US3922206A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of photo-etching and photogravure using fission fragment and/or alpha ray etch tracks from toned photographs
Assignee: Australian Atomic Energy Commission
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Filing: 1973-12-28
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Granted: 1975-11-25
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Expires: 1993-12-28
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates generally to the formation of images on non-photo-receptive surfaces. In the past the reproduction of images has involved the initial step of screening the image. The present method does not require such screening and the image produced bears a quantitative and positional relationship to the silver grains present in the photograph from which the image is being produced. The invention comprises the method of reproducing a photographic image on a normally non-photo-receptive surface comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, and placing the toned photograph contiguous with the surface on which the image is to be reproduced, for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image as a radiation-damage image on the surface, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph.
Inventors
- 👤 Malcolm Thackray
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 10:07
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03C; G03C5/00; G03C5/26; G03C5/40; G01; G01T; G01T5/00; G01T5/10; G03C5/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S205/00; Y10S205/918
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
THE METHOD OF REPRODUCING A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE ONA NORMALLY NON-PHOTO-RECEPTIVE SURFACE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TONING THE PHOTOGRAPH WITH SUBSTANCES WHICH COMBINE WITH OR REPLACE THE SILVER GRAINS SO THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH EMITS EITHER SPONTANEOUSLY OR INDIRECTLY FISSION FRAGMENTS OF ALPHA PARTICLES IN AMOUNTS RELATED TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SILVER GRAINS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, AND PLACING THE TONED PHOTOGRAPH CONTIGU OUS WITH THE SURFACE ON WHICH THE IMAGE IS TO BE REPRODUCED, FOR SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE EMISSIONS FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH TO REPRODUCE THE IMAGE AS A RADIATION-DAMAGE IMAGE ON THE SURFACE, THE DAMAGE AREAS HAVING A CLOSE POSITIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE SILVER GRAINS IN THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
109 words
THE METHOD OF REPRODUCING A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE ONA NORMALLY NON-PHOTO-RECEPTIVE SURFACE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TONING THE PHOTOGRAPH WITH SUBSTANCES WHICH COMBINE WITH OR REPLACE THE SILVER GRAINS SO THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH EMITS EITHER SPONTANEOUSLY OR INDIRECTLY FISSION FRAGMENTS OF ALPHA PARTICLES IN AMOUNTS RELATED TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SILVER GRAINS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, AND PLACING THE TONED PHOTOGRAPH CONTIGU OUS WITH THE SURFACE ON WHICH THE IMAGE IS TO BE REPRODUCED, FOR SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE EMISSIONS FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH TO REPRODUCE THE IMAGE AS A RADIATION-DAMAGE IMAGE ON THE SURFACE, THE DAMAGE AREAS HAVING A CLOSE POSITIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE SILVER GRAINS IN THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
THE METHOD ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1 CHARACTERIZED BY HTE FURTHER STEP OF UTILISING THE CHANGED CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE RADIATION-DAMAGE IMAGE IN PRINTING, CHARACTERIZED BY THE DIRECT FORMATION OF AN IMAGE WHICH IS INK RECEPTIVE ON A SUR FACE WHICH IS NOT NORMALLY INK RECEPTIVE AS WHEN A PLASTIC SURFACE IS MAINTAINED IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH A TONED PHOTOGRAPH.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized by the further step of etching the radiation-damage image to form an intaglio image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on mirrors, glassware, ornaments, jewelry, scientific instruments, electrical components or printing plates, which include the method claimed in claim 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized by the use as toner material an isotope chosen from the group consisting of californium-252 and curium-244 which produce spontaneous release of fission fragments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method acording to claim 1 characterized by the use as toner material an isotope chosen from the group consisting of uranium-233, uranium-235, plutonium-239 and americium-242 which emits fission fragments when bombarded with neutrons.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized by the use as toner material an isotope which emits alpha particles spontaneously.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized by the use as toner material an isotope chosen from the group consisting of boron-10 and lithium 6 which emits alpha particles when bombarded with neutrons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the surface to be treated is an ester of cellulose for use with alpha particles and mica, glass, ceramics, or plastics for use with fission fragments.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the intaglio images are coated with inks or stains.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the intaglio images have deposited thereon a reflective coating.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the intaglio images have deposited thereon an electrically conducting coating.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the surface is not normally electroplatable characterized by the steps of depositing, by vacuum evaporation techniques or from chemical solutions or by casting a thin metal layer on the etched image area and electroplating on more metal to produce a raised relief image.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 13, characterized by the further step of removing the relief image from the etched surface to obtain imaged replicas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein a raised relief image is prepared by casting a liquid material in contact with the intaglio image and allowing the material to solidify.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
168 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photo-receptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, applying etching material which penetrates the image areas of the barrier layer to remove the imaged barrier layer and to etch an image on the underlying surface.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
168 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photo-receptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, applying etching material which penetrates the image areas of the barrier layer to remove the imaged barrier layer and to etch an image on the underlying surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method according to claim 16 wherein the barrier layer is an oxide layer formed on a metal surface to be treated or is a layer of silica or titania deposited by means of chemical reactions in a suitable liquid or vapour, or by vacuum deposition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method according to claim 16, wherein the surface to receive the image is a printing plate which comprises a layer of hydrophobic material having a thin layer of hydrophillic material adhered thereto and the barrier layer is coated on the hydrophillic material, characterized in that the etch removes the hydrophillic material to expose the hydrophobic material in the form of the image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 18 wherein the hydrophobic and hydrophillic layers are reversed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 16 wherein the surface is a standard lithographic plate and the etching material makes the plate wettable by printing ink only.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
173 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photoreceptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, applying etching material which penetrates the image areas of the barrier layer to remove the imaged barrier layer and applying a second etching material to etch an image on the underlying surface.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
173 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photoreceptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, applying etching material which penetrates the image areas of the barrier layer to remove the imaged barrier layer and applying a second etching material to etch an image on the underlying surface.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein electro-etching is used to etch either or both the barrier layer or the underlying surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 21 wherein the surface is electroplatable characterized in that before the barrier layer is finally removed the etched image area is electroplated to produce a relief image.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 23 wherein the replicas are printing plates, jewelry, ornaments or decorative fittings.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
162 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photo-receptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, heating the barrier layer to evaporate the radiation-damage image area thereof and applying an etching material to etch the underlying surface.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
162 words
The method of reproducing a photographic image on a surface which is both not normally photo-receptive and not normally made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, comprising the steps of toning the photograph with substances which combine with or replace the silver grains so that the photograph emits either spontaneously or indirectly fission fragments or alpha particles in amounts related to the distribution of the silver grains in the photograph, coating the surface to receive the image with a barrier layer of material which can be made etchable by radiated fission fragments or alpha particles, placing the toned photograph contiguous with the barrier layer for sufficient time for the emissions from the photograph to reproduce the image by radiation-damage on the barrier layer, the damage areas having a close positional relationship to the silver grains in the original photograph, heating the barrier layer to evaporate the radiation-damage image area thereof and applying an etching material to etch the underlying surface.
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) | 1978-11-24 | 1979-05-26 | 1979-11-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-24 | 1983-05-26 | 1983-11-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-24 | 1987-05-26 | 1987-11-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |