US3914775A - Device for forming graphics - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for forming graphics which are immediately visible on a radiation sensitive strip material. The device includes means for advancing the strip material past an exposure station which exposure station is visible to the operator, and a xenon lamp which can be moved to the exposure station to briefly and intensely irradiate a portion of the strip at the exposure station through a window in a highly reflective template. The structure of the template and a mechanism for movably mounting the template relative to the exposure station together with movement of the lamp away from the exposure station after exposure of the strip allow visual inspection of graphics as they are formed along the strip and the use of a novel spacing system for the graphics which involves manually advancing the strip to register the trailing edge of a previously formed graphic on the strip with a mark at the exposure station.

Description

[ 1 Oct. 21, 1975 DEVICE FOR FORMING GRAPHICS [75] Inventors: Peter J. Vogelgesang, Roseville;

Frank C. Lunquist,'Ne w Brighton, both of Minn.

[73] Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn.

[22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 406,548

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 3l8,258, Dec. 26,

1972, abandoned.

Primary ExaminerJohn M. Horan Attorney, Agent, or FirmAlexander, Sell, Steldt & DeLaHunt 57 ABSTRACT A device for forming graphics which are immediately visible on a radiation sensitive strip material. The device includes means for advancing the strip material past an exposure station which exposure station is visible to the operator, and a xenon lamp which can be moved to the exposure station to briefly and intensely irradiate a portion of the strip at the exposure station through a window in a highly reflective template. The structure of the template and a mechanism for movably mounting the template relative to the exposure [52] U.S. CI.2 354/15 station t th with mgvement ()f the lamp away [51] Int. Cl. B4118 17/02 from the exposure Station ft exposure f the Strip Fleld 0f Search I I allow isual inspection of graphics as they are formed along the strip and the use of a novel spacing system [56] References (Med for the graphics which involves manually advancing UNITED STATES PATENTS the strip to register the trailing edge of a previously 2,742,831 4/1956 Wirtz 354/15 formed graphic on the Strip With a mark at the P 3,570,380 3/1971 Kamenstein 354/11 sure station. 3,748,977 7/1973 Mrozek 95/85 9 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures j --r- "30; .L I I ml! 6 l l L- zwqwl H. 4 I6 262 \l I :"J-J

I I6 I J [1 2/4 I -'f" 5 305 236 m l 29/ 2:7 164 I Patant Oct. 21, 1975 Sheetlof 10 3,914,775

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet20f10 3,914,775

Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of 10 Illlll ldr US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet40f 10 3,914,775

US Patsnt 06:. 21, 1975 Sheet 6 of 10 A Met Oct.21,1975 Sheet 7 of 10 US. Patcm Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 10 of 10 3,914,775

DEVICE FOR FORMING GRAPHICS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 318,256 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,359 and 318,257 (now abandoned in favor of C.I.P. application Ser. No. 420,310), both filed December 26, 1972, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 318,258 now abandoned, the disclosure whereof is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for forming graphics such as letters, numbers and symbols and in one as pect to a device for forming graphics by light exposure through a template onto a web.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Many devices are known for forming graphics (e.g., symbols, letters and numbers) which may subsequently be applied to a substrate such as that. of an art work. Conventional printing devices may be used to form a series of graphics on a releasable backing sheet. The graphics are coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive on their exposed surfaces. A graphic selected from the sheet may be transferred by positioning its adhesive coated surface against a substrate and rubbing the backing sheet to adhere the graphic to the substrate while breaking its releasable bond to the backing sheet. With this system each letter must be individually oriented on the substrate, a large stock of sheets of graphics is normally required to provide many sizes and styles, and the system is often wasteful since the apportionment of graphics on a sheet seldom corresponds to a users requirements.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,362 suggests a device for forming graphics whereby adhesive coated graphic are sequentially die cut from a colored adhesive coated material through a transparent deformable carrier strip. The graphics are carried in spaced relationship by the carrier strip unitl they are transferred to a substrate. The intricacy of graphics formed by die cutting is limited however, and the fractured edges of die cut graphics may be too ragged for many applications.

Other devices, which represent the closest known prior art to the present invention, avoid these problems by selectively forming graphics along a coated strip material by a series of light exposures through a template having light transmissive windows formed by conventional photographic negatives. In one method the exposed coating changes color, and in another the coating is photographic. Visually checking the content or spacing of latent images on the photographic coating is impossible, and with both systems the graphics cannot be transferred so that the entire strip must be used as an artwork or adhered to a substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A device according to the present invention makes possible the production of graphics which are made immediately visible and thus can be accurately positioned along a strip. The device affords the formation of graphics having such good resolution that even halftone photographs may be reproduced.

The device is adapted for use with a composite strip material comprising a receiving web carrying a firmly LII adhered layer of waxy material having a predetermined softening temperature above normal room temperature, and a donor web carrying a lightly adhered layer of colored microgranules in face-to-face contact with the layer of waxy material. One of the layers bears a radiation absorbing pigment. When the layers are positioned in intimate contact, and the strip material is momentarily exposed to intense radiation in a graphic pattern, the radiated pigment is heated and softens and adjacent portion of the waxy layer. The softened waxy material adheres to the microgranules upon solidification, and when the webs are separated the colored microgranules transfer to the receiving web in accordance with the pattern of radiation.

The device includes means for positioning a portion of the strip material at an exposure station with the layers in face-to-face contact and a reflective template having at least one radiation transmissive window in the shape of a graphic to be formed mounted to register the window at the exposure station adjacent the strip material. Means are provided at the exposure station for clamping the strip material and template in intimate contact, and a lamp is provided for irradiating the clamped strip material through the window to form a graphic on the strip material which corresponds to the window.

The lamp must provide momentary intense radiation so that the waxy material will soften and solidify almost instantaneously without appreciable lateral conduction of heat into the waxy layer adjacent the pattern of radiation received through the template. A xenon flash lamp, which produces a broad spectrum bluish white light in a flash of about 2 to 3 milliseconds in duration, is the preferred means for providing such radiation.

The flash from the xenon lamp will provide an amount of radiant energy which is dependent on the electrical energy input from its power supply. The minimum radiant energy required to form a graphic on the strip material is approximately 5 watt seconds per square inch of exposed strip material, with a preferred radiant energy being about 50 watt seconds (e.g., 25,000 watts for 2 milliseconds) per square inch of exposed strip material. The efficiency of the irradiation means in converting energy input to a Xenon lamp to radiant flux density received by the strip material is, among other factors, dependent upon the configuration of the lamp, the spacing of the lamp from the strip material, and the efficiency and configuration of the reflector used in the lamp. For an irradiation means according to the present invention which is estimated to initially be percent efficient, an energy input to the xenon flash lamp of watt seconds per square inch of area to be exposed has been found to form excellent graphics and to provide sufficient excess energy to compensate for line voltage changes and subsequent efficiency decreases due to aging of the xenon flash lamp.

