CA1267033A - Method and device for printing on a substrate by hot- stamping - Google Patents
Method and device for printing on a substrate by hot- stampingInfo
- Publication number
- CA1267033A CA1267033A CA000494454A CA494454A CA1267033A CA 1267033 A CA1267033 A CA 1267033A CA 000494454 A CA000494454 A CA 000494454A CA 494454 A CA494454 A CA 494454A CA 1267033 A CA1267033 A CA 1267033A
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- blocking
- foil
- substrate
- pigment
- heated
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Abstract
Abstract of the Invention For the permanent printing of a substrate with fixed and/or variable data, a hot blocking-foil having a heated pigment surface, together with the substrate to be printed, is led through a stamping station in which pigment indicia are serially transferred by action of a print head towards a pressure-receiving surface, between which the heated pigmented foil and substrate are passed.
Description
~ ~67~;33 A23:16941:JPG
lo -:L-METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRINTING ON A SUBSTRATE
~n ~any branches o~ indust~y, label~ or identi~i-cation pl~te~ are needed ~or the ~arking o~ product3.
Examples ar~ the producers o~ texttles and the producers o~ electrical/eIectronic apparatus. The former provide their ~oven and no~woven materials with labels which ara to give the user information about 8ize~ and instructions regarding cleaning, washing-temperatures and the like.
- ~he latter must pro~ide thelr products ~ith serial numbers and other varlable relevant product information. Such users D~ labels, identi~ication plates and tha like, rspeatedly demand the fulf~ll~ent o~ tWQ conditions which the art has not to date been ablQ to satis~y with avail-abl~ printing Bystem3- The two conditions ara perma-nsncy of print and the abil~ty to rapidly alter variable data to be printed.
Depending upon the use, labels ~ust be able ~o with-stand relatively rough treatment processe~, e~g., frequent washing and chemical agents. The samQ i8 trua o~ identi-ficatlon plates which are cleaned by such agents. Never-theless, it i~ expected that the respective in~ormation carriers will remain readable over long periods of time.
~,9 ''~
~Z~ 33 1 Another proble~ i8 the formation of variable data on the identification carriers. Ident~ication plates, for example, carry regularly consecutive numbers, ~ith the ConSeqUsncQ that every identiflcation plate i5 actually an original. Variable data also occur in the case of tQxtile ~arXing, ~or examplls, in the case o~ tha ~pecifi-c~ion of product batches or lots, and data about color and size.
It is clear that, in tha mass production of lo identi~ication plate~ and labels, what must ba striven for i8 to produce rapidly and without problems, tha selectively marked carrier.
In the case o~ the production o~ marked textile carri~rs with variable data, work is done today pre-ponderantly with needla printer3. They transfer the data delivered to tAem from a computer serially orlina-by-lina by needlQ pressura heads onto the substrate employing colored or car~on ribbons. They do not, how-ever, produce a particularly clean impression and, above all, do not deliver an imprint which i~ satisfactorily resistant to washing and cleaning. ~he pi~ment~ avail-able are comparatively easy to wash out or may fade, under certain circumstance . Thi~ method of printing is altogeth~r unusable for the printing of textile labels o~ comparatively open weave~ because the comparatively liguid inX runs. In sum, the problem-fre~ printing of variable data by t~i~ m~thod o~ printing, where usable, is acco~panied by deficient permanence of the impression.
The opposite of thi~ method i~ printing by hot-stamping, which delivers indlcia to carriers that are resistant to wash~ng and cleaning, and o~ outstanding quality, and for which 6hades and gualities o~ color are avallable in extraordinary abundance. But, in the casa of th s method of printing, the changing of data i~ time-consuming. In this operat:ion the printed image i8 applied to the sub-~Z~7~33 1 strate which is to be printed, by mean~ of a type block or stereotype plats. Where the data ar3 variable, the blocks, or, respectively, thc stereotype plates, mu t be changed every time the data ara changed.
The presant invention i directed to a mathod of : printing, together with a p.rinting system, which combines permanence with tha ability to cheaply and automatically print variable data~
Ths present invention provide~ a method, together with appara~us, ror printiny on a sub~trate by hot-stamping, in which the substrat~ and blocking-foil, pro-vided with a layer o~ pigment, the layer of pigment being trans~erable under contact pressure when heated, and lying opposite, and racing, the surface of the ~ubstrate which is to be printsd, are fed together through a stamp-ing station in which the substrate and pre-heated block~
`: foil are pres~ed together between a pre~sure-reaction member and a stamping member or printer with serial - transfer of pigment as indicia onto the ~ubstrate occur-ring by the applied stamping force. The indicia are normally dots or character~ applied one after anoth2r.
The pigment i~ at a temperature at which trans~er will 25 - occur, normally at a temperature directly below its melting point.
It is preferabla that the pigment-free surface of the blocking-~oil be brought, in the stamping station, into contact with a pres~ure~reaction member which also heats the foilO
It is essential that thQ blocking-foil be preheated on its faeclpath immediately be~ora reaching the stamping station whi.le the subRtrate ln the stamping ~ation i~
guided into contact, by its rear face which remains unprinted, with th~ pressure-reaction reaction member, 7~33 1 which 1~ optionally heated~ It iB dssired to al80 heat the ~urface o~ the s~bstrata to contact the pigment, to prevent chilling, thereby maximizing adhesion of the transferred indicia.
While, in the case of convantional printlng by hot ~tamping, th~ printing block was heated and was pressed onto the pigment-free surfacs of th~ blocking-~oil which in turn borQ through the substrate again~t th2 pressure-reaction ~emb~r, the procedure i8 now the opposits. The heat nece~sary for the tran~3fer of the pigment onto the gub5trate i3 introduced through preheatlng into the layer of pigment and, i~ de~ired, through the heated pressure-r~action member, so that the user become3 free in the design of the printer and can use mechanisms which are sensitivs to heat such as, for example, n~edle-printing head3 or a number wheel mechanis~, in~tead of or respec-tively in addit~on to, thQ stereotyp~ plate. While the advantages of printinq by hot-stamping arQ completely preserved, ths advantages of thQ needl~-printing method are added to them.
~ prefarred devicQ for the performance of tha method in accordance with the invention, is one in the stamping station on the side ad~acent the rear face of the substrate, where a prin~er head is arranged and lies opposite a heated pressure-reaction member, which providPs a pressure-receiving surface and an additional heating element lying in the stamping station in contact with the blocking-foil.
Alternatively, the pigment-free surface of the blocXing-foil may be acted on by ths printer, and the substrats is al~o in contact with the pressure-reaction member, which is heated, if necessary, and a heating element is arranged in contact with the blocking-foil in a region leading to the stamplng 3ta~ion.
1 It may be emphasized that th~ suitability o~ a fundamentally h2at-sensitlve printer head ha~ proved to be functional, by b~aring in mind that the printing block, ~n the casQ o~ convantional hot-stamping, has a dwell againqt the foil of about one-tanth of a second, while, in the case of the t:rans~er o~ the stamping forc~, dot-by-dot by means o~ a printer, a contact time i~ in the order of magnitude o~ only one-thousandth of a second.
