GB2575012A

GB2575012A - Stamping device having transparent support sheet integrating transparent imprinting elements

Info

Publication number: GB2575012A
Application number: GB201808038A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Pendle Terence
Original assignee: TERENCE JOHN PENDLE
Current assignee: TERENCE JOHN PENDLE
Priority date: 2018-05-17
Filing date: 2018-05-17
Publication date: 2020-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-17
Also published as: GB201808038D0; GB2575012B

Abstract

A hand-held stamping device comprises a transparent support sheet 1 (which may be rigid or semi-rigid), displaying printable images or indicia 2 on the top surface, with one or more imprinting elements 3 (i.e. ridges) on the bottom surface. The device is pressed down onto white card 5, to leave a printed image 7. The imprinting elements have upstanding ink receiving portions on the lower surface (ink may be applied to these using a brush or felt-tip) and match the images 2 on the upper surface. A stamp inking pen (Fig. 35) comprising a barrel filled with a suitable ink absorbing material in turn filled with a suitable printing ink and a flat felt tip. Two such transparent support sheets may be hinged together (Fig. 32) and paper or card 29 being placed between them in order to emboss the images 2 onto said paper. The support sheet and imprinting elements may be formed from thermosetting plastics.

Description

Stamping Device having Transparent Support Sheet Integrating Transparent Imprinting Elements.

Hollow relief - The opposite of relief. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica hollow relief signifies : “ the opposite of relief sculpture where the main outlines of a design are sunk below the surface.”.

Cloisonne - Adjective describing a design having raised outlines that define discrete areas of the design.

Stamp and printing stamp - imprinting element with a lower surface having upstanding ink receiving portions.

Rubber - Synthetically made rubber.

The shading shown on certain figures representing plan views of sheets of transparent printing stamps indicates that the said sheets of stamps are facing down, the printing elements carrying the indicia being underneath.

According to the context plural may sometimes be read as meaning or including singular and vice versa.

The drawings are not to scale and represent a diagrammatic representation of different aspects of the invention by way of example only.

The ink receiving portions of the different imprinting elements are according to the present invention either transparent or of any colour including black and white. In the drawings accompanying the specification they are neccessarily shown in black.

Background of the invention

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to hand-held stamping devices. In particular, the present invention concerns a novel hand-held stamping device comprising a substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet permanently incorporating or to which are permanently affixed one or more substantially transparent integrally formed imprinting elements, said imprinting elements having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface having upstanding ink receiving portions which are visible through said support sheet,said device allowing the user to use said imprinting elements without having to remove them from said support sheet and without having to removably affix them to an accessory support block or handle. When the device of the invention is used, both the indicia formed on the imprinting element and the target printing surface can be clearly viewed through said support sheet, This enables accurate positioning of the indicia on the surface to be printed.

A preferred embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the invention proposes a novel hand-held stamping device as described above but where said support sheet is made of a substantially transparent thermoformable hard plastic, said support sheet incorporating one or more substantially transparent vacuum formed multifunctional imprinting elements, each imprinting element featuring a lower and an upper surface, said lower surface having raised ink receiving portions the function of which is to mark a printing target and said upper surface being in hollow relief form, the function of which is to serve as a mould for casting a cloisonne type mirror image replica of the image printed with the same said imprinting element.

2. Discussion of the invention

Several different types of transparent viscoelastic rubber printing stamps exist on the market today one of the most widely used being transparent viscoelastic photopolymer rubber stamps. They have the advantage over opaque rubber printing stamps in that they are easy to position acurately. However, on account of their thin, fragile, rubbery nature, in order to be used, they have the disadvantage of needing to be removably affixed to a smooth transparent plastic support block, the viscoelastic nature of said stamps enabling them to removably self adhere to said support block. Said viscoelastic rubber stamps are hereafter referred to as transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps, They are inked by being pressed onto an ink pad. During the development of the present invention this method of inking stamps was found do be impracticable which led to the development of a novel stamp inking pen.

At this point in the discussion it may be interesting to refer to the prior art ink stamp device disclosed in U.S.Pat. N°. 6095046A issued to Glendale Rubber Stamp and Printing Co in which the abstract and the preferred drawing clearly explain the mechanism of executing printing operations with transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps removably affixed to transparent support blocks.

Another disadvantage of the said transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps is that after they have repeatedly been affixed to and removed from a support block they have a tendency to lose their viscoelastic self adhering qualities .

Another disdvantage of the said transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps is that in order to clean them it is neccessary to use a cloth or a sponge imbibed with water or a cleaning fluid such as Stazon Stamp Cleaner (TM).

A further disadvantage concerning said transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps is that if they are not correctly stored they tend to stick to the box or the packet in which they are stored which results in damage when they are removed for use. It is for this reason that special storage boxes exist on the market such as Santoro Goijuss Die and Stamp Storage Case (TM) sold by www.hobbycraft.co.uk

The prior art device relating to Improvements in or relating to decorative panels Application GB1098481A issued to Terence John Joseph Pendle (priority date 28 01 1964) discloses that grooves may be formed in the sheet blank to divide it into a number of discrete regions so that the resultant cast sheet of synthetic resin will show corresponding discrete regions bounded by ridges corresponding to the grooves in the mould, and at least some of the discrete regions may be coloured by applying colouring material. This prior art proposes a system for creating cloisonne type designs by engraving a plastic sheet which is then used as a mould whereas according to one embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the present invention cloisonne designs are created by using as a mould the hollow relief surface of a multifunctional transparent plastic printing stamp. It may be added that different techniques have existed for centuries for creating cloisonne designs.

The prior art ink stamp device disclosed in US6095046A issued to Glendale Rubber Stamp and Printing Co. discloses that the printing stamps described in his specification are removably adhered to a clear acrylic support block. Quotation from Glendale abstract: A hand-held stamping device that includes a substantially transparent acrylic mounting block to which a substantially transparent printing element is removably affixed. He mentions a glue that can be used to attach the said substantially transparent printing element to the mounting block : Additionally, a suitable adhesive A (FIG. l)can be applied to surface 20a in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. Here he is clearly referring to transparent repositionable glues such as Scotch Restickable Glue Sticks (TM) used by stampers to removably affix transparent rubber stamps that have lost their viscoelastic properties, to a transparent plastic support block, and this in view of the fact that throughout Glendale's specification and claims he uses the term removably and never permanently to describe the way in which his stamps are affixed to a transparent support block. The printing stamps of the hand-held stamping device of the present invention are permanently attached to or permanently incorporated into the said device and do not need to be affixed to an accessory support in order to be used.