A preferred template comprises a radiation transparent member or film having a highly reflective coating with at least one sharply defined opening providing the window through the template corresponding in shape to a graphic to be formed. The xenon flash lamp does not provide a point source of radiation. Thus the device presses the reflective coating on the template into intimate contact with the transparent web for optimum edge resolution in the pattern of radiation received by the pigment. Since the coating is highly reflective, it

may be very thin, (i.e. under 0.001 inch) so that the transparent member will provide a support in the window to restrict deformation of strip material pressed against the window) which deformation might otherwise decrease the resolution of the graphics), and yet the coating will not be heated sufficiently by any blocked radiation which might otherwise partially soften the waxy material in non-irradiated areas of the strip material. Preferably the coating is of metal and has a smooth surface adjacent the supporting member to provide specular reflection of the radiation. A bright copper coating having a thickness of 5000 Angstroms has been found suitable for use with a xenon flash lamp providing radiation of up to about 100,000 watts per square inch of area exposed over a period of about 2 milliseconds, while a bright aluminum coating, which has a reflectivity of over 88 percent for the wavelengths of light produced by a xenon flash lamp has been found suitable where the radiation may be more intense.

For graphics having a size less than about 72 points, the template is preferably circular and has a plurality of windows spaced in inner and outer concentric circular arrays (e.g. the windows may include all the letters, digits, and the punctuation in a common style and point size). The device includes means for affording lateral movement of the template to align either the inner or 1 the outer array of windows with the exposure station,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like numbers refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a device for forming graphics according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1 with certain parts broken away and sectioned to show structural details thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 44 of FIG. 2, but illustrated with a movable arm supporting a flash lamp in its exposure position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional viewtaken approximately along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 99 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a template taken approximately along the line 10-10 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the flash lamp and its power supply;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a device for forming graphics according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 12 with certain parts broken away to show structural details thereof;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line l414 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along the line 14l4 of FIG. 13, but illustrated with a movable arm supporting a flash lamp in its expose position;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 16--l6 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 17l7 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of an indexing and spacing mechanism in the device of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 18, but illustrated with portions thereof in a different position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing there is shown a device according to the present invention for forming graphics, which device is generally designated by the numeral 10. The device 10 is useful for forming graphics on a composite strip material 12 of the type previously described, and which is more fully described in. US. Pat. application Ser. No. 318,257, filed Dec. 26, 1972, the disclosure whereof is incorporated herein by reference.

The device 10 includes means for defining an exposure station 14 including a generally rectangular transparent plate 16, and means adapted for positioning a predetermined portion of the composite strip material 12 under the plate 16 including means for driving the composite strip material 12 along a path from a supply cartridge 17 past the exposure station 14. Graphics are formed on the strip 12 by irradiating means for exposing the portion of the composite strip material 12 located at the exposure station 14 to radiation in the pattern of a graphic to be formed. The irradiating means comprises a radiation means or light source 19 for mementarily irradiating the strip material 12 with intense illumination through a radiation transmissive window 20 in an otherwise radiation reflective template 22.

As is best seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 the device 10 includes a main frame 24 having a front wall 25, a rear wall 26, a first end wall 27 in which an outlet opening for the strip material is located, a top wall 28 having a generally planar surface on which the movably mounted template 22 is supported, and a second end wall 32 supporting a removable shelf 30.

A portion of the circular template 22 projects between a second support member 35 and the cantilevered end of a first support member 36 which the transparent plate 16 is mounted to afford alignment of one of a series of circularly arrayed windows 20in the template 22 between the transparent plate 16 and the strip material 12 at the exposure station 14. The light source 19 is a xenon flash lamp supported in the distal end of a lamp arm 37 mounted by a pin 38 on spaced projections on the first support member 36 for pivotable motion between a normal position (FIG. 3), to which the lamp arm 37 is biased by a spaced pair of springs 39, with the light source 19 spaced from the transparent plate 16; and an expose position (FIG. 4) with the light source 19 adjacent the transparent plate 16 at which the light source 19 will be flashed to expose the strip material 12 through a window 20 in the template 22, when a microswitch 33 in the arm 37 is closed by contact with a pin 29 projecting from the first support member 36.

The path for the strip material 12 through the exposure station 14 best seen in FIG. 3. The composite strip material 12 comprises two separate coated webs, each stored in wrapped condition on a separate reel 40 within the cartridge 18. The webs include a receiving web 41 having a layer of waxy material firmly adhered to one surface, and a donor web 42 having a releasably adhered layer of microgranules. The webs 41 and 42 extend through an outlet slot in the cartridge 17 with the layer of waxy material and layer of microgranules in face-to-face contact. The composite strip 12 is guided through the nip between a first driven roller 43 and an idler roller 44, around a guide roller 45 and across the exposure station 14 adjacent the portion of the template 22 beneath the transparent plate 16. From the exposure station 14 the strip material 12 extends along a path portion at which previously formed graphics (which are visible on the outer surface of the composite strip material 12) may be viewed by an operator through a glass 46 mounted in the first support member 36 abutting the transparent plate 16 and a viewing area through the template 22 adjacent each window 20. From the glass 46 the strip material 12 extends between a second driven roller 47 and an idler roller 48, through means actuated by a knob 56 for severing the composite strip material, and out of the first end wall 27.

The spacing between the outer edge of a window 20 and the viewing area in the template 22 is small to provide maximum viewing of the graphic adjacent the exposure station 14 through the glass 46. To prevent passage of light through the viewing area which might form unwanted patterns on the strip material 12 adjacent the exposure station, the end of the transparent plate 16 adjacent the first end'wall 27 is arcuate so that along its entire length it will be positioned over the portion of the template 22 between the window 20 and the viewing area, an d is coated with a reflective material such as chrome or aluminum.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the means for driving the strip material 12 along the path from the supply cartridge 17, past the exposure station 14, and out of the outlet opening, is operated by a knurled wheel 57 attached to a rotatably mounted shaft 58 carrying the second driven roller 47. The idler roller 48,

which is rotatably mounted on a support bracket 59 pivotably mounted on the first support member 36, is biased by a spring 60 to press the strip material 12 along the path into driving engagement with the second driven roller 47. A drive belt 61 extends between a pulley 62 attached to the shaft 58 and a pulley 63 coupled to a shaft 64fixedly carrying the first driven roller 43. The resilient periphery of the first driven roller 43 is pressed toward the idler roller 44 to afford driving engagement with the strip material 12 positioned therebetween. Thus, manual rotation of the knurled wheel 57 in either direction will drive the strip material 12 along the path.

A cartridge 17 is loaded in the device 10 by manually sliding a latch plate 52 against the bias of a spring 72 to a release position at which the heads of a pair of pins 68 may pass through the enlarged ends of a pair of slots 69. The first support member 36 is then pivoted on a pin 66 to an open position illustrated in dotted outline in FIG. 3, and thesecond support member 35 is pivoted on a shaft 73 which carries the guide roller 45 to an open position, as illustrated in dotted outline in FIG. 3, to afford access to the cartridge receiving cavity.

The irradiation means also includes clamping means at the exposure station 14 adapted for releasably clamping the template 22 in intimate engagement with the composite strip material 12 and for pressing the webs 41 and 42 of the composite material 12 into contact during operation of the light source 19 to fonn a graphic on the strip material 12.

The clamping means comprises the transparent plate 16, and a plunger assembly 88 slidably mounted in an opening in the second support member 35 for movement generally normal to the transparent plate 16. A mechanism is coupled between the lamp arm 37 and the plunger assembly 88 and is responsive to manual movement of the lamp arm 37 from the normal to the expose position to moving the plunger assembly 88 from a release position spaced from the transparent plate 16 to afford free movement of the template 22 and strip material 12 relative to the exposure station 14, to a clamping position with the plunger assembly clamping the portions of the strip material 12 and template 22 at the exposure station 14 against the transparent plate 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the end of the lamp arm 37 adjacent the pin 38 has spaced projections 75 each pivotally attached at a pin 76 to a link 77 slidably mounted at a slot on a pin 78 projecting from the first support member 36. The pair of parallel first drive links 77 each has an end 79 projecting toward the top wall 28. Each end is in engagement in a slot 80 in a second link 81 mounted at a slot for reciprocal motion on a pin 82 projecting from the second support member 35. The ends 78 may be separated from the slots 80 to afford movement of the support members 35 and 36 to their open positions to replace a cartridge 17.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and7, the parallel pair of second drive links 81 are connected at their ends opposite the slots 80 by a drive pin'83 guided for sliding movement along a path parallel to the surface of the top wall 28 in a slot 84 formed in a bracket 85 fixedly attached to the second support member 35. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the drive pin 83 slidably engages a cam slot 86 in a plug 87 of the plunger assembly 88 mounted in an opening in the second support member 35 for sliding movement in a direction generally normal to the direction of movement of the drive links 77 and 81. The cam slot 86 is angularly disposed with respect to the direction of motion of the drive pin 83 in the slot 84, so that movement of the drive pin 83 to the end of the slots 84 and 86 adjacent the first end 27 of the frame 24 in response to manual movement of the lamp arm 37 from its normal to its expose position provides movement of the plunger assembly 88 from its release position to its clamping position. Subsequent movement of the lamp arm 37 from its expose to its normal position under the influence of the spring 39 moves the 'drive pin 83 to the end of the slots 84 and 86 adjacent the second end wall 32, and thereby the plunger assembly from its clamping to its release positioni f The light source 19 comprises a pair of xenon filled tubes'96 mounted in clips 97 within an arcuate reflector'104 in the lamp am 37, ands power supply corn prising means for rectifyingpo wer frdm a 1l7 volt AC source, for storing a supply 6f DC powenjand for discharging the stored DC power through the xenon tubes 96 when the 'microswitch 33 mounted in the lamp 37 is activated by contact with the pin 29 upon movement of the lamp arm 37 to the expose position.

Circuitry for providing a suitable power supply and for affording flashing of the light source 19 is schematically set-forth in FIG. 10. A conventional plug 101 is provided to connect 5117 to 300 volt transformer 102 to an external power source through a main power switch 103. The 300 volt RMS AC power from the transformer 102 is rectified by a conventional voltage of each AC cycle "to charge the capacitor 108, causing the voltage across both capacitors 107 and 10f? to reach approximately 850 volts. Additionally, a third diode 111 is connected across the first capacitor 107,

and a fourth diode 112 is connected across the second capacitor '108to prevent either of the electrolytic capacitors 107 or 108 from becoming damaged by be:

due to capacitor tolerance.

Thus','the circuitry described in the preceding para- I graph, which is located in a housing 109 within the and normally closed switch 125 are connected in series across the lines 114 and 115. The switch 125 is mounted in the housing 109 and maintained in an open condition by contact with the back panel. When the back panel is removed to gain access to the housing 109, the switch 125 will close causing any charge on the capacitors 107 and 108 to immediately drain through the resistor 124.

Asis best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 10 the reflective template 22 is preferably formed of a thin radiation transparent member 126 having a highly radiation reflective coating 127 such as metal disposed adjacent thestrip material 12. The reflective coating 127 has sharply defined open areas corresponding to graphics to be formed, which open areas define the radiation transparent windows 20 through the template 22. The windows 20 are spaced in inner and outer concentric circular arraysl29 and 130 respectively. The reflective coating 127 also has two concentric annular openings 131 which provide the viewing area adjacent each window 20. The annular openings 131 afford visual inspection of the portion of the strip material 12 positioned along the path under the glass 46 just subsequent to the exposure station 14, as may be desirable to insure a proper sequence of graphics. Also, annular openings 131 each have at least one specially positioned mark 132 adjacent each window 20 which provide a portion of a novel means for determining the proper spacing 1 between adjacent graphics along the strip material 12 frame 24, provides a constant DC potential of 850 volts.

between lines 114 and 115 which extend to thela rnparm 37 and connect the potential across the series connected xenon filled tubes 96. Normally the tubes ,96 I present an open circuit between the lines 1 14 andi115, however the power supply includes means locatedin the lamp arm 37 for ionizing the xenon gas in thetubes 1 15 to provide a 170 volt potential across a l 44f capaciv tor119 connected to the line 115 through the input winding of a 170 to 12 KV trigger transformer 120.1

When the normally open microswitch 33 is closed upon movement of the lamp arm 37 to the expose position,

the charge on the capacitor119 will be discharged,

causing ahigh reactive voltage to be applied in wires 121 wound about the tubes 96 to ionize the xenongas within the tubes 96 and allow the charge in the capacitors 107 and 108 to flow through the xenon gas and flash the lamp 19 A p.1 1 inductor 122 is provided in the line 114 to structurally protect the xenon filled.

tubes 96 by slowing the current flow and provide a flash about 2 to 3 microseconds in duration.

Means are provided for discharging the capacitors 107 and 108 when the back panel of the rear wall 26 is removed from the device 10. A 300 ohm resistor 124 which is explained in US. Pat. application No. 318,256 incorporated by reference herein.

While the device 10 could use a template entirely of a reflective material such as metal and having openings .for providing radiation transmissive windows corre sponding to graphics to be formed and for providing viewing areas, the preferred coated construction provides cost advantages, Additionally, the preferred construction provides more versatility in the shape of graphics which may be formed because it provides means other than interconnecting ribs for supporting preferably non-interconnected reflective portions of the template as are required to form the center of letters such as O or A. Also, the preferred construction affords .the reproduction of half-tone photographs in which the, shading effect is produced by differentially sized non-interconnected dots of the reflective coating The windows 20 may be in the form of letters, numbers, punctuation, symbols or pictures including halftone photographs. The device 10 provides image resolution: in graphics formed on the strip material 12 of over 200 lines per inch. One desirable combination of graphics for a template 22 includes all of the letters (both lower and upper case) the numbers, and the punctuation in a given style and point size, which will allow complete printing of a desired message without changingthe templates 22. Preferably the upper case letters are in the outer array because of their greater average width, with the lower case letters being positioned in the inner array 129.

