US1660980A - Apparatus for embossing - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 28, 1928.

. H. J. TOEPFERT ET AL APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING Filed Jan. 1 1926 ATTORNEYS.

R m E V Patented Feb. 28,-l928.

ATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. TOEPFERT AND GEORGE M. PRENTICE, HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, AS- i SIGNORSTO WHITE & WIYCKOFEF' MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

arrana'rus son r mnossrne. I

Application filed January 15, 1926 Serial No. 81,541. i

This invention relates to improvements in methods-and apparatus for inlaying or embossing goldand silver ornamental designs on sheets or the like. 11

It is common practice in the artto ornament book covers, sheets orthe like by'embossing or inlaying adesign in gold or silver leaf thereon and it is usual practice to accomplish this by inserting the same with foil superposed thereon between suitable dies carried in horizontally disposed bed and platen members of a press. Usually one of the die members is heated and the sheet receives the imprint of the design carried by the dies in gold or silver or some other color, depending upon thenature of thefoil employed. i

The method of procedure, according to the prior art just described, offers many disadvantages and is objectionable for the several reasons as follows; Before the sheet and foil' are inserted between; the dies, it is of course necessary to lay onto the sheet a piece of foil at the place where the design is to be embossed which is an operationentailing considerable labor andithearea of the foil used is considerably greater than the area of the design so that the unused foil is necessarily wasted. Further,-especially where designs of considerable area are being embossed, the foil is of a corresponding- 1y large area and by reason of its light, flimsy: character is often blown from its position on the sheet as the sheet is inserted between the bed and platen, which again results in a loss of foil. Furthermore, the

sheets tend to bend as they are inserted between the-bed and platen and are likely to fall downwardly, making it necessary for the operator to support first one side, then the other, in order to properly manipulate it into place. This obviously retards the embossing operation and limits the out ut of the press to the number of sheets t at the'operator is able to manipulate'into place between the platens. a

To obviate the above disadvantages and objections according to our invention, we contemplate the provision of 'an'apparatus wherein the foil for the embossing operatio is fed between the dies in such a manner that a" required area of foil is locatedwith respect to the dies just prior to each embossing operation, so that the operator need only be concerned with the placing of a sheet for each of said operations whereby the embossing is done more quickly than formerly.

According to another feature of the invention, we provide means for feeding the foilin various amounts as may be desiredor required for various embossing operations according to the area of the dies employed and are thereby enabled to effect a saving in the embossing material.

A further feature of the invention is the employment of' a press in which the bed and platen are disposed substantially in a vertical relation so that when a sheet is grasped by the operator for insertion therebetween, it natually of its own weight and according to its characteristics tends to fall downwardly between the bed and platen, whereby the operator is enabled to feed such a press for the embossing operation more rapidly thanwhere one having a horizontal bedand platen is' employed, infact by the practice of our invention, since the operator is not required to attach the foil to the sheet nor tomanipulate the sheet in a particular mannerbecause of difficulty in inserting itin the press, we are able to produce' a number of embossed sheets equal to that produced in an ordinary printing operation. N

Other novel features of the invention will be apparent. from the following description ofthe invention which is illustrated in the form at present preferred by means of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side ele'vational view of the In describing the invention, it will be understood that the drawings are intended to diagrannnatically show one preferred embodiment of the invention and that in the practice thereof many changes may be made in order to adapt the novel features thereof to various uses.

Referring to the drawings in detail, P represents a press having a bed B and platen p disposed preferably in a vertical relation and relatively movable towards and away from one another. Any press arranged as described will be suitable for the practice of the invention, and we will therefore not describe the press in detail, but will only refer to such of those elements thereof as are necessary to clearly disclose the invention.

A drive shaft 6 of the press carries a driving pinion 7 that is in driving engagement with a combined gear and crank 8 which is suitably connected to the platen by a connecting rod 9. Various types of presses may employ differentmechanisms than that shown, but any press will be found to be suitable providing it has the relatively movable platen and bed and suitable mechanism for operating them.

A die 10 and matrix 11 are carried by the bed and platen and may be of any area or size depending upon the design employed and according to the prior practice one is heated in any suitable manner such as by an electrical resistance heating unit or the like.

In the employment of the apparatus, the foil used is of the kind procurable on the market and usually comprises a strip of material such as thin paper, one face of which carries various metal foils or pigments in a variety of colors. The paper merely acts as a support for the foil and when acted upon by the dies, the foil or pigment is removed from the paper by the pressing action of the dies and pressed into the sheet. The strip may be of various widths but to effect the desired economy of operation a width equal to that of the design on the die will preferably be selected rather than one in excess thereof. 7

The strip of foil S just described is furnished in rolls that are rotatably carried on a non-rotatable shaft 12 which is fixed in brackets 13 carried by the bed. Flanges 14: slidable and adjustable along the shaft 12 are arranged to embrace the sides of the rolls and may be adjusted to exert a drag thereagainst so that the strip may be maintained taut when unwound therefrom by the mechanism new to be described. It will be understood that the rolls may be located along the shaft so that the strip will overlie the die in the proper manner.

An unwinding roll 15 rotatably mounted in brackets 16 fixed to the bed receives between it and a mating roll 17 the strip S.

These rolls are adapted, when rotated in the proper direction, to unwind the strip S from its roll and thereby present unused portions of the strip for the action of the dies.

The free or unwoundend of the strip is taken up or wound by a shaft 20 rotatable in bearings 21 fixed to the press. Flanges 22, adjustable along the shaft, may be adjusted to the width of the strip and to receive therebetween the free unwound end thereof (see Fig. The shaft 20 is rotated by a belt 23 which passes over a pulley 2% on the shaft 6 of the press and a pulley 25 on said shaft 20. The belt 23 and pulleys 2st and 25 are arranged so that there will be a certain amount of slippage therebetween so as not to put a strain on the stri The arran ement is preferably such as will take up the strip delivered by the rolls 15 and 17 and is not intended to exert sufficient pull to cause an unwinding of the strip from its roll.

The drum 15 is arranged to unwind the strip in a step-by-step manner and is so actuated by means of the following. A plunger 29 slid-able in a bracket 30 is connected to a pawl lever 31 which has a pawl 32 for engaging with a ratchet wheel 88 fixed on the shaft of drum 15.

The plunger rod 29 is raised by the link 9 as its end is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow for moving the platen towards the bed whereby the lever 31 is raised to rotate the feed drum.

A coil spring 34 between the bracket 30 and a collar 35 carried by the rod 29 exerts a downward pressing action on the rod so that after each feeding stroke the rod is returned to its lower position for engagement yvitlh a subsequent upward movement of the in r 9.

A collar 36 adjustable on the plunger rod 29 above the bracket is adapted to limit the downward movement thereof and may be adjusted to position the lower end of the rod at various elevations with respect to the link 9 whereby it will be moved by the link various amounts depending upon the adjustnients. This makes it possible to unwind any amount of the strip desired and depending upon the size of the die or the amount of leaf removed in each stroke ofthe press.

In'the operation of the apparatus, the parts are adjusted so that the strip is fed upwardly in a step-by-step manner so that an unused portion of the strip isv fed between the dies just prior to the closing together of the platen and bed. The amount of movement of the strip is preferably equal to the length of the design or the die so that there will be no appreciable spaces of foil on the strip between the areas where successive impressions are made.

The operator is only required to feed to the press the sheets to be embossed and the capacity of the press will only be limited 1. The combination in an apparatus for embossing a sheet or the like with foil, of vertically disposed bed and platen members and. link mechanism for effecting a relative movement thereof, dies carried by said bed and platen, a support for a roll of foil, un-

winding drums cooperating with said sup port for locating said strip over one of said dies, mechanism in the path of said link and operable thereby for actuating said unwinding drums being adjustable towards and away from said link whereby the drums may be rotated various amounts to unwind various lengths of foil.

2. The combination in an apparatus for embossing a sheet or the like, of bed and platen members and link mechanism for effecting a relative movement thereof, dies carrier by said bed and platen, a support for a roll of foil, unwinding drums coopcrating therewith for locating said strip over one of said dies and mechanism actuated by said link mechanism for advancing said strip across said die to present successive unused portions thereto.

3. The combination in an apparatus for embossing a sheet, of a bed and platen having cooperating die members, connecting mechanism for etiecting a relative movement of said bed and platen, a support for a roll of foil, unwinding mechanism for engaging said foil to advance it across the face of one of said die members and mechanism operable by said connecting mech' anism to actuate said unwinding mechanism so that said foil is moved across said die in a step by step manner.

4. The combination in an apparatus for embossing a sheet or the like with foil, of bed and platen members and link mechanism for efi'ecting a relative movement thereof, embossing dies carried by said bed and platen, a support for a roll of foil carrying material, an unwinding mechanism for engaging a strip of foil carrying material and adapted to cooperate with said support for locating said strip of material over one of said dies, and means actuated by said link mechanism for operating said unwinding mechanism to move the foil carrying strip across said die in a step by step manner to present successive unused portions of foil thereto.

5. The combination in an apparatus for embossing a sheet or the like with foil, of bed and platen members and link mechanism for effecting a relative movement thereof, embossing dies carried by said bed and platen, a support for a roll of foil carrying material, an unwinding mechanism for engaging a strip of foil carrying material and adapted to cooperate with said support for locating said strip of material over one of said dies, and means actuatedby said link mechanism for operatin mechanism to move the doil carryin strip across said die in a step by step manner to present successive unused portions of foil thereto, and cooperating take-up rolls for taking up the strip as it emerges from the unwinding mechanism.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

HENRY J. TOEPFERT. GEORGE M. PRENTICE.

said unwinding.

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