Stencils

[57] ABSTRACT

A stencil is formed from a sheet of substantially paintimpervious material and has a design applied thereto by cuts which extend through the sheet. To permit the stencil to be secured in position to determine the exact location of a design to be painted one surface of the sheet has applied thereto a coating of a watersoluble pressure-sensitive adhesive. The stencil is flexible and can be readily peeled from a surface to which it has been adhered.

Claim, 2 Drawing Figures

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U.S. Patent Dec. 30,1975

3,929,068

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3,929,068

STENCILS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to stencils for use when painting designs on surfaces such as walls, for applying lettering to sign boards, or producing pictures on paper or other material.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Stencils for purposes as above referred to are well known in many forms but usually consist of a relatively rigid sheet in which a design is cut and which must be held manually in position during painting to apply the design to a surface. It is a main object of the present invention to provide a stencil which does not need to be manually held in position during painting thus avoiding the possibility of inadvertent displacement of the stencil during painting with consequent spoiling of definition of the applied design.

SUMMARY

The stencil according to the invention is made from flexible sheet material to which the design is applied by cuts extending through the sheet arid has applied to one surface thereof a water-soluble pressure-sensitive adhesive which permits the stencil to be adhered to a surface to which the design is to be applied and to be peeled from the surface after application of the design to the surface. In a preferred embodiment the sheet is formed from layers of laminated material, a preferred laminate consisting of a layer of polyethylene between two layers of kraft paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plari view of a part of a stencil according to the invention, and ;

FIG. 2 is a section, not to scale, on the line II-II, FIG. 1. _: ’

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawing, the stencil comprises a first sheet 1 and a second sheet 6 which constitutes a cover for the first sheet. The first sheet 1 is a composite sheet comprising a layer 2 of polyethylene laminated between two sheets 3 and 4 of kraft paper, the composite sheet 1 having a weight of 128 g/m². One surface, the lower as shown in FIG. 2, of the sheet 1 has applied thereto a coating 5 of a water-soluble pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive coating 5 is, in turn, covered by the second sheet 6 one surface of which is coated with a silicone release material 7 the release-coated surface being adhered to, but readily removable from, the water-soluble pressure-sensitive coating 5.

The sheet 1 has pieces 8 of a required i design cut therefrom by cuts 9 which extend through layers 2, 3 and 4 makihg up the sheet Ϊ, and through the adhesive coating 5. The pieces 8, however, remain in position in the sheet 1 due to adherence thereof to the second sheet 6.

The stencil as just described can be used to apply the design of the pieces 8 to a wall by peeling the second sheet 6 and the pieces 8 adhering thereto from the sheet 1, and then adhering the sheet 1 to the wall in the desired position by means of the adhesive coating 5. Paint is then applied to the wall through the holes left by removal of the pieces 8, the construction of the sheet 1 rendering it substantially paint impervious, that is substantially unaffected by the applied paint. After the applied paint has dried the stencil, being flexible and held in place by the pressure-sensitive adhesive 5 can be readily peeled from the wall, and any residue of the adhesive coating 5 can be washed from the wall with water, the design defined by the holes in the stencil remaining painted on the wall.

Another way of using the stencil is to adhere the complete stencil, that is including the pieces 8, to a surface, for example a wall, which may have been previously painted, and then to peel the body of the stencil from the wall leaving the pieces 8 adhered to the wall. The surface can then be painted, the pieces 8 being painted over, and when the paint is dry the pieces 8 can be peeled from the surface, leaving the design on the surface.

It will be understood that the design can be cut in the sheet 1 in a manner such that the pieces 8 of the sheet are completely removed during manufacture of the stencil, or the cutting can be such that, as described above, the pieces 8 remain in position in the sheet at mariufactufe of the stencil but are readily removable from the sheet for use of the stencil. The second sheet 6 can be applied to trie sheet 1 before cutting of the sheet 1 so that following cutting of the design in the sheet 1 the pieces 8 remain in position in the sheet 1 adhered to the second sheet 6 ready for removal; when required, together With the second sheet.

Various methods of, and apparatus for, cutting and coating sheets with adhesive, and for applying silicone coated sheets to water-soluble pressure-sensitive adhesive coatings, as required for the manufacture of stencils in accordance with the invention are well known and are¹, therefore, not described herein. Further, various kinds of suitable water-soluble pressure-sensitive adhesives are well known and not referred to specifically herein.