When the windows 20 correspond to letters, numbers or puncturation intended to be formed along an imaginary base line on the strip material 12, the windows 20 in each array 129 or 130 are oriented with their imaginary base line portions spaced at equal intervals, and with the imaginarybase line portion of each window 20 on the template 22 parallel to and spaced a uniform distance in a common direction from a radius of the template 22. With this relationship, the base line portion for each window at the exposure station 14 will be positioned at a common line parallel to the strip material so long as the radius parallel to the base line of that window 20 is parallel to the path of the strip material 12, and the center of the template 22 is not moved along a line normal to the path of the strip material 12.

lmaginary base line as used herein is a term of art in the printing industry, and refers to the imaginary common line generally along the bottom edge of numbers, upper case letters, and the lower case letters except those which extend into the descender space and have the bottom edge of their upper portion positioned on the imaginary base line such as g, p, q, and y. The term imaginary base line portion refers to that portion of such an imaginary base line which extends laterally beneath each graphic.

The windows 20 in each array 129 or 130 are ori- K ented so that for each window 20 the intersection of an imaginary line perpendicular to its base line portion and contacting its left extremity with the radius parallel to the base line for that window is spaced the same distance from the center of the template 22. This relation ship is important to the operation of means for allowing the operator to establish a predetermined spacing between graphics formed along the strip material.

As an illustrative example, the template 22 preferably may be formed by a known photographic technique using a transparent member or film 126 comprising a sheet of 0.018 cm (0.007 inch) thick photographic grade polyester which is free of all defects such as air bubbles. The highly reflective coating 127 is of copper or aluminum, and is applied to one surface of the transparent member 126 as by vapor coating. The reflective coating 127 must have sufficient thickness to be opaque to visible light, while being sufficiently thin that it will flex and adhere well to the transparent member 126. Vapor coated layers in the range of 5000 Angstroms (0.00005 cm) thick for copper and aluminum have been found suitable. A coating of photographic resist is applied over the metallic coating 127. Preferably a 0.0018 cm (0.0007 inch) layer of the photographic resist such as that sold under the trade name of Dynachem Laminar R is adhered via an adhesive coating to the metallic coating 127 by applying heat and pressure in a commercial laminating machine. A photographic film having black images corresponding to the areas to be removed from the metallic coating 127 is prepared in a conventional manner as by photographing a printed sheet. The negative is pressed against the layer of photographic resist, and the composite is then flooded with ultraviolet light which exposes all areas of the resist except those covered by the dark areas of the negative. The photographic resist is then processed by applying 1, l, l, Trichlorethane as by spraying or immersion, which washes away all portions of the resist not exposed to the ultraviolet light (i.e. in the areas covered by the dark portion of the negative during exposure). The composite is then immersed in an aqueous solution of ferric chloride which will etch away the metallic coating 127 exposed by the openings in the resist, leaving sharply defined openings in the metallic coating corresponding to the dark portion of the negative. The developed resist on the remaining metallic coating 127 provides abrasion and corrosion protection for the bright metallic coating.

The circular template 22 is then cut from the sheet material 126.

The device 10 includes means for registering a window 20 at a predetermined position at the exposure station 17 including graphic selection means for moving a selected one of the windows 20 on the template 22 to the exposure station 14 with its base line portion along a predetermined line parallel to the path for the strip material 14; and vertical alignment means for adjusting the position of imaginary base line portions of windows at the exposure station with respect to the width of the strip material 12.

The graphic selection means includes rotation means for affording rotational movement of the template 22 on the device 10 to position at the exposure station 14 any of the windows 20 in the array 129 or 130 which is aligned with the exposure station 14, and means for affording lateral movement of the template 22 to align either the inner or the outer circular array 129 or 130 of windows 20 with the .exposure station 14.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the device 10 supports the template 22 on a turntable assembly 133 including a turntable 134 rotatably mounted on a bearing assembly 135 with the outer surface of the turntable 134 coplanar with the adjacent template supporting surface of the top wall 28.

The turntable 134 has a central hub 136 adapted to closely engage a centrally located mounting hole in the template 22, and a radially spaced locating pin 138 adapted to closely engage a locating hole in the template 22.

A removable flanged knob 141 having a pin 142 slidably engaging the center of the hub 136 and which receives the locating pin 138 in a close fitting opening is provided to releasably retain a template 22 on the turntable 134. The knob 141 affords manual engagement to move the turntable 134 for positioning a selected window 20 in the template 22 at the exposure station 14.

The turntable assembly 133 is mounted for lateral movement parallel to the path for the strip material 12 to provide alignment of either the inner array 129 or the outer array of windows 20 with the exposure station. The bearing assembly is supported on a first parallel pair of drawer slides 145 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) each comprising a first elongate member 146 fixed to one side of the bearing assembly 135, and mounted for longitudinal movement parallel to the path of the strip material 12 on a second parallel elongate member 147 via a plurality of bearing balls 148 retained in parallel races formed between adjacent edges of the members 146 and 147. The second member 147 is mounted for movement on a path normal to the drawer slides 145 by a second parallel pair of drawer slides 149 identical to and positioned normal the first pair of drawer slides 145 to afford movement of the template 22 in a direction normal to the strip material 12 via the vertical adjustment means later to be explained.

Detent means are provided for defining a first relative position between the members 146 and 147 at which the outer circular array of windows 130 is aligned with the exposure station 14, and a second relative position with the inner circular array of windows 129 aligned with the exposure station 14; and for retaining the turntable assembly 133 at the first or second position until a predetermined lateral force is applied to the knob 141. As is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, a flat spring 151 is attached at its ends to the first member 146 adjacent the front wall 25. The spring arm 151 has a centrally located projecting arcuate portion which is adapted to press against and move along a bar 152 mounted transverse of a movable member 153 of the second drawer slide 149 adjacent the exposure station 14. The first and second positions of the turntable assembly are determined by engagement of the arcuate portion of the spring 151 with spaced notches 154 in the bar 152.

The vertical alignment means, best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, comprises the second pair of parallel drawer slides 149 which are oriented to afford adjustment of the template 22 along a line normal to the path of the strip material 12 via manual rotation of a knob 158 of a lead screw assembly 157 adjustably connected between the front wall 25 and the movable members 153 of the drawer slides 149. Rotation of the knob 158 will cause movement of a nut 160 along a thread shaft 156, and thereby movement of the turntable assembly 133 and template 22.either toward or away from the front wall 25 normal to the path for the strip material 12.