~267 [)33 The Drawinqs FIG. 1 is a perspectiva of a ~irst embodiment of ths invention ~n which the printing head i8 arranged on the side ad~acent the rear face of the substrate which remains unprinted;
FIG. 2 is a diagramatic slde ~levation o~ the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 i~ ~ perspect~ve of a second embodiment, in lo which the printing head i~ arranged on the side adjacent the pigment-freQ surface of tha blocking ~oil; and FI~. 4 i8 an elevation, corresponding with FI~. 2, of the second embodiment.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, substratQ 10, which is to b~ printed, ancl a conventional blocking-foil 20 are fed together to ~ stamping station or zone 30 which is defined on one sida by a pressure-reaction me~ber 40 ~n the form of a pressure-receiving beam or : block, and on th~ other si~e by an indicia-forming printer 50, praferably having a needle or do~-~orming printing head.
Tha substrate has a top surface 12 which i~ to be printed and a rear face 14. In this embodiment, thQ
needle-printing he~d of printer 50 i8 on the side of the r~ar facs 14 o~ ths substrate 10 and can be moved to and fro transversely to the direction o~ feed of the substrata in a path of ~otion indicatad by an arrow 52, in a machine ~rame (not shown). The direction of ~eed o~ ~he ~ubs~rate through the stamping station 30 is : indicated by arrow 16. Conveyance o~ the substrate 10 ~ 20 and blocking-foil 20 in the region o~ the stamping station - 30 are interrupted briefly during the actual printing process.
The block~ng-foil 20 i5 provided on the side oppo-site and facing surface 12 of 6ubstrate 10 with a conven-tional layer o~ pigment 22 which i~ transferrable under contact pressure when su~ficiently heated. On top o~
thi~ layer of pigment there i~ provided in known manner a blocking layer tnot shown) and on top of thi~, a carrier ~oil. The exposed surface of the carrier ~oil form~ the sur~ace of blocking-~oil 20 oppo~lte pigment surface 22 and is designated in the drawing by 24.
On its way to stamping station 30, blocking-foil 20 passes through a pr~!heating zone which, in the embodi-ment, consists o~ a heated metal plate 60 contacting 3~ sur~ace 24 o~ blocking-foil 20. In th~ ~llustration in ~t7033 1 accordance with FIG. 1, the metal plate 60 ~ a separate member. How~var, it may be connected in heat-conductivQ
relatlon to pressure-receiving member 40, and even be made in one piecs with it, in which CaSQ the gap illustrated to exist between member3 60 and 40 is omitted.
The heating element, or resp~ctively th~ metal plate 60, i~ dimensioned trans~erse to tha dlrection o~ feQd 18 of blocking-foil 20, to such a qize that the pigment layer may ba preheated acros~ the whole range of the path o~
motion 52 o~ printin~ head 50. In the direction o~ feed o~ the blocking-~oil, heating element 60, taking into consideration its temperature, has a lenqth such that ~h~ pigment, upon reaching pres~ure beam 40, has been heated to ths axtent that, in tha casQ o~ th~ stamping forca being applied in th~ ~orm o~ a dot or character by printer 50, i3 tranYferred cleanly ~rom the blocking-foil onto substrate 10, which is also prefer2bly heated, to enhance bonding of the indicia.
Thermostatic regulator~ ~not shown) are associated with hea~ing element 60 and pressurQ-reaction member 40 - for the maintenance of the temperatures needed, and it may be provided that the whol~ heating regions 60 and 40 are divided up into zonas at different temperatures.
FIG. 2 shows a sid~ elevation of a presently pre-ferred embodiment of the hot-~tamping system illustrated in FIG. 1. For the ~aXe o~ clarity here, too, and in the remaining FIGS., the machine frame, drivlng mechanisms, and electrical/electronic devices have been omitted as such components are old in the art and lay within the fiald of knowledge of a person trained in the design and operatlon o~ printing machine~ and hot-stamping devices.
The direction of feed 16 of substrate 10 runs ln FIG. 2 fro~ right to left. Substrate 10 is drawn o~
from a stock reel ~upported in the machine frame (not shown) by Ineans of a pair of conveyor rollers 62', 62", 1;~67Q33 _g_ 1 which lia behind the stamping stat$on 30 in the direc-tion of ~ead and, in case o~ need, may ba assisted by a further pair of conveyor rollers in front o~ the stamping station in the direction o~ feed. Sub~trate 10, consist-5 ing in the usual way of a sheet of textlle material ormetalized plastic foil, i~ led in ~ront of stamping ~ta-t~on 30 along a slightly curved surface o~ a guide body or member 54 ~nd in contact with thi~ sur~ace. In the - embodiment, guide body 54 i~ heated and it8 temperature regulatsd thermo3tatically.
Blocking-~oll 20 i8 dlrawn off by mean~ of a pair of conYeyor roller~ 64' and 64~ fro~ ~ ~tock reel (not : shown) supported in the machin~ frame tnot shown).
After passing betw~en conveyor rollers 64' and 64", blocX~ng-~oil ~0 co~es into contact with a slightly curved ~urface 44 on pressure-reaction member 40; at the end of surface 44 iB deflected into sta~ping station 30 to run there in parallel with substrate-10; passes at the end of ~tamping s~a~ion 30 around daflector edge 42 on pressure bea~ 40; and runs thencQ at a distancQ from surface 46 on pre~sure-reaction member 40 approximately perpend~cular to the direction o~ ~eed 16 of substrate 10 to a further pair of conveyor roller~ 6S' and 66", which, ~ust like all of the other pairs of conveyor rollexs, are driven.
Through the orientation of curved sur~ace 44 with respect to the position o~ conveyor roller~ 64' and 64", and through the pull exerted by ~urther conveyor rollers 66' and ~6", blocking-~oil 20 is kept in close contact with curved surface 44 as far as deflector edge 42, and heated up by pres~ure-reaction member 40. As al60 in the illustration ~n accordance with FIG. 1, the heating of blocking-foil 20 takes place from lt~ exposed surface 24.
~Z~;7~33 1 Additlonal heating o~ blocking-foil 20, as ~vi-denced by FIG. 2, ~ay be carried out through radiation of heat from surface 56 of guide body 54 to layer 22 of pigment on hlocking-~oil 20. Surface 56, together with surfaca 44, ~orms a V-sha]ped angl~ or gap, which tapers in the dlrection towards stamping ~tation 30. ~he reduc-tion in the spacing o~ sur:Eac~ 56 from layer o~ pigment 22, leads to an increas~ in the heat o~ radiation strik-ing layer o~ pigment 22 from surface 56, until diractly lo before reaching stamping sl:ation 30. The amount o~ this heat of- radiation may be varied not only through a variation of the temperature of guide body 54, but also by guide body 54 being arranged in the machine framQ to b~ able to be shi~ted ag a whols in parallel with the direction of feed 16. It may also be achieved through - an adjustabl~ position of guide body 54 in it~ machina frame such that the angle o~ the '~V" gap between surfaces : 44 and 56 can be altered.
: The heating o~ blocking-foil 20 in the region of pressura-reaction ~ember 40 lead~ to a stretching of blocXing-foil 20 in the direction of feed 18. In order to ensure that blocking-~oil 20 nevertheless ~lways rest~ tight again~t pressure beam 40 and is guided free of flutter over deflector edge 42, it i~ provided that the circumferential speed of conYeyor rollers 6S' and 661~ i8 slightly higher than that of conveyor rollers 64' and 64". In practice, a di~ference in the circumf ren-tial velocitias o~ about 0.5% has proved qui~e suitable.
Finally, with respect to the importance o~ deflector edge 42, attention ~ay again be called to the ~act that it must lie in the direction of feed as closely as possible beh~nd the needle head of printer 50. In this way, blocking-~oil 20 i8 drawn away from substrate 10 right after the production of thQ indicia printed by printer blocX 50. In consequence, sticking o~ the blocking-foil ;~Z~7~33 1 to the substrate in the re~ion o~ tha printed indicia or image thereby cannot occur, despite the ~act that the pigment at this point i8 still adequataly soft ~or sticking to occur.
The embodiment described hith~rto will pxeferably be u~ed when the substrate does not excee~ a certain thickness and when printer block 50 used has a compara-tiv~ly high sensitivity to.heat.
The embodiment in accordanc2 with FIGS. 3 and 4 sssentially dif~ers from thle first embodiment only in that tha positions o~ printlsr 50 and pre~surs-reaction membar 40, with respect to substrate 10 and blocking-~oil 20, are reversed. In tha descr~ption o~ the second smbodiment, th~ samQ re~erence numbers as in the first 1~ embodiment are employed as much a~ pos~ible. Inso~ar as nothing t~ the contrary is said below, ~11 of the state-ments her~inabove ar~ relevant, obviou~ly or identically, to the second embodlment.
In tha second embodiment, and with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate which iB to be printed is guided in the direction of feed 16 through ~tamping station 30 with its rear faco 14 lying on pressure-reaction member 40. The pressure-reactlon member in this embodiment is represented diagramatically as a slab elongated in the direction of feed 16 which may be heated and its temperature can be thermo~tatically regulated.
As the illustration in FIG. 3 shows, slab-shaped pre~sure beam 40 ends in the dlrect~on o~ feed 16 at the end of stamping station 30.
Blocking-~oil 20 is fed to ~tamping station 30 at an angle (I'V") ~o that the blocking-foil and the sub-strate me~t only at stamping station 3Q, or ~ust before it. Layer o~ pigment 22 on blocking-foil 20 lie~ opposite or ~acing ~ubstrate 10, and blocking-foil 20, on the way 3S to stamp~ng station 3 makes contact by its exposed i I
-12- ~67~33 1 surface 2~ with heating element 70, which i~ brought as close as po~sible up to stamping station 30, and extends aw~y from stamping station 30 in the direction opposite the direction o~ ~ead of blocking-~oll 20 for a di~tancs which is adsquatQ ~or optimum heating of the blocking-~oll. ~eating ~lement 70, touching blocking-~oil 20, iR
again equipped with at lea~t one heater cartridge, the emi~sion of hsat from which i8 thermostatically regu-lated.
In thi~ embodiment, 6tamping station 30 i~ defined by the la~t portion of preslsure-raaction member 40 in the direction of ~eed 16 and printing block 50 lying opposite thi~ portion. FIG~. 3 and 4 show that thQ
stamping procas~ in thl~ embodiment i8 per~ormed from exposed 6ur~ace 24 sf ~locking-foil 23. Sinca the stamping force, which is exPrted, ~or example, by the needles of a needle-printing head forming printer 50, only as to overcome ~ho very thin carrler ~oil, and the likewise very thin blocking layex o~ blocking-foil 20, before it rea~hes the layer of pigment on the blocking-foil, the thicknass o~ substrate 10 which is to be printad, as well as the material o~ it, no longer play any part towards a quantitatively excellent printed image.
In order to exclude the proble~ of adhesion between blocking-foil 20 and substrate 10 after the printing pro-ces~, in the embodiment in accordanca with FIGS. 3 and 4, a sharp deflection of blocking-foil 20 out of its direc-tion o~ motion within stamping station 30, is again carried out. For this purpose, there i5 provlded in the direction o~ feed 16 directly ~ollowing stamping station - 30, a kni~e beam 80, the comparatively sharp edge o~
j which is analagou~ to deflector edge 42 of the embodi-ment shown in FIG. 2.
~2~7(333 1 While ~IG. 3 illuqtratas the fundamental arrange-ment of ~he different member~, FIG. 4 show~, in a dia-gramatic side elevation, the arrange~ent of the various members o~ a pre~erred for~l o~ execution o~ th~ seoond e~bodiment.
Substrate 10 i~ drawml by means o~ conveyor rollers 62' and 62N ~rom a stocX r~el (not shown). gubstrate 10 runs, ~rst sf all, over a horizontally aligned sur~ace 43 of elongated pres~urs-reaction ~ember 40, and is then drawn to correspond with the ~hown po~itlon o~ a ~urther sur~ac~ 41 o~ pressure beam 40 to point obliquely down-wards through stamping station 30. Pre~sure bea~ 40 may again b~ heate~. ThQ pair o~ conveyor rollers 62'and 62"
draws substrate 10 in steps through ~amp~ng station 30.
-It iY apparent that tha conveyance, a~ ~lready ~entioned, is interrupted durinq the actual printing proces~. The alteration ~n the diraction o~ the path o~ substratQ 10 at ths tr~nsition between sur~aces 43 and 41 o~ pr~ssure-reaction member 40 sexve~ a purpose, which is ~urther explained below and which, in addition, br~ngs about a steady pos~tion o~ th~ substrate in stamplng station 30.
Blocking-foil 20, coming from a stock reel, is again led through stamping station 30 by ~eans o~ two pairs of conveyor rollers 64', 64" and 66', 66".
Between the ~rst pair o~ conveyor rollers 64' and 64" and sta~ping station 30, lies heating element 70, having a curved ~ur~ace 74 as depicted in contact with tha pigment-free sur~aca 24 o~ blocking foil 20. At the end o~ element 70 ad~acent stamping station 30, heating element 70 i3 provided with a pro~ection 72 so that blccXing-~oil 20 may receive heat un~ ust before reaching stamping station 30.
Printer 50, aga~n, may have the ~o~n of a commer-cial needle-dot printing head. It i~ ali3ned with its longitudinal axi~ perpendicular to surfac~ 41 o~ pressure-~2~7~33 1 reaction member 40. Its nePdlss act upon fre0 surface 24 of blocking-foil 20. The oblique position o~ printing block 50, as shown in FIG. 4, corresponding with the slope o~ surface 41, serves to reduce in the heating o~
the printing head of printer 50.
