WO1999038586A1

WO1999038586A1 - Methods of manufacture of puzzle pieces

Info

Publication number: WO1999038586A1
Application number: PCT/GB1999/000291
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter George Whibley; Philip John Sanchez; Daniel Chaim Kishon
Original assignee: The Really Useful Games Company Limited
Priority date: 1998-01-30
Filing date: 1999-01-28
Publication date: 1999-08-05
Also published as: GB2333736B; GB9802140D0; GB2333736A; AU2290199A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacture of puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101) comprising the steps of dispensing from a roll (20) a sheet (21) of material and cutting puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101) in the dispensed sheet (21) of material by applying to the material a roller (22) which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101) with selected shapes. In a first aspect of the invention the sheet of material (21) comprises a cardboard top layer (40) supported on a substrate (41) with a layer of adhesive (42) holding the cardboard layer (40) together with the substrate (41) during cutting of the puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101). The roller (22) cuts puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101) in the cardboard top layer (40) without cutting the substrate (41) supporting the cardboard top layer (40). In a second aspect of the invention the sheet of material (21) has three plies comprising a surface ply (110), an intermediate substrate (111) and a base substrate (112). The surface ply (110) is adhered to the intermediate substrate (111) by a first layer of adhesive (113) and the intermediate substrate (111) is adhered to the base substrate (112) by a second layer of adhesive (114). The roller (22) cuts puzzle pieces (e.g. 11, 101) in the sheet of material by cutting through both the surface ply (11) at the intermediate substrate (111) and without cutting the base substrate (112). In a third aspect of the invention the cutting surface cuts in the sheet of material (21) a first puzzle piece (172) which is a jigsaw piece having a shape which includes a lug for insertion into and for engagement with a cutout in a second puzzle piece (173), the cutting surface separately cuts in the sheet of material (21) the second puzzle piece (173) having the cutout matching the lug in the first puzzle piece (172) and the lug in the first puzzle piece (172) and the cutout in the second puzzle piece (173) are spaced apart on the sheet of material (21) at the time of cutting of the first (172) and second puzzle pieces (173).

Description

METHODS OF MANUFACTURE OF PUZZLE PIECES

The present invention relates to methods of manufacture of puzzle pieces for use in either or both of three-dimensional puzzles and/or jigsaw puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles are well known puzzles of the prior art. The applicant has also produced a range of puzzles sold under the trade mark Sculpture Puzzles (examples are identified in earlier published specifications of the applicant) . In the past the pieces of all such puzzles have been manufactured by stamping sheet material (e.g. cardboard) in presses which comprise two generally flat plates cyclically brought together and separated (with the sheet material in between) . The pattern of pieces is defined in one or other plate and the puzzle pieces are cut according to the pattern.

The present invention provides in a first aspect a method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of : dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes; wherein the sheet of material comprises a cardboard top layer supported on a substrate with a layer of adhesive holding the cardboard layer together with the substrate during cutting of the puzzle pieces; and the roller cuts puzzles pieces in the cardboard top layer without cutting the substrate supporting the cardboard top layer. The present invention provides in a second aspect a method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of : dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes; wherein: the sheet of material has three plies comprising a surface ply, an intermediate substrate and a base substrate; the surface ply is adhered to the intermediate substrate by a first layer of adhesive and the intermediate substrate is adhered to the base substrate by a second layer of adhesive; and the roller cuts puzzle pieces in the sheet of material by cutting through both the surface ply and the intermediate substrate and without cutting the base substrate .

The present invention provides in a third aspect a method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of : dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes, wherein: the cutting surface cuts in the sheet of material a first puzzle piece which is a jigsaw piece having a shape which includes a lug for insertion into and for engagement with a cut-out in a second puzzle piece; the cutting surface separately cuts in the sheet of material the second puzzle piece having the cut-out matching the lug in the first puzzle piece; and the lug on the first puzzle piece and the cut-cut in the second puzzle piece are spaced apart on the sheet of material at the time of cutting of the first and second puzzle pieces.

The present invention provides in a fourth aspect a method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of: dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts puzzle pieces with selected shape, wherein: the sheet of material comprises a first layer which is cut to form the puzzle pieces and which has thickness in the range 0.2 to 0.7 mm; and a puzzle piece cut in the first layer has a curved edge with a radius of curvature in the range of 1.5 to 2.00 mm.

