[0001] The invention relates to a method of applying self-adhesive symbols in a desired
pattern to a substrate, in which first the symbols are arranged in the desired pattern
on a mounting sheet and subsequently picked up with the aid of a sticking strip applied
across the symbols, the adhesion to the symbols being inferior to that between the
symbols and the substrate, and stuck to the substrate, after which the sticking strip
is removed. Such a method is known from Dutch patent specification 144.529.
[0002] This known method operates satisfactorily in practice, especially for symbols of
comparatively small size. When larger symbols are used a problem may be involved in
that deformation of the symbols may occur when they are arranged on the mounting sheet.
It may also be difficult to remove larger symbols arranged on a carrier sheet. During
this treatment the symbol may be deformed and/or torn up. Moreover in the case of
large-size symbols it is difficult to obtain the typographically correct spacing between
the symbols on the mounting sheet and hence subsequently on the substrate.
[0003] The invention has for its object to provide a solution for these problems. According
to the invention this is achieved in that each symbol is temporarily stuck to its
own carrier, the carrier is stuck to the mounting sheet, whilst the adhesion between
the carrier and the mounting sheet is superior to that between the symbol and the
carrier. Since each symbol is temporarily stuck to its own carrier, handling is considerably
simplified. The symbol with its carrier is arranged on the mounting sheet so that
it is possible to arrange the carriers with their symbols in the desired pattern without
the symbol itself being touched. The carrier, which may be square or rectangular in
shape, is of course insensitive to deformations during handling. After the symbols
are removed from the carriers, the carriers remain on the mounting sheet.
[0004] The adhesion between the mounting sheet and the carriers may be obtained by an adhesive
layer on the mounting sheet or by an adhesive layer on the bottom side of the carrier.
[0005] Placing the carriers with the symbols on a straight line is considerably facilitated
when the mounting sheet is provided with a stop strip for carriers.
[0006] It is then only necessary to lie the carriers with one of their sides against a stop
strip on the mounting sheet in order to obtain the symbols on a straight line. The
arrangement is furthermore facilitated when the side of the mounting sheet facing
the carriers has a colour different from that of the top side of the carrier. The
contrast will contribute to a ready arrangement of the carriers in line.
[0007] When for example letters are arranged, the distance between the letters has to be
chosen in accordance with given typographical rules for the letters concerned. This
is considerably simplified when the circumferential shapes of the carriers are chosen
in accordance with the symbols carried thereby.
[0008] In this method a mounting sheet may be used, which has an adhesive layer on the top
side. As an alternative the top side may have a stop strip. The invention also allows
the use of carriers with symbols, in which the side facing the symbols is coated with
a glue-repellent layer. On the side remote from the symbol the carrier may have a
layer of glue for sticking the carrier to a mounting sheet. The adhesive layer may
have a removable protective layer, which is removed prior to use. As a further alternative
a protective sheet with the carriers according to the invention may be used. Prior
to use the carriers are then removed from the protective sheet. As an alternative
the adhesive layer may be applied to the top side of the mounting sheet. Then the
mounting sheet has on the adhesive layer a removable protective sheet, which is removed
prior to use.
[0009] The invention will be described more fully with reference to drawings of embodiments.
[0010] The drawings show in
Figure 1 a carrier with a symbol in accordance with the invention,
Figure 2 a mounting sheet according to the invention prior to use,
Figure 3 a mounting sheet according to the invention during use,
Figure 4 a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3,
Figure 5 the mode of removal of symbols applied to the mounting sheet,
Figure 6 the mode of application of symbols arranged on the mounting sheet to a substrate,
Figure 7 a protective sheet with carriers and symbols.
Figure 8 a sectional view taken on the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7,
Figure 9 a mounting sheet with carriers in accordance with the invention and
Figure 10 a sectional view taken on the line X-X in Figure 9.
[0011] The mounting sheet 1 serves to arrange the carrier 2 with the symbols 3 applied thereto.
Either the top side of the mounting sheet 1 or the bottom side of the carrier 2 is
provided with an adhesive layer. In the embodiments shown in figures 1 to 6 the adhesive
layer 4 is applied to the mounting sheet 1. Prior to use the protective sheet 5 is
removed so that the adhesive layer 4 becomes accessible. The mounting sheet 1 has
a stop strip 6 for facilitating the orientation of the carrier 2. The symbol 3 is
provided with an adhesive layer 7 so that it is self-adhesive. On the side facing
the symbol the carrier 2 is glue-repellent. After the carriers with the symbols are
arranged (see figure 3)an adhesive strip
8(see figure 5) is stuck across the symbols and the carriers. Subsequently the adhesive
strip 8 is withdrawn. Since the adhesion between the adhesive strip 8 and the symbols
3 is superior to that between the symbols and the carrier, the adhesive strip 8 picks
up the symbols, whilst the carriers are left on the mounting sheet (see figure 6).
Subsequently the symbols are stuck to the substrate.
[0012] Figure 7 shows a protective sheet provided. with a plurality of carriers with symbols.
The carriers have on the bottom side an adhesive layer so that they remain stuck to
the protective sheet. During use a carrier with its symbol is removed from the protective
sheet and stuck in the manner described above to the mounting sheet, which in this
case need not be provided with an adhesive layer. Figure 10 shows the mounting sheet
10, the carrier 11 with the adhesive layer 12 on the bottom side and the symbol 13
having the adhesive layer 14 on its bottom side . Figures 7 and 8 show the protective
sheet 15 provided with the carriers and the symbols.
[0013] The carriers with the symbols of figure 7 have a shape depending upon the nature
of the symbol. According to typographical rules the space between the characters,
for example letters, depends upon the shape of the characters in order to obtain an
aesthetically justified appearance. The carrier for the letter "A" has a shape differing
from that for the letter "B". According to the typographical prescriptions, for example,
successive letters"A" can be arranged with the broad lower sides of the carriers in
contact with one another. On the contrary if a letter "A" is followed by a letter
'E" the narrowed part of the carrier of the letter "A" has to be put against the side
of the carrier of the letter "E", whilst the broadened part of the carrier of the
letter "A" is stuck on the carrier of the letter "E".
1. A method of applying self-adhesive symbols in a desired pattern to a substrate,
in which first the symbols are arranged in the desired pattern on a mounting sheet
and subsequently picked up with the aid of a sticking strip applied across the symbols,
the adhesion of which with the symbols is inferior to that between the symbols and
the substrate, and stuck to the substrate, after which the mounting sheet is removed,
characterized in that each symbol is temporary stuck to its own carrier, the carrier
adheres to the mounting sheet and the adhesion between the carrier and the mounting
sheet is superior to that between the symbol and the carrier.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the mounting sheet is provided
with an adhesive layer.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is provided on
the bottom side with an adhesive layer.
4. A method as claimed in claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the mounting sheet has
a stop strip for carriers.
5. A method as claimed in claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the side of the mounting
sheet facing the carrier has a colour differing from that of the top side of the carrier.
6. A method as claimed in claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the circumferential
shape of the carriers is chosen in accordance with the symbol carried thereby.
7. A mounting sheet for use in the method claimed in claims 1 to 2 and claims 4 to
6 characterized in that it is provided with an adhesive layer on the top side.
8. Mounting sheet according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper side has a
stop strip.
9. Carrier with a symbol for use in the method claimed in claims 1-6, characterized
in that the side facing the symbol is covered with a glue-repellent layer.
10. Carrier with a symbol for use in the method claimed in claims 1 and 3, characterized
in that the carrier on the side remote from the symbol carries an adhesive layer.
11. Carrier according to claim 10, characterized in that the adhesive layer carries
a removable protective sheet.
12. Carrier according to claim 9 characterized in that the circumferential shape is
chosen in accordance with the symbol carried thereby.
13. Protective sheet covered with carriers according to claim 10.
14. Mounting sheet according to claim 7, characterized in that it carries on the top
side of the adhesive layer a removable protective sheet.