Concerning other prior art, the following quotation from Glendale's patent specification prior art is eloquent: The prior art ink stamp device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,667 issued to Sastre partially solves the stamp positioning problem discussed in the preceding paragraphs by providing a translucent handle and base through which the imprinting element is visible. However, because the imprinting element itself is not transparent, precise positioning of the indicia on the imprinting element remains difficult. The hand-held stamping device of the present invention is substantially transparent allowing the user to clearly see through it both the printing indicia of the imprinting element as well as the printing target at the same time.

Another quotation from Glendale's patent specification prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,495 issued to Rowe also discloses a hand stamp comprising a transparent base through which a proof of the impression is visible to the user. However, like the Sastre device, the printing element itself is not transparent.

The prior art US3212913A ( Letraset patent- grant 1965-10-19) discloses “ This invention relates to adhesive transfers (decalcomanias) and more particularly to a form of transfer material in which an image, design or printed matter (hereinafter generally referred to as indicia) may be transferred from a carrier sheet to a further support.” There is a similarity between the Letraset invention and the present invention in that in both cases “indicia” are “transferred from a carrier sheet to a further support ” with the difference that in the case of Letraset the indicia on the carrier sheet (the term used in the description of the present invention is “support sheet ” ) can only be printed once whereas in the case of the present invention the indicia can be repeatedly inked and printed any number of times.

3. Summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hand-held stamping device in the form of a substantially transparent sheet of substantially transparent printing stamps wherein one or more substantially transparent printing stamps are permanently incorporated into or permanently attached to a substantially transparent plastic support sheet so that the said stamps can be used without their needing to be be removed from the said support sheet and without their needing to be affixed to a separate accessory support block or handle. When the device is used the printing indicia as well as the printing target can clearly be seen through the said device allowing the user to accurately position the said printing stamps before printing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand-held stamping device of the aforementioned character comprising a substantially transparent thermoformable plastic support sheet containing one or more vacuum formed substantially transparent printing stamps featuring multiple functions including but not limited to printing, moulding and embossing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand-held stamping device of the aforementioned character but where said substantially transparent plastic support sheet is injection moulded said support sheet containing one or more injection moulded substantially transparent printing stamps featuring multiple functions including but not limited to printing, moulding and embossing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand-held stamping device of the character described in the first paragraph of this summary in which said device is injection moulded and in which the said substantially transparent printing stamps and the substantially transparent plastic support sheet into which said stamps are permanently incorporated are both made of the same hard transparent plastic.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand-held stamping device of the character described in the first paragraph of this summary in which the said substantially transparent printing stamps are made of a transparent thermoplastic elastomer and which are permanently attached to a substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand-held stamping device of the character described in the first paragraph of this summary in which the said substantially transparent printing stamps are made of a transparent viscoelastic photopolymer and which are permanently attached to a substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an injection moulded version of the hand-held stamping device of the character described in the first paragraph of this summary in which the said substantially transparent printing stamps are made of a transparent thermoplastic elastomer and are permanently incorporated into a substantially transparent support sheet made of the same said thermoplastic elastomer.

In order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages connected with said transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps the present invention proposes several versions of an improved hand-held stamping device featuring the following advantages.

The principal advantage of the hand-held stamping device of the present invention is that the substantially transparent stamps can be used without their needing to be removed from their transparent support sheet and without their needing to be removably affixed to a transparent accessory support block.

Another advantage is that the said stamps of the present invention do not need to be cleaned with a cloth imbibed with water or a cleaning fluid as is the case for transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps, but may be cleaned easily with a dry cloth or a tissu paper.

Another advantage is that the said stamps of the present invention do not present any appreciable risk of damage during storage.

Moreover, there are additional advantages concerning a preferred embodiment of the present invention (comprising sheets of vacuum formed multifunctional stamps) in that they are light in weight and also that identical sheets of said multifunctional stamps interlock with one another, consequently taking up less space resulting in cheaper post and packaging costs. By way of example a pile of 100 identical sheets of said multifunctional stamps of dimensions 7 inches by 5 inches when interlocked, and tightly taped together ready to be posted measures 7 by 5 by 1.5 inches and weighs about 1 kilogram.

Another advantage of the device of the present invention is the low cost of production by various mass production methods including but not limited to vacuum forming and injection moulding. For example, transparent unsupported photopolymer viscoelastic rubber stamps are made using a relatively slow method of production involving exposure through a negative to ultraviolet light, curing and washing.

Transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps have existed for a number of years. They are usually described by the term « » clear stamps ». A search on the web using the term « clear stamps » provides a huge source of information together with demonstrations on YouTube of how to use such stamps, always in conjunction with transparent support blocks to which they are removably (temporarily) attached. Stamps that form an integral permanent part of a transparent sheet of printing stamps that can be used without needing to be temporarily attached to a support block accessory never appear in such a search. It would seem indeed that the only other example of transparent sheets of printable indicia, apart from the present invention, is that of « Letraset TM ».

4. Brief description of the drawings

Preferred forms of this invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which :

Figure 1 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the invention in the form of a substantially transparent sheet of plastic incorporating a plurality of substantially transparent multifunctional printing stamps,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a generally perspective, exploded plan view of the device shown in figure 1 equipped with spacers.

Figure 4 shows a picture printed onto a sheet of white card with the multifunctional stamps shown in figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a part of figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan perspective view representing a part of a multifunctional stamp as shown in figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cross -sectional view of a multifunctional stamp, that has been cut out from a sheet of multifunctional stamps, with plasticine pressed into the hollow relief side to serve as a handle.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a mirror image replica of the device of the invention shown in figure 1.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan perspective view representing a part of a multifunctional stamp as shown in figure 8.

