Abstract: The robot arrangement for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange comprises a robot hand supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip is received by the robot hand at one point and driven through the hand to emerge at another point. Its emerging end is engaged by a right-angled guide finger. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller. The robot arm then moves the robot hand towards the flange so that the curved strip engages the flange. Thereafter, the finger is accelerated by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the robot hand along the flange, thus laying the strip on to the flange.

Abstract: A tool for applying a channel-shaped sealing strip to a flange comprises two parallel rollers which are contra-rotated by a motor which engage opposite sides of the sealing strip to press it onto the flange, downward pressure onto the base of the sealing strip being maintained by a non-driven roller rotatable perpendicularly to the other two rollers. The latter roller is vertically supported on supports whose upper ends are slidable within chambers and sprung-loaded downwards. The tool must exert sufficient pressure downwardly onto the inverted base of the sealing strip via the perpendicularly arranged roller to push the supports of this roller upwardly such that a striker actuates a pneumatic or electrical switch. When this happens, the motor is energized and the other two rollers drive the tool along the flange, thus pushing the strip firmly onto the flange. The switch stops the motor automatically if insufficient downward pressure is applied.

Abstract: A robot-held tool for applying a sealing strip to a flange comprises rollers which are contra-rotated by a motor within a housing and which engage opposite sides of the sealing strip to press it onto the flange, downward pressure onto the sealing strip being maintained by a non-driven roller. The housing is carried by a frame which is in turn connected to the robot via a coupling. The frame is freely angularly movable relative to a shaft which supports the housing. When the rollers are energized, they pull the tool along the flange. When a curve in the flange is reached, the housing and its supporting shaft automatically swivel relative to the remainder of the frame and to the robot. The robot then thereafter re-positions the frame back into the previous position which it had relative to the housing. In this way, the majority of the guiding of the tool along the flange is carried out by the tool itself and programming and adjustment of the robot are simplified. A hand-operated version is also disclosed.

Abstract: A tool for fitting a channel-shaped sealing strip onto a flange running around a door opening, such as of a vehicle, comprises a body supporting a channel-shaped guide. Initially, the guide is used to pick up a completely closed loop of the strip, a keeper than being slid over the guide to retain the strip in position. The tool now carrying the seal is then moved towards the flange and turned through approximately 90.degree. so that two contra-rotatable rollers engage the sides of the strip on the flange and another roller engages the base of the strip. The rollers engaging the sides of the are then energized so that the tool drives around the flange, forcing the strip into position.

Abstract: A sealing strip for attachment to the window frame running around a window opening on a vehicle door is in two parts each made of extruded plastics or rubber material and incorporating metal reinforcements. One part fits over a flange forming part of the window frame and locks into a channel formed in the frame. This part also has a reinforced lip which defines a channel for receiving the window glass. The reinforcement enables this lip to be relatively thin, thus achieving a "flush glass" effect. The other extruded part embraces a flange and has a lip for sealing against the window glass.

Abstract: The robot arrangement for mounting a sealing strip on a mounting flange comprises a robot hand supported at the end of a robot arm. The sealing strip is received by the robot hand at one point and driven through the hand to emerge at another point. Its emerging end is engaged by a right-angled guide finger. As the strip movement continues, this finger pivots and constrains the strip to follow a curved path around a guide roller. The robot arm then moves the robot hand towards the flange so that the curved strip engages the flange. Thereafter, the finger is accelerated by a motor out of engagement with the strip. The robot arm then drives the robot hand along the flange, thus laying the strip on to the flange.

Abstract: A pillar for dividing the window frame carried by a vehicle door into a small part incorporating a fixed pane of window glass and a large part incorporating a vertically slidable pane of window glass comprises a metal strut supporting an extruded plastics or rubber part. The latter defines vertical channels for respectively receiving the fixed and slidable window panes. The central portion of the plastics or rubber part covers the surface of the strut facing outwardly of the vehicle and is on the same order of thickness as each of the window panes, thus giving a "flush glass" effect. It is reinforced by an embedded metal strip. The surface of the strut which faces inwardly of the vehicle is exposed and may be painted or otherwise decorated.

Abstract: A tool is described for assembling a length of sealing strip onto a mounting flange around a door opening in a motor vehicle. The strip has a channel-shaped gripping part whose walls are initially splayed apart so that it is an easy fit onto the flange. It carries a tubular sealing part. The tool comprises a roller which engages the outside of the base of the channel of the gripping part and a perpendicularly mounted roller which engages the outside of the tubular sealing part of the strip and, via this sealing part which it compresses, exerts a side force on the corresponding wide wall of the channel of the gripping part. A flange rigid with the roller engaging the gripping part itself engages the opposite side wall of the gripping part. The two rollers may or may not be geared together and are driven via a flexible drive shaft by a motor. The tool thus travels along the length of the sealing strip which is drawn off a coil or other supply.

Abstract: A window channel receives a slidable pane of window glass within a gap. The glass slides in contact with areas which are coated with low friction material which is applied by sintering. For example, the sintered material may be powdery polyurethane, polypropylene or polyamide. The sintered powders may be transparent and may be applied after the areas have been coated with a solvent or primer. Using similar materials, but with colored powders, the exposed surfaces of door and other seals may be provided with a colored coating.

Abstract: A retaining and sealing strip made of plastics or rubber, is supported in a channel running along the top of the window frame carried by a conventional vehicle door. The strip defines a hollow chamber running alongside the top of the window opening which, in conjunction with a lip, forms a channel in which is located the upper edge of the window glass. A wall of the chamber is pressed into sealing engagement with window glass by inflation of the hollow chamber. The upper part of the strip defines further hollow chambers, one having a relatively stiff wall hinged by a narrow neck. When this chamber is inflated, the top of the door is retained closed because any attempt at opening it results in interference between a shoulder carried by the stiff wall and a ridge formed on a relatively hard plastics or rubber retaining profile which is rivetted or stuck to the adjacent body part. When the two chambers are at least partially evacuated, the stiff wall hinges to provide clearance for opening of the door.

Abstract: A sealing strip for sealing against a raisable and lowerable window glass plane such as in a motor vehicle door, comprises a triangularly shaped air-tight hollow chamber having two relatively rigid sides stiffened by a metal carrier. The third side is a relatively flexible wall. A sealing lip is pivoted on one of the rigid sides and joined by a leg to an intermediate point on the flexible wall. Partial evacuation of the chamber causes the retracted flexible wall to pull the distal tip of the lip into sealing engagement with the window glass. An increase of air pressure within the chamber causes the flexible wall to move outwards so that the force transmitted via the leg pivots the lip and moves it out of sealing engagement with the window glass.

Abstract: A sealing strip for mounting on a flange, such as surrounding a closable opening in a vehicle body, has a channel-shaped gripping part supporting a softer sealing part against which the closure member for the opening sealingly closes. The gripping part comprises a metal carrier embedded in extruded rubber or plastics material. Where the flange is relatively thick, the gripping part is pre-formed with its channel sides substantially parallel to each other so as firmly to grip the flange. However, where the flange is thinner, one side of the gripping part is moved closer to the other side and the gripping part thus still firmly grips the flange. During manufacture, the gripping part is passed through apparatus which is pre-programmed to adjust the width of the gripping part along the length of the sealing strip, the different configurations being automatically positioned along the length of the sealing strip in correspondence with the known changes in thickness of the flange.

Abstract: A sealing strip for a vehicle door opening has a generally channel-shaped gripping part supporting a tubular sealing part. Initially, the side walls of the channel of the gripping part are splayed apart so as to enlarge the mouth of the channel. This eases the application of the gripping part to the normal mounting flange surrounding the vehicle door opening. The flange can pass freely between gripping lips on the opposite inside walls of the gripping part. A suitable tool is then employed to press the side walls of the channel towards each other so as to render them substantially parallel, thus pressing the lips into gripping and sealing contact with the flange surfaces, this configuration being therefore resiliently maintained by a metal carrier embedded in the gripping part. One of the sealing lips is particularly advantageous for secondary sealing purposes because it is directed outwardly of the mouth of the channel, unlike the other lips.

