US2145320A - Graining apparatus - Google Patents

Description

.181131, 1939. R SHAWy 2,145,320

GRAINING VAPPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, L936 Il',f1111111111111111111111111 In n ArroRNE Patented `an. 3l', 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,378

5 Claims.l

This invention relates to the application of imitation wood graining to metal surfaces and has particular reference to pre-shaped sheet metal parts, such as the garnish mouldings `which form a part of the interior trimmings around the windows and doors of automobiles.

The garnish mouldings for the windowsand doors of automobiles comprise frames of irregular outline and are ordinarily composed of sheet metal having an irregular cross section, the part of the frame which is to be exposed after assembly in the automobile usually 'being convex in nature. Due to the convexity of the surface of such frames it has heretofore been found necessary to treat the convex surface more than once in order that it may be completely covered with the imitation wood graining. The method of applying the graining consisted in passing a transfer roll bearing the imitation graining around the frame as many times as was necessary to completely cover the convex surface thereof. This method has the disadvantage that it consumes an excessive amount of time and also that the joining between successive passes or prints results in a heavy line which must be touched out by hand. Furthermore, the different graining applications cannot be made to align the grain lines, with the result that an exact imitation of the wood grain cannot be reproduced. e

The object of this invention is to provide for the application of imitation wood graining to the entire convex surface, above referred to, by a single pass of the transfer roll around the frame, thus eliminating the necessity for more than one pass of the transfer roll, making retouching operations unnecessary, and providing a more accurate imitation of the Wood graining.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a graining roll having a soft, resilient core structure covered with a printers roll compound so that such compound when covered with ink from a graining plate will print the entire convex surface of a frame such as above mentioned. To this end, the core structure is formed of sponge rubber and a layer of the printers roll compound, which usually consists-` mainly of glycerine and glue, is moulded thereon.

In passing a graining roll around a garnish frame it is necessary that considerable pressure be placed thereon in order that it may be compressed to conform to the irregular or convex surface upon which the graining is to be reproduced, and it is essential that during this operation the roll should revolve freely in order thatr the reproduction may be printed accurately. es-

the present means, the

of the rolls apply grease to their hands, which obviously is unreliable in that the turning of the rolls in greased hands is subject to varying friction conditions. Accordingly it is another object of this invention to providea roll of the character Lreferred to with handles supported by antifriction means. Such means makes it possible for the operator to exert the necessary pressure on the roll without creating a friction condition which opposes rotation of the rolls.

In order to properly print over the entire contour of the frame it is necessary to start the printing operation at a Apoint therein and then movel the roll around the frame continuously until. the starting point is reached. During such movement the angular relationship of the axis of ,the roll with respect to ythe surface being printed should remain substantially constant and the rate of movement should be substantially uniform. With these conditions in view it is another object of the present invention to provide means for supporting the frame to be treated in an angular position, inclined at an angle away from the operator, so that the` operator may conveniently place the desired pressure thereon, withv such pressure being directed downwardly. Further, the means or fixture referred to permits the frame to revolve, withoutthe assistance of a helper, when the downwardly pressedloll is moved horizontally by the operator. In other words, with ,operator has only to place the frame on the fixture and push the graining roll horizontally while maintaining the downwardly directed pressure thereon and the frame will rotate freely due to the push'of the graining roll. 'I'his latter feature is advantageous in that it eliminates the necessity for a separate helperas is ordinarily required to rotate the frame while the grainer isI applying. the graining roll.

With lthe above and other ends in view the invention consists in matters hereinafter more par-l .ticularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the frame supporting fixture;

Fig. 2 is 'a transverse section of the fixture and a frame, illustrating the proper relationship yof a.

graining roll with respect to the frame;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a detail;

Fig. 4 is a section of the grain'ing roll, and y Fig. 5 is a vertical section illustratinga the moulding of the rolls.

Like A characters of reference are employed .throughout to designate corresponding parte.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, the graining roll shown therein comprises a hollow shaft I, internally threaded at each end. In tlf: screwthreaded ends of the shaft are removably received handle spindles 2 upon which` the handles 3 are supported by anti-friction`bearings 4. On the shaft I are a plurality of sponge rubber disks 5, each disk having a series of perforations 6 therein to increase the resiliency thereof. At each end of the series of disks 5 is provided an imperforate sponge rubber disk 1. The disks 5 and 'I are enclosed in a layer 8 of material such as that composition of glycerine and glue from which printers rolls are formed.

The method of forming the rolls consists in providing a receptacleV 9 of cylindrical form having an internal diameter the size of the desired roll. The shaft I is inserted in the receptacle 9 with its end projecting into a central bore III in the base II, the shaft previously having the disks 5 and I sleeved thereon. Although the disks 5 are shown in the drawing as having their apertures in alignment it will be understood that such alignment is not necessary and that the disks 5 are placed at random on the shaft. The shaft I has an aperture therein and when it has been placed in the receptacle as above described the compound 8 is poured through the hollow shaft I and port I2 into the receptacle. Because the end disks 'I are without perforations the compound is prevented from flowing into the perforations 6 with the result that the perforations provide a plurality of air pockets within the roll. After removing the moulded roll from the receptacle 9 the handles 3 are assembled on the shaft. 2

The contour of the frame which is to have imitation wood graining applied thereon is illustrated at I3 in Fig. 1, and its cross sectional shape is illustrated in Fig. 2 as being convex in nature with respect to the portion which is to be exposed after the frame has been assembled in an automobile. lIhe external sectional shape of the frame I3 is ordinarilyright angular so that it may t the body structure of an automobile. Heretofore, the method of graining the frames consisted in placing the angular exterior portion I4 on a base and then passing theI graining roll, previously inked from a master plate, over the convex inner surface, first to cover the inner surface designated A and then the'edge surface designated B, this being performed by at least two passes of the roller. Where the two passes meet a dark line results and it has been necessary to touch out this line by hand. Furthermore, it has been necessary to provide a helper to rotate the frame end over end on the base while the grainer is applying the graining roll to the frame.

In the present case the frame I3 is supported so that it revolves as a result of contact of the graining roller therewith. The means for so supporting the frame comprises a horizontally disposed inverted angle iron base I5 supported at its ends by two end standards IB having inclined front edges I1 provided with a plurality of spaced apart notches I8. A rod I9 has its opposite ends received in notches in the end standards I6 and co-operates with the base I5 in supporting a frame I3 in an angularly disposed position. With the frame angularly disposed in this manner the highest point of the convex surface of the frame is in alignment, substantially, with an imaginary line located intermediate the two terminals or edges thereof. Therefore, when the graining roll is grasped by the handles 3 and pressed downwardly into-firm engagement with the convex surface of the frame, while the axis of the roll is maintained substantially horizontal, the roll is deformed so that it contacts with the entire width of the convex surface. Such contact is due partly to the inclined position of the frame and also to the soft core in the graining roll which permits the required amount of deformation vof the roll without distorting the graining which is transferred from the roll to the frame. While maintaining the downwardly directed pressure the operator moves the graining roll horizontally and as it traverses the' frame surface it causes end over end rotation thereof along the base I5. The entire width of the convex surface of the frame is grained in this manner by a single pass of the roller thereover.

In order to prevent blurring of the graining at the starting point of movementof the graining roll a sheet of ordinary sand paper is first placed over the convex surface and the roll pressed into engagement therewith. After the required pressure has been brought to bear on the graining roll it is moved horizontally and rolls off the sandpaper to Contact the surface of the frame. After the roll has passed off the sandpaper the latter falls from the frame and it has no further function. In this manner the roll may be main- -tained under a uniform pressure and moved at a uniform speed at all times while it is in actual contact with the surface of the frame.

During movement of the roll in contact with the frame it is essential that it rotate freely, that is, its rotation must not be hindered in any manner tending to cause it to drag. If such drag is present the resulting graining is blurred. With conventional lrolls wherein the operator greases his hands `such drag cannot be entirely eliminated, but by employing anti-friction means in the handles as here contemplated such tendency for the roll to drag is entirely eliminated.

It is apparent that the slots I8 in the inclined edges of the end standards permit the rod I9 to be disposed in different spaced positions with respect to the base I5. This is to accommodate frames of different sizes. In all of the positions of the rod I9 the frames remain in the same angular position.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and vdescribed it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and

- such changes are contemplated.

What I claim isz- 1. The method of applying imitation Wood grain coloring to a body having a convex surface, which consists in providing a roll with imitation wood grain coloring, supporting said roll with its axis of rotation normal to an imaginary line bisecting said convex surface intermediate the edges thereof, and moving said roll in the direction of the length of said body While maintaining pressure thereon suicient to deform the same whereby the surface of the roll contacts with the entire expanse of the convex surface.

2. The method of applying imitation wood grain coloring on a frame havinga convex cross sectional configuration wherein an imaginary radial which bisects the convex surface approximately intermediate the edges thereof lies oblique to the plane of the frame, which consists in supporting said framein an inclined position Wherein said imaginary line is substantially vertical,-

providing an elastic roll with imitation wood Cil aiaaaao iii grain coloring, and moving saidl roll in a direction at right angles to the direction of the conveidty while maintaining the axis thereof substantially normal to said imaginary line and maintaining pressure on the roll sufficient to deform the same to cause the surface of the roll to contact; with the convex surface over the entire expanse thereof.

3. The method of applying imitation Wood grain coloring on a framehaving a convex cross sectional conguration wherein an imaginary radial which bisects the convex surface approximately intermediate the edges thereof lies oblique to the plane of the frame, which consists in supporting said frame in an inclined position wherein said imaginary line is substantially vertical, providing an elastic roll with imitation Wood grain coloring, moving said roll in a direction at right angles to the direction of the convexity While maintaining the axis thereof substantially normal to said imaginary line and maintaining pressure on the roll sumcient to deform the same to cause the surface of the roll to contact with the convex surface over the entire expanse thereof. and causing said frame to revolve end over end by the` pressure on said roll Wl'ierelc7 the roll traverses the entire length of the trame. n

4. A supporting structure for supporting a Window frame to be decorated comprising a substantially horizontal 'il-shaped track along which the frame rolls on application of the decorating material, and a guide member extending longitudinally of and spaced laterally and above said track to guide the frame at a predetermined angle.

5. A. supporting structure for supporting a window frame to be applied with an imitation graining comprising, a single elongated track member along which the frame rolls on application of the graining material, supporting means for said track member, and guide means cooperable with said track member to support the frame at an angle during its travel and supported by said supporting means.

CHARLES P. SHAW.

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