Patents by Inventor Larry W. Leininger

Larry W. Leininger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7381474
    Abstract: The methods for making a coated thin veneer, plank or wood product in which the coated surface does not crack due to instability of the wood involve applying to a veneer, plank or wood product a composition including a hydrophilic polymer and a reactive monomer or a composition including a reactive (meth)acrylate. In one embodiment, the hydrophilic polymer is a polyalkylene glycol, such as polyethylene glycol. The composition also advantageously includes a thermally activated free radical initiator, a photoinitiator or both. The veneer is further laminated into wood product boards that are cut down to planks. In another aspect of the current invention, several solvent based resins are roll coated onto the loose and/or tight side of the thin veneer or unfinished plank wood, dried to remove solvent, and exposed to UV radiation to cure the resinous material by radical initiation of the photoinitiator that leads to polymerization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: AWI Licensing Company
    Inventors: Burton L. Wilson, Gary A. Sigel, Larry W. Leininger, Michael H. Maney, Craig W. DeSantis
  • Publication number: 20040038062
    Abstract: The methods for making a coated thin veneer, plank or wood product in which the coated surface does not crack due to instability of the wood involve applying to a veneer, plank or wood product a composition including a hydrophilic polymer and a reactive monomer or a composition including a reactive (meth)acrylate. In one embodiment, the hydrophilic polymer is a polyalkylene glycol, such as polyethylene glycol. The composition also advantageously includes a thermally activated free radical initiator, a photoinitiator or both. The veneer is further laminated into wood product boards that are cut down to planks. In another aspect of the current invention, several solvent based resins are roll coated onto the loose and/or tight side of the thin veneer or unfinished plank wood, dried to remove solvent, and exposed to UV radiation to cure the resinous material by radical initiation of the photoinitiator that leads to polymerization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Burton L. Wilson, Gary A. Sigel, Larry W. Leininger, Michael H. Maney, Craig W. DeSantis
  • Patent number: 6572932
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: AWI Licensing Company
    Inventors: Gary A. Sigel, Jeffrey S. Ross, Elizabeth A. Malkowski, Richard E. Herr, Jr., Larry W. Leininger
  • 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: 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: 4111646
    Abstract: A transfer sheet is printed with inks containing sublimable dyes. A carpet having face fibers and a backing is prepared. The inked surface of the transfer sheet and the carpet are positioned adjacent the openings on opposite sides of a honeycomb structure. Heated air is applied to the transfer sheet to sublime the dyes in the ink and to transfer the sublimed dyes from the carrier, through the passageways of the honeycomb structure, to the carpet. The fibers of the carpet are thereby dyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Assignee: Armstrong Cork Company
    Inventors: Mervin R. Buckwalter, Walter T. Bulson, Larry W. Leininger, Thomas Posipanko, Leonard N. Ray, Jr.