US3786748A - Stencil assembly with foldable adhesive covering guardian strip - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a novel stencil assembly employed in duplicating address and other information on cartons, packages, and the like. The assembly includes a narrow strip with pressure sensitive adhesive on one side, a stencil tissue having a carbon material covering its back side, the stencil tissue being connected along its upper front surface to the adhesive leaving a major portion of the adhesive exposed. A narrow guardian strip beneath the stencil tissue is connected to a portion of the exposed adhesive leaving a portion exposed. A protective backing sheet is disposed beneath the guardian strip and stencil tissue with the upper edge of the backing sheet engaging the remaining exposed area of the adhesive. The guardian strip is foldable to cover the exposed adhesive strip, bared by subsequent removal of the backing sheet.

Description

limited States Patent [191 Rabelow Jan. 22, 1974 STENCIL ASSEMBLY WITH FOLDABLE ADHESIVE COVERING GUARDIAN STRIP [75] Inventor: Harold H. Rabelow, Marion, 111.

[73] Assignee: Marsh Stencil Machine Company,

Belleville, I11.

[22] Filed: May 27, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 147,394

[52] US. Cl. 101/128.1, 101/128.2 [51] Int. Cl B41n l/24 [58] Field of Search.. 101/127,127.1,128.1,l28 2,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,457,856 7/1969 Rydberg et a1. 101/l27.l X 2,771,026 11/1956 Mooney..... 101/129 X 1,761,722 6/1930 Gordenstein 101/127.l X 2,779,268 1/1957 Brown 101/1282 2,070,181 2/1937 Ryan 101/1282 2,976,802 3/1961 Mason 101/128.l 3,280,732 10/1966 Mooney et a1 l0l/l28.l

Primary ExaminerRobert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerR. E. Suter Attorney, Agent, or FirmRogers, Ezell, Eilers &

Robbins ABS'I RACT There is disclosed a novel stencil assembly employed in duplicating address and other information on cartons, packages, and the like. The assembly includes a narrow strip with pressure sensitive adhesive on one side, a stencil tissue having a carbon material covering its back side, the stencil tissue being connected along its upper front surface to the adhesive leaving a major portion of the adhesive exposed. A narrow guardian strip beneath the stencil tissue is connected to a portion of the exposed adhesive leaving a portion exposed. A protective backing sheet is disposed beneath the guardian strip and stencil tissue with the upper edge of the backing sheet engaging the remaining exposed area of the adhesive. The guardian strip is foldable to cover the exposed adhesive strip, bared by subsequent removal of the backing sheet.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Of The Invention The present invention relates generally to the duplicating art, and more particularly to a novel stencil assembly for hand printers for duplicating information such as addresses on surfaces such as cartons after being cut such as in addressing an invoice.

2. Description Of The Prior Art The present novel stencil assembly is an improvement over existing stencil assemblies employed for the same purpose. Prior art stencil assemblies are disclosed in the Mooney U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,026, and in the numerous patents cited as references in the prosecution of the Mooney patent. Also in the concerned field is the Mooney US. Pat. No. 3,113,671, and the references cited in the prosecution thereof. Other patents have been granted in the same general field. However, there has long been the need in the hand stenciling art for a stencil assembly which eliminates the objectionable feature of adherence of the adhesive strip of the structure of the Mooney US. Pat. No. 2,771,026, for example, to the carton, and the like, in the stenciling operation. The present invention supplies the solution to this long existing problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, the present novel stencil assembly comprises a narrow strip to one side of which is applied pressure sensitive adhesive of the reusable type. A stencil tissue or sheet has the upper front edge in engagement with a portion of the adhesive, leaving the remainder exposed, the stencil tissue and strip being of substantially the same width. The rear surface of the stencil tissue is with a carbon material for reproduction purposes. A narrow guardian strip of substantially the smae width as the adhesive strip and the stencil tissue engages along one of its edges a portion of exposed adhesive and extends beneath the stencil tissue. A removable backing sheet is connected to the remaining portion of the exposed adhesive and extends beneath the guardian strip and the stencil tissue in protective manner. Prior to disposing the cut stencil tissue and attached guardian strip in operative position on a hand stenciling or printer unit, the lower portion of the guardian strip is folded back through 180 into shielding engagement with the exposed adhesive of the adhesive strip to prevent accidental and undesirable sticking to cartons, and the like, in the stenciling operation.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a novel stencil assembly which satisfies the long existing need in the art of a structure eliminating accidental sticking of a portion of the stencil assembly to cartons, and the like, being stenciled; which incorporates guardian means positively shielding normally exposed reusable pressure sensitive adhesive employed in stencil assemblies of the type presently concerned; which simplifies stencil assembly construction; which provides a simple and sturdy unit readily and efficiently employed for the intended purpose of duplicating information such as an address, on a large number of cartons surfaces such as, and which otherwise fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a stencil assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention, the backing sheet and the guardian strip being peeled back in part into raised positions for better illustration of the structure, the thickness of each of the several elements being exaggerated to facilitate disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on sub stantially the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but with the backing sheet removed and with the guardian strip folded through into protective position;

