US1655483A

US1655483A - Identification device and method of producing same

Info

Publication number: US1655483A
Application number: US677017A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Wheeler
Original assignee: FEDCO NUMBER PLATE CORP
Current assignee: FEDCO NUMBER PLATE Corp
Priority date: 1923-11-26
Filing date: 1923-11-26
Publication date: 1928-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1945-01-10

Description

Jan. 10, 1928.

w. H. WHEELER IDENTIFIOATJ ION DEVICE AND-METHOD 0F PRODUCING SAME- Origingl Filed NOV. 26, 1923 INVENTOR wi'lLiam Jilwhee'ber AITORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1 928.

nui'rao s'r'ras PATENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. WHEELER, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNQR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10

FEDCO NUMBER ILATE CORPORATION, on NEW Yonx, n. Y., aconronarxon or DELAWARE.

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.-

Application filed November 26,- 1923, Serial No. 677,017. Renewed June 3, 1927.

I This invention relates to improvements in identification devices of the general character disclosed in my copending applications,"

Serial No. 662,230 and 662,231, filed Septem her 12, 1923, and to a novel method of manufacturing such devices.

. It is an object of the present inventiouto provide an identification devlce, primar ly intended for use upon motor vehicles which 19 cannot be successfully imitated for an illegal purpose without great expense. v

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of manufacturing such devices which will render possible their production in large quantities at a relatively small expense, and yet a process which will render unauthorized duplication upona small scale prohibitively costly, prlnclpally because of the apparatus necessary for performing the process.

It is a further object of the present lnvention to form an identification plate of the character stated from a single metal plate so treated that identi ing characters, a background and a design on the background will present sharply contrasting colors.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and ar-' lit) i-augementsof parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the metal blank from which my improved identification plate is'formed.

Fig. 2 shows the blank embossed with a desi Fig. 3 shows the embossed blank after the l first oxidizing process has been performed.

Fig. 4 shows the embossed portion of the oxidizedblank ground or out to expose the design in bright metal,

Fig. 5 shows the blank after the second -1 oxidizing operation has been performed and embossed identi the embossed design. h Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, but showing the embossed identifying indicia ground or cut to expose the natural bright metal of the plate, and

Fig. 7 shows the plate in its final form. Referring with particularity to the draw.-

ing idicia substituted for ings, it will be seen that I have used the reference character 10 to designate the blank from which my improved identification plate is formed. This blank may be of any convenient size and shape and is sufficiently thin to permit an embossing operation to be performed thereon. The plate is of some metal which will give at least two contrastin surface colors when oxidized at two di erent temperatures, first step of the process consists in bright annealing the blank. In Figure 2, the first embossing operation has been performed. In this instance, I have shown a design consisting of a rectangular border 11, a central circular frame 12 for a name 13, and a distinguishing symbol 14, the name and the symbol being characteristic of the particular make of automobile for which the plate is intended. Between the frame and the boror otherwise treated. The

(ler, there is shown a leaf design 15. The

of the plate after it has been subjected to an oxidizing process at arelatively high temperature. If we assume for the sake of convenience'that the plate is of nickel its entire surface will have taken on a .blue color, this color being indicated by the dark stipple of Fig. 3. Having oxidized the entire surface of the plate, the embossed design is ground or cut to expose the bright metal below the oxidized surface as seen in Fig. 4. The plate is then subjected to a second oxidizing process, this time at a lower temperature. The'second oxidizin of the plate will ofcourse not affect the lue background indicated at 16, but willturn the bright design to a li ht brown color, as

indicated by the light stipple of Fig. 5. 4

Identifying indicia 17 are now embossed upon the plate, the same operation which efi'ects the embossing of the indica, serving to eradicate the previous embossing. The plate after this much of the process has been performed is shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 6

ground, light embossed design, and

shows the plate subsequent to the next operation, which consists in grinding or cutting the embossed identifying indicia to expose the bright metalv of the plate.

The nex operation consists in re-emboss- -in'g the plate preferably with the original design, although any suitable modification or variation thereof inight be used. In fact, an entirely different design might bossed upon the plate, but for the purpose of clearness of illustration, I have shown the original design re eirrbossed. The finished plate, therefore, consists ofa dark backbright identifying indicia which are embossed or not, depending upon whether they appear upon the background or the design. The finished plate may be spot welded or otherwise suitably attached to the engine block or chassis frame of a motor vehicle. The manner of attachment or the part of the machine to which the plate is attached is immaterial to the present invention.