A thin indicator blade 164 oriented parallel to the path for the strip material 12 is attached to the movable member 153 adjacent the exposure station 14 for movement normal to the path of the strip material 12. The indicator blade 164 may be viewed through a transparent calibrated dial plate 165 in the top wall 28 to indicate to the operator where a line of graphics will be formed with respect to the width of the strip material 12 for each setting of the lead screw assembly 157.

The means for registering a window 20 at the exposure station 14 also includes a mechanism for precisely registering a window 20 at the exposure station 14 with its imaginary base line portion parallel to the path of the strip material 12 upon movement of the lamp arm 37 to its expose position. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 5, a series of V-shaped notches 167 are formed around the turntable 134 is predetermined relationships with respect to the windows 20 in a template 22 mounted thereon. A locating pawl 168 is coupled to the lamp arm 37 and has a radiused end 169 adapted for movement into engagement with an adjacent notch 167 to rotate the turntable 134 as required for precisely locating a window 20 at the exposure station 14 upon movement of the lamp arm 37 to its exposure position.

The turntable 134 has an inner set 170 and an outer set 171 of equally spaced notches 167 about its periphery. The outer set of notches 171 correspond in number to, and are equally spaced at the same angle as the imaginary base line portions for adjacent windows 20 in the outer array 130, while the inner set of notches 170 correspond in number to, and are equally spaced at the same angles as the base line portions for adjacent windows 20 in the inner array 129. The windows 20 in a template 22 mounted on the turntable 134 are positioned in a predetermined relationship with the notches 167 by engagement of the locating pin 138 with the cating hole in the template 22 so that a window at the exposure station 14 will be precisely positioned with its base line portion parallel to the path of the strip material 12 when the pawl 168 engages a notch 170.

The coupling between the pawl 168 and the lamp arm 37 comprises a bar 173 slidably mounted in a recess in the top wall 28 and guided for movement through a close fitting orifice in an end wall of the recess. The bar 173 has an opening 175 adapted to be engaged by a projecting arm 176 (FIG. 7) attached to the adjacent second drive link 81 on the second support member 35, which engagement facilitates moving the second support members 35 and 36 to their open position.

The bar 173 is attached at one end to a cable 177 housed in a flexible shield 178. The end of the shield 178 adjacent the bar 173 is secured by a bracket to the frame 24. The opposite end of the cable 177 is attached to the pawl 168, and the end of the shield 178 adjacent the pawl 168 is adjustably attached to a pawl support assembly 179 carried with the turntable assembly 133 between its first and second position.

Movement of the lamp arm 37 to its exposed position causes movement of the bar 173, and thereby the cable 177 to afford firm engagement of the pawl 168 in an adjacent notch 167 under the influence of a spring 181 mounted between the pawl 168 and the pawl support assembly 179 to rotate the turntable as required to align the window 20 at the exposure station 14, whereas movement of the lamp arm 37 to its normal position under the influence of the spring 39 retracts the pawl 168 from the adjacent notch 167 against the bias of the spring 181 and affords free rotation of the turntable 134.

The positioning of the pawl 168 is shifted to afford engagement with the outer set of notches 171 when the turntable assembly 133 is in its first position with the outer array of windows aligned with the exposure station 14, and to afford engagement with the inner set of notches when the turntable assembly 133 is in its second position with the inner array of windows 129 aligned with the exposure station 14.

The pawl support assembly 179 includes a base plate 183 pivotably attached to the bearing assembly 135 at a pin 184. The pawl 168 is a generally C-shaped member pivotably mounted opposite its arcuate end 169 at a pin 187 on the base plate 183 to afford movement of the arcuate end 169 radially of the turntable 134 to engage the adjacent notch 167. A follower projects from the end of the base plate opposite the pin 184, and is slidably supported through a slot in a cam member 188 attached to the top wall 28. The slot in the cam member 188 is inclined with respect to the top wall 28 so that movement of the turntable assembly 133 between its first and second position will cause corresponding pivotal motion of the base plate 183 between a first position with the arcuate end 169 aligned for engagement with the outer set of notches 171, and a second position with the arcuate end 169 aligned for engagement with the inner set of notches 170.

To operate the device 10, an operator removes the knob 141, mounts a desired template 22 on the turntable with one portion of the template 22 between the first and second support members 35 and 36, notes where a line of graphics to be formed will be positioned with respect to the width of the strip material 12 by observing the position of the indicator blade 164, and makes any desired adjustment by rotation of the knob 158. Next, the operator begins the graphic forming process by positioning a window 20 in the template 22 corresponding to the first graphic to be formed under the transparent plate 16, which may be done by rotating the knob 141, and/or moving the knob 141 laterally to change the array of windows 129 or 130 aligned at the exposure station 14. The operator then manually moves the lamp arm 37 to the expose position (FIG. 4) at which the light source 19 is flashed when the microswitch 33 is engaged by the pin 31. Such movement of the arm 37 engages the pawl 168 with an adjacent notch in the turntable 134 to precisely register the window at the exposure station 14, and moves the plunger assembly 88 to press the length of strip material 12 at the exposure station 14 into intimate contact with the template 22 against the transparent plate 16.

The lamp arm 37 is then allowed to return to its normal position, and the operator drives the strip material along the path by rotation of the knurled wheel 57 to position an edge extremity of the newly formed graphic at a mark 190 in the viewing area of the template 22 which isvisiblethrough the glass 46 in the first support member 36, thereby providing a predetermined desired spacing between the newly formed graphic and the next graphic to be formed. The operator then repeats the simple window selection and exposure process until a desired string of graphics is formed along the strip material.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 through 19 there is shown a second embodiment of a device according to the present invention generally designated by the numeral 200. Like the device 10, the device 200 is useful for forming graphics on a composite strip material 212 of the type previously described in the Summary of the Invention, and which is more fully described in US. Pat, Application No. 318,257, now abandoned in favor of C.I.P. application Ser. No. 420,310.

Also like the device 10, the device 200 includes means for defining an exposure station 214 including a generally rectangular tranparent plate 216, and means adapted for positioning a prdetermined portion of the composite strip material 212 under the plate 216 including means for driving the composite strip material 212 along a path from a supply housing 217 past the exposure station 214. Graphics are formed on the strip 212 by irradiating means for exposing the portion of the composite strip material 212 located at the exposure station 214 to rediation in the pattern of a graphic to be fonned. The irradiating means comprises a radiation means'or light source 219 for momentarily irradiating the strip'material 212 with intense illumination through a radiation transmissive window 220 in a radiation reflective template 222.

As is best seen in FIGS. 12 and 13 the device 200 includes a main frame 224 which is attached within a generally L-shaped sheet metal enclosure including a front wall 225, a rear wall 226, a first end wall including an outer portion 227 and an inner portion 228 between which may be 'seen a portion of the frame 224 which supports the supply housing 217, and a second end wall 230. A top wall 232 sets into and is removable from the walls 225, 22 6, 227, 230, 228. The top wall 232 has a generally planar surface on which the template 222 is supported.

