EP0200285A1 - Décoration d'articles au moyen de feuilles de transfert - Google Patents

Décoration d'articles au moyen de feuilles de transfert Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0200285A1
EP0200285A1 EP86300002A EP86300002A EP0200285A1 EP 0200285 A1 EP0200285 A1 EP 0200285A1 EP 86300002 A EP86300002 A EP 86300002A EP 86300002 A EP86300002 A EP 86300002A EP 0200285 A1 EP0200285 A1 EP 0200285A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
transfer
image
template
article
ware
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP86300002A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Graham William Royal Doulton Holburn (UK) Ltd.
John Alister Royal Doulton Nicholas (UK) Ltd.
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Royal Doulton UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Royal Doulton UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Royal Doulton UK Ltd filed Critical Royal Doulton UK Ltd
Publication of EP0200285A1 publication Critical patent/EP0200285A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
    • B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
    • B44C1/16—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects for applying transfer pictures or the like
    • B44C1/165—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects for applying transfer pictures or the like for decalcomanias; sheet material therefor
    • B44C1/17—Dry transfer
    • B44C1/1712—Decalcomanias applied under heat and pressure, e.g. provided with a heat activable adhesive
    • B44C1/1725—Decalcomanias applied under heat and pressure, e.g. provided with a heat activable adhesive using an intermediate support
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F16/00—Transfer printing apparatus
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F17/00—Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
    • B41F17/006—Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on curved surfaces not otherwise provided for

