US 11,745,435 B2
Method of forming a spliced joint in a handrail or other elongate article
Kirby Wayne Crosby, Norwood (CA); Jason Wong, Ajax (CA); Reginald Anthony Butwell, Young's Point (CA); and Andrew Oliver Kenny, Toronto (CA)
Assigned to EHC CANADA, INC., Oshawa (CA)
Appl. No. 16/766,386
Filed by EHC Canada, Inc., Oshawa (CA)
PCT Filed Nov. 29, 2018, PCT No. PCT/CA2018/051522
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 22, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/104434, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 6, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/591,954, filed on Nov. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0370616 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29C 65/10 (2006.01); B29C 65/20 (2006.01); B29C 65/50 (2006.01); B29C 65/70 (2006.01); B29C 65/72 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B66B 23/24 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 66/02241 (2013.01) [B29C 65/103 (2013.01); B29C 65/2076 (2013.01); B29C 65/5042 (2013.01); B29C 65/70 (2013.01); B29C 65/72 (2013.01); B29C 66/1142 (2013.01); B29C 66/342 (2013.01); B29C 66/5241 (2013.01); B29C 66/729 (2013.01); B29C 66/7212 (2013.01); B29C 66/72141 (2013.01); B29C 66/73921 (2013.01); B29C 2793/0036 (2013.01); B29C 2793/0081 (2013.01); B29L 2031/003 (2013.01); B29L 2031/709 (2013.01); B66B 23/24 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a spliced joint in a moving handrail, the handrail comprising a thermoplastic body having a generally C-shaped cross section and defining a T-shaped slot, a stretch inhibitor in the thermoplastic body above the T-shaped slot and a slider fabric layer around an interior of the T-shaped slot, wherein the handrail comprises first and second end portions, each comprising a forward part extending from an end surface of the end portion and a rear part adjacent the forward part, the method comprising:
in each of the rear and forward parts of the first and second end portions, providing a first horizontal cut to separate a top section of the thermoplastic body from a base section comprising shoulder portions of the thermoplastic body, the slider fabric layer and a layer of thermoplastic above the slider fabric layer joining the shoulder portions together;
for each end portion, removing at least the shoulder portions from the forward part thereof, to leave a central portion comprising a forward part of the slider fabric layer and the layer of thermoplastic;
cutting the forward parts of the slider fabric layer and the layer of thermoplastic to a required shape; and
assembling the first and second end portions together to form a spliced joint for moulding,
wherein the spliced joint is provided with a centerline, for each of the first and second end portions, the forward and rear parts are provided on either side of the centerlines of the spliced joint, and the base sections of the rear parts of the first and second end portions abut one another and are joined together, and
wherein, for each of the first and second end portions, the first horizontal cut is provided extending through the forward and rear parts, and a second horizontal cut is provided, above the stretch inhibitor, extending through the forward and rear parts, and wherein vertical cuts are provided at ends of the second horizontal cuts to remove a scalp layer from each of the first and second end portions, the first and second horizontal cuts leaving respective first and second interweave layers including the stretch inhibitor.