Armstrong Cork Company

Allan W McKee, Jr

Jack H Witman

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing a vinyl resin and a plasticizer for the vinyl resin, depositing a layer of the dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a first printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. A second printing composition containing both a polymerizable monomer, compatible with the plasticized vinyl resin, and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, and, a polymerization catalyst for the monomer is then applied over the entire surface of the printed layer, and heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

Chemical embossing of decorative surface coverings

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing a polymerizable monomer compatible with the resin and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, depositing a layer of the monomer-containing dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a first printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. A second printing composition containing a polymerization catalyst for the monomer is then applied over the entire surface of the printed layer, and heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

Method of making chemically embossed surface coverings

A process of making a decorative surface covering by preparing a granular resinous dryblend containing both a polymerizable monomer, compatible with the resin, and having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, and, a polymerization catalyst for the monomer, depositing a layer of the dryblend on a backing, heating the granules to form a porous, cohesive layer therefrom, cooling the layer, and printing a decorative design on the porous layer with a printing composition containing a polymerization inhibitor which will penetrate into the porous composition. Heat and/or heat and pressure is applied to fuse the resinous granules and polymerize the monomer throughout those areas not printed with the inhibitor composition. A non-porous layer containing a printed design having an embossed resinous surface is formed wherein those areas of the surface that have not had applied thereto the polymerization inhibitor composition are coarsely textured and elevated above those areas that have been printed with the polymerization inhibitor composition and which appear as smooth, glossy, valley areas in perfect registration with the decorative design.

Growing community of inventors

Millersville, PA, United States of America

Allan W McKee, Jr