US2080276A - Method of embossing - Google Patents

Description

May 11, 1937. JENETT 2,080,276

METHOD OF EMBOSSING 7 Filed Dec. 22, 1934 lNVENTOR HJ 1r B vnilj ene A OR EY Patented May 11, 1937 t 7 2,080,276

UNITEDSTATES' PATENT oer-ice METHOD or Emiossme Henry Jenett, Demarest, N. .L, assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,727

3 claims.- (01. 101-32) This invention relates to the embossing of comheated dry, it set the imprint of the engraved posite materials such as imitation leather, oil design in the paper surface.

cloth, etc. formed by coating a fabric or other Whenever it is desired to change the design, a base material with a thermoplastic material, for new steel roller is, of course, needed, but the 5 instance an organic derivative of cellulose. The paper roll remained and the design obliterated present invention is a continuation-impart of and redesigned by running hard against the new the invention described in application S. No. 732,- steel roller. These changes are limited, however. 996 filed June 29, 1934. v due to the wear on the paper which when turned An object of the invention is the economic and down throws the ratio of circumferences off of .0 expeditious embossing of composite materials and o e m pl Also as t m r decreases the construction of an efficient and inexpensive the a s c r y the Same Shaft and t mesh embossing device. Another object of the invenwith the gears of t embossing r011, bottom p tion is the construction ofa matrix roll for an. on ac o e w n Pressure is p p a embossing device that isdurable, easily handled lywhen thin fabrics are being embossed. The

l5 and inexpensive. other objects of the invention paper c vered matrix roll ein f en r will appear from the following detailed descripia t r and s d throughout a v y avy tion and drawing. and must be handled by means of crane arms. As an aid in visualizing this invention one mod- Furthermore, as the Paper matrix Was driven y ification of a matrix roll with its associated parts a gear off the steel roller, it wa necessary to is shown in the drawing. In the drawing like it e p vi h paper roll w th its wn gear. reference numerals refer to the same or similar o t em and Switch the gear to e e elements in the various parts, matrix roll placed on the device.

Fig. l'is a ,front view partially in section of a e-eeeldehce With y invention then I orm part of an embossing device showing the eman assembled matrix r ll containing a core, bossing and matrix rolls in plac adapted to remain in the device, having a sur- Fig, 2 i a t a sv i through t matrix face member or shell adapted to fit on the core roll shell. and easily changeable, which surface member F 3 is a transverse view through the matrix preferably has a thermoplastic or thermosetting roll with shell removed, surfacing. to readily take the print of the en- 0 Fig. 4 is a transverse view through a matrix graved roller. Further in accordance with my roll with sh ll n place, invention I use such a device to emboss a com- Prior to this invention machines used in em-.- Dos te material by a cold r011 method of embossing coated fabrics and the like, generally bossineconsisted of one or moreengraved steel rollers This invention is applicable to the embossand a matrix roll made of steel covered with ing of any suitable b material coated or im- 85 paper or other tough, fibrous substance. In the pregnated with a thermoplastic coating material case of a paper matrix,the most commonly used, such as material containing organic derivatives 9. large number of sheets of kraft paper are of cellulose, for instance, organic esters of cellustacked on a mandrel, or steel core, compressed lose and cellulose ethers. Examples of organic under extreme pressures and held in place by end esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose 40 plates so that the paper leaves are held in place. 'formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyr- The assembled steel core and paper body were ate while examples of cellulose ethers are ethyl placed-in a lathe and turned down to a suitable cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. diameter, which must be at least the same as the The base material and the coating material may diameter of the steel engravedembossing roller be any suitable substance and may be compoundthat the matrix was'to be used against or the ed and joined together in any suitable manner, diameter was such that the circumference of the for instance, the materials and methods may be matrix roll was an uneven multiple of the ciremployed as described in U. S. applications No. cumference of the embossing roll such that the 641,233, filed November 4, 1932, No. 671,642 filed design on both would register. The paper roll May 18, 1933, No. 681,689 filed July 22, 1933, No. 50 was placed in the embossing machine, the steel 718,168 filed March 30, 1934 and No. 754,501 filed roller was run hard against it for from 2 to 4 November 23, 1934. a V hours or longer while the paper roll was wetted The embossing process, for. which this invenso that the steel roll would displace the paper tion is most applicable is one in which cold emto form a print of the embossing roll and, when bosslng rolls are employed. The plastic mate- 5 rial surface with or I without a preheating is embossed with a cold,