The po~itioning o~ knif~ beam 80, as shown ~n FIG.
4, provide~ a free deflactox edge lying opposite sub-strate 10 and pro~ect~ as ~ar as the path from printing block 50 ln ~he region of ~tamplng station 30 so that, dirsctly after passing through stamping station 30, blocking-foil 20 i3 ll~ted ~rom ~bstrate 10. ~ha curved run Or surface 74 o~ heating element 70 and the shape, as w811 a~ thQ arrangement, of knif~ ~ea~ 80, lead, in combination w~th the positions o~ a~sociated conveyor rollers 64', 64" and 66, 65n~ to a ~undamentally curved pa~h of blocklng-foil 20 80 that blocking-foil in the region o~ stamping station 30 is ~rae of flutter.
In conclusion, it may be pointed out that printer 50, which in FIG. 4 moves in the machine frame perpendic-ularly to thQ plane of the drawing, doe~ not need to be the preferred needle-printer. O~her printtng head3 may be employed with equal success, to generata the stamping forc~ serially, e.g., character-by-charact~r. Type-wheel or chain printers may be mentioned a~ examples o~ alter-nate printer3.
The process of the instant invention is predicatedon the ability of thin materials to pass the strokes of the printer to another material, to enable the heated pigment to be transferred from the blocking-foil to a preferably heated substrate to provide a clean imprint and a strong bond. The Xey to the proces~ i~, that the printer strikes from 400 ~o 500 times faster than ~he printing p:Late in the hot-stamp printer. Thi3 time does not make it possibl~ to heat up the blocXing-foil ~ust 1 at the tlme of impact. The blocXing-foil, as indicated, must be preheated to its transfQr temperature at a point very closQ to the point o~ 1:ransfer.
The process i~ particlllarly adapt~ve to pr~nting 5 variabls data on apparel ancl to provide ~ print that will hav~ the same resi~tano~ to washing and dry-cleaning as do commercial hot-stamp proc:esses. Multlpla ~tations can be used for imprinting multipls colors, and to enable the pr$nting of wh~te, gold or ~lver on black and other dark lo material~. With respec~ to the electronics ~rade, the sys~em provide~ or the rir~t time, high-quality printing on self-adheslve polyestQr metalized plastic foil3 used for r~ting platés. The imprlnt will have high re~istance to gasoline, oil and cleaning fluid3. Again, any number of colors can be printed, and ~t is feasibls to impr~nt silver on black fo11. Multiple module~ in SeqUencQ can be used not only for multipls-coloE printing but, by turning over the substratQ between tWQ printed modules, both sides of the ~ubstrate can be pr~nted with differing in~orma~.ion.
lo -:L-METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRINTING ON A SUBSTRATE
~n ~any branches o~ indust~y, label~ or identi~i-cation pl~te~ are needed ~or the ~arking o~ product3.
Examples ar~ the producers o~ texttles and the producers o~ electrical/eIectronic apparatus. The former provide their ~oven and no~woven materials with labels which ara to give the user information about 8ize~ and instructions regarding cleaning, washing-temperatures and the like.
- ~he latter must pro~ide thelr products ~ith serial numbers and other varlable relevant product information. Such users D~ labels, identi~ication plates and tha like, rspeatedly demand the fulf~ll~ent o~ tWQ conditions which the art has not to date been ablQ to satis~y with avail-abl~ printing Bystem3- The two conditions ara perma-nsncy of print and the abil~ty to rapidly alter variable data to be printed.
Depending upon the use, labels ~ust be able ~o with-stand relatively rough treatment processe~, e~g., frequent washing and chemical agents. The samQ i8 trua o~ identi-ficatlon plates which are cleaned by such agents. Never-theless, it i~ expected that the respective in~ormation carriers will remain readable over long periods of time.
~,9 ''~
~Z~ 33 1 Another proble~ i8 the formation of variable data on the identification carriers. Ident~ication plates, for example, carry regularly consecutive numbers, ~ith the ConSeqUsncQ that every identiflcation plate i5 actually an original. Variable data also occur in the case of tQxtile ~arXing, ~or examplls, in the case o~ tha ~pecifi-c~ion of product batches or lots, and data about color and size.
It is clear that, in tha mass production of lo identi~ication plate~ and labels, what must ba striven for i8 to produce rapidly and without problems, tha selectively marked carrier.
In the case o~ the production o~ marked textile carri~rs with variable data, work is done today pre-ponderantly with needla printer3. They transfer the data delivered to tAem from a computer serially orlina-by-lina by needlQ pressura heads onto the substrate employing colored or car~on ribbons. They do not, how-ever, produce a particularly clean impression and, above all, do not deliver an imprint which i~ satisfactorily resistant to washing and cleaning. ~he pi~ment~ avail-able are comparatively easy to wash out or may fade, under certain circumstance . Thi~ method of printing is altogeth~r unusable for the printing of textile labels o~ comparatively open weave~ because the comparatively liguid inX runs. In sum, the problem-fre~ printing of variable data by t~i~ m~thod o~ printing, where usable, is acco~panied by deficient permanence of the impression.
The opposite of thi~ method i~ printing by hot-stamping, which delivers indlcia to carriers that are resistant to wash~ng and cleaning, and o~ outstanding quality, and for which 6hades and gualities o~ color are avallable in extraordinary abundance. But, in the casa of th s method of printing, the changing of data i~ time-consuming. In this operat:ion the printed image i8 applied to the sub-~Z~7~33 1 strate which is to be printed, by mean~ of a type block or stereotype plats. Where the data ar3 variable, the blocks, or, respectively, thc stereotype plates, mu t be changed every time the data ara changed.
The presant invention i directed to a mathod of : printing, together with a p.rinting system, which combines permanence with tha ability to cheaply and automatically print variable data~
Ths present invention provide~ a method, together with appara~us, ror printiny on a sub~trate by hot-stamping, in which the substrat~ and blocking-foil, pro-vided with a layer o~ pigment, the layer of pigment being trans~erable under contact pressure when heated, and lying opposite, and racing, the surface of the ~ubstrate which is to be printsd, are fed together through a stamp-ing station in which the substrate and pre-heated block~
`: foil are pres~ed together between a pre~sure-reaction member and a stamping member or printer with serial - transfer of pigment as indicia onto the ~ubstrate occur-ring by the applied stamping force. The indicia are normally dots or character~ applied one after anoth2r.
The pigment i~ at a temperature at which trans~er will 25 - occur, normally at a temperature directly below its melting point.
It is preferabla that the pigment-free surface of the blocking-~oil be brought, in the stamping station, into contact with a pres~ure~reaction member which also heats the foilO
It is essential that thQ blocking-foil be preheated on its faeclpath immediately be~ora reaching the stamping station whi.le the subRtrate ln the stamping ~ation i~
guided into contact, by its rear face which remains unprinted, with th~ pressure-reaction reaction member, 7~33 1 which 1~ optionally heated~ It iB dssired to al80 heat the ~urface o~ the s~bstrata to contact the pigment, to prevent chilling, thereby maximizing adhesion of the transferred indicia.