A portionn of the circular template 222 projects between a second support member 235 mounted on the frame'224 and the cantilevered end of a first support member 236 in which the transparent plate 216 is mounted to afford alignment of one of a series of circularly arrayed windows 220 in the movably mounted template 222 between the transparent plate 216 and the strip mat erial 212 at the exposure station 214. The light source 219 is a xenon flash lamp supported in the distal end of a lamp arm 237 mounted on the frame 224 by a pin 238 for pivotable motion between a normal position (FIGS. 12 and 14) with the light source 219 spaced from the transparent plate 216, and an expose position (FIG. 15) with the light source 219 adjacent the transparent plate 216 at which the light source 219 will be flashed to expose the strip material 212 through a window 220 in the template 222, when a microswitch 233 in the arm 237 is closed by contact with a pin 239 projecting from the first support member 236.

The path for the strip material 212 through the exposure station 214 is best seen in FIG. 16. The composite strip material 212 comprises two separate coated webs including a receiving web 241 having a layer of waxy material firmly adhered to one surface, and a donor web 242 having a releasably adhered layer of microgranules. The webs 241 and 242 are separately stored within the housing 217 in wrapped condition on cores 243. The cores 243 are retained on spaced hubs 244 by a transparent plastic plate attached across the front face of the housing 127 by a pair of screws threadably engaging the centers of the hubs 244. Pads of the brush-like material sold under the trade designation Fibre-Tran by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, of St. Paul, Minn., frictionally space the cores 243 from the hubs 244 to prevent free rotation of the cores 243. The webs 241 and 242 extend through an outlet slot in the housing 217 with the layer of waxy material and layer of microgranules in face-to-face contact, over an idler roller 245, around a rubber sleeve 246 mounted for frictional rotation about a spool fixed to the frame 224, and around a roller 247. The roller 247 is rotatably mounted on a shaft projecting from one end of an arm 248 having its other end pivotably mounted on the frame 224 (FIG. 13). The shaft projects through a slot 249 in the frame 224 which limits movement of the arm 248, and the arm 248 is biased to the end of the slot 249 opposite the exposure station 214 by a spring 250. From the roller 247, the strip material 212 extends across the exposure station 214 beneath the portion of the template 222 under the transparent plate 216, along a passageway between the first and second support members 235 and 236, between a driven roller 251 and an idler roller 252, and exits from the device 200.

The means for driving the strip material 212 along the path from the supply housing 217, past the exposure station 214, and out of the device 200 is manually operated by a knurled knob 257 projecting from the second support member 235 (FIG. 12). The knob 257 is attached to a shaft rotatably mounted on the" second support member 235, which shaft fixedly carries the driven roller 251, and has on its end opposite the knob 257 a plate 258 (FIG. 13) in frictional engagement with a pad attached to the second support member 235 to restrict rotation of the driven roller 251 until a predetermined torque is applied. The driven roller 251 has a rubber outer sleeve adapted for driving engagement with the strip material 212. The idler roller 252 is rotatably mounted on a bifurcated support bracket 259 pivotably mounted on the first support member 236 (FIG. 16) and which is biased by a spring 260 so that the idler roller 252 will press the strip material into driving engagement with the driven roller 251. When the wheel 257 is rotated to advance the strip material 212 along the path, tension in the strip material 212 caused by frictional rotation of the sleeve 246 will cause the roller 247 and arm 248 to move toward the driven roller 251 against the bias of the spring 250 until it is stopped by impingement against the end of the slot 249. The spring 250 then provides a minimum tension for the length of strip material 212 across the exposure station 214 be tween the frictionally restrained driven roller 251 and rubber sleeve 246. Also, if the operator inpositioning the strip material 212 at the exposure station 214 rotates the wheel 257 to move the strip material 212 along the path from the driven roller 251 toward the exposure station .214, the roller 247 will move away from the driven roller 251 under the influence of the spring 250 (to the extent allowed by the slot 249) to maintain tension in the length of strip material 212 ceive the reduced sections adjacent the heads of they pins 262. A locking screw 266 having a large knurled head threadably engages the bar 264 between the notches with its end opposite the head in engagement with the second support member 235 to pull the pins 262, and thereby the first support member 236, into firm engagement with the second support member 235. The first support member 236 is removed' to facilitate threading of the strip material 212 by loosening the locking screw 266, disengaging the bar 264 from the pins 262, and lifting the first support member 236 away.

The irradiation means also includes clamping'means at the exposure station 214 adapted for releasably clamping the template 222 in intimate engagement with the composite strip material 212 and for pressing the . webs 241 and 242 of the composite material 212 into contact during operation of the light source 219 to form a graphic on the strip material 212.

The clamping means comprises the transparent plate 216, anda plunger assembly 268 slidably mounted in an opening in the second support member 235 for movement generally normal to the transparent plate 216 (FIGS. 16, 14 and 15). Also included is a coupling between the lamp arm 237 and the plunger assembly 268 which, upon manual movement of the lamp arm the strip material 212 relative to the exposure station I 214, and a clamping position with the plunger assembly toward its expose position (FIG. 15). The rod 272 slidably engages an opening in the bar, and is retained therein by a' nut threadably engaging its end. The rod 272 slidably passes through a bracket on the frame 224 which supports a spring 273 against a collar fixedly attached to the rod 272. The spring 273 biases the arm 237 to its normal upright position defined by ledges on the side plates 269 engaging stops 275 on the frame 224(FIG. 14). The end of .the rod 272 opposite the arm 237 is pivotally attached to a cam member 277. The cam member 277 is pivotally attached to the frame 224 at a pin 279 offset from the point of attachment of the rod 272 so that the cam member 277 will rotate upon translation of the rod 272.

The cam member 277 has a camming surface 280 against which the plunger assembly is biased by a leaf spring 281 between the plunger assembly and the second support member 235. The camming surface is shaped to move the plunger assembly to an upper position to press the strip material and template against the transparent plate 216 as the arm 237 is moved to its expose position, and to allow the plunger to move under the influence of the leaf spring 281 to a lower position spaced from the transparent plate 216 to afford movement of the strip material 212 as the arm moves to its normal upright position.

The plunger assembly 268 includes a rigid piston 283 (e.g. Teflon) slidably engaging the opening in the second support member 235, and a block 284 attached to the side of the piston 283 opposite the first support member 236 which clamps the center of the leaf spring 281 against the piston 283 and contacts the camming surface 280. A resilient rubber pad 286 is supported by the piston 283 adjacent the transparent plate 216 and serves to evenly distribute clamping forces against the strip material 212. The pressure exerted by the piston assembly is adjustable by adjusting the nut which attaches the rod 272 through the bar 270.

