US3874836A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Record press for duplicating pre-recorded records
Assignee: Education Eng Associates
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Filing: 1974-01-10
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Granted: 1975-04-01
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Expires: 1994-01-10
Abstract
Abstract A press for continuously pressing prerecorded records onto a substrate such as a single sheet or elongate web of thermal plastic material utilizes means including a stamper drum having pre-recorded records thereon, or (for recording on both sides of a substrate) both the drum and a cyclic stamper belt, the drum mounted for rotation for carrying the substrate therearound. Means for uniformly heating the substrate are provided along with means for directing same from the heating means onto the stamper drum for travel therewith. Means including an elongate resilient blanket serves to compress the heated substrate to the stamper drum to form images of the stamper records. A resilient cyclic belt means including the resilient blanket and having one stretch thereof trained in a predetermined cooling path so as to travel with the periphery of the drum while retaining the substrate compressed thereagainst. The cooling path is sufficiently long and the drum sufficiently heat absorptive to cause the images formed in the substrate to become set during their transit of the cooling path. The foregoing apparatus carries out a method following the steps of continuously moving while preheating the thermal plastic substrate, impressing the moving substrate with pre-recorded negative images while backing the substrate with a layer of resilient material to accommodate displacement of substrate material in the region of the records as they are pressed into the substrate, wrapping the resilient material to travel a cyclic path having a substrate-retaining portion traveling with the surface of a freely rotatable cooling drum carrying the pre-recorded negative images. Then leading the substrate to travel partially about the cooling drum throughout the substrate-retaining portion to retain the substrate to the drum. Finally, non-resilient, cyclic bands are applied under tension to press against the substrate via the blanket material substantially throughout its travel in the substrate-retaining portion. Rotating the drum to withdraw the tape serves to tension the substrate uniformly throughout its length during setting of the records on the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Reynold B Johnson
- 👤 Ronald D Irvin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:54
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C43/00; B29C43/02; B29L; B29L2017/00; B29L2017/001; B29L2017/003; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S425/00; Y10S425/81
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, a stamper drum having pre-recorded negative images of records thereon, said stamper drum being mounted for rotation for carrying said substrate therearound, means for uniformly heating said substrate, means for directing the substrate from the last named means onto said stamper drum for travel therewith, means including an elongate, resilient blanket serving to compress the heated substrate to said stamper drum to form images in said substrate of the stamper records, resilient, cyclic belt means, including said resilient blanket, having one stretch thereof trained in a predetermined cooling path to travel with the periphery of said drum in said cooling path while retaining said substrate compressed against and motionless with respect to the stamper surface of the drum, said cooling path being sufficiently long and said drum sufficiently heat absorptive to cause said images to become set during their transit of said cooling Path.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, a stamper drum having pre-recorded negative images of records thereon, said stamper drum being mounted for rotation for carrying said substrate therearound, means for uniformly heating said substrate, means for directing the substrate from the last named means onto said stamper drum for travel therewith, means including an elongate, resilient blanket serving to compress the heated substrate to said stamper drum to form images in said substrate of the stamper records, resilient, cyclic belt means, including said resilient blanket, having one stretch thereof trained in a predetermined cooling path to travel with the periphery of said drum in said cooling path while retaining said substrate compressed against and motionless with respect to the stamper surface of the drum, said cooling path being sufficiently long and said drum sufficiently heat absorptive to cause said images to become set during their transit of said cooling Path.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material according to claim 1 in which said heating means includes an oven enclosure, a rotating heat-transmissive drum within said enclosure, heating means within the drum for heating same during rotation of the drum, a cyclic belt having one stretch thereof trained in a predetermined heating path to travel with the periphery of the last named drum while retaining said substrate urged toward and into heat-transfer relation with the heating drum so as to uniformly heat the substrate by receiving heat from the drum and from its surrounding environment.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
In a press according to claim 1 further including means carried by said drum and protruding from the outer surface thereof for perforating index openings into said substrate at predetermined intervals along said substrate, said openings being distributed and adapted to be engaged by detents for registration of said records with respect to other components thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records according to claim 2 further comprising means for feeding said substrate into said enclosure and between said heating drum and the heating belt, and means for disengaging said substrate from said heating belt and for directing the substrate onto said stamper drum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records according to claim 1 wherein said cyclic belt means further includes cyclically moving substantially inelastic bands disposed to move with and press firmly against said blanket and said substrate as they travel along said predetermined cooling path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
271 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material from negative images thereof carried by an embossing means, a heating drum freely rotatable to receive a substrate of said material therearound, an embossing drum freely mounted and rotatable for receiving the heated substrate from said heating drum and formed on the surface thereof with negative images of said records to be applied to said substrate, a broad, cyclic belt having a stretch thereof disposed to move about a substantial arcuate portion of the circumference of the heating drum to receive and retain the substrate between said belt and drum, a broad, elongate, resilient blanket trained as a cyclic belt having a stretch thereof disposed to travel with a substantial arcuate portion of the circumference of the embossing drum to receive and retain the substrate between said blanket and said embossing drum, cyclic band means disposed to span the width of said blanket and extending along said portion of the circumference of the embossing drum, said band means being disposed in said portion to press said blanket toward said embossing drum, means for tensioning said band means tightly against said blanket, means for rotating said embossing drum and said heating drum respectively while drawing the substrate therearound, means for driving said band means, and means forming a nip embracing and passing said band means, blanket and embossing drum in overlaid relation, said nip acting conjointly with driving of said band means and said embossing drum to apply a substantially uniform tension to said blanket while riding against said substrate disposed between said drum and blanket.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
