Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing information outsourcing, including a storage node located remotely from an information outsourcing enterprise. The enterprise communicatively couples to the storage node to transfer information between the enterprise and the storage node in real-time to enable primary storage, static and dynamic mirroring, backup and disaster recovery of enterprise information. The system of the invention provides an enterprise user interface for enabling the enterprise to monitor its storage usage. The enterprise interface also enables the enterprise to expand or contract the storage space reserved by the enterprise at the storage node The system of the invention packages outsourcing services into service level agreements. Multiple storage nodes can be communicatively connected to enable the system to transfer information between them.

Abstract: A floor covering, such as a carpet or carpet tile, which comprises a primary backing sheet having a fibrous face wear surface and back surface and first and second backing layers and with a low density, resilient, non-elastomeric, closed cell polymeric foam layer, such as a thermoset, cross-linked polyethylene foam layer, positioned between and bonded to the first and second backing layers, optionally with a secondary backing layer bonded to the secondary bitumen backing layer. A method of producing a floor covering, such as a carpet tile, which comprises providing a primary backing sheet having a fibrous face wear surface and a back surface and bonding a first bitumen backing layer onto the primary backing sheet, bonding a low density, thermoset, polymeric foam layer to the first bitumen backing layer through a glass tissue to protect the polymeric foam layer and stabilize the composite, and bonding a second bitumen backing layer onto the polymeric foam layer.

Abstract: A method of backing carpeting material 19 with hot-melt compositions such as atactic polypropylene (APP or bitumen (with or without additives) comprises carefully doctoring selected thicknesses of the composition to the undersurface of the material 19 with the wear surface of the material uppermost. In one arrangement (FIG. 3) this is achieved using a lick roll arrangement 20 incorporating a doctor blade, cooling the backed product at cooling zones 28, 29 and applying the material to a nip formed by rollers 21. In another arrangement (FIG. 1) this is achieved by doctor box 16 applying the composition to a carrier 13, the carpeting material 19 then being laminated at roll 21 to the layer of composition, the laminate then being cooled before being stripped from the carrier 13. In a further arrangement (FIG. 2) the carrier is in the form of sheet material 15 which is supported by endless belt 13 and which is bonded into the hot-melt composition to become an integral part thereof.

Abstract: A method of backing carpeting material 19 with hot-melt compositions such as atactic polypropylene (APP) or bitumen (with or without additives) comprises carefully doctoring selected thicknesses of the composition to the undersurface of the material 19 with the wear surface of the material uppermost. In one arrangement (FIG. 3) this is achieved using a lick roll arrangement 20 incorporating a doctor blade, cooling the backed product at cooling zones 28, 29 and applying the material to a nip formed by rollers 21. In another arrangement (FIG. 1) this is achieved by doctor box 16 applying the composition to a carrier 13, the carpeting material 19 then being laminated at roll 21 to the layer of composition, the laminate then being cooled before being stripped from the carrier (13). In a further arrangement (FIG. 2) the carrier is in the form of sheet material 15 which is supported by endless belt 13 and which is bonded into the hot-melt composition to become an integral part thereof.

Abstract: A method of backing carpeting material 19 with hot-melt compositions such as atactic polypropylene or bitumen comprises carefully doctoring selected thicknesses of the composition to the undersurface of the material 19 with the wear surface of the material uppermost. In one arrangement this is achieved using a lick roll arrangement 20 incorporating a doctor blade, cooling the backed product at cooling zones 28, 29 and applying the material to a nip formed by rollers 21. In another arrangement this is achieved by doctor box 16 applying the composition to a carrier 13, the carpeting material 19 then being laminated at roll 21 to the layer of composition, the laminate then being cooled before being stripped from the carrier 13. In a further arrangement the carrier is in the form of sheet material 15 which is supported by endless belt 13 and which is bonded into the hot-melt composition to become an integral part thereof.

Abstract: A composite fabric comprises a layer of pile-forming material such as a textile bonded to a substrate material by an interlayer of plastics material which is substantially air-free. The interlayer has a density in the range 0.9 to 1.5 gm/cc and the substrate is a slab of deaerated plastics material having a weight up to 6.5 kg/sq. meter (12 lbs/sq. yard) and incorporating a layer of fibrous material such as glass fibre scrim. The pile forming material may be as light as 68 gm/sq. meter (2 oz/sq. yard) and as heavy as 4 kgm/sq. meter (120 oz/sq. yard).

Abstract: Apparatus for manufacturing a composite fabric, including an endless carrier belt having a non-stick surface and traversible over first and second contiguous sets of planar support surfaces. Heating means are provided for heating the first set of planar support surfaces and cooling means for cooling the second set of planar support surfaces. A first means is provided for supplying a relatively thick substrate to the carrier belt in advance of the first set of planar support surfaces which means includes a device for applying deaerated thermo-plastics material in liquid form directly to the surface of the carrier belt. A second means supplies pile-forming material and a third means is arranged to receive the pile-forming material that includes a lick roller for coating one surface of said pile-forming material with plastics material in liquid form.

Abstract: To form carpet tiles that lie flat, a layer of thermoplastic material is doctored onto a carrier sheet and a piece of carpeting to be coated is laid on the layer. The carpet piece has dimensions slightly larger than the desired carpet tile. Heat is applied to the layer to bond the layer of thermoplastic material to the carpet piece and the bonded layer and carpet piece are cooled so as to form a coated carpet piece. The carrier sheet is then stripped from the coated carpet piece and waste is trimmed from the periphery of the bonded carpet piece so as to form a carpet tile. The carrier sheet is supported on a substantially flat surface during the heating and cooling steps so that the carpet piece is maintained in a substantially flat and relaxed condition and the warps and wefts of the carpet piece do not support the weight of the carpet piece.