While, in the case of convantional printlng by hot ~tamping, th~ printing block was heated and was pressed onto the pigment-free surfacs of th~ blocking-~oil which in turn borQ through the substrate again~t th2 pressure-reaction ~emb~r, the procedure i8 now the opposits. The heat nece~sary for the tran~3fer of the pigment onto the gub5trate i3 introduced through preheatlng into the layer of pigment and, i~ de~ired, through the heated pressure-r~action member, so that the user become3 free in the design of the printer and can use mechanisms which are sensitivs to heat such as, for example, n~edle-printing head3 or a number wheel mechanis~, in~tead of or respec-tively in addit~on to, thQ stereotyp~ plate. While the advantages of printinq by hot-stamping arQ completely preserved, ths advantages of thQ needl~-printing method are added to them.
~ prefarred devicQ for the performance of tha method in accordance with the invention, is one in the stamping station on the side ad~acent the rear face of the substrate, where a prin~er head is arranged and lies opposite a heated pressure-reaction member, which providPs a pressure-receiving surface and an additional heating element lying in the stamping station in contact with the blocking-foil.
Alternatively, the pigment-free surface of the blocXing-foil may be acted on by ths printer, and the substrats is al~o in contact with the pressure-reaction member, which is heated, if necessary, and a heating element is arranged in contact with the blocking-foil in a region leading to the stamplng 3ta~ion.
1 It may be emphasized that th~ suitability o~ a fundamentally h2at-sensitlve printer head ha~ proved to be functional, by b~aring in mind that the printing block, ~n the casQ o~ convantional hot-stamping, has a dwell againqt the foil of about one-tanth of a second, while, in the case of the t:rans~er o~ the stamping forc~, dot-by-dot by means o~ a printer, a contact time i~ in the order of magnitude o~ only one-thousandth of a second.
~267 [)33 The Drawinqs FIG. 1 is a perspectiva of a ~irst embodiment of ths invention ~n which the printing head i8 arranged on the side ad~acent the rear face of the substrate which remains unprinted;
FIG. 2 is a diagramatic slde ~levation o~ the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 i~ ~ perspect~ve of a second embodiment, in lo which the printing head i~ arranged on the side adjacent the pigment-freQ surface of tha blocking ~oil; and FI~. 4 i8 an elevation, corresponding with FI~. 2, of the second embodiment.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, substratQ 10, which is to b~ printed, ancl a conventional blocking-foil 20 are fed together to ~ stamping station or zone 30 which is defined on one sida by a pressure-reaction me~ber 40 ~n the form of a pressure-receiving beam or : block, and on th~ other si~e by an indicia-forming printer 50, praferably having a needle or do~-~orming printing head.
Tha substrate has a top surface 12 which i~ to be printed and a rear face 14. In this embodiment, thQ
needle-printing he~d of printer 50 i8 on the side of the r~ar facs 14 o~ ths substrate 10 and can be moved to and fro transversely to the direction o~ feed of the substrata in a path of ~otion indicatad by an arrow 52, in a machine ~rame (not shown). The direction of ~eed o~ ~he ~ubs~rate through the stamping station 30 is : indicated by arrow 16. Conveyance o~ the substrate 10 ~ 20 and blocking-foil 20 in the region o~ the stamping station - 30 are interrupted briefly during the actual printing process.
The block~ng-foil 20 i5 provided on the side oppo-site and facing surface 12 of 6ubstrate 10 with a conven-tional layer o~ pigment 22 which i~ transferrable under contact pressure when su~ficiently heated. On top o~
thi~ layer of pigment there i~ provided in known manner a blocking layer tnot shown) and on top of thi~, a carrier ~oil. The exposed surface of the carrier ~oil form~ the sur~ace of blocking-~oil 20 oppo~lte pigment surface 22 and is designated in the drawing by 24.
On its way to stamping station 30, blocking-foil 20 passes through a pr~!heating zone which, in the embodi-ment, consists o~ a heated metal plate 60 contacting 3~ sur~ace 24 o~ blocking-foil 20. In th~ ~llustration in ~t7033 1 accordance with FIG. 1, the metal plate 60 ~ a separate member. How~var, it may be connected in heat-conductivQ
relatlon to pressure-receiving member 40, and even be made in one piecs with it, in which CaSQ the gap illustrated to exist between member3 60 and 40 is omitted.
The heating element, or resp~ctively th~ metal plate 60, i~ dimensioned trans~erse to tha dlrection o~ feQd 18 of blocking-foil 20, to such a qize that the pigment layer may ba preheated acros~ the whole range of the path o~
motion 52 o~ printin~ head 50. In the direction o~ feed o~ the blocking-~oil, heating element 60, taking into consideration its temperature, has a lenqth such that ~h~ pigment, upon reaching pres~ure beam 40, has been heated to ths axtent that, in tha casQ o~ th~ stamping forca being applied in th~ ~orm o~ a dot or character by printer 50, i3 tranYferred cleanly ~rom the blocking-foil onto substrate 10, which is also prefer2bly heated, to enhance bonding of the indicia.
Thermostatic regulator~ ~not shown) are associated with hea~ing element 60 and pressurQ-reaction member 40 - for the maintenance of the temperatures needed, and it may be provided that the whol~ heating regions 60 and 40 are divided up into zonas at different temperatures.
FIG. 2 shows a sid~ elevation of a presently pre-ferred embodiment of the hot-~tamping system illustrated in FIG. 1. For the ~aXe o~ clarity here, too, and in the remaining FIGS., the machine frame, drivlng mechanisms, and electrical/electronic devices have been omitted as such components are old in the art and lay within the fiald of knowledge of a person trained in the design and operatlon o~ printing machine~ and hot-stamping devices.
The direction of feed 16 of substrate 10 runs ln FIG. 2 fro~ right to left. Substrate 10 is drawn o~
from a stock reel ~upported in the machine frame (not shown) by Ineans of a pair of conveyor rollers 62', 62", 1;~67Q33 _g_ 1 which lia behind the stamping stat$on 30 in the direc-tion of ~ead and, in case o~ need, may ba assisted by a further pair of conveyor rollers in front o~ the stamping station in the direction o~ feed. Sub~trate 10, consist-5 ing in the usual way of a sheet of textlle material ormetalized plastic foil, i~ led in ~ront of stamping ~ta-t~on 30 along a slightly curved surface o~ a guide body or member 54 ~nd in contact with thi~ sur~ace. In the - embodiment, guide body 54 i~ heated and it8 temperature regulatsd thermo3tatically.
Blocking-~oll 20 i8 dlrawn off by mean~ of a pair of conYeyor roller~ 64' and 64~ fro~ ~ ~tock reel (not : shown) supported in the machin~ frame tnot shown).