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the decoration of articles and is especially, but not exclusively, applicable to the decoration of ceramic articles.
  • Ceramic articles such as cups, saucers, plates and the like are conventionally decorated by two principal methods.
  • a decorative pattern is applied directly to the surface of the article by a flexible printing member which picks up an impression of the pattern from an inked plate or the like. While this produces satisfactory results for some puposes it is not suitable for high quality work or complex patterns which are conventionally applied by means of decals or transfers.
  • These can be pre-printed on to a supporting sheet in a flat condition by silk screen or other suitable printing processes with a substantial degree of accuracy and the transfer is then separated from its supporting sheet and positioned on the surface of the article to be decorated by an operative.
  • the invention provides a method for the automatic transfer decoration of articles comprising providing one or more transfer sheets having image-bearing portions applied thereto in closely spaced juxtaposition, removing selected image-bearing portions from the transfer sheet or sheets and positioning them on a support in a layout conforming to the desired layout on an article of ware to be decorated, and transferring the layout of image-bearing portions from the support to the surface of the article of ware by mechanical means.
  • the image-bearing portions applied to the transfer sheet are separated or partially separated from one another to facilitate transfer to said support. Separation may be effected by cutting partially but not completely around the image-bearing portions so that they remain attached to the sheet but are readily separable from one another.
  • Adherence of the image-bearing portions to the support is preferably effected by application of suction through perforations in the surface thereof.
  • Preferably also transfer of the layout of image-bearing portions from said template to the article of ware is effected by a flexible transfer member movable between pick-up and printing positions respectively in contact with said platen and with the article of ware to be decorated.
  • decorative images may be printed in close juxtaposition on a carrier sheet with a view to attaining minimum wastage of unprinted sheet, and may then be manually transferred to said support, following which application of the transfer to the articles of ware is effected mechanically.
  • This reduces the operator involvement to detachment of individual image-bearing portions from the transfer sheet and their arrangement on the platen which is facilitated by the provision of the template having apertures corresponding to the positions in which the image-bearing portions require to be placed to produce the final decoration.
  • the invention also provides apparatus for use in the transfer decoration of articles, comprising a support member and a template having apertures therein corresponding in size, shape and position to decorated areas of a pattern to be applied to an article of ware.
  • said template is separate from and detachably mounted on said support member in order that alternative templates may be selectively fitted corresponding to different pattern layouts and/or different articles of ware.
  • the surface of said support member on which said template is mounted is preferably perforated and adapted for communication with sources of vacuum and of air under pressure which act through the perforations on image-bearing transfer portions located in the apertures in said template.
  • the appartus includes means for presenting a series of printed transfer sheets to a zone adjacent to said support member and means for transferring image-bearing transfer portions from said support member and applying same to an article of ware.
  • the means for transferring the image-bearing portions preferably comprises a flexible pad movable between a pick-up position in contact with said support and a decorating position in contact with the surface of an article of ware to be decorated.
  • the pad preferably incorporates means for heating same in order to facilitate pick-up of image-bearing transfer portions from said support and application of same to the surface of an article to be decorated.
  • a transfer sheet 5 consisting of a backing or support sheet surmounted by a transparent film or films having image-bearing areas 6 printed thereon and arranged in close proximity to one another.
  • the image-bearing areas 6 are separated by lines of cut 7 extending through the transfer sheet or film and the backing sheet.
  • the lines of cut 7 are discontinuous but are sufficient to enable individual image-bearing areas 6 to be readily detached from the sheet as required.
  • Fig. 2 is a plan view of a support or platen 10 on which a template 11 is detachably mounted.
  • the template has areas removed to define apertures 12 corresponding in shape and size to the image-bearing portions 6 of the sheet 5 shown in Fig. 1, the apertures 12 being arranged in the template in positions corresponding to the layout of image-bearing portions 6 on the surface of an article of ware to be decorated.
  • four apertures 12 are provided in the template 11 and an operative can successively remove four image-bearing areas 6 from the transfer sheet 5 and place them in the apertures 12, therby automatically positioning the decorative images in the correct positions for application to the surface of a plate or the like.
  • the upper surface of the platen 10 is perforated and the platen is connectable to sources of vacuum and of air under pressure which act on the image-bearing areas 6 through the perforation at different times during the operating cycle as will be described hereafter.
  • a transfer member (not shown) is provided to pick up the image-bearing areas 6 from the template 11 and transfer them to an article of ware such as the plate 15 shown in Fig. 3.
  • the transfer member preferably comprises a flexible pad capable of conforming both to the surface of the support 10 to pick up image-bearing transfers 6 therefrom and to the surface of the plate 15 to apply the image-bearing transfers thereto and press them into intimate contact with the surface of the "4 plate.
  • the pad is provided with means to raise its temperature and the transfers are constructed from a layer or layers of material arranged such that on heating the transfer attaches more strongly to the pad than to the surface of the support 10, thereby enabling the image-bearing portions 6 to be picked up from the surface 10 and transferred to the plate 15.
  • the construction of the transfers is also such that when in contact with the surface of the plate 15 they have a greater degree of adherence thereto than to the pad of the transfer member and the latter may therefore be withdrawn from the plate leaving the image-bearing transfer portions 6 attached to the plate surface and firmly pressed into intimate contact therewith. Thereafter the plate may be glazed and fired in a conventional manner to produce the final decorated article.
  • sheets of transfers such as that indicated at 5 in Fig. 1 may be printed rapidly and accurately using known printing techniques to produce transfer sheets having a high ratio of image-bearing surface to waste material.
  • a cutting device which serves to cut around the image-bearing areas 6 but without completely isolating them so that the transfer sheet remains a unitary sheet but consists of a series of separately detachable image-bearing areas 6 in close proximity to one another.
  • the transfer sheets are then presented to an operator working adjacent to the support 10 and template 11 who removes image-bearing portions 6 from the transfer sheets as required and places them in the openings in the template where they are held by application of suction to the underside of the perforated upper face of the platen 10. Since the openings correspond in both shape and size to the image-bearing portions 6 the operator automatically places them in the correct positions and dispositions unless the portions are of uniform shape, in which event the operator requires merely to ensure that they are correctly orientated. Thereafter the transfer member separates the image-bearing sheets or films from the backing sheets of the portions 6 and transfers the image-bearing portions to the plate 15 where they are pressed into intimate contact with the surface due to the flexible nature of the transfer member. The latter is then withdrawn and the plate is ready for glazing, firing or other appropriate operations. Before the next operating cycle the platen 10 is disconnected from the vacuum and connected to a source of air under pressure to blow the backing sheets of the portions 6 clear of the template 11.
  • the transfer sheets employed are prevented from adhering to one another without the use of intervening separating sheets or interleaves. This may be effected by appropriate surface coating of the decorated sheet or by application of a coating to the underside of the support sheet.
  • the invention may be employed using transfer sheets having intermediate interleaves but savings can be effected in preliminary handling and cutting of the transfer sheets to separate the image-bearing areas if interleaving sheets are not employed.
  • the arrangement described produces substantial benefits compared with techniques hitherto available. It enables mechanical application of decals or transfers to the surface of articles in a precise manner thereby eliminating the time and care currently required by operators in positioning the transfers on the surfaces of the article and in rubbing them down. At the same time it is possible to print the decorated portions closely together on the surface of transfer sheets thereby maintaining wastage at a minimum.
  • the arrangement produces very substantial benefits in versatility of decoration. It is possible, for example, for an operative presented with a variety of sheets of different patterns to apply a different pattern to each successive one of a number of plates provided the arrangement of the patterned areas is the same. Similarly it is a simple matter to decorate successive batches of plates with different patterns by substituting one template for another as required. The same or different patterns may also be applied to other articles such as saucers, cups or the like by simply removing the template and replacing it by an alternative template having openings laid out to correspond to the desired manner of decoration of the different articles. It is therefore possible to decorate in a semi-automatic manner small batches of different articles with the same or different patterns, thereby greatly increasing versatility compared with fully automatic decorating processes hitherto proposed.
  • transfer sheet may be employed provided these can be mechanically transferred from the template support to articles of ware to be decorated and will release from the appropriate surfaces when required.
  • transfer sheets could be printed in a closely spaced manner as described and thereafter cut completely through to form individual sheets each having a backing and carrying a single decorative image, but it is preferred that the transfers are retained in sheet form by cutting around the image-bearing portions in a discontinuous manner as described. Alternatively the cutting may be confined to the transfer sheet or film only leaving the backing sheet intact.
  • the template may be made from various different materials and may be detachably mounted on its support in any suitable manner.
  • Suitable materials include heat-resistant adhesive-backed plastics or metal materials and plastics sheets treated to render them magnetic and hence self-attaching to the platen which will generally be of metal construction.
  • Various different mechanisms may also be employed for transferring the image-bearing portions from the template to the articles to be decorated.
  • the process may be rendered fully automatic by the provision of means operable to pick-up individual image-bearing portions from the transfer sheet and place them in the template.
  • the platen on which the template is supported may be arranged to index through angular movements corresponding to the spacing between adjacent patterned areas of the article to be decorated so that the successive transfers are placed in the same position, thereby simplifying the construction of the transfer placing mechanism.
  • the invention may be applied to articles made from other materials such as glass or metals.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Decoration By Transfer Pictures (AREA)
EP86300002A 1985-01-08 1986-01-02 Décoration d'articles au moyen de feuilles de transfert Withdrawn EP0200285A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB858500416A GB8500416D0 (en) 1985-01-08 1985-01-08 Decoration of articles
GB8500416 1985-01-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0200285A1 true EP0200285A1 (fr) 1986-11-05

