Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Sheet – web – or layer weakened to permit separation through...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-20
2001-01-30
Ahmad, Nasser (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through...
C428S040100, C428S040200, C428S041600, C428S042100, C428S121000, C462S008000, C462S024000, C462S025000, C503S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180198
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to multi (i.e. two or more) part sets of sheet material, which when a set is used provide for so-called “carbonless” copying or imaging between parts of the set, whereby impact printing of an image on an upper sheet of the set will simultaneously make similar images on a or the lower sheet or sheets of the set, and wherein at least some of the sheets of a set may bear a pre-applied image.
The sheet material usually is paper and herein will generally be referred to as such; however it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to the use of other suitable sheet material.
2. Description of Prior Art
Multi-part sets of so-called “carbonless” papers are well known. They rely on two coatings formed respectively on the contiguous faces of superimposed sheets. The coatings usually are one containing a colour-forming substance, usually contained in micro-capsules, on the back (underside) of an upper sheet (usually known as a CB coating) and a coating of a receptor layer on the front (upper side) of a lower sheet (usually known as a CF coating). Colour-forming chemicals are typically dissolved in an oily solvent and encapsulated by well known techniques, and when micro-capsules thus produced are ruptured by mechanical pressure, as by impact in a printing process involving mechanical impact, the chemicals are released and react to form a visible mark on the CF coating of the adjacent sheet. One or more sheets having a CB coating on the underside and a CF coating on the upper side (known as a CFB sheet) may be interposed between uppermost and lowermost sheets having CB and CF coatings respectively on their underside and upper side as aforesaid. An image may be pre-applied to the upper side of each sheet by a suitable printing process (e.g. offset, ink jet or toner deposition) which does not damage the coating on the sheets.
Most commonly, such multi-part sets have been made by preparing the sheets individually and then securing them together in sets by the use of adhesive. The collating of individual sheets to form sets and use of adhesive to secure them together in the sets is time consuming and expensive. It can require special coatings to ensure the adhesive will only adhere the sets together. The operation requires skill and experience, and results are not always reliable. Any problem arising at this stage might entail the wastage of material which has already been subjected to relatively costly treatment, if the problem cannot be rectified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is broadly an object of the present invention to provide for the cost-effective manufacture of multi-part sets without the need for adhesives.
According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a method of making a multi-part set of sheet material, comprising treating respective portions of at least one face of a piece of the sheet material to provide for imaging therebetween when said portions of the sheet are in contiguous face-to-face relationship; pre-applying an image to a portion or portions of the sheet; providing at least one separation line between respective portions of the sheet; and providing at least one fold between portions of the sheet to bring said treated portions thereof into said contiguous face-to-face relationship.
The treatment of the portions of the piece of sheet material, preferably comprises, as is conventional for “carbonless” imaging, the application of a colour-forming (CB) coating and a receptor (CF) coating thereto. Preferably the sheet material is paper.
The colour-forming (CB) coating preferably consists of micro-encapsulated colour-forming material, and the receptor (CF) coating is conveniently a suitable reactive clay coating but could consist of other receptor coatings (e.g. phenolic CF zinc salicylate or other suitable substance.
By providing a separation line, we mean that the sheet material is treated such that the portions between which the separation line is provided are easily folded and readily separated from one another. Usually this will comprise partially severing the portions from one another, e.g. by a discontinuous cut line or a line of perforations.
In a simplest embodiment of the invention, the multi-part set may be a two part set, and said colour-forming and receptor coatings may be provided on respective portions of the same face of the sheet, with the separation line between said portions. Folding of the sheet may be effected at or adjacent said separation line to bring said coated portions into contiguous face-to-face relationship. The pre-applied image may be provided on the portion of the sheet having the receptor coating and the opposite surface of the portion of the sheet having the colour-forming coating.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a three-part set may be provided. A sheet may be provided with two separation lines extending substantially parallel to one another and spaced so that the sheet comprises three equally or generally equally sized portions. Two adjacent such portions of one surface of the sheet may be provided with colour-forming (CB) and receptor (CF) coatings, whilst two portions of the other face of the sheet also are respectively provided with CB and CF coatings, the common portion having a CB coating on one face and a CF coating on its other face (i.e. constituting a CFB portion). A sheet thus prepared, and which may be provided with a preapplied image on its portions as required, can then be folded in zig-zag fashion to provide a three-part set.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, a four-part set may be provided. A piece of sheet material may be provided with two separation lines extending substantially perpendicular to one another so as to divide the piece of material into four portions equal or generally equal in size to one another. Two of said portions to one another may be provided with colour forming and receptor coatings on their respective opposite sides so that they are CFB portions. One of the other two portions may be provided on one face with a colour-forming coating and the remaining portion may be provided on one face with a receptor coating. Then by appropriate cutting and folding of the piece of sheet material a four-part set may be created in which the portions provided with the colour-forming coating and the receptor coating respectively constitute the uppermost and lowermost sheets of the set, while the CFB portions constitute intermediate sheets of the set. A required image or images may have been printed on the portions as required prior to the folding thereof to form the set.
The invention also provides a multi-part set resulting from the carrying out of the method.
The invention yet further provides sheet material for use in carrying out the method of the invention, comprising portions treated to provide for said “carbonless” imaging therebetween and at least one separation line between respective portions of the sheet.
The treated portions are preferably provided with CF and/or CB coatings in any of the arrangements above described.
It is envisaged that sheets of material prepared as above described will be supplied to printers who will print, e.g. forms, in accordance with their customers' requirements on the sheets and then fold them to form the multi-part sets to be supplied to their customers for use. Such printing may be, for example, offset printing or an electronic printing process.
In carrying out the invention, as will be appreciated from the following description of specific embodiments thereof, the pre-applied image on the portions of the piece of sheet material may require to be printed on both faces thereof. Whilst such printing involves higher costs than printing on one face only of a sheet of material, it is believed that multi-part sets in accordance with the invention can still be produced more economically than by methods proposed hitherto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5224897 (1993-07-01), Linden
patent: 5393265 (1995-02-01), Linden
patent: 5755375 (1998-05-01), Rogers
patent: 101014
Ahmad Nasser
Buchanan & Ingersoll PC
Carrs Paper Limited
Plevy Arthur L.
LandOfFree
Multi-part sets of sheet material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multi-part sets of sheet material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multi-part sets of sheet material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2550922