Material and method for forming pressure transferable graphics

Claim 1

In a composite material for forming graphics such as letters, numbers, symbols or pictures in accordance with patterns of heating, the composite material comprising a donor web; a frangible donor layer releasably adhered to a surface of the donor web; a receiving web; and a layer of latent adhesive material adhered to the receiving web and facing the donor layer, which adhesive material is nontacky at normal room temperature, but is selectively softened and activated when heated to a temperature range somewhat above normal room temperature and then adheres to the donor layer so that upon separation of the receiving and donor webs, portions of the donor layer are carried with the latent adhesive material in heated areas to provide graphics, said frangible donor layer being microgranular in nature to afford separating lines for said portions generally normal to the surface of the donor web, which separating lines closely conform to the periphery of the heated areas; the improvement wherein: said frangible donor layer is somewhat adhesive and said layer of latent adhesive material is sufficiently weak and frangible that when graphic-shaped portions of said donor layer adhered to said latent adhesive material are pressed against a substrate by rubbing pressure alone in the absence of heat, which pressure is applied through the receiving web, the latent adhesive material will tear around the graphic-shaped portions and separate from the receiving web over the graphic-shaped portions so that the graphic-shaped portions will transfer and adhere to the substrate.

Claim 9

A method of forming graphics such as letters, numbers, symbols or pictures and applying the graphics to a substrate comprising the steps of: providing an accepting portion comprising a receiving web, and a layer of latent adhesive material, which adhesive material is brittle and nontacky at normal room temperature, but is softened and activated when heated to a temperature range slightly above normal room temperature; providing a transfer portion comprising a donor web, and a frangible, slightly adhesive donor layer releasably adhered to a surface of said donor web; pressing said layers in face-to-face contact to provide a composite material; heating the composite material selectively in a graphic pattern above the softening range of said adhesive material so that the layer of adhesive material selectively softens and adheres to the donor layer; separating the accepting portion and donor web to carry portions of the donor layer to the accepting portion in the configuration of graphics corresponding to the pattern of heating, the donor layer being microgranular in nature to afford separating lines for the portions generally normal to the surface of the donor web, which separating lines closely conform to the periphery of the pattern of heating; positioning the separated accepting portion with its portions of the donor layer in contact with the substrate; pressing the positioned portions of the donor layer against the substrate through the accepting web using pressure alone in the absence of heat to tear the latent adhesive material around the portions, separate the adhesive material over the portions from the receiving web and adhere the portions to the substrate; and removing the accepting portion.

Claim 10

A method of forming graphics such as letters, numbers, symbols or pictures and applying the graphics to a substrate comprising the steps of: providing an accepting portion comprising a receiving web, and a layer of latent adhesive material, which adhesive material is brittle and nontacky at normal room temperature, but is softened and activated when heated to a temperature range slightly above normal room temperature; providing a transfer portion comprising a donor web, and a frangible, slightly adhesive donor layer releasably adhered to a surface of said donor web; pressing said layers in face-to-face contact to provide a composite material; heating the composite material selectively in a graphic pattern above the softening range of said adhesive material so that the layer of adhesive material selectively softens and adheres to the donor layer; separating the accepting portion and donor web to carry portions of the donor layer to the accepting portion in the configuration of graphics corresponding to the pattern of heating, the donor layer being microgranular in nature to afford separating lines for the portions generally normal to the surface of the donor web, which separating lines closely conform to the periphery of the pattern of heating; positioning the separated accepting portion with its portions of the donor layer in contact with the substrate; pressing the positioned portions of the donor layer against the substrate through the accepting web using pressure alone in the absence of heat to tear the latent adhesive material around the portions, separate the adhesive material over the portions from the receiving web and adhere the portions to the substrate; and removing the accepting portion.