Burlington Industries, Inc.

Louis A Graham

Bobby L McConnell

Raymond Thornton

Joseph P Holder

Michael I Glenn

Richard Sutera

Edward W Teague

James D Rouch

A method and apparatus for forestalling counterfeiting is disclosed which allows a counterfeit document to be identified relatively easily by an average person. The present invention employs a fluid jet applicator to record a unique, random pattern on each of a set of documents (e.g., paper currency, corporate or government bonds or any other document or important paper). Thus, a fluid jet applicator is controlled to produce a truly unique pattern on a set of original documents. Any counterfeiter who merely copies one (or a number) of the genuine documents would be left with a plurality of identical (i.e., non-unique) documents which may then be readily identified by a recipient as not being genuine.

Security protection for important documents and papers

The fluid jet applicator of the present invention utilizes a piezoelectric crystal to artificially stimulate the fluid supply chamber with coherent acoustic energy to pruposely generate and exploit the acoustic standing waves therein. As a result, although sized droplets will be formed at substantially the same frequency from each orifice, individual droplets will be formed so as to be out of phase with its adjacent neighbors in accordance with the standing acoustic wave pattern. By selecting only a very short print time, e.g., such that only one or two drops are formed within such a time and by controlling the frequency of such print time, a wide range of aesthetically appealing, unique, random interference of patterns can be created. Patterns closely simulating natural wood grains including knot holes can be readily produced by the present invention. More, the present invention allows patterns to be modified with relative ease and remarkable flexibility.

Printing random patterns with fluid jets

Fluid jet printing apparatus having a fluid jet printhead and a pair of substrate positioning rolls for moving the substrate between a position below the printhead for printing on the substrate and a position removed from the printhead enabling access to the printhead. Two or more printing stations, each having a fluid jet printhead and substrate positioning rolls, are serially aligned in the direction of movement of the substrate to print different fluids on the substrate. Idler rolls are arranged to effect printing on opposite sides of the substrate at the respective printing stations. The direction of travel of the substrate past the printhead may be in a direction to first pass the catcher and then the droplet streams thereby minimizing or eliminating the tendency of particles to enter the region of the electrodes.

Fluid jet applicator apparatus

A fluid jet applicator is disclosed which senses orifice plate fluid pressure and the fabric substrate speed and electronically controls the flow of fluid by modulating fluid pressure in accordance with the speed and characteristics of the fabric substrate. In this fashion, a highly uniform solid shade is applied across the width of the fabric. The uniformity of the applied solid shade is limited only by the uniformity of the orifices in the applicator orifice plate. Additionally, by operating at higher fluid pressures than electrostatic fluid jet applicators, the present invention is significantly more productive than such electrostatic applicators.

Ultra uniform fluid application apparatus

The electrostatic fluid jet applicator of the present invention achieves patterning effects with an applicator designed to provide a uniform solid application of liquid onto substrates. The applicator requires no digital memory device to store extensive image data defining patterns to be printed and includes a single ganged charging electrode which is utilized to simultaneously charge (or not charge) droplets emanating from a linear array of orifices. The applicator generates patterning effects primarily by controlling the application of charging voltage to the single electrode and by controlling the print time.

Patterning effects with fluid jet applicator

An orifice plate mounting assembly includes a manifold having an interior cavity defining an elongated slot and fluid communication therewith and a pair of exterior vertical guide surfaces bracketing a recessed substantially planar surface surrounding the elongated slot. A pair of clamping members each having a clamp body, a clamping arm extending horizontally outwardly from the clamp body and defining substantially planar contact surfaces, and hinge elements are provided to horizontally position the planar contact surface of each clamping arm in planar contact with the respective portion of the planar orifice plate laterally of the linear array of orifices. Suitable securing elements bridge the manifold assembly in each clamp body to cause each planar contact surface to exert a clamping force against the orifice plate so as to, in turn, exert a clamping force between the planar orifice plate and the recessed planar surface. In one embodiment, the orifice plate is mounted by thermally expanding the length thereof to a predetermined amount and then allowing the orifice plate to thermally contract while maintaining its expanded length so that the orifice plate is maintained in tension between its opposing ends. In an alternative embodiment, a tensioning apparatus is used to place the orifice plate under tension prior to its being clamped into position.

Method and assembly for mounting fluid-jet orifice plate

Dyes are fixed in an indigo-dyed cellulosic fabric, such as denim, in order to improve its washfastness, by applying an aqueous solution of a fixative compound then drying and curing the thus treated fabric in the disclosed process. Suitable fixatives include colorless and colored dihalo-s-triazine reactive dyes. Cellulosic fabrics thus treated retain their original indigo color even after repeated launderings.

Process for improving washfastness of indigo-dyed fabrics

Carboxy substituted aromatic chromophores are reactively linked to fibers containing alcoholic hydroxyl groups, amino groups or thiol groups, such as cellulosic fibers, with the linkage produced in the presence of a cyanamide compound, such as cyanamide or dicyandiamide.

Reactive dyeing systems using dyes with carboxylic acid groups on

Reactive dyeing systems using dyes with carboxylic acid groups

A novel class of dyes are disclosed of the formula: ##STR1## where D represents a chromophore and R represents a phosphonic or a phosphoric group. These acid groups serve both as water-solubilizing and as reactive groups to bond the dyes covalently to cellulosic substrates.

Growing community of inventors

Greensboro, NC, United States of America

Louis A Graham