After passing betw~en conveyor rollers 64' and 64", blocX~ng-~oil ~0 co~es into contact with a slightly curved ~urface 44 on pressure-reaction member 40; at the end of surface 44 iB deflected into sta~ping station 30 to run there in parallel with substrate-10; passes at the end of ~tamping s~a~ion 30 around daflector edge 42 on pressure bea~ 40; and runs thencQ at a distancQ from surface 46 on pre~sure-reaction member 40 approximately perpend~cular to the direction o~ ~eed 16 of substrate 10 to a further pair of conveyor roller~ 6S' and 66", which, ~ust like all of the other pairs of conveyor rollexs, are driven.
Through the orientation of curved sur~ace 44 with respect to the position o~ conveyor roller~ 64' and 64", and through the pull exerted by ~urther conveyor rollers 66' and ~6", blocking-~oil 20 is kept in close contact with curved surface 44 as far as deflector edge 42, and heated up by pres~ure-reaction member 40. As al60 in the illustration ~n accordance with FIG. 1, the heating of blocking-foil 20 takes place from lt~ exposed surface 24.
~Z~;7~33 1 Additlonal heating o~ blocking-foil 20, as ~vi-denced by FIG. 2, ~ay be carried out through radiation of heat from surface 56 of guide body 54 to layer 22 of pigment on hlocking-~oil 20. Surface 56, together with surfaca 44, ~orms a V-sha]ped angl~ or gap, which tapers in the dlrection towards stamping ~tation 30. ~he reduc-tion in the spacing o~ sur:Eac~ 56 from layer o~ pigment 22, leads to an increas~ in the heat o~ radiation strik-ing layer o~ pigment 22 from surface 56, until diractly lo before reaching stamping sl:ation 30. The amount o~ this heat of- radiation may be varied not only through a variation of the temperature of guide body 54, but also by guide body 54 being arranged in the machine framQ to b~ able to be shi~ted ag a whols in parallel with the direction of feed 16. It may also be achieved through - an adjustabl~ position of guide body 54 in it~ machina frame such that the angle o~ the '~V" gap between surfaces : 44 and 56 can be altered.
: The heating o~ blocking-foil 20 in the region of pressura-reaction ~ember 40 lead~ to a stretching of blocXing-foil 20 in the direction of feed 18. In order to ensure that blocking-~oil 20 nevertheless ~lways rest~ tight again~t pressure beam 40 and is guided free of flutter over deflector edge 42, it i~ provided that the circumferential speed of conYeyor rollers 6S' and 661~ i8 slightly higher than that of conveyor rollers 64' and 64". In practice, a di~ference in the circumf ren-tial velocitias o~ about 0.5% has proved qui~e suitable.
Finally, with respect to the importance o~ deflector edge 42, attention ~ay again be called to the ~act that it must lie in the direction of feed as closely as possible beh~nd the needle head of printer 50. In this way, blocking-~oil 20 i8 drawn away from substrate 10 right after the production of thQ indicia printed by printer blocX 50. In consequence, sticking o~ the blocking-foil ;~Z~7~33 1 to the substrate in the re~ion o~ tha printed indicia or image thereby cannot occur, despite the ~act that the pigment at this point i8 still adequataly soft ~or sticking to occur.
The embodiment described hith~rto will pxeferably be u~ed when the substrate does not excee~ a certain thickness and when printer block 50 used has a compara-tiv~ly high sensitivity to.heat.
The embodiment in accordanc2 with FIGS. 3 and 4 sssentially dif~ers from thle first embodiment only in that tha positions o~ printlsr 50 and pre~surs-reaction membar 40, with respect to substrate 10 and blocking-~oil 20, are reversed. In tha descr~ption o~ the second smbodiment, th~ samQ re~erence numbers as in the first 1~ embodiment are employed as much a~ pos~ible. Inso~ar as nothing t~ the contrary is said below, ~11 of the state-ments her~inabove ar~ relevant, obviou~ly or identically, to the second embodlment.
In tha second embodiment, and with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate which iB to be printed is guided in the direction of feed 16 through ~tamping station 30 with its rear faco 14 lying on pressure-reaction member 40. The pressure-reactlon member in this embodiment is represented diagramatically as a slab elongated in the direction of feed 16 which may be heated and its temperature can be thermo~tatically regulated.
As the illustration in FIG. 3 shows, slab-shaped pre~sure beam 40 ends in the dlrect~on o~ feed 16 at the end of stamping station 30.
Blocking-~oil 20 is fed to ~tamping station 30 at an angle (I'V") ~o that the blocking-foil and the sub-strate me~t only at stamping station 3Q, or ~ust before it. Layer o~ pigment 22 on blocking-foil 20 lie~ opposite or ~acing ~ubstrate 10, and blocking-foil 20, on the way 3S to stamp~ng station 3 makes contact by its exposed i I
-12- ~67~33 1 surface 2~ with heating element 70, which i~ brought as close as po~sible up to stamping station 30, and extends aw~y from stamping station 30 in the direction opposite the direction o~ ~ead of blocking-~oll 20 for a di~tancs which is adsquatQ ~or optimum heating of the blocking-~oll. ~eating ~lement 70, touching blocking-~oil 20, iR
again equipped with at lea~t one heater cartridge, the emi~sion of hsat from which i8 thermostatically regu-lated.
In thi~ embodiment, 6tamping station 30 i~ defined by the la~t portion of preslsure-raaction member 40 in the direction of ~eed 16 and printing block 50 lying opposite thi~ portion. FIG~. 3 and 4 show that thQ
stamping procas~ in thl~ embodiment i8 per~ormed from exposed 6ur~ace 24 sf ~locking-foil 23. Sinca the stamping force, which is exPrted, ~or example, by the needles of a needle-printing head forming printer 50, only as to overcome ~ho very thin carrler ~oil, and the likewise very thin blocking layex o~ blocking-foil 20, before it rea~hes the layer of pigment on the blocking-foil, the thicknass o~ substrate 10 which is to be printad, as well as the material o~ it, no longer play any part towards a quantitatively excellent printed image.
In order to exclude the proble~ of adhesion between blocking-foil 20 and substrate 10 after the printing pro-ces~, in the embodiment in accordanca with FIGS. 3 and 4, a sharp deflection of blocking-foil 20 out of its direc-tion o~ motion within stamping station 30, is again carried out. For this purpose, there i5 provlded in the direction o~ feed 16 directly ~ollowing stamping station - 30, a kni~e beam 80, the comparatively sharp edge o~
j which is analagou~ to deflector edge 42 of the embodi-ment shown in FIG. 2.
~2~7(333 1 While ~IG. 3 illuqtratas the fundamental arrange-ment of ~he different member~, FIG. 4 show~, in a dia-gramatic side elevation, the arrange~ent of the various members o~ a pre~erred for~l o~ execution o~ th~ seoond e~bodiment.
