US2604418A - Timepiece dial - Google Patents

Description

July 22, 1952 c. STERN 2,604,418

TIMEPIECE DIAL Filed Feb. 17, 1948 FIG.!

FIG. 2

FIG 4 k K W FIG. 5 n

4 Mar/4 f v Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIMEPIECE DIAL Charles Stern, Geneva, Switzerland Application February 17, 1948, Serial No. 8,839 In Switzerland February 18, 1947 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to time-piece dials and has particular reference to a process of manufacturing time-piece dials having prominent indicia members stamped therefrom.

It is an object of the invention to provide timepiece dials of base metal or alloys having prominent indicia members stamped therefrom and durably colored in a color different from that of the dial plate itself.

According to an important feature of the invention prominent indicia members are stamped from a plate of light metal or alloy such, for example, as aluminum or magnesium or their alloys, andthe whole plate is subjected to an oxidizing treatment, preferably to anodic oxidation; the plate is then covered by a layer of commonly known masking material, leaving the prominent indicia members uncovered, then immersed in a dye bath and the masking material removed after dyeing, whereby the prominent indicia members are durably colored in a color different from that of the plate from which they are stamped.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the various steps of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a watch dial embodying the invention;

The Figures 2 to are enlarged sectional views taken on line A-A of Fig. 1 showing a portion of the dial after various steps of the manufacturing process.

In carrying out the process, I stamp prominent indicia members, for instance hour characters as 2, from a plate I made of light metal or alloy such as aluminum, magnesium, aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy; I then submit the plate to an oxidizing treatment, either chemically or electro-chemically, preferably to anodic oxidation, whereby the whole upper surface of the plate including the faces of the prominent indicia members is provided with a layer 3 of aluminum or magnesium oxide, as shown in Fig. 3. The next step is to cover or save the upper surface of the plate by a layer 4 of masking material such as cellulosic varnish which leaves uncovered the surfaces 5 of the indicia members 2.

The next step is to dye the oxidized surfaces 5 of the indicia members, as by immersion of the dial in a, hot dye bath, and then to remove the masking material 4 as by immersion of the dial in a suitable solvent.

A dial is thus obtained having prominent hour characters or other indicia members, the upper surface of which is durably colored, for instance in blue, red or yellow, and thus more neatly 2 stands out in relief on the background of the dial which may be for example white, shining or of dull satin finish.

Optionally, after oxidation and masking of the plate, the prominent indicia members may be uncovered and polished by means of abrasive material, then oxidized and dyed.

Optionally also, the prominent indicia members may be polished and masked before the oxidizing treatment and the background of the dial given a satin finish by well known process; then, after removal of the masking material from the indicia members, the whole may be oxidized, the background masked and the indicia members dyed as hereinbefore described.

What I claim is:

A process for manufacturing time-piece dials comprising the steps of stamping prominent indicia members from a plate of light metal of the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium and alloys of said metals polishing the prominent indicia members and covering them with masking material, giving the background of the plate a satin finish, removing the masking material from the indicia members, oxidizing the whole plate together with the prominent indicia members, protecting the background of the plate by covering it by a layer of masking material leaving the prominent indicia members uncovered, dyeing the uncovered indicia members and removing the masking material from the background.

CHARLES STERN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 430,424 Eaton June 17, 1890 864,467 Ingraham Aug. 27, 1907 1,304,749 Divine Ma 27, 1919 1,821,561 McFarland Sept. 1, 1931 2,516,986 Heinse Aug, 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 445,242 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1936 483,776 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1938 65,167 Switzerland Mar. 4, 1913 OTHER REFERENCES V. F. Henley, The Metal Industry (London), June 18, 1943, page 388.

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