I have shown a dark background, light design, and lighter identifying characters, but either design, background or characters might be oxidized either a light or a dark color or left bright, as the case maybe, and whether the background, the design or the characters be embossed is immaterial to the invention. The process is considerably simpler than the processes shown in my previous applications, whereinlaminated plates are treated and at the same time,'the finished product is equally hard for an unauthorized person to duplicate.

Various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. and hence I do not wish to'limit myself to the precise details 'set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

l. A method of making metal identification plates which includes the steps of (l) subjecting a plate to chemical treatment to change the surface color of the plate, (2) removing a part of such colored surface to expose the natural color of the metal, (3)

subjecting ,the plate to a second chemical treatment to produce a difierent color on that portion of the plate from Which the previously colored surface has been re moved, without affecting the color of the remainder of the plate surface.

2. A method of making metal identification plates which includes the steps of (1) subjecting the plates to heat treatment at a I relatively high temperature to change the surface color of the plate, (2) removing a portion of such colored surface to ex ose heuetural color of the metal, (3) subject- .a lower temperature to produce a different color on that portion of the plate from which the previously colored surface has been removed. 3. A method of making metal identifi-' cation plates which includes the steps of (1)- oxidizing a metal plate at .a relatively high. tem erature, (2) removing a portion of the exit ized surface, (3) oxidizing the plate at a lower temperature whereby different portions' of the surface of the plate will be differently. colored.

4. A method of making metal identification plates which includes the steps of (1) subjecting a plate to chemical treatmentto change the surface color of the plate, (2) removing a part of such colored surface to expose the natural color of the metal, (3) subjecting the plate .to a second chemical treatment to produce a different color on that portion of the plate from which the previously colored surface has been removed without affecting the color of the remainder subjecting the plates to heat treatment at a relatively high temperature to change the surface color of the plate, (2) removing a portion of such colored surface toexpose the natural color of the metal, (3) subjecting the plate to a second heat treatment at a lower temperature to produce a difierent color on that portion of the plate from which the previously colored surface has been removed, (4) forming identification characters in the surface of the plate.

6. A method of making metal identification plates which includes the steps of (1) oxidizing a metalplate at a relatively high temperature, (2) removing a portion of the oxidized surface, (3) oxidizing the plate at a lower temperature whereby different porlis' lco

surface color on the design, (5) obliterating the embossing of the design and-embossing identifying indicia upon the plate, (6) removing the colored surface of the identifying indicia to expose the natural color of the plate, and (7) re-embossing the original design.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a

plate of the class described bearing a designtions of the surface of the tplate.

in contrasting colors thereon, the colors constituting differently chemically treated surface portions of the plate.

of the class described bearing a design thereon, the design being formed of differently heat treated surface portions of the plate.

10. .As a new article of manufacture, a plate of the class described bearing a design thereon, the design being formed of diffelerently oxidized surface portions of the 1) ate.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a plateof the class described bearing a vdesign thereon, the design being formed of bright portions and differently oxidized por- 12. As a new article 0 manufacture, a

plate of the class described, the surface of said plateembodying a background, a design and identifying indicia, said background and design being formed of differently oxidized portions of the plate surface.

13. plate of the class described, the surface of the plate embodying a background, a design and identifying indicia, said background and design being formed of differently oxidized portions of the plate surface and the indicia being formed of a bright metal surface.

14. As a new article of manufacture, a plate of the class described, the surface of said plate embodying a background, a de- As a new article of manufacture, a

sign and identifying indicia, said indicia, design and background being of contrasting colors, at least two of which'constitute dif- 9. As a new article of manufacture, a plate ferently. heat treated surface portions of the plate.

15. As a new article of manufacture, a plate of the class described, the surface of said plate embodying identifying indicia, the surface of said plate also embodying a background and a. design, said background and design being of contrasting colors and comprising diflerently heat treatedsurface'portionsof the plate.

16. As a new article ofmanufacture, a plate of the class described, the surface of said plate embodying identifying indicia, the surface of said plate also embodying a background and a design, said background and design being of contrasting colors and comprising differently heat treated surface portions of the plate, the surface of said background and t e design being disposed in different planes.

17. As a new article of manufacture, a plate of the class described, the surface of said plate embodying identifyingindicia, the surface of said plate also embodying a background and a design, said background and .design being of contrasting colors and comprising differently heat treated-portions of the plate surface, said design being embossed upon the plate.

WILLIAM H. IVHEELER.