Floor Cleaning Pads and Preparation Thereof

Abstract

An abrasive article ( 1 ) for use on a rotary cleaning machine having, on one side, a first abrasive face ( 2 ) having a first abrasive nature and, on the other side, a second abrasive face having a second abrasive nature abrasive face comprising a lofty, three-dimensional, non-woven web of fibres bound together, at the places where they contact, by a binder material; wherein each abrasive face is provided with a visual indicator to inform the user of its abrasive nature.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . An abrasive article for use on a rotary cleaning machine having, on one side, a first abrasive face having a first abrasive nature and on the other side, a second abrasive face having a second abrasive nature different from the first: each abrasive face comprising a lofty, three-dimensional, non-woven web of fibres bound together, at the places where they contact, by a binder material; wherein each abrasive face is provided with a visual indicator to inform the user of its abrasive nature.  
     
     
         24 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 23  in which the visual indicators are the colour of the abrasive faces.  
     
     
         25 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 23  comprising a circular pad having a diameter of at least 200 mm and a thickness of at least 10 mm having an upper abrasive face and a lower abrasive face, the pad comprising a lofty, three-dimensional non-woven web of fibres bound together at places where they contact by a first binder containing a colouring material of a first colour and, coated over one of said upper and lower abrasive faces and penetrating to a depth of from 1 to 7 mm, a second binder containing a colouring material of a second colour which contrasts with said first colour, the pad being free of a middle flexible, wet-laid non-woven strata layer having uniform directional strength in all longitudinal directions.  
     
     
         26 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the second binder imparts, to the face of the pad over which it is coated, a different abrasive nature from that of the other face of the pad.  
     
     
         27 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 25 , in which at least one of the first and second binders contains a material that causes the abrasive faces of the pad to have different abrasive natures.  
     
     
         28 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 25 , in which said first binder optionally contains finely divided abrasive material, and the second binder contains finely divided abrasive material that is more aggressive than any abrasive material present in the first binder.  
     
     
         29 . An abrasive article as claimed in  Claim 28 , in which the other of said upper and lower abrasive cleaning faces is impregnated with a binder containing a colouring material of said first colour and finely divided abrasive material which is less aggressive than the abrasive in the second binder.  
     
     
         30 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 23 , in which the web comprises polyester and/or nylon fibres.  
     
     
         31 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 23 , in which the web comprises fibres having a denier of from 15 to 200 and a length of from 20 to 70 mm.  
     
     
         32 . An abrasive article as claimed in  claim 25 , which has a thickness of from 10 to 25 mm and a diameter of from 200 to 785 mm.  
     
     
         33 . A floor cleaning pad as claimed in  claim 23 , in which the visual indicators comprise combinations of first and second colours selected from White/Red, White/Blue, Red/Blue, Blue/Brown and Green/Black.  
     
     
         34 . A method of making a floor cleaning pad for use on a rotary floor cleaning machine comprising: 
 providing a lofty, three-dimensional, non-woven web of fibres having a thickness of at least 10 mm and comprising upper and lower major faces,    impregnating said web with a first thermosetting binder containing a colouring material of a first colour, to bond the fibres together at places where they contact,    coating one of said upper and lower major faces with a second thermosetting binder containing a colouring material of a second colour which contrasts with said first, such that said second binder penetrates to a depth of from 1 to 7 mm and imparts to that one face an abrasive nature that is different from the abrasive nature of the other face,    heating said binder resins at a temperature and for a sufficient time to form infusible insoluble cured products thereof, and    cutting the resulting web into circular pads having a diameter of at least 200 mm.    
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  in which the first thermosetting binder optionally contains finely divided abrasive material, and the second binder contains finely divided abrasive material that is more aggressive than any abrasive material present in the first binder.  
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  in which the first thermosetting binder is applied by roll coating.  
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  in which the second thermosetting binder is applied by spray coating.  
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  comprising the additional step of coating the other of said upper and lower cleaning surfaces with a thermosetting binder containing a colouring material of said first colour and finely divided abrasive material which is less aggressive than the abrasive in the second thermosetting binder.  
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 38  in which said additional step comprises spray coating the thermosetting binder.  
     
     
         40 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the second binder penetrates the web to a depth of from 2 to 4 mm  
     
     
         41 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the web comprises polyester and/or nylon fibres.  
     
     
         42 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the web comprises fibres having a denier of from 15 to 200 and a length of from 20 to 70 mm.  
     
     
         43 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the floor cleaning pad has a thickness of from 10 to 25 mm and a diameter of from 200 to 785 mm.  
     
     
         44 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , in which the combinations of first and second colours are selected from White/Red, Red/Blue, Blue/Brown and Green/Black.