NZ264267A

NZ264267A - Embossing sheet material by passing between patterning surface and deformable receiving surface, then flattening between rollers

Info

Publication number: NZ264267A
Application number: NZ26426794A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Robert Leslie Watson
Original assignee: Robert Leslie Watson
Priority date: 1994-08-18
Filing date: 1994-08-18
Publication date: 1997-02-24
Also published as: AU2857895A

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> PATENTS FORM NOt 5 Fee No. 4: $260.00 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ? ©«\\ «o\ V After Provisional ^ 16 AUG 199; ° MOL 264267 Dated: 18 August 1994 J&W 10215SB METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING SHEET MATERIAL I Robert Leslie Watson, a New Zealand citizen of Stevens Road (no number), Hunua, South Auckland, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 26 4 2 67 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING SHEET MATERIAL technical field This invention relates to a method and apparatus for embossing sheet material. 5 background art In the present specification we shall refer to a method and apparatus for embossing sheet material. In this specification, the term "embossing" is intended to mean any process whereby the sheet material referred to in this specification is deformed in any way. In particular, most of the 10 present specification will discuss a process whereby a pattern is formed in a sheet material by "pressing" grooves, ridges, or channels in the sheet material. "Pressing" of the sheet material is envisaged to occur when an uneven pressure distribution occurs on the sheet material, causing the sheet 15 material to deform. The term "pressing" is not intended to be limited to any particular process. For example, in many embodiments of the present invention a sheet material may be passed between a number of rollers, and the pressure exerted by the rollers on the sheet material may "press" the pattern or 20 design into the sheet material. In other processes a sheet material may be held stationary while two large blocks "press" the material from either side. The term "pressing" is intended to refer to many other processes as well. 2 264 2 67 In the present specification the term "sheet material" shall refer to any material having a length greater than its depth. In many embodiments of the present invention the sheet material may be a sheet of steel (or similar material). 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, the sheet material may be useful to make objects such as (embossed) panelled garage doors from. It is envisaged in these embodiments that the manufacture of embossed panel garage doors may have considerable commercial potential. However, it is also not intended to limit the scope of the present 10 specification to this application, and the present invention may have uses in many other areas as well. In the remainder of the present specification we shall refer to a method and apparatus for embossing steel sheets. However, it should be appreciated that the scope of the present specification (in accordance with 15 the discussion above) should not be limited to use with steel sheets only. Current methods of embossing steel sheets suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, one method of embossing steel sheets currently in use involves placing the steel sheet between two large plates which contain a 20 complementary pattern. These plates are then pressed together, and the contact of the plates on the steel sheet causes the pattern on the plates to be pressed onto the steel sheet. The steel sheet may then be removed from between the plates, and a second sheet (or another portion of the original sheet) may be embossed using the same process. 3 26 4 2 6 7 Unfortunately, this process (illustrated in a number of New Zealand patents, e.g. New Zealand Patent No. 181240) suffers from a number of disadvantages. The main disadvantage of this process is that it is very time consuming, and in situations where large lengths of steel sheets 5 need to ba embossed, the necessity to maintain the steel sheet stationery between the plates causes significant time delays in the embossing process. In addition, it is difficult to ensure that the steel sheet is moved an appropriate distance each time between pressing, and sophisticated machinery needs to employed to control this movement. 10 Accordingly, embossing using this process is expensive, slow, and generally inconvenient. Alternative methods of embossing steel sheets (such as illustrated in New Zealand Patent No. 155361) involves passing the sheet material between a number (usually two) of rollers which are patterned in a 15 complementary way to each other. In particular, in embossing systems using two rollers, one roller is usually termed the "male roller" and the second roller termed the "female roller". In these embossing systems, the male and female rollers (as states) have complementary patterns. Thus all protuberances or channels on one 20 roller are matched by complementary channels or protuberances on the other roller. The two rollers are usually geared together to keep them rotating at the same speed, and the sheet material passed through the rollers and deformed by contact with both rollers. All methods of embossing steel in this way (as far as the applicant is 25 aware) involves the use of rigid steel rollers as described above. This has a number of disadvantages which cannot easily be overcome. The first is 4 26 4 2 6 7 that for pre-painted steel sheets it has bt<- ; found that the painted surfaces are usually damaged by physical contact with a rigid steel roller. Thus it has been found difficult to emboss painted sheets of steel without significant damage to the painted surface, and currently there is 5 no convenient method for overcoming this. In addition, the requirement that the rollers be geared together to ensure rotation of appropriate speeds to ensure the complementary patterns on the rollers contact the steel sheet at the same time can be expensive. This expense means that any embossing process carried out by this method is 10 expensive, and frequently this is a significant deterrent to those wishing to emboss sheet materials using vhese rollers. An embossing system that overcame these problems, in particular one that involved continuous movement of a sheet material, and in addition one that could emboss materials such as pre-painted steel without 15 significant damage to the material would be a considerable advantage over present methods of embossing sheet material. It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become 20 apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of > xample only. disclosure of invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for embossing sheet material including a patterning surface 25 and a receiving surface, the receiving surface including a deformable 5 26 4 2 67 covering, the arrangement and construction of the embossing apparatus allowing the sheet material to be passed between the patterning surface and the receiving surface, and also to be deformed by contact with either or both of these surfaces. 