FIG. 4 is a plan view on a smaller scale of a blank invoice sheet, a stencil assembly, less the backing sheet, being removably adhered thereto for cutting of the stencil and addressing of the invoice; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of a hand printer or stencil unit with the present stencil assembly, less backing sheet, attached thereto in operative relation.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a stencil assembly formed to include the teachings of the present invention. Broadly, the stencil assembly 10 includes an adhesive strip 12 having on one side an adhesive coating 14 of a pressure sensitive reusable type and a stencil tissue or sheet 16 having a top edge A, a front side B, and a back side C. The stencil sheet 16 is of a type com monly known in the art whereby information is typed or otherwise imprinted on the front surface B, and whereby the stencil may be used to imprint the information on a selected surface, such as a shipping carton. A carbon material 18 covers the back side C of the stencil sheet 16 for reproduction purposes. Also included are a narrow guardian strip 20, and a backing sheet 22. The adhesive strip 12, the stencil tissue 16, the guardian strip 20, and the backing sheet 22 are of substantially the same width across the top.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the top front portion of the stencil tissue 16 engages and covers approximately the lower half of the adhesive coating 14, the upper edge of the guardian strip 20 about half of the remaining exposed portion of the adhesive coating 14, and the upper edge of the backing sheet 22 the remaining exposed part of the adhesive coating 14. The backing sheet 22 also covers the guardian strip 20 and the stencil tissue 16 in full protective manner. As is indicated above in the description of FIG. 1, the thicknesses of the several elements is exaggerated for illus trative purposes. Hence, the steps shown at the left of FIG. 2 are substantially non-existent in the production stencil assembly 10 since the several elements are quite thin, particularly the stencil tissue 16.

In FIG. 4 the stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, is shown adhered to a blank invoice 24. In the usual manner of using a stencil assembly, the backing sheet 22 is removed to expose that portion of the adhesive coating 14 previously covered thereby. This permits the stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, to be removably attached to the invoice 24, as shown in FIG. 4. The invoice with the stencil assembly 10 attached thereto is placed in a typewriter and simultaneously the desired address, or the like, cut in the stencil tissue 16 and printed on the invoice 24 by means of the carbon 18 on the back of the stencil tissue 16.

The stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, is removed from the invoice 24. The lower portion of the guardian strip 20 is folded through 180 into the position of FIG. 3 to cover the theretofore exposed portion of the adhesive coating 14. The stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, is then applied to a hand stenciling unit 26, as in FIG. 5, with the stencil tissue 16 maintained in position by the stenciling ink on the inking pad 28 thereof. The folded over guafdian strip 20 is entirely out of the way in the stenciling operation. The hand stenciling unit 26 also includes a flexible squeeze bottle handle 30 which is a reservoir of stenciling ink, a table 32, and structure supporting the squeeze bottle handle 30 above the table 32 and the inking pad 28 therebelow in operative manner providing for selective reciprocation of the inking pad 28 with attached stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, from the retracted position of FIG. to stenciling position against a carton, and the like. The hand stenciling unit or hand printer 26 forms no part of the present invention, but is the subject matter of copending application ofthe present applicant, Ser. No. 110,385, filed Jan. 28, 1971, now abandoned and Ser. No. 271,257, filed July 13, 1972. Manifestly, the stencil assembly 10, less the backing sheet 22, may be operatively applied to other hand printers or stenciling units.

