Device for forming graphics

Claim 1

A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures on a radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station; means adapted for positioning a predetermined portion of a said radiation sensitive material at said exposure station; and means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station in a sharply defined graphic pattern, including: a template comprising a thin radiation transparent member with a highly reflective coating less than 0.001 inch thick having at least one sharply defined open area corresponding in shape to a graphic to be formed to provide a radiation transmissive window through said template; means for mounting said template to register the window at said exposure station with said reflective coating adjaCent said radiation sensitive material portion; clamping means at said exposure station adapted for releasably clamping said template in intimate contact with said radiation sensitive material portion, said clamping means comprising one plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy positioned to engage said template at said exposure station and positioned to afford visual inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate; radiation means for briefly irradiating said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station through the transparent plate and aligned window comprising: a xenon lamp; means mounting said xenon lamp for movement between a normal position spaced from said exposure station to afford said visible inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate, and an expose position with said xenon lamp closely adjacent said plate at the exposure station; means connected to said xenon lamp for providing a power input to said xenon lamp of at least 5 watt seconds per square inch of exposure area in a time duration of about 2 to 3 milliseconds; and means for operating said means for providing a power input to said xenon lamp to flash said xenon lamp upon movement of the xenon lamp to its expose position; and means for activating said clamping means to clamp said template in contact with said radiation sensitive material portion upon movement of said xenon lamp to said expose position.

Claim 2

A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures on a radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station; means adapted for positioning a predetermined portion of a said radiation sensitive material at said exposure station; and means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station in a sharply defined graphic pattern, including: a template comprising a thin radiation transparent member with a highly reflective coating less than 0.001 inch thick having at least one sharply defined open area corresponding in shape to a graphic to be formed to provide a radiation transmissive window through said template; means for mounting said template to register the window at said exposure station with said reflective coating adjaCent said radiation sensitive material portion; clamping means at said exposure station adapted for releasably clamping said template in intimate contact with said radiation sensitive material portion, said clamping means comprising one plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy positioned to engage said template at said exposure station and positioned to afford visual inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate; radiation means for briefly irradiating said radiation sensitive material portion at said exposure station through the transparent plate and aligned window comprising: a xenon lamp; means mounting said xenon lamp for movement between a normal position spaced from said exposure station to afford said visible inspection of said template and said radiation sensitive material portion through said plate, and an expose position with said xenon lamp closely adjacent said plate at the exposure station; means connected to said xenon lamp for providing a power input to said xenon lamp of at least 5 watt seconds per square inch of exposure area in a time duration of about 2 to 3 milliseconds; and means for operating said means for providing a power input to said xenon lamp to flash said xenon lamp upon movement of the xenon lamp to its expose position; and means for activating said clamping means to clamp said template in contact with said radiation sensitive material portion upon movement of said xenon lamp to said expose position.

Claim 10

A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures which are immediately visible, seriatim along a strip of radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station having a first side and an opposite second side and comprising a plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy and has a mark adjacent the second side of said exposure station; means adapted for defining a path for a said strip through said exposure station with said mark extending transverse of said path; manually actuated means adapted for driving engagement with a said strip for driving the strip along said path through said exposure station with the portion of said strip in said exposure station moving away from said first side and toward said second side of said exposure station; means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a portion of a said strip at said exposure station in a graphic pattern, including: a circular template comprising a radiation transparent member with a radiation blocking coating having a plurality of sharply defined open areas corresponding in shape to graphics to be formed to provide radiation transmissive windows through said template disposed in inner and outer circular arrays radially spaced a predetermined distance from each other, each array being coaxial with said template, said radiation blocking coating of said template being discontinuous between said arrays to provide a viewing opening therebetween beside each window of the inner array, and the windows in each array being oriented so that for each window therein the intersection of an imaginary line perpendicular to its base line portion and contacting its extremity opposite the center of the template with a radius of the template parallel to the base line for that window is spaced the same distance from the center of the template; means for mounting said template to register a selected window at said exposure station adjacent the portion of a said strip at the exposuRe station; including a turntable removably supporting said template with an edge portion of said template projecting between said plate and said portion of a said strip from the first side of said exposure station, and means mounting said turntable for rotation about an axis coaxial with said template and for moving said turntable laterally to shift the axis said predetermined distance between first and second positions, correspondingly aligning said inner and outer arrays at said exposure station, said viewing opening being disposed at the second side of the exposure station when the inner array is aligned at the exposure station; and radiation means adapted for activation to briefly irradiate the portion of a said strip at the exposure station through the template; means mounting said means mounting the turntable for movement in a direction generally parallel to the path for a said strip through the exposure station between a spaced position at which a window aligned at the exposure station has its said extremity spaced a second predetermined distance from the mark which is a desired spacing between adjacent graphics formed along a said strip, and an align position with the viewing opening disposed generally over the mark or the edge of the template spaced therefrom to afford visually aligning the extremity adjacent the center of the template of the last graphic formed along the strip with the mark to provide said predetermined spacing from the next graphic to be formed; and means for moving the turntable to its spaced position upon activation of said radiation means to form a graphic, and for moving the turntable to its align position between the formation of successive graphics to afford setting of the spacing therebetween.

Claim 11

A device useful for forming graphics such as letters, symbols or pictures which are immediately visible, seriatim along a strip of radiation sensitive material, said device comprising: means for defining an exposure station having a first side and an opposite second side and comprising a plate which is essentially transparent to radiant energy and has a mark adjacent the second side of said exposure station; means adapted for defining a path for a said strip through said exposure station with said mark extending transverse of said path; manually actuated means adapted for driving engagement with a said strip for driving the strip along said path through said exposure station with the portion of said strip in said exposure station moving away from said first side and toward said second side of said exposure station; means adapted to be actuated at said exposure station for momentarily irradiating a portion of a said strip at said exposure station in a graphic pattern, including: a circular template comprising a radiation transparent member with a radiation blocking coating having a plurality of sharply defined open areas corresponding in shape to graphics to be formed to provide radiation transmissive windows through said template disposed in inner and outer circular arrays radially spaced a predetermined distance from each other, each array being coaxial with said template, said radiation blocking coating of said template being discontinuous between said arrays to provide a viewing opening therebetween beside each window of the inner array, and the windows in each array being oriented so that for each window therein the intersection of an imaginary line perpendicular to its base line portion and contacting its extremity opposite the center of the template with a radius of the template parallel to the base line for that window is spaced the same distance from the center of the template; means for mounting said template to register a selected window at said exposure station adjacent the portion of a said strip at the exposuRe station; including a turntable removably supporting said template with an edge portion of said template projecting between said plate and said portion of a said strip from the first side of said exposure station, and means mounting said turntable for rotation about an axis coaxial with said template and for moving said turntable laterally to shift the axis said predetermined distance between first and second positions, correspondingly aligning said inner and outer arrays at said exposure station, said viewing opening being disposed at the second side of the exposure station when the inner array is aligned at the exposure station; and radiation means adapted for activation to briefly irradiate the portion of a said strip at the exposure station through the template; means mounting said means mounting the turntable for movement in a direction generally parallel to the path for a said strip through the exposure station between a spaced position at which a window aligned at the exposure station has its said extremity spaced a second predetermined distance from the mark which is a desired spacing between adjacent graphics formed along a said strip, and an align position with the viewing opening disposed generally over the mark or the edge of the template spaced therefrom to afford visually aligning the extremity adjacent the center of the template of the last graphic formed along the strip with the mark to provide said predetermined spacing from the next graphic to be formed; and means for moving the turntable to its spaced position upon activation of said radiation means to form a graphic, and for moving the turntable to its align position between the formation of successive graphics to afford setting of the spacing therebetween.