Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ ~67~;33
A23:16941:JPG
lo -:L-
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRINTING ON A SUBSTRATE
BY HOT-8TAMPING
~n ~any branches o~ indust~y, label~ or identi~i-
cation pl~te~ are needed ~or the ~arking o~ product3.
Examples ar~ the producers o~ texttles and the producers
o~ electrical/eIectronic apparatus. The former provide
their ~oven and no~woven materials with labels which ara
to give the user information about 8ize~ and instructions
regarding cleaning, washing-temperatures and the like.
- ~he latter must pro~ide thelr products ~ith serial numbers
and other varlable relevant product information. Such
users D~ labels, identi~ication plates and tha like,
rspeatedly demand the fulf~ll~ent o~ tWQ conditions which
the art has not to date been ablQ to satis~y with avail-
abl~ printing Bystem3- The two conditions ara perma-
nsncy of print and the abil~ty to rapidly alter variable
data to be printed.
Depending upon the use, labels ~ust be able ~o with-
stand relatively rough treatment processe~, e~g., frequent
washing and chemical agents. The samQ i8 trua o~ identi-
ficatlon plates which are cleaned by such agents. Never-
theless, it i~ expected that the respective in~ormation
carriers will remain readable over long periods of time.
36
~,9
''~
~Z~ 33
--2
1 Another proble~ i8 the formation of variable data
on the identification carriers. Ident~ication plates,
for example, carry regularly consecutive numbers, ~ith the
ConSeqUsncQ that every identiflcation plate i5 actually
an original. Variable data also occur in the case of
tQxtile ~arXing, ~or examplls, in the case o~ tha ~pecifi-
c~ion of product batches or lots, and data about color
and size.
It is clear that, in tha mass production of
lo identi~ication plate~ and labels, what must ba striven
for i8 to produce rapidly and without problems, tha
selectively marked carrier.
In the case o~ the production o~ marked textile
carri~rs with variable data, work is done today pre-
ponderantly with needla printer3. They transfer the
data delivered to tAem from a computer serially orlina-by-lina by needlQ pressura heads onto the substrate
employing colored or car~on ribbons. They do not, how-
ever, produce a particularly clean impression and, above
all, do not deliver an imprint which i~ satisfactorily
resistant to washing and cleaning. ~he pi~ment~ avail-
able are comparatively easy to wash out or may fade,
under certain circumstance . Thi~ method of printing is
altogeth~r unusable for the printing of textile labels
o~ comparatively open weave~ because the comparatively
liguid inX runs. In sum, the problem-fre~ printing of
variable data by t~i~ m~thod o~ printing, where usable,
is acco~panied by deficient permanence of the impression.
The opposite of thi~ method i~ printing by hot-stamping,
which delivers indlcia to carriers that are resistant
to wash~ng and cleaning, and o~ outstanding quality, and
for which 6hades and gualities o~ color are avallable in
extraordinary abundance. But, in the casa of th s method
of printing, the changing of data i~ time-consuming. In
this operat:ion the printed image i8 applied to the sub-
~Z~7~33
1 strate which is to be printed, by mean~ of a type block
or stereotype plats. Where the data ar3 variable, the
blocks, or, respectively, thc stereotype plates, mu t be
changed every time the data ara changed.
The presant invention i directed to a mathod of
: printing, together with a p.rinting system, which combines
permanence with tha ability to cheaply and automatically
print variable data~
Ths present invention provide~ a method, together
with appara~us, ror printiny on a sub~trate by hot-
stamping, in which the substrat~ and blocking-foil, pro-
vided with a layer o~ pigment, the layer of pigment being
trans~erable under contact pressure when heated, and
lying opposite, and racing, the surface of the ~ubstrate
which is to be printsd, are fed together through a stamp-
ing station in which the substrate and pre-heated block~
`: foil are pres~ed together between a pre~sure-reaction
member and a stamping member or printer with serial
- transfer of pigment as indicia onto the ~ubstrate occur-
ring by the applied stamping force. The indicia are
normally dots or character~ applied one after anoth2r.