The light source 219 comprises a pair of xenon filled tubes mounted in parallel by clips within an arcuate reflector in the lamp arm 237, and a power supply comprising means for rectifying power from a 117 volt AC source, for storing a supply of DC power, and for discharging the stored DC power through the xenon tubes when the microswitch 233 mounted in the lamparm 237 is activated upon movement of the lamp arm 237 to its expose position. The mounting of the tubes and reflector, and the circuitry for providing a suitable power supply and for affording flashing of the light source 219 is not illustrated, as it is essentially :the same 7 as that provided for the device 10 except for the substi- 268 clamping the portions of the strip material 212 and template 222 at the exposure station 214 against the transparent plate 216.

The coupling between the lamp arm 237 and the plunger assembly 268 is best seen in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. The base of the lamp arm 237 has spaced generally circular side plates 269. The shaft 238 is fixedly attached through the axes of the side plates 269 and is rotatably mounted adjacent its ends through brackets forming a part of the frame 224. A bar 270 is mounted between the side plates 269 for pivotal motion about its longitudinal axis. The axis of the bar 270 is parallel to and spaced from the axis of the shaft 238 to provide a crank to pull a rod 272 centrally coupled to the bar 270 toward the rear wall 226 when the arm 237 is moved tution of the microswitch 233 for the microswitch 33.

The reflective template 222 is essentially identical to the template 22 of the device 10, except that it has no annular viewing opening around the outer array of graphic shaped windows, the positioning marks are not provided and the reflective coating is a greater distance beyond the outer edge of a window to provide a broader mask for restricting passage of light to the strip material 212 which is along the path beside the exposure station 214. These changes are possible because the device provides a different spacing system as will be explained later. Like the template 22, the template 222 is formed of a thin radiation transparent member having a highly radiation reflective coating with sharply defined open areas corresponding in shape to graphics to be formed, and defining radiation transparent windows 220 through the template 222. The windows 220 are spaced in inner and outer concentric circular arrays. The reflective coating has an annular opening between the arrays which provide a viewing area 291 affording visual inspection of the strip material 212 positioned along the path just subsequent to the exposure station to inspect and space graphics, as will be explained later. The windows 290 are oriented within each array in the manner previously described for the windows 20 of the template 22.

The device 200 includes means for registering a win dow 220 at a predetermined position at the exposure station 214 comprising graphic selection means for moving a selected one of the windows 220 on the template 222 to the exposure station 214 with its base line portion along a predetermined line along the path for the strip material 212.

The graphic selection means includes means for affording rotational movement of the template 222 on the device 200 to position at the exposure station 214 any of the windows 220 in the circular array which is aligned with the exposure station 214, and means for affording lateral movement of the template 222 to align either the inner or the outer circular array of windows 220 with the exposure station 214.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 17, the device 200 supports the template 222 on a turntable assembly in cluding a turntable 300 rotatably mounted on a bearing assembly 302 with the outer surface of the turntable 300 coplanar with the adjacent template supporting surface of the top wall 232.

The turntable 300 has a central upwardly projecting hub 303 adapted to closely engage a centrally located mounting hole in the template 222, and a radially spaced locating pin 304 adapted to closely engage a loeating hole in the template 222.

A removable flanged knob 301 is provided to retain a remplate 222 on the turntable 300 and to afford manual movement of the turntable 300 to position a selected window 220 in the template 222 at the exposure station 214. The knob 301 has a central opening sized to slidably receive the turntable hub 303 and receives the locating pin 304 in a close fitting notch at its periphery so that the knob 301 presses the template 222 against the turntable 300 and provides rotational driving engagement between the knob 301 and the turntable 300.

The turntable assembly is mounted for lateral movement in a direction parallel to the path for the strip material 212 to provide alignment of either the inner or outer array of windows 220 with the exposure station 214. The bearing assembly 302 is supported on a first or upper parallel pair of drawer slides 305 (FIGS. 16 and 17) each comprising a first elongate member 306 fixed to one end of the bearing assembly 302, and mounted for longitudinal movement parallel to the path of the strip material 212 on a second parallel elongate member 307 via a plurality of bearing balls 308 retained in parallel races formed between adjacent edges of the members 306 and 307. The second member 307 is mounted on a plate 310 also mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the path for the strip material 212 by a second or lower parallel pair of drawer slides 311 between the plate 310 and the frame 224, which drawer slides 311 are identical to and positioned parallel to the upper pair of drawer slides 305 and are included in means for setting the spacing between letters which will later be explained.

Detent means are provided for defining a first relative position between the turntable 300 and plate 310 at which the outer circular array of windows 290 is aligned with the exposure station 214, and a second relative position with the inner circular array of Windows 290 aligned with the exposure station 214; and for retaining the turntable assembly at the first or second position until a predetermined lateral force is manually applied to the knob 301. As is best seen in FIG. 16, a flat spring 313 is attached at one end to the bottom side of the bearing assembly 302. The spring 313 has a downwardly projecting arcuate end portion which is adapted to press against and move along a bar 314 mounted on the plate 310. The first andsecond positions of the turntable assembly are determined by engagement of the arcuate portion of the spring 313 with spaced notches 315 in the bar 314.

The means for registering a window 220 at the exposure station 214 also includes alignment means for precisely registering a window 220 at the exposure station 214 with its imaginary base line portion parallel to the path of the strip material 212 upon movement of the lamp arm 237 to its expose position. Referring now to FIGS. 13, 18 and 19, the alignment means comprises a series of U-shaped notches 317 disposed around the base of the turntable 300 in predetermined relationships with respect to the windows 220 in-a template 222 mounted thereon, and a locating pawl 318 coupled to the lamp arm 237 and having a radiused end 319 adapted for movement into engagement with an adjacent notch 317 to rotate the turntable 300 as required for precisely locating a window 220 at the exposure station 214 upon movement of the lamp arm 237 to its expose position.

The notches 317 are disposed about the turntable 300 in an axially lower or inner set 321 and an axially outer or upper set 322 of equally spaced notches 317. The upper set of notches 322 correspond in number to, and are equally spaced at the same angle as the imaginary base line portions for adjacent windows 220 in the outer array, while the inner set of notches 321 correspond in number to, and are equally spaced at the same angles as the base line portions for adjacent windows 220 in the inner array. The windows 220 in a template 222 mounted on the turntable 300 are positioned in a predetermined relationship with the notches 317 by engagement of the locating pin 304 with the locating hole in the template 222 so that a window 220 at the exposure station 214 will be precisely positioned with its base line portion parallel to the path of the strip material 212 when the pawl 318 engages a notch 317.

The coupling between the pawl 318 and the lamp arm 237 comprises a gear train including a gear 324 fixed to the shaft 238, a transfer gear 325, and a gear 326 fixed to a rotatably mounted shaft 327. A cam 328 is fixed to the shaft 327. A follower arm 330 is fixed to the pawl 3 18 and the pawl 318 is biased by a spring 331 for rotation about a pin 333 to press the follower arm 330 against the cam 328 and urge the pawl 318 toward engagement with the turntable 300. The cam 328 is elongate in a direction parallel to the path of transverse movement of the turntable 300, and is sufficiently long for engagement by the follower arm 330 when the tumtable 300 is positioned for alignment of either the inner or outer array of windows at the exposure station 214.