Figure 11 is a plan perspective view representing a part of a multifunctional stamp as shown in figure 12.

Figure 12 shows multifunctional stamps shown in figure 8 that have been cut out and removably affixed, relief side facing upwards,to the picture printed on the white card shown in figure 4, with the aid of a transparent repositionable glue, each cut out stamp being placed precisely so as to coincide exactly with its printed counterpart.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the stamps removably affixed to the printed card as shown in figure 12.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the cut out stamps shown in figure 12 which are removably glued to the picture printed on the white card shown in figure 4 surrounded by a retaining wall to form a mould.

Figure 15 shows the same set up as shown in figure 14 but where the mould is filled with casting plaster.

Figure 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the plaster casting made from the set up shown in figure 15 where the multifunctional stamps have been removed from the printed white card to form an integral part of the said casting .

Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the plaster casting with integrated stamps shown in figure 16 covered with a release agent and placed in a mould which is filled with casting plaster.

Figure 18 shows a cross-sectional view of the plaster casting made from the set up shown in figure 17 .

Figure 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the plaster casting made from the set up shown in figure 17 with the outlines of the cast images in relief facing upwards as for a cloisonne picture ready to colour.

Figure 20 shows a sheet of flat plasticine on which has been printed the picture shown in figure 4 and into the surface of which have been pressed the cut out stamps shown in figure 12, with the surface in relief of said stamps facing down.

Figure 21 shows the set up shown in figure 20 placed in a mould which is filled with casting plaster.

Figure 22 is a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the invention comprising a plurality of substantially transparent printing stamps that are made of a thermoplastic elastomer and which are affixed permanently to a substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet, said device being equipped with spacers the function of which is to prevent smudging of the target surface by inked stamps when they are positioned before printing.

Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of the hand-held stamping device shown in figure 22 wherein the said thermoplastic elastomeric stamps form an integral part of a sheet of substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomeric material, the said sheet of transparent thermoplastic elastomeric material together with integrated transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps being attached permanently to said rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet.

Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in figure 22 wherein the said transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps are permanently attached separately to said transparent support sheet.

Figure 24a shows a cross section of the sheet of stamps shown in figure 22 where the stamps are made of a transparent viscoelastic photopolymer and are affixed separately to said support sheet 22.

Figure 24b shows said viscoelastic photopolymer stamps incorporated into a transparent viscoelastic photopolymer sheet that is affixed together with incorporated stamps to said support sheet 22.

Figure 25 is a representative plan perspective view of the device shown in figures 22 and 23.

Figure 26 shows an encircled enlarged view of a part of figure 25.

Figure 27 is a plan perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the invention comprising a substantially transparent sheet of rigid or semi-rigid plastic into which are permanently incorporated a plurality of substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid printing stamps, upper surface of said device being smooth and lower surface containing said printing stamps.

Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of the printing device shown in figure 27.

Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of the printing device shown in figure 27 wherein the material used for its total fabrication is a transparent injection mouldable elastomer and wherein spacers equip not only the four comers of the said device but in addition are placed at strategic points between the stamps in order to prevent inked stamps from smudging the target surface when positioned before printing.

Figure 30 shows, according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view of multifunctional stamps that have been cut out from a sheet of multifunctional stamps and glued with a transparent glue, with the surface of the stamps in relief facing upwards, to a sheet of clear glass or clear plastic.

Figure 31 shows, according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view of a sheet of stamps wherein the ink receiving portion of the stamps are permanently marked with any colour including black and white.

Figure 32 shows, according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view of two identical sheets of multifunctional stamps hinged together for embossing a card or other embossable material, placed between them.

Figure 33 shows, according to the present invention, a plan perspective view showing the basic structure of a said multifunctional stamp.

Figure 34 is, according to the present invention, a plan perspective view of a flexible casting being peeled away from a said multifunctional stamp

Figure 35 is, according to the present invention, a diagramatic representation of a novel stamp inking pen .

Figure 36 is, according to the present invention,a diagramatic representation of another version of said novel stamp inking pen shown in figure 35.

Figure 37 shows an example of the device of the present invention wherein the ink receiving portions of the device are in the form of a complete picture.

Figure 39 represents a plan view of an example of a sheet of stamps suitable for use in an educational environement.

Figure 40 shows a printed composition that has been composed and printed with the sheet of stamps shown in figure 39.

Figure 41 shows according to the present invention a sheet of multifunctional printing stamps wherein a stamp of which the ink receiving surface is designed as an elephant is in the process of being inked with the said stamp inking pen.

Figure 42 shows the sheet of stamps shown in figure 41 in the process of being lifted up after the elephant design has been printed .

Figure 43 shows the sheet of stamps shown in figure 41 where a printing stamp of which the ink receiving surface is designed as a palm tree is being positioned over the printed design of the elephant in order to accurately mark the back of said palm tree stamp to show which part of the palm tree stamp is to be inked and which part is not to be inked in order to superpose the two images creating the illusion that the elephant is standing in front of the palm tree.

Figure 44 shows the part of the palm tree stamp above the mark made in figure 43 in the process of being inked.

Figure 45 shows the partly inked palm tree stamp in the process of being printed.

Figure 46 shows the parrot stamp being positioned ready to be marked so as to indicate which part is to be inked and which part is not to be inked.

Figure 47 shows an exposed, cured and washed steel backed hard photopolymer plate for use as a mould.

Figure 48 shows a cross sectional view of the mould shown in figure 47.

Figure 49 shows the mould shown in figure 47 placed in a vacuum forming machine together with a sheet of transparent vacuum formable plastic film.

Figure 50 shows the same setup as in figure 49 but where the plastic film has been heated and vacuum formed to take the shape of the said mould.

Figure 51 shows the vacuum formed sheet of multifunctional stamps after having been removed from said vacuum forming machine.

Figure 52 shows a plan view of a transparent, perforated, rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet.

Figure 53 shows a plan view of a bottom part of a mould.

Figure 54 shows a cross-sectional diagram of the mould shown in figure 53 comprising a bottom part and a top closing part, said perforated support sheet being inserted inside said mould.

Figure 55 shows a moulding in the form of a said sheet of transparent thermoplastic elastomeric printing stamps encapsulating a said perforated transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet.

Figure 56 shows an encircled enlarged diagram of a perforation made in said plastic support sheet.

Figure 57 shows a sheet of transparent printing stamps as shown in figure 55 with the difference that the upper surface of the perforated support sheet is not covered with a transparent thermoplastic elastomer.

5. Description of the invention

A first embodiment of the present invention proposes a hand-held stamping device of the invention comprising a sheet 1, figure 1, of transparent thermoformable plastic containing a plurality of vacuum formed multifunctional stamps 2, each stamp having a lower and an upper surface, said lower surface being in relief and featuring ink receiving extremities 3, as shown in the crosssectional (at 6) drawing in figures 2 and 5, the function of which is to mark a printing target with an indicia, and which are directly supported by a portion of the stamp 3a that is in relief, said upper surface being in hollow relief 4, figures 2, 5 and 6, and destined to be used as a mould for casting a cloisonne type mirror image replica of the image printed with the same said printing stamp. It is to be noted that while the said sheet of multifunctional stamps described are vacuum formed in a thermoformable sheet of plastic, according to the present invention it is also possible to make an identical version of said device featuring a sheet of multifunctional stamps using alternative manufacturing techniques such as but not limited to injection moulding.

Figure 3 represents according to a first embodiment of the present invention a plan perspective exploded view of a representative example of a sheet 1 of vacuum formed multifunctional stamps 2 equipped with spacers 8 the function of which is to raise the stamps just above the surface of the printing target in order to prevent smudging of the target surface from an inked stamp during final positioning before printing.

The picture 7 printed with stamps 2 on the white card 5, shown in figure 4, is an example of the superposing of images where the elephant stamp has been completely inked and printed and the palm tree stamp has only been partly inked and printed. It is difficult to only partly ink a stamp with a stamp pad, hence the reason for developing a novel stamp inking pen, figures 35 and 36, where printing ink flows to the wide flat felt tip 32 of the said stamp inking pen, said stamp inking pen being considered as a useful integral part of the present invention. It may be noted that although hard plastic stamps, such as the said multifunctional stamps, do not ink and print as well as unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps, the quality of printing is quite satisfactory.

According to the present invention, in order to superpose one image on another as illustrated in figure 4 where the elephant image is superposed on the palm tree image, after having printed in this case the elephant image, the elephant stamp is cleaned and the sheet of transparent stamps is then repositioned, relief side facing down, over the elephant image already printed and by virtue of the fact that the said stamping device is transparent it is easy to mark the back of the palm tree stamp to indicate precisely the part of the stamp to be inked and printed and the part not to be inked and printed. The user then inks only that part of the palm tree stamp to be printed by referring to the said mark that can be clearly seen through the transparent support sheet, then turns the sheet of stamps over to position it accurately by looking through the back of said transparent sheet of stamps. The user then presses the palm tree stamp to print it in exactly the correct place so providing the illusion that the elephant is in front of the palm tree. This process is further illustrated in figures 41,42, 43, 44,45 and 46.

The creation of a picture using the technique of superposing as just described can also be carried out using transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps where however the user is obliged to first select a stamp from its storage container, removably adhere it to a transparent mounting block, position it, mark the back of the support block, ink it and print it before peeling it off from its mounting block and cleaning it with a cloth imbibed with water or a cleaning fluid before returning it to its storage container before selecting another stamp and repeating the same series of actions. The present invention on the other hand allows the composition and printing of pictures to be carried out easily and quickly in view of the fact that it is not neccessary to removably adhere and to remove stamps to and from a mounting block every time a different stamp is used, the inked and printed stamps being easily and quickly cleaned with a dry cloth or tissu paper. The use of the novel stamp inking pen, developed for use with the present invention,shown in figures 35 and 36 for inking and partly inking stamps also adds significantly to the overall efficiency of the above described method concerning the use of the present invention.

The said multifunctional stamps, being made from a thin thermoformable plastic sheet, can easily be cut out from said sheet with scissors and used if desired as separate stamps as in the case of, for example, stamps used for printing temporary tatoos on the skin. In this case as is indicated in figure 7 it is useful to place a piece of plasticine 9 at the back of the stamp 2 to provide a support for easy handling. Individual stamps can also be moulded by filling the hollow relief surface of a multifunctional stamp with materials including but not limited to plasticine, Fimo TM polymerclay, Giotto Plastiroc TM or a cold setting silicone rubber. Such individual stamps can evidently be inked using a standard ink pad. The advantage of moulding individual stamps is that in schools the children can make their own individual stamps from a limited number of multifunctional stamp sheets. With only 10 sheets containing on average 10 designs per sheet it is possible to make about 100 different stamps and still leave the sheets of stamps free for other children to use.

In order to produce a correct moulded cloisonne type replica (as opposed to a mirror image cloisonne type replica) of the printed picture 7 shown in figure 4 a mould is created by cutting out multifunctional stamps 10 from the sheet 11 shown in figure 8, that is a mirror image replica of the sheet 1 of multifunctional stamps 2 shown in figure 1, and to removably glue said cut out stamps 10, with the face in relief facing upwards, to the picture 7 on the printed card 5 with a transparent repositionable glue as shown in figure 12 using the printed picture 7 as a guide. The cut out stamp 10 in the image of a parrot is shown in figure 12 in the process of being positioned and removably glued to the printed image 7 of the parrot. It will be evident that some of the different cut out stamps will need to be partially cut away where neccessary in order to fit the printed picture and that the join between the different stamps will not always be perfect. When this is the case the join may be perfected using plasticine or any other suitable material including but not limited to Fimo (TM) Air-Dry Clay.

The printed card 5 with the multifunctional stamps 10 glued to it is then surrounded with a retaining wall 15 as shown in figure 14 and then covered with casting plaster 16 as shown in figure 15. Once the plaster 16 has set hard the casting 17 in figure 16 is removed taking care to unstick the stamps 10 from the card 5 at the same time in such a way that they are incorporated into the casting 17. The fact that the stamps are adhered to the card with repositionable glue makes it possible to easily remove them from the card with the casting. It is important to use repositionable glues that are permanently repositionable such as Scotch Restickable Glue Sticks (TM) or any other suitable permanently repositionable glues on the market.

Figure 17 shows the casting 17 together with the incorporated stamps 10, after being coated with a release agent and surrounded with a retaining wall 15, covered with casting plaster 16.

Figure 18 shows a cross section of the hardened casting 18 made from the set up shown in figure 17.

Figure 19 shows a cross section of the casting 18 which is a plaster cloisonne true replica (as opposed to a mirror image replica), of the printed picture shown in figure 4, with the raised outlines 19 of the picture facing upwards, ready to receive liquid colouring materials such as coloured varnishes. The materials used for the final casting may include but are not limited to cement, potters clay or transparent synthetic resin, said resin casting can then be coloured with coloured translucent resins or varnishes to produce a stained glass effect. Castings can also be metalised to obtain special decorative effects using for example gold leaf and aluminium foil.

Figure 20 illustrates an alternative method for producing a plaster cloisonne true replica casting of the printed picture 7 which avoids the use of repositionable glues, which are often in spray form and which can present a certain danger to children, wherein the cut out multifunctional stamps 10 are pressed into a flat sheet of white plasticine 20 on which said picture 7 has been printed with the stamps 2, with the surface in relief facing down, in such a way that the back of the stamps are flush with the surface of the plasticine, the whole being surrounded with a retaining wall 15 and filled with casting plaster 16 as shown in figure 21 to produce a cloisonne picture casting ready to colour. This method is relatively successful but it is difficult to achieve a result that is as perfect as the aforementioned technique using repositionable glue. On the other hand this method involves fewer operations and in view of the fact that plasticine is safe and can be re-used indefinitely after washing off the printed picture with soap and warm water this technique may be considered of interest for schools.

It may be useful to note that in the case of the superposing of the same image in a printed picture, for example one elephant standing in front of another, only one multifunctional stamp is necessary, whereas two elephant mirror image replica stamps would be necessary to create a mould for casting a cloisonne version of said two elephants standing in front of one another, which means that in order to practice the making of cloisonne pictures involving the superposing of images using said multifunctional stamps, it would be necessary to supply at least twice the amount of mirror image replica stamp sheets than those used for printing. This needs to be taken into account when producing said multifunctional stamps for the educational or arts and crafts market. According to the present invention, said multifunctional stamps destined to be used as moulds can be supplied separately in packets or in pop out form where the user just presses the stamp to pop it out from its sheet. It is evident that all multifunctional stamps can be used both for printing and for moulding.

Another embodiment of the hand-held stamping device of the invention shown in figure 22 comprises a plurality of substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps 21 which are attached permanently to a substantially transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet 22. Suitable manufacturing methods for moulding compound products using two different plastics include but are not limited to overmoulding injection moulding and insert injection moulding.

Figure 23 shows a cross-sectional view at 24 of the stamping device shown in figure 22 wherein substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps 21 form an integral part of a substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomeric sheet 23, said sheet together with said stamps being permanently affixed to said transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet 22.

Figure 24 shows a cross-sectional view at 24 of the stamping device shown in figure 22 wherein the said transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps 21 are permanently attached separately to the support sheet 22.

Figure 24a shows a cross section of the sheet of stamps shown in figure 22 where the stamps 59 are made of a transparent photopolymer and are affixed separately to said support sheet 22. Alternatively said photopolymer stamps 59 can be incorporated into a transparent photopolymer sheet 60 that is affixed to said support sheet 22 as shown in figure 24b. It may be remarked that the manufacturing process used for the fabrication of photopolymer stamps is slow compared to mass production processes such as injection and vacuum moulding, However, the excellent quality of printing obtained with photopolymer stamps may sometimes outweigh this disadvantage when looking at certain markets such as the art and craft market.

Figure 25 is a plan perspective view of a representative example of the printing device illustrated in figures 22 and 23 eqipped with spacers 8.

Figure 26 is an enlarged view of a a comer of the device shown in figure 25 where the the transparent thermoplastic elastomeric plastic sheet 23 incorporating the transparent thermoplastic elastomeric stamps 21 is permanently affixed to the transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet 22.

Figure 27 is a plan perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the stamping device of the invention comprising a substantially transparent plastic support sheet 26 that incorporates a plurality of substantially transparent printing stamps 25 wherein the said plastic support sheet and the said incorporated stamps are made of the same transparent plastic. Suitable methods of production include, but are not limited to, injection moulding and suitable plastics include but are not limited to transparent rigid or semi-rigid plastics.

Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of the stamping device shown in figure 27 wherein the printing stamps 25 form a permanent integral part of the said plastic support sheet 26 .

Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of the stamping device shown in figure 27 wherein the said device is made entirely of a tranparent thermoplastic elastomer and where spacers 8 equip not only the four comers of the said device but in addition are placed at strategic points between the stamps 25 in order to prevent inked stamps from smudging the target surface when positioned before printing. Suitable mass production methods include but are not limited to injection moulding

According to the present invention the dimensions of the spacers optionally used to equip any of the different versions of the present invention are such that when the device of the invention is placed upon a level printing target the indicia of the printing stamps are at a distance from said printing target just sufficient to prevent smudging of the target surface by inked stamps but not far enough away from said printing target to hinder correct printing of said stamps. When using different embodiments of the present invention it is recommended to place the target surface to be printed on a flexible mat such as the back of a foam rubber mouse pad thus favouring a more satisfactory contact between the ink receiving printing surface of the stamp bearing the indicia and the target surface to be printed.

Figure 30 shows transparent multifunctional stamps 10, with their face in relief facing upwards, that have been cut out with scissors from a sheet of said multifunctional stamps and glued to a sheet of clear glass or clear plastic 27 with transparent glue to be used as an imitation stained glass cloisonne type design or picture ready for colouring.