The pigment i~ at a temperature at which trans~er will
25 - occur, normally at a temperature directly below its
melting point.
It is preferabla that the pigment-free surface of
the blocking-~oil be brought, in the stamping station,
into contact with a pres~ure~reaction member which also
heats the foilO
It is essential that thQ blocking-foil be preheated
on its faeclpath immediately be~ora reaching the stamping
station whi.le the subRtrate ln the stamping ~ation i~
guided into contact, by its rear face which remains
unprinted, with th~ pressure-reaction reaction member,
7~33
1 which 1~ optionally heated~ It iB dssired to al80 heat
the ~urface o~ the s~bstrata to contact the pigment, to
prevent chilling, thereby maximizing adhesion of the
transferred indicia.
While, in the case of convantional printlng by hot
~tamping, th~ printing block was heated and was pressed
onto the pigment-free surfacs of th~ blocking-~oil which
in turn borQ through the substrate again~t th2 pressure-
reaction ~emb~r, the procedure i8 now the opposits. The
heat nece~sary for the tran~3fer of the pigment onto the
gub5trate i3 introduced through preheatlng into the layer
of pigment and, i~ de~ired, through the heated pressure-
r~action member, so that the user become3 free in the
design of the printer and can use mechanisms which are
sensitivs to heat such as, for example, n~edle-printing
head3 or a number wheel mechanis~, in~tead of or respec-
tively in addit~on to, thQ stereotyp~ plate. While the
advantages of printinq by hot-stamping arQ completely
preserved, ths advantages of thQ needl~-printing method
are added to them.
~ prefarred devicQ for the performance of tha
method in accordance with the invention, is one in the
stamping station on the side ad~acent the rear face of
the substrate, where a prin~er head is arranged and lies
opposite a heated pressure-reaction member, which providPs
a pressure-receiving surface and an additional heating
element lying in the stamping station in contact with
the blocking-foil.
Alternatively, the pigment-free surface of the
blocXing-foil may be acted on by ths printer, and the
substrats is al~o in contact with the pressure-reaction
member, which is heated, if necessary, and a heating
element is arranged in contact with the blocking-foil in
a region leading to the stamplng 3ta~ion.
33
--5--
1 It may be emphasized that th~ suitability o~ a
fundamentally h2at-sensitlve printer head ha~ proved to
be functional, by b~aring in mind that the printing
block, ~n the casQ o~ convantional hot-stamping, has a
dwell againqt the foil of about one-tanth of a second,
while, in the case of the t:rans~er o~ the stamping forc~,
dot-by-dot by means o~ a printer, a contact time i~ in
the order of magnitude o~ only one-thousandth of a second.
~267 [)33
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The Drawinqs
FIG. 1 is a perspectiva of a ~irst embodiment of
ths invention ~n which the printing head i8 arranged on
the side ad~acent the rear face of the substrate which
remains unprinted;
FIG. 2 is a diagramatic slde ~levation o~ the first
embodiment;
FIG. 3 i~ ~ perspect~ve of a second embodiment, in
lo which the printing head i~ arranged on the side adjacent
the pigment-freQ surface of tha blocking ~oil; and
FI~. 4 i8 an elevation, corresponding with FI~. 2,
of the second embodiment.
-7-
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, substratQ 10,
which is to b~ printed, ancl a conventional blocking-foil
20 are fed together to ~ stamping station or zone 30
which is defined on one sida by a pressure-reaction
me~ber 40 ~n the form of a pressure-receiving beam or
: block, and on th~ other si~e by an indicia-forming
printer 50, praferably having a needle or do~-~orming
printing head.
Tha substrate has a top surface 12 which i~ to be
printed and a rear face 14. In this embodiment, thQ
needle-printing he~d of printer 50 i8 on the side of
the r~ar facs 14 o~ ths substrate 10 and can be moved to
and fro transversely to the direction o~ feed of the
substrata in a path of ~otion indicatad by an arrow 52,
in a machine ~rame (not shown). The direction of ~eed
o~ ~he ~ubs~rate through the stamping station 30 is
: indicated by arrow 16. Conveyance o~ the substrate 10
~ 20 and blocking-foil 20 in the region o~ the stamping station
- 30 are interrupted briefly during the actual printing
process.