Preferred manufacturing methods according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a representation of a three- dimensional puzzle made according to a method of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a first manufacturing process according to the invention suitable for making the puzzle pieces of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a representation of a sheet of puzzle pieces formed by the manufacturing process of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view showing a stage of the manufacturing process of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a detail view showing another stage of manufacturing process of Figure 2 ;

Figure 6 is a representation of a igsaw type puzzle made according to a method of the invention; Figure 7 is a detail view showing a stage of a manufacturing process suitable for making pieces for the puzzle of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail view showing another stage of the manufacturing process of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a view of part of a sheet formed with pieces for the puzzle of Figure 6.

Referring first to Figure 1, there can be seen a three-dimensional puzzle 10 which comprises a plurality of planar elements 11 stacked together to define an identifiable three-dimensional figure of a chosen shape and configuration (e.g. a bust of Winston Churchill) . The planar elements 11 each have an aperture passing therethrough and the apertures enable mounting on a core member 12 which extends through all of the stacked planar elements 11 in the finished puzzle. The core member 12 extends vertically from a base 13 to a free end with a threaded portion on which can be threaded a cap member which secures all of the planar elements 11 on the core member 12.

In the past the planar elements 11 have been made in the manner that conventional jigsaw puzzle pieces are, namely by stamping of sheet material (usually cardboard) using presses. The presses comprise two places which are cyclically brought together and separated and at least one has raised cutting edges to stamp out the puzzle pieces. The known method has several limitations, particularly in the radius of curvature of the curved edge portions of puzzle pieces which can be formed by pressing (it is difficult to obtain a high degree of accuracy with the stamping process) . The limitations of the stamping process have in the last limited how small the puzzle pieces can be made and have limited the detail of features in the finished puzzle.

In manufacturing methods according to the present invention the puzzle pieces are made by a rotary cutting process. This process is illustrated by Figure 2. In Figure 2 there can be seen a roll 20 of sheet material 21. The sheet material 21 is gradually unwound and is then passed between two rollers 22 and 23 which are both driven to rotate in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 2. The rollers 22 and 23 are of hardened steel. The roller 23 has a smooth surface and the roller 22 has a cutting surface with raised ribs formed in a chosen pattern.

Figure 4 shows that when the sheet material 21 is selected to form pieces for the puzzle of Figure 1 the sheet material 21 comprises two plies 40 and 41. The ply 40 is of cardboard 0.4 mm thick. The ply 41 is of glacine paper of roughly 70 g/m². The plies 40 and 41 are kept together by a layer of adhesive 42.

The roller 22 has on its cutting surface a series of cutting edges (e.g. a cutting edge 43 is shown in Figure 4) . The cutting surface is typically photo- engraved. The cutting edges are configured to cut a plurality of puzzle pieces 50 in the sheet of material 21 as can be seen in Figure 3. The roller 22 cuts the shapes of the puzzle pieces 50 in the cardboard ply 40 only and the cutting edges do not penetrate the ply 41 which serves as a substrate for supporting the cut puzzle pieces 50 and holding them in position. However, the roller 22 will have at least one cutting edge (e.g. 44 in Figure 5) which cuts through both plies and which cuts the sheet material 21 into separate sheet, e.g. sheet 51 in Figure 3. On each sheet 51 there will be a plurality of puzzle pieces 50 which can be assembled together to form a complete puzzle (e.g. puzzle 10 of Figure 1). The substrate ply 41 keeps all of the puzzle pieces 50 together until they are used. The adhesive layer 42 is designed to resist shear stresses to keep the plies 40 and 41 together during cutting. However the adhesive layer 42 allows the puzzle pieces 50 to be peeled easily away from the substrate ply 41 by an assembler of the puzzle. An aperture for receiving a core member is defined approximately centrally in each of the cut puzzle pieces. The adhesive layer 42 is also designed to adhere more strongly to the substrate 41 than to the cardboard ply 40 so that when the puzzle pieces 50 are peeled away from the substrate 41 they do not carry any or carry little adhesive so that they are not sticky and do not adhere to each other in the assembled puzzle. Alternatively or additionally the adhesive layer 42 can be chosen so that it adheres cardboard to laminate, but cannot adhere cardboard to cardboard. Furthermore, again alternatively or additionally the adhesive in the layer 42 can be designed to loose its adhesive properties once the puzzle pieces 50 are peeled away from the substrate 41.

The preferred range of thickness of the cardboard layer 40 is 400 to 500 micron. The preferred material for the substrate 41 is glacine paper of roughly 70 g/m². The preferred range of thickness of the substrate is 60 micron to 100 micron. The preferred adhesive for the layer 42 is a resin adhesive.