Claims (9)

1. A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures on a radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station; means adapted for positioning a predetermined portion of a said radiation sensitive material at said exposure station; and means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station in a sharply defined graphic pattern, including: a template comprising a thin radiation transparent member with a highly reflective coating less than 0.001 inch thick having at least one sharply defined open area corresponding in shape to a graphic to be formed to provide a radiation transmissive window through said template; means for mounting said template to register the window at said exposure station with said reflective coating adjaCent said radiation sensitive material portion; clamping means at said exposure station adapted for releasably clamping said template in intimate contact with said radiation sensitive material portion, said clamping means comprising one plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy positioned to engage said template at said exposure station and positioned to afford visual inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate; radiation means for briefly irradiating said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station through the transparent plate and aligned window comprising: a xenon lamp; means mounting said xenon lamp for movement between a normal position spaced from said exposure station to afford said visible inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate, and an expose position with said xenon lamp closely adjacent said plate at the exposure station; means connected to said xenon lamp for providing a power input to said xenon lamp of at least 5 watt seconds per square inch of exposure area in a time duration of about 2 to 3 milliseconds; and means for operating said means for providing a power input to said xenon lamp to flash said xenon lamp upon movement of the xenon lamp to its expose position; and means for activating said clamping means to clamp said template in contact with said radiation sensitive material portion upon movement of said xenon lamp to said expose position.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the power input to said xenon lamp is at least 50 watt seconds per square inch of exposure area.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said reflective coating is copper and has a thickness of 5000 Angstroms.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said reflective coating is aluminum.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device is adapted for forming graphics seriatim along a strip of a said radiation sensitive material, said means for positioning a predetermined portion of a said radiation sensitive material at said exposure station includes means adapted for defining a path for a said strip through said exposure station and manually actuated means adapted for driving engagement with a said strip for driving the strip along said path through said exposure station with the portion of the strip in said exposure station moving away from a first side of said exposure station and toward an opposite second side of said exposure station, and said device includes means for affording visual inspection of a length of said strip adjacent and moved past the second side of said exposure station.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said template is circular and has a plurality of said windows disposed in inner and outer circular arrays radially spaced a predetermined distance from each other, each array being coaxial with said template; said means for mounting said template includes a turntable removably supporting said template with an edge portion of said template extending between said plate and strip material from the first side of said exposure station, and means mounting said turntable for rotation about an axis coaxial with said template and for moving said turntable laterally to shift the axis said predetermined distance between first and second positions, correspondingly aligning said inner and outer arrays at said exposure station; and said reflective coating in said template between said arrays is discontinuous to provide a viewing opening therebetween beside each window of the inner array disposed at the second side of said exposure station when the inner array is aligned at the exposure station to provide a portion of said means for affording visual inspection of a said length of the strip adjacent the second side of said exposure station.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said transparent plate has a mark extending traNsverse of the path for a said strip adjacent the second side of said exposure station; the windows in each array are oriented so that for each window therein the intersection of an imaginary line perpendicular to its base line portion and contacting its extremity opposite the center of the template with a radius of the template parallel to the base line for that window is spaced the same distance from the center of the template; means are provided mounting said means mounting the turntable for movement in a direction generally parallel to the path for a said strip through the exposure station between a spaced position at which a window aligned at the exposure station has its said extremity spaced a second predetermined distance from the mark which is a desired spacing between adjacent graphics formed along a said strip, and an align position with the viewing opening disposed generally over the mark or the edge of the template spaced therefrom to afford visually aligning the extremity adjacent the center of the template of the last graphic formed along a said strip with the mark to provide said predetermined spacing from the next graphic to be formed; and the device includes means coupled between the lamp and the turntable for correspondingly moving the turntable between its align and spaced positions upon movement of the lamp between its normal and expose positions.

8. a device according to claim 1, wherein said xenon lamp is fixed in one end of a lamp arm mounted for pivotal motion between said normal and expose positions, said clamping means includes a piston assembly at the exposure station adapted to engage the side of a said radiation sensitive material portion opposite said plate, and means are coupled between the lamp arm and the piston assembly for moving the piston assembly to clamp the radiation sensitive material portion and said template against the plate upon movement of the lamp arm to its expose position.

9. A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures which are immediately visible, seriatim along a strip of radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station having a first side and an opposite second side and comprising a plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy and has a mark adjacent the second side of said exposure station; means adapted for defining a path for a said strip through said exposure station with said mark extending transverse of said path; manually actuated means adapted for driving engagement with a said strip for driving the strip along said path through said exposure station with the portion of said strip in said exposure station moving away from said first side and toward said second side of said exposure station; means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a portion of a said strip at said exposure station in a graphic pattern, including: a circular template comprising a radiation transparent member with a radiation blocking coating having a plurality of sharply defined open areas corresponding in shape to graphics to be formed to provide radiation transmissive windows through said template disposed in inner and outer circular arrays radially spaced a predetermined distance from each other, each array being coaxial with said template, said radiation blocking coating of said template being discontinuous between said arrays to provide a viewing opening therebetween beside each window of the inner array, and the windows in each array being oriented so that for each window therein the intersection of an imaginary line perpendicular to its base line portion and contacting its extremity opposite the center of the template with a radius of the template parallel to the base line for that window is spaced the same distance from the center of the template; means for mounting said template to register a selected window at said exposure station adjacent the portion of a said strip at the exposuRe station; including a turntable removably supporting said template with an edge portion of said template projecting between said plate and said portion of a said strip from the first side of said exposure station, and means mounting said turntable for rotation about an axis coaxial with said template and for moving said turntable laterally to shift the axis said predetermined distance between first and second positions, correspondingly aligning said inner and outer arrays at said exposure station, said viewing opening being disposed at the second side of the exposure station when the inner array is aligned at the exposure station; and radiation means adapted for activation to briefly irradiate the portion of a said strip at the exposure station through the template; means mounting said means mounting the turntable for movement in a direction generally parallel to the path for a said strip through the exposure station between a spaced position at which a window aligned at the exposure station has its said extremity spaced a second predetermined distance from the mark which is a desired spacing between adjacent graphics formed along a said strip, and an align position with the viewing opening disposed generally over the mark or the edge of the template spaced therefrom to afford visually aligning the extremity adjacent the center of the template of the last graphic formed along the strip with the mark to provide said predetermined spacing from the next graphic to be formed; and means for moving the turntable to its spaced position upon activation of said radiation means to form a graphic, and for moving the turntable to its align position between the formation of successive graphics to afford setting of the spacing therebetween.

Images