US3463651A - Multicolor surface decoration and process for producing same - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1969 R. WARSAGER MULTICOLOR SURFACE DECORATION AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME Filed Sept. 19, 1967- IN VENT OR. PUB/N W4Q5A61 United States Patent 3,463,651 MULTICOLOR SURFACE DECORATION AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME Rubin Warsager, 502 Summer Ave., Newark, NJ. 07104 Filed Sept. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 668,933 Int. Cl. 341m 3/12 US. Cl. 1173.3 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The multicolor surface decoration described employs a transparent base on web such as Mylar or cellophane to which is applied a metallized bright foil such as gold or silver together with a multicolor image. A heat sensitive release material is first applied to one surface of the Mylar or cellophane web and then a first color is printed over the heat sensitive release material. Subsequent colors are then applied over the first color in order to form a multicolor image. When the multicolor image has been applied over the heat sensitive release material the entire surface is passed through a vacuum chamber in order to apply a metal surface by means of vacuum metallizing. When it is desired to decorate the surface of an article the portion of the Mylar or cellophane leaf containing the vacuum metallizing is brought into contact with the surface of the article to be decorated. The opposite surface of the Mylar or cellophane leaf then has both heat and pressure applied thereto which transfers everything beyond the heat sensitive material to the surface to be decorated.

This invention relates generally to a multicolor surface decoration and process for producing and applying same, and more particularly to a multicolor decoration which is applied to a web such as Mylar or cellophane and is then covered by a metallized bright foil such as gold or silver which is applied by vacuum metallizing. The Mylar or cellophane leaf is first coated with a heat sensitive release material so that the multicolor surface decoration together with the metallized bright foil can be applied to a surface to be decorated by applying heat and pressure to the portion of the leaf opposite to that having thereon the surface decoration.

In the prior art when it was desired to apply a multitude of colors or a decoration consisting of a plurality of colors to an object such, for example, as the surface of a plastic bottle, it was necessary to apply each color separately. For example, if it was desired to apply a decoration to the surface of a bottle and the decoration contained the colors blue green and gold, it was necessary to apply first the blue, then the gold and finally the green color all in separate operations. This was accomplished by applying a hot stamping leaf to the surface of the article to be decorated. In applying a decoration by means of hot stamping leaf, pressure and heat are applied to the leaf and due to this heat and pressure the material on the leaf adheres to the surface to be decorated. It is to be noted that the leaf contains a solid color and that the design transferred depends on the configuration of the die. Therefore, if two or more colors in registration are to be applied by such roll leaf process, the part to be decorated must be inserted in the hot stamping press for each different color, the roll leaf replaced by the next color, the die replaced and another hit made. While this process can be extremely economical in one color decorations machine and labor time become high with multicolor work.

In an attempt to simplify the multicolor decoration of the surface of an article, the next thing that Was evolved was the use of decals or heat transfers. A multicolor heat transfer consists of designs, letters, trademarks, etc., pre- "ice printed in reverse on a carrier paper or web which is coated with a release material. The ink image, whatever the number of colors, is transferred in one operation under heat and pressure from a transfer platen to a product, after which the carrier paper is discarded. The multicolor transfers can all be applied in hot stamping machines of either press or roll type. A multicolor transfer, therefore, applies all colors in the decoration in one hit. Therefore, machine and labor time are not proportional to the number of colors and separate dies and pigment rolls for each color are not necessary.

Applying roll leaf decoration in hot stamping presses has the advantage that once the decorated part is properly placed in a located fixture the image transferred by the die will automatically be properly registered on the surface to be decorated. Multicolor transfers can, therefore, be applied on existing hot stamping machines which are equipped with the necessary locating devices. These decals, it is to be noted, are prepared of a paper base or web and the multicolor image is printed on the paper base usually by means of a rotogravure press. In the case of a multicolor image a rotogravure plate has to be prepared for each image. This has the inherent difficulty that each colo must be registered with the other.

