Method of preparing embossing rollers

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF EMBOSSING SHEET MATERIAL, THE STEPS OF PROVIDING FIRST AND SECOND ROTATABLE ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND ROLLS EACH HAVING A CYLINDRICAL INTERMEDIATE FACE AND ANNULAR END BEARINGS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE WITH SAID ANNULAR END BEARINGS OF BOTH ROLLS HAVING THE SAME DIAMETER, MANDRELS PROJECTING FROM THE ENDS OF SAID ROLLS AND GEARS SECURED ON SAID MANDRELS, THE DIAMETER OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID END BEARINGS AND THE DIAMETER OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID SECOND ROLL BEING APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID END BEARINGS, ETCHING SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL TO PROVIDE ETCHED PORTIONS OF REDUCED DIAMETER AND UNETCHED PROJECTING PORTIONS, ETCHING SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID SECOND ROLL TO PROVIDE ETCHED RECESSED PORTIONS MATING WITH SAID UNETCHED PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL AND UNETCHED PORTIONS MATING WITH SAID ETCHED PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL, THEREBY TO DEFINE A DESIGN IMAGE TO BE EMBOSSED, THE ETCHING OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACES OF SAID ROLLS BEING CARRIED OUT TO AN EXTENT SUCH THAT WITH SAID END BEARINGS IN ENGAGEMENT A SLIGHT SPACING IS PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID UNETCHED PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL AND SAID ETCHED RECESSED PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND ROLL AND ALSO BETWEEN SAID ETCHED PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID FIRST ROLL AND SAID UNETCHED PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FACE OF SAID SECOND ROLL, SAID SLIGHT SPACING BEING SUFFICIENT FOR PASSAGE OF SHEET MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE FACES WHILE SAID END BEARINGS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT, AND ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID ASSEMBLIES WHILE MESHING SAID GEARS MAINTAINING SAID END BEARINGS IN ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDING SHEET MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE FACES.