binder may be added to augment organic binders to increase board strength and durability or to reduce the amount of organic binder required. The polymers may also be added in place of conventional organic binders or added in addition to organic binders to improve sag resistance and fibrous sheet performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Kehrer, Sheldon M. Atlas, Victor A. Kabanov, Alexander Zezin, Valentine Rogachova
  • Patent number: 6582550
    Abstract: A preseamed sheet flooring product having first and second sheet products positioned closely adjacent each other edge-to-edge to form a seam therebetween. An adhesive is positioned in the seam and has visual characteristics suitable for creating an indistinct appearance of the seam in the sheet flooring product. The seam also has wear characteristics sufficiently similar to wear characteristics of the sheet flooring product to maintain the visually indistinct appearance of the adhesive on the surface of the seam as wear occurs to the end product sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer W. Sager, Ronald S. Lenox, George L. Lilley, Robert K. Keener
  • Publication number: 20030079847
    Abstract: A method and composition are disclosed for providing a two-part polymer binder additive for a fibrous sheet by improving both its strength and durability. The polymer binder comprises both the addition of a resin system and an anionic polymer which impart both increased strength and resistance to moisture and sagging. The resin system includes a polyamidoamine-epihalohydrin resin, a latex and an anionic polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Howle, Karl B. Himmelberger
  • Publication number: 20030064207
    Abstract: Surface covering components that include a topcoat layer with different gloss levels in various regions on the top coat layer, and methods of manufacturing such surface covering components, are disclosed. The surface covering components include a coating layer that includes regions that have a relatively higher gloss, and regions with a relatively lower gloss. The differential gloss is provided by coating a substrate with a UV-curable coating composition, subjecting a first region of the surface coating to polymerization under a first set of conditions, and subjecting a second region of the surface coating to polymerization under a second set of conditions. The UV-curable coating compositions include UV-curable components and one or more flatting agents. The different polymerization conditions involve applying various photoinitiators, thermal initiators and/or cure altering agents to some regions of the coated substrate, and not applying these components to other regions of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, William J. Kauffman, Donald E. Barshinger
  • Publication number: 20030041987
    Abstract: An acoustical panel has a fiberboard which includes a fibrous filler and a base binder, and a nodulated overlay disposed on the fiberboard, wherein the overlay includes nodulated wool and an overlay binder and has a substantially smooth surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fibrous filler is mineral wool and the base binder is granular starch. In an another embodiment of the present invention, the nodulated wool is nodulated mineral wool and the overlay binder is cooked pearl cornstarch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Foster, Larry R. Parks, James R. Lokey, John J. Janczura, Robert G. Ganse, Barry Buhay, Walter W. Chamberlain, John Felegi
  • Publication number: 20030041543
    Abstract: Methods for creating relatively wide surface coverings and surface covering components by seaming together relatively narrow surface coverings and surface covering components are disclosed. The surface coverings are seamed together with a barely visible or invisible seam by lining up two sheets together and taping them together on one surface at the seam. In one embodiment, the taped surface is the top surface of a surface covering, i.e., the surface that includes the design. The sheets can include thermoplastic polymers. The taped surface is placed downward, and a gluing surface is exposed. The gluing surface is the surface on the two surface coverings to be joined that are in contact with each other. The gluing surface can either be exposed by raising the taped region or by lowering one or both sides adjacent the taped region. A suitable adhesive is applied to the gluing surface, and the raised region is lowered or the lowered sides are raised to the original height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Kraft, Jennifer W. Sager
  • Publication number: 20030021955
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a mechanically and chemically embossed surface covering having selectively textured surfaces. The method includes forming a web coated with a wear layer. The coated web is heated to a temperature at which the wear layer is cured, the foam layer expands, and the pattern is chemically embossed to form a surface covering having foamed regions and nonfoamed regions. The temperature gradient of the surface covering is adjusted such that there is a temperature gradient difference between the foamed and nonfoamed regions. A surface texture is then mechanically embossed into the wear layer and selectively set onto the wear layer substantially overlying the non-foamed regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: W. Craig Brossman, Steven F. Hynicka, Lisa Moyer, William J. Kauffman
  • Publication number: 20020176976
    Abstract: A surface covering has a base to which is laminated a rigid vinyl film. The film is precoated with an electron beam cured wearlayer. The preferred wearlayer composition is a polymerizable organic urethane-polyester wearlayer coating. The coated printed film is prepared by application of a polyester urethane acrylate composition to a printed sheet of rigid vinyl film and the coating is exposed to a low accelerating energy Electro-curtain to form an abrasion resistant topcoat with no apparent degradation of printed rigid vinyl film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, John R. Eshbach,, George E. Bagley, F. Joseph Appleyard
  • Publication number: 20020156143
    Abstract: The invention comprises a composition and method for controlling the gloss of surface covering products through curing of the composition to create a wearlayer surface, and preferably on a floor covering product. The surface covering product preferably is prepared by application of an aromatic polyester acrylate composition including a flatting agent and/or hard particles, and at least one free-radical generating compound to a substrate, and then the coating is partially cured by exposure to low peak irradiance UV light in either ambient or inert air, followed by fully curing the coating with high peak irradiance UV light in preferably an inert atmosphere to form a low gloss abrasion resistant wearlayer surface. Alternatively, a high gloss wearlayer surface is obtained by solely exposing the preferred composition to high peak irradiance UV light in ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, a differential gloss flooring product is obtained by using the present inventive method described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, Jeffrey S. Ross, Elizabeth A. Malkowski, Richard E. Herr, Larry W. Leininger
  • Publication number: 20020132114
    Abstract: A self-adhering surface covering is disclosed having a substrate, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer which is disposed on the substrate and has an adhesive surface distal from the substrate, and a barrier layer disposed on the adhesive layer. In one aspect, the surface covering has substantially no tack at about 10 psi at 140° F. but has tack at about 20 psi at 75° F. In another aspect, an adhesive which is substantially non-stringing is employed in the adhesive layer. The barrier layer includes substantially non-adhesive particles which have a crush resistance of at least about 10 psi while disposed on the adhesive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Kean M. Anspach
  • Patent number: 6444075
    Abstract: The invention relates to a textured surface covering having a hot melt wear layer and methods of applying the hot melt wear layer to a textured or embossed surface without distortion of the visual image of the textured substrate. The wear layer substantially follows the contours of the substrate with minimum change in thickness of the wear layer over the textured surface and provides an aesthetically pleasing three dimensional appearance to the textured surface of the substrate. Melt applying the melt processable polymer resin to the textured substrate with a conformable pressure roll deter entrapment of bubbles between the wear layer and the textured substrate. Therefore, the wear layer exhibits significant clarity and visual depth, as well as improved maintenance (cleanability) properties. The resulting product has a visual image clarity reflecting any texture in the substrate including very light reflective (lenticular moray) embossings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Schneider, William M. McQuate, Peter A. Christie
  • Publication number: 20020120030
    Abstract: The invention comprises a composition and method for controlling the gloss of surface covering products through curing of the composition to create a wearlayer surface, and preferably on a floor covering product. The surface covering product preferably is prepared by application of an aromatic polyester acrylate composition including a flatting agent and/or hard particles, and at least one free-radical generating compound to a substrate, and then the coating is partially cured by exposure to low peak irradiance UV light in either ambient or inert air, followed by fully curing the coating with high peak irradiance UV light in preferably an inert atmosphere to form a low gloss abrasion resistant wearlayer surface. Alternatively, a high gloss wearlayer surface is obtained by solely exposing the preferred composition to high peak irradiance UV light in ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, a differential gloss flooring product is obtained by using the present inventive method described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, Jeffrey S. Ross, Elizabeth A. Malkowski, Richard E. Herr, Larry W. Leininger
  • Patent number: 6440500
    Abstract: The invention is a method for manufacturing a surface covering product having a gloss controlled surface wearlayer coating and a curable composition used in that method. The preferred curable composition is a polymerizable coating which includes a di-isocyanate and/or isocyanurate structure, a polyester polyol, a hydroxy and acrylyl functional polyester, mono, di, or tri-functional acrylates, and a flatting agent and/or hard particulates. The preferred surface covering product is a floor covering product produced as a vinyl film that is precoated with preferably a wearlayer coating that is adhered to the vinyl film, and the surface of the film is preferably embossed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, Clifford M. Rosenau, Craig W. DeSantis, F. Joseph Appleyard
  • Publication number: 20020096278
    Abstract: An acoustical panel has a fiberboard which includes a fibrous filler and a base binder, and a nodulated overlay disposed on the fiberboard, wherein the overlay includes nodulated wool and an overlay binder and has a substantially smooth surface. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fibrous filler is mineral wool and the base binder is granular starch. In an another embodiment of the present invention, the nodulated wool is nodulated mineral wool and the overlay binder is cooked pearl cornstarch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Robert E. Foster, Larry R. Parks, James R. Lokey, John J. Janczura, Robert G. Ganse, Barry Buhay, Walter W. Chamberlain, John Felegi
  • Publication number: 20020088357
    Abstract: A rotary printing machine having a cylinder, two doctor blades acting on the cylinder and a gravity fed ink dispensing mechanism and a drum cleaning spray system provided on a reciprocating carriage. Ink is applied in excess to one of the doctor blades and excess ink is removed by the other. One of the ink dispensing mechanisms can be removed and replaced while printing is taking place using ink from the other ink dispensing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Applicant: Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Wai Cheung, Edward H. Hutchinson