In the prior art when it was desired to obtain a roll leaf metallic impression as part of the surface decoration, this was applied over or under the other transfer as another operation. The reason for this is that it is considered impossible to vacuum plate a metallic material on a paper surface. The hot stamping leaf for this purpose is generally composed of a plastic base material or web such as Mylar or cellophane. One surface of this web is first coated with a heat sensitive adhesive or release material so that when heat is applied to the web whatever has been superimposed on the heat sensitive adhesive will be released and adhere to the surface to be decorated. The metallized finish such as silver or gold is applied to the Web by means of vacuum deposition. The prior art, however, has never used a registered multicolor design in conjunction with a plastic base material which also has applied thereto a roll leaf metallic surface.

In summary, therefore, when the carrier web consists of paper it can have applied thereto a multicolor design by means of any well known printing process. If in addition, it is desired to have a roll leaf metallic impression this must be done over the transfer after it has been completed as a secondary operation. This second operation is accomplished by means of another web which is made from a plastic material such as Mylar or cellophane and which has applied thereto a metallized bright foil such as gold or silver by means of vacuum metallizing.

In view of the foregoing, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a process for decorating the surface of an article which can apply to the surface to be decorated in one operation a registered multicolor image together with a metallized bright foil.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor surface decoration for decorating the surface of an article which consists of a web of plastic material which has printed thereon a registered multicolor design and which has applied over the design a metal surface by means of vacuum metallizing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor surface decoration and process for producing the same in which a web of plastic material has applied thereto a registered multicolor image over a heat sensitive release material and in which the multicolor image is covered by a metal surface applied by means of vacuum metallizing.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a decal made in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

In the practice of the present invention it is essential that the Web or base material used be made of a plastic such as Mylar or cellophane which can have applied thereto a metallized surface consisting of a metallized bright foil such as gold, aluminum, silver, or other metal by means of a process such as vacuum metallizing, rolled leaf, etc. The plastic web has applied to one surface thereof a heat release material 12. The heat release material 12 is a heat sensitive adhesive. When the decal or web is brought into contact with the surface of the articles to be decorated and heat and pressure are applied to the on posite surface of the web the heat sensitive adhesive 12 softens and permits the entire design which is overprinted on the heat sensitive adhesive 12 to be transferred directly to the surface to be decorated.

The next step in the process is to print over the heat sensitive release material the registered multicolor design 14 which is to be transferred to the surface of the article to be decorated. The design 14 is printed on the web 10 over the heat sensitive release material 12 by means of any well-known printing process, such for example, as rotogravure. In this process the web 10 is run through a press and has the colors applied thereto. In this fashion a design can be created having as many different registered colors as desired.

In order to obtain exact registration of the design on the web in both the vertical and horizontal direction a combination of synchronous motors can be used to pull or drive the rollers which thereby apply uniform pressure to the web as it moves through the rotogravure press. A more desirable method, however, of maintaining both vertical and horizontal registration of the design is by placing perforations 16 along the edge of the web. These perfo rations 16 engage sprockets on the driving mechanism of the rotogravure press in order to exactly time the movement of the web 10 to the design 14 to be printed on the web 10. In this manner exact registration of the various colors can be achieved.

Once the multicolor image 14 has been applied to the web over the heat sensitive release material 12 the entire surface is then covered by a metallized bright foil 18 such as gold aluminum, silver or other metal. This is accomplished by means of vacuum metallizing or other wellknown methods. In this process the entire web 10 is passed through a vacuum chamber such that the metal surface 18 is applied on the entire surface of the web over the heat release material 12 and the multicolor image 14 printed thereon.

The last step in the process is the application of an adhesive or backing 20 which affects adherence of the decal to the surface of the object to be decorated.

The finished decal, therefore, consists of the plastic web 10 which has applied thereto first a coating of a heat sensitive adhesive or release material 12 and subsequent coatings of different registered colors in order to form a registered multicolor image 14. The next coating which is applied is a metallized layer or surface of bright foil 18, such as gold or silver. The last coating applied is the adhesive backing 20.

