Abstract:
A method and system of processing stamps comprising providing a template containing openings, each opening corresponding with an image to be imprinted on a material, whereby the openings are sized to align such material with the images.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/380,974 filed on May 16, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Flash exposed pre-inked stamps have been made by printing or otherwise photographically imaging a positive or negative image on a transparent indicia medium, such as paper or plastic, then placing that image on a transparent body of typically glass or plastic in between a light source and the micro-porous material to be exposed. On top of the transparent indicia medium could be a clear protective sheet and then the flash exposable micro-porous material. The micro-porous material then could be compressed to form a compressed surface at the exposure surface. This process is known in the industry under the trademark, “Ultimark.” 
     A disadvantage of this system is that the exposable micro-porous foam must be manually aligned with the indicia to be exposed (i.e., the image or text to appear on the stamp). This requires a careful worker with adequate time. It also results in possible misalignment and/or low manufacturing efficiencies. While this may not be a significant problem with low volume producers who may make up to 20 or more stamps per day with a steady and semi-skilled workforce, it is disadvantageous for large volume producers. Manufacturers producing high volume stamps require a more foolproof and cost efficient system of manufacturing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the present invention provides methods and apparatus that use a template to positively align the micro-porous material to the images, thereby increasing productivity and accuracy, while requiring a lesser degree of skill to operate. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, material is provided that bears artwork. A template containing one or more openings is placed on top of the clear protective sheet, where each opening of the template corresponds with an image of artwork. The openings and images are aligned, initially using reference circles in the corners of the artwork and template, and are then fine-tuned by visual inspection. Micro-porous material is placed in each opening and then flash-exposed using conventional flash-exposure equipment. 
     Another aspect of the present invention includes the placing of a clear protective sheet over the artwork material. That sheet can be fastened to the artwork using one or more staples on one or more sides of the artwork. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, an adhesive is applied along the top edge of the template and then the template with adhesive is placed on the exposure glass of the flash-exposure equipment. That adhesive can be masking tape. The template can be lifted from one side and pivoted away from the exposure area to allow the artwork material to be placed onto the exposure glass below the template. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the position of the artwork material can be adjusted from under the template through notches at the sides of the template. Four printed circles at the corners of the artwork can be used for a rough alignment. The alignment of the artwork can be fine-tuned by visual inspection. Another aspect of the invention uses a mechanical system of alignment such as pins, pegs, and various matching shapes. Optical sensors can also be used to detect and align the micro-porous material and the transparent indicia material. Once aligned, an adhesive such as tape, post-it flags, paste or glue can be used at the sides of the artwork to secure the positioning of the artwork to the exposure glass. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the micro-porous material is placed in the template openings and then flash-exposed. An edge of the template is lifted in order to remove the exposed stamp plates from contact with the clear protective film. The plates are then removed from the template. 
     Another aspect of the invention comprises an apparatus for exposing flash-exposable material for use in a stamp. This apparatus comprises material bearing at least one image of artwork, a template with openings, an alignment system for aligning the artwork with the template openings, flash-exposable materials, and flash-exposure equipment. A clear protective sheet can also be placed over the artwork material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of printed artwork in the form of images on transparent paper or plastic with a clear protective film on top in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a template and micro-porous material in the form of a stamp text plate in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a template placed on the flash exposure equipment in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a template pivoted above the flash exposure equipment in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a template placed over printed artwork and clear protective film in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of stamp text plates placed in the openings of the template in accordance with an aspect of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , one aspect of the invention uses artwork  10  in the form of positive or negative images  12  photographically imaged on a transparent indicia material  14 . As used herein, images can include, but are not limited to artwork or text, such as names and addresses, identifying indicia, etc. The artwork is typically printed on velum and has reference circles  16  printed in the four corners of the velum for rough alignment purposes. 
     A clear protective film  18  is used for protection of the printed artwork  10  and is preferably the same size as the artwork  10 . A sheet of clear protective film  18  is placed over the printed artwork  10  and fastened together, such as by using two staples  44  along the left side (when viewed in the landscape direction). Preferably, the fasteners are placed so as to not interfere with the template  20  when the template is placed over the artwork  10 . Both fasteners  44  are also preferably placed on the same side of the sheet to prevent the bunching of the clear protective film  18  in relation to the printed artwork  10  that may occur if the two were fastened together on more than one side. 
       FIG. 2 . shows a template  20  having openings  22  sized to accept a micro-porous material  24 . The micro-porous material  24  upon which the image  12  will be transferred is flash exposable. It is capable of being compressed to form a compressed surface at the area that has been exposed. The image can be exposed by either blocking the light energy with the artwork so that the image area is left unexposed, or by using the negative of the image so that the image becomes sealed and the background is left porous. The area of the material that has not been exposed remains uncompressed and will be the design of the stamp itself. 
     In another embodiment, the clear protective sheet  18  could have an energy absorbing material incorporated in it, or applied to it, over which the micro-porous material can be placed. Since the material is not heat absorbing, the heat will be transferred from this sheet. The clear protective sheet  18  may also be an independent sheet of the protective film or it could be a transfer material. In the case of a transfer material, the intermediary sheet would contact the material to be imaged. This material could be a stamp, identification product, or product to be identified. The transfer material could either contain an energy absorbing material contained or coated to it, or as an intermediary substrate before the transfer layer. The heat absorbing layer would provide a means for the transfer material to transfer to the surface being imaged when exposed to light energy. The material to be transferred could be, for example, a sealing layer onto a stamp to seal the surface, a hot stamped foil being transferred to a name badge, or other similar applications. 
