Process of making raised line imprinted display mounts

A process of making raised line imprinted display mounts utilizing a foam polymer sheet having a thin polymer laminate covering includes the step of selecting a foam polymer sheet having a thin polymer laminate covering. The laminate covering surface is foil stamped with a die under predetermined pressure at predetermined temperatures and for elected dwell time to produce a raised line imprinted lettering or designs on the surface resembling an embossed surface stamping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a method of imprinting on a surface which 
produces a raised line imprinted lettering or design on a lightweight foam 
polymer material having a thin polymer laminate covering. 
In the past, it has been common in the manufacture of display mounts for 
calendars, and the like, to provide printing on the surface of the mounts 
as well as on the calendar pads including conventional lithographic 
printing with inks. It has also been common to foil stamp display mounts, 
especially with gold foil stamping, which requires the feeding of a roll 
of colored foil paper material through a heated die and applying the 
heated die against the foil stamping material and against the surface 
being printed upon to transfer foil stamped letters or designs to the 
surface of the display mount board. 
In a typical foil stamping operation, the board is under pressure so that 
there is a slight indentation in the surface, especially of soft 
materials, but the foil stamping can produce a desirable printing 
resembling gold leaf. In the art of display mounts, it has become common 
in recent years to seek ways to reduce the weight of the display mount and 
calendar pads because of the substantial increase in postage rates. 
Display mounts for displaying calendars are provided through various 
companies as part of the company's advertising, as well as through sales 
to the public, which requires the mailing of individual calendars. If the 
calendar weight can be kept within one ounce, it can then be mailed first 
class with one stamp. Prior display mounts, however, use heavy paperboard 
which is casebound in two or three layers to provide a pocket for the 
calendar. This increases the weight substantially and required an increase 
in postage. With the new postal rates, however, several techniques for 
reducing postage have been proposed, one of which has been to make display 
mounts of a foamed polymer material such as a foamed polystyrene having a 
surface laminate of polystyrene which does not require casebinding and 
which is light in weight but sufficiently strong to allow display mounts 
to be made with lower weight. This material can be printed on but is 
sensitive to heat and pressure, which destroys the laminate. 
The present invention is directed towards a method in which the use of 
predetermined pressures, temperatures and dwell times for different colors 
of foil stamping on a laminate cover foamed polymer material will press 
the material but will produce a swelling directly under the foil coating 
or heated die to produce a raised letter effect and a substantially 
improved appearance of the imprinted material. 
Typical display mounts for calendar pads and the like may be seen in my 
prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,355,706 for a display mount having a well in the 
face thereof for displaying material such as calendar pads and in U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,058,410 and 3,079,715 for an improved display mount structure 
and improved method for forming the display windows and display wells and 
display mount structures. In addition, my prior patents on display and 
photo mounts can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,582; U.S. Pat. No. 
3,068,139; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,720, which includes my patent on an 
aluminum hinge which allows a supporting prop or other display mount 
supports to be mounted with a flexible hinged panel which stays in place 
without the use of interconnecting tongues. Additional display mounts may 
be seen in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,683 for a method of making a 
display mount; U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,883 for a display mount; U.S. Pat. No. 
4,326,906 for a display mount and method; U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,733 for a 
display mount with protected thermometer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,643 for a 
method of making a hinged display mount; U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,935 for a 
display book apparatus; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,123 for a display mount 
and method. The present invention has the aim of providing an improved 
method of imprinting upon a foamed polymer sheet having a polystyrene 
laminate surface on one or both sides. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The process of making a raised line imprinted display mount includes the 
step of first selecting a foam polymer sheet having a thin polymer 
laminate covering, such as a foamed polystyrene sheet covered with a 
polystyrene laminate surface on one or both sides. The foamed polymer 
sheet laminate covering is foil stamped with a die under a predetermined 
pressure at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined dwell time 
to produce a raised line imprinted lettering or design. The preferred 
pressures vary from 20 pounds to 50 pounds of pressure, depending on the 
foil color, with the preferred temperature varying from 325.degree. F. to 
375.degree. F. and the pressure varying from 1/10 of a second to 1/5 of a 
second, for foil colors of blue, red, green, brown, gold and black.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be 
apparent from the written description and the claims. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention relates to a method of making a raised letter or a 
raised design imprinting on display mounts, or the like, on foam polymer 
sheet materials having a polymer laminate surface. The first step involves 
the selection of material, including a rigid foamed polystyrene polymer 
sheet having a polystyrene laminate surface on both sides which is 
produced in different thicknesses. The polystyrene sheet with a laminate 
surface may be die-cut at this time or may be foil stamped and die-cut at 
a later step. The foil stamping includes a foil stamping machine having 
more accurate control of temperature and pressure than that I have been 
able to accomplish with a mechanically driven foil stamping machine. A 
direct air actuated foil stamping machine is utilized which cyclically 
feeds foil stamping material from a reel across the surface to be stamped. 
The cyclically actuated die is preheated to a predetermined temperature 
against the foil stamping color foil for a predetermined dwell time under 
a predetermined pressure. In addition to lettering, zinc or brass dies can 
be produced for imprinting a design or logo onto the surface of the foamed 
polymer material. Inasmuch as the foamed polymer material and the laminate 
are sensitive to heat and pressure, foil stamping has not been utilized on 
this type of material previously under the conditions to produce raised 
letters or configurations. 
I have found that foil stamping with precise pressures, temperatures and 
dwell times for different foil colors produces not a depressed, damaged 
surface, but a raised lettering effect giving a very desirable imprinting 
on the surface. The following table shows variations for each foil color 
as has been determined to operate with a rigid polystyrene foam sandwiched 
between two cap sheets of white, translucent styrenic polymer surface. 
Additional heats or pressures much in excess of those provided will ruin 
the material causing the laminate surface to stick to the die, while 
pressures and temperatures much lower than those provided will not be 
sufficient to foil stamp the foil color onto the surface of the laminate. 
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Foil Color 
Dwell Time Heat Pressure 
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Blue .1 Seconds 350 30 lbs. 
Red .1 Seconds 375 50 lbs. 
Green .2 Seconds 350 30 lbs. 
Brown .1 Seconds 350 40 lbs. 
Gold .1 Seconds 325 20 lbs. 
Black .2 Seconds 360 30 lbs. 
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As can be seen from the table, ideal temperatures vary from 325.degree. F. 
to 375.degree. F., while ideal pressures vary from 20 pounds to 50 pounds 
and dwell time varies from 1/10 of a second to 1/5 of a second. However, 
the process can be performed with some variation so that the dwell time 
can be allowed to remain constant by slight adjustments to the pressure 
and heat, and similarly, slight adjustments in the heat or pressure can be 
offset by the dwell time, heat or pressure. It is believed that the 
desired raised lettering effect is provided by the swelling of the foamed 
polymer beneath the laminate surface at the desired heat and pressure, but 
the pressure initially indents the surface and then expands as it cures 
directly under the foil color surface where the heat and pressure have 
been applied. The process thus includes the making of a die or lettering 
for the foil stamping, the obtaining of a foil stamping machine which can 
operate within the tolerances necessary for the foil stamping of the 
material without damaging the material. The material is usually cut before 
stamping to form the display mounts. The calendar pads, or the like, can 
be attached with conventional equipment by stapling the pads to the 
material. This method uses standard type of 8, 10 and 12 point or border 
designs or other designs formed in dies with a short dwell time of 1/10 to 
3/10 of a second to produce a reaction to the partially expanded rigid but 
soft foamed polymer center and to the more rigid thin laminate to produce 
sharply defined raised letters and designs on the surface once subjected 
to the appropriate heat and pressure only at the points of contact. 
The desired operating range is believed to be 325.degree. F. to 375.degree. 
F. under pressure from 20 pounds to 50 pounds and a dwell time between 
1/10 to 1/5 of a second. However, the process is believed to be operable 
with a slightly broader range including from 300.degree. F. to 400.degree. 
F., from 20 to 60 pounds of pressure, and from 1/10 to 3/10 of a second 
dwell time. The present method is not to be considered as limited to the 
forms described which are to be considered illustrative rather than 
restrictive.