US3885522A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus of decorating a surface of an article
Assignee: Madison Management Group Inc
•
Filing: 1973-10-19
•
Granted: 1975-05-27
•
Expires: 1993-10-19
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for automatically decorating a surface of an article such as ceramic ware by direct unimpeded deposit thereon of a thick flowable composition material such as a glaze composition. An article surface is pressed into engagement with a mold face having openings therein defining a desired pattern for deposit of the composition material, the openings communicating with a manifold cavity which contains flowable composition material and is in communication with a supply source of such material. In initial position the article surface is above the mold face and manifold cavity and composition material held in the cavity. The article surface and mold face are then vertically reversed in position while retaining sealed contact to cause gravitational flow of the composition material to the openings in the mold face for direct flow of the composition material into contact with the article surface. After a predetermined time, the article and mold member are returned to their original position and excess composition material is removed from the article surface by flowing therefrom. The amount of composition material deposited on the article surface in the pattern defined by the mold face openings depends upon characteristics of the article surface and composition material. An apparatus for automatically performing the steps of pressure engagement of the article face and mold face, reversal of position of the two faces while in pressure engagement, and the return to initial position of the mold face and article face in preselected timed relation to provide desired application or deposition of glaze composition material in a desired pattern on the article surface.
Inventors
- 👤 William E Macdonald
- 👤 Jr Robert C Harris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:34
CPC Classifications
B; B28; B28B; B28B11/00; B28B11/001; B41; B41M; B41M1/00; B41M1/26; B41M1/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
262 words
An apparatus for depositing a flowable thick composition material for decorative purposes on a surface of an article, comprising: a frame structure including spaced upright standards; an article support frame pivotally mounted on and between said spaced standards; a removable plate on the article support frame; a flexible elastomeric mold member fixed on said plate and including a surface generally corresponding to the surface of the article to be decorated; said mold member having pattern defining edges forming an opening in said mold surface and having a chamber in communication with a supply of glaze composition material and said opening; a ram carried by the article support frame in spaced relation to said mold member; said ram having a soft yieldable pad for pressure engagement with an article aligned with said mold surface; and operable means advancing said ram toward said mold surface and urging said soft yieldable pad carried by said ram into pressure engagement with an article and the article into tight sealing relation with the pattern defining means on said mold surface; said operable means including means for rotating said article support frame with said mold member and ram thereon to invert the relative positions of said mold member and the article carried thereby whereby said supply of composition material is flowable into contact with the area of said surface defined by said pattern defining means; said article support frame, mold member, and ram being rotable back to their initial positions to remove undeposited composition material from the openings on said mold member defined by said pattern defining edges.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
262 words
An apparatus for depositing a flowable thick composition material for decorative purposes on a surface of an article, comprising: a frame structure including spaced upright standards; an article support frame pivotally mounted on and between said spaced standards; a removable plate on the article support frame; a flexible elastomeric mold member fixed on said plate and including a surface generally corresponding to the surface of the article to be decorated; said mold member having pattern defining edges forming an opening in said mold surface and having a chamber in communication with a supply of glaze composition material and said opening; a ram carried by the article support frame in spaced relation to said mold member; said ram having a soft yieldable pad for pressure engagement with an article aligned with said mold surface; and operable means advancing said ram toward said mold surface and urging said soft yieldable pad carried by said ram into pressure engagement with an article and the article into tight sealing relation with the pattern defining means on said mold surface; said operable means including means for rotating said article support frame with said mold member and ram thereon to invert the relative positions of said mold member and the article carried thereby whereby said supply of composition material is flowable into contact with the area of said surface defined by said pattern defining means; said article support frame, mold member, and ram being rotable back to their initial positions to remove undeposited composition material from the openings on said mold member defined by said pattern defining edges.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 wherein said operable means includes timing means for holding said mold member and article surface in sealed relation for a preselected period of time for deposit of said composition material and for returning said mold member and article surface to their initial position after a selected time period.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 including: a resilient support member for said article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 wherein said mold member includes means for aligning and registering an article with respect to said mold member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 4 wherein said aligning and registering means includes a flexible annular flange with an upturned annular lip thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 including means providing a vent opening in said mold member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 5 wherein said mold surface includes a configured surface portion generally corresponding to the configuration of the article surface to which the glaze composition material is to be applied.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 7 wherein the spacing between the article surface and said mold member configured surface progessively increases radially outwardly to control and expel air to the annular space between said flexible annular flange and said article surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 includiing composition material supply containers attached to the side said plate opposite to said mold member and in communication with said mold chamber through said plate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 1 wherein said pattern defining means includes a plurality of openings of selected configuration; a plurality of chambers in communication with selected openings; said chambers containing different colorant composition material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
In an apparatus as stated in claim 10 wherein said plurality of chambers maintain a supply source of colorant composition material in close proximity to said openings of said pattern defining means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
144 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; and operable means to cause composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; said operable means including means for carrying said mold member and said retaining means in vertical relationship; and means pivotally mounting said carrying means for reversing the vertical relationship of said mold member and retaining means to cause flow of said composition material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
144 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; and operable means to cause composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; said operable means including means for carrying said mold member and said retaining means in vertical relationship; and means pivotally mounting said carrying means for reversing the vertical relationship of said mold member and retaining means to cause flow of said composition material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
146 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; said retaining means including foam material for resiliently yieldably supporting said article; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; and means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
146 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; said retaining means including foam material for resiliently yieldably supporting said article; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; and means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
150 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface area; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon; and means for timing the period during which the article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
150 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface area; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon; and means for timing the period during which the article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
164 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surfacE in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; said cavities in said mold member including a partition wall forming part of said pattern defining means, said partition wall having a height less than the depth of the cavity; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; and means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
164 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surfacE in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; said cavities in said mold member including a partition wall forming part of said pattern defining means, said partition wall having a height less than the depth of the cavity; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; and means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
154 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon; and vent means in said mold member for flow of air entrapped between said article and portions of said mold member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
154 words
In an apparatus for decorating a surface of an article comprising: means including a resilient mold member for defining a decorative pattern for an article surface; means for retaining the article with said article surface in sealed registry with said pattern defining means to provide unsealed pattern surface areas; means including cavities in said mold member confining and supplying a flowable composition material to said unsealed pattern surface areas; operable means to cause said composition material to flow into contact with said unsealed surface areas for a selected time period while said article and pattern defining means are in sealed registry; means for causing the flowable composition material in said cavities to move away from said pattern defining means, the composition material in contact with said unsealed surface areas forming a deposit thereon; and vent means in said mold member for flow of air entrapped between said article and portions of said mold member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |