The invention relates to a method and the apparatus for applying colouring matter to substantially plane surfaces which, for example, can be acryl plates which are clear and transparent or coloured.

At present, acryl plates or similar translucent plates are used a great deal as the insulating part of double windows. By applying suitable decoration to the plates, for example in the form of printed designs resembling the glazing bars and glazing-bar assemblies used in leaded windows, one gives the plates a very attractive appearance.

Before the printing, the plates can be stamped with a design consisting of figures such as squares, rec¬ tangles, prismatic quadrangles, circles and the like, whereby after the printing the finished plate is almost indistinguishable from genuine leaded panes.

The object of the invention is to provide a method for the application of colouring matter to substan- tially plane surfaces, for example acryl plates, so that the method achieved can be executed mechanically in an inexpensive and rational manner. The method re¬ sults in a design which corresponds to the glazing bars and the joints of such bars in leaded windows. This object is achieved by the method presented and characterized in claim 1.

The method can be executed as presented in claim 2, in that all steps are carried out simultaneously, but

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naturally not at the same place on the surface.

In the exercising of the invention, during the execu¬ tion of the method the apparatus is displaced in steps in relation to the surface to be printed, in that each step corresponds to the division in that design requiring to be printed.

The construction of the apparatus is as presented in claim 3, whereby one achieves a simple and uncompli¬ cated apparatus capable of applying colouring matter to large surfaces following the method according to claim 1.

If the apparatus is constructed as presented in claim 4, all three operations can be carried out simultan¬ eously, after which the surface to which colouring matter is to be applied is displaced one step in re¬ lation to the apparatus, this step corresponding to the division in that design requiring to be printed, after which all three operations can be carried out anew and so on.

The application of colouring matter to the apparatus* additional colouring-application apparatus can be carried out in a simple manner by means of a suitable inking pad device as presented in claim 5.

The invention is explained in the following with ref- erence to the drawing which shows an example of the application of a rectangular design or network, said design resembling glazing bars and joints, to a sur- _ face, and where

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fig. 1 shows a surface on which the progres¬ sive application of colouring matter is shown,

fig. 2 shows the same surface seen in section along the line I-I in fig. 1,

fig. 3 shows two of the elements of the appar¬ atus, namely the colouring matter do- sing apparatus and the printing appar¬ atus with printing pad,

fig. 4 shows a printing pad seen in the dir¬ ection IV-IV in fig. 3, and

fig. 5 shows a third element of the apparatus, namely the additional colouring applic¬ ation apparatus with inking device. In addition can be seen the function of the application apparatus, this being illustrated by the stippled lines.

The method and the apparatus will now be explained with reference to one form of embodiment which re- lates to the application of colouring matter to plates which have already been stamped, in that it is the intention that the finished plates shall resemble leaded panes, and thus the colouring matter applied must create an illusion of the glazing bars and their joints in leaded windows.

In figs. 1 and 2 is seen an acryl plate which by stamping 2 is divided into fields 1. In sequence from the top downwards, and in the order A, B, C and D,

fig. 1 shows the method hereinafter described.

At A is seen the point of intersection between a hor¬ izontal and a vertical stamping. At point A is ap- plied an amount of colouring matter, which is shown at point B. The colouring matter is applied down in the stamping, precisely where the horizontal and the vertical stampings cross each other. At C, the amount of colouring matter applied has been suitably smeared out. There is thus produced the colouring matter application which is to give the illusion of a joint in a leaded window.

The acryl plate is translucent, and seen from the opposite side a suitable mat silver-grey colour will resemble a lead joint. Moreover, a special type of colouring matter is used which penetrates through the acryl plate, thus virtually dyeing said plate.

The last step of the method is now carried -out, in that colouring matter, as shown at D, is applied be¬ tween and across the previously-applied portions of colouring matter.

Naturally, one exercises the method many times, both in a parallel direction side by side over the whole breadth of the plate, and repeating the steps A, B, C and D over the whole length of the plate. It is ob¬ vious that if the application of colouring matter shown at D takes place along two lines, as shown at D, it must be carried out with an L-shaped stamp, but in order to finish the right-hand side of the plate, the stamp at this side must be in the form of a stroke or I-shaped.

At this last step of the method, however, stamps of different forms can be used, and the stamps can have various shapes and execution. The stamp must merely be arranged so that it applies the colouring matter both between the smeared-out coloured portions and across said portions.

Figs. 3 - 5 show an example of an apparatus for the execution of the method just described.

The apparatus consists of three parts; a colouring matter dosing apparatus 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a printing ap¬ paratus 11 with a printing pad 12, 13, and an addi¬ tional colouring matter application apparatus shown in fig. 5.

The colouring matter dosing apparatus shown in fig. 3 consists of a reservoir 5 for colouring matter which can be topped up either automatically or manually. When the apparatus is fed down against the plate 1 at point A, the round tip 8 of the dosing apparatus will lift the valve element 9 and allow a small am¬ ount of colouring matter to run through the tube 6. The round tip 8 is connected to the valve 9 by a con- necting rod 7 which extends inside the tube 6. For the sake of clarity, the dimensions in the drawing are exaggerated, particularly with regard to the thickness of the tube.

The plate 1 is fed in under the colouring matter dos¬ ing apparatus and stopped when the first point of in¬ tersection A is directly under the dosing apparatus, after which the dosing apparatus is fed down against the plate so that the valve 9 opens and a portion of

colouring matter is applied. This portion of colour¬ ing matter is shown at B, in that one must visualize that the plate 1 is fed a step to the left after each operation.

The portion of colouring matter B now lies under the printing apparatus 11 which has a piston-like print¬ ing pad 12, 13 formed as a cross 13, see fig. 4 which shows the printing pad from underneath.

Like the colouring matter dosing apparatus, the printing pad is mounted on a common manoeuvring bar 10. When the manoeuvring bar is fed downwards, the portion of colouring matter will be smeared out by the printing pad 13. The smearing-out will be slight¬ ly different from time to time, but the resulting smeared-out colouring matter will resemble a lead joint.

A further colouring matter application apparatus 14 and 15 is shown in fig. 5. This apparatus is also mounted on the manoeuvring bar 10, but in the drawing is shown separated from said bar. The apparatus has a printing pad 14 of a shape and size which corres- pond to the ribbon of colouring matter it is desired to print between the points of intersection. Under the printing pad there is provided an inking pad device 16 which, by means of the tube 17, is manually or automatically supplied with colouring matter. As shown by the stippled lines, at regular intervals the inking pad device 16 can be fed in under the printing pad 14 and thus apply a suitable amount of colouring _ matter to the inking pad whenever this is desired.

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The stippled drawing under fig. 5 shows how the printing pad applies ribbons of colouring matter be¬ tween the points of intersection and across a half part of said points. It is necessary for the ribbon of colouring matter to cover the colouring matter applied in the points of intersection in order to produce the completely correct colouring effect.

The colouring matter is introduced both down into the stamped design and applied upwards slightly on the design's inside edges in order to achieve the desired effect.

In the drawing is shown only one apparatus for the application of colouring matter, but it will be ob¬ vious that in a production line many such devices have to be mounted side by side, the number depending on both the breadth of the plate 1 and on the design to be applied to the plate.

When all the devices are mounted on a common manoeuv¬ ring bar 10 which can be.raised and lowered between each application of colouring matter, one needs only to move the plate 1 one step under the apparatus be- tween each application of colouring matter, this step corresponding to the design stamped on the plate.