With reference to FIG. 3, the guardian strip 20 is folded into the position illustrated. It will be understood, of course, that the guardian strip may be folded through 180, but with the lower portion thereof disposed at any position between just covering the exposed portion of the adhesive coating 14 to that of FIG. 3. It is only essential that the exposed adhesive be covered.

It is clear from the foregoing that there has been provided a novel stencil assembly which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

lt is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A stencil assembly comprising a stencil sheet having a top edge, a portion of one side of said stencil sheet being coated with a carbon material, adhesive means on one side of said stencil sheet along the top edge thereof leaving a substantial portion of said stencil sheet extending below said adhesive means, and a guardian means on the other side of said stencil sheet from said adhesive means and having one edge attached to said adhesive means such that an upper portion of said adhesive means is exposed, the guardian means having a portion extending below the adhesive means a distance at least sufficient to be foldable into position covering the upper exposed portion of said adhesive means to avoid sticking of said adhesive means in use.

2. The stencil assembly of claim 1 wherein the adhesive means further comprises a strip of pressuresensitive reusable adhesive substantially along the entire top edge of said stencil sheet.

3. The stencil assembly of claim 2 further comprising a backing sheet removably secured by the remaining exposed portion of said adhesive strip and covering the guardian means and the stencil sheet.

4. The stencil assembly of claim 2 wherein the stencil sheet has a front surface on which the stencil is cut and a back surface, the adhesive strip having adhesive on only one side and being secured to the front surface of the stencil sheet such that the adhesive side of the adhesive strip faces the front surface of the stencil sheet.

5. The stencil assembly of claim 4 wherein the carbon material coating is on the back side of said stencil sheet.

6. The stencil assembly of claim 5 further comprising a backing sheet removably secured by the remaining exposed portion of said adhesive strip and covering the guardian means and the carbon coating.

7. The stencil assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower extension of said guardian means is substantially less than the extension of the stencil sheet below the adhe-

Claims (7)

1. A stencil assembly comprising a stencil sheet having a top edge, a portion of one side of said stencil sheet being coated with a carbon material, adhesive means on one side of said stencil sheet along the top edge thereof leaving a substantial portion of said stencil sheet extending below said adhesive means, and a guardian means on the other side of said stencil sheet from said adhesive means and having one edge attached to said adhesive means such that an upper portion of said adhesive means is exposed, the guardian means having a portion extending below the adhesive means a distance at least sufficient to be foldable into position covering the upper exposed portion of said adhesive means to avoid sticking of said adhesive means in use.

2. The stencil assembly of claim 1 wherein the adhesive means further comprises a strip of pressure-sensitive reusable adhesive substantially along the entire top edge of said stencil sheet.

3. The stencil assembly of claim 2 further comprising a backing sheet removably secured by the remaining exposed portion of said adhesive strip and covering the guardian means and the stencil sheet.

4. The stencil assembly of claim 2 wherein the stencil sheet has a front surface on which the stencil is cut and a baCk surface, the adhesive strip having adhesive on only one side and being secured to the front surface of the stencil sheet such that the adhesive side of the adhesive strip faces the front surface of the stencil sheet.

5. The stencil assembly of claim 4 wherein the carbon material coating is on the back side of said stencil sheet.

6. The stencil assembly of claim 5 further comprising a backing sheet removably secured by the remaining exposed portion of said adhesive strip and covering the guardian means and the carbon coating.

7. The stencil assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower extension of said guardian means is substantially less than the extension of the stencil sheet below the adhesive means.

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