The manufacturing method of the invention enables the puzzle pieces 50 to be cut with greater accuracy than the traditional jigsaw puzzle pieces. The rotary cutting process enables the puzzle pieces 50 to have curved surfaces with radii of curvature significantly smaller than the smallest radius of curvature practically possible with traditional stamping methods. The limit radii of curvature possible with rotary cutting is 1.5 mm and the preferred range of radius of curvature is between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.

Rotary cutting per se has been known before as a manufacturing process, but has been typically used for sheet material of significantly smaller thickness than the sheet material used to make puzzle pieces in the manufacturing process of the present invention.

A second type of puzzle which comprises pieces manufactured by a manufacturing process according to the present invention is shown in Figure 6. In this puzzle a base object 100 is provided in this case in the shape of an old fashioned gramophone. The puzzle is completed by adhering coloured stickers 101 to the base object. Each sticker 101 has the shape of a jigsaw puzzle piece, that is to say each sticker typically has a one or more lugs for engagement in cut-outs in other pieces and typically one or more cut-outs for engagement by lugs of other puzzle pieces. Gradually the jigsaw piece shaped stickers 101 are stacked on the base object one by one engaging one another until the majority of the base object is covered .

The puzzle piece stickers 101 are manufactured by the rotary cutting process illustrated in figure 2. However, the sheet material 21 used in the process is not a two-ply material, but a three-ply material, as can be seen in Figure 7. The three plies comprise a thin paper or plastic surface layer 110, an intermediate substrate layer 111 and a base substrate layer 112. The surface layer 110 is adhered to the intermediate substrate layer 111 by a layer of adhesive 113 and the intermediate substrate layer 111 is adhered to the base substrate layer 112 by an adhesive layer 114.

The cutting edge 115 shown in Figure 7 and majority of other cutting edges on the roller 22 are designed to cut through both the surface layer 110 and the intermediate layer 111, but to leave the base substrate 112 uncut. The rib 115 and other similar ribs will cut in the sheet a plurality of pieces 101 as can be seen in Figure 9 which is a plan view of the sheet of material 21 when cut by the ribs on roller 22.

The use of rotary cutting enables very accurate cutting of the puzzle pieces 101 from the sheet 21. This enables the cutting of pieces with curved edges having radii of curvature smaller than those possible with traditional methods. It also allows a complete departure from accepted practice. In the past the edges of adjoining puzzle pieces were always cut simultaneously by one cutting surface so that it was certain that the cut pieces would fit together. For instance a single cutting edge cuts the border between the pieces 170 and 171 shown in Figure 9. The cutting edge simultaneously cuts out a lug on piece 171 and a cut-out on piece 110 for receiving the lug of piece 171; thus there is certainly a fit. However, the present invention by its accuracy of cutting enables a lug of a piece 172 to be cut by a first cutting edge and a matching cut-out of piece 173 (into which the lug of piece 172 will fit) to be cut by a second different cutting edge. The lug of piece 172 and the matching cutout of piece 173 are not cut simultaneously. However, the accuracy of the manufacturing operation ensures that there will be a fit of the lug of piece 172 into the cut-out of piece 173.

The roller 22 will have a cutting edge 120 (see figure 8) which will cut through all three plies 110, 111 and 113 of the sheet material 21. The cutting edge 120 cuts the continuous sheet 21 dispensed by the roller 20 into separate sheets. Each sheet will bear a plurality of puzzle pieces 101 all destined for use in the same finished puzzle. The base substrate 112 holds all of the pieces together for subsequent use. When completing the puzzle the user will peel away from the base substrate 112 puzzle pieces each comprising matching cut pieces of surface layer 110 and intermediate substrate 111. The adhesive layer 114 keeps the intermediate substrate 111 in contact with the base substrate 112 during cutting by the roller 22, but allows peeling away of the cut pieces of intermediate substrate 111 and surface ply 110.

Once a piece has been peeled away from the base substrate 112 the user selects a correct location for the piece and then separates the surface layer 110 from the intermediate substrate 111 (which serves as a backing sheet once the piece is removed from base substrate 112), then adhering the surface layer 110 to the base object 110, with any lugs and cut-outs fitting with pre-adhered puzzle pieces. The adhesive layer 111 serves to stick the surface layer of a puzzle piece to a base object.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of: dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes; wherein the sheet of material comprises a cardboard top layer supported on a substrate with a layer of adhesive holding the cardboard layer together with the substrate during cutting of the puzzle pieces; and the roller cuts puzzles pieces in the cardboard top layer without cutting the substrate supporting the cardboard top layer.

2. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

1 wherein the cardboard top layer has a thickness in the range 0.2 to 0.7 mm.

3. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

2 wherein the cardboard top layer has a thickness in the range 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

4. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

3 where the cardboard top layer has a thickness of 0.4 mm.

5. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein after the puzzle pieces have been cut the continuous sheet of material dispensed from the roll is cut into separate sheets, each separate sheet comprising a section of substrate supporting a plurality of cut puzzle pieces which all fit together in the same puzzle.

6. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the adhesive layer permits peeling of cut puzzle pieces from the supporting substrate during assembly of a puzzle from the puzzle pieces.

7. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim 6 wherein the chosen adhesive has properties which allow the puzzle pieces peeled from the supporting substrate to be used without adhering to each other.

8. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim 7 wherein the adhesive remains adhered to the substrate after the puzzle pieces have been peeled from the substrate.

9. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a cut puzzle piece can have a curved edge with a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm.

10. A method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of: dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes; wherein: the sheet of material has three plies comprising a surface ply, an intermediate substrate and a base substrate; the surface ply is adhered to the intermediate substrate by a first layer of adhesive and the intermediate substrate is adhered to the base substrate by a second layer of adhesive; and the roller cuts puzzle pieces in the sheet of material by cutting through both the surface ply and the intermediate substrate and without cutting the base substrate.

11. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

10 wherein a cut puzzle piece comprising a cut surface ply with a supporting matching cut piece of intermediate substrate therebeneath can be peeled away from the base substrate during assembly of a puzzle from the cut puzzle pieces.

12. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

11 wherein the second layer of adhesive of the sheet of material keeps the intermediate and base substrates together during cutting whilst allowing the subsequent peeling away of the cut puzzle pieces.

13. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the cut intermediate substrate provides backing sheets for the puzzle pieces peeled away from the base substrate.

14. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first layer of adhesive of the sheet of material keeps the top ply together with the intermediate substrate during cutting and during peeling of puzzle pieces from the base substrate and when the intermediate substrate serves as backsheets for peeled puzzle pieces then the first layer of adhesive permits the intermediate substrate to be peeled away from the top ply, the first layer of adhesive remaining attached to the top ply and permitting the top ply of the puzzle piece to be adhered to a chosen surface.

15. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14 where the top ply is of paper.

16. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein the top ply is of a plastics material .

17. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16 wherein after the puzzle pieces have been cut from the dispensed sheet of material, the roll is cut into separate sheets, each separate sheet comprising a section of base substrate supporting a plurality of cut puzzle pieces all for use together in the same puzzle.

18. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 17 wherein a cut puzzle piece can have a curved edge with a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm.

19. A method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of: dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts the puzzle pieces with selected shapes, wherein: the cutting surface cuts in the sheet of material a first puzzle piece which is a jigsaw piece having a shape which includes a lug for insertion into and for engagement with a cut-out in a second puzzle piece; the cutting surface separately cuts in the sheet of material the second puzzle piece having the cut-out matching the lug in the first puzzle piece; and the lug on the first puzzle piece and the cut-out in the second puzzle piece are spaced apart on the sheet of material at the time of cutting of the first and second puzzle pieces.

20. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim 19 wherein a cut puzzle piece can have a curved edge with a radius of curvature in the range of 1.5 mm.

21. A method of manufacture of puzzle pieces comprising the steps of: dispensing from a roll a sheet of material; and cutting puzzle pieces in the dispensed sheet of material by applying to the material a roller which has a cutting surface which cuts puzzle pieces with selected shapes, wherein: the sheet of material comprises a first layer which is cut to form the puzzle pieces and which has thickness in the range 0.2 to 0.7 mm; and a puzzle piece cut in the first layer has a curved edge with a radius of curvature in the range 1.5 to 2.00 mm.

22. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

21 wherein the first layer has a thickness in the range 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm.

23. A method of manufacture as claimed in claim

22 wherein the first layer has a thickness of 0.4 mm.

24. A method of manufacture as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23 wherein the sheet of material comprises a second layer which is a supporting substrate for the first layer and which is held together with the first layer by a layer of adhesive and wherein the cutting surface cuts puzzle pieces in the first layer without cutting the supporting substrate .