Figure 31 represents, according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view of a sheet of multifunctional stamps wherein the ink receiving portion 3 of said stamps is indelibly coloured with a marking dye of any colour including black and white to give more visibility to the design of said stamp indicia so allowing easier positioning of indicia by the user. hi view of the fact that outlines of designs when creating pictures tend to be printed in black, an example of a suitable colour for indelibly colouring the ink receiving portions of said stamps includes but is not limited to light green, such colour allowing the user to more easily see the design of the stamps when positioning said stamps and at the same time allowing the user to clearly see which part of the stamp that has already been inked. A practical method for indelibly marking said ink receiving portions of stamps is to simply wipe a stamp pad impregnated with a suitable dye across the said ink receivng portions of the said sheet of stamps. Optionally, ink receiving portions of all transparent printing stamps described in accordance with the present invention may be indelibly marked with a coloured dye, and this by using any known method.

Figure 32 shows, according to the present invention, a cross-sectional view of two identical sheets of multifunctional stamps hinged together and positioned to emboss, by means of a press, a sheet of paper or other embossable material 29 placed between them. One way of hinging them together is simply by means of a simple desk top paper stapling machine. Embossing is a technique popular with stampers and scrapbookers to decorate birthday cards and the like. The fact that the height of the ridges forming the images of the multifunctional stamps is only 0.95 mm. means that the low profile gives the ink receiving ridges of the stamps, which are made of a hard plastic, sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the pressure of an embossing press. The ridge height given of 0.96 mm applies to the multifunctional sheet of stamps made during the development of the present invention. It is evident that said ridge height may vary.

Figure 33 shows a plan perspective view of the basic structure of a said vacuum formed multifunctional stamp where 3 represents the ink receiving relief portion and 4 the hollow relief mould portion of the stamp and where 1 is the transparent thermoformable plastic support sheet.

Figure 34 diagrammatically illustrates according to the present invention a flexible resin casting 30 with raised lines 19 being removed from a said multifunctional stamp.

Figures 35 and 36 show two different versions of a novel stamp inking pen, developed for use with the device of the present invention, comprising a barrel 31 that is filled with a suitable ink absorbing material which is in turn filled with a suitable printing ink, said barrel being equipped with a cap 61 that is removed when refilling with printing ink, and a large, flat felt tip 32 the function of which is to depose printing ink on the ink receiving portion of a printing stamp. According to the present invention the said stamp inking pen may take different forms and sizes, as indicated in figures 35 and 36, in fimction of the dimensions of the stamps to be inked. The felt of the pen tip may be replaced by any other known suitable absorbent material. According to the present invention the pen barrel may be filled with printing ink of any type or of any colour.

Figure 37 shows an example of the device of the present invention wherein the ink receiving portions of the device are in the form of a complete picture and can be said to be contiguous. The user has the possibility of inking and printing only details of the picture such as trunks of trees, branches and leaves to create a different picture or the user can use the aforementioned superposing technique in order to integrate images such as animals and birds into the existing picture using other stamp images. In view of the fact that the ink receiving portions of the stamp are contiguous the said support sheet can therefore be considered to support one imprinting element only.

Figures 39 illustrates by way of example only and according to the present invention a plan a view of a transparent sheet of stamps suitable for use in primary schools. Figure 40 illustrates a printed composition that has been composed and printed using the sheet of stamps shown in figure 39. To compose and print the same picture using transparent unsupported viscoelastic rubber stamps and support blocks would be laborious and time consuming compared to composing and printing the same picture using the hand-stamping device of the present invention.

The sequence of drawings shown in figures 41 through to 46 further demonstrate the manner in which according to the present invention sheets of printing stamps are used to create a complex picture where some images are superposed upon others. In figure 41 the elephant stamp is being inked with the novel stamp inking pen 31. Figure 42 shows the sheet of stamps being lifted up after the elephant has been printed. Figure 43 shows the palm tree stamp being positioned over the printed image of the elephant in order to place a mark 37 on the back of the palm tree stamp to indicate which part is to be inked and which part is not to be inked so that, when the palm tree stamp is printed, an illusion that the elephant is standing in front of file palm tree is created. Figure 44 shows the part of the palm tree stamp above the mark 37 in the process of being inked. Figure 45 shows the partly inked palm tree stamp being positioned for printing in such a manner that the mark 37 on the back of the palm tree stamp, and therefore the limit of the inked part, coincides exactly with the outline of the printed image of the elephant. Figure 46 shows the parrot stamp being positioned over the printed image of the palm tree in order to mark the back of said parrot stamp, the whole process being repeated until the picture is completely composed and printed. Between each change of stamps the last stamp used is simply cleaned with a dry cloth or tissu paper. The cross sectional diagrams at 35 indicate that in figures 41 and 44 the ink receiving portions of the stamps are facing upwards and that in figures 42,43,45 and 46 the cross sectional diagrams at 36 indicate that the ink receiving portions of the stamps are facing downwards.

Figure 47 shows an exposed, cured and washed hard steel backed photopolymer plate mould 39 which is perforated with a multitude of small holes 40 of about 1 mm diameter situated at strategic points as close as possible to the ridges 41 forming the images 42. The holes are small enough not to cause marks that unacceptably detract aesthetically from the appearance of the moulding but are large enough to efficiently evacuate the air trapped between the plastic film 52 and the mould 39 during the vacuum forming process. Those normally skilled in the art will easily understand and perform the neccessary operations. When the photopolymer plates have been exposed to ultraviolet light through a negative and cured they are then scrub washed to remove all the soft unexposed parts of the plate, the remaining, resistant, hard, exposed, cured parts forming the mould. Figure 48 shows a cross sectional view of the photopolymer plate shown in figure 47.

In figure 49 said mould 39 is placed in a vacuum forming machine 44 and a sheet of transparent thermoformable hard plastic film 47 is fixed in place with clamps 43 and an air tight top incorporating a range of heating elements 46 is moved into place above said plastic film 47. In figure 50 the plastic film 47 is heated and a vacuum applied by means of vacuum pump 45, air being sucked out from between the said plastic film 47 and the mould 39 through the holes 40. After cooling the formed sheet of said transparent multifunctional plastic printing stamps is removed as shown in figure 51.

Figure 52 shows a plan view of a perforated, transparent, rigid or semi-rigid plastic support sheet 48 wherein the walls of the holes 54 are slightly tapered in order to provide a mechanical lock between the said support sheet and the injected thermoplastic elastomer 49 figure 55. See enlarged view of said tapered hole in figure 56.