     The template material  26  can be made of many different types and thicknesses including films, paper, cardboard, metal or other substances. In one aspect, the template is cut from 0.030″ thick grade G-7 Garolite material. The thickness may be varied based on user templates or material requirements. In addition, the sizes of the openings in a template will vary according to the size and type of the stamp to be produced. The template preferably includes visual aids  28  to assist in the alignment of the template with the printed artwork  10 . For example, corresponding circles on the template  20  and printed artwork  16  can be used to visually align the artwork with the openings  22  in the template. In addition, the template preferably has notches  30  at the left and right sides to provide an operator with access to the artwork so that the operator may adjust the position of the printed artwork  10  when the template  20  is placed over the artwork  10 . In other words, the notches  30  allow the operator to manipulate the artwork  10  when it is under the template  20 . 
     In one aspect of the invention, the template is pivotably, and removably, affixed to the flash exposure equipment. For example, a strip of masking tape  32  may be applied along the top edge of the template  20 . The template  20  with the masking tape  32  is placed onto the exposure glass  42  of the flash exposure equipment  40  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The masking tape  32  is then pressed to the glass  42  for a firm but removable bond, allowing the template  20  to be lifted from the front and pivoted away from the exposure area. The masking tape  32  acts as a hinge and allows the template  20  to be consistently returned to the same position with respect to the exposure glass  42 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the template  20  pivoted away from the exposure glass  42  to allow the printed artwork  10  and protective film  18  to be placed upon the glass  42 . The hinged template  20  is flipped up and towards the back of the exposure machine  40  so that the glass exposure area is open. The artwork  10  is placed onto the exposure glass  42  and the template  20  is flipped down and onto the artwork  10 . The two fasteners  44  from the artwork and clear protective film  18  should fall outside of the template area and in the notches  30  at the sides of the template  20  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The positioning of the artwork  10  can now be adjusted up/down/left/right from underneath the template  20  through the notches  30  at the left and right of the template  20 . The four printed circles  16  at the corners of the artwork  10  are used to get rough alignment to the four circular openings  28  at the corners of the templates  20 . The alignment of the artwork  10  is fine tuned to the template  20  by visual inspection to see that all the artwork  10  falls within the openings of the template  20 , and that the artwork  10  is not askew with respect to the openings  22 . Preferably, the four reference circles  16  are used to get rough alignment and are not relied upon for final exact alignment. 
     Once final alignment has been achieved, the artwork  10  may be removably affixed to the exposure glass  42  such as by the use of scotch tape or post-it flags so as to secure the position of the artwork to the exposure glass. The small piece of tape or flag is used at the left and right sides of the artwork  10  to secure it to the glass. The artwork  10  is preferably not taped to the template  20 . 
     Using the template  20  as a physical guide, the stamp text plates  24  are placed into the openings  22  of the template  10  as shown in  FIG. 6 . until the template is filled. As the openings  22  in the template will preferably be the same size as the stamp text plates, the template  20  will capture the exposure face of the text plates, providing a positive “lock” on each text plate&#39;s position. This allows for only one position in which the text plate can be placed, providing quick means for alignment with accuracy. 
     Following the requirements of the flash exposure system  40 , the stamp text plates are exposed. The front edges of the template  20  are then lifted to pull the exposed stamp text plates  24  from contact with the clear protective film  18 . Once all the exposed text plates  24  have been removed, the template  20  is pivoted towards the back of the exposure machine  40  and the used artwork  10  is removed from the exposure area. 
     This system and method provides numerous advantages. 
     When a material is placed in the opening of a template, it is automatically aligned with the image. Thus, the present invention tends to be faster and require less skill than typical systems. 
     In addition, in certain aspects of the present invention, the template automatically aligns the material over the image when the material is placed in an opening, thus making it unnecessary to provide as much space between the images. If the text plates are manually placed onto the clear protective film, additional room in between each text plate is required so that the adjoining text plate is not inadvertently moved during placement. As a result of these aspects of the present invention, more materials can be processed at a time. 
     Moreover, the stamp text plates  24  may be removed from the clear plastic simply by lifting up the template. In typical systems, each material is individually peeled off of the plastic. 
     The present invention also has the advantage of flexibility. In an alternative embodiment, the invention uses a mechanical system of alignment, such as pins, pegs, rectangles or other matching shapes to mechanically align the micro-porous material and the transparent indicia material. Another embodiment uses optical sensors to detect and align the micro-porous material and the transparent indicia material. This system can be automated with the use of optical sensors to align the printed artwork with the template, although it does not need to be automated. In another embodiment, this optical system could give an audible, visual or tactical signal to perform alignment. 
     Another embodiment of the invention allows for customization of other material, such as signs, nameplates, badges, etc. where the clear protective sheet could be replaced with a coating transfer material. This material could, for example, be hot stamping foil, which would transfer to the sign material when exposed to heat transferred from the indicia on the transparent indicia material. Although the invention is particularly advantageous when used in connection with foam for stamps, it may be used in connection with transferring images onto other materials as well. 
     Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.