Substrate 10 i~ drawml by means o~ conveyor rollers 62' and 62N ~rom a stocX r~el (not shown). gubstrate 10 runs, ~rst sf all, over a horizontally aligned sur~ace 43 of elongated pres~urs-reaction ~ember 40, and is then drawn to correspond with the ~hown po~itlon o~ a ~urther sur~ac~ 41 o~ pressure beam 40 to point obliquely down-wards through stamping station 30. Pre~sure bea~ 40 may again b~ heate~. ThQ pair o~ conveyor rollers 62'and 62"
draws substrate 10 in steps through ~amp~ng station 30.
-It iY apparent that tha conveyance, a~ ~lready ~entioned, is interrupted durinq the actual printing proces~. The alteration ~n the diraction o~ the path o~ substratQ 10 at ths tr~nsition between sur~aces 43 and 41 o~ pr~ssure-reaction member 40 sexve~ a purpose, which is ~urther explained below and which, in addition, br~ngs about a steady pos~tion o~ th~ substrate in stamplng station 30.
Blocking-foil 20, coming from a stock reel, is again led through stamping station 30 by ~eans o~ two pairs of conveyor rollers 64', 64" and 66', 66".
Between the ~rst pair o~ conveyor rollers 64' and 64" and sta~ping station 30, lies heating element 70, having a curved ~ur~ace 74 as depicted in contact with tha pigment-free sur~aca 24 o~ blocking foil 20. At the end o~ element 70 ad~acent stamping station 30, heating element 70 i3 provided with a pro~ection 72 so that blccXing-~oil 20 may receive heat un~ ust before reaching stamping station 30.
Printer 50, aga~n, may have the ~o~n of a commer-cial needle-dot printing head. It i~ ali3ned with its longitudinal axi~ perpendicular to surfac~ 41 o~ pressure-~2~7~33 1 reaction member 40. Its nePdlss act upon fre0 surface 24 of blocking-foil 20. The oblique position o~ printing block 50, as shown in FIG. 4, corresponding with the slope o~ surface 41, serves to reduce in the heating o~
the printing head of printer 50.
The po~itioning o~ knif~ beam 80, as shown ~n FIG.
4, provide~ a free deflactox edge lying opposite sub-strate 10 and pro~ect~ as ~ar as the path from printing block 50 ln ~he region of ~tamplng station 30 so that, dirsctly after passing through stamping station 30, blocking-foil 20 i3 ll~ted ~rom ~bstrate 10. ~ha curved run Or surface 74 o~ heating element 70 and the shape, as w811 a~ thQ arrangement, of knif~ ~ea~ 80, lead, in combination w~th the positions o~ a~sociated conveyor rollers 64', 64" and 66, 65n~ to a ~undamentally curved pa~h of blocklng-foil 20 80 that blocking-foil in the region o~ stamping station 30 is ~rae of flutter.
In conclusion, it may be pointed out that printer 50, which in FIG. 4 moves in the machine frame perpendic-ularly to thQ plane of the drawing, doe~ not need to be the preferred needle-printer. O~her printtng head3 may be employed with equal success, to generata the stamping forc~ serially, e.g., character-by-charact~r. Type-wheel or chain printers may be mentioned a~ examples o~ alter-nate printer3.
The process of the instant invention is predicatedon the ability of thin materials to pass the strokes of the printer to another material, to enable the heated pigment to be transferred from the blocking-foil to a preferably heated substrate to provide a clean imprint and a strong bond. The Xey to the proces~ i~, that the printer strikes from 400 ~o 500 times faster than ~he printing p:Late in the hot-stamp printer. Thi3 time does not make it possibl~ to heat up the blocXing-foil ~ust 1 at the tlme of impact. The blocXing-foil, as indicated, must be preheated to its transfQr temperature at a point very closQ to the point o~ 1:ransfer.
The process i~ particlllarly adapt~ve to pr~nting 5 variabls data on apparel ancl to provide ~ print that will hav~ the same resi~tano~ to washing and dry-cleaning as do commercial hot-stamp proc:esses. Multlpla ~tations can be used for imprinting multipls colors, and to enable the pr$nting of wh~te, gold or ~lver on black and other dark lo material~. With respec~ to the electronics ~rade, the sys~em provide~ or the rir~t time, high-quality printing on self-adheslve polyestQr metalized plastic foil3 used for r~ting platés. The imprlnt will have high re~istance to gasoline, oil and cleaning fluid3. Again, any number of colors can be printed, and ~t is feasibls to impr~nt silver on black fo11. Multiple module~ in SeqUencQ can be used not only for multipls-coloE printing but, by turning over the substratQ between tWQ printed modules, both sides of the ~ubstrate can be pr~nted with differing in~orma~.ion.
Claims (32)
1. A method of hot-stamp printing of a substrate, which method comprises:
(a) providing a substrate to be printed, and a blocking-foil providing on one surface thereof facing the substrate, a layer of pigment which is transferrable under applied contact pressure when heated;
(b) preheating the layer of pigment:
(c) passing the substrate and blocking-foil having a preheated pigment surface, between an indicia printer and a pressure-reaction member for receiving a printing force forming a stamping zone; and (d) serially transferring pigment indicia from the blocking-foil to the substrate by pressing the blocking-foil having a heated transferrable-pigment surface against the substrate by action of a stamping force formed by movement of the indicia printer and pressure-reaction member towards each other and against the blocking-foil and substrate.
(a) providing a substrate to be printed, and a blocking-foil providing on one surface thereof facing the substrate, a layer of pigment which is transferrable under applied contact pressure when heated;
(b) preheating the layer of pigment:
(c) passing the substrate and blocking-foil having a preheated pigment surface, between an indicia printer and a pressure-reaction member for receiving a printing force forming a stamping zone; and (d) serially transferring pigment indicia from the blocking-foil to the substrate by pressing the blocking-foil having a heated transferrable-pigment surface against the substrate by action of a stamping force formed by movement of the indicia printer and pressure-reaction member towards each other and against the blocking-foil and substrate.
2. A method as in claim 1 in which a surface of the blocking-foil opposed the surface providing the pigment is brought into contact with the pressure-reaction member which is heated, and in which the substrate is serially printed in the stamping station by pressure action of the printer against the surface of the substrate opposed the substrate surface to be printed.
3. A method as in claim 1 in which the substrate is heated.
4. A method as in claim 2 in which the substrate is heated.
5. A method as in claim 1 in which the surface of the blocking-foil opposed the pigmented surface is brought into contact with the printer and is heated in the feedpath to the printer to enable indicia transfer to a point directly before reaching the stamping zone, while the surface thereof to remain unprinted is in contact with the pressure-reaction member.
6. A method as in claim 5 in which the pressure-reaction member is heated.
7. A method as in claim 1 in which pigment is preheated up to a temperature directly below the melting point of the pigment.
8. A method as in claim 5 in which pigment is preheated up to a temperature directly below the melting point of the pigment.
9. A method as in claim 1 in which the heat energy is constantly provided to the blocking-foil until the blocking-foil reaches the pressure reaction member.
10. A method as in claim 2 in which the heat energy is constantly provided to the blocking foil until the blocking-foil reaches the pressure-reaction member.