Figure 53 shows a plan view of a bottom part of a mould 55.

Figure 54 shows a cross-sectional view of said mould which is closed with a corresponding top part 52, said perforated support sheet 48 being placed inside said closed mould, a thermoplastic elastomer 49 being injected into said closed mould via injection nozzle 51 thus encapsulating said support sheet 48 to form, according to the present invention, a sheet of thermoplastic elastomeric printing stamps, as shown in figure 55, supported from the interior by an encapsulated rigid or semi-rigid perforated transparent support sheet 48.

Figure 57 shows a cross sectional diagram of a sheet of transparent printing stamps as shown in figure 55 with the difference that the upper surface of said support sheet 48 is not covered with transparent thermoplastic elastomer 49, the elastomer locked into the tapered holes 54 providing an attaching force. It is also possible to attach the elastomer to the support sheet by carefully selecting the plastics used in order to create a chemical bond between them. The best solution is to create both a mechanical and a chemical bond. The final decision concerning materials and design will evidently depend on a collaboration between the project designer and those skilled in die art of mould making and injection moulding of plastics including insert injection moulding and overmoulding injection moulding.

Overmoulding is an injection moulding process where one material (usually a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)) is moulded onto a second material (typically a rigid plastic). If properly selected, the overmoulded TPE will form a strong bond with the substrate, that is to say, in the case of the present invention, the said support sheet. The most widely used process is insert molding, where a premolded insert (said support sheet for example) is placed into a mould and the TPE is shot directly over it. The advantage of insert moulding is that conventional single shot injection moulding machines can be used and the tooling costs associated with insert moulding are lower than with overmoulding.

With any overmoulding application, the challenge is in achieving maximum adhesion between the TPE and the substrate. For some overmoulding TPEs, there may be a significant difference in bond strength between multi-shot overmoulding and insert moulding. Even if an excellent bond is achieved with two-shot moulding, the same material may have poor bond strength when insert moulded.

It is evident that in view of the range of possibilities offered by the present invention it is advisable to call upon the expertise of those versed in the different appropriate arts when selecting plastics and production methods.

Moulds for use in manufacturing different versions of the device of the present invention can be made by various methods known to those normally skilled in the art including but not limited to laser engraving, photopolymer and 3D printing techniques. The methods of production will present no problem to those skilled in the arts of standard production techniques including but not limited to vacuum forming, injection moulding, blow moulding, insert injection moulding and overmoulding injection moulding.

The thickness of the different embodiments of the present invention will vary according to the dimensions of the said embodiments and the version of the invention selected for fabrication. However all embodiments made according to the specification and spirit of the present invention will necessarily have the visual aspect of a sheet of transparent plastic incorporating or to which are permanently affixed a plurality of substantially transparent printing stamps.

It is to be noted that a sheet of pvc with a thickness of about 0.015 inch ( 15 mil), with dimensions of 7 by 5 inches is more flexible than the same sheet filled with vacuum formed printing stamps. Also in view of the fact that it is preferable that sheets of stamps made according to the present invention do not sag in the middle when supported by spacers or directly by the hands of the user using the said invention,it can be useful to include a stiffening ridge 38 figure 37 parallel to the sides of the sheet of stamps having a ridge depth the same or inferior to that of the stamps. In all cases file recommended overall thickness of any version of the present invention will be kept at a minimum for reasons of economy while at the same time the device should be thick enough to avoid sagging. By way of example the vacuum formed version of the hand-held stamping device made during the development of the present invention does not sag in the middle when equipped with spacers in spite of the fact that the hard thermoformable PVC plastic film used for making the said device has a thickness of only 0.015 inch (15 mil) and that the device is not equipped with stiffening ridges.

The technical details for making an existing preferred embodiment of the handheld stamping device of the present invention made during the development of the present invention are as follows. The device of the said preferred embodiment of the invention is vacuum formed from a thin thermoformable transparent hard PVC plastic film, the thickness of which is approximately 0.015 inch (15 mil) and the dimensions of which are 7 inches by 5 inches. These dimensions are convenient from the point of view of easy manipulation of the sheet of stamps by the user as illustrated in figures 42,43, 45 and 46. Said dimensions are also interesting in view of the fact that they are slightly less than half the size of an A4 steel backed photopolymer plate.

A suitable hardness concerning thermoplastic elastomers selected for manufacturing the imprinting elements of the device of the present invention is a shore A durometer hardness of between 30 and 50.

Concerning hardness, elasticity, rigidity and semi-rigidity of different plastics suitable for manufacturing different dimensions and versions of the device of the present invention these factors will vary according to the specific qualities sought for by the project designer. For example, from an economic point of view it is preferable to use one hard plastic for making both the stamps as well as the support sheet as illustrated by the preferred version of the invention where the stamps are vacuum formed from a hard sheet of plastic( figures 47 to 51) such as thermoformable hard PVC film. On the other hand if quality of printing is primed then a combination of a hard plastic, such as polypropylene (PC), support sheet to which are affixed viscoelastic photopolymer stamps may be chosen in spite of the disadvantage of the slowness of fabrication (figures 24a and 24b). A judicious choice may be a combination of a hard plastic support sheet made from polycarbonate (PC) together with a thermoplastic elastomer (for example Dryflex T - Crystal) for making the imprinting elements using overmoulding injection moulding.This combination has the advantage of mass production together with the advantage of being able to choose a hardness of, for example, 30 shore A, for the stamps, giving them a softish, rubbery quality and therefor better printing qualities (figures 22,23 and 24). Another possibility is to use an insert moulding technique where a rigid or semi-rigid pre-fabricated perforated support sheet is encapsulated in or attached to a low shore hardness thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) as shown in figures 52 to57.

An example of a good combination (as mentioned above) of plastics for overmoulding or insert moulding is Dryflex T - Crystal clear transparent TPE supplied by HEXPOL TPE Ltd. which is fully transparent and offers hardnesses ranging from 30 to 90 shore A for moulding the imprinting element together with polypropylene (PC) for the support sheet. Grades with compliance to major food regulations are available which means that they are considered to be a safe plastic for schools. Dryflex T - Crystal TPE's also offer excellent adhesion to polypropylene (PP) which also has certain advantageous qualities such as low density (weight saving), high stiffness (rigidity), which means a better non sagging / thickness ratio for the said device, chemical inertness (food safe so suitable for schools), good transparency, good impact/rigidity balance (tough ).