5 In preferred embodiments of the present invention the patterning surface may comprise a roller similar to those currently in use in many embossing processes. This roller may have a pattern machined on the surface of the roller. In preferred embodiments of the present invention the patterning surface 10 may be made from a rigid material such as steel. Other rigid materials may also be used. It is envisaged that in these embodiments contact of the sheet material with the patterning surface may result in deformation the sheet material. In further preferred embodiments of the present invention the receiving 15 surface may comprise of a roller with a rigid base and covered with a deformable covering. This rigid base may frequently be comprised of the same material the patterning surface is made from (which is commonly steel). However the receiving surface will usually also include a covering material such as rubber or polyurethane which is flexible and 20 deformable. Various other covering materials may also be used. In the remainder of the present specification we shall refer to the patterning surface as the "top roller", and the receiving surface as the "lower roller". This terminology reflects the preferred positioning of the rollers in the present invention, although it should be understood that the 25 use of this terminology is not intended to limit the scope of the 6 264267 specification in any way. In particular, in some embodiments of the present invention, the top roller may well be positioned below the lower roller. In further preferred embodiments of the present invention the sheet 5 material may be passed between the top roller and lower roller. Preferably the rollers may be bought into a position whereby both rollers are in physical contact with the sheet material while it passes between them. The top roller may then be rotated, allowing the embossing pattern machined on the surface of the roller to come in contact with the sheet 10 material. While this occurs, the sheet material is also preferably moving past (and between) the rollers. For example, the sheet material may be moving at a constant speed between the rollers. The pressure of the top roller on the sheet material causes the embossing pattern to exert pressure on the 15 sheet material. As the lower roller is also in contact with the sheet material, the pressure on the sheet material may cause defamation of both the sheet material and the deformation covering on the lower roller. In this way the pattern on the top roller is pressed into the sheet material. Those familiar with present means of embossing sheet materials may 20 recognise that the main difference between the process described above and conventional processes for embossing sheet materials is the provision of a lower roller with a deformable surface. This has a number of advantages over more conventional methods of embossing sheet materials where the lower roller has a complimentary pattern to the top 25 roller. 7 26 4 267 It has been found that using a lower roller with a deformable surface, materials such as pre-painted steel can be embossed without significant damage to the painted surface of the steel. For example, in preferred embodiments of the present invention the painted surface is positioned so 5 that it comes in contact with the deformable covering of the lower roller, and thus minimal damage is done to the surface (in comparison to the significant damage that would be done with a lower roller including a rigid surface). In addition, it has been found that in the present invention there is no 10 need to provide a gearing mechanism to ensure the rollers are rotating at the same speed. As the lower roller does not include an embossing pattern, there is no need to rotate it at the same speed as the top roller. This reduces the cost of the embossing apparatus under discussion in the present specification considerably. 15 In addition to the features of the present invention as so far discussed, it is has been found to be especially advantageous to include a number of other features for use in accordance with this invention. However, it should be appreciated that the following features are optional only, and may not be included in all embodiments of the present invention. 20 In further preferred embodiments of the present invention, there may be provided a system to cool the deformable covering on the lower roller. This may be necessary in some embodiments of the present invention as it has been found that the rolling resistance of the sheet material on the covering can cause the covering to heat up considerably. This may 25 potentially damage the covering, and thus result in a reduction in the efficiency of the present embossing method. 8 264267 However, it has been found that by providing a cooling system to this roller, these potential disadvantages are circumvented. For example, there may be provided a means of supplying the steel core of the lower roller with water. This water inay come in contact with the deformable 5 surface of the roller, and may cool the surface as the embossing process occurs. However, it should be appreciated that there may be many other cooling systems, and embossing apparatus using these cooling systems are all intended to be covered in the scope of the present specification. In addition, there may be provided a number of flattening rollers 10 positioned in such a way to remove any distortion introduced in the sheet material by the embossing process as so far discussed. This sometimes occurs as the provision of uneven pressures from the top and lower rollers in the present invention may cause undesired distortion of the sheet material. A number of flattening rollers may be provided to remove 15 this distortion from the sheet material after the embossing of the material has occurred. These rollers may be made from any appropriate material, such as steel, or steel with deformable or flexible coverings. In a further embodiment, two of the flattening rollers are provided as a pair of nip rollers. The nip rollers may be in the form of smooth 20 cylindrical rollers and be made from a rigid material such as steel. The nip rollers flatten the embossed pattern a controlled amount to change the appearance of the embossed pattern. The nip rollers may also help to flatten the sheet and change the stress in the sheet. Various other features may also be provided in the present invention. For 25 example, there may be a number of upper and lower rollers all operating in conjunction to appropriately emboss the sheet material. Other features may also be included in the present invention. 