Docket No. ELL-125
`
`CHEMICAL-ETCHED DIE HAVING IMPROVED
`REGISTRATION MEANS
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This applicationis related to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/572,672 filed July 15,
`
`2011.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] 1.
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`This invention relates to a chemical-ctched die of the kind to be used in combination with
`
`a (e.g., roller) press to produce die cut shapes from a sheet material. The die has a cutting edge
`
`which can be precisely registered by the user in alignment with a pattern that is printed on the
`
`sheet material from which the shapesareto be cut.
`
`[0002] 2.
`
`Background Art
`
`Dies have long been used by educators, marketing professionals, and those in the arts and
`crafts industry to produce a wide variety ofshapes and designs that are cut from sheet material in
`response to a force that is generated bya die press and applied to the dies to push cutting edges
`
`(i.e., blades) of the dies through the sheet material. Reference can be made to U.S. Design
`
`Patent Nos. D607,910 and D585,081 for examples of hand-operated and motorized roller press
`
`machines which are adapted to accept one or more dies to cut through sheet material.
`
`CADatal\Clients\ELLPatent Application. ELL-t 25.doc
`
`1
`
`
`
`CHEMICAL-ETCHED DIE HAVING IMPROVED
`REGISTRATION MEANS
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This applicationis related to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/572,672 filed July 15,
`
`2011.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0001] 1.
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`This invention relates to a chemical-ctched die of the kind to be used in combination with
`
`a (e.g., roller) press to produce die cut shapes from a sheet material. The die has a cutting edge
`
`which can be precisely registered by the user in alignment with a pattern that is printed on the
`
`sheet material from which the shapesareto be cut.
`
`[0002] 2.
`
`Background Art
`
`Dies have long been used by educators, marketing professionals, and those in the arts and
`crafts industry to produce a wide variety ofshapes and designs that are cut from sheet material in
`response to a force that is generated bya die press and applied to the dies to push cutting edges
`
`(i.e., blades) of the dies through the sheet material. Reference can be made to U.S. Design
`
`Patent Nos. D607,910 and D585,081 for examples of hand-operated and motorized roller press
`
`machines which are adapted to accept one or more dies to cut through sheet material.
`
`CADatal\Clients\ELLPatent Application. ELL-t 25.doc
`
`1
`
`
`
`[0003] In somecases, a particular pattern to be die cut is printed on the sheet material., The user
`
`typically tries to align the cutting blade of the die with the printed pattern on the sheet material.
`
`If the alignment is accurate and the die and shect material are run together throughthe press, a
`
`precise shape corresponding to the printed pattern will be cut from the material. However,if the
`
`user cannot see the cutting blade or know its exact
`
`location on the die,
`
`the die may not be
`
`properly registered with the printed pattem. Consequently, the die cut shape may not be as
`
`precise as intended.
`
`[0004] Reference can be made to U. S. Patent No. 7,055,427 for an example of a chemical-
`
`etched die that may be subject to the registration problem described above when the die is laid
`
`over a sheet material and run through a press.
`
`SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION
`
`{0005} A chemical-etched die is disclosed to cut out shapes from a sheet of material when the die
`
`and sheet material are moved together througha (e.g., roller) press. The die includes a flat
`
`outside border that surrounds an inside opening throughthe die which defines the shape to be cut
`
`from the sheet material. A thin cutting edge (i.c., blade) projects from the outside border to
`
`extend around the inside opening through the die. The cutting edge is pushed through the sheet
`
`- material in response to a compressive force generated by the die press and applied to the dic. As
`an important feature, the cutting edge surrounds the inside opening of the die such that none of
`the outside border lies between the cutting edge and the inside opening. That is to say, the
`
`cutting edge lies exactly at the periphery of the inside opening through the die so as to precisely
`
`define the shape to be cut from the sheet material. To stabilize the die against twisting and
`
`CAData\Clients\ELL\WPatent Application. ELL -125.do¢
`
`NO
`
`
`
`changing its shape when subjected to the force generated by the die press, the outside borderis
`
`provided with a widthofat least 2.5 mm.