It is to be noted that all different embodiments the present invention may be conveniently used without spacers. Equipping the different devices of die invention with spacers allows the user to slide or to momentarily leave the sheet of stamps, of which one stamp is inked, in position,before printing, without smudging the surface to be printed.

Certain versions of the present invention, by virtue of the low cost of fabrication using mass production techniques together with their simplicity of use, may be considered particularly suited for use in primary schools in poor areas of the world. The scope for developing the present invention includes but is not limited to the fields of education, art and crafts, publicity, souvenirs, architectural illustrations and interior decoration.

Materials, manufacturing services and technical support needed for the fabrication of the different versions of the invention are readily commercially available from :

Klockner Pentaplast, P.O. Box 11,6556401,Montabaur, Germany : transparent plastic film for vacuum forming such as PVC, PET and PLA biodegradable.

HEXPOL TPE Ltd Don Street, Middleton, Manchester, M242GG, UK: TPE compounds for multi-component applications - specialist in injection moulding, insert injection moulding and over moulding injection moulding.

The Plastic Works Limited, Units 1&2 ,Creswell Business Park, Colliery Road Creswell, Worksop, Derbyshire, S80 4BX, UK : vacuum forming.

Thermoflan SAS ,259 Chemin de la Cote ,30120 Molieres-Cavaillac, France : photopolymer plates and ultraviolet light exposure and curing systems .

Sanwa Ltd. 6-2-51 Nishiki-cho Tachikawa City, Tokyo Japan : felt tipped markers - for manufacture of novel stamp inking pen.

Ellison Europe Ltd., Unit 3, Whitegate Industrial Estate, Wrexham 1113 8UG UK. :Craft presses for embossing.

The above sources are given by way of example only.

Having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

Claims (27)

1. A stamping device comprising:

a) a substantially transparent plastic support sheet; and

b) into which are incorporated or to which are affixed one or more substantially transparent integrally formed imprinting elements, each said imprinting element having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface having upstanding ink receiving portions viewable through said support sheet,

2. A stamping device comprising:

a) a substantially transparent rigid plastic support sheet; and

3. A stamping device comprising:

a) a substantially transparent semi-rigid plastic support sheet; and

b) into which are incorporated or to which are affixed one or more substantially transparent integrally formed imprinting elements, each said imprinting element having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface having upstanding ink receiving portions viewable through said support sheet.

4.. A stamping device according to claim 1 in which:

a) said support sheet is made of a substantially transparent plastic; and where

b) said upper surface of said imprinting elements is in hollow relief form and serves as a mould for casting a cloisonne type mirror image replica of the printed indicia made with same said imprinting element.

5.. A stamping device according to claim 4 in which:

a) said support sheet is made of a substantially transparent thermoformable hard plastic; and where

b) said imprinting elements are vacuum formed.

6. A stamping device according to claims 4 and 5; together with

a) at least one mirror image replica of said device claimed in claims 4 and 5; and where is included

b) a method for making cloisonne type pictures that are cast from a mould that is comprised of a plurality of complete ,or selected parts of, said imprinting elements contained in said mirror image replicas of said device claimed in claims 4 and 5.

7. A stamping device according to claim 6 wherein said imprinting elements contained in said mirror image replica are supplied separately in packets.

8. A stamping device according to claim 6 wherein said imprinting elements contained in said mirror image replica are supplied in pop out form.

9. A stamping device according to claim 5 wherein two identical said stamping devices are hinged together as a means for embossing.

10. A stamping device according to claim 1,2 and 3 wherein said imprinting elements are made of a transparent thermoplastic elastomer.

11. A stamping device according to claim 1,2 and 3 wherein said imprinting elements are made of a transparent viscoelastic photopolymer.

12. A stamping device according to claim 10 wherein said imprinting elements form an integral part of a substantially transparent sheet of the same thermoplastic elastomer which is attached permanently to said support sheet.

13. A stamping device according to claim 11 wherein said imprinting elements form an integral part of a substantially transparent sheet of the same viscoelastic photopolymer which is attached permanently to said support sheet.

14. A stamping device according to claim 10 wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric imprinting elements are permanently attached separately to said support sheet.

15. A stamping device according to claim 11 wherein said viscoelastic photopolymer imprinting elements are permanently attached separately to said support sheet.

16. A stamping device according to claim 1 in which said substantially transparent imprinting elements and said substantially transparent support sheet are both made of a same transparent rigid plastic.

17. A stamping device according to claim 1 in which said substantially transparent imprinting elements and said substantially transparent support sheet are both made of a same transparent semi-rigid plastic.

18. A stamping device according to claim 1 in which said substantially transparent imprinting elements and said substantially transparent support sheet are both made of a same transparent thermoplastic elastomer.

19. A stamping device according to all previous claims wherein all said devices are equipped with spacers.

20. A stamping device according to all previous claims wherein the ink receiving portions of said imprinting elements are indelibly marked with any colour including black and white.

21. A stamping device according to all previous claims wherein said support sheet and said imprinting elements are made of any known plastic .

22. A stamping device according to all previous claims wherein said stamping device is manufactured using any known manufacturing technique.

23. A stamping device according to all previous claims wherein said imprinting elements of said stamping device are inked with a stamp inking pen.

24. A stamp inking pen designed for use with stamping devices according to all previous claims comprising a barrel that is filled with a suitable ink absorbing material which is in turn filled with a suitable printing ink, said barrel being equipped with a cap that is removed when refilling with printing ink, and a flat felt tip the function of which is to depose printing ink on the ink receiving portion of a printing stamp.

25. A stamp inking pen as claimed in claim 24 where the said felt tip is replaced by any other suitable absorbent material

26. A stamp inking pen as claimed in claim 24 where the said felt tip varies in size according to the size of the stamps to be inked.

27. A stamp inking pen as claimed in claim 24 where the said barrel is filled with ink of any chosen colour.