9 26 4 2 67 brief description of drawings Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention With regard to Figure 1 there is illustrated an embossing apparatus 1. This apparatus includes an top roller 2 and a lower roller 3, as well as a 10 number of flattening rollers 4 including nip rollers 8. The top roller 2 is made from steel and has an embossing pattern (not shown) on the surface of the roller 2. The top roller 2 is rotated so that the circumference of the top roller 2 moves at the same velocity as a sheet material 7. 15 Lower roller 3 includes an inner steel core 5, and a deformable (and flexible) covering 6. This covering may typically be made from either rubber or polyurethane. Between rollers 2 and 3 is passed a sheet material 7. This sheet material may be fed through the rollers in any way, although it is envisaged that 20 the sheet material will be fed at a constant speed to ensure the consistency of the pattern embossed upon it. The rollers 2 and 3 are in contact with the sheet material 7 simultaneously. 10 26 4 2 67 As the sheet material is passed between rollers 2 and 3, the embossing pattern (not shown) of top roller 2, and also parts of the roller 2 itself, will come in contact with the sheet material. This imprints the embossing pattern onto sheet material 7 presses the sheet material into the 5 deformable surface of roller 6,. The sheet is then passed between nip rollers 8. The nip rollers 8 flatten any unwanted deformation in the sheet 7 formed during the embossing process. The nip rollers 8 can also be controlled to squeeze the embossed sheet 7, flattening the embossed pattern to change the appearance of the 10 embossed pattern. The sheet material 7 is then passed through flattening rollers 4, which remove any stress or distortion introduced by the embossing process. In addition, lower roller 3 may include a cooling means (not shown) to ensure that the deformable covering 6 of the roller 3 maintains a 15 reasonably constant temperature. Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 11 </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 264267 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: An apparatus for embossing sheet material including: a patterning surface; a receiving surface which includes a deformable covering; the apparatus characterised in that it also includes at least one pair of rollers which are capable of flattening the embossed surface of the sheet material. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arrangement and construction of the apparatus allows the sheet material to be passed between the patterning surface and the receiving surface, and also to be deformed by contact with either or both of these surfaces. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the receiving surface includes a system to cool the deformable covering. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the patterning surface comprises a roller. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the roller has a pattern machined on the surface. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the patterning surface is made from a rigid material. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the rigid material is steel. 2642 8. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 7 wherein the receiving surface comprises of a second roller. 9. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 8 wherein the receiving surface comprises of a second roller with a rigid base and covered with a deformable covering. 10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the rigid base is made from steel. 11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the deformable covering is rubber. 12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the deformable covering is polyurethane. 13. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein both patterning and receiving surfaces are in physical contact with the sheet material simultaneously as it passes between them. 14. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the patterning surface is rotated allowing the embossing pattern machined on the surface of the roller to come into contact with the sheet material. 15. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein a pair of rollers are provided to flatten the sheet material to remove any distortion introduced in the sheet material by the embossing. 16. A method of embossing sheet material characterised by the steps of: moving sheet material between a patterning surface and a receiving surface, { """7 264267 b) deforming the sheet material by contact with the patterning surface. c) flattening the embossed surface of the sheet material. A method of embossing sheet material characterised by the steps of: a) moving sheet material between a patterning surface and a receiving surface, b) deforming the sheet material by contact with the patterning surface, c) flattening the embossed surface of the sheet material, d) smoothing the sheet material with a pair of rollers. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein the sheet material forms part of a garage door. A method as claimed in either claim 16 or 17 wherein the sheet material forms part of a garage door. A garage door incorporating sheet material as made by the apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15. A garage door incorporating sheet material as made by the methods claimed in either of claims 16 or 17. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 2r IV ) 4 23. A method of embossing sheet material substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Robert Leslie Watson by his Attorneyjr f JamdJ & Wells < ( :0. V ^pr- pf ' > IS </div>