`
`[0006] By locating the cutting edge exactly at the peripheryof the inside opening, the user will
`
`knowthe location of the cutting edge when the die is tumed upside down and laid against the
`
`sheet material. By virtue of the foregoing,the user will be able to accuratelyregister the cutting
`edge of the die with a pattern that is printed on the sheet material to be cut, Thus, the shape is
`
`cut from the sheetat its intended location corresponding to the location ofthe pattern printed
`
`thereon.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0007] FIG.
`
`1
`
`is a top view showing one example of a chemical-ctched die having the improved
`
`registration means of the present invention;
`
`{0008] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective viewof the die shown in FIG.
`
`| having a cutting edge
`
`located at the periphery of an inside opening through the die to achieve the advantages of this
`
`invention;
`
`[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the die taken along lines 3-3 of FIG.2;
`
`[0010] FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of the cutting edge of the die taken from FIG. 3;
`
`CSData\Clients\ELL\Patent Application.FLL-125.doc
`
`3
`
`
`
`[0011] FIG. 5 shows another example of a chemical-etched die having the improvedregistration
`
`means,
`
`[0012| FIG. 6 is a top perspective viewof the die shownin FIG. 5 having’a cutting edge located
`
`at the peripheryof an inside opening through the die toachieve the advantagesofthis invention;
`
`[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross-section of the die taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;
`
`[0014] FIG. 8 shows the die of FIG.
`
`1 being moved towards a sheet material so that the cutting
`
`edge of the die will be accurately registered with a shape to be cut from the sheet maternal; and
`
`[0015] FIG. 9 showsa set of chemical-etched dies like that shown in FIG.
`
`1 being nested one
`
`within the other.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`[0016] Referring initially to FIGs.
`
`1 and 5 of the drawings,
`
`two examples are shown of
`
`chemical-ctched dies 1 and 3 to be used in combination with a die press(e.g., a roller press) in
`
`order that shapes can be cut out of a suitable sheet material made frompaper,plastic, thin metal,
`
`or the like (best shownin FIG. 8). The dies 1 and 3 are preferably manufacturedfromflat steel
`
`that is treated by a conventional chemical etching process. The shapes ofthe dies 1 and 3 (which
`
`correspond to the shapes to be cut from the sheet material) can vary among different designs,
`
`symbols,letters, numbers, etc. to suit the needs of the user. In the examples of FIGs.
`
`1 and 5, the
`
`chemical-etched dic 1 has the shape of a square or window, and the chemical-etched die 3 has
`
`CAData\Chent\ELLPatent Application. BLIL-125.doc
`
`4
`
`
`
`the shape of a flower. However, the precise shape ofthe dies 1 and3 is not to be considered as a
`
`limitation of this invention.
`
`[0017] Each-of the dies 1 and 3 of FIGs.
`
`1 and 5 has a flat outside border 5 that surrounds an
`
`inside opening 7 throughthe die. The die cut shape to be cut from the sheet material matches the
`
`shape(e.g., a square or a flower) of the inside opening 7 throughthedie | or 3. As is best shown
`
`in FIGs. 2-4, 6 and 7, a thin cutting edge 9 projects outwardly fromthe top of the outside border
`
`5 of each dic 1 and 3 around the inside opening 7 thereof. The cutting edge 9 provides a blade
`
`that is capable of cutting through the sheet material in response to a compressive force generated
`
`bythe press into whichthe dieis installed,
`
`[0018] In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the cutting edge 9 of
`each die 1 and 3 is located at the interface of the outside border 5 with the inside opening 7. As
`
`is best shownin FIGs. 4 and 7, the cutting edge 9 surrounds the inside opening 7 such that none
`
`of the outside border 5 extends inwardlypast the cutting edge 9 and none of the outside border 5
`
`lies between the cutting edge 9 and the inside opening 7.
`
`In other words, the cutting edge 9 lies
`
`exactly at the periphery of the inside opening 7 of the dies | and 3 so as to precisely define the
`
`shape represented bythe inside opening to be cut from the sheet material.
`
`(0019) Because the outside border 5 of the dies | and 3 lies entirely to oneside(i.e., the outside)
`
`of the cutting edge 9, the outside border 5 must have a sufficient width (designated W in FlGs.
`
`|
`
`and 5) to prevent the die from twisting and changing its shape when subjected to a compressive
`
`force generated by the die press in which the die is used. That is to say, the size (i.e., width) of
`
`CAData\ChentsiFLLAPatent Application.ELL-125.doc
`
`5
`
`
`
`ihe outside border is chosenso thatall sides of the die 1 or 3 will be balanced and maintain shape
`stability as the die moves through the press below the force-generating means thereof. To this
`
`end, it is preferable that the width W of the outside border 5 which surrounds the inside opening
`
`7 of dics 1 and 3 be at least 2.5 mm so that the original shape of the dies will not change under
`
`pressure in order to ensure that correspondingly accurate shapes are cut from the sheet material.
`
`The width W of the outside border 5 increases as the size of the die increases.
`
`[0020] By virtuc of locating the cutting edge 9 ofthe dies 1 and 3 exactly at the periphery of the
`
`inside opening 7, the user will knowthe location of the cutting edge 9 whenthe die is laying on
`the sheet material and the cutting edge is forced through the sheet material
`to cut a shape
`
`_
`
`therefrom as the die and sheet material move together through the press. Referring in this regard
`
`to FIG. 8 of the drawings, in order to cut a shape, the die (e.g., 1) is turned upside down with
`
`respect to its position shown in FIG.
`
`| so that the cutting edge 9 which extends fromthe top of
`
`the outside border 5 and which nowfaces the shect material 25 will be invisible to the user.
`
`Since the location of the cutting edge 9 follows exactly the periphery of the inside opening 7
`
`through the die which at all times remains visible to the user, the location of the cutting edge 9
`
`will be correspondingly known.
`
`[0021] The advantage of knowing its location is especially important when the user wishes to
`
`closely align or register the cutting edge 9 of the die 1 or 3 with a pattern that is printed on the
`
`sheet material 25 to be cut.
`
`In this same regard, some conventional dies have a culting edge
`
`which lies on a borderthat runs around an opening, wherebythe border extendsto opposite sides
`
`of the cutting edge and the cutting edge is spaced outwardly and awayfrom the opening.
`
`In this
`
`CADate\ClientssELL\Patent Application. ELL-125.doe
`
`6
`
`
`
`case, the useris left to guess the location of the cutting edge when the conventionaldie is turned
`
`upside downso that the cutting edge thereoffaces the sheet material and is invisible to the user.
`
`Consequently, a precise registration of the cutting edge of the conventional die with a pattern
`
`printed onthe sheet material maynotbe easily achieved which may result in offset die cuts other
`
`than those which are intended.
`
`[0022] Turning nowto FIG. 9 of the drawings, there is shown a sct of identical chemical-etched
`dies 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 having successively smaller sizes so as to be capable of being nested
`
`one within the other. Eachdie (e.g., 20) of the sct of dies of FIG. 9 has a square or rectangular
`
`configuration similar to the configuration of the die | of FIG. 1. However, the shape of die 20
`and the remaining nested dies 12, 14, 16 and 18 is for the purpose of example only, and the die
`
`may have anyother suitable shape. Each die (e.g., 20) has a flat outside border 30, an inside
`
`opening 32 around which the outside border 30 extends, and an outwardly projecting cutting
`
`edge 34 whichlies at the interface of the outside border 30 with the inside opening 32 in the
`
`same manneras was previously described whenreferring to FIGs. 1-4,
`
`[0023] The nested chemical-etched dies 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 are shownin FIG. 9 being spaced
`
`from one another. Like the dies | and 3 of FIGs.
`
`1 and 5, the set of nested dies can be formed by
`
`means of a conventional chemical etching process. However, all of the dies can be conveniently
`
`manufactured (i.e., etched) at the same time from a single sheet of flat steel.
`
`In this case, the
`
`sheet is etched to create the set of nested dies 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 so that each successive die
`
`lies inside and is separated from a preceding die.
`
`CAData\Clients\ELLiPatent Application. ELL-125.doce
`
`7
`
`
Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.
After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.
Accept $ Charge
Still Working On It
This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.
Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.
A few More Minutes ... Still Working
It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.
Thank you for your continued patience.
This document could not be displayed.
We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.
Your account does not support viewing this document.
You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.
Your account does not support viewing this document.
Set your membership
status to view this document.
With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll
get a whole lot more, including:
- Up-to-date information for this case.
- Email alerts whenever there is an update.
- Full text search for other cases.
- Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.
One Moment Please
The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.
Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.
Your document is on its way!
If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.
Sealed Document
We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.
If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.
Access Government Site
