US2015664A - Process of decorating articles - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1935. K. ElcHsTADT PROCESS OF DECORATING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 24, 1933 Jnven/ar Patented Oct. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,015,664 PROCESS or DECORATING ARTIQLES 7 Karl Eichstiidt, Berlin-Oharlottenburg, Germany,

asslgnor to Oxford Varnish Corporation, De-

troit, Mich.

Application August 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,538

vIn Germany August 26, 1932 1 Claim. (01. 41-26) My invention relates to a decorated article and to a process of decorating, and, more particularly, applying a decorating surface finish to, articles.

The object of my invention is an economic and simple process of decorating articles eliminating the artists work in designing the decoration and I attain this object by using patterns offered by nature itself. It is well known that microscopy reveals patterns of extraordinary beauty occurring in the surface structure of materials which occur naturally or may be produced artificially. Such patterns are formed for instance by materials of crystalline structure or iii the animated world, particularly in the maritime.

life. A well known example are corals.

I have found that a beautiful surface finish" the beautiful patterns produced by nature itself will gain a highly artistic value; 30 I may use the printing form for printing either directly on the surface to be finished or on transfer pictures which are later applied to the article by decalcomania.

Any one of the known printing processes may 35 be employed, for instance typography, the offset process or the intaglio printing process. I prefer, however, to use the photomechanical intaglio process as it permits the reproduction of the whole scale of tints from the original photograph 40 in a single operation, a rubber roller being employed in a known manner to transfer the pattern from the printing plate to the surface to be finished. Multl-color printing processes may also be employed. In this event I prefer to use 5 transfer pictures.

The surface to be decorated may either be directly printed upon from the printing form or may be first provided with a coat of varnish,

paint or priming. The printed pattern may be.

50 protected by a coat of varnish which may be tinted, if desired, and may be applied by the ordinary process of baking or spraying. The protective coat may be ground or polished in a sub-' I sequent operation, if desired. 55 A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing representing a cigarette box provided with a pattern microscopically derived from the structure of damascene steel.

In producing this article I proceed as follows: 5 A piece of damascene steel is ground to produce the plane and even surface. This surface is etched with a suitable agent, for instance the following solution:

500 cu. cm. water; 500 cu. cm. alcohol; .5 gram 10 SnClz; 1 gram CllCh; 30 grams FeCla; 50'cu. cm. hydrochloric acid.

A michophotographic picture is then taken of the etched surface at the scale of 500:1. From the negative photograph so obtained a diapositive 15 is made and this diapositive is used to produce an intaglio printing plate by the well-known photomechanical process.- As the details of this process are well known in the art, a detailed description thereof may be dispensed with. Briefly, the process comprises the following steps:

A chromate gelatine plate is first exposed through a screen of about 175 lines per inch and is then exposedthrough the diapositive of the pattern. The gelatine layer so exposed is transferred to a copper plate and, carried by this copper plate, is developed in diluted alcohol to dissolve the unexposed portions of the chromate gelatine. After the developmenthas been completed, the copper plate is brought into a ferrichloride solution which penetrates through thegelatine layer and etches the coppersurface more or less depending on the thickness of the gelatine layer. Preferably, the etching process is performed in three successive steps, first with a well diluted solution of ferrichloride and then with a gradually stronger solution. In this manner,- a printing plate is obtained showing the pattern in ink is scraped off in a known manner with a doctor blade. Inks of any suitable color and any suitable composition may be used for this purpose. As inks of this character are well known in the art, it does not seem necessary to cite specific compositions. Afterthis step, a rubber roller is rolled overthe printing form in order 5 a protective coat .of clear nitrocellulose varnish which is preferably applied by spraying and is subsequently polished in a known manner.

What I claim is: The process of decorating materials compris- 10 ing coating the article to be treated with a priming coat, grinding said priming coat to produce a smooth andcplanular surface, microphotographically forming a print of the surface of a crystalline material, photomechanically producing a printing plate with a printing image corresponding to the microphotograph, applying such image to the article to be'decorated with a. printing medium, applying a transparent protective coat to such article to preserve the image so obtained.

' KARL EICHSTADT.

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