The block~ng-foil 20 i5 provided on the side oppo-
site and facing surface 12 of 6ubstrate 10 with a conven-
tional layer o~ pigment 22 which i~ transferrable under
contact pressure when su~ficiently heated. On top o~
thi~ layer of pigment there i~ provided in known manner
a blocking layer tnot shown) and on top of thi~, a
carrier ~oil. The exposed surface of the carrier ~oil
form~ the sur~ace of blocking-~oil 20 oppo~lte pigment
surface 22 and is designated in the drawing by 24.
On its way to stamping station 30, blocking-foil
20 passes through a pr~!heating zone which, in the embodi-
ment, consists o~ a heated metal plate 60 contacting
3~ sur~ace 24 o~ blocking-foil 20. In th~ ~llustration in
~t7033
-8-
1 accordance with FIG. 1, the metal plate 60 ~ a separate
member. How~var, it may be connected in heat-conductivQ
relatlon to pressure-receiving member 40, and even be made
in one piecs with it, in which CaSQ the gap illustrated
to exist between member3 60 and 40 is omitted.
The heating element, or resp~ctively th~ metal plate
60, i~ dimensioned trans~erse to tha dlrection o~ feQd 18
of blocking-foil 20, to such a qize that the pigment layer
may ba preheated acros~ the whole range of the path o~
motion 52 o~ printin~ head 50. In the direction o~ feed
o~ the blocking-~oil, heating element 60, taking into
consideration its temperature, has a lenqth such that
~h~ pigment, upon reaching pres~ure beam 40, has been
heated to ths axtent that, in tha casQ o~ th~ stamping
forca being applied in th~ ~orm o~ a dot or character
by printer 50, i3 tranYferred cleanly ~rom the blocking-
foil onto substrate 10, which is also prefer2bly heated,
to enhance bonding of the indicia.
Thermostatic regulator~ ~not shown) are associated
with hea~ing element 60 and pressurQ-reaction member 40
- for the maintenance of the temperatures needed, and it
may be provided that the whol~ heating regions 60 and 40
are divided up into zonas at different temperatures.
FIG. 2 shows a sid~ elevation of a presently pre-
ferred embodiment of the hot-~tamping system illustrated
in FIG. 1. For the ~aXe o~ clarity here, too, and in the
remaining FIGS., the machine frame, drivlng mechanisms,
and electrical/electronic devices have been omitted as
such components are old in the art and lay within the
fiald of knowledge of a person trained in the design and
operatlon o~ printing machine~ and hot-stamping devices.
The direction of feed 16 of substrate 10 runs ln
FIG. 2 fro~ right to left. Substrate 10 is drawn o~
from a stock reel ~upported in the machine frame (not
shown) by Ineans of a pair of conveyor rollers 62', 62",
1;~67Q33
_g_
1 which lia behind the stamping stat$on 30 in the direc-
tion of ~ead and, in case o~ need, may ba assisted by a
further pair of conveyor rollers in front o~ the stamping
station in the direction o~ feed. Sub~trate 10, consist-
5 ing in the usual way of a sheet of textlle material ormetalized plastic foil, i~ led in ~ront of stamping ~ta-
t~on 30 along a slightly curved surface o~ a guide body
or member 54 ~nd in contact with thi~ sur~ace. In the
- embodiment, guide body 54 i~ heated and it8 temperature
regulatsd thermo3tatically.
Blocking-~oll 20 i8 dlrawn off by mean~ of a pair
of conYeyor roller~ 64' and 64~ fro~ ~ ~tock reel (not
: shown) supported in the machin~ frame tnot shown).
