Method of preparing rotary screen printing cylinder

Claim 1

A method of producing a cylindrical screen printing stencil of the type having a foraminous design area with a grid pattern therein and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in the uncollapsed condition thereof; providing a removable protective layer over said base member and configured to present an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter; forming a layer of chemically etchable material on said supporting surface; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said material corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said material a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said material; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said material until said material is dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through the material; and removing the layer of material from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 2

A method of producing a cylindrical screen printing stencil of the type having a foraminous design area with a grid pattern therein and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in the uncollapsed condition thereof; providing a removable protective layer over said base member and configured to present an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter; forming a layer of chemically etchable material on said supporting surface; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said material corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said material a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said material; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said material until said material is dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through the material; and removing the layer of material from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 3

A method of producing a cylindrical screen printing stencil of the type having a foraminous design area with a grid pattern therein and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in tHe uncollapsed condition thereof; providing a removable protective layer over said base member and configured to present an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter; forming a layer of chemically etchable material on said supporting surface; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said material corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said material a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said material; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said material until said material is dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through the material with the opening at the ends of the passages remote from said base member being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped, and the openings at the opposite ends of said passages being disconnected and generally planar; and removing the layer of material from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 4

A method of producing a cylindrical screen printing stencil of the type having a foraminous design area with a grid pattern therein and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in tHe uncollapsed condition thereof; providing a removable protective layer over said base member and configured to present an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter; forming a layer of chemically etchable material on said supporting surface; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said material corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said material a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said material; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said material until said material is dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through the material with the opening at the ends of the passages remote from said base member being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped, and the openings at the opposite ends of said passages being disconnected and generally planar; and removing the layer of material from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 8

A method of producing a cylindrical metallic screen printing stencil for a screen printing press and of the type having a foraminous design area presented by a grid pattern and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in the uncollapsed condition thereof; forming a first metal layer on said base member presenting an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter, said layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a given rate; forming a second metal layer on said first layer, said second layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a faster rate than said first layer; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said second metal layer corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said second metal layer a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said first and second metal layers; maintaining said Etching solution in contact with said second metal layer until said first and second metal layers are dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through said layers with the openings at the ends of said passages in said first layer being disconnected and generally planar and the openings at the ends of the passages in said second layer being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped; and collapsing the base member to facilitate removal of the first and second metal layers from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 9

A method of producing a cylindrical metallic screen printing stencil for a screen printing press and of the type having a foraminous design area presented by a grid pattern and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible base member of generally cylindrical configuration in the uncollapsed condition thereof; forming a first metal layer on said base member presenting an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface of predetermined diameter, said layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a given rate; forming a second metal layer on said first layer, said second layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a faster rate than said first layer; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said second metal layer corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said second metal layer a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said first and second metal layers; maintaining said Etching solution in contact with said second metal layer until said first and second metal layers are dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through said layers with the openings at the ends of said passages in said first layer being disconnected and generally planar and the openings at the ends of the passages in said second layer being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped; and collapsing the base member to facilitate removal of the first and second metal layers from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 11

A method of producing a seamless metallic screen printing stencil for a rotary screen printing press and of the type having a foraminous design are presented by a grid pattern and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible cylindrical base member; rendering said member electrically conductive; electrodepositing metal on said base member to form an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface on the latter; machining said electrodeposited metal to present a true cylinder of uniform diameter; treating said supporting surface with an electrically conductive release coating; electrodepositing a first metal layer on said supporting surface, said first layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a given rate; machining said first metal layer to give said layer a uniform thickness and surface smoothness; electrodepositing a second metal layer on said first metal layer, said second layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a faster rate than said first layer; machining said second metal layer to give said layer a uniform thickness of less than one-half the thickness of said first metal layer; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said second metal layer corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said second metal layer a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said first and second metal layers; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said second metal layer until said first and second metal layers are dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through said layers with the openings at the ends of said passages in said first layer being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped; and collapsing the base member to facilitate removal of the first and second metal layers from said base member to provide said printing stencil.

Claim 12

A method of producing a seamless metallic screen printing stencil for a rotary screen printing press and of the type having a foraminous design are presented by a grid pattern and an imperforate section surrounding the design area, said method comprising the steps of: providing a collapsible cylindrical base member; rendering said member electrically conductive; electrodepositing metal on said base member to form an uninterrupted cylindrical supporting surface on the latter; machining said electrodeposited metal to present a true cylinder of uniform diameter; treating said supporting surface with an electrically conductive release coating; electrodepositing a first metal layer on said supporting surface, said first layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a given rate; machining said first metal layer to give said layer a uniform thickness and surface smoothness; electrodepositing a second metal layer on said first metal layer, said second layer characterized by the property of being chemically etchable at a faster rate than said first layer; machining said second metal layer to give said layer a uniform thickness of less than one-half the thickness of said first metal layer; providing an etch-resistant coating over selected portions of said second metal layer corresponding to the grid pattern and to the imperforate section; applying to said second metal layer a chemical etching solution capable of dissolving said first and second metal layers; maintaining said etching solution in contact with said second metal layer until said first and second metal layers are dissolved to an extent to cause passages to be formed through said layers with the openings at the ends of said passages in said first layer being interconnected and generally hemispherically shaped; and collapsing the base member to facilitate removal of the first and second metal layers from said base member to provide said printing stencil.