Abstract: A door seal is mounted to run around the periphery of the door in a vehicle body and is mounted relatively adjacent to the outer surface of the door so as not only to perform the normal sealing action between the door and door frame but also to ensure that soiling of the door aperture itself by ingress of dirt and moisture is prevented or reduced and to reduce wind noise. The door seal has a sealing part integrally extruded with a mounting part. The latter defines a hollow interior of triangular cross-section in which is mounted a metal carrier. The base of the hollow interior is closed off by a web which supports an adhesive strip for mounting the seal on the door. The metal carrier has an extrusion which is slightly longitudinally compressible so as to permit controlled compression of the adjacent part of the seal where it is curved to follow a curve in the door. A non-stretchable tape may be incorporated to prevent unsightly stretching of the outside of the door seal at such a bend.

Abstract: A vehicle door seal with a channel shaped gripping part is mounted on a bodywork flange defining the door opening and this part supports a tubular sealing part such as made of plastics or rubber of cellular or foamed configuration. The air pressure within the latter can be increased or decreased by means of an air pump connected to a tubular extension. When the door is opened, the air within the sealing part is evacuated and the sealing part collapses to permit easy closing of the door. When the door is closed, the air pressure within the tubular part is increased so as to inflate the sealing part towards its circular configuration and to bring it into sealing engagement with the closed door. The interior of the sealing part is lined with an air-impervious lining and this and the interior of the part are formed with grooves which are so configured that the collapsed sealing part has a neat appearance.

Abstract: A metal carrier for a channel-shaped sealing strip is disclosed. The carrier is of continuous construction but is formed with assymetrically arranged slots. The slots are of a first type and a second type, each slot of the first type extending from a particular one of the distal edges of the channel, through the entire corresponding side of the channel, through the entire base of the channel and through part of the opposite side of the channel but stopping short of the distal edge of the opposite side. Each slot of the second type extends from the distal edge of the said opposite side, entirely through that side and through part only of the base. The slots of the first and second types alternate along the length of the carrier. The slots permit the carrier to be easily curved about an axis or axes extending vertically. This makes the carrier particularly suitable for use in a sealing strip for an engine compartment or luggage trunk opening in a motor vehicle body.

Abstract: A sealing strip has a channel-shaped gripping section for mounting on a flanged joint running around an opening such as an opening in a vehicle body, and a hollow tubular soft sealing section is attached to and runs alongside the gripping section. In order to prevent distortion of the sealing section at a sharp bend, a rigid support member, such as made of ABS plastics material, is fixed within the gripping section and has a part which is in contact with the outside surface of the sealing section at the bend and is adhesively secured to it.

Abstract: A carrier for a channel-shaped trimming or sealing strip is manufactured by leading a main wire between meshing teeth so as to give the wire a zig-zag configuration. The emerging wire is pushed between guide walls. Simultaneously, looped edge wires are fed in, along the walls, and mesh with the ends of the loops of the main wire. The meshed wires are fed into the mouth of a cross-head extruder. This extrudes plastics or rubber material around the meshed wires so as to hold them in meshing engagement. The resultant generally flat strip can then be bent into channel-shape.

Abstract: Apparatus for fitting a sealing strip to a mounting flange running around a motor vehicle door opening is disclosed. The sealing strip is preferably in the form of a closed ring and is longitudinally resilient having a channel-shaped gripping section and a soft sealing section. A jig is in the form of an outer plate which is larger in area than the door opening defined by the flange. The strip in ring form is placed on this outer plate and then pulled inwardly by gripping fingers so as to distort it into a shape limited by arm ends and to take up a peripheral size less than the size of the door opening. The jig then positions the seal, which is partially compressed between the outer plate and an inner plate, within the door opening. The gripping fingers are then released and the arm ends move outwardly so as to press the gripping section of the sealing strip onto the flange.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for a windscreen glass is shown. Around the top and sides of the windscreen opening, a rubber section is mounted on a bodywork flanged joint, the rubber having embedded in it a metal carrier which has an extension which emerges outside the plastics to provide an exposed stiff metal lip which partially embraces a recess holding mastic. The section of the mounting arrangement along the bottom of the windscreen opening differs in that its metal carrier does not have such extension or the exposed metal lip, and the plastics immediately beneath the recess has a slot into which a stiffening member can be clipped. The windscreen is mounted in position by sliding it upwardly in to the sides and top of the windscreen opening. The glass is thus trapped in position behind the exposed metal lip and sealed and adhesively secured by the mastic.