Thread-reinforced films and methods of making them

Claim 2

A SELFSUPPORTING COMPOSITE FABRIC HAVING DISTORTIONAL STABILITY IN AT LEAST ONE DIRECTION COMPRISING A NONSELFSUPPORTING FILM OF ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL LESS THAN 1 MIL THICK, A WRAP OF UNWOVEN PARALLEL THREADS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND ADHERED TO ONE SURFACE OF THE FILM ALONG SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL LINES OF ADHESION, EACH OF THE THREADS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FIBERS OR FILAMENTS TWISTED TOGETHER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPREGNATED AND FREE OF THE FILM MATERIAL EXCEPT ADJACENT THE ADHESIONS, SAID THREADS COMPRISING AN ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FABRIC HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL INTERSTITIAL SPACES BETWEEN THE LINES OF ADHESION OF ADJACENT THREADS TO THE FILM, IN WHICH EACH OF THE THREADS IS ADHERED TO THE ADJACENT THREADS.

Claim 3

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A SELFSUPPORTING COMPOSITE FABRIC HAVING DISTORTIONAL STABILITY IN AT LEAST ONE DIRECTION COMPRISING A NONSELFSUPPORTING FILM OF ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL LESS THAN 1 MIL THICK, A WARP OF UNWOVEN PARALLEL THREADS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND ADHERED TO ONE SURFACE OF THE FILM ALONG SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL LINES OF ADHESION, EACH OF THE THREADS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FIBERS OF FILAMENTS TWISTED TOGETHER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPREGNATED AND FREE OF THE FILM MATERIAL EXCEPT ADJACENT THE ADHESIONS, SAID THREADS COMPRISING AN ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FABRIC HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL INTERSTITIAL SPACES BETWEEN THE LINES OF ADHENSION OF ADJACENT THREADS TO THE FILM, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES ADHERING BY HEAT AND PRESSURE A WARP OF UNWOVEN PARALLEL THREADS TO A NONSELFSUPPORTING FILM OF ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON A TEMPORARY BACKING SHEET, COOLING THE ASSEMBLED LAYERS, AND THEN STRIPPING THE BACKING SHEET FROM THE FILM.

Claim 4

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A SELFSUPPORTING COMPOSITE FABRIC HAVING DISTORTIONAL STABILITY IN AT LEAST ONE DIRECTION COMPRISING A NONSELFSUPPORTING FILM OF ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL LESS THAN 1 MIL THICK, A WARP OF UNWOVEN PARALLEL THREADS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND ADHERED TO ONE SURFACE OF THE FILM ALONG SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL LINES OF ADHESION, EACH OF THE THREADS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FIBERS OF FILAMENTS TWISTED TOGETHER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPREGNATED AND FREE OF THE FILM MATERIAL EXCEPT ADJACENT THE ADHESIONS, SAID THREADS COMPRISING AN ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID FABRIC HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL INTERSTITIAL SPACES BETWEEN THE LINES OF ADHENSION OF ADJACENT THREADS TO THE FILM, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES ADHERING BY HEAT AND PRESSURE A WARP OF UNWOVEN PARALLEL THREADS TO A NONSELFSUPPORTING FILM OF ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL SUPPORTED ON A TEMPORARY BACKING SHEET, COOLING THE ASSEMBLED LAYERS, AND THEN STRIPPING THE BACKING SHEET FROM THE FILM.