When it is desired to decorate the surface of an article the decal or leaf is brought into contact with the surface of the article to be decorated. The portion of the decal brought into contact with the surface of the article to be decorated is the last coating applied to the decal, i.e., the coating consisting of the adhesive backing 20. The opposite surface of the plastic web 10, i.e., the surface of the web 10 to which nothing has been applied has applied thereto heat and pressure. This heat and pressure softens the heat sensitive release material or adhesive 12 and transfers everything beyond the heat sensitive material 12 to the surface to be decorated, i.e., the vacuum metallized surface 18, the registered multicolor image 14 and the adhesive backing 20.

The transfer of the design from the decal or web to the surface to be decorated can be accomplished in many fashions. Apparatus which can be utilized for this purpose is described in my U.S. Patent No. 3,309,256 which issued on Mar. 14, 1967, and is entitled Method and Apparatus for Surface Decorating of Articles.

It is to be noted that in forming the multicolor surface decoration on the plastic web the registration of the various colors is obtained by the means described above. The overlay of metallized material is then applied followed by the adhesive backing.

What has been described is a plastic web which has applied thereto a heat sensitive release material and which has printed on the heat sensitive release material a registered multicolor design in which registration is achieved between the various colors. The process color design then has applied thereto a metallized finish followed by an adhesive backing. The entire design can then be transferred from the web to the surface of an article to be decorated by applying heat and pressure to the surface of the web to which nothing has been applied. This softens the heat sensitive release material which permits the metallized layer, the multicolor design and the adhesive backing to be transferred to the surface to be decorated.

What is claimed is:

1. A decal comprising a plastic Web having a coating of release material on one surface thereof, a printed multicolor design extending over only a portion of the area of said release coating, a film of metal covering at least a portion of said printed design and extending from the latter over areas of said release coating other than said portion thereof having said printed design thereon so as to constitute with said printed design a transferrable decoration, and an adhesive layer on the side of said transferrable decoration facing away from said release coating.

2. A decal according to claim 1, in which said metal film is substantially coextensive with said release coatmg.

3. A decal according to claim 1, in which said web has sprocket-engageable perforations along at least one of the edges of the web, so that movement of the web can be regulated to obtain proper registration during application of the multicolor design to the web and during transfer of said decoration to an article surface to be decorated therewith.

4. A decal according to claim 1, in which said release material is heat sensitive to permit transfer of said decoration from said Web to an article surface to be decorated thereby upon the application of heat and pressure to the other surface of said web.

5. A method of making a decal by which a decoration constituted by a multicolor design on a metal background may be applied to an article surface, comprising the steps of coating one surface of a plastic web with a release material, printing a multicolor design on only a portion of said release material, applying a metal film over at least a portion of said design and over areas of the release material other than said portion of the latter so as to constitute with said design a transferrable decoration, and covering said transferra'ble decoration with an adhesive backing at the side thereof facing away from said release material.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the colors of said design are printed on said release material in registration.

7. The method of claim 5, in which perforations are formed in said web along at least one of its longitudinal thereof.

9. The method of claim 5, in which said release material is heat sensitive to permit transfer of said decoration to an article surface upon the application of heat and pressure to the other surface of said web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis et a1. 156-233 X Rosenfeld 117-33 15 Lawrence et a1. 117-33 Squires 156-233 6 7/ 1954 Oughton 117-33 1/1955 Townsend 101-211 X 10/1956 Christen 101-211 X 6/1959 Stefr'ey 117-12 X 7/1965 McKeag 101-211 X 2/ 1966 Scharf 117-33 9/1967 Lawrenz 156-233 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/ 1957 Great Britain. 3/ 1964 Great Britain.

WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Primary Examiner H. I. GWINNELL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

Dedication 3,463,651.Rubin Warsager, Newark, NJ. MULTICOLOR SURFACE DEC- ORATION AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME. Patent dated Aug. 26, 1969. Dedication filed Nov. 11, 1976, by the inventor. Hereby dedicates to the Public claims 3, 6 and 7 of said patent.

[Oflicial Gazette January 11, 1.977.]

Images