Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PREPARATION AND APPLICATIO~ OF FLUORESCING
ADHESIVE MATERIALS
BACXGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful
improvements in decorative or informational signs,
pictures of the like, formed with a semi-liquid material
which is self-supporting prior to and after curing and
which includes fluorescent pigments so that the design or
picture has the ability to emit visible light under
excitation of light within the ultra-violet range. The
material is therefore an ultra-violet responsive,
fluorescent material.
Materials emitting light upon excitation by
light in the ultra-violet range are well known, said
excitation light commonly being known as "black light".
Such materials are usually fabrics impregnated with
fluorescent pigments or paints containing fluorescent
materials which can be brushed or rolled on supporting
surfaces such as paper, cardboard, wood or the like.
A common form of such paints is the well known
aerosol spray cans of fluorescent paints in various
colours.
However, there are considerable limitations to
the use of such paints. One of these limitations is the
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difficulty in producing fine outlines i~hich will fluocesce
under black light and -the impossibility of producing three
dimensional images which also will fluoresca.
The present invention overcomes thesa difficul-
ties by providing a semi-liquid matecial containing fluorescent
pigments and ~hich can ba extruded, applied with a palette
knife or tha like and can otherwise produce a thr~a-dimensional
self-supporting configuration upon a supporting surface such as
m~ntiorlad above and which will adhere to said surface. The
extrusion can be of any size within limits from a very fine
bead to a relativdly thick ribbon and thus gives considerabl~
flexibility to the preparation of signs and decora-tive featuces
~hich become visible undec black light and can be prepared in
various colours depending upon the fluocescent pigments
utilized.
Th~ plastic material readil~ curas to a solid
or sami-solid consistency and if a silicona elastomeric
material is utilized as the basa, a resilient or elastic
surface is produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
. . .
According to one aspect of the inverltion there
i3 provided an axtrudable ornamental rmaterial applicable to the
decoration of surfaces, colnprising an adhesive paste material
èxtrudable to a self-supporting, three-dimensional
configuration, that is self-curing to a solid under norma]
atmospheric conditions, and an ultca-violet respollsiv~
fluorascent pigment distributed throughout the paste material.
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The plastic rnaterial paste may consist of any
sami-liquid matdcial with the appropriate adhesive, salf-
supporting, extcusion and self-curirlg propecties and in which
tha fluorescent piyments may be incorporated. Such materia1s
are prefarably, but not necessarily, cleac and tcansparent
prior to the incorpocation of the fluorescent pigments.
The consistency of the uncuced material can be
varied readily and easily as can the curing or sat-up tirne of
the material once applied to the backing to the backing
utilized.
Preferred etnbodilllents of the material ar~
axtremely easy to prepara and use and are economical in rnanu-
facture and otherwise will suited to the purpose for which the
material is d~sign~d.
According to another aspect of the invention
there is provided an apparatus for the ornamental decoration of
surfaces cornprising:
a matecial with plastic propecties that is
extrudable to a thcee-dimensional configuration with adhesiv~
properties and self-curing to a solid under norrnal atrnospheric
conditions, and an ultca-violet cesponsive fluorescent pigment
distributed throughout the material; and
an extruding container containing the rnaterial
and adapted to extrude the materia:L in a predeterrllirled three-
dimensiona:L configuration onto a surface to be decorated.
According to a further aspect of the present
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invention thare is pcovided a method of providing a sucface
with a decorative appearance, said method comprising:
~ xtruding directly onto the surface in a pre-
determined threa-dimensional pattern an extrudable self-curing
paste that is self-adherent to said sur~ace, th~ past~ having
an ultra-violet responsive fluorescent pigment distributed
therein;
allowing the paste to cure to a solid
condition;
arranging an ultra violet light source so as to
direct ultra-violet light onto the surface; and
illumirlating the surface with ultra-violet
light from the ultra-violet light source.
With the foregoing in view, and other
advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art
to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds,
th~ invention is herein described by reference
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to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which
includes a description of the best mode known to the
applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the
p~inciples of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a back-
ing surface having an inverted U-shaped configuration of
the material shown thereon.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view along the
Line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional configuration of
a part of the backing material showing the combination
material as it might be applied by a palette knife.