After passing betw~en conveyor rollers 64' and 64",
blocX~ng-~oil ~0 co~es into contact with a slightly
curved ~urface 44 on pressure-reaction member 40; at the
end of surface 44 iB deflected into sta~ping station 30
to run there in parallel with substrate-10; passes at
the end of ~tamping s~a~ion 30 around daflector edge 42
on pressure bea~ 40; and runs thencQ at a distancQ from
surface 46 on pre~sure-reaction member 40 approximately
perpend~cular to the direction o~ ~eed 16 of substrate
10 to a further pair of conveyor roller~ 6S' and 66",
which, ~ust like all of the other pairs of conveyor
rollexs, are driven.
Through the orientation of curved sur~ace 44 with
respect to the position o~ conveyor roller~ 64' and 64",
and through the pull exerted by ~urther conveyor rollers
66' and ~6", blocking-~oil 20 is kept in close contact
with curved surface 44 as far as deflector edge 42, and
heated up by pres~ure-reaction member 40. As al60 in
the illustration ~n accordance with FIG. 1, the heating
of blocking-foil 20 takes place from lt~ exposed surface
24.
~Z~;7~33
--10--
1 Additlonal heating o~ blocking-foil 20, as ~vi-
denced by FIG. 2, ~ay be carried out through radiation
of heat from surface 56 of guide body 54 to layer 22 of
pigment on hlocking-~oil 20. Surface 56, together with
surfaca 44, ~orms a V-sha]ped angl~ or gap, which tapers
in the dlrection towards stamping ~tation 30. ~he reduc-
tion in the spacing o~ sur:Eac~ 56 from layer o~ pigment
22, leads to an increas~ in the heat o~ radiation strik-
ing layer o~ pigment 22 from surface 56, until diractly
lo before reaching stamping sl:ation 30. The amount o~ this
heat of- radiation may be varied not only through a
variation of the temperature of guide body 54, but also
by guide body 54 being arranged in the machine framQ to
b~ able to be shi~ted ag a whols in parallel with the
direction of feed 16. It may also be achieved through
- an adjustabl~ position of guide body 54 in it~ machina
frame such that the angle o~ the '~V" gap between surfaces
: 44 and 56 can be altered.
: The heating o~ blocking-foil 20 in the region of
pressura-reaction ~ember 40 lead~ to a stretching of
blocXing-foil 20 in the direction of feed 18. In order
to ensure that blocking-~oil 20 nevertheless ~lways
rest~ tight again~t pressure beam 40 and is guided free
of flutter over deflector edge 42, it i~ provided that
the circumferential speed of conYeyor rollers 6S' and
661~ i8 slightly higher than that of conveyor rollers 64'
and 64". In practice, a di~ference in the circumf ren-
tial velocitias o~ about 0.5% has proved qui~e suitable.
Finally, with respect to the importance o~ deflector edge
42, attention ~ay again be called to the ~act that it
must lie in the direction of feed as closely as possible
beh~nd the needle head of printer 50. In this way,
blocking-~oil 20 i8 drawn away from substrate 10 right
after the production of thQ indicia printed by printer
blocX 50. In consequence, sticking o~ the blocking-foil
;~Z~7~33
--11--
1 to the substrate in the re~ion o~ tha printed indicia or
image thereby cannot occur, despite the ~act that the
pigment at this point i8 still adequataly soft ~or sticking
to occur.
The embodiment described hith~rto will pxeferably
be u~ed when the substrate does not excee~ a certain
thickness and when printer block 50 used has a compara-
tiv~ly high sensitivity to.heat.
The embodiment in accordanc2 with FIGS. 3 and 4
sssentially dif~ers from thle first embodiment only in
that tha positions o~ printlsr 50 and pre~surs-reaction
membar 40, with respect to substrate 10 and blocking-
~oil 20, are reversed. In tha descr~ption o~ the second
smbodiment, th~ samQ re~erence numbers as in the first
1~ embodiment are employed as much a~ pos~ible. Inso~ar as
nothing t~ the contrary is said below, ~11 of the state-
ments her~inabove ar~ relevant, obviou~ly or identically,
to the second embodlment.