tially the diameter of the embossing roll as no consideration need be made for wear of the surface. It preferably tapers slightly toward one end- Over 1: slightly tapered core a conical shell may be placed the conus, or taper corresponding with that of the core such that the assembly is a 'true cylinder.- The conical shell may be made either entirely of a suitable plastic material or from a plastic composition superimposed on a metal shell, the latter being used preferably for strength, wear, etc. as well as for'its superior heat transmitting properties. The plastic material employed as, or on, -the shell may be any thermoplasticor thermosetting material having a higher melting or softening point than the thermoplastic material employed as the coating on the material being embossed, for instance, metal alloys as Rose metal, etc. although not generally classified as a plastic, synthetic resinous materials of the phenol-formaldehyde type, formaldehyde-urea type, vinyl resin type and formaldehyde phthalic type, etc.

In the drawing is shown a matrix roll coming within this invention. In the drawing I is the main frame of an embossing device. The main frame .I may be provided with bearings 2 formed integral therewith or separate therefrom. In the bearings 2 may be journaled a shaft 3 which is formed as the outer ends of a core 4. The core 4 may be made of metal or other suitable material and its outer surface is preferably slightly tapered or conical. Grooves 5 may be formed in or be cut into the outer surface of the core 4 parallel to its axis.

The shell 6 may be formed having a cylindrical outer surface and a tapered inner surface to correspond with the taper on the core 5. Suitable tongues may be formed on the inner surface of the shell that substantially'flt the grooves 5. A slight amount of play may be allowed that may be taken up by shims, wedges, etc. to more accurately position the shell upon the core. One tongue and groove may or may not be larger than the remaining ones for the purpose of properly positioning the shell with respect to the remaining elements of the device. If a metallic shell is employed it may contain a coating 8 of a mouldable material such as a resin, etc. After the shell is placed on the core it may be held A pair of adjustable bearings 9 may be provided to operate in guideway Ill of the main frame. Any suitable means may be employed for regulating the downward pressure on the bearings, such means may be springs, screws, hydraulic pistons or other suitable means. Journaled in the bearings 9 is a roll l l formed of steel or other suitable material and having an engraved surface that may be engraved in any suitable design.

On the ends of the core 3 and the roll ll may be gears l2 and I3 that innermesh. The gear I2 is preferably driven and imparts rotation to the gear l3 and roll ll.

Both roll II and core 4 may be hollow and connected through the ends through a union or other device to a source of a cooling medium or if desired to'a heating medium.

In operation an embossing roll II is placed in the device and a shellv 8 is slipped on the core 4. Heat may be applied to both rolls. Therolls are held hard against each other and the device run for a few-minutes, after which the heating medium is withdrawn and a cooling medium caused to chill both rolls. In place of changing the design on the matrix roll with each change of the engraved roll a separate matrix roll shell may be formed for each embossing roll and the sets changed. This is made possible by the slight adjustment at the tongue and grooves and by the endwise movement by means of collars l4 and I5.

As illustrations and not as limitations the following examples are given.

Example I The tapering shell, preferably made from steel or some other tenacious metal which is a good conductor of cold temperatures, is coated with a layer of a reasonably soft metal alloy, for instance, Rose metal or other antimony alloy, that will take an imprint of the embossing roller. The roll is kept hot while working the rolls together for five minutes, then chilled. The metal alloy is a good conductor. It withstands considerable pressure and does not flow unless heated and while the imprint is sharp it does not cut the fabric being embossed. The matrix may be reworked by running it against another-heated embossing roll.

- Example If Example I is repeated except that the shell is covered with a thermoplastic resinous coating such as glyptal resin. The resinous coating after being chilled gives a perfect replica of the embossing roll. 4

The coated fabric preferably preheated may be passed between the chilled embossing rollers whereby a design is pressed in the coating material and the plastic coating set to produce a permanent design in the material. The shell of plastic material on the matrix roll when employed in a cold embossing processmay last indefinitely although made of material much softer than steel. No long periods of working are required to change a design on the matrix roll when same are coated material and wear during almost negligible.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description and drawing are merely givenv by changing of design is of a fabric coated with a thermoplastic material which comprises passing cool composite material between an embossing member and a matrix member both of which are positively cooled.

with a thermoplastic 2. A method of embossing composite materials 3. A method of embossing composite materials containing a fabric coated with an organic decontaining a; fabric coated with cellulose acetate rivative of cellulose which comprises passing cool which comprises passing cool composite material composite material between an embossing membetween an embossing member and a matrix 5 her-and a matrix member both of which are posimember both of which are positively cooled.

tiyely cooled. HENRY JENETT.

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