Endless abrasive belt and method of making the same

1. An endless abrasive belt comprising:

a nonwoven three-dimensional layer comprising an open, lofty web of crimped synthetic fibers that are adhesively bonded substantially at points of mutual contact with a binder material, the binder material comprising a plurality of abrasive particles, the non-woven layer having abutted first and second ends;

a continuous polymeric layer attached to and substantially covering one major surface of the nonwoven layer except for regions adjacent the first and second ends, said first and second ends having first and second major surface areas, respectively;

a cloth strip adhesively attached to the first and second major surface areas to secure the first and second ends together, the cloth strip having an outer major surface; and

a polymeric strip adhesively attached to and substantially covering the outer major surface of the cloth strip.

2. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic fibers comprise nylon fibers.

3. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous polymeric layer encapsulates the one major surface of the nonwoven layer with fibers from the nonwoven layer extending into and terminating in the polymeric layer to provide a surface which has substantially no fibers protruding there from.

4. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous polymeric layer has a thickness of about 175 micrometers to 1750 micrometers, and wherein the nonwoven layer having a Shore A durometer ranging from about 25 to 85.

5. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 further comprising a reinforcing fabric situated between said polymeric layer and said nonwoven layer, said fibers from said nonwoven layer extending through said fabric and into said polymeric layer.

6. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 5 , wherein the fabric is a scrim needle tacked to the lofty web.

7. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein said polymeric layer is melt extruded.

8. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylic/butadiene/styrene copolymer, polyurethane, and polyamide ethers.

9. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric strip comprises polyamide.

10. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric strip is a polyamide tape.

11. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 10 , wherein the cloth strip is a cloth tape.

12. The endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 having a substantially uniform thickness.

13. A method for making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

providing an initial endless abrasive belt comprising:

a nonwoven three-dimensional layer comprising an open, lofty web of crimped synthetic fibers that are adhesively bonded substantially at points of mutual contact with a binder material, the binder material comprising a plurality of abrasive particles, the non-woven layer having abutted first and second ends;

a continuous polymeric layer attached to and substantially covering one major surface of the nonwoven layer except for regions adjacent the first and second ends, said first and second ends having first and second major surface areas, respectively; and

a cloth strip adhesively attached to the first and second major surface areas to secure the first and second ends together, the cloth strip having an outer major surface; and

applying a polymeric strip to adhesively attach and substantially cover the outer major surface of the cloth strip to provide the endless abrasive belt.

14. The method of making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 13 , wherein the polymeric strip comprises polyamide.

15. A method for making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

providing an initial endless abrasive belt comprising:

a nonwoven three-dimensional layer comprising an open, lofty web of crimped synthetic fibers that are adhesively bonded substantially at points of mutual contact with a binder material, the binder material comprising a plurality of abrasive particles, the non-woven layer having abutted first and second ends; and

a continuous polymeric layer attached to and substantially covering one major surface of the nonwoven layer except for regions adjacent the first and second ends, said first and second ends having first and second major surface areas, respectively; and

applying a cloth strip to adhesively attach the first and second major surface areas to secure the first and second ends together, the cloth strip having an outer major surface; and

applying a polymeric strip to adhesively attach and substantially cover the outer major surface of the cloth strip to provide the endless abrasive belt.

16. The method of making endless abrasive belt according to claim 15 , wherein the polymeric strip comprises polyamide.

17. A method for making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

providing an endless abrasive belt comprising a nonwoven three-dimensional layer comprising an open, lofty web of crimped synthetic fibers that are adhesively bonded substantially at points of mutual contact with a binder material, the binder material comprising a plurality of abrasive particles, the non-woven layer having abutted first and second ends;

applying a continuous polymeric layer attached to and substantially cover one major surface of the nonwoven layer except for regions adjacent the first and second ends, said first and second ends having first and second major surface areas, respectively;

applying a cloth strip to adhesively attach the first and second major surface areas to secure the first and second ends together, the cloth strip having an outer major surface; and

applying a polymeric strip to adhesively attach and substantially cover the outer major surface of the cloth strip to provide the endless abrasive belt.

18. The method of making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 17 , wherein the polymeric strip comprises polyamide.

19. A method for making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

providing an endless abrasive belt comprising a nonwoven three-dimensional layer comprising an open, lofty web of crimped synthetic fibers that are adhesively bonded substantially at points of mutual contact with a binder material, the binder material comprising a plurality of abrasive particles, the non-woven layer having abutted first and second ends;

applying a continuous polymeric layer attached to and substantially cover one major surface of the nonwoven layer;

substantially removing a portion of the polymeric layer to provide regions adjacent the first and second ends, said first and second ends having first and second major surface areas, respectively;

applying a cloth strip to adhesively attach the first and second major surface areas to secure the first and second ends together, the cloth strip having an outer major surface; and

applying a polymeric strip to adhesively attach and substantially cover the outer major surface of the cloth strip to provide the endless abrasive belt.

20. The method of making the endless abrasive belt according to claim 19 , wherein the polymeric strip comprises polyamide.