11. A method as in claim 5 in which the heat energy is constantly provided to the blocking-foil until the blocking-foil reaches the pressure-reaction member.
12. A method as in claim 4 in which the heat energy is constantly provided to the blocking-foil until the blocking-foil reaches the pressure-reaction member.
13, A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the indicia are in the form of serially-printed dots.
14. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the indicia are characters.
15. A method of hot-stamp printing of a substrate, which apparatus comprises:
(a) providing a substrate to be printed and a blocking-foil providing on one surface thereof a layer of pigment which is transferrable under applied contact pressure when heated;
(b) preheating the layer of pigment;
(c) feeding the substrate and blocking-foil having a preheated pigment surface between an indicia printer and a pressure-reaction member for receiving a printing force forming a stamping zone; and (d) serially transferring pigment indicia from the blocking-foil to the substrate by pressing the blocking-foil having a heated pigment surface against the substrate by action of the stamping force formed by movement of the printer and pressure reaction member towards each other and against the blocking-foil and substrate, said indicia being formed by movement of the printer head transverse to the direction of feed of the substrate and blocking-foil to the stamping station and while feed through the stamping station is interrupted.
(a) providing a substrate to be printed and a blocking-foil providing on one surface thereof a layer of pigment which is transferrable under applied contact pressure when heated;
(b) preheating the layer of pigment;
(c) feeding the substrate and blocking-foil having a preheated pigment surface between an indicia printer and a pressure-reaction member for receiving a printing force forming a stamping zone; and (d) serially transferring pigment indicia from the blocking-foil to the substrate by pressing the blocking-foil having a heated pigment surface against the substrate by action of the stamping force formed by movement of the printer and pressure reaction member towards each other and against the blocking-foil and substrate, said indicia being formed by movement of the printer head transverse to the direction of feed of the substrate and blocking-foil to the stamping station and while feed through the stamping station is interrupted.
16. A method as in claim 15 in which a surface of the blocking-foil opposed the surface providing the pigment is brought into contact with the pressure-reaction member which is heated, and in which the substrate is serially printed in the stamping station by pressure action of the printer against the surface thereof opposite the substrate surface to be printed.
17. A method as in claim 15 in which the surface of the blocking-foil opposed the pigmented surface is brought in contact with the printer and is heated in the feedpath to the printer to enable indicia transfer to a point directly before reaching the stamping zone, while the surface of the substrate to remain unprinted is in contact with the pressure-reaction member.
18. A method as in claim 15 in which the substrate is heated.
19. A method as in claim 16 in which the substrate is heated.
20. A method as in claim 17 in which the substrate is heated.
21. A method as in claim 15 in which pigment is preheated up to a temperature directly below the melting point of the pigment.
22. A method as in claim 15 in which the heat energy is constantly provided to the blocking-foil until the blocking-foil reaches the pressure-reaction member.
23. A process as claimed in claim 15 in which the indicia are in the form of serially-printed dots.
24. A process as claimed in claim 15 in which the indicia are characters.
25. Apparatus for hot-stamping of a substrate, which apparatus comprises:
(a) means for heating the pigment contained on a surface of a blocking-foil to a temperature to enable transfer from the surface of the blocking-foil pigment;
(b) means to simultaneously feed a substrate and the heated blocking-foil between a transversely movable printing head and a pressure-receiving member to form a printing stamp;
(c) means to transversely move the printing head in the stamping station and, by cooperation of the printing head and the pressure-receiving member, to serially transfer pigment indicia to the substrate from the heated blocking-foil to the substrate blocking-foil during interruption of passage of the substrate and blocking-foil through the stamping station; and (d) means to immediately separate the blocking-foil from the substrate after transverse printing is complete.
(a) means for heating the pigment contained on a surface of a blocking-foil to a temperature to enable transfer from the surface of the blocking-foil pigment;
(b) means to simultaneously feed a substrate and the heated blocking-foil between a transversely movable printing head and a pressure-receiving member to form a printing stamp;
(c) means to transversely move the printing head in the stamping station and, by cooperation of the printing head and the pressure-receiving member, to serially transfer pigment indicia to the substrate from the heated blocking-foil to the substrate blocking-foil during interruption of passage of the substrate and blocking-foil through the stamping station; and (d) means to immediately separate the blocking-foil from the substrate after transverse printing is complete.
26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the pressure-receiving member is adapted to be heated.
27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the transversely movable printing head is a needle adapted to print dots of the heated pigment.
28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the transversely movable printing head is a needle adapted to print dots of the heated pigment.
29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the means for heating the pigment on the blocking-foil is adjustable to control the amount of heat transferred to the blocking-foil prior to the stamping station.
30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the means for heating the pigment on the blocking-foil is adjustable to control the amount of heat transferred to the blocking-foil prior to the stamping station.
31. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the means for heating the pigment on the blocking-foil extends from outside of the stamping station.
32. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25 which includes pairs of feeder conveyor rolls to feed the blocking-foil to the stamping station and pairs of drawing conveyor rolls for drawing the blocking-foil from the printing station, the drawing conveyor rolls being operative to provide a drawing speed greater than the feed speed.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE3440131A DE3440131C2 (en) | 1984-11-02 | 1984-11-02 | Method and device for printing a substrate by hot stamping |
| DEP.34.40.131.8 | 1984-11-02 | ||
| EP85105800A EP0179977B1 (en) | 1984-11-02 | 1985-05-11 | Method and apparatus for the thermal embossing of a substrate |
| EP85.105.800.8 | 1985-05-11 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1267033A true CA1267033A (en) | 1990-03-27 |
Family
ID=25826201
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000494454A Expired CA1267033A (en) | 1984-11-02 | 1985-11-01 | Method and device for printing on a substrate by hot- stamping |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JP2691710B2 (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE45316T1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1267033A (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH05346822A (en) * | 1992-06-15 | 1993-12-27 | Sugiyasu Kogyo Kk | Position detecting mechanism for travelling object |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS53139266A (en) * | 1977-05-11 | 1978-12-05 | Shikoku Kaken Kogyo Kk | Construction method of inorganic heat insulating layer |
| JPS54140612A (en) * | 1978-04-20 | 1979-11-01 | Nippon Telegraph & Telephone | Method of thermal printing |
| JPS5952668A (en) * | 1982-09-17 | 1984-03-27 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Thermal transfer recording apparatus |
| JPS5993373A (en) * | 1982-11-18 | 1984-05-29 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Transfer-type thermal recording printer |
| JPS59164155A (en) * | 1983-03-08 | 1984-09-17 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Thermal printer |
-
1985
- 1985-05-11 AT AT85105800T patent/ATE45316T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1985-10-31 JP JP60243028A patent/JP2691710B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1985-11-01 CA CA000494454A patent/CA1267033A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS61179745A (en) | 1986-08-12 |
| JP2691710B2 (en) | 1997-12-17 |
| ATE45316T1 (en) | 1989-08-15 |
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