In the drawings like characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Basically, the combination material consists of
a plastic base into which is incorporated a fluorescent
pigment. In this specification, the term "plastic" indi-
cates the consistency of the material and not the ingre-
dients thereof.
Such base materials are preferably of an adhe-
sive nature. These materials may include a relatively
viscous glue such as LePage's (Trademark) white glue, a
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silicone elastomer such as silicone caulking material or
any material of similar consistency to a loose putty into
which fluorescent pigments may be incorporated and which
will cure or set-up within a reasonable time and be self-
supporting during this set-up or curing period. In other
words, if a three dimensional bead of the material is
extruded or otherwise placed upon a backing such as
paper, cardboard, wood, plastic or the like, then the
bead will not sag but will remain in its three dimension-
al configuration until and af~er the curing has taken
place. This curing may be chemical or by air drying as
the case may be depending upon the ingredients of the
base material.
The fluorescent pigments may be in the form or
powders or paints, with fluorescent paint being the
preferred source due to the ease of applying and mixing
the requisite amount with the base material.
The preferable base material is a silicone
elastomer having adhesion promoting ingredients incorpor-
ated therein and~ available as a clear caulking material
in cartridges readily available in hardware stores and
the like.
The source of the fluorescent material is
preferably aerosol spray cans of fluorescent paint of
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various colours which are easily incorporated into the
silicone elastomer. The addition of such aerosol fluor-
escent paint tends to speed up the curing time so that it
has been found desirable to add a thinner such as a
lacquer thinner which delays the curing time and produces
the correct consistency of the mixed materials so that
they can be extruded onto a backing or applied by other
means such as a palette knife or the like, in order to
produce a three dimensional configuration which is self-
supporting during the curing time.
The relationship of fluorescent spray paint and
caulking material is preferably 5% - 10% by weight with
lacquer thinner being added in the proportions of approx-
imately 25% - 30% by weight.
As an example, to produce the desired self-
supporting consistency add 1 pint of silicone caulking
material to between 25% - 30% by weight of lacquer thin-
ner and mix-well. Then add from between 5% - 10% of
weight of fluorescent spray paint and mix and use.
However, the product could be thinned further
so that it has an ink-like consistency for the purpose of
intensifying reading material for visually impaired
people or for use as a paint in highway traffic control
and informational signs.
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The extrusion may be undertaken by a simple
extrusion device similar to a cake decorating assemblY
with the tip size chosen depending upon ~he desired
result. A relatively thin bead can be extruded or a
broad ribbon and the actual extrusion may be patterned as
desired.
An electric extrusion tool consisting of a
plunger system may be used with exchangeable tips and
with a rheostat to control the extrusion rate incorporat-
ed therewith.
Such a tool in the form of a gun enables the
operator to form the wording or pattern free hand or to
follow words or lines first drawn onto the backing sur-
face.
Various colours of fluorescent paint are avail-
able and it has been found that white fluorescence can be
obtained under black light bY mixing blue, orange and
yellow which givPs a dark brown colour but which, when
illuminated by black light, appears as a white fluores-
cence.
Pictures, designs, wording, and advertising
signs are readily prepared by appllcation of the present
invention applied directly to the backing surface.
The drawings are given as examples and refer-
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ence character 10 illustrates part of a backing sheeteither of wood, plastic, paper, cardboard or the like
upon which an inverted U-shaped configuration 11 has been
extruded and which adheres to the backing surface in a
three dimensional configuration as clearly shown in the
cross section of Figure 2.
Figure 3 shows a similar form of cross section
in which 12 illustrates the fluorescent material in three
dimensional form as might be applied by a palette knife
or the like.
In all cases, the pictured design or wording is
formed from an ultra-violet responsive, fluorescent
material as hereinbefore described.
Since various modifications can be made in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently
widely different embodiments of same made within the
spirit and scope of the claims without departing from
such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter
contained in the accompanying specification shall be
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting
sense.