271 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material from negative images thereof carried by an embossing means, a heating drum freely rotatable to receive a substrate of said material therearound, an embossing drum freely mounted and rotatable for receiving the heated substrate from said heating drum and formed on the surface thereof with negative images of said records to be applied to said substrate, a broad, cyclic belt having a stretch thereof disposed to move about a substantial arcuate portion of the circumference of the heating drum to receive and retain the substrate between said belt and drum, a broad, elongate, resilient blanket trained as a cyclic belt having a stretch thereof disposed to travel with a substantial arcuate portion of the circumference of the embossing drum to receive and retain the substrate between said blanket and said embossing drum, cyclic band means disposed to span the width of said blanket and extending along said portion of the circumference of the embossing drum, said band means being disposed in said portion to press said blanket toward said embossing drum, means for tensioning said band means tightly against said blanket, means for rotating said embossing drum and said heating drum respectively while drawing the substrate therearound, means for driving said band means, and means forming a nip embracing and passing said band means, blanket and embossing drum in overlaid relation, said nip acting conjointly with driving of said band means and said embossing drum to apply a substantially uniform tension to said blanket while riding against said substrate disposed between said drum and blanket.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material according to claim 6 wherein the last named said stretch extends sufficiently to permit said blanket and drum to absorb sufficient heat from the substrate to cause the embossed records thereof to set up while applying uniform tension to said substrate throughout passage thereof along the last named said stretch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
In a press for continuous pressing of pre-recorded records according to claim 6 further including clutch means for selectively driving said heating drum via its heating belt for threading a substrate therebetween. Pg,26
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a press for continuously pressing pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, means forming a cyclically moving embossing surface carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means for heating and carrying said substrate to said embossing surface, means for pressing said substrate and said embossing surface together to apply records to said substrate, means for maintaining the substrate in secure registration contact with the embossed negative images carried on said embossing surfaces to prevent smearing the record while simultaneously cooling the substrate by transfer of heat from the substrate to said embossing surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a press for continuously pressing pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, means forming a cyclically moving embossing surface carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means for heating and carrying said substrate to said embossing surface, means for pressing said substrate and said embossing surface together to apply records to said substrate, means for maintaining the substrate in secure registration contact with the embossed negative images carried on said embossing surfaces to prevent smearing the record while simultaneously cooling the substrate by transfer of heat from the substrate to said embossing surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
In a press according to claim 9 further comprising a rotatable drum and embossing means secured to the outer peripheral surface thereof to provide said means forming a cyclically moving embossing surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
75 words
In a press according to claim 9 further in which the first named said means comprises a cyclically trained belt of interconnected flexible stamper panels, each said panel having an embossing surface thereon, a rotatable drum serving to carry said substrate therearound, means supporting said belt to travel with its embossing surface disposed in confronting relation to said drum with said substrate interposed between said drum and said belt to receive impressions from said belt.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a press for continuously pressing pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, a cyclically moving embossing drum assembly carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means for heating and carrying said substrate to said embossing drum, a cyclically trained belt of interconnected stamper panels of flexible metal, each having an embossing surface thereon carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means supporting said belt to travel with its embossing surfaces disposed in confronting relation to said drum with said substrate interposed between said drum and belt, means for pressing said substrate and said embossing surfaces of both said drum and said belt together to apply records to both sides of said substrate, means for maintaining the substrate in secure registration contact with the embossed negative images carried on both said drum and said belt to prevent smearing records while simultaneously cooling the substrate by transfer of heat from the substrate to said drum and belt.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
168 words
In a press for continuously pressing pre-recorded records onto a substrate of thermal plastic material, a cyclically moving embossing drum assembly carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means for heating and carrying said substrate to said embossing drum, a cyclically trained belt of interconnected stamper panels of flexible metal, each having an embossing surface thereon carrying negative images of pre-recorded records to be applied to said substrate, means supporting said belt to travel with its embossing surfaces disposed in confronting relation to said drum with said substrate interposed between said drum and belt, means for pressing said substrate and said embossing surfaces of both said drum and said belt together to apply records to both sides of said substrate, means for maintaining the substrate in secure registration contact with the embossed negative images carried on both said drum and said belt to prevent smearing records while simultaneously cooling the substrate by transfer of heat from the substrate to said drum and belt.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
95 words
In a press according to claim 12 wherein said means for maintaining the substrate in secure registration contact comprises cyclic belt means, including an elongate, resilient blanket having one stretch thereof trained in a predetermined cooling path to travel with the periphery of said drum and belt in said cooling path while retaining said substrate compressed against and motionless with respect to the stamper surfaces of the drum and belt, said cooling path being sufficiently long and said drum sufficiently heat absorptive to cause images to become set during their transit of said cooling path.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-31 | 1978-09-30 | 1979-04-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-31 | 1982-09-30 | 1983-04-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-31 | 1986-09-30 | 1987-04-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |