Embossed laminate and method of making same

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A LAMINATED ARTICLE EXHIBITING AN ORNAMENTAL DESIGN, DIAGRAM, INDICIA, OR THE LIKE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, FORMING A COLORED PARTIALLY CURED RESINOUS BODY, FORMING A PARTIALLY CURED SURFACE LAYER FOR SAID BODY BY APPLYING TO AN ABSORBENT PAPER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS OF 1.5 TO ABOUT 12 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH, A THERMOSETTING RESINOUS MATERIAL TO PROVIDE A RESINOUS LAYER HAVING ABOUT 20 TO 65%, BY WEIGHT OF THERMOSETTING RESIN, UNIFORMLY PENETRATED INTO FIBERS OF SAID PAPER, PARTIALLY CURING THE IMPREGNATED PAPER BY DRYING, INTEGRALLY LAMINATING SAID SURFACE LAYER TO A SURFACE OF SAID BODY BY HEAT AND PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO CURE SAID RESINOUS MATERIAL OF SAID BODY AND SAID SURFACE LAYER THEREBY PROVIDING AN ARTICLE HAVING A CLEAR SURFACE LAYER THROUGH WHICH THE COLOR OF SAID BODY IS VISIBLE, DISRUPTING SAID SURFACE LAYER BY MECHANICALLY FRACTURING THE SAME THROUGHOUT AREAS CORRESPONDING TO GIVEN ORNAMENTAL DESIGN, DIAGRAM, INDICIA, OR THE LIKE TO FORM DIFFUSELY REFLECTING DISCRETE PARTICLES TO SAID BODY AND PRODUCING AN EMBOSSING CONSISTING OF SAID DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID IMPREGNATING RESINOUS MATERIAL INTERCONNECTED BY DISCRETE FIBERS OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE DIFFUSELY REFLECTING PARTICLES CONTRASTS WITH THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE COLORED BODY AS VIEWED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TOP LAYER TO EXHIBIT THE GIVEN INDICIA.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A LAMINATED ARTICLE EXHIBITING AN ORNAMENTAL DESIGN, DIAGRAM, INDICIA, OR THE LIKE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, FORMING A COLORED PARTIALLY CURED RESINOUS BODY, FORMING A PARTIALLY CURED SURFACE LAYER FOR SAID BODY BY APPLYING TO AN ABSORBENT PAPER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS OF 1.5 TO ABOUT 12 THOUSANDTHS OF AN INCH, A THERMOSETTING RESINOUS MATERIAL TO PROVIDE A RESINOUS LAYER HAVING ABOUT 20 TO 65%, BY WEIGHT OF THERMOSETTING RESIN, UNIFORMLY PENETRATED INTO FIBERS OF SAID PAPER, PARTIALLY CURING THE IMPREGNATED PAPER BY DRYING, INTEGRALLY LAMINATING SAID SURFACE LAYER TO A SURFACE OF SAID BODY BY HEAT AND PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO CURE SAID RESINOUS MATERIAL OF SAID BODY AND SAID SURFACE LAYER THEREBY PROVIDING AN ARTICLE HAVING A CLEAR SURFACE LAYER THROUGH WHICH THE COLOR OF SAID BODY IS VISIBLE, DISRUPTING SAID SURFACE LAYER BY MECHANICALLY FRACTURING THE SAME THROUGHOUT AREAS CORRESPONDING TO GIVEN ORNAMENTAL DESIGN, DIAGRAM, INDICIA, OR THE LIKE TO FORM DIFFUSELY REFLECTING DISCRETE PARTICLES TO SAID BODY AND PRODUCING AN EMBOSSING CONSISTING OF SAID DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SAID IMPREGNATING RESINOUS MATERIAL INTERCONNECTED BY DISCRETE FIBERS OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE DIFFUSELY REFLECTING PARTICLES CONTRASTS WITH THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE COLORED BODY AS VIEWED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TOP LAYER TO EXHIBIT THE GIVEN INDICIA.