In tha second embodiment, and with reference to
FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate which iB to be printed is
guided in the direction of feed 16 through ~tamping
station 30 with its rear faco 14 lying on pressure-
reaction member 40. The pressure-reactlon member in
this embodiment is represented diagramatically as a slab
elongated in the direction of feed 16 which may be heated
and its temperature can be thermo~tatically regulated.
As the illustration in FIG. 3 shows, slab-shaped pre~sure
beam 40 ends in the dlrect~on o~ feed 16 at the end of
stamping station 30.
Blocking-~oil 20 is fed to ~tamping station 30 at
an angle (I'V") ~o that the blocking-foil and the sub-
strate me~t only at stamping station 3Q, or ~ust before
it. Layer o~ pigment 22 on blocking-foil 20 lie~ opposite
or ~acing ~ubstrate 10, and blocking-foil 20, on the way
3S to stamp~ng station 3 makes contact by its exposed
i
I
-12- ~67~33
1 surface 2~ with heating element 70, which i~ brought as
close as po~sible up to stamping station 30, and extends
aw~y from stamping station 30 in the direction opposite
the direction o~ ~ead of blocking-~oll 20 for a di~tancs
which is adsquatQ ~or optimum heating of the blocking-
~oll. ~eating ~lement 70, touching blocking-~oil 20, iR
again equipped with at lea~t one heater cartridge, the
emi~sion of hsat from which i8 thermostatically regu-
lated.
In thi~ embodiment, 6tamping station 30 i~ defined
by the la~t portion of preslsure-raaction member 40 in
the direction of ~eed 16 and printing block 50 lying
opposite thi~ portion. FIG~. 3 and 4 show that thQ
stamping procas~ in thl~ embodiment i8 per~ormed from
exposed 6ur~ace 24 sf ~locking-foil 23. Sinca the
stamping force, which is exPrted, ~or example, by the
needles of a needle-printing head forming printer 50,
only as to overcome ~ho very thin carrler ~oil, and the
likewise very thin blocking layex o~ blocking-foil 20,
before it rea~hes the layer of pigment on the blocking-
foil, the thicknass o~ substrate 10 which is to be
printad, as well as the material o~ it, no longer play
any part towards a quantitatively excellent printed
image.
In order to exclude the proble~ of adhesion between
blocking-foil 20 and substrate 10 after the printing pro-
ces~, in the embodiment in accordanca with FIGS. 3 and 4,
a sharp deflection of blocking-foil 20 out of its direc-
tion o~ motion within stamping station 30, is again
carried out. For this purpose, there i5 provlded in the
direction o~ feed 16 directly ~ollowing stamping station
- 30, a kni~e beam 80, the comparatively sharp edge o~
j which is analagou~ to deflector edge 42 of the embodi-
ment shown in FIG. 2.
~2~7(333
-13-
1 While ~IG. 3 illuqtratas the fundamental arrange-
ment of ~he different member~, FIG. 4 show~, in a dia-
gramatic side elevation, the arrange~ent of the various
members o~ a pre~erred for~l o~ execution o~ th~ seoond
e~bodiment.
Substrate 10 i~ drawml by means o~ conveyor rollers
62' and 62N ~rom a stocX r~el (not shown). gubstrate 10
runs, ~rst sf all, over a horizontally aligned sur~ace
43 of elongated pres~urs-reaction ~ember 40, and is then
drawn to correspond with the ~hown po~itlon o~ a ~urther
sur~ac~ 41 o~ pressure beam 40 to point obliquely down-
wards through stamping station 30. Pre~sure bea~ 40 may
again b~ heate~. ThQ pair o~ conveyor rollers 62'and 62"
draws substrate 10 in steps through ~amp~ng station 30.
-It iY apparent that tha conveyance, a~ ~lready ~entioned,
is interrupted durinq the actual printing proces~. The
alteration ~n the diraction o~ the path o~ substratQ 10
at ths tr~nsition between sur~aces 43 and 41 o~ pr~ssure-
reaction member 40 sexve~ a purpose, which is ~urther
explained below and which, in addition, br~ngs about a
steady pos~tion o~ th~ substrate in stamplng station 30.
Blocking-foil 20, coming from a stock reel, is again led
through stamping station 30 by ~eans o~ two pairs of
conveyor rollers 64', 64" and 66', 66".
Between the ~rst pair o~ conveyor rollers 64' and
64" and sta~ping station 30, lies heating element 70,
having a curved ~ur~ace 74 as depicted in contact with
tha pigment-free sur~aca 24 o~ blocking foil 20. At the
end o~ element 70 ad~acent stamping station 30, heating
element 70 i3 provided with a pro~ection 72 so that
blccXing-~oil 20 may receive heat un~ ust before
reaching stamping station 30.
Printer 50, aga~n, may have the ~o~n of a commer-
cial needle-dot printing head. It i~ ali3ned with its
longitudinal axi~ perpendicular to surfac~ 41 o~ pressure-
~2~7~33
-14-
1 reaction member 40. Its nePdlss act upon fre0 surface 24
of blocking-foil 20. The oblique position o~ printing
block 50, as shown in FIG. 4, corresponding with the
slope o~ surface 41, serves to reduce in the heating o~
the printing head of printer 50.
The po~itioning o~ knif~ beam 80, as shown ~n FIG.
4, provide~ a free deflactox edge lying opposite sub-
strate 10 and pro~ect~ as ~ar as the path from printing
block 50 ln ~he region of ~tamplng station 30 so that,
dirsctly after passing through stamping station 30,
blocking-foil 20 i3 ll~ted ~rom ~bstrate 10. ~ha curved
run Or surface 74 o~ heating element 70 and the shape,
as w811 a~ thQ arrangement, of knif~ ~ea~ 80, lead, in
combination w~th the positions o~ a~sociated conveyor
rollers 64', 64" and 66, 65n~ to a ~undamentally curved
pa~h of blocklng-foil 20 80 that blocking-foil in the
region o~ stamping station 30 is ~rae of flutter.
In conclusion, it may be pointed out that printer
50, which in FIG. 4 moves in the machine frame perpendic-
ularly to thQ plane of the drawing, doe~ not need to be
the preferred needle-printer. O~her printtng head3 may
be employed with equal success, to generata the stamping
forc~ serially, e.g., character-by-charact~r. Type-wheel
or chain printers may be mentioned a~ examples o~ alter-
nate printer3.
The process of the instant invention is predicatedon the ability of thin materials to pass the strokes of
the printer to another material, to enable the heated
pigment to be transferred from the blocking-foil to a
preferably heated substrate to provide a clean imprint
and a strong bond. The Xey to the proces~ i~, that the
printer strikes from 400 ~o 500 times faster than ~he
printing p:Late in the hot-stamp printer. Thi3 time does
not make it possibl~ to heat up the blocXing-foil ~ust
33
-15-
1 at the tlme of impact. The blocXing-foil, as indicated,
must be preheated to its transfQr temperature at a point
very closQ to the point o~ 1:ransfer.
The process i~ particlllarly adapt~ve to pr~nting
5 variabls data on apparel ancl to provide ~ print that will
hav~ the same resi~tano~ to washing and dry-cleaning as
do commercial hot-stamp proc:esses. Multlpla ~tations can
be used for imprinting multipls colors, and to enable the
pr$nting of wh~te, gold or ~lver on black and other dark
lo material~. With respec~ to the electronics ~rade, the
sys~em provide~ or the rir~t time, high-quality printing
on self-adheslve polyestQr metalized plastic foil3 used
for r~ting platés. The imprlnt will have high re~istance
to gasoline, oil and cleaning fluid3. Again, any number
of colors can be printed, and ~t is feasibls to impr~nt
silver on black fo11. Multiple module~ in SeqUencQ can
be used not only for multipls-coloE printing but, by
turning over the substratQ between tWQ printed modules,
both sides of the ~ubstrate can be pr~nted with differing
in~orma~.ion.
23
