US2691627A - Method of producing decorated aluminum articles - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12, 1954 METHOD Filed Feb. 7, 1952 MEN-r INVENTOR Robert E. Johnson Patented Oct. 12, 1954 METHOD OF PRODUCING DECORATED ALUMINUM ARTICLES Robert E. Johnson, Water-town,

Conn., assignmto Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 7, 1952, Serial No. 270,390

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to decorated aluminum articles and an improved method of producing the same. When reference is made in the specification and claims to aluminum it is understood that the material may be any Suitable aluminum alloy having a predominant proportion of aluminum.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an aluminum article with a surface decorated with one durable base color which serves as a field to receive an intaglio design havin a durable contrasting color.

A further object is to provide an improved method of producing such articles economically without the necessity of applying masks or resists to cover the designs.

My invention further provides a method whereby the fine or intricate designs of the intaglio type can be colored to contrast to the base surface.

In the drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one example of an article made according to my invention and certain steps in the method of producing the same.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of the top of a vanity box made accordin to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section of the surface portion of an aluminum article such as a vanity box cover after the first step in my improved process.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of same after the intaglio design has been cut on its surface.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the intaglio design anodized.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the coating lined to indicate a contrasting color, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section of the edge of the cover as it would appear anodized but without the dye or intaglio design.

As one example of the invention I have shown the cover of a round vanity box 10 formed from sheet aluminum ll. The cover It) is first anodically treated to provide the usual oxide surface known as anodizing, which builds up a protective coatin [2 on the aluminum sheet II. This oxide coating being porous may be treated by immersion in a dye solution to provide the desired base color indicated by the added cross lines 13, or if it is desired that the base be of natural aluminum this step may be dispensed with. The next step in the improved process is to seal this porous surface oxide coating 12 so as to make it impervious to any further coloring by a dye solution. If the base color is desired to be natural aluminum this treatment can be accomplished by immersion in hot Water for a suflicient length of time, but if the surface coating l2 has been treated with a dye l3 the sealing operation is preferably carried out by immersion in a heated dilute solution of nickel acetate. This sealed surface of the oxide coating is indicated by the heavy top line M. This treatment does not bleed out the dye from the surface coating when the article is given any subsequent anodizing and/or dyeing treatment.

The next step in the process is to mechanically cut through the dyed anodized surface coating l2 and into the aluminum material as indicated at I5 either by an engine turning operation or by an engraving operation to any prescribed design. In either case the cutting operation is performed by what may be termed an edge cutting tool. One such design is shown in Fig. 1, and a sectional view of a portion of the cover is shown in Fig. 3 on a greatly enlarged scale.

In view of the fact that the initial anodic treatment has deposited an oxide coating l2 over the entire article, and since such an oxide coatin is not a good electrical conductor, I select a portion of the article which will not be exposed when finished, and remove a small portion of the oxide coating therefrom so that a good electrical contact can again be made therewith. As specifically shown in Fig. 6 in the vanity box cover It I select a spot on the inside of the cover flange as at Hi to remove a small section of the anodic surface coating l2 down to the original aluminum surface. This is for the purpose of re-anodizing which is the next step. This provides an oxide coating I! on the surfaces of the aluminum in the cut design portion only without affecting the base surface or its color treatment. It is now possible to dye the oxidized surfaces of the design merely by immersin them a second time in any desired contrasting color, as indicated by the added cross lines in Fig. 5.

Finally, the dye surfaces of the design are preferably sealed by a process similar to the first sealing operation as indicated by heavy line I8 in Fig. 5. If it is desired to have one portion of a design one color and another portion a different color it is merely necessary to repeat the latter part of the process.

7 As a result of my invention for the first time some very beautiful and intricate design effects can be produced on the surfaces of aluminum articles and provided with a very hard and durable finish at a very reasonable cost as compared to anything of this kind known to have been done before.

I claim:

1. The method of decorating an exposed surface of an aluminum article which includes depositing an oxide coating over the entire surface by anodic treatment, sealing said oxide coating to render it impervious to dyes, then mechanically cutting through the oxide coating and into the aluminum material by an edge cutting tool to a prescribed intaglio design, re-anodizing said article to deposit an oxide coating on said out surfaces and dyeing said second oxide coating to provide a color in the design contrasting with the color of the remainder of said surface.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein subsequent to the first anodic treatment and prior to the sealing operation, said surface is dyed to the desired color.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein subsequent to the first anodic treatment and prior to the sealing operation the oxide coating is dyed to the desired color and wherein the sealing operation comprises immersing the article in a dilute solution of nickel acetate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES The Metal Industry, June 18, 1943, pages 386- 388.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF DECORATING AN EXPOSED SURFACE OF AN ALUMINUM ARTICLE WHICH INCLUDES DEPOSITING AN OXIDE COATING OVER THE ENTIRE SURFACE BY ANODIC TREATMENT, SEALING SAID OXIDE COATING TO RENDER IT IMPERVIOUS TO DYES, THEN MECHANICALLY CUTTING THROUGH THE OXIDE COATING AND INTO THE ALUMINUM MATERIAL BY AN EDGE CUTTING TOOL TO A PRESCRIBED INTAGLIO DESIGN, RE-ANODIZING SAID ARTICLE TO DEPOSIT AN OXIDE COATING ON SAID CUT SURFACES AND DYEING SAID SECOND OXIDE COATING TO PROVIDE A COLOR IN THE DESIGN CONTRASTING WITH THE COLOR OF THE REMAINDER OF SAID SURFACE.

Images