Family

ID=10572542

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP86300002A Withdrawn EP0200285A1 (fr) 1985-01-08 1986-01-02 Décoration d'articles au moyen de feuilles de transfert

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0200285A1 (fr)
GB (2) GB8500416D0 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0251780A1 (fr) * 1986-07-02 1988-01-07 Service (Engineers) Limited Application d'images par transfert à chaud au moyen d'un tampon de transfert
DE19963359A1 (de) * 1999-12-27 2001-06-28 Ruediger Retzel Transfermalerei als Trockenfarbauftrag zur Raumgestaltung

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2139273A5 (fr) * 1971-04-30 1973-01-05 Pictorial Prod Inc
FR2143119A1 (fr) * 1971-06-21 1973-02-02 Den Berg En Slothoub Van
US3926710A (en) * 1972-10-16 1975-12-16 Commercial Decal Inc Apparatus for applying decalcomania
FR2332581A1 (fr) * 1975-11-19 1977-06-17 Kalbacher Bernard Procede de transfert de caracteres en film auto-adherent par vacuum ou electricite statique
EP0055395A1 (fr) * 1980-11-29 1982-07-07 Nissha Printing Co., Ltd. Matériau de transfert

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2005596B (en) * 1977-10-04 1982-03-03 Letraset International Ltd Manufacture of signs
NL7901511A (nl) * 1979-02-26 1980-08-28 Den Berg & Slothouber B V Van Werkwijze voor het op een ondergrond aanbrengen van zelfklevende symbolen, drager met symbolen en opplakvel ten gebruike bij het uitvoeren van de werkwijze.

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2139273A5 (fr) * 1971-04-30 1973-01-05 Pictorial Prod Inc
FR2143119A1 (fr) * 1971-06-21 1973-02-02 Den Berg En Slothoub Van
US3926710A (en) * 1972-10-16 1975-12-16 Commercial Decal Inc Apparatus for applying decalcomania
FR2332581A1 (fr) * 1975-11-19 1977-06-17 Kalbacher Bernard Procede de transfert de caracteres en film auto-adherent par vacuum ou electricite statique
EP0055395A1 (fr) * 1980-11-29 1982-07-07 Nissha Printing Co., Ltd. Matériau de transfert

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0251780A1 (fr) * 1986-07-02 1988-01-07 Service (Engineers) Limited Application d'images par transfert à chaud au moyen d'un tampon de transfert
DE19963359A1 (de) * 1999-12-27 2001-06-28 Ruediger Retzel Transfermalerei als Trockenfarbauftrag zur Raumgestaltung

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2169559A (en) 1986-07-16
GB8500416D0 (en) 1985-02-13
GB2169559B (en) 1989-06-14
GB8531937D0 (en) 1986-02-05

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Inventor name: NICHOLAS, JOHN ALISTERROYAL DOULTON (UK) LTD.

Inventor name: HOLBURN, GRAHAM WILLIAMROYAL DOULTON (UK) LTD.